Bangkok Reports

[QUOTE=CaptCabins;1844179]Guys,

How do you be discrete for our activities in Thailand. I booked my ticket and my hotel together to get cheaper rates but now I am guessing the hotel staff would have my my full name and passport and etc. If I were to bring a girl to the hotel wouldn't they know? On another note I believe in Thailand you have to carry your passport everywhere so how do you guys make sure the lady does not open your passport and find out your identity? Could you guys share some tips on how to remain discrete and make sure nothing gets stolen? By the way I did a quite search on youtubr and it seems there is a poster who takes video and exposes guys soliciting ladies. He would sit in front of the short time hotel and switch on his camera. You can see mostly farang with younger ladies and etc. Am I being paranoid here?[/QUOTE]Yeah. There is a food degree of paranoid in this. Do you think an hotel will bother about your identity linked to bringing a girl or two? They just want to make nothing bad occurs to the hotel and to the hotel guests. So they collect the girl ID for your safety. Do you think they then call your wife? Just carry a photocopy of your passport in your wallet and, again, nobody will bother on who are you. Do you think they are so sophisticated? Even the worst Shangai scams, aim to drag money from you or, eventually put you in troubles with police if you go to police. Nobdiy at home will even know unless you are in jail, mbut even then. Most likely they kick you out of the country and never allow you back.

[QUOTE=ParkVille;1844739]Passports on the other hand, are way more difficult to replace while abroad. Maybe your country and their Thai consulate, this is easy. But for say a country like America, it is not a simple process. It requires: "an original or certified copy of a USA Birth certificate, or a previous or expired passport. " Good luck trying to get your original birth certificate IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. You can have it mailed to you, but pray to the gods that isn't lost in transit or you will be screwed.[/QUOTE]Not true at all. My buddy arrived in Thailand and when he was dropped off in Pattaya he realized he had left his passport in the taxi. Ordinarily a taxi guy would have brought it back, but my boy had had it out with this driver for some reason. The next day he took the bus to Bangkok and went to the US Embassy for a replacement passport. He did not have any of that fancy certified birth certificate stuff that you speak of. If nothing else they can give you a temporary passport to travel on until you get back home. I think those are good for 1 year.

[QUOTE=CaptCabins;1844179]How do you be discrete for our activities in Thailand. By the way I did a quite search on youtubr and it seems there is a poster who takes video and exposes guys soliciting ladies. He would sit in front of the short time hotel and switch on his camera. You can see mostly farang with younger ladies and etc. Am I being paranoid here?[/QUOTE]Why do you need to be discrete? This is Thailand.

If you mean exposes by posting a video on youtube don't walk down Walking Street since tourists are taking videos everywhere. You can always wear a Donald Trump mask.

[QUOTE=Bkkdog;1844575]I think the problem might be you my brother. Every time I go, if I'm not hungry, I decline the food. Beer is much cheaper than Soi cowboy or Nana, I just tell them I'm not hungry and keep ordering beer. If you don't want to drink and you sit there and order 1 beer every hour, then of course, any bar won't be happy. Think about it, it's common sense.[/QUOTE]Sounds like a plan. But we all have to eat. We all need to eat when we arein party mode.

If the prices are fair and they don't push drinks on you or the girls don't push lady drinks on you its sounds preferable to the loud and expensive venues th at cater to foreigners. Any reason not to enjoy a snack at these types of places? I've read other opinions from other places on the net which suggest one should seek out bars and clubs that appeal to locals and not just tourists. Maybe you expound more on this area and some of the specifics. Thanks.

[QUOTE=CaptCabins;1844179]Guys,

How do you be discrete for our activities in Thailand. I booked my ticket and my hotel together to get cheaper rates but now I am guessing the hotel staff would have my my full name and passport and etc. If I were to bring a girl to the hotel wouldn't they know? On another note I believe in Thailand you have to carry your passport everywhere so how do you guys make sure the lady does not open your passport and find out your identity? Could you guys share some tips on how to remain discrete and make sure nothing gets stolen? By the way I did a quite search on youtubr and it seems there is a poster who takes video and exposes guys soliciting ladies. He would sit in front of the short time hotel and switch on his camera. You can see mostly farang with younger ladies and etc. Am I being paranoid here?[/QUOTE]You can control your level of discreteness when you need to, if their is a reason. Firstly, you do not take bargirls or freelancer to your Hotel if your wife or colleagues stay at same Hotel. Likewise I do not monger at my home apartment. Blabber mouths and gossipers are very strong in Thailand. I have made the error of being a regular customer at a Sports Pub that is a little too close to Cowboy. One staff from the pub have seen me outside a ST Hotel and just outside Cowboy area with an very attractive young lady, who clearly was not my GF. Expect soon everyone to hear about it. Fortunately my GF keeps away from Sports Pub.

Fortunately I am a nobody but always risk being seen by someone who knows my girlfriend if mongering in public. So best to keep activities indoors, inside an Oily MP, inside a bar (don't use outside bars if risk someone could see you), travel with your girl by taxi to your Hotel to minimise visibility. Have particular Hotels where all your liaisons with girls will happen. I have concerns about Hotels reporting my behavior to someone. Does not happen as far as I know. Who would be interested? If I have mongered at a Hotel, would never take a Girlfriend or wife there.

I advise against carrying your Passport with you. A copy yes. I have lost a bag in a supermarket containing my passport on one occasion. Critical very very costly error. Caused some Visas to be terminated. You just cannot afford to lose your passport. Loss of phone, camera etc. In same bag paled into insignificance.

I have never been too concerned about a girl finding out who I am, they just aren't interested. However I am not famous. I have contact with some girls on LINE App. I tend not to include my surname on the details of my profile. They my know my nick names. No big deal. Never ever seen a girl trying to look in my wallet. Free Lancers are the least trustworthy and Ladyboys even less trustworthy.

Occasionally I have seen people using cameras in Soi Cowboy and am a bit wary of those.

Customers have been thrown out of the bar after they tried to take pictures on phone or otherwise. Usually it is Asian customers that try this. Never seen a Farang apprehended for this.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1844774]Not true at all. My buddy arrived in Thailand and when he was dropped off in Pattaya he realized he had left his passport in the taxi. Ordinarily a taxi guy would have brought it back, but my boy had had it out with this driver for some reason. The next day he took the bus to Bangkok and went to the US Embassy for a replacement passport. He did not have any of that fancy certified birth certificate stuff that you speak of. If nothing else they can give you a temporary passport to travel on until you get back home. I think those are good for 1 year.[/QUOTE]That is correct. This would be considered a emergency and a appointment wouldn't be necessary.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;1844935]That is correct. This would be considered a emergency and a appointment wouldn't be necessary.[/QUOTE]Agreed. And the notion you would need to present a USA Consulate with your birth certificate in order to get an emergency passport after losing the original doesn't make sense anyway, unless loss of passport is to be penalized by permanent banishment from the USA.

I don't carry my passport in Thailand, but do so in Jakarta where there are police blockades looking for, among other things, foreigners without passports that can be shaken down for bribes (before beginning to carry around my passport, I had two such incidents with corrupt police officers). In the Jakarta thread one of the senior citizens (or perhaps a "senile citizen") criticized me for carrying my passport and suggested that I therefore had no credibility on the forum on any topic. I suppose I also would have lost points with him had I revealed I also carry my driver's license on me while in my home country.

In any event, I put my passport in a passport holder that has a clip that attaches to one of my front belt loops while the passport is in my front pocket. This makes it virtually impossible to lose by pickpocket or it simply falling out of my pocket. I suppose if someone put a gun to may head I would have to give it up, but at that point losing my passport would likely be the least of my problems. In any event, carrying one's passport in a passport holder that attaches to a belt loop is one way to lower the risks inherent in carrying one's passport around town. It may be a bit inconvenient, but less so than dealing with situations where a police officer, particularly a corrupt one, asks for a passport and you don't have it on you. And although one might counter that a corrupt police officer will find something else to use against you, somehow even corrupt police have rules they abide by and in my experience showing that you have your passport generally will get them off your back.

[QUOTE=Eszpresszo;1844892]Sounds like a plan. But we all have to eat. We all need to eat when we arein party mode.

If the prices are fair and they don't push drinks on you or the girls don't push lady drinks on you its sounds preferable to the loud and expensive venues th at cater to foreigners. Any reason not to enjoy a snack at these types of places? I've read other opinions from other places on the net which suggest one should seek out bars and clubs that appeal to locals and not just tourists. Maybe you expound more on this area and some of the specifics. Thanks.[/QUOTE]I have ordered food from a gogo bar, but very rarely. Most of us do not need to eat, other than the desire to eat pussy.

Thai entertainment venues are more for groups of people to eat, drink, and be merry, enjoy music and dancing. However, when I attend a gogo bar, I am usually arriving alone (did take a buddy to Saphan Kwai and could help being an interpreter), and am not there for eating, socialising with buddies, music not so much (although really bad non-music irritates), and don't even drink alcohol usually. It's purely for naked girls, and some regulars or new stunners hopefully. I can be in party mode (with girls) but do not require food and alcohol. I usually eat a small meal before arriving, unless time has run out and may eat a snack very late instead. I think I am more like Natty Bumpo. We prefer to party a little with girls. Other guys are quite unnecessary.

I imagine that Thai men at Sapahn Kwai venues would come in groups or join groups, typically.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1844958]I have ordered food from a gogo bar, but very rarely. Most of us do not need to eat, other than the desire to eat pussy.

Thai entertainment venues are more for groups of people to eat, drink, and be merry, enjoy music and dancing. However, when I attend a gogo bar, I am usually arriving alone (did take a buddy to Saphan Kwai and could help being an interpreter), and am not there for eating, socialising with buddies, music not so much (although really bad non-music irritates), and don't even drink alcohol usually. It's purely for naked girls, and some regulars or new stunners hopefully. I can be in party mode (with girls) but do not require food and alcohol. I usually eat a small meal before arriving, unless time has run out and may eat a snack very late instead. I think I am more like Natty Bumpo. We prefer to party a little with girls. Other guys are quite unnecessary.

I imagine that Thai men at Sapahn Kwai venues would come in groups or join groups, typically.[/QUOTE]So right. Thai entertainment venues all have food. It is just part of the culture. If they did not have food the locals would not go. It's a group thing and is about socializing as much as anything else. Thais go out in groups; they rarely go out alone.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;1844935]That is correct. This would be considered a emergency and a appointment wouldn't be necessary.[/QUOTE]Now you guys who are US citizens should be aware that there is such a thing as a "Passport Card". Its basically a small, driver's license size travel document that allows you to travel through North America in countries that previously only required a driver's license as ID (Canada, Mexico, much of the Caribbean.) This isn't going to get you into Thailand, but it is acceptable ID for the US consulate. These are cheap and they fit in your wallet. I carry one with me abroad, when I can't take my passport on the streets with me. It doesn't hurt to carry both (albeit not in the same place). You will see this document discussed in the forums about Mexico. Not sure what the rest of the world has that is an equivalent, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is some form of national ID card that would suffice at your consulate, in the event of a lost passport.

[QUOTE=Eszpresszo;1845135]Now you guys who are US citizens should be aware that there is such a thing as a "Passport Card". Its basically a small, driver's license size travel document that allows you to travel through North America in countries that previously only required a driver's license as ID (Canada, Mexico, much of the Caribbean.) This isn't going to get you into Thailand, but it is acceptable ID for the US consulate. These are cheap and they fit in your wallet. I carry one with me abroad, when I can't take my passport on the streets with me. It doesn't hurt to carry both (albeit not in the same place). You will see this document discussed in the forums about Mexico. Not sure what the rest of the world has that is an equivalent, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is some form of national ID card that would suffice at your consulate, in the event of a lost passport.[/QUOTE]Lots of countries nearby accept EU ID cards (France, Spain, Germany, Italy all have one of their own, maybe others too) accept the national ID to enter their countries. It has been changing a bit though, recently, but I do recall Egypt and turkey did accept the national ID card to enter them. The national ID card is a fully legitimate ID card that your own authorities (consulate for one) HAVE to accept as identification mean. Has been good for me once in USA and Australia, when my passport picture was not making the immigration too happy (was badly passed at origin) and I showed them my ID card as a further proof of identification.

[QUOTE=Breadman;1843735]Anyone know what happened to stumble inn? Prime location and used to be packed day and night. Girl I know quit and went to work at Hillary, something must have happened. New owners?[/QUOTE]Hmmm. I think you should ask the girl you know who quit and went to work at Hillary. She might know, don't ya think?

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1842535]I don't quite understand. Why is the difference between ST and LT so low? Is this basically due to girl only having the chance to make one ST per night? Does the girl keep all the 2000 ST or is someone taking a cut out of that? since you aren't paying that to her directly. Is this a set fee?

Why so much as 500 ti the moma. She must be raking it in?

I have been to T Det. My buddy took a short time but I did not. I found it a bit less easy to get to the most desirable girl than at cowboy. I. e. She was busy or assigned to other tables. I didn't find the next best level good enough to my taste.

Do you often end up getting your first choce girl easily? I guess there is always returning another night, but I couldn't be bothered, as not immediately hooked by the setup.

I suppose I did not know the system on how to get a lap dance from the most desired girl when she was not in the vicinity. Most of the customers sit politely and don't run around chasing a girl like I was tempted to do but resisted.

Its too spread out for me. This limits. the girls that are dancing nearby. If I like a girl, I would like to be near where she is dancing but this is not practical.

I guess this place is designed for guys that are not fussy and should like all the girls equally well. Not how I operate. I like a very small portion of the girls and ignore all the rest. You take a long time to see all the girls there wirh their rotation system and then by the time you have worked out which one you like, she is bound to be busy already with a customer.

Perhaps there are ways for a regular to overcome this?[/QUOTE]Let me try and help you with this. I have been to all the bars in the SK area. It's set up like most of the bars in nana or Soi cowboy. If you want a girl, it does not matter if you are Thai or Farang, the best and only way to do it is to call a MoMA son over and ask them to go and collect the girl. If you need time in any bar to decide, there is always a chance the girl will be busy. Your posts about CH prove that theory. There are 2 bars opposite each other at the beginning of the street. The one on the left is huge and seems to be the most popular, if you don't find a girl quick, she will be taken. The bar opposite is more a place to sing, eat and drink with your lady and is more laid back. As you comtinue around the corner there are 4 more bars. The largest is on the right side with 2 entrances. One entrance is down the Soi and the other on the main road. This one is also very popular with many girls spread out. However there are 2 smaller bars that are perfect for you. One is to the left of this bar, and the other is opposite. Both are small venues and not spread out. You can easily get the lay of the land and chill out until you can choose your girl.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1843649]BKKDog,

Any chance to enlighten us on any of these questions? I thought perhaps some questions could be answered easily. Of course I can understand if you don't like the questions for one reason or another. Just that my one visit there did not give me enough knowledge to understand the workings that well myself?

Syzy.[/QUOTE]Syzy. Anytime you would like to meet up for a night in SK, let me know. I tried to send you a PM but for some reason you have turned your PM function off or it has been revoked. I can PM other members so it's not a problem on my end.

[QUOTE=Eszpresszo;1845135]Now you guys who are US citizens should be aware that there is such a thing as a "Passport Card". Its basically a small, driver's license size travel document that allows you to travel through North America in countries that previously only required a driver's license as ID (Canada, Mexico, much of the Caribbean.) This isn't going to get you into Thailand, but it is acceptable ID for the US consulate. These are cheap and they fit in your wallet. I carry one with me abroad, when I can't take my passport on the streets with me. It doesn't hurt to carry both (albeit not in the same place). You will see this document discussed in the forums about Mexico. Not sure what the rest of the world has that is an equivalent, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is some form of national ID card that would suffice at your consulate, in the event of a lost passport.[/QUOTE]Once I was stopped in Jakarta for a passport check. I had a photocopy of my passport along with my USA -based driver's license and my friend had his passport card but not his passport. The policeman, who was obviously fishing for bribes, told me the copy of my passport and state ID. Were insufficient (even though I had earlier been told the opposite by an Indonesian lawyer, but he was probably wrong). When the police officer saw my friend's passport card he became a bit befuddled but then focused on me to get his bribe. In other words the passport card sort of worked although if my friend had been traveling alone without a better bribe prospect (I. E. , me with my photocopy) it might not have. In any case, it is not a bad idea to have one to carry around, although in situations where one might be vulnerable to being asked for one's passport, e. G. , North Jakarta at night, it may not be enough.

Edit: Usually I edit out the errors introduced by the auto-incorrector on this site, but there are just too many here so I'm leaving it alone.