Back into the tourist zone

Farang C lives in a wealthy residential area close to town. 

I made a time to see him, so I could take a look at his place.

I headed down a leafy street, passing condos, apartment complexes, villas, and large private homes hidden behind large walls.

Local landowners had posted signs written in English and Thai on fences and lamp-posts, advertising homes in the area for rent or sale. I took down their names and numbers.

This was an exclusive neighbourhood. I could walk around here all day, I thought, and meet only Burmese labourers and cleaning staff.

The night before, I had asked Maiyuu if he would like to accompany me on my journey into this wealthy part of town.

'No, you go...I am going to get my hair cut,' he said.

As I entered farang C's street, a middle-aged Thai wearing a suit walked out, just as a black Mercedes pulled up by his side.

A uniformed chauffeur was at the wheel. He greeted the man in the suit.

'Hello, sir!'

'Where are you going?' the man barked. He was presumably the vehicle's owner, and the man driving it his hired help.

'I am on an errand, sir,' replied the driver nervously.

The man sniffed, and walked away.

Welcome to life on the moneyed side of town.

-
At farang C's condo, I inspected the one unit which is available for rent.

A woman from the condo office escorted me.

She had the key, though the owner, a Thai woman, had also left her contact number on the door.

The place was freshly painted, and fully furnished. It has two bedrooms, and a bath.

It also has plenty of food preparation space, which is useful for aspiring chef Maiyuu...but unfortunately, no sink.

'How could the owner go to all the trouble of buying this place, and decorating it, but forget to put in a sink?' I asked, exasperated.

The woman from the office could not answer. 'Perhaps the owner does not cook much...she just buys food in,' she suggested.

I thanked her for showing me around.

-
Out of luck on the condo hunting front, farang C took me for a drink at a gay bar close to his home.

'Now, isn't this a fun place? asked farang C. 'Wouldn't you rather live here than in the sticks where you are now?'

When I first arrived in Bangkok, I lived in nearby Sathorn, part of the tourist district.

I had lived there just a few months when I met boyfriend Maiyuu.

Within weeks, he had whisked me away to our present place in the wilds of Thon Buri, on the other side of the Chao Phraya river.

I traded my status as a single man, gay and fancy-free, for married bliss in a part of town where rarely a foreigner or moneyboy ventures.

Now, eight years later, I am contemplating a return to the same tourist zone. How will it go?

-
Heading for home after leaving farang C, I realised I was in unfamiliar territory.

I had asked farang C for directions to the main road, but forgotten them.

Darkness was gathering around as a man from the local motorcycle queue appeared.

'You - where you going?' he asked.

'I want to find the main road,' I said.

'Oh, that's far,' he said, taking my hands in his own, and giving me a smile.

I hopped on the back. The journey took five minutes.

As we rode, I put my arms around his body. With every bump in the road - Bangkok streets have many - my hands moved closer to his crotch.

At the bus stop, I climbed off his bike. We looked into each other's eyes a long time. I asked him if he was single.

'Why you want to know? I am shy,' he said, hiding his face behind a thin poncho.

I gave him my phone number. 'We can go drinking some time,' I said.

'Why not give me your phone instead? I do not have one,' he replied.

I declined. He had no change, so I gave him B80, twice the fare he wanted.

He smiled again, and looked as if he wanted to kiss me - but then realised we were standing in a public place.

'I go back to work now,' he said, as he rode away.