After an exchange of names there are a series of questions most Thai boys will ask you. Obviously, some will only be asked based on the answer to a previous question.

Are you a tourist or do you live here?
Where are you staying in Bangkok?
Do you work in Bangkok? or Do you work?
What do you do for work?
Do you have a boyfriend?
Do you live alone?
Where are you from?
How long have you been in Bangkok?
How long will you stay in Bangkok?

It is not clear to me how much of this is just an easy way of making conversation, given limited English skills, and how much of it is sizing you up. My guess is it’s a little bit of each. Not that sizing you up should be interpreted as a negative. They are justified in trying to gain an understanding of whom they are dealing with. For example, the boy might be interested in developing a long-term relationship with a Farang. So if you are only here for 30 days, he will relate to you with that in mind.

Do you live alone?

The answer to this question is apparently very important. I suspect if your answer is no, he may not go home with you. I don’t know for sure, because that has never been my answer. I can tell you this. One evening I went out to the bars and forgot to turn off the TV. I brought a boy home, and the minute we entered my apartment he became noticeably disturbed. The TV left on suggested to him that someone else was in the apartment.

Where are you from?

Thai boys don’t seem to understand the answer, “I’m from the U.S.” The better answer is, “I am from America.” In many cases he will then want to know what part of America you are from. This means he wants to know what state. Unless you are from a major city, don’t expect him to know it. Some will and others won’t.

Photo Courtesy of Gay Asian Amateurs

UPDATE

After writing this I learned that all Thais, when first meeting each other, enter into a brief verbal exchange to determine who has higher social status, something that is very deeply ingrained in Thai culture. It’s safe to say that, in most cases, a farang has higher status than most Thai boys. While he already knows you have the higher status, the boy wants to know just how high it is. It is my opinion that these standard questions are, at least in part, attempting to determine your status.

UPDATE 2

Scratch the last update.  My new belief is these questions are driven largely by the script mamasans give their boys, with little or no English skills,  to say when first meeting a customer.