[Updated Patpong Go Go Bar Map?]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I had an older (August 2022) blog post from Shamelessmack bookmarked, great to see the (December 2022) updated version - will monitor to see if there's another update before I visit in November. 

The old Screwboy was my favorite personally - happy to hear it's reopened. Excited to check out the new places too!

[Updated Patpong Go Go Bar Map?]

Hi all - 

Thinking of making my first trip back to Bangkok since pre-COVID sometime later this year. 

I've been lurking on the forums for the past couple of years, and I understand that much has changed in terms of the Patpong boy bar scene - the main soi area closing, bars opening, closing, moving, changing names, etc. Can anyone point me toward a current, updated map of the scene? I understand things are more spread out now, as opposed to having most of the bars in one soi. I've always stayed at Le Meridien in the past - would that still be suitably central for nighttime activities (and potentially walking back boys from the bars)?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to finally going back

[Will it be much better to visit in December vs August?]

3 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

 

There are some members here who can do 3 tricks a day. This is beyond me. But the message to take home is that there are enough options here for those voracious enough to do three tricks a day. Haha.

My biggest concern is whether there are enough boy options (via bars or apps), haha

3 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

Much depends on how much weight you give to the weather situation. Yes, there will be a difference, but unless a key objective is to get a tan ( e.g beach time in Pattaya), then I really don't think weather is any real impediment. I note you didn't mention Pattaya in your post, so maybe beach time is not in your plan anyway.

Of the 5-6 times that I've gone to Thailand, I've only ventured outside Bangkok twice - once to Pattaya and once to Phuket. Beach towns are just not for me. I know the Pattaya scene has many fans on this board, but I'm definitely a Bangkok kind of guy. I just want to have my breakfast at Le Meridien, relax during the day, and hit up the gogo bars at night!

3 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

I also understand the complications of arranging travel around available leave periods. I have a similar-ish problem. And my instinct is to grab whatever time I have within my work schedule and not wait in the hope of another slot months later. Slots and opportunities can vanish unexpectedly. 

By the way, what's a PTO employee?

Oh sorry, Paid Time Off. It means my vacation time accumulates at a steady rate over the course of the year, and I only have X number of vacation days total I can take over the course of the year. I had a different job pre-COVID that was much more flexible in terms of time off, but my job now has a much better work situation, so it's a tradeoff! 

3 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

You asked what is our confidence level regarding Screw Boys reopening. It's really hard to say, but with each passing week, it gets more and more unlikely.

Reopening can be a costly exercise. Many interiors have fallen into ruin in the last 2 years, and I noticed that several bars have had a complete refit recently. So, it doesn't come cheap for the owners.

And if they did their market research, they might conclude that traffic to other bars remain poor and probably unprofitable. Good for us as consumers (more choice) but not so good for those having to put money in.

Sad to hear about the Screw Boys situation! Not so much about the bar itself, but mainly because it had the best boy selection for my tastes (twinks with some muscle). I actually liked the Vietnamese boys! Hmm, which bar is going to take up the mantle of the best twink bar now?!

[Will it be much better to visit in December vs August?]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

[Will it be much better to visit in December vs August?]

2 hours ago, numazu said:

Hehe, this is an excellent point, but alas, I am a PTO employee, so my ability to take off is finite!

[Will it be much better to visit in December vs August?]

Hi all - 

Long time lurker and first time poster here.

Was hoping to tap into the board's collective wisdom regarding whether I should revisit Thailand next month, or if I should wait until December.

Pre-COVID I was visiting Thailand several times a year, and was pretty familiar with the Bangkok gogo bar and massage scene. I usually stayed in the Patpong area and hit up the bars nightly. I haven't been back since late 2019 and like many here I have eagerly been monitoring the gradual resumption of travel and loosening of restrictions (Thai pass, inbound testing, COVID health insurance requirements, etc), and enjoying the trip reports from those who have started going back to Thailand. 

From what I can gather, by next month, most of the COVID-related logistical hurdles will be gone and inbound travel logistics will be pretty similar to pre-COVID times. At the same time, though, per the most recent trip reports, it sounds like the tourist traffic and gogo bar scene (in terms of boys, customers, etc) really have not returned to pre-COVID levels. My pre-COVID favorite club (Screwboys) remains closed. It seems there's hope that by high season (ie, December), things might be in a better place and more clubs will have been re-opened. Do you guys feel pretty confident that this will be the case (maybe best I wait)? Or should I just go sooner if I can? If I decide to wait and Japan or Taiwan open up for solo travel in the meantime that might push my return to Thailand into 2023...

Opinions and speculations appreciated.