hojacat

He probably was talking about Krubb.

This one, I think, was the main problem with the old Babylon. I know that sauna had a long history and went through several iterations but I only frequented it in its last 5-7 years of existence when I was a slim guy in my mid-to-late 20s. Yes, the facilities were good but the crowd much less so. I feel that once Babylon got to be known as the place to-go for old farangs, it's decline started. Old Western guys made up most of the customers and those few younger Thai twinks that went there were mostly after them (for one reason or another) than after a younger guy. At Babylon, I mostly hooked up with other Asian tourists visiting the place because of its reputation. I honestly preferred going to the Rama 9 saunas, like R3 and Underground, which even though geared more towards a Thai-to-Thai type of action, had a much younger local crowd who didn't mind messing around with farangs. The only time I enjoyed Babylon was during their Songran foam parties, but even then the ones at R3 were better. As for Krubb, i have been twice, in August and December. As I said in some other posts, there is definitely a big "sticky rice" vibe in the crowd, but Westerners are definitely welcomed, both young and old. You hear a lot of English around but it's usually spoken by other in-shape and young Asian tourists instead of older farangs (Koreans but also lots of Singaporeans, Taiwanese and honkongese). Maybe the owner of Krubb are not trying to be the next Babylon after all. I think they aim more to be the Soi13 or the Hutong of Bangkok. Places known for attracting a big crowd of young and in-shape local guys and a destination for visitors wanting to meet them.

well, the first meaning of scopare is actually cleaning with a broom, so i guess the teacher was in malafede (in bad faith).😜

Vietnamese guys are actually pretty cute, especially face-wise, though they tend to be flatter down there compared to Thais. They tend to be quite submissive during sex but outside it, they have a rougher character and lack some of the soft manners that makes Thais or even Cambodians so attractive. I guess given Vietnam history, both recent and ancient, it's in a way understandable. What I have heard from Viet friends and seen when I have been there, they don't mind meeting older guys, especially when they can practice English or any other foreign language.

In tone, veritas!

I would suggest Krubb sauna. I guess it can be considered the legitimate heir of Babylon (you will even find a plaque outside given to Krubb by the owner of Babylon). The facilities are quite modern and there is a nice bar (with a very cute bartender) + jacuzzi on the rooftop. However, there is no space outdoors like Babylon used to have. You can also try Chakran. I have heard the facilities are quite nice. The issue I have with saunas in Thailand right now is that guys are still wearing masks indoors, though fewer that when I went in May. Sauna Mania in Silom, a place I usually don't go to, had a very fun and crowded foam party/orgy during the white party days. Looked like lots of the guys went there before heading to the party. Never seen that place so crowded. Even there though, you could tell who was local and who was visiting cause even guys from other Asian visitors (Taiwan, HK, Singapore, Malaysia, etc) were not wearing masks but Thais were, including some of the performers the sauna hired. I definitely saw way fewer masks (usually just one or two usually) when I went to saunas in Kaohsiung and Taipei this month.

Thanks for your reply @PeterRSFor some reason, I was under the assumption that you live in Hong Kong. I went to a couple of saunas in Hong Kong but I think I know which one are you talking about. I head read lots of review about it, so was expecting it to be really good. I got pretty disappointed. It was pretty small and it mostly consisted of old guys. Remember leaving after only 15-20 minutes. Yes, Hutong is kinda infamous for discriminating based on body type. I've read it many times and on different sources so I definitely believes that it happens. I only went once and didn't have any problem getting in, though I remember the front desk guy not being very friendly ( who by the way looks like the guardian to the gate of wonderland, as the reception is pretty small and low-key, but then you open the door and go and the place inside is much bigger than you thought and your start seeing this stream of hot bodies). Yes the crowd is really good, though in some dark corners of the cruising area gets a bit too 'aggressive". I think if it happens the same in another "higher-sensibility" Western country, people would complain about it. I also really liked another sauna in Kowloon. Don't remember the name, but I do remember that it was in a high floor and that it had a nice view of the street from its lobby. It wasn't that big but the crowd was just incredible. Almost 90-95% of them were young slim and in-shape twinks. I was in complete awe. Anyway, hope you enjoy your trip to Taiwan next moth. I guess you are going for the lantern festival I saw that this year is in Taipei. Let us know if you go to any sauna or hot spring in there.

Has anyone been to XXO party? The one for 2023 is available for booking: https://cruise2023.xxoparty.com/ Looks like it's a mix between the white party and a gay cruise. Does anyone know if there is any action going inside as there is in a lot of gay cruises?

Tourists start coming for the pride from Wednesday-Thursday, so I actually plan to spend the whole week before pride in Taipei. Looking at what happened in Bangkok for the white party and considering that mainland China is now opened for traveling, I predict a big rebounding for Taipei pride this year, probably might surpass the record of 2019. I remember that year, Soi13 got fully packed on Saturday and Sunday, probably 400 guys or more. It was incredible, even though it was difficult finding a free cabin. Planning to spend also a week in HK during that trip as I haven't been there in a while. I remember really enjoying the numerous saunas in HK, especially the one called Hutong. @PeterRSIs Hong Kong where you live right now?

Juts got back from an amazing 12 days trip to Taiwan. Spent majority of the time in the south between Tainan and Kaohsiung and then a few days in Taipei. Was lucky to have very good and pleasant for almost all the duration of my trip (it rained during the penultimate night in Taipei and then on the last day, it got pretty cold). Enjoyed the food, the cities, the scenery and of course ...the boys😉. Might have met around 17-20 of them, from simple hookups to just dates and to everything in between. Went to both the Hi-Man sauna in Kaohsiung and Soi13 in Taipei. A few words regarding them: Hi-Man (Kaohsiung). It's an OK size but a bit old and in some places a bit worn-out. Went there on a Friday and Saturday around 7pm. On Friday, there were never more than around 20-25 guys in there. Only around 3-4 twinks. Played with one. On Saturday, the crowd was bigger, probably around 50 and higher number of young guys. Got to mess around with three guys, including a very cute 22 yo twink, whom I met two more times on Kaohsiung and who he even came over to Taipei to be with me on my last day. Soi13 (Taipei). The entry fee has increased to 800NTD, as Aniki has closed, so pretty much it has no other sauna to compete with. This definitely has had an effect on the number and age of people that go there. I was lucky to get two entry coupons from one of my Taiwanese friends for just 400NTD each (you can buy 20 coupons for 7000NTD).However, they offer a 300NTD entrance between 6:30PM-7:30PM every day, only though for people holding a valid Taiwanese ID card, so tourists are out of luck. This period though is when it really gets crowded and busy. I went there on Friday around 5:45PM. It was quite empty and most of the people that were there were not my type. Didn't mind though as I went for a first round with my friend. After we finished , we took a shower and then waited in the jacuzzi for people to come over during the discount hour. By around 7, there were probably around 80-100 people in there, with a good mix of ages and body types. Got some action with two other guys. By 9pm the crowd started to get thinner. On Saturday went a bit later, around 6:15. There were more people than on Friday but still felt a bit empty and then between 6:45-7:15 people just kept coming and coming and I got a glimpse of the old Soi that I really used to enjoy: the walls were filled should-to-shoulder with naked hot bodies (there were probably 1700-200 guys in there). The number of young guys was also pretty high, definitely more than half. However this big inflow of guys all-at-once is not ideal. As it gets crowded, some guys go with the first guy they like, so if you see a guy and don't make contact right away, you might not see him again. Others like to go around thinking they haven't seen all the guys yet, so they will refuse you even though in other circumstances they might want to go with you. It also gets a bit difficult finding an empty cabin once you have the guy. Same as on Friday, it starts emptying out after 9PM and the influx of new people geos down by a lot, maybe 1-2 new guys every 5-10 minutes. I left at around 9:45PM. Overall though, I would rate it as an amazing experience. Can't wait to go back to Taiwan. Definitely for the Taipei pride at the end of October, but hopefully even sooner than that.

Recommended by someone in another forum, last year I got to read THE RICE QUEEN DIARIES by Daniel Gawthrop. I enjoyed the book, especially the chapters about his travels and life in Thailand. Even though the book is almost 20 years old and due to my age I started visiting Thailand and Asia much later than the author, I could relate to some of the places and feelings described in the book. I would like to know if anyone can help me find other books with similar subject and theme? So something along the lines of gay scene/life in Thailand or any other Asian country, preferably seen from a foreigner's perspective and published in the last 20-30 years. Heading to BKK in 10 days and I usually prefer books over movies or music for passing time on a flight.

Was that fact about Jack'd just in Taiwan during this visit or just in Asia in genral?

I remember a similar situation. the steam room where the foam party takes place is actually pretty small and it gets so crowded you can barely move. Nonetheless, it's a lot of fun as the crowd is usually pretty good. Quite happy to hear that it survived COVID lockdowns and it's back to normal. If not the most, it's definitely in my top 3 saunas outside Asia. Quite a few guys that I follow on Twitter are also located in Sydney. Hopefully get to meet some of them, like this one for example: https://twitter.com/goodkittycakes @OlddaddyNot sure if you have had the chance to meet him.

I think that is what is now called the "progressive" rainbow flag, supposedly more inclusive.

So which app did give you the highest scoring rate @PeterRS? I usually get a Premium subscription of 1-3 months for Hornet when I travel to Asia. It's pretty cheap compared to the other apps. Haven't used Blued since before Covid. wonder how much their Premium tiers cost? Btw, does anyone still use Jack'd. Used to be sort of popular in Asia, but I haven't used it since 2018. Grindr, Hornet and Blued had way more guys and I found a bit tedious juggling among 4 apps.

I'm planning to be there for the last week of it (Feb. 26- March 6). It will be my second time in Sydney. Had a blast the first time. Really loved the city, the nature and the boys. Is the 357 sauna still popular? Had so much fun in there on naked night, on a Saturday if I remember it correctly and then on their foam party Sunday afternoon. Lots of Asian twinks, especially from Taiwan and China.

The ultimate factor in Thailand's tourism number for 2023 is definitely China's COVID policy. They have been the biggest group of tourists in Thailand for years, so that pent-up demand will be 2-3 bigger than it was for Westerners wanting to go back to Thailand. If , as some are saying, China will relax travel rules in March, get prepared for some of the most expensive hotel rates during Songran and even during the so-called low season.

Thanks for this report @PeterRSSo how the hot spring?Is it exclusively gay or more a mixed one like the old that closed? Did you like the crowd? You mention also one that was part of a upscale hotel. Is that also mostly geared towards a gay clientele?

This one has been catching my attention lately: https://mobile.twitter.com/urfilobabe

I scored in my last trip with a Thai guy I found on Twitter and might meet another one next month. I saw a video of him uploaded by a Kiwi guy and decided to contact him. He replied pretty fast. One thing I noticed with Twitter though and I'm not sure if it's limited to Android, is that I don't always get a push notification when someone sends me a DM. That might be also a contributing factor of why sometimes there is no reply.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/grindr-shares-soar-as-lgbtq-dating-app-debuts-after-spac-merger.html

I used Grab to/from the airport. didn't have to wait long to get a taxi. You have to go to level 4 at BKK though to take them.

i might go to Singapore in mid January and was looking for an hotel. I need it to have good internet as I will have to several Zoom calls while I'm there. To my surprise many hotels in Singapore have bad internet connection, at least judging by their review. Even at Marina Bay Sands guests complained about it. Do you guys recommend any hotel you like and that you know have good internet and can be used for remote work? I already booked Capri by Fraser in Chinatown, as that's the area where I would mostly prefer to stay at. Most people say the internet is good, but there also a few discordant reviews about it on TripAdvisor.

In non-transactional situations, I've noticed that most of the Thai guys that I meet through apps, are opened to threesomes, but almost all of them insist that the other top should only be another white guy. The only threesomes I've had with both the other two guys being Thai have been in saunas geared mostly to Thai-on-Thai crowd, like 39 Underground or R3. I've had the same experience in the Philippines. I would say the country in Asia, where it was easier for me to have a 3+ action with all guys being local is Vietnam. Many times in there, the guy I was chatting with would ask me if his friend/bf could join him meeting me and almost none would say no when I would be the one to propose that another local guy gets together with us.

Thanks for this elaborate description of what goes inside the white party @BiggusDikkus. I've seen the big groups of Chinese in Silom. You can find them at DJ station and other clubs and in many saunas, especially R3. They tend to be a bit sticky rice, but when I was in Bangkok in November of 2019 I met two of them. They were both on tina(ice) when I met them, so definitely many of them are into drugs and prefer to come to Thailand because it's more accessible than in China, at least that's what one one of the guys I met told me. I'm also aware they like to throw big orgies/groups. On the same trip, I went to the apartment hotel in Silom of one of my Filipino friends that spends part of the year in Bangkok. As we were going inside the building, one of balcony doors was opened and there was loud music coming out of it, mixed with feeble moaning. My friend told me it was a group of Chinese throwing an orgy. He said it actually had been going on for two days. Didn't know about Sathorn Vista tough and that it might be Chinese orgy central. I might stay there for Songran. I believe this end-of-year in Bangkok ,there will be a high number of people from other Asian countries, like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore as it's their first NYE in two years that they can travel freely. I'm still surprised though that with so many young and hot bodies in such close proximity nothing sexual happens. Always thought there was kind of a dark corner in these circuit parties where people could fool around. What do you think is the best time to go there? As I said, I just really have a bite of it, not really trying to finish the meal.