Search the Community

From Bangkok Post (16 Apr.) The following video depicting a tour of the National Aviation Museum at Don Mueang airport was posted on The Nation website. https://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/travel/743520/royal-thai-air-force-museum-in-don-mueang-district-bangkok-thailand Link to the National Aviation Museum: http://www.museumthailand.com/en/museum/National-Aviation-Museum-of-The-Royal-Thai-AirForce Address And Contact Number 171 Phaholyothin Road Si Kan Khet Don Mueang Bangkok 10210 Telephone : 02-534 1853, 02-534 1764 Fax : 02-534 1853 Website : http://museum.rtaf.mi.th Operating hours Tuesday - Sunday from 8.00 - 16.00 hrs. (Except Monday and Public holidays) Admission fee Free of charge Getting There Bus no. 34 , 39 , 114 , 356 Air-conditioned Bus no. 3, 21, 22, 24, 25, 34,39, 114, 356

This Thai drama is based in Silom area and it mentions Jupiter, so I heard. Available on Netflix.

https://t.co/zQkogWL1AE

I'm super excited to be a newbie in BKK, arriving on the 3rd May evening and staying at Le Meridien till the 13th. Who's in town and interested in meeting up for a drink and/or show me the ropes? Virgin-MB here lol

Bangkok is regarded as one of the most LGBT+ friendly and advanced cities in Asia and as a result the curator James Tong is collaborating with River City Bangkok to host BEYOND SKIN ahead of its world tour debuting in New York City in June to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the gay civil rights movement, Stonewall. Norm Yip, an internationally acclaimed photographer, has long been an avid pioneer in the development of fine art Asian male photography. He established ‘The Asian Male Project’ which, through his lens, presents artistic images and thought-provoking messages. Ten percent of the purchase price from each photograph sold during the exhibition will be donated to APCOM Foundation, Thailand. BEYOND SKIN is a thought-provoking insight into the Asian male form and lifestyle. Express your support from April 10 until May 31 at RCB Photographer’s Gallery, 2nd floor River City Bangkok. Admission Free.

Dream Boy and Boys Bangkok will be relocated to Patpong 2 and will now be called Dreamboy Paradiso which will open on April 1, 2019, here's the pics of the new bar, location map and Available drinks soon...according to their FB page they will have a new show, new style and new prices for the drinks.

After we left Moonlight we decided to go to Screwboys since they open late night. We entered the bar, initially shocked by cigarette smoking ambience and on second look, the place was packed with 30+boys all shapes and sizes, very very thin almost starving looking boys included.I couldn’t see the back of the bar clearly but the bar seemed full of customers. I found ex Jupiter boy smiling at me, he moved to Moonlight last November but now he is at Screwboys. We sat at near stage as the good seats were already filled with customers. All boys were wearing white and blue striped underwear and the place looked like an old fashioned sleazy gogo bar from old times. The difference of boys attitude was striking, boys looking at you smiling, obviously eager for an off, my friend commented it’s a quite refreshing as he got so used to Jupiter/Moonlight boys. Unfortunately, mamasans, customers and boys are all smoking cigarettes like there’s no tomorrow adding the place is very compact and stuffy, I decided I could not stay any longer since I wasn’t wearing gas mask. Mamasan said the show starts 1:00 am. The drink was 300 baht.

FYI - Best way to recover from the Banana Bar goodbye party might be a special event brunch at Spasso (the restaurant/club downstairs at the Grans Hyatt Erawan). With a drag show hosted by Pangina Heels, star of Stranger Bar, Maggie Choo's, Drag Race Thailand, etc., etc. (Drag-haters of course feel no obligation to go.). DrinkGurl

As a Chinese forum member, This forum has been really helpful and informative for me. And there's one thing I'm really curious about if anyone have experienced while in Thailand. Since in Chinese culture, some people have been somewhat racist to our own kind lol. Most of last gen would worship a westerner for no reason, and so some of the Asian countries. But last time when I was in bangkok. Every gogobar I went, the mamasans and the boys (gay ones) have been somewhat focusing on me a lot. I don't know if that's because my young age or because of they are used to other chinese tourist who would tip a lot. I personally didn't understand why. And the scene which made me wanna post this thread is that. I was chatting with a mamasan in a bar, and I pointed to a boy on stage and told the mamasan I would love to chat with that boy. then before the mamasan called that boy over. Another table of some westerner foreigners called the boy over and started to chat with the boy I wanted. I told the mamasan that it was fine and I will wait til their table finishes their talk. But the mamasan WAS NOT HAVING IT. He waited like 10 seconds and went to that table and told the boy to rush up and come over to my table. I was so embarrassed because it was kind of rude taking someone out while they were having a talk. And as I expected, that whole table of people were NOT happy. They looked like they would come over and choke me to death if it was legal lol. It was stressful and funny at the same time. And the first thought came over my mind was that this would never happen in China, The waiters would not give a dam about local and would go serve the westerners. So I'm really curious if any other Thai places have given attitude to any forum members and serving somewhat better to other chinese(or other ethnicity) groups.

In case it's not on your radar screen, there's a free Muay Thai fight lineup on the last Wednesday of every month at MBK. With the closure of the old stadium on Rama IV, it's the easiest way to catch a match if you're in the CBD. 5:00-8:00 pm. Here's a link to the Feb 27 event. Fight Night

For those in Bangkok - It's the end of the season for Bangkok Symphony In The Park. The concerts are free and the last concert (this season) will be Sunday at 5:00. They're usually pleasant. For those who haven't been this year, reminder that the location has changed to Chula Centenary Park. Location The park itself is worth a short visit. The winners for the Symphony's voice talent search will also perform. The program for Sunday is: William Tell Overture Jurassic Park Bohemian Rhapsody I Know Where I’ve Been from Hairspray - สิรวิชญ์ In My Own from Cinderella - พรรณพฤกษา Gonna Fly Now from Rocky A New Life from Jekyll & Hide - ไรวินทร์ I’d do Anything from Oliver - นัทธมน ระบำสุโขทัย (Arr. ผศ.ดร. นรอรรถ) แขกปัตตานี (Arr. ผศ.ดร. นรอรรถ) Don’t Cry for Me Argentina from Avita - พิมพ์วรา Stars from Les Miserables - ฉันทัช On My Ownfrom Les Miserables - อรไพลิน As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard - รินลดา Can’t Buy Me Love Climb Every Mountain - ร้องหมู่ Radetzky March

Currently looking at possibilities for travel this year and options are either mid July or Dec/Jan. Wondering what Bangkok/Pattaya (haven’t decided which) are like in July (this is low season?) and in Dec around Xmas and New Years. My only experience so far has been in mid Jan. Thanks in advance :)

FYI There will be a book sale at the Siam Society February 16 10:00-17:00. Vendors will be offering books, Thai crafts and "curios." The Siam Society is just a short walk from BTS Asoke/MRT Sukhumwit. After the sale you can always get a nice foot massage at Banana or be a bit more wild at Urban Male or Nine Spa. Siam Society Book Fair Facebook

From Khaosod English (13 Feb.) BANGKOK — CentralWorld. Central Chidlom. Gaysorn Village. In case it lacked shopping opportunities, Ratchadamri Road is adding another mall tomorrow. After several months of delay, The Market Bangkok has set its official opening for Thursday, which just happens to be Valentine’s Day. Owned by The Platinum Group, the six-story, mixed-use project sits on 21 rai and cost 9 billion baht to build. It includes two Marriott-owned hotels – Fairfield and Moxy Hotel Bangkok Ratchaprasong. The Market Bangkok shopping mall features more than 1,200 shops selling food, drinks, clothing and more. It sells itself as “Bangkok New Dream.” The Market Bangkok is located on Ratchadamri Road next to Big C Ratchadamri. It can be reached via skywalk from BTS Chit Lom. Continues at http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2019/02/13/ratchaprasongs-newest-mall-the-market-opens-on-v-day/

I just came across a report that suggests the National Economic and Social Development Board has told AOT to drop the current plans for Terminal 2 and go back to the original master plan. If true, then certainly not much relief for Swampy for many more years to come. [The original master plan calls for a large expansion terminal on the other side of the runways - sort of a mirror image of the current one.] The third runway and a currently planned expansion of the eastern end of the current terminal are still in the works. Oh well.

Hey guys. Back in Bangkok and seeing if anyone wants to meet up and go out to the bars together. You can hit me up on LINE: MarkWallaceBKK

I just downloaded the Grab app to ease travel in the Big Mango. This morning I wanted to travel from my condo in Ploenchit to Shangri-la for some nice dim sum. The app quoted 293 baht. Instead I went down to the street and literally grabbed a metered taxi. Even with a little detour down Silom it only came to 79 baht.

From Khaosod English (6 Feb.) Papers Please! BTS Cash Card Users Must Disclose Personal Info BANGKOK — Starting in nine days, commuters who pay their skytrain fares with top-up cards must give up their ID card numbers, email addresses and phone numbers to the system’s operator. Citing a clause in 20-year-old anti-money legislation, the BTS said its so-called Rabbit Cards could be used for illicit financial activities and therefore must be registered. The explanation didn’t fly on social media, where many suspected ulterior motives. “Starting this Feb. 15, when topping up cash or trips at BTS ticket offices and the Rabbit service center at BTS Siam station, staff will ask for your ID card for registration and verification,” the operator announced online earlier this week. The statement said phone numbers and email address must also be provided. Foreigners must use their passports for registration. After Feb. 15, topping up without registration will not be possible. The BTS said the Rabbit Cards, which can also be used for purchases at a number of shops and restaurants, could be used for money laundering. But netizens questioned how that could be feasible as the cards are capped at 4,000 baht. Other systems are also citing the law to make similar demands, but they seem to be unrestricted debit cards that can be used to purchase anything. Users of TrueMoney Wallet, an online cash platform provided by telecom giant True, must also register their personal information by Feb. 28. One transparency activist noted it was strange that the BTS was pushing for mass registration as the interim parliament is considering an online privacy bill that could be enacted any time soon. “This is a pessimistic interpretation, but my life experience taught me not to be optimistic about these kind of issues,” Arthit Suriyawongkul wrote online. “The anti-money laundering act has existed for a long time, but they have never forced any registration prior to this.” The privacy bill – Thailand’s first such law – will ban any use or transaction of personal information without users’ consent, but will also allow information collected prior to the bill’s enactment to be used “according to the original purposes.” One comment on Blognone, a tech news site, warned that the personal information of BTS users is at risk under the new policy. “If someday there’s a data breach of all names and surnames tied to all travel records, I wish you all good luck,” user Lew wrote. “If [Rabbit Cards] can be used for money laundering, the BTS should issue regular top-up cards that can only be used for the BTS, which do not require any verification, just like food court cash cards,” another user Jonathan_Job wrote. The exposure of private data is not uncommon in Thailand, where activists say there is little protection for users. In 2017, the police inadvertabtly made information of 790,000 residents visited by police patrols public on their website. The information included names, full addresses, phone numbers and what they told visiting police officers. A year later, True Corp. exposed scans of its customers national ID cards, passports and driver’s licenses. The firm later blamed the unsecured storage on “hacks.” The BTS Skytrain is owned by City Hall which grants a management concession to the Bangkok Mass Transit System Co. Ltd.. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2019/02/06/papers-please-bts-cash-card-users-must-disclose-personal-info/

From The Nation (30 Jan.) The Education Ministry on Wednesday ordered educational institutes in Greater Bangkok to close for two days, starting tomorrow, after air pollution worsened. The ministry will review the situation this weekend to decide whether the measures would be extended, said minister Dr Theerakiat Charoensettasin. The decision followed instructions from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for the ministry to consider urgent measures to deal with the worsening air pollution in Bangkok on Wednesday, the minister said. The Pollution Control Department reported of unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – in 39 locations around the city, of which 23 were along main roads. The level hit 141 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air – nearly three times the safe limit of 50 – on Rama II Road in Muang Samut Sakhon, Samut Sakhon province, 45 kilometres from Bangkok. If the situation remains unchanged, the order to suspend the classes may have to continue, he said. The minister was speaking after chairing a meeting of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, Office of the Vocational Education Commission, Office of the Private Education Commission and Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC). Theerakiat said that the OHEC will ask cooperation from universities to consider suspension of classes for the sake of students. Referring to the O-net examination scheduled to take place between February 2-3, he said nothing could be done at the moment so the examination will proceed as scheduled. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363218

From Coconuts Bangkok Come take a seat in the beautiful gardens of the Dutch Embassy on February 7, from 6-10pm, and enjoy a night of mind-opening documentaries focused on LGBTI+ stories. The night is organized by Document Our History Now a foundation that works in close cooperation with the Dutch embassy in Bangkok to support LGBTI+ storytelling in Southeast Asia. At this screening, you’ll get to see a few of the titles they have produced in recent years, including productions from Myanmar and Cambodia. Our Coconuts TV documentary “Toms: The Complex World of Female Love in Thailand” will also be screened as part of the evening. So click and watch now, or save it for February 7. We don’t mind! Entrance is free, but registration is mandatory so be sure to sign up via Eventbrite here. Like Document Our History Now on Facebook to keep up with all their events and updates. Continues with photos and map https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/lgbti-documentary-night-dutch-embassy-friday-feb-7/

Hi Anyone any recent experience of Tawan bar? What is the quality of men currently and prices? Am into muscle and looking to plan a visit to Bkk or somewhere else with muscle available. When is the best time of year to visit Tawan for bodybuilders, seem to remember someone suggesting if any bodybuilding competitions are happening in town then that's a good time to go. Anyone know of any bodybuilding competitions? Many thanks

I’m currently sitting at ‘Swampy’ having just spent 4 nights in Bangkok. This was my first time in Thailand and I thought that there might be some interest in a fresh account? There will likely be details missing that some might be looking for, this is deliberate. Feel free to ask anything you’d like to know though and I’ll decide if it’s something I’m happy to share, but as a youngish person I have some concerns about the longevity of comments made on the internet. Day 1 I arrived in the late afternoon after a very long flight. Thailand was new territory for me so I wasn’t quite sure how anything worked but having spent a lot of time reading these forums I felt at least a little prepared. Immigration was simple though I did have a momentary panic when I saw the signs about visas and saw so many filling out forms. It turned out not to be relevant so I made my way though and joined the hordes looking for a taxi, or at least I thought that was what they were doing. A group of teenage boys were coming through arrivals, however, and they were they seemed to be causing a lot of excitement. A boy band maybe? There was a pretty decent crowd but fortunately they all chased after the apparently famous lads which cleared some space. I should mention at the point that the handle on my bag had broken mid flight so I was left dragging it by the top which would likely have been humorous for any onlookers had they not all been so singularly focused on the aforementioned boy band. I found the taxi line and after maybe 15min was on my way. The driver used the meter and didn’t seem to be a scoundrel which was a huge relief. I had the address for the Raya on my phone in Thai and that made things really simple. I was tired and jet lagged but as I pulled up in front of the Raya I could see the lights of Twilight and I quickly decided that sleep was for the weak. It was here that I committed my first faux pas as I had taken out cash at the airport but hadn’t realized I’d need such small change. Fortunately the doorman stepped out, paid the taxi for me and said I could sort the fare with reception. Excellent service and greatly appreciated. My room at The Raya was huge by hotel standards and quite nicely furnished, though the size left it feeling a little bare. My only issue with the room was that the shower/tub combo is badly designed and tends to flood the bathroom when used. A short while later I braved o and made my way into the soi. I was expecting the hot male and xboys guys and managed to brush them off as I made my leisurely way down, taking in the sights. Unfortunately this was a very clear signal to literally everyone that I was a first timer, faux pas number two. I kept brushing off the grabbers until the classic boys guy pointed out ‘there aren’t any more, that’s the end.’ He was correct so I turned back and headed into Dreamboys which was on my list of places I wanted to see. I was ushered in quickly and given a seat with a promise that the show would start soon. There were roughly two dozen patrons and around 20 guys parading around on stage. A broad range of shapes and sizes though I was left wondering why on earth some of them had been given a job. If you like twinks, twunks or muscular men then you’d have some eye candy to drool over. The show started as promised and my excitement turned to disappointment as the guys doing the dancing were amongst the oldest of the group and not the best looking either. A reluctance to be in the shows was a theme I would notice amongst the younger guys across the bars. The show was fine overall but very heavy on drag and frankly that didn’t appeal to me at all. The sudden revealing of large cocks from under dresses had all the subtlety of a footballer on talent night and subsequent acts involving the audience felt a tad cringey. But that may just be my own shyness, the guy they dragged from the audience seemed to be having a great time after all, despite treatment that bordered on molestation. The mamasan or captain at Dreamboys was probably the best of the bars I visited. He was subtle, polite and knew when to piss off and leave me alone, which was most of the time. At no time did I feel under pressure by him to make purchases though he made sure I knew how to ask if I wanted anything. That ended up being a lot longer than I’d expected. If there’s interest, I’ll continue when I have more time. Day 2 features Moonlight and a chance to see some famous/infamous names in the flesh.

Kika is a Mediterranean restaurant on Soi Convent. Map There was a good amount of buzz in the Bangkok foodie world before they opened, which turned out to be pretty well-deserved. They open early at 10:00 for breakfast/brunch and go late - 1:00 am (although I wonder if occasionally they close earlier if no one is around?). I think the food is quite good. Not as expensive as some places. More expensive than the street food joints nearby. Portions are large. French fries are excellent. If you have your heart set on one of the specials, get there earlier rather than later, because I believe they do run out. Now that Vesper has gone all-cocktails, it's a nice convenient neighborhood spot to grab a bite when one of the Silom Complex spots or Hooters just won't do. Best of all it's very gay/gay-friendly. Last week I took a friend from one of the bars to dinner there for his birthday. The only looks we got were longing lusftul/jealous looks from some of the other patrons and the usual smiles from the cute male and female staff. It's not gay all-male as in Balcony or Telephone Bar, but it's very comfortable and fun. The regular customer crowd is very mixed, and, no surprise, mostly expats.. Special shoutout to "La Vida Kika", the Sunday "Tea Dance" party every Sunday afternoon/evening. It's a boisterous fun gay/mixed party crowd that spills out onto the sidewalk. Is High Tea on Fire Island? No. But it might be a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with friends or to meet people, and kudos to Kika for having it. Kika Website La Vida Kika. Kika Facebook Pet peeve: The menu is only in English, so you will have to translate for local companions.

On a happier note, just wanted to share a reminder of how simple and pleasant things really can be here in the no-strings-attached world. This screen cap was all it took to arrange a perfectly wonderful afternoon experience using Line. This particular chain started with my sending the photo of who I wanted. (I added the "Wow" because I don't know for sure the original is meant for public consumption. But cute. Very cute.) Full disclosure, the shop (Sabaidee Spa) already had my phone number, otherwise they would have asked that to take my booking. Food Panda is more difficult than this...

From The Nation Asia’s largest LGBTQ exhibition to open in Bangkok later this year In keeping with the Kingdom’s progressive stance on LGBTQ rights, a major art exhibition exploring gender rights in Asia is to be staged in the capital. “Spectrosynthesis II- Exposure of Tolerance: LGBTQ in Southeast Asia”, the largest-ever survey of regional contemporary art, will explore gender issues and feature more than 200 works by 50 artists. It will open at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on November 23 and run until March 1 next year. The exhibition received huge critical acclaim when it was first staged in Taiwan 2017, after which its Hong Kong-based organiser, the Sunpride Foundation, chose Bangkok as its second stop. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361941