Saunas

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

For years I have been toying with the idea of visiting a sauna but never had the guts to visit one.

So I've read about R3 and Sauna Mania and it seems they are more for a younger and/or Asian crowd only? (correct me if I'm wrong)

Any tips or other saunas that might be better suited? I'm 45 and caucasian.

Thanks!

[Travellerdave]

In Pattaya the clientele at the gay Sansuck Sauna is mainly older farang plus younger Thais. However I haven’t been there for at least a year so can’t vouch for the action. It used to be popular for expats and tourists in the early evenings, but I stopped going due to the lack of boys attending.

[spoon]

Babylon seems to be the place for variety of body type, age and locality. Though tmdue to this virus panic period, who knows what you will find there. 

[Londoner]

Babylon has the advantage of being open in the afternoons, unlike others which tend to open at about 1700. Asian guys (local and visiting) who like falangs are more likely to go there rather than elsewhere. In the present circumstances, I'd go in hope rather than expectation.

[DivineMadman]

And some parts of Babylon are closed for COVID.  I don't know how that impacts the fun.

[speedoo1]

5 hours ago, BenG1000 said:

So I've read about R3 and Sauna Mania and it seems they are more for a younger and/or Asian crowd only? (correct me if I'm wrong)

Correct! - my experience is based on visits to R3 some time ago, but most likely it hasn't changed. Plenty of eye candy there (if you are into young and fit Asian guys) and If still fairly young (< 40-45y) and with a fit body you should still be able to have a good time there - there will always be some guys who are into/doesn't mind fun with a fit/handsome farang (and curious to know if you have a big cxxk!), but expect that most guys there will be looking for fun with Asians guys at their own age only. One advantage is that most likely you will be the only farang/white guy there. Go ahead and try something else than Babylon. 

[speedoo1]

Duplicate

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Travellerdave said:

In Pattaya the clientele at the gay Sansuck Sauna is mainly older farang plus younger Thais. However I haven’t been there for at least a year so can’t vouch for the action. It used to be popular for expats and tourists in the early evenings, but I stopped going due to the lack of boys attending.

Assuming nothing has changed since my last visit, Sansuk charges the full entry fee to all ages and I think it was over 200 baht.  So that will discourage a lot of younger locals.

They also strongly discourage prostitution, probably to keep the brown shirt mafia away.

Many visitors going to Pattaya quite enjoy the company of lads in the 18~30 year range.    Sansuk needs younger customers as the bait to get more of us to go there.   A heavily discounted entry fee for youngsters would be a good start.      I've seen that in Singapore, when I visited a sauna in Singapore on the naked night.   They have 3 tiers of entry fee, according to age.  I was in the highest tier and it was still spectacular value, just to be in there with all those fit & naked lads.

Sansuk needs to rethink the marketing.   

 

I think there's also a structural issue affecting saunas, as they are probably losing trade to the phone apps.      If we take Berlin, that had at least 3 saunas 10 years ago, now it's down to 1. Admittedly a very fine example of a sauna.   Large, clean and with super facilities.    Anyone paying the entry fee and making the mistake of taking the flip flops has to part with about Eur 23. 

I think London has at least 5 saunas, although the cleanliness could be improved in most of them.   They also don't seem to attract as many young and fit customers these days, probably due to the effect of apps.   I don't expect to get anywhere with the young & fit customers, but they are always good to look at when sat in the Jacuzzi.     

In practice, many of the customers who get in the Jacuzzi demonstrate Archimedes principle by displacing an awful lot of water. 

 

 

[Travellerdave]

Regarding the Sansuck in Pattaya I wish I had visited during my February trip as maybe things boywise might have improved. It’s situated in a side Soi off Thrapraya Road between South Pattaya and Jomtien which is not very convenient for most. There is a small pool and a jacuzzi making rather a pleasant environment even without the sex part.

i used to go regularly about 10 to 15 years ago and even stayed in the rather nice guesthouse a couple of times. My body shape was rather better then than it us now so I usually had success in the darkened upstairs maze hooking up with younger Thais. Sometimes I took beach pickups there when boys used to be found on the gay Dongtan beach. The restaurant. I recall, was rather good for dining perhaps with any newly found boyfriend. There was sometimes a few voyeurs around undeterred by notices banning that activity and also the exchange of cash.
I have visited the Babylon once but it was sometime ago and I can’t recall the experience.

[pong]

@ Jun: Babylon is well-known to give out free passes/vouchers for young Thai to encourage them to come back again and thus provide what the farang are looking for. Most of recent reviews tell there are more farang as Thai. There is also a rumour it is to close by end of this yr-land is worth millions.

NOTE that Ratchada (R3) and S-mania ( also Macho in Pinklao) and some others are in a  group with same owner and charge MUCH higher entry to farang and to all those over 40/50.

The prob with saunaś in BKK is more that there are far, far too many-compare that with the nr of ditto in big cities like Paris/London/Berlin. That means on average far fewer visitors and then you land under the threshold where you are more or less certain to find someone interested. Quite a few seem only to thrive on 1 or 2 days/wk due to some special show. Or only during some really odd times (like that awful dirty Farose) But thats a prob that applies to about anything in Th where someone sees that another makes money and does copy-cat.

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Thanks guys for your replies.

Looks like my May travel plans can be thrown in the bin now Australia has imposed 2 weeks self-isolation for anyone arriving from overseas.

 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, BenG1000 said:

 

Looks like my May travel plans can be thrown in the bin now Australia has imposed 2 weeks self-isolation for anyone arriving from overseas.

 

May is still 2 months away and lot may change by then, quite possibly also for the better

[Londoner]

z909 identifies the crucial issue for Thai saunas; us. There are simply too many aging falangs for the small number of cute , youngish (under 40s in my estimation) who frequent them.

And yes, the problem is the cost of entry. I can never understand why under twenty-fives don't get in for 50 bht and ,as z909, a tiered fee after that. The young aren't there at the moment so what's to be lost? and, of course, the more twinks, the more high-paying falang. 

The best day I had at Babylon was about five years ago when the swimming pool was being renovated.  A 50%  reduction in cost resulted in far more younger guys. And far more enjoyment for me.

 

 

[Travellerdave]

I agree with you Londoner about the price of entry for young Thais, but I think there could be another factor. I have sometimes mentioned the Sansuck Sauna to boys that I gave offed but have found that they were not aware of its existence and the possibilities for them. In the gay bars and gogos I do not recall ever seeing advertising material promoting it. Saunas, bars, gogos and the gay beach concessions could work together to foster a more vibrant gay scene in Bkk, Pattaya and the other resorts.

[Tundra88]

did they close all the saunas in bangkok ("entertainment venue")?

[anddy]

9 hours ago, Tundra88 said:

did they close all the saunas in bangkok ("entertainment venue")?

yes