BiggusDikkus

Are there any good alternatives with twinky massage therapists?

There’s one down the soi from Le Siam. Walking up Soi Convent from Silom, go left at Le Siam. Eventually, you’ll see a laundry sign on your right.

If you're looking for a great place to stay during Songkran, I highly recommend Courtyard by Marriott, one SkyTrain stop from Saladaeng but also an easy walk from the waterwars of Silom. Joiners are no problem. Just get on one of the elevators. Also, it will have a very large gay clientele during the Songkran holidays due to the SK Party, which I would also highly recommend if not for the exhorbitant prices. One SK benefit: If you book a room through this site — https://www.gcircuit.com/hosthotel-urban.php — you get a bit of a discount. (They have never asked if I actually have tickets to the SK events, so don't worry about that.) I stayed there last year during Songkran. It was a gay paradise. I had to splurge a little, but it was well worth it.

Is Banana Boys new? I've never heard of it.

What app is that?

It was January 1996 when I first made way way to Soi Twilight, pointed there by an old-fashioned guidebook, “The Men of Thailand.” The book referred to Bangkok as “Groong Tep.” My memory is fuzzy, but I recall the soi having only one bar, the namesake bar, Twighlight. Inside an old trans woman lorded over the cash box as though she was sure her workers and customers were about to steal it out from under her nose. I left after one quick drink, and all these years later the sight of the mama-san counting her money is my only lasting memory of the place. One reason Soi Twighlight had yet to become the red-hot tourist draw it would become was all the gay go-go bars were across Surawong, along Patpong, mixed in with the straight bars. A year hasn't gone by since when I haven't returned to Bangkok but many years passed before I returned to Soi Twilight. In the 1990s, there were so many great gay nightclubs, a couple in Soi 4, and that den of freedom in Soi 2, DJ Station. That's where I would spend my vacations. When I made my way back to Soi Twighlight, not only had several other go-go bars joined Twighlight (which may have been replaced) but restaurants, beer bars, a pool hall, even a hair salon had taken up residence on the sideline. The soi was packed with handsome young Thai men, drag queens, gay tourists even straight tourists with their little kids snickering about the wrong turn they had made and not wanting to answer their childrens' questions. I was there last just a few months ago, the weekend after New Year's. And the place was dead. A few of the bars remained open, but there were no customers. Even the touts who used to grab me by the upper arm and tow me into one bar or the other, often up staircases, were docile. I could feel it. It was the end of an era. And I continue to wonder why? Are today's tourists sickened by the go-go bar scene? Is it true what news reports say and young people are losing interest or are even disgusted by sex? Is it too difficult to hire staff for these bars? Or is it the effect of the internet and hookup apps? I don't know, but I consider myself lucky to have witnessed the era, to have enjoyed the scene. I already miss it.

So what time do the go-go bars get busy these days? Does Screwboys have the largest lineup these days?

As far as hotels go, consider Sathorn Vista. I was there in January. It was almost exclusively gay (mostly young Chinese guys). It’s also a serviced apartment, so if you return from the bars with friends, and some guests were doing that, it’s like returning to your own apartment — no one is gonna say anything (but you do have to walk through the hotel lobby to get to the elevators). The place is pricy but not as much as Sofitel. The bars are fun if there are other customers and the dancers are cute, but in my limited experience this is almost never the case. Don’t worry about being uncomfortable. Or if you can’t get rid of the jitters, have a couple shots of tequila in your room before you head out for the night. Rather than the go-go bars, which seem to be dying out, try Silom Soi 2 and GOD. Hanging out at these places is more of a participatory sport (rather than a spectator activity like at the go-go bars), but it’s much more fun and easy enough to meet other guys.

Well, what about Soi Twilight in Bangkok? Anyone know if it has any life left? I walked through the place the Saturday night after New Year’s. There was no one in the beer bars, only a few people in the street itself. I peaked into a couple go-go bars and saw very few dancers and no customers. Dick’s Cafe was gone. It felt like a ghost town — and it was a little after 9 on a Saturday night. In previous years, the soi would’ve been packed.

Did a hotel ever open in that buliding? Is that the skydeck with a plexiglass floor so you can look straight down — if you have the courage?

Thank you very much for the excellent ideas. My boyfriend and I will be staying in that area for eight days over New Year’s, and I definitely want to try some of your recommendations. If I may add one to the list — Benjarong, in the lobby of the Dusit Thani, which closes for good Jan. 6 so it can prepare for its date with the wrecking ball. It’s fine dining and pricy. The food is classic Thai but with a nod to modern fusion. I especially like the green curry beef rib, which is slow-cooked for 24 hours. A real melt-in-your mouth Thai pleaser. Others have mentioned Ruen Urai, and I’m vouching for that, too. Hey, does anyone have any favorite mango and sticky rice stalls in the area?

If I may suggest an alternative a bit farther away. Only a little bit further. Courtyard by Marriott. Great gym with free weights. Great pool that seems to be too deep for kids. Much more luxurious than Tarntawan. And when you walk in, the elevators are on the left, the front desk way off to the right. My friends and I just stumble onto the elevator without notifying the desk that extra guests have decided to stop by. And if you book a room through gcircuit.com, it's only B2,700 per night. I consider it the best hotel deal in Bangkok. And the place will be packed with young gays from all over Asia during Songkran. Having written all that, I'm sure you'll have a great time wherever you stay.

Disappointing. The watergun fighting on Silom Soi 4 is always so much fun.

Am I reading this right ... there's now a pedestrian walkway from Makasan to the nearest subway station?

Or a migraine. Ouch.

I always have a small carry-on that I wear like a back pack and a suitcase that always gets weighed in at just under 20 kg no matter how much I pack into it. I've never had trouble lugging it up and down stairs, and it has four wheels so sliding it along most streets and sidewalks is no problem, though I think crowded Silom might prove to be an exception.

Thanks everyone. That's great information. I think I'll use the train and take advantage of one of those foreign exchange booths. And it's good to know Uber is in Thailand.

What would be the fastest way to get to Soi Convent from Suvarnabhumi Airport on a Saturday afternoon, maybe around 3 if the lines are short at immigration? Should I take the SkyTrain or a taxi?

You might wanna hang out in front of the event and ask around for tickets. I've seen some people with spares trying to sell them at night parties, though I've never been to a pool party.

G.Circuit's Songkran parties alone are worth the airfare. But they're not meet markets. All the party goers come in groups. Tickets are super expensive. At the parties, you'll hear a lot of Chinese and English spoken. There are a lot of guys from Singapore, Hong Kong and the rest of China. There are also a lot of bears from Japan. Wealthy Thais, too. Everyone, except the Japanese bears who are, well, bears, has a really tight gym body. Most seem to be mid-20s to early 30s. Most of the guys wear jeans and leather holsters. Lots of eye candy, none of which is available. If you like clubbing, you'll love the SK parties, whichever one(s) you decide to go to. I go every year. The scene on Silom starting around mid-afternoon is also worth the airfare. It's one big watergun war. If you want to make it into a gay experience, join the "fighting" on Soi 4. Also, I highly recommend Pattaya on April 19 for an even better watergun experience along Beach Road. Songkran, I'm convinced, is the world's top tourist event. Nothing else comes close. Just be prepared. Wear flip-flops, a swimsuit and t-shirt you won't mind throwing away. Buy a big watergun and plastic holder for your money from a street vendor. Bring a waterproof case for your smartphone; you'll want to take pictures/videos. Arrive in Bangkok at least a day ahead of time, on April 12. And have the best time of your life. Cheers