sfcastro

I was initially out of weekend trips for this year 2026 but since there were two forum members I could meet, I took leave on Friday and flew in for the weekend. It helped that my guy is back in Bangkok so I went to meet him also.

Back to OP's question which started this topic. Here's my response.
Tip for big cock show guys 100 baht. Not necessary to tip every guy. Only those guys whom you wish to tip.
Not necessary to tip guys whom you invite to sit with you. You are already buying them a drink. But this is provided it is a short interaction probably 10 minutes. It's meant for both parties to introduce each other and talk about possible off. If no off forthcoming, the guy will go back on stage.
If you ask the guy to stay with you to watch the show with you, you should tip him either 100 or 200 baht because he will be with you more than 10 minutes. You should inform him in advance.
If you want to kiss and fondle, do be seated at one of the seats at the back or in the corner. You can tell him that you want to do that and you should tip more.

I stayed at IM hotel which is nowhere near quality of Meridien for bed comfort etc.. But the Onsen makes up for it - some fit hotel guests and outside visitors. Paid 2500thb equivalent.
as for boys - Bangkok they want 2500- 4000 b In Manila 2000 pesos is already generous And for some reason there’s a queue of fit 20 year olds looking to fuck daddy for free there

Sorry for the long post. But I realise that @Primeone385 was making assumptions -- understandble since he has not been in Thailand before -- about equivalency between what he's familiar with and what we're talking about here. And these assumptions about equivalency may not be valid, as @a-447 and @spoon have also pointed out. So I had to first explain the many ways in which "gogo bars" in Thailand are different before going on, and on and on (haha).

100 baht each

I need to add , as it's my pet peeve, I hate when customers are skimping on tips for guys standing almost naked on the stage or presenting their dicks for inspection and still tip , say 100 baht , waiter who all he did was to bring them a drink, fully dressed at that. It's totally unfair to the boys and yes, I even once scolded member for that, which did not go well.
Oh, well

A tip of 100 baht just for a feel is ridiculously expensive.
A well-endowered guy can make the equivalent of a days wage in around 30 seconds!!!
It scores very low on my value-for-money index as a customer. If I were one of the guys, I'd be over the moon and would take full advantage of the customers who were willing to pay.
But only if my 'big cock' actually was big and not some sort of silicone sheath placed over the top and covered by a condom.
Have you ever noticed how cold some cocks feel? I don't think you are touching skin.
Or how the cock is much smaller back in the room?
Over the years there have been some genuinely huge cocks in the parade and I've been willing to pay. But I certainly don't tip all the guys.
It can get very expensive very soon, especially if you visit a number of bars during the evening.

I tip 100 baht but only one of participants sometimes but rarely 2 or even 3. As OP noticed it tends to be expensive if one wants to tip everybody, even if fully deserved.
On departure from bar I tend to tip 100 best looking guy on the stage or one who I engaged in the past already.

To answer your question, the guys don't earn anything from the bottle. You buy them a boy drink so that they earn at least 100 baht. Whether to tip or not is up to customer.
There is no such thing as reasonable number of guys. As long as you pay for their boy drinks, you can invite as many guys as you want!

When ordering a bottle of liquor in a bar and inviting guys to join for drinks, do they earn any commission similar to ordering them a one-off drink? If not, should you tip them more than you would if you bought them a drink? Also, what is a reasonable number of guys to ask to join for drinks without the bar management becoming upset?

@aaroninatl, I did some research today and I see that the Koh Samui gay scene has kind of shrunk from when I had my big trip there more than 10 years ago.  That cul-de-sac street that I spoke about where there were around 3 bars clustered together - it appears that now there is only 1 bar remaining.  It is:
  https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EeDDfFBjw/
https://www.instagram.com/pridebarsamui/

The Pride Bar Samui provides some additional information about the local gay scene on their "our friends" page at:
https://www.pridebarsamui.com/our-friends/
Hopefully, you will be able to give us a much needed update about this part of Thailand.
I was in Koh Samui 2 years ago, but we were passing through on our way back from Koh Tao, which I reported on here:
https://www.gayguides.com/topic/57250-trip-report-koh-tao-the-mysterious-death-island/#findComment-400349
 
 

Let us send a little love their way.  Thanks to you I was able to see Supertown with new eyes.  I have walked by this coffee shop and bakery probably 100s of times in my 4 years here and I NEVER noticed it.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19FGM5VGBo/
It is even listed on the official Supertown map.  It is located between Soda Massage and the Bong's Jomtien shop - and is directly across the street from the french bakery O'Delice.
https://www.instagram.com/just_specialty_coffee_pattaya
And thanks for teaching me about the G'Nite gummies that can be found at the ubiquitous 7-Eleven shops.

@hank75 that'd be a keeper for me 😝

 
 
We can't be everyone's Prince Charming... I'd say you missed a bullet with this one and got away cheap, only a drink.  Imagine if you offed him, took him to your room to find out then what his true persona was, I've been there more times than I care to remember and more than the money, is the wasted time and if it's too late to find anyone else, it's also a lost night 


 
 
I might have to take a look next time, not the twinks though.



 
 
I think I'm going to change calling you from Auntie Vin to Speedy..... because I must've caught you two times on exceptions nights, once at the massage place and another time at the bar in front of Hot Male, I forget the name it's changed so many times.

My eyes hadn't even focused to the change of lighting and you already had selected someone both times, not that I would've went with them, but it was reminiscent of the TomCal days in Rio, we referred to him as the Frigate Bird 😝

 
 
that’s the risk of being a room size queen, the square footage opens you up to infestations of all kinds 🐛

I hope it didn't look as bad as @Olddaddy last room pics 

Thanks to @emiel1981 during his visit to Thailand in December 2025 I was able to accompany Emiel and visit my first Sky Bar in Bangkok = Akara Sky Hanuman in the Phloen Chit (Lumphini) area of Bangkok.  I truly enjoyed our time there and I have desired to do it again.
Yesterday presented that opportunity as I decided to celebrate my birthday at the Zama Sky Bar - here in Jomtien - which sits on top of the 38th floor in the  D Varee hotel.
As of now, August 2026 - it is the highest sky bar in all of Pattaya - as the other sky bars only reach 34 or 32 floors.  But, there is a lot of construction going on in the Pattaya area and I believe that the Grand Solaire will be the tallest when completed at 67 floors.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWGogKhERsG/
 
I invited the 3 players from my Jomtien Complex TenPin Bowling Competition, where I sponsored the Sunee bar, my Thai BF and his best friend - so it was the 6 of us.  During one of my health walks last week I had visited to make the reservation and as it was in the late afternoon they let me walk around the 2 different distinct floors to choose the best table - which I chose on the upper level which was in the extreme corner where the sweeping views of the Jomtien Beach skyline and Koh Larn are beautifully visible.  Unfortunately, during our dinner it lightly rained on us but we resisted to be moved to the lower floor to be seated in an internal space.  As it was so cloudy, the sunset was almost non-existent.
We started off with our mocktail order from their fabulous drink menu:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jzMU3uEEQ4vQHHWBI0HLPc89-zteP4vh/view?usp=sharing
 
While we were enjoying our drinks, the maître d' presented us with a nice bottle of Welland Barossa Shiraz - I was perplexed - and the maître d' explained to us that one of my friends back in Europe had instructed the Zama Sky Bar to surprise me and present this wine to us.  This was truly an incredible surprise and very much appreciated.
Afterwards, we ordered our dinner from the menu - note that the menu is only in English - which made ordering somewhat difficult - as all of my guests were Thai - but they were great at using the translate feature on their phones to help them decide what to order.  Here is a link to the menu:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RD_69JRMsGeykialGNYAVef3qd8oU68V/view?usp=sharing
We had to dedicate one chair at our table to hold the lovely flowers that were given to me as well as the presents.
Our food was served and during our meal - it was time for the Zama Sky Bar show - where the bartender is juggling flaming bottles and bongo drum dancers are circulating around the restaurant going to each table.  Eventually they reached our table and Khun Dew "volunteered" to be the lucky one to beat the bongo drums - it was very entertaining.

Zama_Skybar_Bartender_show.mp4   Zama_Skybar_bongo_drum_dancers.mp4   After finishing our meal, our waitress delivered 2 birthday cakes to our table - another perplexing moment for me.  I had purchased a cake earlier that afternoon and gave it to reception when I arrived and with the 2 numbered candles I told them in which order they needed to be in to express my proper new age.  Unbeknownst to me my Thai BF had also delivered a cake to the restaurant when he arrived - he arrived after us as he came directly from his job.  So, the waitress had placed 1 of the 2 birthday candles on each cake - so "double your pleasure".  The restaurant staff comes to your table and sings the obligatory Happy Birthday song.  There were many birthdays last night being concurrently celebrated.
My Thai friends enjoyed their meals - but they would have preferred dishes that are more spicy - and with the menu only being in English it made things somewhat difficult to understand what dish could be the most spiciest to their liking.  As this is mainly a tourist type of place - it is geared to the palate of foreigners.  Anyway, they enjoyed themselves nonetheless as they had endless opportunities to update their social media feeds with these exciting photos and videos.
Afterwards, we went back to Supertown in the Jomtien Complex to continue the birthday festivities, first at the Sunee bar and then we finished at the M Bar.
I share this "review" with all of you in case you may want to do something different and unusual during your stay in Jomtien - that is very similar to the many skybar entertainment places found in Bangkok.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Happy to recommend this as well. Been on my to-do list for a long time. Location is on Trappraya Road, just up from The Bus Station, View Talay 1 and just before Grande Carabbean condo.
Definitely the best quality Italian in Jomtien. Inside and outside dining, approx. 30 covers inside, good extensive wine list, and food service on point.
Shared starter, 2 mains including a melt in your mouth Aussi tenderloin (Fillet, Filet Mignon or Eye of Fillet if you're Aussi) steak, bread, wine, Italian Brandy and a couple of Expresso's, change of 3000. 
Going back Saturday to investigate the wine cellar in more detail.

One place I forgot to mention- my partner will be furious as it's his favourite- is   MK. Branches in Central, Big C, T21 and Lotus ( Outlet Mall).  The duck is the best I've had anywhere. I've not met a Thai who doesn't adore this chain . The waitresses (and a couple of slightly shy waiters) used to perform a dance at 20 00 to entertain diners. It was on Youtube.

In Jomtien there is Marcos, an Italian style restaurant on  Thappraya Road Pattaya close to entrance to Jomtien Complex. Very popular!

Looks good thanks, have bookmarked. I also like steak street Pattaya Sai Song which is my usual for fancy night out in that general area 

breakfast at O'Delices, corner French place, for rest of day Sophia's kitchen few steps away or whatever takes your fancy.
Remember there's no such thing like good or bad food as tastes vary immensely

Er' we go again. 2 3 4.
You can't go wrong with The Wine Cellar, which is part of The Poseidon Hotel. On your right as you enter JC from the Trappraya Road entrance. 22/23 May is Chef Bart's next 16 dishes menu, like a Chef's tasting menu. Price normally 1200THB, eat as much as you can. Next theme is 'World of Food'. Link to menu:- https://poseidonpattaya.com/16-dishes-22-23-may-2026/
For Mexican, then Buenos Mexican in JC, just down from The Wine Cellar, else a short Bolt or BahtBus away (heading towards Pats), is Mike's Mexican.
For French then Yupins in JC, across from CockA2, or Natan's which is on Trappraya Road, across from Take Care Bar which is a live rock music venue, or up from Lone Star Saloon Bar if you like your live music Texas and Country.
For a really good French restaurant, then recommend La Bordeaux, which is in Pattaya, behind TukCom. Link to last week's Table d'hôte menu :- https://maps.app.goo.gl/5qCSLsJvCrFa5N5T8
In terms of posh Thai, then May's on Trepprasit Road. Else for cracking value Isan, then Zaab High, to your left as you look out from the front door of TukCom. Be warned, if you ask for it hot, it will be!!
For Italian, then with a family feel, Salotto on Trappraya Road, just up from Tinnies Pies, which is ripper Aussi Tucker. Bewarned. Salotto's pizza's are big! Else Tattoria Delina which is at the back of the Jomtien Bus / Coach depot.
For traditional English pub grub, then Hemmingways on Trappraya Road, on your right as you exit JC. Sports bar fee, so plenty of TV's.
If it's late night alcohol soakage you're after, then none finer then 2 or 3 7/11 hot ham and cheese toasties!
On the other hand, for all you can eat Surf&Turf, then The Hilton over in Pats, do a good quality Smash-And-Grab buffet, they also do an unlimited wine option at 1300THB. Depending on if you have a Hilton loyalty status or not, you can get upto 25% discount off the bill.
Enjoy.

Pupen seafood was touristy but enjoyable. Lots of locals eating there so it must hit the mark for them. Plenty of seating when we arrived early at 5.30 and nice beach sunset view. Overall good value, usual wisdom when ordering seafood applies. Worth mentioning that staff have no interest in upselling you as their job is to serve you as efficiently as possible so they can turn over, though they may point out specials. Compared to the scammers on Beach Road. 

Lung Sawai just a minutes walk away is also recommended online though I’ve never been.
stay away from the other “recomended” seafood  spot Moom Aroi, might be good for locals but as a foreigner I found it poor 

If you’re the bougie sort, Cave Beach Club and Glasshouse were nice. 
 

My recommendations were Sandbar (with reservations concerning the menu) and Pon's in Terminus 21, without reservations.

It comes from the "spoils" they've received from other Farangs and the "generous" tips and gifts they get from them, thus raising their perceived worth. Then when you or someone pays them market value, 1200 in pattaya 2000 MAXIMUM in BKK, in my experience and eyes....they get upset/angry/hateful.

This is what I believe and have preached for 25 yrs as it was preached by the ones that came before me. I see it to some extent in Brazil, although not very much. 

Again, @gayinpattaya said these guys do pretty well overall in their country, to which I agree. I've said these guys do pretty well, in their country. Yet many customers throw money at them for not completing their "acts", not showing up, showing up late, falling asleep, etc..... building a generation that thinks they don't have to do much, yet get paid.... how many hours do they "work", not sitting around on their phones, actual work? How many hours do the construction guys work and difficult work and how much do they get paid?

It wasn't like this 25 yrs ago, but the popularity of Thailand wasn't was like it is today and neither were the prices. They talk amongst their friends/co-workers and I'm sure stories get embellished and then they each try to make their scores with their client list, just like a politician doesn't ask for donations from 1 person, neither do these guys.

This is a generalization...and it really applies to a large percentage of guys in this trade, there are always the diamond in the rough or the true good guys out there..... the trick is finding him and not turning him into another one of "them" by spoiling him by throwing money at him, even if you have to pay his rent 😉 

I miss the old Fragata

It is good for multiple trips and mine is valid for 10 years.  It took 3-4 weeks of processing time before I received the e-visa so suggest applying early.