hojacat

I'll spend Xmas and NYE in Bangkok. Thinking of going to the White party, though I'm not much a party guy. Has any of you been there and recommend it? I might just buy the ticket for one night and if I decide not to go, just make one of my Thai friends happy and give it to him as a holiday gift.

So @PeterRS did you end up going to the pride parade? Did you have to go through any restrictions? As you mention in your post, Taiwan reopened its borders on October 13, but it still requires a 7-day period of what the officials call a " self-initiated epidemic prevention", which includes doing several at-home COVID tests and maintaining a “one person per room” stay during that same period. So, how easy is to navigate through the prevention requirements? Is it possible to have any guests in your room during that initial first week?

Oh yeah, the old Rainbow sauna in Taipei. Brings back good memories. I went there a few times during my first visit to Taiwan in 2011. The facilities were kinda basic and a bit old, but there were lots of young twinks among the crowd. I was in my early 20s so didn't have any problems getting in or finding action once there. I remember people were actually very friendly as I was a bit shy. I was pretty much still a newbie when it came to gay saunas at that time. I had just been to two of them the year before in Seoul. You're absolutely right that the location of Soi 13 in is not that of Rainbow. I was told that the building of Soi 13 in used to be a karaoke bar before, and that explains the layout of the cabins and the cruising area in the lower floor. Also remember that Aniki sauna was all the rage 10 years ago, as the facilities were all brand new and the crowd tended to be younger and more muscular, albeit it was much pricier than Rainbow. I went a few times and it was truly a lot of fun. I think the last time was in 2016. Taiwanese friends told me that in the last few years it had become just a shell of its past self. The facilities were deteriorating fast, the crowd became much smaller but it still continued to have a higher entrance fee that Soi 13in. Read that it closed at the end of 2020. I guess, it means that the crowds at Soi 13 in will be even bigger now. I agree with @PeterRS about the friendliness of Taiwanese guy. Way more than Singaporeans or Hong-kongese imo. Good advice about Commander D (or just CD as local boys call it). I would also recommend another bar called the Hunt, especially on their towel night. You pretty much are given a towel when you get in and that's how you go around the bar. They have a dark room, which gets really steamy:). I was surprised to see it referenced in a gay Taiwanese movie called "The Story the Stone" (a modern gay retelling of one of the greatest classics of Chinese literature). For apps, beside Grindr and Blued, I would also suggest Hornet. It's quite popular in Taiwan and in a few other Asian countries.

When I was in Bangkok this August I stayed at a small, kinda newish boutique hotel in Silom called Artino. It was pretty decent. I recommend getting the Premium room. It's main advantage is that no key is needed to access the elevator, so you can tell the guy to come straight to your room, if you desire so (pretty convenient if you are trying to set up a 3+ type of gathering😁) Also it has a small garage that guests can use. Even though, unlike in other places like Vietnam, most of the guys you will meet will get to your place by public transportation or Grab, some of them actually want to use their motorcycle and parking in Silom can be a hassle. So having a free spot available is definitely appreciated. One of the guys I met actually even asked me later if he could park his car as he was spending the night at his regular fwb in Silom. I agreed. He was kind enough to come the next day and have some late-morning fun with me. Going back again for Xmas and this time staying at the new Ibis hotel in Silom. The reviews look pretty good. If you want something cheap, you can stay at Dvaree Express in Silom. Quite basic, but it's pretty much next door to G.O.D, so it's easy to pick up a guy late at night. You don't even have to go inside the club. I remember one time, just went out to buy some water when the club had just closed, struck a quick conversation with a cute twink and in two minutes he was in my bed. If you want something more upscale Pullman in Silom is quite popular with the gay crowd.

If you are going to be on a weekend and are into saunas, don't miss going to Soi 13 in. It's in my opinion the best gay sauna in Asia. 3-stories with great facilities and the crowd is mostly slim and muscular young twinks and jocks. Plus, every night is naked night so there is so much eye candy going around. The peak is usually between 6:30-9:00 PM, as local guys get a discount if they enter before 7:30PM. I really enjoyed going there for Taipei pride the last two years before Covid. I would stay from 6:30-11:00PM. I think around 400-500 guys would pass on each night during those hours and not just Taiwanese but from all over East and Southeast Asia. It was pretty much non-stop fun. Really looking forward to do it again in 2023.