Pantherz

The Nobu rooftop bar is the new place to go. Check it out, I had a great time there.

Wow thanks for your post it really added a lot to the story after having just read the book. If anyone happens to see Chai or knows where he works, it would be great to say hello to him.

Now that’s an oxymoron.

Thanks that’s helpful. I was thinking that I’d prefer to be in Bangkok over the weekend and go to Phnom Penh afterward, but was worried that I’d miss out on the weekend vibe. Doesn’t sound like it’s an issue. I guess the guys each take a day off on alternating days throughout the week.

How are Space Bar and Toolbox early in the week? Do they tend to be better since the guys are less busy with tourists, given that bars are usually slower from Monday to Thursday? Or are they worse because fewer guys are scheduled to work?

I just finished reading this book. In the epilogue, the author mentioned that he could be found as a “ghost guide” in Patpong and Soi Twilight, which suggests the book was written before the pandemic. He’d be in his mid-50s now and might still be around one of Silom’s two gay streets. Has anyone come across him?

Thanks, it would be my first time so that’s a compelling reason to give the Hilton a try.

Thanks for the info! Is the beach clean and swimmable there? I have been told that some areas of beach in Pattaya aren’t very clean. How did you find the area around the Hilton?

I’d say that’s the best in Bangkok at the moment, followed by Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons closely tied. None are conveniently located for gay nightlife, but wonderful properties. You will probably want to spend a lot of time on property at the pool anyways since you will be paying so much for it. Are you going to be inviting over any dates?

The W Bangkok was focused on a lot of Chinese families last time I was there. People in pajamas and slippers down in the lobby and all. Very noticeable change of demographic. Breakfast was very unpleasant with all the children running wild and touching everything with their hands. Definitely not the same LGBT demographic of traveler that it used to cater to in Bangkok. I probably wouldn’t return again and I’ve stayed there many times.

I don’t like it anymore since the renovation. It used to have an open feel to it so you could better see people who were coming and going, but now they have segregated it quite a bit from the rest of the lobby with big walls.

Bali gets a lot of hate because of them and because of all of the digital nomads, but there are still lots of cute Indonesians and Asian travelers!

Has anyone stayed at the Hilton in Pattaya? I just looked at a couple videos and the beach and views look nice. I had asked about Andaz Pattaya a while back in a separate thread and was told that it is too far out, but looking at Google Maps the Hilton appears to be more centrally located.

Some of the problems included being loud and boisterous in restaurants and by the pool, jumping queues, and smoking where smoking is prohibited. There are good and bad people everywhere, but the type of tourist that was at Le Meridien when I stayed there wasn’t the type of tourist I wanted to be around. Maybe I just had bad luck and they were part of a large group. Who knows.

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn’t heard about that one. 4.7 / 5 stars on Google Reviews with 1,475 reviews so it looks like a pretty solid property.

Yes, Bohol is beautiful so that’s a great suggestion. I went quite some time ago. Have you been recently? If so, what was the vibe in the area around the hotel like?

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve stayed there before and it was full of Russian tourists. Wasn’t the most pleasant vacation. But I’ll use google maps to look for other options in that area. 10 minute grab ride would be fine, considering there don’t appear to be many options that meet all of the criteria 🫠

I want to spend a few days by the beach in a 5 star hotel where there are restaurants and nightlife within walking distance. Does such a place exist in Thailand? Looking at Phuket and Koh Samui, it looks like all the nice hotels are far from anny action. Am I missing something? Not specifically looking for gay venues, as I know that outside of Bangkok and Pattaya they are few and far between, but at least a young, fun, and open minded crowd. I am thinking of the kind of vibes one would get in Boracay, Cartagena, Puerto Vallarta, Seminyak…

You can see several of the guys at breakfast in the morning at Le Meridien. Sometimes in the executive lounge as well.

Can anyone please provide a comparison of Dickmans vs Gomez Place? Is the experience with the staff, masseurs, etc relatively the same? Any suggestions for 10-14 day itinerary without constantly being on the move? Reading the comments in this thread and general travel information on Google is making me feel overwhelmed because it sounds like there are a ton of stunning places to see in Sri Lanka.

What’s interesting is the first one happened 15 minutes before the end while the second one happened 25-30 minutes before the end. So if it was to check social media, they were able to hold it in for quite some time. And I agree with you, I hope they used soap.

No, they were non-sexual spas and not even the slightest hint of that being possible.

Apologies in advance for the topic (and to Oldaddy for stepping into his area of expertise), but I need to know if this is normal or if I somehow trigger an uncontrollable need to take a dump. Twice in the past week, during completely clean, non-sexual massages, the masseurs have paused midway to do their business. I’m certain of it because they took long enough for it to be more than a quick rinse, I heard the bidet hose in action, and the toilet seat, which had been up when the massage started, was down when they returned. I’m not angry or anything, but I do feel a bit unsettled. That toilet is meant for my use during the session, yet they marked their territory without hesitation. And let’s be real, those minutes spent on their personal matters were not added to my massage time. So now I have questions. Has anyone else had this happen? Do I give off some kind of bowel-relaxing energy? Is there an acupressure point on my back that doubles as a laxative? Or do I just need to start requesting masseurs with stronger self-control?

What’s a normal and an above average tip for someone in Dragon & Koi?

We could always go Sunday night!