Adventures of a Bangkok Rookie August 2026

[a-447]

9 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Cheaper, but not that much, compared to what I paid in Sydney  in July.

I'm genuinely surprised to hear people say Japan is expensive.

Maybe their exchange rate is poor.

Maybe they are staying in western hotel chains like the Hyatt or the Marriott.

Maybe they are shopping in Ginza.

They are definitely not eating at Izakaya pubs, or at chain restaurants like Sushiro, Kura sushi, Hama, etc.

They don't just serve sushi - most of which I don't eat - but also lots of meat, noodles, western desserts, etc. Also, they have innovative types of 'sushi' like roast beef, chicken and corn, mini hamburger sushi, etc.

A large beer is around  450 yen (100 baht), a plate of food with 2 items is 120 yen (25 baht as opposed to  166 baht in Perth!)

I'd love to know what people find expensive in Japan!

[a-447]

Like everywhere else, you have to know where to eat. 

Paying US $60 for a meal is ridiculous. Food is an obsession of mine and I eat whatever I want, regardless of the price, but I've never spent that much on a meal in Tokyo.

As we know, usually the best food - and cheapest- is found where the locals eat. Speaking Japanese helps.

[aaroninatl]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

you should visit  few bars in Boyztown and see the show at X-Boys when you return

I’m sure i’ll visit boystown next time. I’m here. It’s just that BKK said it really sucks.   

just kidding. Hes sitting across from me and I made him panic when I said that.  😆😆😆 

 

we could have gone back at midnight for the show at xboys but yeah, I was so tired. I could barely keep my eyes open.  

[floridarob]

4 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

 I didn't do an off since honestly I wasn't horned up

I've heard they have pills for that....

[floridarob]

4 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

 I didn't do an off since honestly I wasn't horned up

Duplicate..... hate when it does that, must be the lack of emojis.

[mauRICE]

39 minutes ago, floridarob said:

I've heard they have pills for that....

Omega 3?

[mauRICE]

4 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

I’m sure i’ll visit boystown next time. I’m here. It’s just that BKK said it really sucks.   

just kidding. Hes sitting across from me and I made him panic when I said that.  😆😆😆 

I enjoyed my visit to Boyztown when I was in Pattaya recently but then I'm easy to please and comfortable with change. More importantly, I don't take it personally when entertainers and/or entertainment venues fall short of my expectations. There's always another day, another bar, another guy...

[Keithambrose]

5 hours ago, a-447 said:

Like everywhere else, you have to know where to eat. 

Paying US $60 for a meal is ridiculous. Food is an obsession of mine and I eat whatever I want, regardless of the price, but I've never spent that much on a meal in Tokyo.

As we know, usually the best food - and cheapest- is found where the locals eat. Speaking Japanese helps.

Mainly i got taken out, so prices are bound to be high. I had Shabu Shabu in the Hotel, was £80, including 2 small beers and a small flask of sake. I have to say the Subway/rail system is great, and inexpensive.

You are right about speaking the language, especially  in Imabari, in Shikoku, where little English is spoken. I dont!, unfortunately.  Luckily the clients do. I had the best sushi ever in Imabari!

[Keithambrose]

5 hours ago, vinapu said:

no , all those octopuses , shrimps etc ,. Fish is not sea food for me , it's just fish 

So you are a carp person, freshwater! 

[a-447]

13 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

You are right about speaking the language, especially  in Imabari, in Shikoku, where little English is spoken. I dont!, unfortunately.  Luckily the clients do. I had the best sushi ever in Imabari!

Did you buy a towel?

[Keithambrose]

35 minutes ago, a-447 said:

Did you buy a towel?

I had the small towel in the Onsen.

[a-447]

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

I had the small towel in the Onsen.

Imabari is the home of the legendary Imabari towel.
 

I have a number of their large bath towels. 

They are better than any towel I've ever owned.

[aaroninatl]

Back in the 'Kok.

Thanks to @bkkmfj2648 for being an awesome tour guide.  Beyond showing me the fun spots, it was nice to have a wingman too.  That's why I was asking/suggesting you guys all do an annual thing.  There was one "pillow bar" we went to last night that had I been alone would have been a total dud.  But given that he knew a few of the performers, they put on a show for just us and all of a sudden it was a raucous party with 100 dollar bills (well, baht) flying everywhere and the boys let loose.  

Jomtien was great. I don't think it'll be a contender for a place I'd live.  But it's cool that it's there for a weekend getaway spot when I do live here.  The Airbnb I had was in his same building which was random and convenient.  It's perfectly situated between the beach and the bars.  

Getting back to BKK, it felt like... sigh, I'm home.  Before touching down on Thai soil, I really didn't think Bangkok would feel like this. It was more just where my flight would land.  My gut still tells me I'll like Chiang Mai more.  But we'll see.  Now it's a few more days here before I head to Ko Samui on the 9th.  Didn't think there would be any gay life on KS, but was glad to learn today there will be a small strip of fun.

Tonight it's back to bouncing around the Silom spots with a board member.  BKK was the first I met from this board. And I'll be this member's first human connection.  Maybe I'll do a little live reporting tonight. 

[aaroninatl]

By the way, as much as @bkkmfj2648 schooled me on the fun sites of Pattaya, I was even able to impart a little bit of my rookie Thailand wisdom.

I was shocked that he had never heard of G’Nite gummies at 7 Eleven. Seems like every YouTube video I watched before coming over here talked about them. I’ve definitely noticed better sleep when I have one before bed. 

My other contribution was... he had never noticed the little bakery right next to Soda. It was a nice little air conditioned spot to watch the boys size up passersby if you get the little table near the entrance against the windows.  Get the biscotti cheesecake!  Banana smoothie was decent too.

[jason1975]

3 minutes ago, aaroninatl said:

By the way, as much as @bkkmfj2648 schooled me on the fun sites of Pattaya, I was even able to impart a little bit of my rookie Thailand wisdom.

I was shocked that he had never heard of G’Nite gummies at 7 Eleven. Seems like every YouTube video I watched before coming over here talked about them. I’ve definitely noticed better sleep when I have one before bed. 

My other contribution was... he had never noticed the little bakery right next to Soda. It was a nice little spot to watch the boys size up passersby if you get the little table near the entrance against the windows.  Get the biscotti cheesecake!  Banana smoothie was decent too.

Did you get a massage at Soda? 🤣

[aaroninatl]

1 minute ago, jason1975 said:

Did you get a massage at Soda? 🤣

I did not. The guy that I liked slept in.  And I had to get back to Bangkok. 

[jason1975]

36 minutes ago, aaroninatl said:

Back in the 'Kok.

Thanks to @bkkmfj2648 for being an awesome tour guide.  Beyond showing me the fun spots, it was nice to have a wingman too.  That's why I was asking/suggesting you guys all do an annual thing.  There was one "pillow bar" we went to last night that had I been alone would have been a total dud.  But given that he knew a few of the performers, they put on a show for just us and all of a sudden it was a raucous party with 100 dollar bills (well, baht) flying everywhere and the boys let loose.  

Jomtien was great. I don't think it'll be a contender for a place I'd live.  But it's cool that it's there for a weekend getaway spot when I do live here.  The Airbnb I had was in his same building which was random and convenient.  It's perfectly situated between the beach and the bars.  

Getting back to BKK, it felt like... sigh, I'm home.  Before touching down on Thai soil, I really didn't think Bangkok would feel like this. It was more just where my flight would land.  My gut still tells me I'll like Chiang Mai more.  But we'll see.  Now it's a few more days here before I head to Ko Samui on the 9th.  Didn't think there would be any gay life on KS, but was glad to learn today there will be a small strip of fun.

Tonight it's back to bouncing around the Silom spots with a board member.  BKK was the first I met from this board. And I'll be this member's first human connection.  Maybe I'll do a little live reporting tonight. 

Glad you enjoyed Pattaya.

I like the twinks in Pattaya. I even had a 4 hands massage in hotel room by 2 guys recommended by @bkkmfj2648 last year. 

I am pretty easy with guys. As long as they smile and their service is good, I am happy and contented. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thai - I am basically OK with all.

I only ended up hanging out with Viet guys because my guy happens to be from Vietnam.

I am happy that you are meeting forum members and hanging out with them. It is a different feeling compared to going to bars alone.

[mauRICE]

1 hour ago, aaroninatl said:

My other contribution was... he had never noticed the little bakery right next to Soda. 

Really? How can anyone miss it? I liked Just Specialty Coffee and always support the independents. Their capuccino was decent and I enjoyed their banana pancakes. I didn't get to try their mini scones though. Vibe was warmer than O'Delices across the street which has had mixed reviews but to be fair, the somewhat combative French owner was very nice to me.

[bkkmfj2648]

11 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

I don't have a bar by bar breakdown because honestly it's all a blur and they run together in my mind.

It was great to meet you and what an amazing coincidence that your AirBnB was in the same building as mine.  Of the forum guys that I have given the local tour to - you are the first to stay in VT5.  Most forum members that I have met stay in one of the Supertown hotels; The Venue, Agate, Zing - or in an AirBnB in the nearby VT towers, where View Talay 7 seems to be the most popular.

Our whirlwind tour went as follows:

1. VT5 and you showed me yours and then I showed you mine,
2. Tinnies for a late afternoon lunch,
3. Walk through Supertown,
4. Bahtbus (songthaew) over to Pattaya City - you rang your first bell,
5. Walking Street tour - we were hunting for USA Navy guys,
6. Walk through Boyztown - it was still rather early - so not much happening,
7. Walk over to Beach Road where we finally saw small groups of USA military guys wearing those SLG navy blue polo shirts,
8. Photo ops of the famous Pattaya City signage (like in Hollywood),
9. Continued the Boyztown perimeter tour; X-Boys Pattaya and Paradise Spa,
10. After agreeing that it was still early for Boyztown we took the bahtbus back to Supertown in the Jomtien Complex where the Sunee dance troupe show was already in progress,
11. Some of the Sunee performers convinced us to visit our first "pillow bar" for the night, Gus Bar (formerly The Great Bar).  After a few minutes behind the curtain, things became roguish and lusty where you quickly understood why the pillows can be strategically important.
12. Then we did another walk through the entire Jomtien Complex where we ended up at the second "pillow bar", M Bar.
13. We did another walk through Supertown where we ended up at the Candy Bar, where the Booty Call cabaret show was already in progress.
14. We then discussed if we wanted to return back to Boyztown so I could have the privilege to see the look on your face when they place the naked couple on your lap where they will only leave if you put 100 baht in the bottom's mouth at X-Boys Pattaya.  But, as you had been up since 6am with no naps or rest - we called it a night and agreed that I can give you an X-Boys Pattaya tour when you return.

11 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

When we arrived in Pattaya City I startled him because I was having an orgasm and heart attack at the same time at the sight of what might have been the most beautiful guy I'd seen on this trip so far. He wasn't Asian. Probably American. He had a chiseled face of art, was wearing a loose white shirt and pants... I was just stunned.

Unfortunately I did not get to see that stunning guy because you freaked me out when you started faking a heart attack in an orgasmic way - a thousand thoughts came racing through my mind - Oh my God, here I am on Pattaya's Walking Street with someone from our forum who I hardly know who is having what appeared to be a "medical emergency" - it completely startled me and by the time that you stopped orgasiming and my panic subsided - I had already missed the opportunity to see that hot guy.

The way you did that scene on Walking Street reminded me of Woody Allen's famous scene when he decided to hide in the Orgasmatron in the 1973 film Sleeper.

 

11 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

I tipped many of the talent... but not as much as @bkkmfj2648.

Thanks for the compliment - it was a true joy for me to watch your face as you experienced the "erotic delights" of Pattaya and what she has to offer.

 

[bkkmfj2648]

2 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Now it's a few more days here before I head to Ko Samui on the 9th.  Didn't think there would be any gay life on KS, but was glad to learn today there will be a small strip of fun.

@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

 

 

[bkkmfj2648]

2 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Tonight it's back to bouncing around the Silom spots with a board member.

wow, exciting - your 2nd forum board member.  I am glad that I was your first.

Enjoy BKK tonight.

[bkkmfj2648]

1 hour ago, aaroninatl said:

My other contribution was... he had never noticed the little bakery right next to Soda. It was a nice little air conditioned spot to watch the boys size up passersby if you get the little table near the entrance against the windows.  Get the biscotti cheesecake!  Banana smoothie was decent too.

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.

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

So you are a carp person, freshwater! 

i can live with taht

[vinapu]

41 minutes ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

 it appears that now there is only 1 bar remaining.  It is:

 

all we need is one bar and one guy in it as long as he meets specifications

[vinapu]

21 minutes ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

And thanks for teaching me about the G'Nite gummies that can be found at the ubiquitous 7-Eleven shops.

+1