I’ve landed in the mountains. After living like a monk with no bedroom action all week in Koh Samui, I’m definitely planning to partake in some fun here in Chiang Mai. I know the opportunities will be far fewer than Bangkok but after a week of beaches, temples and elephants on Koh Samui, I’m down for some fun.

Most of my time here will be spent exploring apartments and neighborhoods during the daytime. For those who haven’t followed so far, I landed in Bangkok. Been researching a move to Thailand for about a year. I know far too much about healthcare, visas and the tourist do’s and don’ts. But before I made the big commitment I wanted to come over here for two months to see if I really like it as much as I thought I would.

I didn’t really anticipate Bangkok being a contender in terms of where I’d want to live in Thailand. It was really just where I planned to land. I wanted to have naughty fun in Silom since I’d always heard about it. But when I booked this trip, Ko Samui and Chiang Mai were my two big contenders of where I’d want to live. Samui will definitely not be it. Bangkok… we’ll see. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s all of the positives of a big city without the negatives I’m used to in the United States.

Wrote about my trips to the Bangkok bars and massage spots over on the Bangkok board. I’m going back in two weeks. If Chiang Mai doesn’t do it for me, I’ll do some apartment visits and see more parts of the city. And of course, try to squeeze in some fun at night.

But for Chiang Mai, the number of options to explore seems far more manageable. Anyone with suggestions on particular massage spots or go-go bars to visit… Feel free to drop a reply. Adam’s Apple seems to be the big gogo bar. Probably gonna check that out tonight. The massage spot that seems most enticing at first glance is aqua cnx. I’m mostly a twinks and twunks kinda guy btw.

For now, though, just watching the daylight disappear from the rooftop infinity pool of my Airbnb.

Beautiful view. Are you at the Astra or Twin Peaks?

I hope the weather holds as I hear there's been some minor flooding in certain areas. In early October 2024, the area where you're staying had people being evacuated by boat! There are a couple of 7-11s nearby so you won't go hungry and there's a McDonald's at the night bazaar a five-minute walk north. A Starbuck's stands opposite the McDonald's and right around the corner from where you're staying there's an American-style diner and coffeeshop with lovely cakes that's popular with American missionary families. It's called Butter is Better and I believe the American co-owner is in the Church of Christ in Thailand hierarchy. For something fancy there's the Shangri-la next door. So you're all set with all the comforts of home and may not even want to leave the area!

Out of curiosity, which American influencer convinced you to move to Chiang Mai?

Enjoy your stay and let us know how you're doing from time to time. 🫶

Why didn't you title your forum topic "Adventures of a Chiang Mai Rookie September 2026" like the way you did for Bangkok and Koh Samui topics? 🤣

17 minutes ago, jason1975 said:

Why didn't you title your forum topic "Adventures of a Chiang Mai Rookie September 2026" like the way you did for Bangkok and Koh Samui topics? 🤣

Got bored with it. Especially in Ko Samui, where there were no adventures. 😜 Not even the fucking elephants showed any interest.

I've made multiple trips from Bangkok to Chiang Mai over the years.

I love the historical atmosphere and feel of the city, along with the night bazaar and the area by the river.

CM's signature dish is Khao Soi - creamy coconut curry with chicken and deep-fried egg noodles.

As for night fun, there wasn't a lot to choose from, but my favourite bar was Adams Apple in Chang Phuak - the so-called gay area of CM.

I used to stay in the now- closed Lotus Hotel, right across the road. I'd wander over to the bar at 9pm and watch the show and chat with the guys.

There is a smoking room downstairs where I'd light up, share cigarettes with the guys and hang out during the evening. It was a chance to get up closer and personal with them. They were all hot Tai Yai (Shan) boys and I loved their friendliness and total lack of attitude.

At the end of the evening I'd choose my guy and walk over to the hotel.

The guys never disappointed! Not a single dud over all those visits.

One of my regular offs from Adams - Mai - runs the Orion Bar in the night bazaar with his sister. He is the sweetest guy you could ever meet! A lot of local guys play pool there and are available for fun.

There's another bar nearby called the Circle Pub, but I never found anyone I wanted to spend time with.

There were lots of massage places but most have closed down. But I think my favourite-Classic House- is still going strong. The guys were lovely and never disappointed, but beware! Some guys have mooks or silicone, so it's important to ask if their cock is 'original'.

I'm looking forward to your CM reports!

Fantastic info thank you my friend. That coconut dish I’m going to try even though I’m not a coconut fan. I’ve seen so many rave about it on YouTube. I think I’m staying in the area where that night bazaar happens. I’m about a 10 minute walk southeast of the old city. Off to Adam’s shortly!

Welcome to Chiang Mai.

I can vouch for the "Butter is Better" restaurant mentioned by mauRICE earlier in this thread. I reported on it in my 2015 Chiang Mai thread at:

https://www.gayguides.com/topic/9986-july-2015-trip-report-chiang-mai-sukhothai-kanchanaburi-and-pattaya/

Please check out Woody - highly recommended in our forum by myself and many other forum members who have met up with him.

I believe that Woody is the owner of the famous massage shop in Chiang Mai =

http://classichousemassage.com/

Woody can also act as a tour guide and/or wingman for going out to the various places in Chiang Mai. I have utilized Woody's services a couple of times over the years and he is very reliable.

I am a member of some of the Thai sponsored massage forums; @massageinside3, @massageinside6 and @ShunJou over on Twitter (X)

Recently, @ShunJou has posted information about a really cool club in Chiang Mai = Booppachart or Hug Phuchat - depending on the translation used.

X (formerly Twitter)

ชุนโจ (@ShunJou) on X

Age-restricted adult content. This content might not be appropriate for people under 18 years old. To view this media, you’ll need to log in to X. Learn more

Here is their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Booppachart/?_rdr

And they also have some "blond" guys......

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FGM5zy6Dv/

Enjoy.

LOL thanks I think that's the organic food nutjob I muted so no didn't see it. Some great tips, thank you sir! Will look into all that. I guess I should have been more specific when I mentioned my thing for blondes... natural blondes haha! But that guy in the photo is cute! Lot of them on that Facebook page look great. A few I might need to see some ID first haha.

Quick night out tonight. Did drop into Adam's Apple. I'm not going to judge it too harshly. It's a weeknight during off season. But yeah it was pretty dull. About a half dozen working... I think I was customer #7. I stuck around longer than I wanted to. They were doing the motionless awkward standing on stage for the longest time. So uncomfortable... I just feel pity not turned on. And a couple of them were kinda cute. No stunners, but a couple I would play with. Finally after the exhausting death stand on stage, they started a show. But it was pretty bland.

Someone used quotes earlier about how Apple is in the "gay area." I get that now. Yeesh. While waiting for Apple's show at 10, I walked around a few blocks and just nothing.

Ah well... night #1... like I said, off season weeknight. Sounds like the massage options might be the way to go.

See ya in a couple weeks!

6 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Did drop into Adam's Apple. I'm not going to judge it too harshly. It's a weeknight during off season.

Doesn’t get much better during high season which is why despite going to Chiang Mai several times I’ve never made much of a foray into the bar scene apart from my initial visit. The guys are friendly as @bkkmfj2648 said and have lower expectations but physically none appealed to me. My friend cruised a fine specimen at the public exercise park so they are out there. Just not at AA.

Had a look at AA’s social media to see if anything has changed. Last week they held an insane beauty pageant “Miss and Mr Lucky Spider-Man” where drag queens and guys had to dress up in Spider-Man outfits. Maybe the owner just keeps this place going to indulge his own fantasies.

There are a number of beer bars and host bars where the boys are fresher, cuter, hunkier but there is a language and cultural barrier. I walked into one of the city’s largest host bars to see what it was like. Similar to Pattaya but without the hospitality to foreigners, and the boys shuffled around awkwardly at the prospect of having to speak anything other than Thai.

Ahhh that explains why there were 2 upside down Spiderman blowups on the stage last night. Thought that was rather random. I still haven't tried a host bar yet. That whole scene is interesting to me. That spot "hug" that bkk mentioned sounds promising. Definitely going to have to bust out Google Translate. I have a feeling they don't get many American visitors.

41 minutes ago, hank75 said:

Maybe the owner just keeps this place going to indulge his own fantasies.

Have just fallen down the black hole that is Adam’s Apple social media. The night I was there was a boring regular night. Seems like spider-man is a recurring theme in the bar; there is also the Batman show where a boy in a black cape swings from wall fixtures. Boys dressed as Minions, Angry Birds, giant bananas or farmyard animals hula-hooping. Video below is the “Easter special”

11 hours ago, a-447 said:

I used to stay in the now- closed Lotus Hotel, right across the road.

So did I and I have strong memories of it even though I probably didn't stay more then 2 or 3 times. It had spacious rooms which in the evening turned out to be poorly lit. The sparse lighting was rendered even more ineffectual by the darkly varnished and very traditional heavy furniture. The first time I was shown to a room I remember saying to myself: Gosh, this room is meant for a dour dowager.

The last time I stayed there was not a happy one. The place was infested with mosquitoes. I complained to management, they lit some mosquito coils but nothing worked. Even though the rooms were airconditioned and one could close the windows, the shutters were old and apparently did not seal well enough to prevent insects coming in.

I resolved to stay somewhere else after that. In any case, Lotus went out of business soon after.

1 hour ago, hank75 said:

and the boys shuffled around awkwardly at the prospect of having to speak anything other than Thai.

That's the problem visitors will face in the Chiang Mai gay scene. Unlike the Silom ghetto and Pattaya, the Chiang Mai scene is really for locals; thus the most active places (so I have heard) are the host and/or karaoke bars. But, at these places, hardly anyone can speak English, so unless one goes to a bar with friends, it's always going to be awkward as a solo customer to be inviting a host for a drink and then have no real way to talk to each other.

I have also been told that most of the boys in Adams Apple, Circle Pub and the night bazaar bars are Thai Yai or Shan from across the border; they may not even speak Thai fluently. However, this is secondhand information. I doubt if I can hear the difference between the 2 languages.

@aaroninatl wishing you the best in your apartment hunting, but I would advise against making any longterm rent agreement until you have experienced Chiang Mai in its many seasons. Take it from me, and others like me, who have visited Chiang Mai over the years at various points in the year: there are distinct seasons, some not all that pleasant.

Personally, I have found the mid-year period scorchingly hot. I think it gets to 40 degrees (if you're American, you're have to learn -- fast -- to think in terms of degrees Celsius if you want to live outside the US). It's almost impossible to go out during daylight.

There was one time when I was in the city when the haze season began. Luckily it was a short visit and only the beginning of the haze season, but it was obvious enough that I wouldn't want to be around during the peak of the season. Others here have mentioned this problem in another thread.

I just read that Malaysia is currently experiencing a bad haze problem from forest burning in Indonesia. Here's my tongue-in-cheek idea: 🤪make a quick visit to Kuala Lumpur to see what it's like and whether you will be able to live in such conditions for 2 - 3 months.

1 hour ago, macaroni21 said:

I just read that Malaysia is currently experiencing a bad haze problem from forest burning in Indonesia.

And Singapore this week but neither at its worst compares to Chiang Mai in the burning season, where the fires are within the same province.

2 hours ago, hank75 said:

Have just fallen down the black hole that is Adam’s Apple social media. The night I was there was a boring regular night. Seems like spider-man is a recurring theme in the bar; there is also the Batman show where a boy in a black cape swings from wall fixtures. Boys dressed as Minions, Angry Birds, giant bananas or farmyard animals hula-hooping. Video below is the “Easter special”

omg these vids are hilarious... erotic? no... hilarious... absolutely. I'll fess I've watched plenty of Spiderman clips on various porn sites... but yeesh. Lots of awkward in that bar. The Easter theme has gotta be one of those self-indulgent things for the manager. I thought I'd watched every conceivable fetish but Easter... nope. I forgot about the mannequin on stage. 😆 Apologies for sending you down that AA black hole.

Orion Bar in the night market area and Connections Bar in the Chang Klan area.are the main gay bars - generally frequented by tai yai lads some of whom are offable. Friday and Saturday are a little busier but it is low season. Both bars have Facebook pages. An alternative to AA is New Circle Club also on Facebook and located in the same area as AA. A short walk from AA is a small venue frequented by lads which was discussed in the CM forum - always found it lively.

RAM bar cabaret and Sixcret Cabaret both in night bazaar

Woody( and his partner Non) of Classic House massage do tours - a day trip to include Mon Chaem and Mae Komphong are well worth doing - trips into surrounding country side. If going to Mae Khompong a side trip to The Giant is recommended. if Woody and Non are not available they can usually arrange a friend to help.out.

CM coffee and restaurant scene is vibrant - some really outstanding places . My favourite - a little out of town is Cafe Eley

Host bars are popular here generaly coming alive around 11pm.onwards. Multiple lads catering to mixed customers - Sharky Host Bar and Club, BRC karaoke and Bar, Maya Club

Phoenix night club not too far from the night market - popular

Hornet and Grinder Apps work well here

Great stuff thanks @musgrave. Have quite a few bites on Grindr. Just trying not to fall in to that dilemma I had in Bangkok... I'd try to seek out the wild spicy stuff at night, but then I connected with 2 really great guys on Grindr... so splitting time was getting to be a challenge. 😜

Woody is a popular dude. Many are singing his praises so I'll probably reach out next week.

I think I'm a short walk to the night market area. Sounds like that's an early crowd? Will probably start there tonight.

I don't think I've consumed as much coffee in my first 50 years of existence as I have this trip. Iced coffee is just vital in the heat. I thought CM would be much cooler than Bangkok given the elevation. The difference is minimal to me. But then again the heat in Bangkok wasn't as overwhelming as I thought it might be.

12 hours ago, aaroninatl said:

Quick night out tonight. Did drop into Adam's Apple. I'm not going to judge it too harshly. It's a weeknight during off season. But yeah it was pretty dull. About a half dozen working... I think I was customer #7. I stuck around longer than I wanted to. They were doing the motionless awkward standing on stage for the longest time. So uncomfortable... I just feel pity not turned on. And a couple of them were kinda cute. No stunners, but a couple I would play with. Finally after the exhausting death stand on stage, they started a show. But it was pretty bland.

I read this report and immediately fell into a deep depression.

At first, I was hoping you were right when you put your experience down to it being low season. But then I read Hank's follow-up and suddenly lost the will to live!

It appears AA has gone the way of the other gay bars in CM - is on its way out.

It's been a few years since my last visit, but every visit there used to be one of the highlights of my trips to a Thailand. The bar was always full - usually just local customers who would open a bottle of whisky, call over a couple of guys and party all night.

The Shan guys were hot - handsome, swimmers' bodies and, as they were from Myanmar, hung like donkies. I've always thought there is something in the water in Myanmar, Laos and Isaan!

There were 3 bowls containing condoms of different sizes on the bar counter - 52, 54 and 56. Most of the guys went for size 56!

The show was exciting. One of my regulars - Korn - did the Spiderman act with his massive member on full display as he moved from pole to pole around the bar. Another favourite -Mai, who now runs the Orion Bar - did the hula hoop act with his huge erect appendage pointing to the ceiling.

The show was basically wall to wall cock, occasionally interrupted by annoying drag acts.

So, it appears that's all changed.

Maybe you are right- massages are now the way to go in CM.

2 hours ago, musgrave said:

Woody( and his partner Non) of Classic House massage do tours - a day trip to include Mon Chaem and Mae Komphong are well worth doing - trips into surrounding country side. If going to Mae Khompong a side trip to The Giant is recommended. if Woody and Non are not available they can usually arrange a friend to help.out.

If you book a guide, it’s a good idea to extend this into visiting one of the host bars @musgrave mentioned which are also on my list of places to check out. My mistake the first time was going solo without a local friend. Offs are possible but there are no mamasans and arrangements need to made directly with the boys who speak little English so an intermediary is helpful.

1 hour ago, a-447 said:

I read this report and immediately fell into a deep depression.

Maybe you are right- massages are now the way to go in CM.

Oh sorry man that definitely bums me out. Definitely was not my intention. And like I said, it’s a midweek off-season night out. I didn’t expect to get blown away. I’ll pop in again for sure at least once or twice and hopefully things pick up. The Internet has done a number on bars and clubs worldwide. With Grindr, it’s so easy to connect that going to a bar is becoming a nostalgia thing.

This “Hug” place that @bkkmfj2648 mentioned yesterday is far north of the city center, but the guys on their Facebook definitely sparked my curiosity. I messaged with them on Line today. Gonna pop in there tonight. It’s kind of tough to understand what the place is all about. It’s not necessarily a go-go bar, but it looks like the guys are offable. It’s a restaurant and a bar. Maybe it’s one of these host bars.

As great as Woody sounds, and many sung his praises, I’m going to go solo tonight. I looked at his website and the night out fee is really the same as you’d pay for almost 2 encounters. if I was here for just a short weekend visit, I would do it. But I’m gonna give it to go solo with Google Translate. If it all goes to crap, I still have a couple weeks left.The other thought I had as I’ve had a lot of guys my age on Grindr messaging me. Normally those get ignored.😆 but there might be some good wingman potential there.

1 hour ago, a-447 said:

I read this report and immediately fell into a deep depression.

At first, I was hoping you were right when you put your experience down to it being low season. But then I read Hank's follow-up and suddenly lost the will to live!

Me too.

I was very disappointed in aaroninatl's reports from Koh Samui and now from Chiang Mai.

Years ago I had some fantastic and exciting gay adventures in Koh Samui and Chiang Mai.

But my approach was different than aaroninatl's, in that I did not give preference to the apps, as I much prefer to meet the guys live = "face to face" as I find that (too often forgotten) human approach much more productive to break into a new place.

In Koh Samui I hung out in the bars, spoke to the bar staff and bar owners. I also met guys over at the Chaweng tiny gay beach. Also, I chatted up the massage shop owners and masseurs to the point that I employed some of them to be my wingmen and/or tour guides and through this mechanism I was able to break into the gay world of Koh Samui.

I also employed this same strategy for Seoul - which is not an easy nut to crack --> meaning to break into the local gay Korean scene. The strategy that worked for me in Seoul, Da Nang, and Cebu was to make friends with the local masseurs and ask them to include me in the local gay scene.

This is how I found the now famous Woody of Chang Mai - back when Woody was nobody - just a fresh refugee escaping the nasty situation over in the Shan state when Woody was discretely working as a masseur in the Classic House massage shop that now after many years of his success, friendliness, and determination eventually bought the massage shop thanks to the success of his tour guide wingman business with his Thai partner Non.

So, when I read these disappointing trip reports it breaks my heart because there is too much dependence on using the gay apps to substitute for real face-to-face human connection.

Probably unnecessary but always wise to acquaint yourself with bar/menu prices - several venues in CM charge per hour sitting with bar company on top of drink charges - some host bars conduct an auction for boys with the customer offering the most drinks for the fancied boy being successful

2 minutes ago, musgrave said:

Probably unnecessary but always wise to acquaint yourself with bar/menu prices - several venues in CM charge per hour sitting with bar company on top of drink charges - some host bars conduct an auction for boys with the customer offering the most drinks for the fancied boy being successful

Oh, for sure. I’m definitely on top of all that. Especially when I’m in a new country. Thailand is so different than the bars and clubs I’ve visited in North America, South America, and Europe. Offering fees, mama tips, high drink prices replacing cover charges, it’s been all new to me. So I definitely like to get a clear understanding.

btw @bkkmfj2648 don’t get me wrong i much prefer face-to-face. Just like I was eager to grab dinner with you when I was in PC. I’m saying the culture of the gay bar has become a nostalgic thing for guys our age. Those 50 and below have always had everything from gay.com to now Grindr. Going out and paying high drink prices is lost on many of them. And in the hiring scene, especially in Europe and South America, guys don’t wanna wait all night in a bar hoping they’re going to get paid. They’d rather just put an ad online and let the fish bite. If there are no bites, they haven’t wasted a night of their youth. Maybe that’s starting to happen here as well.

2 minutes ago, musgrave said:

some host bars conduct an auction for boys with the customer offering the most drinks for the fancied boy being successful

Seems counterproductive.

Hopping into bed with a guy who is drunk - or on drugs- does not guarantee a happy ending!

I'd rather give the bar the drink money in cash and take the guy home sober.