Hua Hin gay scene EXPLODING!!! ...

[Smiles]

Well hey, it was only a week ago that Hua Hin's gay bar total was down to 2 ('SM Bar' and 'Red Iindian Boys Bar') with the surprising demise of 'Little Choices' (unfortunately, the best of the lot).

A week later ... it's 5!!! Plus one Show Bar (Blue Angel) which offers bad lip-synching dudesses singing god awful songs, and one bar (KeYo Bar) which is kind of gay-not-gay, i.e. gay owners who've opened a lady bar, but a comfy place which welcomes gay folks with open arms and ~ who knows ~ may well change over next week to our team and go 'Full Bore'.

'Grasshopper' (potentially the best place to hang out at: nice ambiance, pool table, friendly owner etc etc) resides next door to the now-demised Little Choices and the owner ~ smartly noticing that her bar was Always Empty and Choices was Always Full ~ turned on a dime, declared the place 'gay', hired a couple of the unemployed Choicers and held a Grand Opening and Xmas Party on the spot. We'll see.

All bars in Hua Hin noted on the map below, with some extra opinionations included.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/gaybarsHH2.jpg

I know, in the past, you have mentioned the names of a couple of hotels that are gay friendly but my take on the Hua Hin gay scene is that you won't get large numbers of gay tourists going there until there is a hotel or guest house that advertises itself as a gay or gay friendly hotel.

Any gay traveler will be looking for accommodation that he knows will be no hassle for him to bring back a guy. Bangkok and Pattaya have lots of places like that - where is the advertising for Hua Hin gay accommodation?

[Brad the Impala]

Let's hope that large numbers of gay tourists don't descend on Hua Hin, but stick to the gay ghetto in Pattaya where they are as happy as a pig................

90% of hotels in Thailand are customer friendly, whatever your sexuality.

Let's hope that large numbers of gay tourists don't descend on Hua Hin, but stick to the gay ghetto in Pattaya where they are as happy as a pig................

90% of hotels in Thailand are customer friendly, whatever your sexuality.

and that is why these bars in Hua Hin keep closing. If they want to get customers then they need to appeal to a wider clientele. The gay population of Hua Hin is too small to support 5 bars so they need to attract tourists or go bust ... and the tourists need somewhere to stay.

[Two41]

Bamboo Boys Bar now open as Buddy Boy Bar in Soi 80. Intimate bar with pool table room.

Looking for a gay friendly and gay owned accomodation in Hua Hin? Why don't you check this one: http://www.baanthong.com
[attachment=0:3gb5rrxg]DSC_0084.jpg[/attachment:3gb5rrxg]

[cdnmatt]

and that is why these bars in Hua Hin keep closing. If they want to get customers then they need to appeal to a wider clientele. The gay population of Hua Hin is too small to support 5 bars so they need to attract tourists or go bust

Or the old & retired guys with too much money and time on their hands who open all these bars, to fulfill their deluded dream of having unlimited boyfriends on tap, can return to reality and realize that when it comes to bars & restaurants, it's best to serve an existing market instead of trying to create one.

Whew! Talk about a run-on sentence!

when it comes to bars & restaurants, it's best to serve an existing market instead of trying to create one.

The very lesson from Lavender Lanna in Chiang Mai.

[Beachlover]

Or the old & retired guys with too much money and time on their hands who open all these bars, to fulfill their deluded dream of having unlimited boyfriends on tap...
Nail on the head. Profit doesn't seem to be a primary motive in these bars. None have a website. Most don't even have a listing on Utopia. Smiles' post in this forum might be the only online presence they have. This might be ok in a high traffic place like Pattaya where other bars draw foot traffic for you but not for Hua Hin, which isn't a known destination for gay bars... Each bar needs to have a website.

There also needs to be a general gay Hua Hin website with a map of venues and information for gay travelers...


you won't get large numbers of gay tourists going there until there is a hotel or guest house that advertises itself as a gay or gay friendly hotel.
Gay-oriented hotels will give it a boost but I don't think they're an essential element.


Any gay traveler will be looking for accommodation that he knows will be no hassle for him to bring back a guy.
What? Some gay travelers might seek gay hotels but not all. Almost all hotels in Thailand are "gay friendly". I don't get what it is with people choosing ONLY to stay in gay hotels so they can bring back guests because almost every hotel will let you bring a guest back. You're really limiting yourself if you only stay in gay hotels


Let's hope that large numbers of gay tourists don't descend on Hua Hin, but stick to the gay ghetto in Pattaya where they are as happy as a pig......
LOL true...more accurate to say happy as a pig in the "prostitute ghetto" of Pattaya though.

[ftj_taw]

when it comes to bars & restaurants, it's best to serve an existing market instead of trying to create one.

The very lesson from Lavender Lanna in Chiang Mai.

When I first looked at this site I saw they were advertised. Mind telling a newbie what happened to them.

[krobbie]

Personally I couldn't imagine anything worse than staying at a "gay" hotel, in Hua Hin or elsewhere. I and my partner just like to be at a place that is most convenient for us. Near the river, near a BTS and near a suprmarket. All boxes ticked at Saphan Thaksin area.

If we want to join other gay revellers it's only 3 stops to Sala Daeng, plenty close enough for me.

[cdnmatt]

when it comes to bars & restaurants, it's best to serve an existing market instead of trying to create one.

The very lesson from Lavender Lanna in Chiang Mai.

When I first looked at this site I saw they were advertised. Mind telling a newbie what happened to them.

The owner got murdered, because he was brilliant enough to put a blatantly gay hotel + sauna +++, in the heart of one of Thailand's most historic cultural areas. From there, it just went downhill.

[Beachlover]

Lavender Lanna in Chiang Mai.
When I first looked at this site I saw they were advertised. Mind telling a newbie what happened to them.
To my knowledge, Lavender Lanna purchased 12 months' advertising in advance on this forum, this period has ended and a new sponsor (Happy Place) is on board.

I read the entrepreneur behind Lavender Lanna took over this hotel (I think it used to be called something like "Tokyo Hotel"), which was mainly catering to Thais and rebranded it as a "gay" hotel targeting farangs. When he died (suicide or murder) it reverted to its old brand/role as a budget hotel for Thais. However, the new owners (or old owners, however you look at it) kept the Lavender Lanna website up and said it was "gay friendly" to take advantage of the pre-paid advertising still running.

If anyone, can correct any of the info above feel free to butt in.

[ftj_taw]

The owner got murdered, because he was brilliant enough to put a blatantly gay hotel + sauna +++, in the heart of one of Thailand's most historic cultural areas. From there, it just went downhill.

Did they catch the murderer. Was he killed by a Thai or another Farang?

When I first looked at this site I saw they were advertised. Mind telling a newbie what happened to them.

Nobody has all the facts, and to be fair, it is impossible to say if it might have succeeded had the entrepreneur lived, but even before he died, the ship had all the signs of sinking. His death just ensured that it sank more quickly. As far as I can piece the story together, it's like this:

A guy named Jay took over the existing Tokio Hotel a stone's throw from the moat and old city walls of Chiang Mai - a historic district as cdnmatt put it - with the intention of turning into a gay mecca. The plan involved 110 hotel rooms, a gogo bar, a cabaret showbar (2 shows a night), a gay massage parlour, fitness centre, restaurants, etc.

Immediately, a number of posters on Sawatdee and elsewhere pointed out how foolish the plan was. Yours truly was among them. My take on it was that the gay market in Chiang Mai was too small to support a venture of this scale, and that if his project was premised on creating a market virtually from scratch, then he had better have deep pockets (e.g. ten years' worth of losses) to see it through. Other posters, living in Chiang Mai itself and therefore familiar with the policing terrain, pointed out that the prestigious location meant different and stricter police rules compared to Chang Phuak and South Chiang Mai, the areas where existing gay sex businesses were located, and therefore, the new project would have no end of police trouble. (Seeing how B-Beez massage found it impossible to re-open - and it's in the same quarter of the city - I think those posters were right).

Unlike Pattaya, Chiang Mai's gay market is primarily local, not tourist. It currently supports 4 gogo bars that see an average of 5 - 10 tourists a night (and maybe 30 locals a night) and perhaps 10 sexy massage parlours that see an average of 1 - 2 tourists a day (and maybe 8 -10 local customers). The city has 3 - 4 gay mini-hotels with about 10 -12 rooms each, and which see occupancy rates in the region of 20 percent in the low season. That's all the gay tourists Chiang Mai gets. From this existing base, Jay was dreaming of filling a 110-room hotel every day of the year?

Jay also mentioned in a post prior to its opening that the cabaret showbar could seat 100 guests. Multiplied by 2 shows a night, he was hoping to have 200 people come see his cabaret show every night.

And what happened? The first reports were that the hotel rooms were a mix of old and new and that the management often put customers in the old. I suspect that due to the scale of the refurbishment needed, it was a slow work-in-progress. The management needed the cashflow (putting customers in old rooms) while remodelling other rooms one by one. Naturally, given the advertising blitz, people were disappointed to be put in old rooms, so there was no end of complaints.

The Power Boys gogo bar, cabaret and massage parlour apparently saw no more than a trickle of customers, which was entirely as predicted based on existing venues' numbers. I suspect though that even what numbers Power Boys got were largely due to the smell of fresh paint. Unless it could compete with the nudity offered by existing bars (and the police would never allow it, said others) it had a bleak future.

Anyway, Jay died under mysterious circumstances. Some say murder, others say suicide. Word emerged that the whole project was under a mountain of debt. The owner of Tokio Hotel took back the lease very soon after.

.


As for Hua Hin:
--------------

Beachlover is right. An inexpensive way for the Hua Hin bars to do more to ensure survival is to get together and develop a joint web presence highlighting not just themselves, but suggesting a package of things to do and places to visit, for a gay traveller with perhaps 3 or 4 days to spare. E.g.
1. where to stay (varying by budget classes),
2. excursions in the day (how to get there/transport, costs, what to expect),
3. what the beach is like, which section of the beach is gay-friendly,
4. suggested restaurants for lunch and dinner,
5. how to get from Bangkok to Hua Hin (duration, costs, etc). . . and not just Smiles' husband.

In other words, give people an overall idea of (a) how much 3 days might cost and (b) what value they can get for that cost.

Perhaps Smiles, as a contribution to the town he loves, might do it as a personal project? With my blogging experience, I could help him with the technicalities of setting up a Hua Hin blogsite that over time can become a storehouse of useful information.

[Beachlover]

A guy named Jay took over the existing Tokio Hotel a stone's throw from the moat and old city walls of Chiang Mai - a historic district as cdnmatt put it - with the intention of turning into a gay mecca. The plan involved 110 hotel rooms, a gogo bar, a cabaret showbar (2 shows a night), a gay massage parlour, fitness centre, restaurants, etc.
Thanks for the interesting overview and perspective of what happened, Mack.

I didn't really follow the events much at the time, but think the idea of a "gay mecca" might not have been so bad, but for the fact it was presented in a less than classy way ("Power Boys") and primarily based on prostitution and attracting sex tourists in the same way Boyztown and Soi Twilight do. A classier gay-oriented boutique might have been more "acceptable" considering the area.

Starting with a 110 rooms sounds crazy too. Why the hell wouldn't you start with a more modest sized 10, 20 or 30 (at most) room boutique and scale up from there? Even if there were enough "gay tourists" to fill 110 rooms it's certain not all of them would want to stay in that class of hotel. Some would seek a cheaper option, some more luxurious.


An inexpensive way for the Hua Hin bars to do more to ensure survival is to get together and develop a joint web presence... Perhaps Smiles, as a contribution to the town he loves, might do it as a personal project? With my blogging experience, I could help him with the technicalities of setting up a Hua Hin blogsite that over time can become a storehouse of useful information.
An alternative would be to engage a professional to do it as all businesses should, rather than mucking around with amateur attempts. Web designers are a dime a dozen in Thailand and Philippines and very cheap. Just find a website you feel is good, find out who built it (since they are likely to be competent) and engage them to do it. Don't think a small website would cost more than a few thousand or ten/twenty thousand baht in Thailand or the Philippines. http://www.syntacticsinc.com/ who did http://www.fanclub.asia/ don't look too bad. Make sure it's optimised to be found on search engines.

If the local businesses can't even get their act together to do this the future doesn't bode well for them....

to engage a professional to do it as all businesses should, rather than mucking around with amateur attempts. Web designers are a dime a dozen in Thailand and Philippines and very cheap.

Sorry, but I think it's a million miles from ideal. It may work for a single business, it won't work for a cluster of businesses. Web professionals are great for static sites, but when a site needs regular updating -- and any cluster of businesses will surely do, what more a site about the gay scene in general -- web professionals quickly become the hugest stumbling block to keeping it up to date. They cost too much and take too long just to make a simple change.

A good example is Nicky's Gay Pattaya (http://www.nickysgaypattaya.com/). It may not look slick, but it's a helluva more useful than anything web professionals produce.

[PattayaPlaces]

web professionals quickly become the hugest stumbling block to keeping it up to date. They cost too much and take too long just to make a simple change.

Solid advice here from Mack. You can tell he's a smarty because he's using Wordpress for his own site, and that's what I'd advise for nearly anyone wants a website.

Once it is setup, you can choose from thousands of different templates to give it the look you want, and use a web application to add content and update it from your own web browser - it is no more difficult to use than Hotmail. You'll get a much better looking website, and keep the web 'professional' from being the bottleneck when updating.

[Beachlover]

to engage a professional to do it as all businesses should, rather than mucking around with amateur attempts. Web designers are a dime a dozen in Thailand and Philippines and very cheap.

Sorry, but I think it's a million miles from ideal. It may work for a single business, it won't work for a cluster of businesses. Web professionals are great for static sites, but when a site needs regular updating -- and any cluster of businesses will surely do, what more a site about the gay scene in general -- web professionals quickly become the hugest stumbling block to keeping it up to date. They cost too much and take too long just to make a simple change.

A good example is Nicky's Gay Pattaya (http://www.nickysgaypattaya.com/). It may not look slick, but it's a helluva more useful than anything web professionals produce.
Sorry, Mack, but your knowledge of web professionals is totally off if you think all they're good for is static sites. Single businesses need to update their websites regularly too.

Web professionals produce easily updated and edited websites every day and a badly-done amateur job is the biggest stumbling block to a good web presence.

The reason why I suggested going to a professional is I can imagine these businesses sitting around wondering who can build them a website. "Oh, Fred can". Fred never gets around to it. "How about Nong? He knows something about them". Nong mucks around a bit and makes something crap, which no one can use. It takes months for each attempt/failure to happen and there's no follow up so no one gets anything done. No website goes up - as has been the trend for years - and if a website goes up, it's probably going to be crap. Another year or two passes and two more businesses have gone under when you could've paid a web designer to turn it around and get it live in three weeks.

Brief your web designer you need an easy to use content management system (Wordpress is one) and to ensure it's search engine friendly.

Have a blog to post new updates/announcements/promotions, which everyone can update regularly. Have a Google Map (like Utopia does) of venues which is kept up to date. Have an accommodation page with a profile and link to each suggested hotel/guesthouse. Have a nightlife page with a similar profiles of the bars. Perhaps have pages for massage/spas, restaurants and other services too. Maybe some other information pages.

If you want to go further, have a mailing list you can e-mail regular updates to for Hua Hin dwellers or regulars. Setup connections with Facebook, Youtube and other SN profiles.

It's basic marketing 101... It's the least gay Hua Hin can do if it wants to be profitable.

If you have an amateur (don't mean that in a bad way) who can do all this, great, get it done! Otherwise, get a professional or the next business will sink before it gets done.

Please read my initial suggestion before you reply.

You're going on about a website jointly owned by the 5 bars of Hua Hin, and a website that promotes those 5 bars. I said from the start that that is never going to be enough, because the market does not yet exist. What is needed is a website that promotes Hua Hin to gay men and for that the best mover is someone interested in Hua Hin as a town and a destination.

I am familiar with web designers - I've worked with them - who set up websites that can be updated easily. But very often, what they do is to create application modules that allow the user (i.e. business owner or manager) to do his own updating. What designers do is to create the receptacles that hold the itsy bitsy bits of information like the boy's pics, the "Special Holiday announcement", the "Latest promotion". Then it's up to the user/owner to actually do his own updating, take his own photographs, upload the photographs and so on.

If as the user/owner, you're going to end up doing the work on a continuing basis anyway, why pay a webdesigner? There is a good reason to hire one: He creates a slick, catchy site with bells and whistles. But for that you pay money. The question is then this: Is the money worth it? Are the bells and whistles essential? What if, as I suggested from the start, it is not the 5 bars that jointly own and run the site, but a civic-minded citizen? Why should he stump up the money, in addition to the time he puts in as a labour of love?

This especially when there are free applications available that are easy to customise and use. As a start, these are good enough.

Let's also get real. Very rarely do you find 5 businesses share a website. A huge number of questions arise. Who decides what goes on it and what does not? What if one bar goes bust? Does that ex-owner continue to have a say? and so on. . . a thousand difficulties. How sustainable is that?

[ftj_taw]

Thanks Beachlover and Mack. I found the search button and it gave me more information. The whole story sounds really weird.

[Beachlover]

Mack, I think we're getting some suggestions mixed here.

The who does it issue:

Firstly, each bar needs its own website and they should each engage a professional to get it done, rather than muck around mulling over how to do it.

Secondly, for the general Gay Hua Hin site, I agree with you an "interested resident" is preferable. If he's web savvy then great, get it done before more customers slip through. If not, he or the bars should just pitch in equally to have a professional get it up ("interested resident" can be central point of contact) next month rather than not get it done at all.

In the absence of a volunteer, one of the bars should take the initiative to do it and perhaps solicit a small start-up fee from each of the other bars to profile and map them. Assuming they have no web skills at all, they should get a professional to do it.


I am familiar with web designers... what they do is to create application modules that allow the user (i.e. business owner or manager) to do his own updating. What designers do is to create the receptacles that hold the itsy bitsy bits of information... Then it's up to the user/owner to actually do his own updating, take his own photographs, upload the photographs and so on... If as the user/owner, you're going to end up doing the work on a continuing basis anyway, why pay a webdesigner?
A good web designer will set it up and get it running in a timely manner, show you how to use it and be on hand to assist when you have problems. That's why you use one. If you're really inept or too busy, you can pay them to upload your content and photos every week/month too.

We're talking about 5 bar owners who likely have no idea how to setup a website and will never get it done properly on their own or through "friends". If you suggest they get on Wordpress and do it they'll probably never get it done.

Back to the "Gay Hua Hin" website. If the "interested resident" wanted to make some pocket money, setup the site as suggested above. Charge a start-up fee of say, 1,900 baht to each of the bar owners. In Thailand that should be enough to get a web designer to design, set up and train you. Or if you can, do it yourself and keep the cash. After a free period of 6-12 months, you then charge say, 570 baht/quarter to be promoted on the website. For that, you get a profile, to post up to 6 updates a month on the blog, add photos to the gallery and be promoted in a fortnightly eNewsletter, which goes out to the mailing list... you do all the work yourself so you keep the cash for teeruk...

Just an idea...

[Two41]

Bamboo Boys Bar now open as Buddy Boy Bar in Soi 80. Intimate bar with pool table room.

Buddy Bar Opening party tonight 03-01-2011

[ftj_taw]

Back to the "Gay Hua Hin" website. If the "interested resident" wanted to make some pocket money, setup the site as suggested above. Charge a start-up fee of say, 1,900 baht to each of the bar owners. In Thailand that should be enough to get a web designer to design, set up and train you. Or if you can, do it yourself and keep the cash. After a free period of 6-12 months, you then charge say, 570 baht/quarter to be promoted on the website. For that, you get a profile, to post up to 6 updates a month on the blog, add photos to the gallery and be promoted in a fortnightly eNewsletter, which goes out to the mailing list... you do all the work yourself so you keep the cash for teeruk... Just an idea...

Why not PM the man(?) "smiles" who started this thread with this suggestion. If he likes Tarantino he would dare anything.

[Smiles]

" ... Why not PM the man(?) "smiles" who started this thread with this suggestion. If he likes Tarantino he would dare anything ... "
Thanks anyway, but to nip the PM'ing in the bud: no interest in such a thing.
I'm perfectly content to keep 'news-I-hear' about Hua Hin at the level of posting topics on a few message boards.

Thanks to the poster who who corrected the name I originally posted as 'Bamboo Boys' to 'Buddy Boys Bar'. Good luck to them ... Hua Hin is no easy adventure.

[Beachlover]

Why not PM the man(?) "smiles" who started this thread with this suggestion. If he likes Tarantino he would dare anything.
Oh, (1) he doesn't like me and thinks I'm a brainless troll and (2) I'm sure he'll have thought of it or read it and will do it if he wants.

Hence, if there's no one else, one of the bars, which actually has a financial incentive should do it.

If you Google "gay bars Hua Hin" all you get up top is Utopia (out of date) and a few forum including this one. And the lead ranking link for this forum is a thread from 2008 which is well out of date.

[PattayaPlaces]

Hence, if there's no one else, one of the bars, which actually has a financial incentive should do it.

If you Google "gay bars Hua Hin" all you get up top is Utopia (out of date) and a few forum including this one. And the lead ranking link for this forum is a thread from 2008 which is well out of date.

Yes, Google does its best, but it doesn't always know what to point to. Anyway, I've taken the incentive and added all the locations on Smiles map to the Pattaya Places map, creating a wiki page for each. They're all interlinked to each other (as nearby places), so if Google picks up on one, it'll pick up on them all. Here's the link

Hua Hin Gay Bars (http://www.pattayaplaces.com/wiki/Hua_Hin_Gay_Info)
Hua Hin Gay Map (http://www.pattayaplaces.com/map/Hua_Hin_Gay_Info)

Smiles, if you're happy enough to declare the descriptions you've provided as in the public domain, I'll use it as the basis for the text for the Wiki page of each bar. Of course it's a wiki, so anyone can add info, but if you don't want to put the time into figuring it out, I can update it with your permission.

There does appear to be a gay friendly(gay owned) guesthouse - judging from the web presence (website + facebook), the owner seems pretty tech savvy.
Baan Thong (http://www.pattayaplaces.com/wiki/BaanThong_(Hua_Hin))

There's a ferry link now directly between Pattaya and Hua Hin. It would be useful to know the pickup points for that, and as BL says, the location of any gay beaches, or guesthouses near the bars.

[Two41]

Hua Hin - Pattaya Ferry

http://www.huahinmedia.com/huahinferry.php

[Smiles]

" ... Smiles, if you're happy enough to declare the descriptions you've provided as in the public domain, I'll use it as the basis for the text for the Wiki page of each bar. Of course it's a wiki, so anyone can add info, but if you don't want to put the time into figuring it out, I can update it with your permission ... "
Thanks for your interest PattayaPlace. What I be happy to do is let you know (by email or PM) when or whether things change regarding the gay bars and 'scene' .
May as well start now: on the map I created ... the name of Bamboo Bar is incorrect, it's actually Buddy's Boys Bar. Also, at the time I made the map up it had not opened, and now (Jan 5/10) it is.

New, updated map here:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/barsHH2.jpg

[ftj_taw]

[quote="Smiles"
Thanks for your interest PattayaPlace. [/quote]

Did you get a copy of the new "Out" magazine? They interviewed the owners of "Little Choices" and everything sounded positive. Now they are closed. Things do happen quickly in Hua Hin.

[Beachlover]

I've taken the incentive and added all the locations on Smiles map to the Pattaya Places map, creating a wiki page for each. They're all interlinked to each other (as nearby places), so if Google picks up on one, it'll pick up on them all.
That's a fantastic website... combination of Google Maps and a Wiki. Great idea with a bit of refinement still to go.

Indeed, that's a good start.

And the ferry: I didn't even know about that. Proof of what a little interconnected publicity can do.

[PattayaPlaces]

That's a fantastic website... combination of Google Maps and a Wiki. Great idea with a bit of refinement still to go.

Thanks BL - I've just got the basics together so far. I think it is enough to be useful already, but I'm continuing to polish, and add new features.

[PattayaPlaces]

Check this out http://www.huahingayguide.co.cc/ I'm working hard on it and keep putting more potential infomation into this site! would be thankful if i can get any suggestion here. Thank you.

It's a nice site. I think building a new website is a lot like planting a seed. You've got to water it every day, and it takes a long time before you start seeing the results. I'd advise you to keep adding content and getting backlinks - a little bit of effort every day is better than adding everything all at once. Post on forums and comment on blogs as you add new content with relevant information (don't spam!).

I don't know what the setup is with Blog.com, but if possible, remove the Google adsense - it won't generate any revenue until you have a lot of visitors but does degrade the experience for your new users. If you need to monetize immediately, it would be better to ask the local businesses to pay a small fee to add a webpage for them. I'd recommend adding the entertainment venues for free, but asking for a fee from guesthouses.

Also, a map would be useful - you're welcome to use/embed the Pattaya Places map if you need one.
http://www.pattayaplaces.com/map/Hua_Hi ... fo&zoom=15 (http://www.pattayaplaces.com/map/Hua_Hin_Gay_Info&zoom=15)

Also, for more backlinks - each time you add information about a new place, add the location to the PP Map, then create a backlink from the wiki page to your own site. The more backlinks added over time helps people find your website, and Google gives it more attention in the search. Talk to user Two41 - he's been adding a lot of Hua Hin related info to PP recently.

[Beachlover]

Looks like a great start, Pintoh.

[psd1315]

Anyone recent visit information/experience, bars, ferry, hotels, russian free? Thanks in advance

Why not a website to meet people in Hua Hin better than a website who just list bars ?

[Jellybean]

I intend visiting Hua Hin shortly and will drop in and have a look at the new bars. Maybe IтАЩll report back on what I find, although I doubt very much that I shall be able to add very much to SmilesтАЩ informative and comprehensive posts based on his local knowledge.

Planning a visit to Hua Hin next week. Grateful an update re bars, cruising etc.

Thanks.

[Smiles]

Planning a visit to Hua Hin next week. Grateful an update re bars, cruising etc.
Thanks.
Since I'm in Canada right now and have been for a couple of months, and since it's low season ... I hesitate slightly to give you a specific update on the information in the opening post.
However, I am in email contact with a couple of friends (not particularly regularly I should add) who say that at least the bars shown on the map are all still there. This actually surprises me as I thought at least one may bite the dust in a very slow low season. But apparently not.
Wish I could be more specific, but I can't.
Low season is low season, and probably more so in Hua Hin than, say, Pattaya. It will be quiet . . . but that's not always a bad thing: unless of course you only have two weeks to get everything you want in. Personally I love the quietness of September when the streets are full of Thais only (mostly).

[Two41]

Just to confirm all the gay bars on the map are still open. SM Bar is now called Chico Bar. KeYo Bar and the Blue Angel cabaret are now closed.

http://www.pattayaplaces.com/map/Hua_Hi ... fo&zoom=15 (http://www.pattayaplaces.com/map/Hua_Hin_Gay_Info&zoom=15)

Edit:Update closed bars

[andrewcraig]

Is the ferry still operating .I went to the link and this message was posted there

Hua Hin Ferry online booking page removed at the request of the operators - we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Two41]

From http://thailivingferry.com/

"Pattaya тАУ Hua Hin тАУ Pattaya FERRY
Thailiving Ferry has suspended the ferry service between Pattaya and Hua Hin. This service will not be opened up again in the near future
We will now focus on the Pattaya area charters and these trips will be available through travel agencies all over Pattaya.

We would like to thank all of our satisfied customers, who have traveled with us during 2010 and 2011, looking forward to see you again on our day and night charters made in the vicinity of Pattaya"

Tim

[Two41]

Is the ferry still operating .I went to the link and this message was posted there

Hua Hin Ferry online booking page removed at the request of the operators - we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Take another look at http://thailivingferry.com/

"First crossing for this season will be on the 9th of December 2011."


Hua Hin Gay Bars http://g.co/maps/629gq
Red Indian, Grasshopper, Buddy Boy Bar & Chico

[Brad the Impala]

That sounds encouraging about the resumption of service, and 2,100 Baht to Hua Hin or Ko Samet sounds reasonable, but the need to make a booking, then reconfirm the booking the
day before, as the service may be cancelled if there are insufficient bookings is a disincentive to plan a trip with them.

Surely you need to speculate to accumulate, and that involves running the service for some trips which may not be profitable themselves, in order to establish the reliability of the service.

as they do in the bars ?? if no one comes they put the price up ... i dont think thais do speculate to accumulate...
it seems not to be in their nature...

as they do in the bars ?? if no one comes they put the price up ... i dont think thais do speculate to accumulate...
it seems not to be in their nature...

It's just the "speculate" they don't do - the "accumulate" suits them fine.

[Smiles]

" ... Surely you need to speculate to accumulate, and that involves running the service for some trips which may not be profitable themselves, in order to establish the reliability of the service ... "
Exactly. Which is why I was surprised that the attempt for a ferry service closed so quickly last year. Didn't seem like much of an attempt.
But now it's started up again. But I'm not sure if it's the same group/owner, or even the same boat: I remember the website stating that the ending of the service was pretty well a finality.
Last years ferry service was by catarmaran . . . the boat in the latest go at it seems to be of a different type (i.e. not a catarmaran). The prices on this latest incarnation are higher than the first try as well: 2100 baht as opposed to 1500).
But the website URL is the same.
So the whole process seems a bit mysterious ... but if it works, good for them.

[Two41]

Hua Hin gay scene Re-EXPLODING!!!

Rumour has it two boy bars will open tonight in Hua Hin 7 August 2012
New Guy Bar in Naresdamri road (ex Grasshopper, next to ex Little choices and ex Guys Bar)
and SoTas Boy bar in the main road leading to the beach....continue to watch this space

Ad on:
False alarm: Just the one, New Guy Bar

[Wesley]

Well Smiles, I guess the thought of your demise was wrong. I has looked and looked but ypu were to be found no where. I gave up and decidd to stay home for while. But I am headed back as soon as I vote. After that I may go there everyone wants me to take them so I may go. If so I will definitly keep Hua Hin in mind. It is likely to upset my boys but they will get over it. you know those Filipino boys ddo love to see everything they can during the day and fuck everything they can that night. So a trip may be in order. The sky has not fallen here yet in the USA although stories of our demise were spoken of all over the world and I thought we were finally famous for something. Then damn the old Black guy( my how that Job does age people) pulled it out of his hat and now we will have Canadian style first Aid. I fear that is as good as its going to get after the whole damn thing kicks in. by then I will be dead any way so who cars I Don't have any kids up an coming in this country any way. I am still a little sick that Mika was stabbed to death 22 times. I guess I am still a little Bitter about that. I had been with the boy 6 years and had in mind for ever. oh well I am getting over Cholera, damn they can't kill me no matter what they throw at me. I am sure that is not making teh Boss very happy. Iam sure he was hoping I would never show up again. But I'm back!

[Two41]

Not quite exploding again, but 80 Boy Bar reverted to Girlie Bar
and one New Bar, Rookie in Sa Song Road.

[Two41]

Shock Horror

We can confirm that the shutters are down at Red Indian Bar - but have been assured that it will re-open with new manager soon...

[kjun12]

Sorry, but I just don't see Hua Hin as a good place to visit. It is certainly not an exciting place. Just not enough going on there. Then again, perhaps I just don't know where to look for the fun. In Pattaya you don't have to look because there is a lot going on everywhere.

Do any of tbe bars have four walls, a roof and more than three tables? I didn't even try to find one last time I was there because my past experiences had been that they were dismal. Red Indian has never had more than one or two people other than our party while we were there.

Two years later and it seems that the promised "explosion" turned out to be more like a fart in a bathtub.

[paperboy]

i was really thinking of going there, because ive never seen it, but i dont think i will bother now
spend more time in pattaya and seam reap and bkk when i come
you know how too put somebody off a place hahahahahaha :sign5:

[krobbie]

[attachment=1:1peovrs5]DSCN0541.jpg[/attachment:1peovrs5]

Whilst it may not be that Hua Hin is a gay Mecca it is, nevertheless, a great place to visit if you are interested in Thai culture or heritage.

I had a wonderful time during my time in Hua Hin. I guess it helps if you have friends to visit (which I did) and places to see, which I most certaily did. The old Summer Palace is just a wonder and has been beautifully restored.

Gay hub or no, it is where the royals used to spend a considerable part of the Summer.

[attachment=0:1peovrs5]DSCN0542.jpg[/attachment:1peovrs5]

[bruce_nyc]

Coming in to this conversation late, but...

Wordpress, for sure, FTW. There is no better suggestion. Google Maps can be incorporated into pretty much any site. A wiki is cool, if you want just anyone and everyone editing it. But I think that usually the best bet is to have one person who cares enough... curate the information. Using Wordpress is simpler and easier to maintain info than.... well, even easier than using this forum. No tech knowledge needed... especially if someone shows the user how to log in and edit the pages.... once.

Oh, and by the way, two great reasons to just create a site on http://wordpress.com ... (1) It is totally free. (2) You can play and create a site... just to see what it might look like... Then, if it looks good enough, begin publicizing it. (3) Wordpress.com sites are among the highest Google Pagerank sites out there... which means that your site will come up very very high on Google searches... just because it is a wordpress.com site. ( Example of a wordpress.com hosted site: http://bangkokbois.wordpress.com ) ( In other words, having it be WhateverYouWannaCallIt.wordpress.com is much better than calling it WhateverYouWannaCallIt.com ....because it will be among the top of the list on Google searches. )

We're definitely going to Chiang Mai on the 28th of January, for a week. We probably prefer either a nice gay hotel ( ala Ambiance ), or a 5-star luxury resort experience ( on the cheap on Agoda or something ).... Any suggestions on where we should stay... and what we should not miss while there in Chiang Mai?

[Two41]

We're definitely going to Chiang Mai on the 28th of January, for a week. We probably prefer either a nice gay hotel ( ala Ambiance ), or a 5-star luxury resort experience ( on the cheap on Agoda or something ).... Any suggestions on where we should stay... and what we should not miss while there in Chiang Mai?

Perhaps you should ask on a Chiang Mai thread? :dontknow:

[bruce_nyc]

I know... sorry. There was a lot of discussion about the gay scene in Chiang Mai in the beginning of this thread... That's why I asked here. Sorry for being off-topic.

[Two41]

Shock Horror

We can confirm that the shutters are down at Red Indian Bar - but have been assured that it will re-open with new manager soon...

Red Indian to re-open with new manager Tuesday 15 January 2013

[Two41]

Just to confirm ROOKIE BAR has re-opened in new location