Utopia Tours closed?

[fedssocr]

I just read a rather distressing item in the Utopia Asia newsletter:

"Moving On

Utopia Tours has closed. The onetime pioneer in Asian gay travel was socked once too often by regional bombings, tidal waves, coughing birds, coughing people, and homophobic assholes at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok who lied, schemed, and manipulated behind the scenes to stimulate a police raid on the business three years ago that scraped up only non-pornographic gay scene mags available freely at hotels and clubs around the Kingdom For six years the award-winning specialist tour operator provided positive tourism alternatives for gay and lesbian visitors in the region. Bon voyage!"

Can anyone confirm this? I am making my first trip to Thailand in September and I made all of my arrangements through Utopia Tours so I am concerned about what this means for my trip.

Darn. I guess that means that my "lifetime membership" Utopia card will have to be filed away with that Thailand Elite card I got last Christmas.

If it is true, that is sad news indeed, not that they were the best tour company in the world, but that a progressive out business like that had so many legal hassles in Thailand is not a good omen.

[bkkguy]

Darn. I guess that means that my "lifetime membership" Utopia card will have to be filed away with that Thailand Elite card I got last Christmas.

the Utopia card is from the Utopia-Asia.com web site and in unaffected by the status of Utopia Tours

and if you really did get a Thailand Elite card last Christmas I would have thought you are more in need of a psychiatrist than a travel agent!

bkkguy

[Aunty]

Well if true that is sad news. I used them last year and was very impressed and happy with what the service and tour I got (yes yes yes you can do it cheaper on your own, but not all of us are retired or semi-retired and have the time, inclination or even the desire to do it ourselves).

I wonder what's going to happen to their rather nice tour guides, two in particular whose company I enjoyed very much.

[wowpow]

A quick poke around the website did not reveal much info on the closure. Presumably it is just the Utopia Tour bit that is closing and the other Utopia card (will I ever remember to use it?) website services continue? It is very sad when such a vibrant Gay Service is hassled to death by authorities outside the legal system.

I usually forget to use the Utopia card also, and when you do, the places its supposed to work at sometimes don't honor it. However, it is a cool card to carry. It says Utopia and little else. What a nice thought to carry in your wallet.

There was a rumour around a couple of months ago (promulgated by Jim at @Richards) that the Utopia Card was closing down. Utopia themselves posted a correction on this Board - Tours is closing down, the Card continues. I got a newsletter online from the earlier this week

[fedssocr]

Here's the reply I received direct from the company:

Don't pay any attention to this misinformation. Utopia Tours has been replaced by a new company, sans two deported partners, including the publisher of utopia-asia.com. We are leaving the Utopia name behind and re-branding as Purple Dragon, Ltd. This does not affect your trip in any way. Your reservations are intact. Don't worry about this.

Regards,
Richard
Managing Director

[bkkguy]

I used them last year

Utopia Tours has not been "officially" operating for a while now has it, wasn't it changed to Sticky Thai Guys Tours - no, no that was the magazine that caused all the trouble - it was Spicy Travel or Traded Winds or Darika Weelchair Tours or something more recently, operating out of a disabled parking space in Siam Reap or somewhere?

bkkguy

[Aunty]

Ah no it wasn't actually.

There was a rumour around a couple of months ago (promulgated by Jim at @Richards) that the Utopia Card was closing down.

This was his attempt to improve the membership of LYC. Members get a card offering discounts at many venues. The list is similar to the Utopia list and he thought that if he put it about that the Utopia card was unavailable then people would sign up for the LYC card. And since the LYC committee actively promotes @Richards Pub, a place in which Jim is a stakeholder who would profit from this little scheme?


.

[Utopia]

Utopia Tours is dead as a doornail. The old website should be taken down because its no longer associated with Utopia in any way and we do not warrent the products or services offered by whatever company is sweeping up the pieces.

The lifetime Utopia Member card continues to command discounts and perks at over 250 businesses in 15 Asian countries, including @Richards in Bangkok. If any member tries to use the card at one of our published partner businesses and is declined, they let us know immediately and we get it sorted out pronto, in writing.

If anybody is being sold a service under the name "Utopia Tours" let the buyer beware. It's not from Utopia and there's no one at Utopia ensuring our high standard of quality on the product.

For Asian gay travel agents, tour operators, hotels, guides, etc. please see our country listings at http://www.utopia-asia.com

[gearguy]

this is still very unclear as I got email from Doug, who I have dealt with for many years and indicating he can still book tours...so what is the real deal here? sounds like maybe business partners who have parted ways under bad terms trying to cause each other grief?

[fedssocr]

That's the impression I have as well. I am going to believe that if there really were an issue then my specific question regarding my plans would have been answered differently than "don't worry".

[elephantspike]

OK, I don't have any more info than anyone else, but just going by what is in this thread, this:



We are leaving the Utopia name behind and re-branding as Purple Dragon, Ltd.

Does not seem to contradict this:



If anybody is being sold a service under the name "Utopia Tours" let the buyer beware

[bkkguy]

this is still very unclear as I got email from Doug, who I have dealt with for many years and indicating he can still book tours

fairly easy to clear up I would have thought - email him and ask him the company name (and TAT licence holder name?) that he is doing the bookings as, and you can buy us all a drink if it is not Utopia Tours!

bkkguy