Gay Russians in Pattaya

[egel]

Having just spotted the large sign outside the Serene Bar in Boyztown announcing themselves as RUSSIAN GAY NUMBER 1 DRINKING BAR, or something similar, makes me wonder about the future number of Gay Russian visitors to Pattaya. At the moment they are thankfully not that many but...

According to figures quoted on here there were 1.3 million Russian visitors to Thailand in 2012, split roughly 50/50 between Phuket and Pattaya.

That means roughly 600,000 Russians in total visited Pattaya.

If each stayed an average of 3 weeks during the 12 week high season, there would be approx 150,000 Russians in Pattaya at any one time in the high season. (600,000 divided by 4).

Now, lets assume Gay Pattaya gets better known by the Gay Russian community, and the hoardes invade.

Say 5% of the above 150,000 visitors are Gay. Then there could be 7,500 gay visitors in Pattaya at any one time.

Where are they all going to drink/party/stay?
Will they set up their own Gay Village and leave us with the Pattaya we all know and love?
Or will the existing gay business try and take advantage like Serene Bar appears to be doing?

[sclivejames]

What i could see,it seems Ganymede at the Jomtien complex is encouraging them to stay there.

[paperboy]

I dont think there are so many gays in Russia as you think.
as you say 1 in 4 :dontknow:

i dont think that is the same in Russia
i might be wrong but what ive seen in my travels

[newalaan2]

Or will the existing gay business try and take advantage like Serene Bar appears to be doing?
Your heading is in regards to Gay russians, but with regard to russians in general looking at the huge numbers I witnessed on this visit if they did not visit Pattaya and thailand in the numbers they are Pattaya would surely be feeling the effects of the financial crash austerity backlash more starkley thats for sure. While they maybe dont spend per head anything like the western customers they are replacing they are still filling hotels, using baht buses, eating in restaurants and roadside carts, visiting beach consessions, spending some money. The amount of businesses welcoming and setting up Russian signage lets you know just how much businesses are gaining from the russian money.

As far as specifically gay russians are concerned in Pattaya, well they seem to be much younger than the westerners they are 'replacing'(?) and so probably will not have anything like the disposable income to splash around, but Serene and other BT bars must be feeling some benefit.

From what I could see personally on my latest visit and from talking with owners, mamasans and waiters they still tend to 'stick to their own' in pars or groups, very rarely off boys and are incredibly stingy with tips. But they like opening a bottle of spirits and like drinking so there must be some money for the locals somewhere. The personal incidents of Russians apart from their general ignorance on baht buses, have been in NAB where i saw at least 4 young (2 seperate pairs) russians in NAB without a table or indeed a drink. They just arrived started dancing in front of our table and made no effort to buy a single drop of anything. I was surprised the waiters did not approach or pressure them to buy. When it became clear they were unwanted in one bit, like standing right infront of a table whose customers could not then see the stage they just shuffled around to another spot.

But worse was the two who obviously knew/recognised a table of Thais, these russians were mid-late 20's and attractive-ish...they then proceeded to sweet talk their way into getting the thai boys to offer them drinks from their bottle, so here we have working boys after work with whatever earned money being pooled for a night of fun and these russian leeches practically begging free drinks off them. Hidious. I also saw a lone young western farang 30-35-ish who spoke english and a smidgin of thai with one half-empty heineken bottle for over an hour float around the tables of thai and other western guys he seemed to know flirting, enjoying a drink from a table here and there, it was so obvious! but never saw him dipping into his pocket. Some of these guys were very close by us as we had a table at the entrance door side of NAB and my thai bf and friends could clearly hear what was going on.

One Panorama waiter said while they are not so troublesome or bothersome now they are still 'hard work' for little return compared to especially asian and western customers. I think only gay business owners will be able to give an accurate assessment of the custom from russians. Visitors like me just see single incidents as they happen to make comparisons. Would be interested to hear comments from others here who have visited recently or live in Pattaya to see if my experiences are against the norm.

On a small club venue trail along Walking St one night, many russians were summed up for me when we nipped into a 7-11 near the far end of Walking St, near Tony's and outside were 6 young russians splitting a HALF bottle of mehkong whiskey (rum) into their "subway" logo'd coke containers. They were already well drunk, I wonder which lucky Thai ladies would run into them later?

I would imagine their money to be very welcome no matter how much work it takes to get it out of them.

Did I meet any sociable russians this trip? yes I did! on a baht-bus heading to jomtien, i was with my bf, they were def gay or at least gay 'friendly' and introduced themselves with handshakes, asking where we were from etc..telling just how much they were enjoying Pattaya and how much they loved scottish accents,I thought mine rather neutral till they said that, they were a good laugh however and said they hoped to run into us if we were headed for the beach, one spoke excellent english. Pluses and minuses.

[colmx]

I also saw a lone young western farang 30-35-ish who spoke english and a smidgin of thai with one half-empty heineken bottle for over an hour float around the tables of thai and other western guys he seemed to know flirting, enjoying a drink from a table here and there, it was so obvious! but never saw him dipping into his pocket.

If this is the same (german) guy that i am thinking of - he has been aound and doing this for years

I remember him coming to our table a few times in Maya and the first x-ray, he would come to flirt/say hello to one of the boys at our table... then put his almost empty glass on our table, waiters would spot the glass needs refilling and re-fill it for him.

He would then walk away and not return again until has glass was nearly empty again and the cycle would begin again!
I think he finally realised he was not welcome at our table and stopped coming... i still see him around pattaya quite frequently though...

[stevehadders]

Was this German blonde haired, quite a tall guy? If so I know exactly who you mean

[colmx]

Was this German blonde haired, quite a tall guy? If so I know exactly who you mean
No he is average height (maybe 5ft10in) & build with black short cropped hair

[Surfcrest]

I think it is fair to assume that we are all here for different and various reasons, gay or straight. My partner, who just arrived insisted we go to Central last night as he enjoys the food court downstairs for some reason...and as usual the place was dominated by the Russian crowd. It's easy to see why this place might draw them in, an air conditioned environment, where English and / or Thai is unnecessary...where the can hand over some notes, indicate on their fingers "how much" and where they can point at the pictures to order what they want. I was amused to see a young Russian guy yelling what few English words he knew (none of which applied to what he was trying to get across) at the drink counter (with all the staff looking on in mouth open wonderment) about the amount of ice in his drink.

As with the gay Russians, they too are probably not here for for the same reasons as each other and surely not for the same reasons as us. My understanding speaking with what few can speak English is that package tours from Russia bring these folks down for one week holidays starting at about 600 US, with hotel and a few meals included. These deals attract a type of trailer park trash that is indicative of whatever country they are being offered from and so probably don't represent Russia and Russians as a whole, accurately.

I've seen the wave of them coming and going now from the beach, bringing their picnic lunches, their own food and drinks and asking for a glass to pour what they brought with them into. I get a little miffed sometimes when I'm dragged to the Central food court and they are crashing into me and whomever else as though they were fighting for the last plate of food. Honestly, I don't care and do my best to avoid them....as I would the same trailer park trash I bump into from Canada and the US when I'm enjoying my condo n Cancun.

On occasion they take it a bit too far, smoking on a baht bus (oblivious to where their ashes and smoke are going) or getting loud and abnoxious to the point where I can't avoid them and I have no problem telling them. I'm a big boy myself and they usually get the point even if we don't speak the same language. I think it's the only way they are going to learn in hopes that one day they'll behave and blend in. For the ones that do speak a little English, I've enjoyed sharing hockey stories with them (that's one thing we Canadians have in common with them) from when I Played Junior hockey against them and the games and fights I've enjoyed having with them on the ice over the years.

Surfcrest

[sclivejames]

Well said Surfcrest,i do agree,unfortanetely with your comment's about Russians.
But i was a bit ataken back on your comment about "trailer trash"........i guess you mean people who are on lower incomes or unemployed etc.

[timmberty]

the language barrier is a wonderful thing at times ... why cant the whole world just speak english, well wouldnt that be boring ?
i remember one time i was in germany i wanted to buy a cheese roll .. i forgot what the german for cheese was, then it came to me .. so i asked for the fromage .. she gave it to me and i gave her the money ..
such an unfunny story i know .. but as she gave it to me i thought to myself ah fromage is french, but its still a foreign word, which made me smile.
the russains shout in english half the time at thias who have not a clue as to what they are saying ... why is it whenever people shout they tend to do it in english ? or did i just make that up. :knob:

[Surfcrest]

No, trailer-park trash has nothing to do with how much money one has or makes, but rather how they behave.
I could go into a little more detail for you, but that would only be re-igniting something best let be.
Besides the meat and potatoes of the message has already been made!
Hope you enjoyed this fantastic sunny day in the LOS!

Surfcrest

[lonelywombat]

Having just spotted the large sign outside the Serene Bar in Boyztown announcing themselves as RUSSIAN GAY NUMBER 1 DRINKING BAR, or something similar, makes me wonder about the future number of Gay Russian visitors to Pattaya. At the moment they are thankfully not that many but...




I had not heard from anyone that any bar was trying to get Russian trade until a few days ago when Ganymede was mentioned.Now Serene.
I know it is emotional but I would be interested from others,whether this has been successful.

Somebody else mentioned that some bars were catering now for Asians. Will have to try and find out what they are doing.

Sometime ago I had a link to a group of gay saunas in Bangkok. They were promoting the detail of the boys at various saunas with phone numbers.

I have lost that. If anyone can make a suggestion Id appreciate it.

[Khor tose]

.. why is it whenever people shout they tend to do it in english ? or did i just make that up. :knob:

Cheese in German is Kase with an umlaut over the a. I think one of the most common mistakes everyone makes when they speak a foreign language is when they are not first understood they try again in a louder voice. I see this all the time both by non-English and English speakers trying to be understood when talking to a Thai.

But then again maybe you did make it up. :happy7:

[timmberty]

i had a cheese roll .. not a cheese umlaut ...
i have no problem with holiday makers not speaking the language. but as you know if you live somewhere my belief is you should speak it..
its rude not too .. and using the excuse its hard doesnt cut it im afraid . . . tho give me a year of trying to learn it, i could be using that excuse myself.

[Khor tose]

i had a cheese roll .. not a cheese umlaut ...
i have no problem with holiday makers not speaking the language. but as you know if you live somewhere my belief is you should speak it..
its rude not too .. and using the excuse its hard doesnt cut it im afraid . . . tho give me a year of trying to learn it, i could be using that excuse myself.

I wish you the best of luck and i do have an excuse. I have a bilateral hearing loss from serving in Vietnam and cannot recognize any of the tones. Now don't you feel bad for picking on a poor disabled Veteran? Now you will have to come to Chiang Mai sometimes and buy me a drink to make up for being so cruel. Of course the second drink will be on me. :alc: Fortunitely, my Thai boyfriend of 4 years speaks perfect English so I do get by.

[timmberty]

me cruel ... never.. if i had known you was a veteran i would have found something else to pick on :tongue3:
ive never been to chang mai .. could be an invitation worth taking up.. tho im not going to carry you or push you around if you are in a chair .. thats a boyfriends job.. as for the 2nd beer being on you .. i'll trip the waiter up as he walks past, make sure the first drinks on you too !! :alc:
p.s. many ruskies up that way ??

[Khor tose]

me cruel ... never.. if i had known you was a veteran i would have found something else to pick on :tongue3:
ive never been to chang mai .. could be an invitation worth taking up.. tho im not going to carry you or push you around if you are in a chair .. thats a boyfriends job.. as for the 2nd beer being on you .. i'll trip the waiter up as he walks past, make sure the first drinks on you too !! :alc:
p.s. many ruskies up that way ??

Two ruskies and they are a sweet, friendly couple and very cute. The invitation is always open, just pm me and I will give you my phone number. However, we do require background checks as Chiang mai only allows the best kinds of ex-pats in. However, the system is not foolproof as I made it in, so with luck you will get past our security.
No wheelchair as I am a young very virile 127, but I may need my boyfriend to help carry you if you can't hold you liquor. :occasion5:

[sclivejames]

Here's the sign outside SERENE.....looks very crrowded,,,,,Russians?

[loke]

Personally I welcome young gay russians, I even might try to learn a few words of russian if thats enough to have a good time with them.

But I have only seen straight russian couples so far in Pattaya, will check out Serene soon.....

[egel]

Bit late in the season I think.
If you want to see lots of them then try Sansuk Sauna too but again in the High Season.

[timmberty]

if you want to be sure of finding russians how about going to russia ?? you may even find a few polite ones there!!
why people want to travel half way around the world to asia, to find a russian is beyond me.

[Marsilius]

The likelihood of finding a few prepared to be polite to gay men is, I'm afraid, pretty remote:

http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/20 ... oward-gays (http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2013/03/13/majority-of-russians-hostile-toward-gays)

[egel]

how about going to russia ?? you may even find a few polite ones there
Theres a novel conception, almost laughable.

[Surfcrest]

But I have only seen straight russian couples so far in Pattaya, will check out Serene soon.....

Try Section 14 and Section 15 at the beach, usually sitting in the few front rows.
Please let us know if you have any success with your plan!

Surfcrest

[svyturys]

People should stop moaning about the lack of politeness among Russians and accept this as a fact of cultural diversity. Chinese aren't much more polite either. And, apparently, with both of these nations becoming the biggest groups visiting Thailand, westerners will only have one option - to come to terms with the reality. Times are changing and they simply outnumbered.
In addition, I could say that Russians are proud of their directness. Being a fluent Russian speaker, although not of that nationality myself, I've seen many jokes on Russian TV, made by their brilliant stand-up comedians (and it is an exceptionally good stand-up), about the westerners being extremely polite on the surface, but very two-faced otherwise.
We got to accept that we aren't perfect ourselves

[1moRussian]

By the way, there is certainly unknown discos system for us - I mean Asian discos when people dance around small tables. I had problems myself when I was in NAB, I was in my own and I really straggled to find a way to order a drink. Finally I managed to get a coke for 200 bht, but before it I spent some time in searching the bar with stools - there is no one...
Many Russian discos charge entrance fee - so you pay the fee, buy a beer from the bar and can cruising/dancing around. When these Russian guys got in NAB for free, they just could think they are quite lucky and after that they just couldn't find the bar -- that could be the case.

Anyway, there is no warm sea coasts, besides small Black Sea cost in Russia - so Russian tourist will continue visiting Thailand. Especially, during winter season. And yes, there are some big companies that sell pack tours here (but I should said 600$ is a quite bargain, 1000$ is more usual).

[Marsilius]

If you think that Russian tourists are looking askance at you - or you find them offering to take you to the nearest hospital! - do bear this in mind (taken from The Times [London], 12 June 2013):

"...according to a poll by the independent Levada Centre last month, homophobic sentiment [in Russia] is rising: 47% of Russians believe that gays and lesbians should not enjoy the same results as heterosexual citizens, while 38% think they need medical treatment."

[cameroncat]

You can't blame Gay Russian's for coming to Thailand, when you consider the level of homophobia in Russia. Putin is expected to sign a new law making the "Promotion" of homosexuality a crime. No Gay Pride Days in Russia!

You can't blame Gay Russian's for coming to Thailand, when you consider the level of homophobia in Russia. Putin is expected to sign a new law making the "Promotion" of homosexuality a crime. No Gay Pride Days in Russia!isnt that what Maggie Thatcher did?

[scottish-guy]

...isnt that what Maggie Thatcher did?

No, BG, it isn't.

Gay Pride days/marches were never proscribed under Thatcher - what she did was to pass a law in 1988 to prevent the "promotion of homosexuality" by Local Authorities.

In effect, Gay Pride events could go ahead, but without any direct public funding.
There was never a ban on such events and breaking this law (known as Section 28) was a civil and not a criminal offence.
The biggest effect was not on Gay Pride events but on School curriculums which were forbidden to include any sort of teaching that being gay was in any way an acceptable relationship equivalent to a heterosexual "family" one.

Section 28 was repealed firstly by the Scottish Parliament in 2000 and then 3 years later by the rest of the UK.

[peeseua]

Hi Svyturys, Know any Russians who might join this board? It would be nice here to have someone who can post about a gay Russian's point of view concerning the goings-on in Pattaya, Bangkok and other parts of LOS.

[Jellybean]

Hi Svyturys, Know any Russians who might join this board? It would be nice here to have someone who can post about a gay Russian's point of view concerning the goings-on in Pattaya, Bangkok and other parts of LOS.

peeseua I was under the impression that the member 1moRussian, who posted earlier in this thread, was a Russian national. He said the following in his first post, тАЬтАж I am yet another Russian here (joke :happy7: it's my first trip to Thailand).тАЭ

I do however agree that given the increased interest in the subject of Russians in Thailand, Pattaya in particular, from some members on the forum that, for a more balanced conversation, it would be useful to read more from gay Russians like 1moRussian or those members like svyturys who said he is a fluent Russian speaker.

[lonelywombat]

if you want to be sure of finding russians how about going to russia ?? you may even find a few polite ones there!!
why people want to travel half way around the world to asia, to find a russian is beyond me.

Well Thailand is halfway from Australia to Russia, so why should those of us that are interested in meeting Russians be held to your location.
It has long been a plan of mine to do the river cruise from St Peterberg

[lonelywombat]

I was surprised to get PMs about my Russian cruise. I do like the idea but will be stuck with people my age, straight and nowhere as fit.

My chance of taking a male friend with me unlikely.

The cruise selected is as below.

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/river ... erary.aspx (http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/rivercruises/russia-volga-waterways-moscow-stpetersburg-2013/itinerary.aspx)

[1moRussian]

peeseua I was under the impression that the member 1moRussian, who posted earlier in this thread, was a Russian national. He said the following in his first post, тАЬтАж I am yet another Russian here (joke :happy7: it's my first trip to Thailand).тАЭ


yep, that's me :)
but what can I add new? the biggest part of Russian tourists is "pocket tour" type (I mean, all included - flight, hotel, some meals and excursions -- you can see them in white double-deck buses with Pegas/Tez/CoralTravel signs). Russians do not need visa for staying up to 30 days. And Siberia is closer to Thailand, than European part of Russia. So as I see it, a big share of Russian tourists here could be blue collars / workers from oil & gas & metal Siberian provinces of Russia; and small businesses that serves these people at home; perhaps, some people, who could not obtain visa to Europe -- simple people with a bit direct behavior. If you live in the center of Russia, you really don't need to know any foreign languages, because you see a foreigner per year - why do you need to spend your time for learning English?
So some Russians really try to separate themsevles from such the "pocket" tourists abroad... But "pocket" tourists are so more visible...

[1moRussian]

I was surprised to get PMs about my Russian cruise. I do like the idea but will be stuck with people my age, straight and nowhere as fit.
My chance of taking a male friend with me unlikely.
The cruise selected is as below.
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/river ... erary.aspx (http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/rivercruises/russia-volga-waterways-moscow-stpetersburg-2013/itinerary.aspx)

Wombat, next time try to stay in Sain Petersburg for a week or two -- I think, it can be a bit more lively/energetic holidays and there are some places around SPb, that you can visit by water too.
June is regarded as the high season, so probably late May or July and August can be better.

[lonelywombat]

I was surprised to get PMs about my Russian cruise. I do like the idea but will be stuck with people my age, straight and nowhere as fit.
My chance of taking a male friend with me unlikely.
The cruise selected is as below.
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/river ... erary.aspx (http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/rivercruises/russia-volga-waterways-moscow-stpetersburg-2013/itinerary.aspx)

Wombat, next time try to stay in Sain Petersburg for a week or two -- I think, it can be a bit more lively/energetic holidays and there are some places around SPb, that you can visit by water too.
June is regarded as the high season, so probably late May or July and August can be better.

Thanks for the comment I have already had two replies suggesting giving the cruise the flick and staying for a week or so in SPB
My plans were to include that cruise with my trip to Prague.

However the boys from Russia are not just Xmas visitors as I had thought or had been posted. I have seen no report on the boys at that Russian night that was printed in Russian.

I have often wondered if more signs in say Japanese, Chinese or Russian might produce more interest.

If they have the ability to produce signs in Russian, would getting links to the Russian version of Google be impossible?

[peeseua]

yep, that's me :) ...

Thanks for replying, 1moRussian. I think I understand what you mean. I was told by a friend that the former owner of Corner Bar had a much happier experience with Russians who were brought into his bar by a gay Russian guide. They bought a lot of bottles of drinks and had a good time after which they settled all their bills without doing any of the things which have shocked many people. I've always wondered if those Russian tourists were also gay or if they'd just been brought in to have a good time at a gay bar because I never heard that Crabby mentioned anything about whether they offed any of his boys or indulged in the usual kind of hanky panky at the bar.

Speaking as an Asian from a slightly more affluent country than Thailand, I quite agree that there will always be some people (from every country/race/etc.) who misbehave. I always cringe when I see my countrymen complaining about not getting the best seats, the best beer, the best whatever...and then proceed to complain even louder (or more "eloquently" on the internet) about how they were not welcomed by the bars or the boys.

I have not personally interacted with any Russians in Pattaya but from what I have seen, they all behaved like any other tourists in a foreign country where they did not speak any of the more commonly used languages and kept themselves to themselves. In fact, I have often been more taken aback by the reactions of gay Pattayans to Russians happily swimming in their family groups and not bothering anyone else at Jomtien beach.

And there have been times when I wished I spoke Russian so that I could get to know some of these people better...especially those hairy, muscular older men in their tight, teeny tiny Speedos. :love4:

[loke]

peeseua I was under the impression that the member 1moRussian, who posted earlier in this thread, was a Russian national. He said the following in his first post, тАЬтАж I am yet another Russian here (joke :happy7: it's my first trip to Thailand).тАЭ


yep, that's me :)
but what can I add new? the biggest part of Russian tourists is "pocket tour" type (I mean, all included - flight, hotel, some meals and excursions -- you can see them in white double-deck buses with Pegas/Tez/CoralTravel signs). Russians do not need visa for staying up to 30 days. And Siberia is closer to Thailand, than European part of Russia. So as I see it, a big share of Russian tourists here could be blue collars / workers from oil & gas & metal Siberian provinces of Russia; and small businesses that serves these people at home; perhaps, some people, who could not obtain visa to Europe -- simple people with a bit direct behavior. If you live in the center of Russia, you really don't need to know any foreign languages, because you see a foreigner per year - why do you need to spend your time for learning English?
So some Russians really try to separate themsevles from such the "pocket" tourists abroad... But "pocket" tourists are so more visible...


I always wanted to talk to cute russians in Pattaya but most of them dont understand English at all . And they dont want to mix with other nationalities , why ? A lot of them also seem to be a bit arrogant to me. Or maybe I have the wrong impression of Russians in Thailand ?

Even if they live in Siberia they should try to learn a few english words just to be able to communicate in Thailand.

[scottish-guy]

....If they have the ability to produce signs in Russian.....

Since the Thais often manage to completely fuck-up even the simplest translation into English*, it amuses me to wonder what they may actually be priniting in Russian!!

* Best example was in lobby toilets of Welcome Plaza Hotel - where a hand-hygiene sign at the basins had been translated into "All Staff must wash their genitals before leaving"

[Nirish guy]

where a hand-hygiene sign at the basins had been translated into "All Staff must wash their genitals before leaving"

And knowing Thailand as we all do so WHY exactly would you think that sign may have been translated incorrectly as I know several bars where that sign could well be very apt !! :-)

[scottish-guy]

In a bar maybe - but this was a HOTEL, and not one that's noted for providing "extras".

:sign5: