Gay Thailand is fading away on the net.

[bucknaway]

Years ago, I read about Thailand in a gay travel magazine. It spoke of jungle tours on the back of elephants, bamboo cottages being serviced by a staff of cute barefoot guys wearing nothing more than shorts and a smile. It told stories of friendly haggling for cheaply priced trinkets, tuk-tuk rides, boat taxi rides all in a gay friendly environment. It intrigued me so much that I decided at that moment I would get my passport and adventure outside of the USA for the first time in my life.

It was my plan to go there with my boyfriend from Bali, but he informed me that he could not leave the USA fearing that he would not be allowed to re-enter the country. My X-lover found my travel magazine, took it and booked himself a trip to Thailand. He enjoyed his trip a lot and even found a very attractive Thai guy that became his lover. Their relationship lasted over 5 years until the time that the Thai guy was forced to marry and start a family. But lets get back to the beginning.....

Before my former lover began his trip, I used the internet to find as much information as I could on Thailand. The internet was filled with informative websites that linked to other helpful sites. I found Thailandout, Dragoncastle, Thaiguys, Gaypattaya Message Board, Babylon, Dreaded Neds, Boxertravels, thaiboy.net, gayphuket. gay.com, ratefun and others. Every website seem to host a personals section filled with Thai guys looking and happy to meet with foreigners. The web was filled with pictures and videos of gay disco bars, gogo bars, massage places, hotels and advice. My search helped me find gay travel books written for Thailand.

In the past there was an endless supply of message boards that did little more than talk about gay Thailand but now that seems to be changing.

The message boards are dwinding down as well as the number of posts they host. The individual message boards membership changes very little from board to board, The website personals also seem to be fading away as well.

Yesterday I was thinking of the TingTog board and how long ago it has been since I last visited that site. When a webpage has no activity, it is often referred to as being a cobweb, the TingTong board seem to shun activity and is, in my own opinion, ready to fade away.

I miss the old sites...

Dragoncastle.... Gone
Thaiguy.... Gone
ThailandOut.... Gone
Babylon Chatroom.... Gone
GayPattaya.... Gone
Ratefun.... Gone

There are others that have gone but I can't remember there at this posting. I don't want to mention the other boards that are near death as their owners may not take to kindly to my opinion.

As we all grow old and also fade away, I wonder what will become of this board? Is the membership growing faster than we depart? Is the younger set not so keen on this type of web based communication that does not fit kindly on the screen of a cell phone and lacks a phone app or whatever new technology is coming around the corner.

Theses days, a smart phone with a tiny screen seems to be in the pocket of every Thai and traveler to Thailand and stuck in the underwear of almost every gogo boy and girl on display causing grumbles and moans from us... Maybe PC based webpages and message boards will become the communication of uncles and grandfathers and as we go, this too will fade away.

So here's to gay Thailand on the net... May it always be remembered.

[goji]

It's just evolution. Some sites close, some new ones pop up. Just don't forget all the new sites that weren't there 5 years ago.

[Impulse]

Have to agree. Even these boards are dwindling.

I remember my first stay at Montes Guest House. I'd seen it advertised on the net. What a welcoming add. And Monty himself giving out free advice. Give the guy 100 baht for smoke, 100 baht more and he reciprocates. Same for boom boom, only 100 baht. Loads of bars and plenty of guys ready to jump into your lap! What a fun place! I found a new play ground to replace Las Vegas.
But every year it gets smaller. Been a year and a half since I've been there and I don't like what the members are posting. I'll be there soon on a more permanent basis and see for myself what's going on, or what isn't.

[colmx]

Dragoncastle.... Gone... good riddance!
Thaiguy.... Gone... An advertorial site... good riddance too!
ThailandOut.... Gone... Likewise!
Babylon Chatroom.... Gone... Never even heard of it!
GayPattaya.... Gone.... Miss GP and Allen its knowledgeable and genial owner, agree that this is a big loss
Ratefun.... Gone... Never ebe heard of it either!

-Tingtong was always ever a 1 man show with his 2-3 friends who agreed with the owners narrow views
-Gaybutton is busier than ever, as is this board since neals timely demise

Gayromeo is down but at the same time we now have:
-Grindr
-Jack'd
-Hornet
-Scruff
-Guyspy

All of which are busier than all of the sites that bucky has named above

And the "straight" sites like:
-facebook
-socialcam
-twitter
-line
All which are so cruisy!

Calm down chicken licken... the sky is not falling down.. if antthing the Thai net is 10 times busier than it ever has been!

[colmx]

And Monty himself giving out free advice. Give the guy 100 baht for smoke, 100 baht more and he reciprocates. Same for boom boom, only 100 baht. Loads of bars and plenty of guys ready to jump into your lap! What a fun place! .

Sorry rocket - but i think you are dreaming!

The last time any Thai guy accepted 100B for sex was before u or I were even born!

1000 has been the going rate for as long as all theese boards have been going

The only people willing to accept 100B in thailand since the turn of the century or sex are mentally challenged or drug addicts!

[bucknaway]

Dragoncastle.... Gone... good riddance!
Thaiguy.... Gone... An advertorial site... good riddance too!
ThailandOut.... Gone... Likewise!
Babylon Chatroom.... Gone... Never even heard of it!
GayPattaya.... Gone.... Miss GP and Allen its knowledgeable and genial owner, agree that this is a big loss
Ratefun.... Gone... Never ebe heard of it either!

-Tingtong was always ever a 1 man show with his 2-3 friends who agreed with the owners narrow views
-Gaybutton is busier than ever, as is this board since neals timely demise

Gayromeo is down but at the same time we now have:
-Grindr
-Jack'd
-Hornet
-Scruff
-Guyspy

All of which are busier than all of the sites that bucky has named above

And the "straight" sites like:
-facebook
-socialcam
-twitter
-line
All which are so cruisy!

Calm down chicken licken... the sky is not falling down.. if antthing the Thai net is 10 times busier than it ever has been!

Which proves my point that web based PC forums are dying out and are becoming Uncle and Grandpa forums.
Nothing is advertising, promoting and informing about gay thailand like the boards of old.
Now it just all about person focused phone apps.

[colmx]

Which proves my point that web based PC forums are dying out and are becoming Uncle and Grandpa forums.
Nothing is advertising, promoting and informing about gay thailand like the boards of old.
Now it just all about person focused phone apps.
Yes and you and me have gone from being the newbies to the uncles and grandpas!
Just as people mourn the loss to "the men of thailand" oe "long yang club" etc... the world has moved on...
Yes the poliferation of 1 man show forums is gone... and i for one am glad that i can now check out the 3 main gay thailand foums once per day and be assured that i have caught all the news!

[GWMinUS]

Bucky, I think your comment about Mobile Phones is to the point.
Just not possible to read long post on such a small screen.
And all my friends in the Philippines are now on PR or Line or Whatsup...
They could careless about reading a Forum.
But I am still a Reader. I enjoy the posts here and on Gaybutton.
Too bad their is not way to make them for viable.
Thanks for you comments and reconciliations!!!

[bucknaway]

Bucky, I think your comment about Mobile Phones is to the point.
Just not possible to read long post on such a small screen.
And all my friends in the Philippines are now on PR or Line or Whatsup...
They could careless about reading a Forum.
But I am still a Reader. I enjoy the posts here and on Gaybutton.
Too bad their is not way to make them for viable.
Thanks for you comments and reconciliations!!!

If you are using an android phone or tablet, there is an app called "Easy Text To Speach" that will read the threads out in very good english. I use it to read the Stickman weekly to me as I am working around in the kitchen.

You are right about the guys using Line, Whatsapp, Wechat, Facebook messenger and the like. It drives me crazy keeping up with who is messaging me and from where and I depend on Android's pull down notifications to help me keep up.

I don't know how these type of forums will transform. I'm sure it will happen, it will have to or it will be just like the old BBS dial-up message boards. Some are still around but for the most part they are forgotten.

[fountainhall]

It's just evolution. Some sites close, some new ones pop up. Just don't forget all the new sites that weren't there 5 years ago.
Out of curiosity, which new ones have opened up in the last 5 years? I know of Gatbuttonthai - just about to celebrate 5 years - but that opened as a result of the announced closing of Gaythailand. That site ended up by being sold and not actually closing, but it was dealt a major blow when quite a number of its regular posters had by then already moved over to the new GB site.

In addition to those mentioned earlier in the thread, there were the various bitchboard incarnations that thankfully did not last once the members started turning on each other. One of the most informative blogsites and best written, Bangkokbois, seems now to have died, as some years ago did Shamelssmack's excellent blog. Christian's blog remains a mine of information. In terms of general gay chat sites that cater in large part to westerners, though, I cannot think of any that have actually opened and survived over the last 5 years. The odious Neal registered at least a couple that attracted a few posts. Both have collapsed.

As a topic, how to get more members onto a chat site is far from new. There have been several threads here and in gaythailand.com. One on gt was opened by PattayaMale 5 years ago and starts -


I don't have an answer to this. But I am hoping that others may have suggestions. It seems to me that there are only a handful of posters.
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... ster-base/ (http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/6174-how-to-expand-the-current-poster-base/)

Perhaps somewhat ironically, that thread refers to a competition the Board owner - who had just sold out to the present owners - organised with prizes for those who posted 300 or so posts over a 3-month period. The irony is that this drew the attention of a very new member who then started flooding the site with his own mostly feckless posts. Beachlover became a posting monster. As a result the competition was cancelled.

Yet this and a few other sites do a major service. The problem remains how to attract new members that can expand the readership base and give new insights into gay life in Thailand. For if sites like this do not do it, those planning to visit Thailand will be at the mercy of the panoply of gay travel sites which frequently are in the pay of interested parties or write blurb that is more fiction than fact. Two years ago one site named gaytravel.com and based in the USA had a "reporter" write about his visit to Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It was mostly drivel. I was incensed and wrote to the editor -


. . . it is a pack of utter rubbish. If he did go to Thailand, he went nowhere near Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai. You need spend only a few hours in Bangkok to know that streets are called sois, not Snows; that Soi Cowboy is where the straight bars are located, not a gay bar in sight; that there is no Tiger Temple in the city (EVERYONE visits Wat Phra Kaew - the stunning Temple of the Emerald Buddha - as part of the Grand Palace Tour, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Benchamabopitr or some of the dozens of other glorious temples); that Phuket is the largest of all the country's islands; and that Chiang Mai has less than 200,000 inhabitants [the writer had claimed it had 2 million!]. If he visited, where did he stay? Where are his photos (essentials in all travel articles)? Where are the little personal details that mark a true travel experience from a made-up adventure? And why did he "review" (i.e. steal info from other sources) about two of the most expensive hotels in the city that have no gay connections? There are, again, dozens of gay and gay friendly hotels close to gay areas - Le Meridien, Tarntawan Place, The Sukhothai (a 5-star deluxe hotel hugely popular with gay visitors, especially during holiday periods in other Asian countries) etc.

If you paid for him to come to Thailand - or even paid one cent for his contributions, then you should seek every cent of your money back!
As a further examples I have just relooked at that site. For the section on Taipei LGBT nightlife it lists all of two bars. Of the LGBT gay scene it says merely this -


The gay scene is Taipei has exploded over the past ten years, growing from only a smattering of gay bars and clubs to having its very own тАЬgayborhoodтАЭ in Ximen, located near the heritage Red House entertainment complex. With roughly 120,000 gays and lesbians and increasing popularity as a gay travel destination for visitors from Asia and North America, Taipei is working hard for the title of Gay Capital of Asia. Enjoy everything it has to offer.
And this site which writes in appalling and frequently inaccurate generalities has a fair amount of high end advertising!!

But back to the question: how in the age of mobile phones, Pads, social media and the growing number of dating sites, do chat sites like this survive in the longer term?

Too bad their is not way to make them for viable.There is a perfectly viable way to present this Forum on phones and tablets - it's an App called Tapatalk. We use it on the Forum where I am a Moderator. If you do a Search you'll see that brisbaneguy raised this question when Saint Neal Of Blessed Memory ran the Board (into the ground, but that's another story) and got told it wasn't worth his while.

Perhaps Surfcrest and his right-hand man (not to mention his Tools (Richard and Jonah but that's also another story)) cdnmatt might review the question since it's come up again.

[goji]

It's just evolution. Some sites close, some new ones pop up. Just don't forget all the new sites that weren't there 5 years ago.
Out of curiosity, which new ones have opened up in the last 5 years? I know of Gatbuttonthai - just about to celebrate 5 years - but that opened as a result of the announced closing of Gaythailand.

Rightly or wrongly, I don't think the opening post was limiting it's scope to discussion boards.
New gay Thailand websites in the last 5 years include "Out in Thailand" and the Christian PFC blog. There will be more, but I & others probably spend less time searching for them these days.

The number of active discussion boards has perhaps declined from 4~5 to 3. However, the number of boards where one can have a relatively civil debate remains constant at 3 (it's just not the same 3).

As for the map guides, well the poorer guides are just not going to stand a chance against google maps. I remember the pain of trying to interpret "not to scale" & "not to shape maps" that miss out half the streets, then figure out where the bar, sauna or hotel is on google maps.

[Manforallseasons]

As gay visitors decline so does their interest in the boards. True the remaining boards have but a few frequent posters one of which is the the board owner himself as his membership either thinks he is a sage or a bore, thus that board's posters appears to be on the decline and one has to question the number of members it proudly posts.

[Surfcrest]

There is a perfectly viable way to present this Forum on phones and tablets - it's an App called Tapatalk. We use it on the Forum where I am a Moderator. If you do a Search you'll see that brisbaneguy raised this question when Saint Neal Of Blessed Memory ran the Board (into the ground, but that's another story) and got told it wasn't worth his while.

Perhaps Surfcrest and his right-hand man (not to mention his Tools (Richard and Jonah but that's also another story)) cdnmatt might review the question since it's come up again.

Because you won't read your PM's, even though I'm certain that you do (And NO, there aren't any tools to tell me this / it's simply my kommie intuition) and you mention brisbaneguy (who we haven't seen since I suggested you and he were one and the same) and YES...that is our "tools" in action:

Not that it has anything to do with Gay Thailand fading away...I am looking at some possible software changes and server changes sometime this year. I'm not familiar with Tapatalk, but I do access Sawatdee Network regularly from my first generation iPad without any issues...in fact I can even moderate the Board almost as efficiently with it. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of it, our Wordpress software acts like a beacon spreading word of the Sawatdee Network through Google and the tags from our features that I load each day.

Just under a year ago I posted some stats on traffic, how WE are doing...not necessarily Gay Thailand.

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/sawatdee-network-t30871.html

Since then...here are the comparable stats for the Sawatdee Network (July 2015 vs August 2014).

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/Jukly2015%20Stats.jpg

And from our Visitor's Map, where our members and visitors are logging in from. (Still no one in Greece there Dorothy!)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/Visitor%20Map.jpg

Surfcrest

[BonTong]

As someone who maintains a number of gay websites I think the demographics of visitors are changing but the traffic certainly isn't fading away. Indeed several sites have seen significant increases in traffic, however, most of this is visitors from within Asia, particularly China, Taiwan Singapore and Malaysia. From what I see the same is reflected on the ground in terms of visitors, at least to Chiang Mai. There has been a very slight decline in traffic from Europe and US, though it varies from site to site.

What has changed is the attitudes towards prostitution and the economic factors driving Thai boys to work in bars. Just note the numbers of Laos, Cambodian and Vietnamese boys now working in the business and the drop in the numbers of Farang customers. As the older generation of Thai boy enthusiasts gets ever older, the new generation are not attracted to the bars. The whole thing has become more discreet with online hookups, both from the perspective of the punters and the boys. Newbies are bypassing the bar scene with its associated reputation altogether, and if you are here for discreet interactions with prostitutes away from prying eyes, you are far less likely to come on sites lie this to brag about them. Equally, the growing numbers of Asian tourists who's English is not so strong are also unlikely to pay attention to sites like this.

On the other hand if you go on social media, and the sites where gay Thai's hang out it's real boom time, nothing fading away there.

It's such a purgative experience getting something off your chest isn't it Surfcrest. How about Tapatalk then?

[Surfcrest]

It's such a purgative experience getting something off your chest isn't it Surfcrest.
What? The part about Gay Thailand fading away or with your latest chain yank?


Perhaps Surfcrest and his right-hand man (not to mention his Tools...
What discussion could you and I be having about "Tools" that didn't involve this? And seeing as how you did mentioned it....?

Surfcrest

[Smiles]

Suggestions: opening a 'Surfcrest/Kommentariat Catfight' Forum. Just read ... no posting by anyone else othere than the Moderator and erstwhile nemesis/now shadow.

__________________________________________________ _________________

To Bucknaway's opening notion: I don't think the specific message board experience itself is fading slowing away, but rather that the number of members who post regularly is diminishing. I've been posting on Sawatdee now for centuries (OK since 2002 or 3, can't quite recall for certain ... and taking note that I abandoned the board while the ghastly Neal ran the place to ground) and its my not-empirical recollection that perhaps a few hundred ~ perhaps more ~ of excellent, opinionated, hilarious (remembering 'Edith') and very clever members have simply saddled up and ridden away into the sunset. If one peruses back into the board's history you can see huge numbers of handles of terrific posters which you cannot see anymore ... the posts still sit there, but the member no longer exists.
The volume here is still quite heavy compared to the two other boards, but the deep breadth of individual posters just isn't there anymore.