Any up-to-date Phuket info?

[colmx]

Hi All
Seems that Phuket is now the long lost cousin of BKK and Pattaya when it come to the gay scene these days!
There was a time 14/15 years ago when it could boast 10+ gogo bars - but last time i was there 4/5 years ago they were down to 3 (My Way, Tangmo, Yes)

I am planning on stopping there on my way from KL to Bkk at the end of teh month to see how things have changed...

I see some boys posting on FB that they were in "zag club" - seems that this is the new "in" place for Patong?
But i have seen precious other information posted elsewhere in the last few years

Has anyone been to Phuket/Patong recently?
Anything to report?
Thanks in Advance!

[BOY69]

I was in Phuket on last march after 7 years absence in the past you could find the most beautiful boys in Thailand on the bars and after 1:30 am many attractive freelancers , at my last visit there I was shocked to see that most of the boys are not young and not attractive ,
not many customers nevertheless I met 19 YO lovely boy and spent almost 2 weeks with him in Phuket and Pattaya .
There are about 10 bars and clubs on one soi in Paradise complex . The nice beaches , many good cheap hotels and guesthouses at the gay area and the relax ambiance compare to hectic Pattaya and crowded Bangkok still making Phuket a great place to visit .

[llz]

I used to like Phuket too. However the local taxi maffia, as well as no more sunbeds allowed on the beach, make me think twice before going back.

[paulfort]

I spent a week there in March but I took a friend from Pattaya, after we met up in Bangkok down with me, to go there "alone" would probably be more challenging all be it I met many very nice guys in the bars.

We stayed in Club One Severn, whilst very comfortable but not that luxurious and about 20 mins walk from the Paradise area, the team there were excellent and I also loved the fact that they made my friend very welcome as a guest, I would certainly not hesitate to return there if I visit Pattong again.

Bar wise it is very limited compared to Pattaya or Bangkok, My way is the largest with a reasonable selection of boys, tended to move out on to the street during our visit as limited customers in side, and a few bars around it, maybe 3 or 4 which I think some of which are all under the same ownership, the Boatbar and disco that's comes to life as the earlier bars close is god fun and welcoming, more like a Gay European bar/disco and the whole scene is probably younger and more western in style than that of Pattaya all be it a lot smaller!

During the day the beaches are a lot better for snorkelling and relaxation, all be it whilst we found a very good taxi guy still quite expensive to get to in Thai terms.

Either way a great alternative for a change to Pattaya, still much smaller and I am not sure if I would return there alone...

[zinzone]

I was in Phuket in June. Whilst was lucky on most days with the weather be aware it is the rainy season and some parts of Phuket have flooding.
Also I agree with the comments in the posts above re the scene there.
The bars/club gay area restricted to one small Soi namely Paradise complex. The Soi is also used by straights, in particular Chinese tourists, to get to and from their hotel which is behind the complex. So be prepared for gawkers.
Phuket should learn from Pattaya and BKK but seems it cannot as the bars/clubs feel like "amateur night out".
As to 'Zag Club' well what a joke that is. Small opened ended beer bar type place with a stage and some very plain looking characters trying to dance or mime. I found the seating uncomfortable. The bar is a poor attempt at being "hi-so".
Better is "My Way" and I can recommend the show.
Ask yourself why most gays prefer Pattaya and BKK.....however all said and done:
Phuket is worth a look and can always find what you want; plus there is the internet for meeting someone.
If the weather does not let you down, there are some good beaches and the seafood is excellent.

[colmx]

So we spent 3 nights in Patong, not much to report really except Paradise complex made Pattaya look like times square!
Most nights there was nobody on the street before 23.00, so i have no idea how the boys working there are surviving.

We bumped into ex MicMy Mamasan Chai, who is now managing Sundowners bar, nice bar with some cute workers

There are now only 3 gogo bars operating:
Passport:
Small bar, stage for 2 boys with 7-8 rough looking boys working there. Its the Nice boys of Pattaya!

Tangmo:
tangmo has moved 2 doors down from its old premises and is a shadow of its former self, they have done away with shows and are purely gogo now with 10-12 boys... very disappointing. Hopefully they will bring shows etc back in high season.

My Way:
My Way on the other hand has completely transformed since i was in Patong 3 years ago. At that stage it was practically dead and had only 5-6 boys
Now it is full most nights and has a mixture of cocks and frocks in its shows similar to BBB
Probably 40 boys working ther and a good mix, without too many persioner boys
Beer very reasonable @100B and I recognised a lot of ex-pattaya boys there.... as well as quite a few boys from Boykakke movies

As an aside: BF and i both took a fancy to a Cambodian boy that was working in My Way, but for various reasons didn't have time to off him. BF told him he should go to Pattaya... as he would get a lot more customers there.... Who should turn up in Toyboys/Pattaya 6 days later... but the same Cambodian boy... Needless to say he was offed by me immediately!
Took him to NAB and he was mauled by a procession of guys wanting to meet the pattaya "newbie" and exchange Line/FB. He even left NAB with a coyote job offer!

ZAG:
My Way owners also own Zag, which is the NAB of Phuket. Before 01.00, as Zinzone posts above, it's an open fronted Caberet bar similar to Copa/Cafe Royale.
After 01.00 the doors close, the air turns on and it becomes a night club with shows and coyotes etc.

2500 for Johnny Walker Red + all mixers till finished, so reasonably good value. The waiters are allowed to drink with customers, so as the night goes on the waiters get more flirty.
They also have some interesting promos - with the ladyboys auctioning off 6 shots of tequila or 6 beers for 300B etc
I really enjoyed Zag and for me it was the closest thing that i have found to the my much lamented ex-haunts X-Ray & T&T in pattaya

C&N Hotel:
As usual we stayed in C&N hotel, located just outside Paradise complex and whilst its quite an old hotel it has some nice modern rooms at very reasonable rates
[attachment=1:3rp7m2ms]8.jpg[/attachment:3rp7m2ms]
Not gay - but most the male staff are and there are no issues with joiners.
http://www.cnhotelpatong.com/

Patong Bay Garden Resort:
We had "romantic" sunset dinner and drinks at Patong Bay Garden Resort one evening.
Its one of the few resorts that has beach frontage - so nice place for a sunset drink.
[attachment=0:3rp7m2ms]DSC_0082.jpg[/attachment:3rp7m2ms]
Just after dusk they had a fire dancing show - with ~100 people watching from the sidelines... but those inside the bar/restaurant definately had the best views!

[goji]

Thanks for the report. That hotel looks like a very good choice.

However, with just one interesting gogo bar and no chairs on the beach, I'm going to have to find some other attractions before considering a return to that town.

[llz]

Thanks for this report.
Yes ! Bar does not appear in your review, does it mean that this gogobar is now closed ? That would be a great loss for the scene. I hope most beer bars in Paradise Complex are still there, they are sometimes interesting.
Sorry to hear a confirmation that the beach chairs have not come back yet ... one reason less to make the long trip to Phuket again !

[colmx]

Yes ! Bar does not appear in your review, does it mean that this gogobar is now closed ?
Unfortunately Yes! is closed
As far as a I remember Yes was owned by the same people as Tangmo - so i guess you could say Tangmo is now the new Yes in terms of number of boys etc...

Manager (owner?) in Passport told me he remembered me from Yes Bar... It is next door to the old Yes shophouse

[christianpfc]

Thank you (colmx) very much for your update on Phuket gogo bars. I plan to go for vegetarian festival in October and will have a look at gogo bars as well. That will involve changing hotel (Phuket town and Patong) daily (for sightseeing I will stay in Phuket town where the bus terminal is, and for gogo I will stay in Patong - there is no bus back to Phuket town at night, anyway it would take an hour). Beach is no issue for me, but will have a look at the beach chair situation.