Hiring a Travel Companion

[Hank]

Looking to return to Thailand in January or February 2024. I have checked on a couple sites but looking to see if there are more resources to hire a male gay travel companion to join me in one of the islands, help me with transport, bars and restaurants, touring outside the traps, and deciding what to see. Probably 2-4 days. And would be better on the budget if we could share a double room. Sites I have seen require a totally separate room, which I understand, but can get pricey if we stay in a better resort.

[Armando]

Try Siam Roads (see top of the page) which has some excellent guides who make very good companions and know all about their areas. Not sure if they will share a room, though, but worth trying. Also if you are in an expensive hotel, I am sure they are perfectly happy to stay at a cheaper one.

[latintopxxx]

...thats not very kind ...its rather insulting...afterall he's a tour guide...not a mb to be enjoyed

[Gaybutton]

if you are in an expensive hotel, I am sure they are perfectly happy to stay at a cheaper one.
Would you really do that? "I'm going to stay in this beautiful hotel, but you're going to have to stay at some dump down the street."

The guide would be awfully quick to figure out what kind of tip he's going to get - if he doesn't get angry and insulted and just abandon you . . .

[Armando]

Would you really do that?
Yes! I've done it and my guide was perfectly satiisfied. i was in a 5-star hotel and he in a 3-star. He even thanked me!

[Moses]

Try Siam Roads (see top of the page) which has some excellent guides who make very good companions and know all about their areas. Not sure if they will share a room, though, but worth trying. Also if you are in an expensive hotel, I am sure they are perfectly happy to stay at a cheaper one.

Guides and companions will not share room with client in case of travel with client outside of their home city.

Companions aren’t allowed by our policy to visit client’s rooms
https://siamroads.com/faq/

Room in 2-3-star hotel or in family guesthouse is enough for one-two nights, no hostels.

[Moses]

Would you really do that? "I'm going to stay in this beautiful hotel, but you're going to have to stay at some dump down the street."

The guide would be awfully quick to figure out what kind of tip he's going to get - if he doesn't get angry and insulted and just abandon you . . .

Guides have standards, but they are lower than you may think. If hotel is located not in danger area, isn't "rent by hour" type, and quality is 2-3-stars (in European meaning: clean, with reception, private bathroom with hot water, clean and comfy bed, wifi), then it is enough.

[latintopxxx]

dunno...sounds pretty resonable...

[Gaybutton]

then it is enough.
Maybe so, but I would never do that. If I am staying in a good hotel, the guide gets to stay in his own room in the same hotel. The only exceptions I would make would be if he requests to stay elsewhere or if he has friends or relatives nearby and wants to stay with them.

Maybe sending him to a cheaper hotel is something others would do and maybe the guide wouldn't mind, but I would mind. That is something I would not even consider doing. I'll find other ways to save money (such as both of us staying in the cheaper hotel).

[latintopxxx]

...omg...what a martyr...saint GB....its this sort of woke socialist cardigan wearing lenil eating nonsense that is ruining my world...

[Marc K]

i have wondered how long it would take for the word "woke" to appear on this forum? and i often wonder if people who throw around the term even know what it means.

From wikipedia: Woke (/ˈwoʊk/ WOHK) is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination".

And no, latinbottom, i don't eat "lenil" soup. i do love lentil soup though, one of the many great treats of the Middle East!

[Gaybutton]

...omg...what a martyr...saint GB....its this sort of woke socialist cardigan wearing lenil eating nonsense that is ruining my world...
First a few questions:
1. How am I a martyr? I'm still alive (unless I died and nobody told me)
2. Saint? On these boards I've been called all kinds of things, but "saint"? That's a new one.
3. I still haven't bothered to try to figure out what the fuck "woke" means. Anyone care to explain?
4. I don't own any cardigan. Where do you recommend buying it?
5. Am I more of a socialist than Bernie Sanders?
6. I don't know what "lenil" is. Maybe I've been eating it without realizing it. Is that one of the mystery ingredients in Thai foods?

If how I would treat a guide truly is responsible for ruining your world, very sorry but I have to plead GUILTY. However, I don't hire guides in the first place, so maybe that rescues at least a little bit of your world. Now you can enjoy treating guides as shabbily as you wish . . .

[latintopxxx]

There are probably a dizen definitions of woke...a random one I googled defines it as "meaning of WOKE is aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).".......so while there is an emphasis on race its not exclusively that.
To me woke is whats been hatched in the US over nthe last 5 years and is now being exported to the rest of the world...this pronoun crap...the way certain individuals go out of their way to be offended...the virtue signaling.....equal outcomes no matter what...why bother working/trying/studying if we all end up getting a pass.....how they seem to believe that the world owes them a living...the whole blame game...and the latest comedy show..."what is a woman"...total hilarity...

[Gaybutton]

"meaning of WOKE is aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)."
Thank you. I also agree with what you said about people going out of their way to be offended. I never thought of it that way, but you're right and that is exactly what is happening. This nonsense has gotten way out of hand and out of control. Say the wrong thing to the wrong person, intentionally or not, now you're out of a job.

The first time I can remember encountering something like this was many years ago, when on Halloween the kids would come to school dressed in their costumes, there would be a costume parade, and the moms would bring goodies to eat and everybody had a lot of fun - until some parent went on a rampage a labeled it devil worship. That was the end of the Halloween fun for kids. No more costumes or parties. And no more moms bringing food. Someone complained about that too, so any food served in schools had to be made and served only by the school's kitchen staff.

I want no part of it. And if someone doesn't like a pronoun I'm using - tough luck.

To quote a line I've seen used in several movies, "I'm getting too old for this shit".

[mr giggles]

Next, it will be Christmas, as Santa is an anagram for Satan :devilsh::devilsh:

[latintopxxx]

...im so confused...gaybutton is agreeing with me...and santa is satan...i need a double gin...hold the tonic...

[Gaybutton]

...im so confused...gaybutton is agreeing with me.
You agreed with me once, so I'm returning the favor. Besides, when did I ever disagree with you? If I did, I don't remember.

[Dodger]

Who needs a "Guide" to begin with?

To me, the most exciting part of visiting distant lands is "self-exploration". With a sense of adventure...not knowing exactly what I'd find...surprised at some of the things I did find...and, ironically, always experiencing the most memorial events after I had made a wrong turn and found myself totally lost.

[christianpfc]

Agree with Dodger. Especially as I'm not in a rush to see as much as possible in a short time, I rather do my own planning and traveling.

Back to the question where the guide stays. I had hired a taxi driver to take me and my parents to Kanchanaburi, with two nights in Kanchanaburi. I just gave the driver 500 THB extra for accommodation and two meals (dinner and breakfast), and left the details to him. He ended up staying at the same place (250 THB for fan room, cold water) as I (600 THB room with aircon and hot water in shower).

In Phnom Penh, many tuk-tuk drivers seem to sleep in their tuk-tuk in a hammock. I wouldn't be surprised about taxi drivers sleeping in their taxis.

[rb1605]

I have recently completed a trip that involved visits to both Pattaya and Bangkok.

I had Mac from Siam Roads as a companion/guide in both for 2 full days in each location.
I cannot recommend him enough!

His communication via WhatsApp prior to my arrival was excellent. He assisted me with transport arrangements and was happy to help with anything by request and as it happened. I was able to enjoy some of the most beautiful touring sites, get in a lot of the best shopping available. Mac also showed me around the nightlife areas in the later hours whilst advising me on everything i needed to know to safely get a mb for the night, also the dangers and traps that lurk for foreigners and how to avoid them.

Not only is he a wonderful, caring and client focused young man, he is extremely knowledgeable about everything from Thai history, culture and customs right down to the best times of day to visits certain areas and when to employ different modes of transport to avoid untimely delays in traffic or otherwise.

When you employ a guide for 14 hours in a day, they will need to eat as well. Mac was happy to source inexpensive food from street vendors to save me money, However I insisted he join me inside the beautiful and cost effective Thai food establishments that he introduced me to. Even then Mac would only have a very basic dish, forever keeping and eye on my expenditure.

Mac, if you read this thank-you! You are an absolute angel and a truly amazing tour companion. I will use him again and again on my future visits.

[Keith]

Very good news about Mac. I first used him maybe 5 years ago, and he was excellent. As you say he really knows his stuff. More recently I think he had some issues, and failed to turn up for one day that I had booked. In January, I got him to come to my hotel for breakfast, and, as you say, he had to be persuaded to eat. I also gave him a modest amount of cash, just to help out. There were still issues with him guiding me, and I hope these will be resolved in July when I am due back. He said all would be well, and your report is excellent news. He really wants a full time job, and with his good English, he would be invaluable in a good hotel, but he said that as he doesn't have a degree a hotel won't employ him.

[Moses]

===but he said that as he doesn't have a degree a hotel won't employ him===

Mac has UNI degree in English and hospitality, but in guiding, not in hotels. He is one of tens or hundreds guides in Thailand who has license for whole Thailand instead of license for one-two provinces or "Bangkok only".

[peter030]

Very good news about Mac. I first used him maybe 5 years ago, and he was excellent. As you say he really knows his stuff. More recently I think he had some issues, and failed to turn up for one day that I had booked. In January, I got him to come to my hotel for breakfast, and, as you say, he had to be persuaded to eat. I also gave him a modest amount of cash, just to help out. There were still issues with him guiding me, and I hope these will be resolved in July when I am due back. He said all would be well, and your report is excellent news. He really wants a full time job, and with his good English, he would be invaluable in a good hotel, but he said that as he doesn't have a degree a hotel won't employ him.

I had the same experience with Mac in february this year. I did contact him for a one day tour. After some chats he didn't answer anymore. Siamroads payed back the money. Some years ago my tour with Mac was excellent. I am not sure I will contact him again. Because he is not 100% reliable in his appointments.

[Blueskytoday]

Siam Roads,,why is he still employed by them or with or recommended by them?? forget him...get a new one

[Moses]

New review on Siamroads service: https://www.facebook.com/siamroads/

Hello, we booked Will for a Day/Night tour of Saigon. Will was very welcoming to us, arrived right on time and we had the most wonderful day with him. His knowledge is amazing being a local Saigonese, and we were taken to a stunning roof top garden restaurant, then a tour of the Reunification Museum.

Will is a very relaxed and friendly guy, we so enjoyed our time with him and he can be highly recommended as the perfect guide in Saigon.

Thanks Will.

John & Nick

[Keith]

That's crazy isn't it! He would be a good addition to any hotel! A good deal better than a lot of the current staff!

[Keith]

My message was a reply to Moses message, 21 20.47!