Newcomer planning first trip

Hello all! Hate to sound ignorant, but I've never been to Thailand, and am curently beginning planning for a well deserved vacarion next year. There is so much information available it is hard to digest. For a first timeer on a short stay (1 week) where should I look at visiring? Thanks!

Bangkok - Pattaya - Phuket if you want sex. Tons of other places if you want culture.

I can tell you, if you stay for only a week, it will be just a blink of an eye and its time to go back! And you gonna miss Thailand like hell!!!

I'm sure there are many of us here who would be happy to make suggestions, but you're going to help us out with some priorities, likes, and dislikes.

One week is not enough!
With such a short time, I would suggest staying in Bangkok only.
Enjoy the bars, saunas, shopping, massages.
Tour the palace area.
Take a boat ride in the canals in Thonburi.
Visit Saphan Kwai bars for a more local experience.
Take a day tour outside Bangkok to Ayathaya.

Some would disagree, but I would not do the entire week in Pattaya. You won't get any culture there and with the Bangkok week you get a good taste of the variety of Thailand, including sex. Pattaya has a lousy beach, you will find much better in Florida!

If you are a beach bunny and need that, fly directly to Phuket. Enjoy the nightlife and take some island tours and boat rides. A very beautiful area of course.

I agree with you, Jingthing -- stick to Bangkok if all you have is a week. For me personally, I would not send my worst enemy to Pattaya -- no matter how much time they had on their hands.

For a first timer with three weeks (to my mind, the minimum to make the jet lag worth it from the US is two weeks), I would suggest a week in Bangkok, a week in Chiang Mai, and a week in Pattaya. Pattaya is a worthwhile destination but for a first timer it is best seen in context of other places in Thailand.

We'll have to disagree on that point. I do not believe Pattaya merits a visit at all.

try the street food, dont just eat at the tourist restaurants or the hotel (even though they are quite good and cheap too). Immodium is readily available if required! best eating is the food stalls around Silom rd and Suriwongse rd after the nightclubs close.

Last I heard Pattaya was the top beach resort in all of Asia. Apparantly, alot of people like it.

Bottom line is some people love Pattaya, some people hate it, but how can a person know until they experience it for themselves, instead of reading often snobbish elitist biased views from many guidebooks.

I live in Pattaya so I am biased. I think it is a great place to live and is improving rapidly.

It is undoubtedly the "top beach resort" because it is visited by the most people -- the majority of them very low-budget package tourists from other Asian nations, and most of the rest of them sex tourists. I don't see how anyone could possibly recommend a "beach resort" when the "beach" isn't even fit for swimming (unless one enjoys swimming with turds -- literally). The place is a scar on the map of Thailand. Unless you're into sex of a particular (illegal) persuasion, that is.

I agree the beach is not very pretty, although it is OK in Jomtien.
Pattaya is more about the city than the beach.
It offers some of the best people watching in the world, and the shopping, nightlife, and restaurants are rivalling Bangkok.
It is the most popular place for retiring expats and there is good reason. The infrastructure is excellent.
Perfect it is not. But all I am saying is people should experience it for themselves and judge for themselves.

Objectivly, there is alot more to Pattaya than sex, illicit or otherwise. And sex, illicit or otherwise, is available in other parts of Thailand and the world as well, so scapegoating Pattaya is really not justified.

Not an issue for tourists, but for expats considering living in Bangkok or even Chiang Mai. The air quality is some of the worst in the world and will likely shorten your life. Also not so great in Pattaya, but the sea breezes often clear things out.

The infrastructure is excellent.
Objectivly, there is alot more to Pattaya than sex, illicit or otherwise. And sex, illicit or otherwise, is available in other parts of Thailand and the world as well, so scapegoating Pattaya is really not justified.



The infrastructure is excellent? With abominable traffic, sketchy water supply, dicy telephone lines, and poor public transport options (rip-off baht bus, anyone?), what "infrascture" are you talking about, exactly?

As for the sex bit. It's a bit like saying, you can get pizza everywhere -- why single out Naples? EVERYONE knows that Pattaya is the world's, number one, undisputed king of high-concentration, user-friendly, child-sex-for-sale. Bar none. Period. You can pick up a twelve year-old boy from among a dozen displayed on a stage for all to see, for a few dollars. Where else but Pattaya?

But -- as you say -- let people visit and make up their own minds, I guess.

I would assume since the question is posted on a gay message board the poster is looking for some of the naughty stuff on his first trip. If you have ONLY 1 week and its your first time I would definitely suggest staying in Bangkok. You will be jetlagged for at least 2 days anyway. There are enough naughty go-go bars in BKK to keep you busy for a week and there are the must-see cultural attractions for the daytime. You can get to almost anywhere in the city for less than 80 baht in a air conditioned taxi (just make sure they turn on the meter) and you have all the comforts of a modern world class city if that's the sort of thing you want.



Objectivly, there is alot more to Pattaya than sex, ....

Right. And once you've seen the buddha sketched into the mountainside and the bizzare wooden faux-temple you've pretty much exhausted Pattaya's cultural attractions. Come on, get real. Pattaya is Sex City. :cheers: Nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for. Its really pretty amazing but you won't really have enough time on a one week first time trip. Save it for your next trip.

Personally to me its a lot like Las Vegas. A lot of glitz and bling and excitement at night but during the light of day you can see how phoney it all is. I ususally leave it for the last 3 days of my trip just to catch up with old friends and see the amazing action. Like going to Vegas I get a rush of exitement when I first arrive but I'm quite ready to go home after 3 days.

If you are only visiting for a week stay in Bangkok - there is plenty to see and do there (culture, sightseeing and shopping during the day and a host of boy go-go clubs and gay bars in the Silom/Surawongse Road area at night. As someone else pointed out you are going to be jet-lagged for a couple of days anyway.

However if all you want is sex and sleaze the place to be is Pattaya. To paraphrase Kenc Pattaya is SIN CITY where legal and illegal sex is on display for all to see (Pattaya includes a world renowned haven for paedophiles). If you swim avoid going in the water at the beach (Pattaya OR Jomtien) as most of the city effluent is pumped into Pattaya Bay only semi-treated. You can collect all sorts of ailments and skin complaints/rashes from dipping in the sea at either beach. Pattaya unfortunately also has a rising amount of crime with pick-pocketing, muggings and bag-snatching a major problem, particularly if you wander the streets alone at night or in the early hours of the morning.

If you want a beach holiday with sex as an extra the place to go is Phuket (Patong) where the beaches are beautiful and clean and it is safe to swim healthwise (barring the odd tsunami :geek: ).

And to add to others posts, there is no way that you can do Thailand justice, whatever you are looking for, in just one week. As a bare minimum I would suggest two weeks for a first visit and if you like the place follow it up with a longer visit another time. Besides the air fare from the States to Thailand is expensive for just a one week visit - (unless you are absolutely loaded)!!

[Dodger]

Hi Andy...and Welcome to the Board.

I know you're going to find your decision making confusing, especially with the type of responses you'll get here from our hungry fish, but there is one key deciding factor you should consider.

What is your primary objective of your first visit?

If you want to spend your first visit just getting the feel of Thailand and having a little sex as a side, then you are best to stay in Bangkok considering the short duration of your first trip.

If you are just focused on experiencing a week of sex with cute young Thai boys, than go immediately from the airport to Pattaya and don't look back.

If you chose Pattaya, then there's one more key decision point: Do you want to enjoy sex with the muscular and more macho boys? If so, book a room in one of hotels in Boyztown and hit the gogo's. If your radar is focused on the younger and more feminine types, than book a room in the Sunee Plaza area and just start walking.

In either case, you'll find that one week is a bit challenging, not only because of the 1-2 days of jet lag you'll experience, but because after your first sexual encounter with a Thai boy, you'll wish you had more time.

Good luck on your first adventure and remember to bring and use condoms, never tip more than 1,000 baht for a short time - and 2,000 baht for an overnighter, and whatever you do, don't buy any gold chains or mobile phone's. He'll be there waiting for you, and be loving you just as much, when you return again.

mai pen rai (be cool)

Thailand is addictive and habit forming. Going back after your holiday you can sink into the most awful depressions only eased by a similar addiction to gay Thai message boards and any literature on Thailand.

Thailand is addictive and habit forming. .

So is Cut & Paste if you are anything to go by.

[Brad the Impala]

Lots of good advice, to which I can only add, don't fall in love with the first Thai guy you sleep with, it happens too often, when what you are really experiencing is love for the ambiance.

Lots of good advice, to which I can only add, don't fall in love with the first Thai guy you sleep with, it happens too often, when what you are really experiencing is love for the ambiance.

Very good advice! And learn to haggle quickly!

[colmx]

... don't fall in love with the first Thai guy you sleep with, ....

And don't fall in love with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th either!
I fell in love with my 5th... what a bad idea!

Then a year or so later :-0 fell in love with my 50th ...

That was 4 years ago on Tuesday...
Still very fond of him now!

And don't fall in love with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th either!
I fell in love with my 5th... what a bad idea!

he he, same, same but different. 1th was a problem and a pain in the ass with a very low self esteem, 2nd showed out to be a prostitute as the number 1 and 3. 3. I knew he was and what a great time we had together, 4,...6 well we are still working to know each other, maybe I run away, but at least he is working his own shop and in fact I feel something different between us.
This have been my experiences from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya.

But to the first question I would say stay in Bangkok. If you don't like the go go-bars, go to Balcony, always funny and relaxed, hmmm, Telephone and there is a bar almost next to it, down the street, don't remember the name. Go DJ, it is an experience. Stay cool and don't fall in love with the first and only, even if it is difficult not to do. Not all are freelancer, but most are, not in a bad way, but to have fun and paying there drink bills. I like it and are not offended ;-)

[fedssocr]

I recently made my first trip and I agree, if you only have 1 week stay in Bangkok. I went for 3 weeks and could have stayed longer, but I think it was about the right amount of time. I didn't really have any jet lag problems. I took the Thai direct flight from JFK that arrives late afternoon so it was easy to get to bed at a reasonable time the first night and reset my clock right away.

For your first time you might want to consider hiring a guide to help show you around and maximize your time if you can afford it. I felt like that really helped me. And I agree that a day trip to Ayutthaya is worth doing but after all the floods there recently I wonder how much of it is visit-able right now. If there's any way you can extend your trip to at least two weeks you should do it. And if you can do that, spend at least a few days in Chiang Mai in the North and either Pattaya or Phuket. I am glad I went to Pattaya just to see it for myself. While I found it to be fairly depressing I can understand why people are attracted to it. I'm not sure that it's healthy for Thai society or the people partaking in it, but it is there and pretty ingrained at this point. It is a good reminder that Thailand is still a developing country with all of its attendant issues with regards to poverty, the educational system, etc.

Even if you are primarily interested in meeting handsome, smooth, young men for sex, I would second the advice here to see more than the sex industry. Thailand has so much culture and wonderful history and so much to offer beyond that, that you would really be missing out. And having a one dimensional view of Thailand is not good for Thais either. I had a great time largely because everyone I met was so nice and helpful, but also because I went places and saw things that were historic, beautiful, and impressive.

If you do end up staying in Bangkok for the week as some people advise, do a day trip to Ayutthaya and be sure to go to Wat Phananchoeng http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/7153/wpanonc1.htm . Its not one of the many interesting ruins in Ayutthaya, but is a working Wat with what I found to be the most impressive Buddha statue after the Emerald Buddha. Just entering the Wat, I could sense something different about the place compared to other Wats i have been to, and when I saw the Buddha statue it took my breath away. It MASSIVE. They built the statue first about 600? years ago, then built the Wat around it later on.
Seeing the sprituality of the Thai people in a place like this is a good contrast to the seedier side of Thailand that we all also enjoy. It all goes together (along with a lot of other aspects) to make Thailand into the place that it is, and that many of us are obsessed with. Chances are that you will be back for a second visit sooner than you expect!

If you only have 7 days - Just do Bangkok - You will experience a slice of Thailand all in one big metropolitan city - but if you have 9 days, take a two day trip to Pattaya as it is the nearest next major destination. A two and a half hour taxi ride from central Bangkok - you'll have a blast.

[Liamog]

If you want a gay beach holiday I would say go to Pattaya. Phuket has better beaches but the gay scene is much smaller and I found it a lot less friendly, more expensive and dirtier (not as in sleaze) than Pattaya.

If youтАЩre not fussed on the beach and want to experience a bit of Thai culture I would recommend Chang Mai - you can fly from Bangkok. I find Bangkok stiflingly hot and the air is very polluted. Anyway it's just too big, too busy and too crowded for little old me.

Sex with attractive young men is readily found just about anywhere in Thailand. I visit twice a year purely for the culture of course. :geek:

[Wesley]

If you want to see a little more sites during the day and sex at night, Then Bangkok is for you and the best choice. If you just want sex and boys and quick and easy access with out having to find your way around the city. Stay at the Ambiance and hire a local to show you around the first day. By night time you will have orientated your self to Pattaya and you will get the most bang for the buck. In Bangkok that is little harder to do. Pattaya is the place to go for beach, sex and night clubs that last all night. So if you are going to wear out a few days the most fun for the action is Pattaya. if you want to see Thailand Then Chaing Mai and Bangkok and Pattaya come to mind s the most enjoyable places I stayed.

Wesley

... agreement with everything above. You will definitely find more cultural things to do in Bangkok, many tours are on offer and plenty of places to go and see - The Grand Palace (Emerald Budha), Wat Pho (Reclining 46 metre long Golden Budha), Ayutthaya etc etc etc... Personally, I find a few days in Bangkok is more than enough as the place is crowded and for newcomers (and some returnees) not the easiest place to figure how to get around.

I guess I have just found Pattaya to be more relaxing, easier to manage and although it's reputation isn't great (I think most people take a look at it and think what a shithole on their first visit), it does have it's own charm - though sometimes hard to find. Nong Nook Gardens/Elephant show is a good place to visit, there is the Crocodile farm/Million year stone park, Sanctuary of Truth and then there is also fishing, golf, shooting, go karts, karaoke, bars & guys so handsome they will break your heart.

One word of advice - I was in the doctors the other day (i'm sickly poorly right now) when in walked an American ferang complaining he had arrived 6 days ago and had the shits since day one. The doctor asked what he had eaten (bad fish etc) or was he allergic to anything or was he getting too much sun and not drinking enough water - at this point he stated he was drinking plenty of TAP water every day - my one tip is never drink the water unless you want to be shitting NON STOP.

[Dboy]

Welcome to the board. I agree with alot of what was said here, except for the negative stuff about Pattaya. Pattaya is great at what it is. Alot of knowledge on this board so if you give more detail on what you're looking for in a vacation I'm sure you'll get excellent advice. Right now we can only guess at what you'd like to do. And with only a week, you'll want to be careful to make sure you see/do what you're interested in. My first trip to Thailand was 9 days, and that was no where near enough. I just returned from a 2 month trip backpacking in Europe, and even that went by way too fast.

Dboy

Pattaya is great at what it is.

True, I suppose. It's great at being a shithole.

I agree with alot of what was said here, except for the negative stuff about Pattaya.

You are obviously entitled to your opinion but why do you not explain to Andy why you do not agree with what you call 'negative stuff'?

Is it because you think that it is NOT TRUE? In which case Andy might like you to point out that which you think is wrong.

Or, more likely, is it because you do not want to highlight the negative side of Sin City Pattaya to a newcomer?

Is it not best to give the positive AND negative sides to someone asking for advice so that they can make an informed decision on when and where to visit?

[Dboy]

I have NO problem pointing out the negative side of any place. Just didn't really want to get into anymore detail until Andy posted again. And really, Dodger's welcome post at the top of page 2 says it all. Right on all points. And the following post, by wowpow, describes my first trip to Thailand quite well. I felt crushed having to go home, and immediately booked another trip just to get over the depression. If you can only go to Thailand once in your life, you might be better off not going at all. Because for alot of people, once you've had a taste of Asia, things are never the same again.

A first-time visitor certainly should be fully informed before running down to Pattaya. I've seen more than one guy walking a Pattaya soi with the wife and kids in tow (oops). The guy always has a slightly sad, longing look in his eye, while the wife looks bewildered/annoyed. That's a serious lack of planning.

If you're trying to discover the "real" Thailand (by that I mean Buddhist culture and values, Thai food, Thai people, Thai architecture/arts etc) then Pattaya is about the last place to go. Try a mix of Bangkok and upcountry (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, etc)...difficult to do in a week. Thai Airways sometimes advertises a "Discover Thailand" deal where you can make something like 3 different hops (like from Bangkok: Chiang Mai-Udon-Bangkok) for a very reasonable price. As I recall it was something like $150USD.

If you want a new boy in your bed every night and a huge selection of nightlife options, but virtually no cultural value, a lifetime of "sinful" acts concentrated into a one-week period, pick Pattaya. Pattaya is a cesspool, has no redeeming cultural value, is populated with criminals, sex addicts, boozers, Australians (just jokin' around), and end-of-the-line losers in life, *but that's not necessarily a bad thing*. There's definitely a dark side to Pattaya, but for someone on a one-week trip, all you'll get is the fantasy, which is just fine.

The beach sucks (yeah, both in Pattaya as well as Jomptien). Hua Hin beach sucks even more though, because they have horses shitting everywhere. The beach vendors are a big pain in the ass, at least until you want something.

Local transportation is really good in my opinion, once you've figured it out.

It is quite possible to die while attemping to cross 2nd Road.

There are several nice movie theatres in town...might need to bring a blanket though, because they're damn cold inside.

You can certainly read about all kinds of crime going on in Pattaya, such as people "accidently" falling off their 30th floor balcony, or getting stabbed by a ladyboy, etc. but you can easily avoid unpleasant things by 1) not renting a car or motorbike 2) be back at your hotel by 2am 3) stay away from freelancers.

Have done alot (but not all) of the cultural sites in Thailand, and really enjoy those things; but sometimes you just want to find a laid-back bar where you can drink a beer, shoot some pool, and enjoy the company of some of the most beautiful young men the human species has to offer. That's Pattaya. Nothing else like it, nothing even close.

Chiang Mai can give you a mix of both cultural activities as well as boy bars, but the Chiang Mai scene is a bit too quiet for me. After many months of stuffy business meetings and staring at computer screens, Pattaya is my favorite diversion. Yeah, its a shit hole, but it's FUN dammit.


Dboy

[Dodger]

If you want a new boy in your bed every night and a huge selection of nightlife options, but virtually no cultural value, a lifetime of "sinful" acts concentrated into a one-week period, pick Pattaya. Pattaya is a cesspool, has no redeeming cultural value, is populated with criminals, sex addicts, boozers, Australians (just jokin' around), and end-of-the-line losers in life, *but that's not necessarily a bad thing*.

Sounds good to me,

[Liamog]

Shit I love that cesspool.

[Wesley]

an Amen to loving the "shit hole", its what it is and if it says anything about me, I am happy to admit I like one or two young men in my bed every day I am there.

Wes