Tarntawan Place Bangkok

Question to anyone who may have stayed at this hotel: how gay is it? Is it all gay, or is it marketed to other customers as well? Approximately what percentage of the clientele is gay, and what percentage straight?

I have stayed there about four or five times over the past two years and it appears almost entirely gay. Very high standards, staff seem to be the same, so no great turnover. I really do enjoy staying there.

So, if you heard of a single male staying there, you'd feel safe assuming he was gay?

[TrongpaiExpat]

It's mostly gay. Once I saw a Dutch family at breakfast. Then another time this young loud friendly blond Italian lady was in the computer room and I recall her asking me questions about the sky train and where to go shopping. She had on a very short skirt and as she got up to leave, I noticed that she was not a natural blond.

They also have an overbooking arrangement with a few other hotels in the area, so anyone could be there.

So, if you heard of a single male staying there, you'd feel safe assuming he was gay?

Not unless you fancied a smack in the mouth.

I book overseas business clients male & female, married and single, single and couples into the Tarntawan because it is:
a. A handy location for our offices. Five minutes walk
b. Far less impersonal than many of the bigger hotels which is important especially for first time visitors to the city.
c. Value for money.
e. A hands on policy by the management to sort out any requirements the guests may have.
f. Staff that are actually willing to be of service and enjoy doing so.

[Sen Yai]

I book overseas business clients male & female, married and single, single and couples into the Tarntawan....


...and do those single male (possibly hetro) Clients thank you for it? Do you think they feel comfortable surrounded by wooly moofs?

There are many alternatives in the area, in a similar price range, that would suit any age, gender or persuasion without the rainbow flag flying outside. :cyclopsani:

[quote="Naughty But Nice":16exfprx] I book overseas business clients male & female, married and single, single and couples into the Tarntawan....


...and do those single male (possibly hetro) Clients thank you for it? Do you think they feel comfortable surrounded by wooly moofs?

There are many alternatives in the area, in a similar price range, that would suit any age, gender or persuasion without the rainbow flag flying outside. :cyclopsani:[/quote:16exfprx]

As yet I have never had a complaint and I hardly think anyone would find the atmosphere at the Tarntawan Place hotel at all camp or in any way offensive. I don't think it is compulsory that you have to have sex with other guests!!!!

As for other places in the area, these are generally much less welcoming and I do not think particular value for money and as I say not one of the people I have booked in over the years has had anything but praise for the hotel and some have returned to Bangkok and booked themselves back in there on their own volition. In fact one married couple M&F are returning there in a few weeks time for a short visit.

Maybe it is you that feels uncomfortable mixing with anyone of a different sexual preference than yourself?

Have stayed there many times too. It is very gay friendly and you will see many overnight guests having breakfast . It is not, however, exclusively gay which is fine with me. You do see females occasionally and also (presumably) straight couples from time to time. Security is very good there and the employees are very helpful and friendly, and except for the current Hospital construction going on in the back at the moment, it is quiet and in a very convenient location. The construction noise never bothered me at all, by the way. Is there such a place as an exclusively gay Hotel in Bangkok, I wonder? Only place that comes to mind is perhaps Babylon Barracks?

[Smiles]

" ... Is there such a place as an exclusively gay Hotel in Bangkok, I wonder? ... "
One which pops to mind is The Aquarius, though there is hardly ever talk of it anymore.

It's a small guesthouse really, only a dozen rooms or so.
I stayed there twice back in 1999 and 2000, but not since. It was involved in a highly publicised police raid back then (Oct or Nov. 2000 if I recall) and I wonder if it ever recovered from that in terms of it's popularity?

It's website is still up & running: http://www.aquariushouse.com/

Cheers ...

[allieb]

So, if you heard of a single male staying there, you'd feel safe assuming he was gay?

I stayed there once, and as you once pointed out to me, never assume anything. In my opinion its about 80% gay, anybody staying there who isn't gay soon gets the picture. If this person stays there more than a couple of nights then I would say there's a good chance he's gay or very gay friendly.

[Brad the Impala]

The hotel is very gay friendly. At the price, I can't imagine why a straight person would choose to stay there.

... looking for somewhere for his mother and her friend the postman?

[sydneyboy]

I have stayed there about 6 times the last time about 3 years ago. The location and service are excellent. My only complaint was the that the rooms were becoming a little shabby. There has been a refurbishment since my last stay. I started a thread here some months ago seeking comments on the "before and after" state of the rooms. The response was mixed with the consensus being that there was a noticeable but not spectacular improvement. Any further comments would be welcome.

Actually I have noticed over the past 2 years or so a small but steady increase in what looks like chinese businessmen and couples. When I first stayed at T. I would have said it was 99% gay clientele. They even had a massage place attached in the courtyard (back in 2001). My last few visits I would say it looks more like 70% gay 30% straight. I noticed enough of a change last year that I asked myself BG's original question.
I think they're just trying to fill rooms, not change the clientele.

[TrongpaiExpat]

On one of the Hotel Search web sites I noticed the Tarntawan listed with no mention of it being gay or gay friendly. I can't remember which one, something like RoomsThailand or Precision.

On the Bangkok Tonight web site, a straight forum, in the hotel section someone was recommending the Tarntawan for it's location to the Patpong lady bars. Then someone else said stay clear of the place it's full of gays.

Tarntawan Place was my home last month for my first ever trip to Thailand. I could never overstate the positive experience. I agree that the clientele is probably 70, 80, or perhaps even 90% gay. I attended the Thursday evening Managers Reception which is an hour of free drinks and mixing with other guests and the two guys that I believe are the owners. The reception was 100% gay. I mixed in the lobby restauraunt with many other single men. Most were older than me and certainly helped with lots of good info on gay venues. I can't imagine any of the guests being "available" as we all shared the same desires, which were realized in the multitude of wonderful bars within a few blocks promiximity of the hotel. Security was excellent and they treated my constant parade of young men with the utmost of respect. I always had a call from front desk before they released the ID to my boy. They were, of course, assuring my safety and that all was well. The straight couples in the lobby or restaurant obviously had no problem with the majority of gay men and many having breakfast with their Go Go Boy of the previous night. Incidentally, the hotel gives a full breakfast from menu, not just to the guest but to your boy as well. Location is great and all of my boys enjoyed the experience. Most were happy when told we were staying at Tarntawan.

I had just left a 4-star Hotel in Saigon that was no better than Tarntawan.

I will be there again, as soon as I can get out of Alaska.

[Alaan]

In reply to the original question, in my experience of staying at The Tarntawan which was most recently in Oct 2006 twice (3 days at the begining and 3 days at the end of my stay in Thailand) and a regular visitor 3-4 times a year for the last 8 years, I would estimate an 80-90% gay clientelle, as there are somtimes straight Jap or Chinese couples,as well as some business travellers.But I've never seen any families. Responding to the second question of assuming a single man staying on his own might very likely be gay...is a fair assumption, but as I say there are lone Asian business travellers staying at this hotel which I have come accross at reception. And also the porter has told me about some of the Asian businessmen taking back Thai girls from I assume, the patpong bars. Also on my last visit I was in the business centre,which is basically a computer(2) room with some books and writing paper, and a guy who had overheard my conversation, deduced I was Scottish,as he was, and he was a businessman who worked in Asia and had used the Tarntawan before, and as I gleened from his one sided conversation that he was straight as all he spoke (boasted)about were the thai girls he chased.
For anyone looking into this thread just to find out info on the Tarntawan, there is a fairly long thread with some updated information on the Gaythailand forum going back to, i think, last month. Some of the posters here including myself have contributed to that thread also.