Alternatives to Thailand

If Thailand closed tomorrow and wasn't going to open again for the foreseeable future, where else would you go?
I want to try somewhere different for my next trip abroad, but have no idea where to go. Any suggestions? Where else has a similar kind of gay scene to Thailand? (preferably outside Western Europe) I realise that everywhere else the boy's will be more expensive, but I'm prepared for that.
A bit of culture and some nice scenery wouldn't go amiss either.

What's the next best country to Thailand?

What type of gay scene turns you on? The sauna/cruising scene, or the young-flesh-for-pay scene? Is there anything else about a country you care about when you decide to take a vacation, or do you have a one-track mind?

What type of gay scene turns you on? The sauna/cruising scene, or the young-flesh-for-pay scene? Is there anything else about a country you care about when you decide to take a vacation, or do you have a one-track mind?

I like the big outdoors/dramatic scenery types of trips, but I also like picking up boys, which usually happens in big cities. I only ever go away for 10-14 days, so time is a bit of an issue. Ideally, I'd like to spend a few days in a big city, find a boy that I like, and ask him to be some kind of tour guide for me and show me some really nice countryside/scenery that's not too far (I don't want to spend too much time just travelling around. I want to stop off and enjoy places)

Whether I find a prostutute, or a pick a guy up cruising, this kind of thing will probably involve some kind of payment anyway, so I'm not too bothered where or how I pick him up.

Well, I think the experience you describe can take place just about anywhere in the world. Only difference is the cost.

Bali could offer an alternative. have a look at balifriendly.com to get you started.

[Surfcrest]

Without Thailand having to close tomorrow, Zoro The Gay Blade answered it best, тАЬwhat type of gay scene turns you on?тАЭ
For me Havana Cuba has worked best capturing the elements you describe тАЬbig outdoors / big dramatic scenery type of tripsтАЭ with the option of picking up company by the hour or beyond.
The city and indeed the whole country is a photographic playground of sites, a music loverтАЩs smorgasbord and an art loverтАЩs dollar store. The only down side would be with the culinary limitations of Cuba, however once you know where to goтАжeven that is easily overcome.
On nights when crashing waves and daunting clouds permit, the Malecon can be filled with hundreds of boys and young men, most willing to do whatever you like. You need to see through two important challenges to make this encounter a reality. You cannot stay in a hotel or you need access to a short term, no questions asked room. Next, you need to have a private access to your room, if you choose to rent a тАЬCasa ParticularтАЭ. Once you meet your new friend, you should arrange to meet wherever you are going to have your encounter. Young Cuban men cannot walk or talk openly with foreigners without some interest from the Police.
There is a small club for drinks, smoky caf├йтАЩs and house parties that pop up through the weekend. Once the boys at the Malecon get to know you, youтАЩll start to hear about the "goings on". If you donтАЩt speak Spanish, your choices may be limited somewhat.
Cuban men are not like Mexicans. They are white, black or a combination of the two called mulato. ItтАЩs quite easy to get to know one in advance with Gaydar etcтАж
DonтАЩt expect to meet many that are really gay. If you are a bottom, youтАЩll love it here.
Many of these fellows are very well equiped.
Lately, the Malecon has become somewhat polluted with transvestites. They can be troublesome, fights etcтАж.
If someone invites you down a dark street to go to a sauna or the likes, donтАЩt go. There isnтАЩt a sauna and if they are walking with you, they probably plan on rolling you quickly. IтАЩve never had any problems with the boys personally in Havana. Take their ID information, pass it to a friend or slip it under the landlordтАЩs door, if you trust your landlord enough.
There are quite a few flights from Canada, Mexico and Europe, especially from Spain. If you are American and you are flying through Mexico, remember Mexico allows only 25 cigars and thereтАЩs nothing more the Mexicans would love than stealing them from you. ItтАЩs best to pick up your Cuban Tourist card in advance from a consulate or from your airline, if possible. If you leave it for Mexico, theyтАЩll make it terrible difficult for you.
If you want to see a little Cuba first, I have plenty of photos now posted on Flickr see Surfcrest.

Enjoy!

Thanks for that. I hadn't thought about Cuba before, but you make it sound like something I should definitely look into.

[ziv77]

Good places to visit are Istanbul - Turkey and Athens - Greece. Lots of action and good looking guys, many bars and night clubs, you cant miss or get wrong

Enjoy

DELETED

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

yes I reckon CUBA is where it will be at..lovely mad Latins who are always randy and giant enormous you know what.

And I read an interview with Fidel Castro in which he said he has never had a problem with gay people, and never disliked them or cared at all what they did but some of his compatriots were homophobic which he put down to Spanish machismo

Yes, Bali could be an alternative to Thailand. There are the local boys but also many, many boys from all of the other islands run to Bali for work, sex, money

There is another alternative which is cheaper and just as sweet but the rules of this forum prevent it from being discussed.

[yaraboy]

Lao boys may appear sweet in nature and unspoilt compared to Thais but it is an illusion.........Gambling drug use and exploitation of multiple farang boy friends is common. There are exceptions..such as my BF and evidently John Bottings...............

[Bob]

Lao boys may appear sweet in nature and unspoilt compared to Thais but it is an illusion.........Gambling drug use and exploitation of multiple farang boy friends is common.

And you make this generalization from your extensive travels in Laos? Or perhaps from your contacts with a dozen bar boys who you think were from Laos? Just curious as your knowledge base for the claim.

I must say the Laos people are really nice, and so are the guys, I have been there and would never recommend it on this board, I want it to be my own fairytale ;-) Lack of the country, the beaches offcource.

[yaraboy]

Knowledge based on extensive travels and a business interest in country. I am there 3 or 4 times a year................I do not know any Lao bar boys or in fact any bar boys.............

Having said what I said there are exceptions and if you want a genuine BF they are available (as they are in Thailand) Just do not think they are all nice and spiritual. Of all the problems I have noted in Vientiane gambling seems to be the worst........and it leads to other problems

[Bob]

Just do not think they are all nice and spiritual.

I don't anymore than I think all thai boys are nice and spiritual. But I'd never suggest that decent Lao boys (or decent Thai boys) are the exception to the rule as you suggest. I didn't know how many Lao boys you know but I suspected you likely didn't know enough of them to make the generalization.

[yaraboy]

Bob instead of making incorrect presumptions about my contacts and information why dont you contribute something of your personal knowledge on this subject of Lao men......

DELETED

[yaraboy]

Ok time to wrap this subject up !

Yes I agree John that there are many Lao lads looking for 1 on 1 but I know half a dozen who play various games while BF is in his home country ( these are all middle class Lao) I am lucky because my BF is great and is essentially vice free (I think!)
To sum up Lao boys are not really much different from Thai......though maybe their level of expectation is less elevated. One thing I like is that my BF does not have the overly close family relationship that many Thais (particularly Isan) have. Never a problem with sick buffalo for me!

I've also run into about a dozen Lao boys working in the Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai bars. They come down on tourist visas, and do visa runs. I have not detected any major differences in attitude between them and their Thai brothers (especially their Isan brothers).

I've also run into about a dozen Lao boys working in the Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai bars. They come down on tourist visas, and do visa runs. I have not detected any major differences in attitude between them and their Thai brothers (especially their Isan brothers).Your boyfriend's ethnically Lao, isn't he?

I've also run into about a dozen Lao boys working in the Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai bars. They come down on tourist visas, and do visa runs. I have not detected any major differences in attitude between them and their Thai brothers (especially their Isan brothers).Your boyfriend's ethnically Lao, isn't he?

Pure Fujian Chinese. He would not be at all happy with your suggestion, either.

Pure Fujian Chinese. He would not be at all happy with your suggestion, either.Racist, is he (like most Asians)?

Absolutely...like most humans.

Brasil is a very good alternative.
In each town there are sauna with working boys like club 117 in Rio de Janeiro

Mahon

[Wesley]

Lao boys may appear sweet in nature and unspoilt compared to Thais but it is an illusion.........Gambling drug use and exploitation of multiple farang boy friends is common.

And you make this generalization from your extensive travels in Laos? Or perhaps from your contacts with a dozen bar boys who you think were from Laos? Just curious as your knowledge base for the claim.

You can make this generalization about any country and people, I have found all are much the same just different in how much they cost. All of them if they are in it for money will have multiple bf's of different ages and who meet different needs. I think it is true the Lao boys look good, however, human nature is much the same anywhere you go.

Wesley

I must say the Laos people are really nice, and so are the guys, I have been there and would never recommend it on this board, I want it to be my own fairytale ;-) Lack of the country, the beaches offcource.

Yep, we're all nice aren't we, till we want something and we can't get it!!

For me three options:
Singapore free sex but everything else is expensive - and don't get caught
Laos no gay scene but plenty of it about - just don't get caught
Colombia free sex reasonable gay scene and a few pessos if you are caught solves the problem, just don't get caught by the FARK.

[Khor tose]

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia тАУ PeopleтАЩs Army (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia тАУ Ej├йrcito del Pueblo), also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP

[Wesley]

In three months Ill ell you everything you need to know about the Philippines, I am tole it can be a hot scene there and I like Asian guys. So. the cost is a bit better for the dollar and they all speak English as good as most southern Americans and probably with better grammar.


Wesley

they all speak English as good as most southern Americans

Yes, but most southern Americans hail from Cuba or Mexico.

[GWMinUS]

Wesley, Good luck in the Philippines.
I know you are going to Cebu, but give Mindanao a try.
Cagayan de Oro is a safe and beautiful City.
Meet some nice guys and explore the Countryside!!
As we say in Tagalo, INGAT!! Take care..

[Wesley]

Just from the beauty and degree of available guys, as well as gay resorts per square meter, Key West is second for the most fun I have ever had in my life. Of course LOS is first.
It Depends on you but, I was able to find any color any style and variety of boys willing to spend time with me just for the good time. It does help if you are staying at a good gay resort type hotel. The prices do range from not so bad to extremely pricey. Coconut Grove seemed to be the most popular with international guys from almost everywhere in the world. I have tried several over the years but,the Grove was by far the most popular being in the middle price range with lots to do and lots of boys during the day and then an opportunity to play in the bars at night and bring someone back for a moonlit swim in the pool before you dry off for bed or just enjoy yourself in the pool area; sex and clothes were optional of course.

Wesley

[Wesley]

Don't most southern Americans inhabit countries such as Brasil, Argentina, Peru etc?

hahahhahahahahhahhahaha

Wesley

[Wesley]

hey thanks for the advise, Cebu is for work the rest of the country is for play. I tried to see as much of Thailand as I could. I suspect I won;t miss much In the Philippines sine I will have 10 months at a time there. So I will definitely look into them all. Who knows the Philippians may end up number one on my list of places to play an d work.

Wesley

Philippians

Weren't those Greek Christians that Paul wrote to?

I'm not sure what southern Americans are. I took it to mean Americans living in the Southern States such as Florida and Texas. South Americans mostly speak Portuguese.

Brazil speaks Portugese, but Spanish is spoken by most other South Americans.

With over 186 million inhabitants the population of Brazil is probably marginally greater than the rest of South America put together. Therefore, Portuguese is the majority language in South America.

[adman5000]

When you are in the Philippines, if you walk down the street and find a massage place with these guys waiting for you, please let us know where it is at!

[TravellerDave]

I've just been thinking about a summer holiday - in the last few years I've been to Thailand (Pattaya) & Playa de Los Americas on Gran Canaria. Mybe I will try somewhere different. Anyone been to Mombasa in Kenya ?. My sister has been there - beautiful beaches but I've no idea if there is a gay scene.

[jinks]

Playa de Los Americas on Gran Canaria.

When did they move it from Teneriffe?

[joe552]

I think when they realised they needed something a bit more upmarket than Playa del Ingles (pardon my spanish).

[pong]

. Anyone been to Mombasa in Kenya ?. My sister has been there - beautiful beaches but I've no idea if there is a gay scene.
?? This place is quite fanous to serve lonely ladies-by big-bonged black men. Many African countries ban gay-even penalise it, dont know if that also applies to Kenya.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

If Thailand closed tomorrow and wasn't going to open again for the foreseeable future, where else would you go?
I want to try somewhere different for my next trip abroad, but have no idea where to go. Any suggestions? Where else has a similar kind of gay scene to Thailand? (preferably outside Western Europe) I realise that everywhere else the boy's will be more expensive, but I'm prepared for that.
A bit of culture and some nice scenery wouldn't go amiss either.

What's the next best country to Thailand?

there is NO alternative and fortunately..it will not close tomorrow.

But enjoy is while you can. Everything changes but not in your lifetime.

Once, Puerto Rico would have knocked Bangkok into a cocked hat ..in every way. Now it is just dangerous. But Thailand will not change in your's or my lifetime.

Say prayers to Buddha or the deity of your choice for that.

[Wesley]

Philippines by far, exchange is 42 and headed back up they say was 45 when I arrived and Obama had not screwed the dollar printing money like its a newspaper. but any way Politics aside the boys are plentiful bars are cheap. I can party all night and my Taxi fare cost as much as my tab at the end of the night. about 500 peso. I have a car but are not drive while drinking and usually even with me a heavy beer drinking guy if its cold beer and it is there. I can take some one with me we both drink all night and take a guy home for under 750 including the taxi. a guy that works for me drives me often on my car. I just buy his coke, and he looks for a guy. and stays in my other room if he hooks up.