Siem Reap v Pattaya

[thaiguest]

As I'm being comparative, I think this is acceptable in the Thailand forum.
Populations about the same but that's about all that's the same. Pattaya offers an ocean of choice as regards gay venues, Siem Reap only Hobsen's ie The Linga Bar. The other gay venue Blue Chilli 2 has reverted to being a trendy straight bar called Miss Wong. Well worth a visit though as the new management was wise enough to retain the 2 friendly barmen.
As gay bars go the Linga bar is very good; nice decor, funky music, soft furnishings, draught beer and a vast range of cocktails at about 4.50$. What's surprising about the bar is the handsome staff. Surprising because compared to Thailand handsome boys in Cambodia are as rare as Mowhawks on the banks of the Hudson. You know how you can find heart-stopping beauties in every motor bike repair shop, every food station, every car wash shed in Pattaya? Well you can walk all day around Siem Reap and not see even one. (I know beauty is a subjective thing but I know my subject)
BUT not so in the Linga Bar. The owner has obviously searched the highways, villages and rice fields for all the available handsome boys in Cambodia. They're decked out in sleeveless jerkins and are very good at what they do-in the bar at any rate.
The bar also has casual boys who will chat you up. But unlike Pattaya boys they're not happy with having phone credit, a few baht and a party to go to. No, they want a whole new future, abroad if possible, extra english lessons, their own business etc and they want you to be a big part of it. And they have a way of making you feel guilty if you hesitate, even during the first 30 minutes of your meeting them. Pattaya boys have no real ambition, Siem Reap boys have far too much for their own good and happiness.
I've never taken off a Siem Reap boy because I've a feeling it would turn out to be one long battle of wits- with my being screwed ...and not literally.
I would love someone out there to convince me that my fears are unfounded.
If you find yourself in Siem Reap view the ruins and do play around and let me know what you think.

When I arrived with my Thai boyfriend in Siem Reap for the first time, some years ago, our local guide was obviously amused and intrigued by us. My boyfriend is always anxious to tell everyone that we are a couple and I'm introduced as "Mr Jon, boyfriend me". When he did this to our guide "Som" he replied that they didn't have any gays in Cambodia!

But there didn't seem to be any problem. On our more recently trip last year we met up with Som again and he seemed a little more aware of gay places but we didn't sample any.

My boyfriend got a lot of attention and loved it. I'm interested in your comment about the looks of Cambodian boys as my boyfriend is not really a stunner but in Cambodia he kept getting flattering comments from the ladies. Som liked to tease him about his appearance and the time he took to get ready to go out etc. He also seemed to find it funny to suggest that my boyfriend was wearing lipstick (he wasn't). I don't think there was any malice behind any of it, he just wasn't as used to meeting an out gay couple as you would be in Thailand.

I couldn't stop my boyfriend taking a slightly patronising attitude to the Cambodians and it was very funny to hear him trying to correct their use of their own language which is closely related to Thai. He went with Som to his home and was very struck with the poor living conditions which was quite something as he lives himself in a very poor area.

Som was three years younger than my boyfriend but was noticeably more mature. Here's Som, who was 28 at the time of the photo:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c156/Jons_photos/Som.jpg

Siem Reap has a stunning range of ancient monuments.

As for the gay scene, well the Linga bar seems to be the only option now. Phnom Penh has a better gay scene.

Some of the guys in the Linga bar are very friendly & happy to spend time with you. However, take care as at least one is well & truly out to screw you financially, with all sorts of threats.

There are plenty of good looking guys around. For example, look out for the guys out fishing in their underwear when you are in the countryside. Also, the guys I meet in Cambodia usually speak English much better than the ones I meet in Thailand.

I also had the best massage to date in Siem Reap. One of those places with mixed staff doing foot massages downstairs. I booked an oil massage upstairs & it was superb right from the point where he started with some lovely long strokes up the full length of my legs, through the rest of the body & onto the happy ending.

[ceejay]

To quote George Orwell, comparing Pattaya with Siem Reap is like comparing a sausage with a rose. I was in Siem Reap last year for a week, and you just wouldn't go there for the boy bar scene, because apart from The Linga Bar, it just hasn't got one. To compare the two places I would say that the main reason for going to Pattaya is the bar scene, with a few day trips on the side. The main reason for going to Siem Reap is the temples, with an evening visit to Linga for a a little fun on the side.

I did take a couple of freelancers from Linga back to the hotel, and they were both sweet boys. I got the impression that both were genuinely gay (not always the case in Pattaya). Contrary to thaiguest, I did not find them at all greedy or grasping.

Cambodians do, on average, speak much better English than Thais (at least the ones I have met do). I noticed several language schools on the coach trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in places that were well away from the cities. Cambodians seem to set high store on learning foreign languages. Perhaps a reaction to the years of the Pol Pot regime, when knowing a foreign language was enough to get you, and you family, killed as bourgeois enemies of the people.

As far as the attitudes of Thais and Cambodians to each other go, I would describe what I have seen as toxic. Thais general attitude to Cambodians could be summed up as one of patronising contempt. The Cambodians not unnaturally, resent this and their attitude to Thailand in general is one of mistrust, coloured by a sense of a long held historical grievance. For example, I was shown a carving in Angkor Wat which, I was told, showed Thais employed as labourers and artisans for the contruction of the temple. The inscription had been vandalised, and my (middle class and educated) guide was convinced that this had been done by Thai agents, to hide their subordinate role in building the temple. I came away with a much better understanding of the Preah Vihear dispute, and the riots that followed on from a Thai actress claiming the Thais had built Angkor Wat.

..... comparing Pattaya with Siem Reap is like comparing a sausage with a rose.... .

Unbelievable.
Well, I guess we're up for anything in this forum. Never mind the remains of a fantastic civilization all around....just go there for the boys????

I think perhaps the OP should try to compare Sihanoukville to Pattaya. The comparisons are more apt.
And from my last visit in 2002 Snookeyville doesn't hold a candle to the gay scene in Patts. The beaches are nicer though.

Apparently another up and coming area is Kep which was a former beach resort area before the Khmer Rouge.

I'd like to know where to find boys who look like the luscious morsel in kenc's avatar. Yum!

[fedssocr]

Yeah, I don't see how you can compare the two places at all.

As for Cambodian boys/men I guess it really is in the eye of the beholder. Frankly I think the young men I have seen in Cambodia were generally stunning. I chalked that up to the Indian influence which dates back centuries combined with the usual SE Asian mix of genes. I suppose if you prefer more Thai-Chinese looks you might not like the darker, more South Asian influenced Cambodian looks. Cambodian people don't age well though. I assume it has to do with the hard life, too much sun, and the cigarettes.

I spent several days in Kep last year. Not my cup of tea exactly as there isn't much of anything to do and the guest houses are pretty rustic. But I assume nicer places will be opening as the place gets more popular. Bokor Mountain is very interesting but the ride up and down the mountain are not for the faint of heart or those with brittle bones.

For sure if you spend some time traveling around SE Asia all of the old (and not so old) animosities are clearly on display. The Thais look down on all of their neighbors. The Cambodians resent the Thais and hate the Vietnamese. I have met people in Northern Thailand who really hate the Chinese. Most Westerners think an Asian is an Asian and they have no idea about the rivalries and wars.

[thaiguest]

..... comparing Pattaya with Siem Reap is like comparing a sausage with a rose.... .

Unbelievable.
Well, I guess we're up for anything in this forum. Never mind the remains of a fantastic civilization all around....just go there for the boys????

I think perhaps the OP should try to compare Sihanoukville to Pattaya. The comparisons are more apt.
And from my last visit in 2002 Snookeyville doesn't hold a candle to the gay scene in Patts. The beaches are nicer though.

Apparently another up and coming area is Kep which was a former beach resort area before the Khmer Rouge.

Thank you. Have been to Pnom Phen and have already been templed out in Siem Reap hence the emphasis on boys in this post. You're right -Sihanoukville looks like a more valid comparative....next time maybe. In the meantime...I walked past a car wash shed 10 minutes ago in Pattaya....boys shirtless and glistening or wet T-shirted and dripping mmmmm.

[thaiguest]

To quote George Orwell, comparing Pattaya with Siem Reap is like comparing a sausage with a rose. I was in Siem Reap last year for a week, and you just wouldn't go there for the boy bar scene, because apart from The Linga Bar, it just hasn't got one. To compare the two places I would say that the main reason for going to Pattaya is the bar scene, with a few day trips on the side. The main reason for going to Siem Reap is the temples, with an evening visit to Linga for a a little fun on the side.

I did take a couple of freelancers from Linga back to the hotel, and they were both sweet boys. I got the impression that both were genuinely gay (not always the case in Pattaya). Contrary to thaiguest, I did not find them at all greedy or grasping.

Cambodians do, on average, speak much better English than Thais (at least the ones I have met do). I noticed several language schools on the coach trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in places that were well away from the cities. Cambodians seem to set high store on learning foreign languages. Perhaps a reaction to the years of the Pol Pot regime, when knowing a foreign language was enough to get you, and you family, killed as bourgeois enemies of the people.

As far as the attitudes of Thais and Cambodians to each other go, I would describe what I have seen as toxic. Thais general attitude to Cambodians could be summed up as one of patronising contempt. The Cambodians not unnaturally, resent this and their attitude to Thailand in general is one of mistrust, coloured by a sense of a long held historical grieveance. For example, I was shown a carving in Angkor Wat which, I was told, showed Thais employed as labourers and artisans for the contruction of the temple. The inscription had been vandalised, and my (middle class and educated) guide was convinced that this had been done by Thai agents, to hide their subordinate role in building the temple. I came away with a much better understanding of the Preah Vihear dispute, and the riots that followed on from a Thai actress claiming the Thais had built Angkor Wat.

Thank you. I didn't intend painting the Cambodians as greedy exactly, more like unrealistically ambitious to the point of living unhappy lives in the here and now-unlike the Thais I hang around with. It probably has to do with their recent history. The present young generation (the largest demographic group in the country) has been mentored by adults whose own mentors were wiped out. Everyone is trying to establish a path to an unknown destination I think.
I didn't mention the temples and that I've reasonably respectable credentials in archaeology because this is a forum for old ruins of the 2 legged type (like me).
Your points about Thai/Cambodian relations are well made. The Cambodians will not forgive the Thais for refusing to acknowledge their cultural debt to the Khmer civilization (Thai dance, music, dress, historic buildings etc.)
In the meantime...saw a long haired little god of a Thai boy fixing a motor bike on Soi 3 yesterday (not far from the over pass at Thrappaya Rd. on the right hand side going towards Pattaya Tai). Tomorrow I'm off to buy a bike that's sure to break down within the hour...

Pattaya & Siem Reap are very different, but it's still possible to do a subjective or objective comparison.
They are both tourist destinations, which have strengths in different areas.

Any two places or things to not need to be near identical for people to constructively discuss the relative merits of the two.
Anyone planning a holiday which includes both towns may need to do this to decide where to spend the most time.

[Bob]

Siem Reap has a stunning range of ancient monuments.


The major difference with Pattaya, of course, is that the ancient monuments at Siem Reap don't wear speedos....

Siem Reap has a stunning range of ancient monuments.

The major difference with Pattaya, of course, is that the ancient monuments at Siem Reap don't wear speedos....

I noticed that too.

Whilst we're on the subject, Siem Reap simply HAS to be visited. The range & scale of temples is amazing.

[PaulCambo]

There's something new in Siem Reap :
besides dozens of "gay friendly" hotels,
there is now one truly gay hotel in Cambodia: MEN's Resort & Spa (http://www.mens-resort.com).

located in Siem Reap Angkor, MEN's is a great "exclusively for men" hotel.

at MEN's you can also meet some local guys and other tourists who are joining the Sauna/Spa in the evening.

You should have a look to the website: www.mens-resort.com (http://www.mens-resort.com), it is absolutly the place to go for gay travellers.

http://www.mens-resort.com/pics/banner-04.jpg (http://www.mens-resort.com)

By the way, if you are travelling with girls or if you are afraid to go in a men exclusive Resort, you can go to one of dozens gay-friendly hotels in Siem Reap. But most of them are also kids & family friendly, so it's not sure you will feel comfortable while enjoying swimming pool with other guys.

Here is the list of gay friendly hotels in Siem Reap:

Advisor Angkor Villa hotel
Allson Angkor Hotel
Allson Angkor Paradise Hotel
Angkor Century Resort & Spa
Angkor Friendship Inn
Angkor Home Hotel
Angkor Palace Resort & Spa
Angkor Pearl
Angkor Saphir Hotel
Antanue Angkor Villa
Auberge Mont Royal Hotel
Bopha Angkor
Borei Angkor Hotel
Central Boutique Angkor Hotel
City Royal Hotel
Claremont Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap
Dara Reang Sey Hotel
Ei8ht Rooms
Ei8htinn
Empress Angkor Hotel
FCC Angkor
Ghech Summit Hotel
Golden Banana Boutique Hotel
Grand Hotel D'Angkor
Heritage Suites Hotel
Hotel 89
Hotel Be Angkor
Hotel de la Paix
Kazna
Kingdom Angkor Hotel
La Maison dтАЩAngkor
La Palmeraie
La Residence d'Angkor
Les Orientalistes
Mysteres d'Angkor
Neak Prean Guesthouse
Palm Garden Lodge Hotel
Parklane Hotel
Preah Khan Hotel
Prum Bayon Hotel
Royal Angkor Resort & Spa
Seven Inn Guesthouse
Shinta Mani
SiemReapRooms Guesthouse
Soria Moria
Steung Siem Reap Hotel
Suites and Sweet Resort Angkor
Tara Angkor Hotel
The Cockatoo Resort
The Kool Hotel
The One Hotel Angkor
The River Garden
The Sothea
Victoria Hotel
Viroth's Hotel

but how difficult/easy it is to find a boy? Is it that easy as it is in Pattaya?
Are there any host bars for gays like in Pattaya?