Is Sathorn/Suriwong a predominantly gay area?

[colmx]

Hi All
My Brother is going to be passing through Bkk for a week in August and has asked me for advise on where to stay....

I always tend to stay in the Sathorn/Suriwong/Silom or Rachada areas when i stay in Bkk

As a closeted (or at least to my family) Gay person - where should i recommend for him to stay?
He is 26, straight and is looking for somewhere cheap but good... for him and GF

I would normally recommend Sathorn to a gay person... but where does one recommend to a straight guy who is on a budget?
I guess maybe Sathorn/Silom/Suriwong is too gay an area to recommmend?

I was thinking of recommending the Amari Boulevard in Sukhumvit (i stayed there on my first LOS visit)... I reckon my usuals of tehPinnacle, Malaysia and Tarntawan are a bit tooobvious!
Any better suggestions?

Also as he is there for a week he is looking for a beach "place" to visit for 3-4 days during his 7 day visit... I can only thing of Ko Larn/Ko Samet as decent possibilities considering the time constraints they have...
Or does anybody have a better recommendation?
Thanks in Advance!

[netrix]

What kind of budget?

Sukhumvit is a great area, easy access to skytrain, close to
plenty of shopping and straight nightlife.

I've stayed at Le Fenix (http://www.lefenix-sukhumvit.com/) and loved it. Very nice, trendy place,
less than a block from 2 popular straight dance clubs...Bed Supper Club (http://www.bedsupperclub.com/)
and Q Bar Bangkok. Only about $54 USD per night. Pool, fitness center,
all the amenities of a much more expensive place.

The brand new Ibis Bangkok Nana (http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-7295-ibis-bangkok-nana/index.shtml) also looks good in Sukhumvit.
As low as $28 USD per night. It looks very modern and is close to
skytrain and shopping...No pool tho. I haven't stayed there yet but
I'm planning to next month.

[colmx]

Not sure what his budget is...but he has spent the last 6 months living it up and not working in Sydney...so i would guess its pretty minimal!

I was kinda thinking of recommending one of the new Ibis's to him (but not the one across the street from the Malaysia hotel)
Although i'm not sure how impressed his Oz GF would be with the Nan area!

BTW Netrix as a gay guy - why do you stay in the Suk or Nana area?

[netrix]

BTW Netrix as a gay guy - why do you stay in the Suk or Nana area?

fair question...i've also stayed at the Marriott and the Westin in Sukhumvit.
the first couple of times i visited bkk i was seeing 2 different guys who wouldn't
be caught dead in silom. one of them recommended the Westin because he
had been to a party there and liked it. and i like nicer places, don't mind
spending the money. in my experience a lot of the "gay" hotels are a little
less classy and that's a shame really, it should be the other way around.

[pong]

What a strange question to post here-completely different from the title!
IF that bro is a kind iof backpacker-and really I keep on being amazed at how little many of you seem even to read a guidebook etc-and on a budget-then there is just 1 area of BKk where ANY OZzie/western bekpekker (JPNese too) goes to; KHAO SARN-it has it all-10.000s of friendly farang-all out on their first trip and o-so amazed, guesthouses/small local style hotels ranging from 100 bt/nite (dont do that!) to around 1000-with very, very decent rooms from around 5/600-and tons of anything farang need-food, shopping etc. Nothing to do with gay or straight-its for anyone. NO need for BTS etc-as all the main 1st time sites are close by in walking or a short free bus ride. gaain that famous Lonely Planet guidebook has it all-give it as a gift-or let him buy it here as 2nd hand for half price. and yes, I say here-as I am staying in this area-till tomoroow, when the winetrholdiay is finisehd
but why even soeone would name Satorn as a gay area also baffles me-its just a far too wide traffic-clogged city-highway.

but why even soeone would name Satorn as a gay area also baffles me-its just a far too wide traffic-clogged city-highway.

I rather feel that the space between Lumpinee, Yennakard and the Sathorn Canals has being getting gayer over the last twenty years but it's not dense like Castro, Compton or Canal, Manchester. Silom 2 & 4 have had gay businesses for 40 years in my experience, though the Tulip has long gone from the corner with Soi Convent.

I'd not worry that your brother might stumble into a gay area except perhaps Soi 2 or 4 and simply get him a place that suits his budget and peer group. That probably points to the Khao San Road, which has the advantage of being close to the "must do" tourist attractions for the first trip. :drunken:

Try the PLAZA Hotel at 178 Suriwong Road
Around 1300 Baht / night with a swimming pool and convenient for public transport