Questions, questions

Ok,
I have travelled to Thailand lots but this time will be meeting a friend in Phuket who is locked in to travel arrangements etc.. so what i am trying to do for him is maximise the experience given the short time that he has. The schedule is:

Phuket 5 nights
Bangkok 3 nights
Pattaya 3 nights

He is no spring chicken, and hasn't been o/s for 20 years, let alone Thailand - as far as I know, he does not have a heart condition, and all other bodily functions are normal...?
He also wants to do the touristy thing.......


So lets start with Phuket:

Obviously - Paradise complex - is Passport bar still ok, and which club has the best f***k show - a nice restaurant with thai and european food with sensible pricing.
Will do Fantasea
Day on the beach / boat trip to Koh Phangan (sorry about spelling)
Temples
Elephant trek
Clothes, shopping - size no problem

Bangkok:

River cruise
Vertigo Bar
Tawan
Future boys - is this as good as it gets - hearing good reports
Need a few good restaurants - reasonable price - Thai/European
Jim Thompson?? - worth it?

Pattaya:

Beach
Happy Boys - still working?
Krazy Dragon- definitely
Will do the usual Boyztown cruise but not staying there
Late night disco
Isaan music..


A big ask - I do not have a problem with tine as I will be staying on but would really appreciate some feed back

Thanks
















Paradise complex - a given - which club is giving the best f***k show and also is Passport still ok

Bangkok:

River cruise
Vertigo Bar
Tawan
Future boys - is this as good as it gets - hearing good reports
Need a few good restaurants - reasonable price - Thai/European
Jim Thompson?? - worth it?
I enjoyed the Jim Thompson house. It is a traditional Thai teak house and a nice museum. Maybe see the Grand Palace with the emerald buddha and Wat Pho. You might have a bite to eat at either the balcony or telephone bars and do a little people watching. There is a restaurant just past balcony on the same side that is very good, as well. I can't remember the name.


Bangkok:

River cruise
Vertigo Bar
Tawan
Future boys - is this as good as it gets - hearing good reports
Need a few good restaurants - reasonable price - Thai/European
Jim Thompson?? - worth it?

Pattaya:

Beach
Happy Boys - still working?
Krazy Dragon- definitely
Will do the usual Boyztown cruise but not staying there
Late night disco
Isaan music..

Happy Boys is still going and is a good bar. Krazy Dragon is also a good choice. You might try Wild, Wild, West Boy Bar and Funny Boys in Boyztown. Those are two of my favorites.

[Smiles]

Ok,
I have travelled to Thailand lots but this time will be meeting a friend in Phuket who is locked in to travel arrangements etc.. so what i am trying to do for him is maximise the experience given the short time that he has. The schedule is:

Phuket 5 nights
Bangkok 3 nights
Pattaya 3 nights

He is no spring chicken, and hasn't been o/s for 20 years, let alone Thailand - as far as I know, he does not have a heart condition, and all other bodily functions are normal...?
He also wants to do the touristy thing.......


So lets start with Phuket:

Obviously - Paradise complex - is Passport bar still ok, and which club has the best f***k show - a nice restaurant with thai and european food with sensible pricing.

Patong Beach GoGo bars do not have fuck shows anymore as far as I'm aware. My Way did many years ago, but no longer ... and the show is awful. Quite willing to be corrected on the fuck show statement if anyone knows for sure. (What's with the f***k? You can say 'fuck' on this Board. Most of us are over 22.

Will do Fantasea

Touristy but fun. Haven't been for a coon's age but it was impressive in a Disneyland kind of way. One time is enough.

Day on the beach / boat trip to Koh Phangan (sorry about spelling)
Temples
Elephant trek
Clothes, shopping - size no problem

Bangkok:

River cruise

There are many, but if you want a decent dinner at a decent price, and a cruise which is mostly Thai folks, then choose the Yok Yor Restaurant dinner and cruise. Only one per evening (2 hrs) so make sure you get on the boat by 8PM at the latest. You'll see all the main sights along the Chao Phraya River all lit up and quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Vertigo Bar
Tawan
Future boys - is this as good as it gets - hearing good reports
Need a few good restaurants - reasonable price - Thai/European
Jim Thompson?? - worth it?

Plug in 'Future Boys' to the search engine here on the Board. There have been a number of threads specifically about Future Boys recently. Good fuck show etc etc etc.

Jim Thompsons House is definitely worth the tour. Very laid back, small groups in different languages. A nice cool greeny/leafy garden area in the middle of Bangkok ... on a Klong flowing past the back yard. Nice coffee shop and restaurant with reasonable prices.

Pattaya:

Beach

The absolute shits for swimming ... get your shots. Lots of umbrellas all over, so sunburn is not an issue. Can be very cruisy if you want it to be. Excellent for beached whale watching ... the farang geriatric/fat dude parade is often worth the low price of a chair.

Happy Boys - still working?
Krazy Dragon- definitely
Will do the usual Boyztown cruise but not staying there
Late night disco
Isaan music..

Always do yourself a favour and go to at least one Isaan music bar per trip. The GoGo boys head there after their bars close.


A big ask - I do not have a problem with tine as I will be staying on but would really appreciate some feed back

Thanks


Paradise complex - a given - which club is giving the best f***k show and also is Passport still ok

Dropped in to Passport the beginning of this month ... and dropped out as soon as was polite. A gaggle of extremely ordinary looking young men who didn't even try and provide an entertaining experience. All intent of talking to each other, ignoring the customers and generally appearing bored out their minds, which I'm sure they were. A very small place, feels claustrophobic.

[MARK]

Please re check hart condition before entering Krazy Dragon!
SHOCK can do strange thing to the body, also has reverse effect and make other parts of the body that have been dormant react in a rather erecting manner.

[Marsilius]

Another vote here for Jim Thompson's house. If your friend is at all appreciative of Asian art and architecture, he will love it.

Another option is an evening dinner cruise with http://www.loynava.com. Great food and service, and this company supports Bangkok Pride and other gay charities.
Jim Thompson House is worth a visit and its very close to National Stadium skytrain stn.
As i'm not a visitor to the bars, I'll let someone else answer that

Maybe this should be on another thread but I thought Bangkok Pride had been killed off two years ago.
Is it being resurrected?

Jim Thompson's house is (IMHO) one of the dullest tourist attractions and is a hot 15 minute walk from the station.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Jim Thompson's house is (IMHO) one of the dullest tourist attractions and is a hot 15 minute walk from the station.

What station are you walking from, it's just off the right exit side of BTS National Stadium. Opposite MBK.

Vinmanmek Palace is very nice. If those who have not been there in years, there's more open now and more to see.

I second the idea of the Express Boat from Taksin Pier...great, cheap, and a chance to be around Thai people on the move...monks, school kids, business men, etc.

And no visit to Bangkok is complete with out an early evening at Babylon.

I don't know to what extent your friend only wants to look and not participate, but if he is open to a "hands-on" experience of Thailand, you should consider scheduling a late afternoon massage. One possibility would be the day in Bangkok when/if you're doing the Grand Palace walk around. After a hot day on one's feet, a massage would be welcome.

But if the Bangkok schedule is too tight, then consider a massage in Pattaya, where there is not a lot to do in the day.

If you need recommendations re massage, let me know.

As for bars with shows in Bangkok, for first-timers, I'd say these would be the order of preference:
1. Future Boys - I think it's 10 pm.
2. Dream Boy - 10:30.
3. Jupiter - 10 or 10:15.

Tawan's show is pathetic. If your friend is elderly, skip Jupiter - the stools and benches are hard and uncomfortable.

[bing]

Your trip plans are very much like mine for my next visit. And like your friend, I also have some heart concerns. I loved Mark's comment about concern for your friend's heart and the Krazy Dragon. Personally the boys at Krazy Dragon get my heart beating great. Much better than walking endlessly on treadmill. He He.

Phuket observation: I have heard others say it is fun to take a Thai friend with you on the trip to James Bond Island. I am not stressed about not knowing who I will ask to accompany me. That will not be a problem. The pondering in my mind is whether to take the speed boat, which most take or the sailing junk that goes much slower and gets to the island after others have left, and supposedly is more leasurely and slower paced. I'd be open to suggestions from those who have taken the trip.

Pattaya: Happy Bar and Krazy Dragon, You might also add to JimmyJims to the list as well. Ouds is a nice place for a drink and get up to date gossip. If you do like chatting and meeting a few other farangs, I suggest Monty's out in Jomtien. He is not for all, but I seem to enjoy his company.

[krobbie]

Okay me4thai, now it's my turn. I love touristy stuff. Someone else can tell you about the bars.

In Phuket there is The Gibbon Rehabilitation project, located in the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, near Bang Pae Waterfall, and tries to rehabilitate abandoned pet gibbons to the wild. Very close to here is also an Elephant ride/trek place. Do a search on google.

Also the largest temple and most beautiful to me is Wat Chalong (search also). It's a ways out of (Pattong) town but the journey to Chalong is great also.

Bar Tangmo is probably worth a visit. It is in the Paradise complex. They have nice guys and the place is very friendly. Okay show also.

Bangkok: DO NOT MISS Jim Thompson House. It is beautiful and I and my guy spent hours there. You can take picture and the garden is lovely also not to mention the beautiful array of product that is available if you wish to purchase silk items. There is no pressure to do this. There is also a very adequate restaurant onsite for a sit down and a cuppa (wine in my case). I will go again.

Also Vinmanmek Palace, which has already been mentioned, is a a good outing also but no really a must see.

Don't know anything about Pattaya so will leave that to the aficionado's here abouts.

Have a great time. How could you not.

Cheers
krobiie

In BKK you must visit the Royal Palace plus the wholesale market just down the river a bit.