Phuket in July

I have finally registered after lurking for 17 years. I have made 5 trips to Thailand since 2006 and I am now in a position to make an annual or semi annual trip.
I will be in Phuket for three weeks in July. I am seeking advice as to how to find a guy that can travel with me for those three weeks. I want to tour the islands and travel to Bangkok by train for my return flight. I have never taken a long distance train trip in Thailand. The reason I want some one to travel with me is the ability to make life easier for myself in purchasing travel tickets and not eating alone. I am aware of the fact there will be no leaves left on my tree after this post. LOL I think 30K BHT is a fair amount to pay for two and a half weeks. I will pay all expenses for our travels. Let the feast of my bones began. LOL

Have you checked out the guide service at he top of the site?

I did not see any listed for Phuket. I am flying from Hong Kong to Phuket.

I agree with Paborn that a professional guide is what you are looking for, and although one may not be listed in Siamroads for Phuket, it may be that for a two plus week gig, that may not only end with travelling to Bangkok, but they could possibly join you in travelling from Bangkok to Phuket, one of the Bangkok guys could be available. I expect that Moses can advise you of that.

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Originally Posted by Brad the Impala

I agree with Paborn that a professional guide is what you are looking for, and although one may not be listed in Siamroads for Phuket, it may be that for a two plus week gig, that may not only end with travelling to Bangkok, but they could possibly join you in travelling from Bangkok to Phuket, one of the Bangkok guys could be available. I expect that Moses can advise you of that.

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With budget 30000 bahts and time of tour 2.5 weeks it is impossible to take guide from Siamroads to foreign city.
Here is calculation for 15 days:
Time of guide: 15 days x $75 = $1125, with discount 10% for long tour = $1012
Separate room for guide (must!) even in small and cheap guesthouse will cost $350-$400

It is already about 45000.

Maybe consider going and meeting some nice guy/s there and suggest they join you. I’m sure you’ll find plently of nice guys who would be MORE than happy to join you on that trip and probably for much less money too ( well at the start anyway)

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Originally Posted by Nirish guy

Maybe consider going and meeting some nice guy/s there and suggest they join you. I’m sure you’ll find plently of nice guys who would be MORE than happy to join you on that trip and probably for much less money too ( well at the start anyway)

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Yeah, it sounds more realistic and should be more cheap than to hire pro from Siamroads out of his home city for 2.5 weeks.

By the way: usually guys (from SR) agree to take such long orders only from client whom they know already from prev. more short tours - from formerly clients. They want to be sure what behavior of client will be civilized with understanding what is possible and what is not possible. We had few dramas at the past and they don't want to step at the same boat again.

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Originally Posted by Meco

I have finally registered after lurking for 17 years. I have made 5 trips to Thailand since 2006 and I am now in a position to make an annual or semi annual trip.
I will be in Phuket for three weeks in July. I am seeking advice as to how to find a guy that can travel with me for those three weeks. I want to tour the islands and travel to Bangkok by train for my return flight. I have never taken a long distance train trip in Thailand. The reason I want some one to travel with me is the ability to make life easier for myself in purchasing travel tickets and not eating alone. I am aware of the fact there will be no leaves left on my tree after this post. LOL I think 30K BHT is a fair amount to pay for two and a half weeks. I will pay all expenses for our travels. Let the feast of my bones began. LOL

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Welcome to the board, Meco!

Three weeks is a long time to travel with someone you don't know; I know best friends who were at each other's throats after less than a week of travelling together!

Why don't you get a good travel guide book (or research the WWW) and continue to ask questions on the various gay Thailand message boards to plan your trip (and even during). You can then search for a guide/travel buddy while you're there if you feel that you still need one.

The nearest train station to Phuket would be Surat Thani (which is 6-7 hours by bus from Phuket?). And depending on the time you catch the train in Surat Thani (I think the express trains to BKK depart late in the evening), you won't be able to see much as you will be chugging along in the middle of the night before reaching Bangkok the next morning. Alternatively, you could spend a few nights in Kok Samui which is off Surat Thani (it is part of the same province) before continuing your journey to BKK. You can break your journey again as you head north to Bangkok with a stopover in Hua Hin and say hi to longtime board member (and founder?) Smiles and his partner, Suphot. I believe Suphot is a guide who's has good reviews (for his guide work!) on the various gay Thailand forums so there's one verified contact that you already have in your book.

IMHO, the train journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is the most scenic especially as the train passes through Lampang and Lamphun as it makes its way to Chiang Mai early in the morning. If you can, have breakfast with someone special in the restaurant car at that hour. :heart:

PS It's rainy season in July.

Thank you for the input. I did 5 months around Southeast Asia in 2010 and survived. I can do this as well. I spent three weeks at Two Guys in Pattaya learning how to live again after an all consuming job for the previous 12 years. As I understand Two Guys might be closed. I want to see more of Thailand then the normal stops. I have never been to Phuket or the islands. I am at that point of semi retirement and would like to branch out more.

I arrive in Phuket at 2330 from Hong Kong. It looks as though the airport service from Aquarius has been discontinued. Any ideas of a reliable car service at that hour?
Thanks

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Originally Posted by Meco

Thank you for the input. I did 5 months around Southeast Asia in 2010 and survived. I can do this as well...

I arrive in Phuket at 2330 from Hong Kong. It looks as though the airport service from Aquarius has been discontinued. Any ideas of a reliable car service at that hour?
Thanks

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Of course you can. It's not hard to navigate your way around the big, touristy cities in Thailand. Make sure you get hooked onto the Internet as soon as you arrive so you can stay in touch with boards like this to ask questions if you need to. But do check on the weather if you're planning on island hopping.

I was in Phuket with a bunch of friends a few years ago and we took a shared van to our hotel. We had to wait a while as we arrived in the early evening and there was a long queue but we got to our destination safe and sound. I think the same company provides a private taxi service that will take you to your hotel or anywhere within their service range. No need to worry as there'll be booths displaying signs offering taxi services as you arrive.

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Originally Posted by Meco

As I understand Two Guys might be closed.
Thanks

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Def closed. There is a thread here about it.

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Originally Posted by sglad

" ... You can break your journey again as you head north to Bangkok with a stopover in Hua Hin and say hi to longtime board member (and founder?) Smiles and his partner, Suphot. I believe Suphot is a guide who's has good reviews (for his guide work!) on the various gay Thailand forums so there's one verified contact that you already have in your book ... "

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Thanks Sglad for your mention of Suphot and his tour business. He has a very comfortable vehicle and knows all of Thailand like the back of his hand.

Meco, that is certainly one option that you might consider. July is 'low' season in Thailand, as it is with Pot, so no problem with hiring him for any trips you may like to do during your three weeks.

It really depends upon what kind interaction you wish to dabble in with your guide during your trip.
Hiring a guy from a gogo or host bar is definitely an option if you wish sex to be a part of your trip ... (that would certainly NOT be a tour for Suphot :rolleyes: ). You never know, you might well find a Thai guy in a bar who intuitively clicks with you, and vice versa. And having found The One, he would almost for sure be happy to take you wherever you wish. Definitely find a guy who turns you on, is mutually happy with your company, and who can speak your language ... it's really important to be able to converse on a reasonable level.
If you choose that option you would have to pay for everything: daily off fee for the bar (long term will make that lower ... the boy will negotiate); daily cash amount for the Thai guy (negotiable, up front); gasoline for a car or fare for other transportation; all meals, all booze; all fun at night; all hotels.

Obviously the option of hiring a professional guide (like Moses' business, or Suphot's, or some other tour business) and the fee would be completely known to you from day one.

In my opinion, the bar boy option is much more likely to stretch your imagination, to be a bit on the edgy side, and is much more likely to hit some sort of jackpot if you are lucky to stumble over a great Thai man/boy who knows Thailand well and really likes you as well. You won't get much better than that . . . though the initial hook-up won't be easy and it had better be right!
Hey, fall in love . . . it'd happened before.

The second, more business-like option, is more 'safe' on more than one level, more everything-up-front, more white picket fence. (Paborn-style)

Difficult choices ...

Thanks for the advise

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Originally Posted by Meco

I will be in Phuket for three weeks in July. I am seeking advice as to how to find a guy that can travel with me for those three weeks. I want to tour the islands and travel to Bangkok by train for my return flight. I have never taken a long distance train trip in Thailand. The reason I want some one to travel with me is the ability to make life easier for myself in purchasing travel tickets and not eating alone.

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Phuket to Bangkok by bus and train sounds inconvenient to me. Only one time, when I was in Koh Samui in early 2011, did I book a train ticket (from Surat Thani station, the same you would be using) not at the train station but at an agency, and that was a pain in the ass (being sent around several places, lots of confusion and time wasted). I would avoid this at all cost and either take bus directly to Bangkok or fly to Bangkok.

" make life easier for myself" keep in mind that most boys in the bar probably only know their home village and the surroundings of the bar or the place they stay. Do not expect a bar boy to be a tour guide, nor any help in booking hotel or transportation. As for eating, he and you might have different ideas what a good meal is.

I mostly travel alone because that makes life easier for myself.

Well I had to change my dates of travel to July 8-July 20 and will only do Phuket and the islands. Crazy work changed my plans, just an excuse to visit again when this contract is over in October. Thanks for the advice, I do tend to travel by myself and have done so for years. I like quiet time when I want it. I traveled for five months throughout SE Asia in 2011, then setteled in Ho Chi Minh City for a year.

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Originally Posted by Meco

I have finally registered after lurking for 17 years. I have made 5 trips to Thailand since 2006 and I am now in a position to make an annual or semi annual trip.

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Hi Meco. I've been meaning to ask you: what made you wait so long before posting?