It is just 3 weeks since I returned from Pattaya and have fresh memories of my last night of 3 bars in soi 1 Pattayaland and one in soi VC Sunee, that did not have a single customer at 11PM. I had of course walked through Sunee on a number of nights and observed few with more than one or two beer bars with expats, nursing maybe their only drink for the night. Of the go go bars I did not enter I usually allowed the doormen to open the door and noticed there was nobody inside.Originally Posted by netrix
Netrix your tongue in cheek post ignores that Pattaya is stuck in a time warp and is sliding backwards.
Several months ago I posted about the online Spartucas and was put down by the wise men and elders of the board, who said find the friendly forums on the net. That is ok for english speakers as most gay threads world wide are in english. When I was in Montreal where the locals cant or wont speak english, I had the advantage of out of date listings in english. In Prague, Budapest and Bucharest it becomes more difficult but english listings helped.
Recent figures published listed the number of gaymen in China at between 5 and 10 million. What gay business would refuse to open their doors to a few dozen Chinese per week . My new chinese houseboy mentioned he goes to a local gay hotel we call Chinese take away[out] He laughed and said asians called the Peel, chopsticks and walking sticks. Maybe the name for a new Thai/Chinese gay bar?
I had this PM'd to me re the International gay and lesbian travel association meeting in Lebanon. Note the term familiarzation. Friends in travel have used this free travel perk from airlines, to visit a whole range of countries. I dont recall specifically any trips to Pattaya. If local gay businesses are to tap new markets, they need to identify who they and how to pitch their product to them in their own language. Cut and pasted from a forum member.
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2010 IGLTA Symposium- Beirut, Lebanon
From 13-18 Oct., the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association's Ambassador to Lebanon, Bertho Makso, hosted the destination's first familiarization tour and symposium for travel professionals that work in the gay and lesbian market. Fifteen members of the tourism industry from the United States, UK, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Chile and Serbia participated.
The Beirut-based trip not only toured the capital and explored its gay nightlife, but also took participants to famous historic sites throughout the country. Highlights included the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos, the beaches of Jounieh, and the underground caverns of Jeita. Also on the itinerary: the picturesque village of Deir El Qamar with its red-tiled roofs and the neighboring Beiteddine Palace, an architectural marvel dating to 1788 that now serves as the presidential summer palace.
Participants were also treated to the culinary delights of Tawlet, an organic Lebanese restaurant, and the Armenian haute cuisine of Mayrig. The farewell dinner was served at Bardo, one of the most LGBT-friendly spots in Beirut. Visits to a select list of hotels included the Riviera Beach Resort & Spa, the Holiday Inn Dunes (where the group was treated to a traditional Lebanese breakfast), and the elegant Gray Hotel. The group had the chance to experience the thrills of Beirut nightlife at local hotspots such as Bardo, in the mix, and Milk.
"Lebanon isn't the first country that springs to mind for LGBT travel, but Beirut is getting a lot of attention from travel media right now," says IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella. "It's exciting to see an IGLTA member at the forefront of this type of gay outreach."
An educational symposium took place 14 Oct. at the FAM's host hotel, the Bella Riva Suite Hotel, which opened a dialogue between trip participants and local gay business owners and activists. Three businesses in Lebanon are signing on as new IGLTA members. A post trip to Syria followed from 18-21 Oct..
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The IGLTA has an ambassador to Lebanon,[see above] an interested and involved local. Does Thailand or Pattaya have anyone in a similar position. To answer netrix , maybe you should be in Pattaya, is to survive.
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