Recent Thailand trip Bkk/Pattaya/Phuket/Issan notes.

[newalaan2]

Just 'a few' notes from my recent trip. All I can say about the repetitive nature of these reports is that I don't change the schedule much from trip to trip but hope the updates are useful for those who have trips planned/upcoming soon and just want fresh info. For expats there's probably nothing new to read so no need to comment if it bores or you find uninteresting, just pass, it's easy.

ARRIVAL/DEPART.
Morning arrival 10am airport was quite busy, 1st immigration was packed, so headed to 2nd Immigration area which is still best for short Q's. 10 mins for immigration visa exempt on arrival TM6 form still paper effort as before, there was word of a change, not sure when, maybe someone can update. Down to lowest floor where ARL to city is located to find best exchange rate for Sterling cash of all places visited in Thailand. Value+ was best rate although not much between them and Superrich, however the crowd of Chinese lined up at Superrich made to decision to use Value+ easy, even if their rate had been worse. Pattaya Limo organised the roomy Honda car to Jomtien, Bt1200 inc tolls and excellent driver no faster than 120kph. Used them for the return journeys to Suvarnabhumi for the Phuket trip and the final drive to Bkk near end of trip, so i'll continue to recommend them as all cars were big limos and all drivers top-notch waiting for me ahead of time at all pick-ups.

Departure home flight was mid-day, and so airport heaving..fortunately am able to use FlyBlue loyalty card at the business class check-in which also give a VIP lane immigration/security at departures which was a blessing as VIP was empty but all things economy were jam packed with some VERY long Qs. AF/KLM even had a notice at their check=-in area to warn about hanging around and get to immig and security quick as gates closing strictly on time. Saw lots of dramatic (mostly asian)folks running to various gates..

PHUKET.
As I said first visit for a few years....worth the effort? I would say yes, for a short 3-4 day trip anyway. Not really that much of an effort especially if you fly from Suvarnabhumi if coming from Pattaya side and reasonable costs to get there. 90 min from Jomtien to airport, 1 hr 5 mins flight with Thaismaileair at Bt1200 one-way inc 20kg luggage, seat pref, snack/drink. Biggest Phuket issue with many is the transport situation and that can be overcome by renting a car at the airport, that alone saves Bt800 taxi hire each way and at Bt1100 a day for rent inc extra insurance makes it a reasonable transport cost around the islands for the rest for the 3-4 days. Car rent at airport, 10 mins for paperwork/car condition check/user instruction, new Honda Jazz with button for electric starting and auto...easy. On way quickly after landing.

Low/rainy season Sept/Oct but although daily downpours they didn't last, 2 evenings there was no rain. Severe hold-ups with road-works from airport to Patong but not disastrous and one way system in Patong makes for easy driving there. Stayed at C&N Hotel near Paradise, thanks to Colmx for recommendation, Boy69 threw up some doubt about room quality and attitude there, but found it to be excellent in all aspects, especially attitude, nothing too much bother. VIP room old but huge with large balcony and everything in good condition. Had small car park which was great, threw bellboy car keys and they saw to car parking, luggage etc, check-in 2 mins. Bf said they were very friendly at all times even when on his own.

For somebody who has travelled here many times since 2000 I found a significant change of the profile of the visitors. So used to white western faces for first few years, then a change to Russian/eastern bloc and now it was mostly Indian, Korean and Japanese/fair skinned Asians. On our flight it was more than 50% indian families, with good number of Phuket muslims and fair skinned Asians Koreans/Chinese as it apparently was a 10 day Korean/Chinese holiday, with only 3 white faces inc my own it was quite a contrast to years gone by. These percentages/numbers were reflected in Patong, with hoards of Chinese all over the place.

Patong has two distinctive feelings, on one hand there are great restaurants, shopping, busy/exciting feel to it, but on the other is so much worse in terms of the 'hard sell' as I remember from previous years. Bangla, now Walking st was a nightmare, if you subtract the 2-300 (yes! that many)barkers, bar hustlers it might be reasonable, but posters with Bt69 drinks! thrust in your face every yard from all sides was tiresome. If it was your first/only visit it might be eye opening/exciting but after an hour it's just a fucking nuisance. Frontage of all Walking st bars packed, I counted 8 live bands on the small stretch alone all competing in noise levels, but once inside the bar you found it empty at the back.

As for Paradise Complex, certainly shrunk in terms of quantity of bars available boys, but for 3-4 day visit still plenty enough to keep entertained. As others have suggested on other threads for visitors hoping/needing/demanding large numbers of available boys then they might be disappointed as it seems to be seen by most gay visitors as a place to visit with your partner as there were big numbers of young gay couples, and those in groups clearly there for fun and not for offing boys. That said if I were alone without bf seeking company every night I would have easily found a dozen lads each night to my liking, not sure why some moan about lack of choice because there is not 500+ to choose only one or two from. It's absurd. 3 Agogo's still standing, New My Way in the old Spartakus massage place, MO2 (old tangmo moved across the soi) and Passport. Passport lads hanging around outside the bar did look pretty rough, My Way is very small, very comfy sofas but room for only about 25 customers. Drinks here Bt150 which is very reasonable as had show. Surprise here was that the show was a full on fucking show (as well as katoey lipsync and candle show) with fucker/fuckee round audience for close up and tips, the Korean girls next to me happy to throw a few Bt100 notes their way for the boys to suck eachother right in front of them....wasn't expecting that in Paradise! Audience mostly Chinese/Korean with again only 3 white faces in the place. About 12 boys here with 2-3 very keen to interact with customers, had good laugh here and a few tips to share around, not expensive. MO2 show was more professional and the lip syc boy/girl was stunning and very precise with the English words, cant remember cost of drinks here as was with bf for a while and just paid up at end without checking, again 12-15 boys here with 3-4 easily to my taste. Passed on Passport.

Tons of massage place in Paradise more than 20 easily, mostly on main centre soi leading to Paradise Hotel, with very wide range of boys, plenty twinks as well as better built and older, again lost of hustle when walking through this part of Paradise, boys very keen for customers. Terrace lounges very good, enjoy sitting at all of them at some stage, Connect, Sundowners, Zag and Zag bar (old chic bar) as well as couple either side while empty early in the evening, at 7pm one evening I was only one of two customers but later on jam packed! Zag club was packed each night I/we were there and great atmosphere, again cant remember drinks prices, when on hols I can only remember mostly host bar prices, full of Korean/Chinese/Asian guys lots of flrting between them as well as thai guys making themselves available. Didn't make it to Boatbar, advised it 'wasn't worth it' but sat at James Dean Bar early evening and although just outside the bright lit up area had 6-8 very nice guys here, up for a laugh, very polite and very flirty, would easily have found a partner for the night here if alone. Drink prices definitely not Pattaya levels I think Connect Terrace may have been about Bt150 a drink. I seem to remember bf telling me Zag wasn't cheap but no detail i'm afraid.

During the day when we surfaced we visited around the island, and tons of places for a 3-4 day visit with car rental. Stopped at Rawai Beach on last night, set out like Cha-Am with long stretch of restaurants on one side of road and their seating/soft light area across from them with sea water lapping the wall where you eat, nice cool breeze, quiet with only the noise of the sea, romantic even! Food was excellent, bf even got passable som tam and seafood fresh, took time, 3 hours to enjoy the evening. Everything in Phuket expensive compared to the likes of Pattaya, except 7-11/Family as National pricing, but not budget breaking, had ice western breakfast in the sundowners caf

[BTS -> ARL edited by ChristianPFC]

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[newalaan2]

Unfortunately the text didn't like the word cafe and the post was cut short. When I tried to edit, apparently I didn't do it quick enough and lost the rest of the text completely and only the above appeared. I'll re-write the rest and just add another post.

[joe552]

I wondered what had happened, newalaan. An interesting read - thanks for taking the time. Looking forward to more.

[newalaan2]

Had nice western breakfast at Sundowners restaurant for Bt130, very good it was too. But after 4 days the continual whining of the tuktuk/taxi guys becomes tiresome. Every fucking 5 yards on the Paradise road 'taxi? tuktuk?' as if we cant all fucking see the red vehicle they are lazily leaning against or the LARGE 'taxi' sign they are holding to advertise it! Pain in the arse.

PATTAYA.
Anyway on to Pattaya. Not much change in the 3 months between visits there as usual. We stayed at Mosaik for the best part and as said in another thread it was 85% full so we were based in an F-Block room where the rooms are excellent. Full kitchen room, massive lounge with excellent sound system furnishings and decoration, huge bedroom also with small balconies at rear of building. Plenty of room for bf to invite various friends round for evenings-in and pre-night out set-ups. Didn't see any of my neighbours in all 3 floors on the stairwell or lift the whole time we were there, except for a family of Indians who moved in for a few days during our stay on the same corridor and left their room door open day and night as various family members came and went between this room and another on a lower floor.

In BT visited all the bars at one point or another. TOYBOYS busy as usual with Korean/Chinese female customers and mix of farang/Chinese/Asian male customers with good line-up of guys from twink to manly. PRISMA was a good bit quieter than previous visits as it had only 6-8 twink types, but I parked myself outside on the terrace and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere as well the boys outside Toyboys. OSCARS Bar had good customer numbers the nights I visited, but SERENE much less than normal, maybe not a Russian holiday time? same with PANORAMA nowadays much quieter than previous trips but again maybe because of non-eastern bloc holiday time? BzBzBz was packed the couple night we were there, all Asian customers giving tips, drinks and offs. We have a few good friends work here so I find it a bit awkward to visit many times, but bf visited without me couple times and he always enjoys it. Could be the fact he never gets to pay any drink bills when he visits, he does of course offer but finds 'somebody' always has it covered. CUPIDOL had usual mamasans on hand, but only 'ok' for me this visit, not so many cute twinks as normal and not as hectic as usual, here again Asians responsible for most of the custom here. Did pay a visit to KAWAII over on Pattayaland soi 3, the soi is a disgrace massive pot holes filled with water permanently, it's a mess, as for Kawaii, 3 customers and 5 boys who all considered the very best way to get a customer was to stare at him zombie-like for the whole time until the customer eventually got fed up and left. Didn't visit 360/DreamBoy/XBoy.

Sunee was the regular early evening haunt before a night out and all-evening haunt on the non-clubbing nights after BT visit. Each visit providing more evidence that it may be just a matter of time before rental income falls far enough for Mdme Sunee/current owner to consider what is best return for their land investment. But meantime still plenty life there with 16 or so venue all still operating. Four agogo's open which is same number as BT soi. Didn't visit EROS as it's not really my kind of bar, but I know it is very popular with others so no criticism just fact it's not for me. So therefore WINNER had more visits than usual. Good mix of lads here mainly normal flexible gay lads capable of giving and taking, with a few femme types but NOT all sissy-boy as MFAS likes to blather. Boys very keen to interact and loads of fun, not a huge bill when giving out a few drinks and tips, with tips politely accept not demanded. The infamous ping-pong balls were available at every table but so no takers at all on all my visits there. But have to note the mainly farang customers here also engaged in good fun and were very generous with tips and drinks as well as boys getting offs.

Next door at EURO BOYS was fun night every night, very busy bar full most nights with very fun and interactive boys, some new cute lads on the staff, boys very keen and a great atmosphere, again contrary to comments here and there on this forum farang customers generous with tips and anything but cheap with giving out drinks as well as many customers opening bottles. Bossman here encourages fun and creates great atmosphere as well as generous with drink kick-backs to boys. One of the quieter nights bossman decided to shut shop sharp and give the boys an after work night out at karaoke, I was invited along and bossman was quick to assure no problem with bin, he would take care of whisky for boys and all I had to do was contribute to cover my own drinks. 8-10 of us headed out to find the karaoke named GPS....and you guessed it...nobody could find it! no GPS co-ords, but we finally did, and great night ensued, plenty fun and interaction between boys and gentle joking about singing ability. After a while here bossman wanted to show me another karaoke, this one with available man-boys in the line-up, a small place but still had 15 or so lads in the line-up to be taken for 'comany' at I think Bt200/hr? anyway the female customers snapped them up! although our table managed to hook a couple who seemed delighted to be in this crowd of cute lads with couple bottles whisky and beers on the table, whisky sets Bt1000 and down, large beers Bt130? Fun finished 5-6am? DIAMOND BAR next to Euro Boys does get custom during the evening but as it has such a large frontage always seems to look quiet. But it does attract the occasional arab lads who play pool there and get on with the great staff there. I enjoyed a few games of pool so Diamond was a regular also.

RAINBOW BAR was quieter than normal, maybe not a German holiday time as most of it's clientele tend to be from there, GREEN CHAIRS had the usual ebb and flow with many tables taken some evenings, I think I even spotted our very own Francoise on occasion. DOUBLE SHOT as per last visit very busy some nights, I know it always 'looks' busy due to the large number of man-boy staff but many nights it had plenty of customers too, a place I like to visit too as the man-boy waiters there can be great fun and very forward after a few beers. SKY BAR also had its fair share of custom considering its location on the backwater soi, plenty of French speaking customers and loud music many nights I visited, with mine host Alain making sure I always had tasty snack food as well as the occasional free drink which was appreciated. ONE BAR opposite has its regulars as does GOOD BOYS further down the soi, despite looking tough/manly there are always 6-10 boys outside this bar politely trying to invite you in. Round on the other soi, Elephant Hotel bar had some custom, but TING TONG RED was again very quiet compared to previous trips, again maybe not time for German hols? OUDS as usual also with good regular customers, and free entertainment in the form/shape of OUD himself always a good sport/laugh. FOREST BAR although often looking quiet has good footfall throughout the many hours it is open, some nights a few tables were occupied after 2am. Passed on Power Boys preferring to visit Nice Boys when looking for a Gogo visit, busy the nights I was there with customers and fun boys here too, very keen to interact with customers, always enjoy a visit here, and encouraging to see some Asian customers had gone out of their way to try find it using their smartphones.

Late night fun was between Walking Street and Tam Nan Issan, with one NAB and one Kon La Fan visit each. While TamNan was not packed every night as usual it was maximum fun there on every visit. Normally we are on Beer Towers there at Bt600-Bt700 a time, with excellent food too. If I were single looking to hook-up in Pattaya I would forgo the agogo bars and the gay romeo/hornet apps and simply head to TamNanIssan. A couple of nights I was there alone without bf and the opportunities to hook up were numerous, lots of approaches with the line 'you come here alone'? followed by 'so where your room?' these mostly working boys out for fun after work with a few whisky's in them are incredibly forward when they want to be. One night some of our BzBzBz friends had invited a customer to try the delights of TamNanIssan and had a table at the back, so there was a hotine between their and our table nearer the front with lots of back and fore between them and a great laugh minute by minute. NAB I found to be 'same as same as' to be honest I find TamNanIssan and Walking Street to be more varied and interesting. Maleeen Disco is the perfect place to round off any evening/night you want with a 4-5-6 am finish. Walking Street is always a favourite not only with us but most of the gay lads we talk to. I was disappointed in a previous favourite called Stones House at the start of Walking St. It's 'sister' bar/club at the other end of Walking St called Soi 16 Pub closed and is now being made into an Indian Disco, and so it seems ALL the staff at the closed establishment seem to have migrated to Stones House resulting in an over-the-top amount of service waiters, there were at least 12 outside harassing customers to go in, and when in there is big pressure to keep buying drinks, with I think a waiter per table, every 2 fucking minutes some waiter or other was either picking up your beer bottle to check if empty yet, or actually starting down to your almost full spirit glass to ask if you want another! WTF! and the begging for tips at every drink bill was annoying. So finished drinks and didn't go back. But plenty more in Walking st, ZAB the issan music bar was lively as usual and we all enjoyed a couple evenings there though not cheap at nearly Bt200 a drink. Lucifer, Insomnia etc always packed but an hour at any of these quite enough for me, I always liked Motorhead 'louder than anything Else' slogan but these clubs are worse than even that in terms of volume level, it really does hurt the ears and the level is ridiculous, deafening. Was determined to visit Pattaya Beer Garden as never been there but still never made it, there was always somewhere else suggested. But one night we did fancy eating in instead of carry out from WatChai eateries, so as New York Diner is attached to one of the clubs, I think Insomnia we headed there for the first time, even at 3am it was pretty busy but we managed to get a nice table at the back overlooking Pattaya bay, and at night oyu cant see the sea colour only hear the waves so it was quite enjoyable. It advertises itself as a cheap place, but while each dish is reasonable when you have a few it's still lands up about Bt1000 for 2. But worth it.

General food was cooked at the apartment with Tops Supermarket just beside us and Friendship not far, but outwith that Deli Diner was the favourite, good coffee there every day Americano strong with taste at Bt55, Starbucks average tasted at Bt110. Various 'specials' nightly and good regular customer base now. One night had the New Zealand lamb shank which was superb and at Bt320 well worth it. Very late night food came from WatChai with good large fish and Kao Man Gai at our favourite eaterie which also served my favourite late night food, Ga-Pok-Pa? very dark soup with chicken and mini eggs, but 'my lady' always managed to leave out the blood slices and other odd looking bits and bobs, but delicious back in the apartment with soft wholemeal bread.

Well apparently I've been rather verbose and max characters reached so will allow no more. There is more and I will post the 'rest'. Again as I said at the start these reports are not for everyone and I do them rushed especially this time as my post was cut suddenly, so if you don't care for the content just pass rather than litter the thread with petty, nit-picking and moronic banter which seems to be the norm in threads nowadays.

[FarangRuMak]

Jeez.
As reports go, that's the Mother of all Reports.
But very welcome because it brings us back to focus on what we want to know; the bars, the choice, the boys, the prices, the food, the getting around and so on.
Thanks for your refreshing interjection.

[arsenal]

Wonderful wonderful stuff Newalaan2 and the perfect antidote to Frequents 'oh look at me I'm soo clever' unnecessary and snide post on the 'His Majesty's Funeral Arrangements' thread. More more more. When you have time of course.

[a447]

Newalaan2, I'm assuming you typed "Cafe" with an acute accent. The software can't handle foreign language accents and anything typed after the accent can not be posted on the forum.

I'm glad you didn't just give up, as you have produce an epic report. It was so good that I threw away my newspaper and read it instead!

[samebb]

Great read! Thanks!

Awesome to see someone else who enjoys Tam Nan over NAB. I have had a good few amazing nights there, and like you said it's always great bumping into the gogo boys there.

[joe552]

A question, newalaan, re: New York Diner. It sounds like the kind of place I'd like to take one of my friends. Is it actually on Walking Street? I presume there's a sign outside, so shouldn't be hard to find, I hope. Thanks again for your interesting and very detailed reports.

[Manforallseasons]

A question, newalaan, re: New York Diner. It sounds like the kind of place I'd like to take one of my friends. Is it actually on Walking Street? I presume there's a sign outside, so shouldn't be hard to find, I hope. Thanks again for your interesting and very detailed reports.

Joe do get abreast of the times! Click on this link

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Province.html

O.M.G. F.H. must be so jealous of all those Likes on newalaans post.