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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