You still think Thailand is a gay paradise?

[arsenal]

"The room was small - not unusual for Japan"

You're not kidding. Last time there I could make a cup of tea without getting out of bed. I felt like Gulliver.

[vnman]

If I leave out the cost of hiring guys for fun, everything else in Tokyo is much cheaper than where I live and only a little more expensive than Bangkok.

High-end hotels in Tokyo are very expensive but there are lots of cheap business hotels scattered all over Tokyo if you don't want to spend the money.

I stayed at the City Hotel Lonestar, which is situated right in the middle of Shinjuku 2-chome. The room was small - not unusual for Japan - but more than adequate. I forget what I paid but probably around the same as the Tarntawan.

There's something for everybody; you just have to know where to look.

I was shocked at how affordable Tokyo actually was. Even Tokyo Kids had very reasonable prices... considering the country. I dare say that I suspect an adventure with a guy from Jupiter in Bangkok would set you back more.

[goji]

I stayed at the City Hotel Lonestar, which is situated right in the middle of Shinjuku 2-chome. The room was small - not unusual for Japan - but more than adequate. I forget what I paid but probably around the same as the Tarntawan.

I once stayed there. I could lie on the bed and touch all 4 walls simultaneously. One attraction was lads gathering on the railings across the road, which was one reason why I selected this hotel. The place has rebranded and is available for about 1800 Baht. Better is the nearby and newer Tokyu for slightly more at present. I think these are depressed COVID prices, as I remember considerably higher prices the last time I thought about it.

Also, of course the prices for "Tokyo Kids" are not unreasonable for Japan, but 15,000 yen for a drink and an hour with a lad is still 4500 Baht. So an extended holiday could be expensive. The service from their lads is first class and, despite the name, they are over 18.

Also, whilst I have been out cycling in shorts and a T-shirt in December, Tokyo is far colder than Thailand at this time of year.

I once managed to negotiate a deal with a freelancer entirely in Japanese, which is just about the only time I managed that with any transaction there.
Admittedly when I asked his name, he said Masashi and I misheard it as massage, so I skipped all the subtlety and asked how much ?

The other point is exchange rate fluctuation. At the current level of 150 JPY to the pound, I could consider a visit. However, the best rate in the 21st century is more than double the worst, so it has been both good value and expensive during that time.

[Armando]

If I leave out the cost of hiring guys for fun, everything else in Tokyo is much cheaper than where I live and only a little more expensive than Bangkok.

High-end hotels in Tokyo are very expensive but there are lots of cheap business hotels scattered all over Tokyo if you don't want to spend the money.

I stayed at the City Hotel Lonestar, which is situated right in the middle of Shinjuku 2-chome. The room was small - not unusual for Japan - but more than adequate. I forget what I paid but probably around the same as the Tarntawan.

There's something for everybody; you just have to know where to look.

Totally agree. I have never stayed at the Lonestar (or whatever its new name is) simply because I want to be a bit closer to Shinjuku station for ease of travelling around. I'll usually pay a little more to get a bigger room. I check various sites for the best deals and can usually get away with around 2,500 - 3,000 baht for B&B. That gets me a larger bed and never a problem with joiners.

Sure that's more than I'd generally pay in Thailand. On the other hand, almost everyone here talks about pay for play. In Tokyo there are plenty of alluring guys on the apps and in some of the bars and saunas perfectly happy to spend time with you at no cost. Why pay if it's not necessary, unless all you want is one of the really cute twinks from the host sites?

If I had not already bought my apartment in Bangkok. I'd happily stay in Tokyo or Taipei in preference to Bangkok. Bother cities have much to recommend them apart just from boys. So I regard both as a gay paradise. I'm a bit less enthusiastic of my other city - Singapore. I love it and I love the guys there, but it's just too cramped for my liking, and more expensive.

[a447]

Bother cities have much to recommend them apart just from boys. So I regard both as a gay paradise.

That's the one thing missing in Thailand, especially in Pattaya - things to do during the day after you have had your afternoon "fun". Tokyo can keep you occupied all day and all night if you want it to. I've sometimes taken a guy out for the day and we just go eating, shopping or hop on the train to go somewhere together.

My room at the Lonestar, whilst small, never felt uncomfortably cramped. In any case, it was only used for sleeping as joiners were not allowed.

If I'm bringing a guy back I want a larger room with a big shower in a hotel in the centre of the action. In that regard the Tarntawan was excellent. It wasn't fancy but it served is purpose.

The Japanese guys are way more expensive than in Thailand but you get superior service. It's a case of getting what you pay for, I guess.

But I'm a sucker, so to speak, for brown skin and big Isaan cocks, and I can only get them in Thailand. So for me, Thailand is indeed "still a gay paradise."

[mr giggles]

That’s a ridiculous premise as of course if his preferences were different to yours you would never understand why he or anyone else would think somewhere else might be better yet less agree with him about that then.

All you can say is that YOU ( I presume) think Pattaya is the best gay place in the world etc, many people would I’m sure disagree with that statement for many different reasons. That doesn’t make you wrong when based on your preferences but it does make it wrong to others perhaps when based on their preferences. Surely you understand that. ...

Again, the unedifying spectacle of 2 old queens bashing each other with lilies....

[Gaybutton]

Again, the unedifying spectacle of 2 old queens bashing each other with lilies....

I committed a terrible crime. I asked where might somewhere better than Thailand be found and what about it makes it better. I should have known that would touch off a maelstrom . . .

[mr giggles]

I committed a terrible crime. I asked where might somewhere better than Thailand be found and what about it makes it better. I should have known that would touch off a maelstrom . . .

How very dare you...

[christianpfc]

I have travelled SEAsia extensively (only Philippines are missing) and found Thailand the best overall. Good food, good public transport, a lot to see and to do, easy to stay long-time. Here comparison between countries:

To me, Lao is just like rural Thailand, with the inconvenience of needing a visa and changing money. No gay bars, saunas, massage that I know of.

Cambodia poor infrastructure and food. Boys available online, sauna, massage, but no gogo bars.

Myanmar good public transport, a lot to see and do, boys in massage, but no sauna and gogo bars. But difficult to stay long-term as a tourist.

Vietnam good public transport, a lot to see and do, boys in massage and sauna, but no gogo bars.

Boy-wise (looks and character) my preferences are as follow: (Myanmar similar to Cambodia) better than (Thailand similar to Lao) better than (Vietnam similar to Philppines based on small samples).

Taiwan to cold in winter, and not so much luck with boys online. But great saunas, the best I have been to.

Singapore to small for me. Even Cambodia and Taiwan to small to live and travel there for years.

Indonesia and Malaysia overall okay, but no compelling reason to return since my last trips around 2016.

Sep2020 I ventured to Brazil and it's an interesting place and I will be back and extend to Colombia and Mexico. Problem is that little to no English is spoken and most boys are hairy which I don't like at all.

I like dark skinned boys, warm weather, cheap living, therefor all my travel is in subtropical to tropical countries. I have little to no interest in Japan, South Korea, Spain for boys. I have no interest in beaches (unless there are boys in swimwear to ogle at, but I would rather ogle at boys in gogo bars than on beaches), if beaches are important for you, other countries will come out on top of our list.

But back to the gay part: Thailand has more (massage and sauna and gogo bars) and easier accessible (i.e. geared to foreigners) than any other country I have visited.

[vnman]

Boy-wise (looks and character) my preferences are as follow: (Myanmar similar to Cambodia) better than (Thailand similar to Lao) better than (Vietnam similar to Philppines based on small samples).

Just to be sure, are you comparing Vietnamese with Filipinos? Maybe you are just saying that you prefer them the same. It's all a matter of taste I guess, but Vietnam has a big lead on the rest of Asia if you ask me. I just love how white some of them are without being "white," a big contrast with Filipinos.

Taiwan to cold in winter, and not so much luck with boys online. But great saunas, the best I have been to.

It has been a few years but I remember how excited you were about Taiwanese boys. I seriously thought you would never come back to Thailand. I think that you were most excited about the fact that the boys actually wanted you and not your money. Did that change?

I have a friend who also loves Taiwan and never pays to play. Your previous experience sounded very familiar with his.

I ventured to Brazil and it's an interesting place and I will be back and extend to Colombia and Mexico. Problem is that little to no English is spoken and most boys are hairy which I don't like at all.

English is indeed not spoken a lot in in Colombia and Mexico, but I don't find the boys overly hairy. Many Asians are genetically (if that is your thing) blessed with little to no body hair. I was surprised that many Japanese are very hairy, but they are not on your shortlist anyway.