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"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
That serpent looks like a transvestite.
Now this one below is surely a better specimen.
Manforallseasons (December 4th, 2021), Ruthrieston (December 5th, 2021)
as long as the authorities maintain a safe enviornmnet and allow anyone with enough cash to buy companionship and more.....it will remain a "gay" paradise...or what I refer to "gay wonderland".
francois (December 5th, 2021)
francois (December 5th, 2021)
Maybe Thailand isn't currently the gay paradise as it used to be, but for gay holiday makers if there is somewhere better than Thailand to go these days, where would that be?
I don't even factor in Thailand's Constitutional Court prohibiting same-sex marriage. Does that come as any surprise? How is that any different from the way it's always been in Thailand, including the golden years of the bar scene? Although it's nice to find out that according to the court now we're all a different species.
I wonder if they have named our species yet. Maybe it will be Homo suckfuckus. I could live with that. Or maybe the previously named species will take on a slightly different meaning - Homo erectus. Maybe we'll even get special consideration and protection if we are declared an endangered species . . .
Ruthrieston (December 6th, 2021)
That really seems to be a comment from someone who has not travelled much in search of other places which could also be called a gay paradise. What about the South American cities which many rave about? Closer to Thailand, what about Tokyo? What about Taipei? What about some of the islands in the Philippines? If you know where to go, the gay tourist can have a great time. There are certainly loads of willing local guys.
What about Singapore? This may seem an odd choice given the colonial A377 article in the criminal code. But the government has said it will not use it and seems to have stuck to its word. There are still gay bars, gay saunas, great cruising and a lot more - although obviously pricier than Thailand.
The main difference between these places and Thailand seems to be a lack of gay gogo bars. But then we have no idea for how much longer these bars are likely to operate. Hopefully many more years, but we have seen how so much of the gay scene has gone way downhill in the last decade or even more. The gay scene in Chiang Mai is a mere shadow of its former self. Phuket is worse. Unless you stick to Bangkok and Pattaya you are certainly not in any form of gay paradise. Even in Bangkok quite a few central saunas and massage spas have closed for good, including the much missed Babylon. So gay tourists have to travel further out to find the smorgasbord of gay activities in which they could previously indulge in the city centre.
vnman (December 9th, 2021)
That is true. It has been many years since I have been to any of the places you mentioned. But I didn't ask whether there are other places for gays to go. I asked if anyone knows of a place better than Thailand to go.
If there is such a place, I'd like to know where and what about it makes it better than Thailand.
arsenal (December 5th, 2021), mr giggles (December 5th, 2021)
I've not yet seen a credible alternative to Thailand.
The boys on the apps in The Philippines are very good and have more modest financial requirements. However, the bars are spread all over the place, are reportedly expensive and the pictures imply they are full of muscle guys. So I didn't bother with the bars.
Cambodia has some nice lads and several bars, but only Toolbox is one I'd be keen to return to.
Yangon has some very nice massage services. However, things like food and hotels are of a far lower standard than in Thailand.
vnman (December 5th, 2021)
Metro Manila has a few spots for the gay crowd that sadly have diminished to single venues. Metro Manila has many cities and traffic is horrible, even at night time. But if you look at Ortigas, Cubao and Quezon City in General, you see that the gay venues there are relatively near each other. You just have to see it in the context of how big the Metro area is. The days that there were 4 or 5 places within 50 square meters is no longer.
I lived in the Philippines for a few years and I can tell you that the bars are overflowing with twinkies. You just need to go to the right places and that can be a problem to find if you are only in town for a week. For example, you could go to O bar in Ortigas, pay an arm and a leg and find the more privileged crowd. Or you could drive a little further and go to Cubao. There used to be a few places within a few meters from each other, now only Starlite might be left. A place with cheap beer, cheap decore, cringe-worthy shows, but full with cute and willing twinks.
Disclaimer: it's been a few years since I've been in the Philippines.
Let me add that the Philippines couldn't even get close to a Thai experience, but I guess it is all about what you are looking for.
christianpfc (December 10th, 2021)