Anyone have good directions to Turning Point, from Asoke skytrain station? Most of the posts/info I've seen more or less say that it's real hard to find, but is somewhere off a small sub-soi (from soi 23).  

I guess the map from Dreaded Neds website should be enough to bring you to the right location ; although I did not use it to go to this place, it is consistent with the (missed) Men of Thailand map.

Dreaded Ned's Sukhumwit map



Another map showing TP location :

www.gayguidebkk.com/inhouse/cityguide_01.php#

------------------------------------

my blog

Edited by: llz at: 27/11/05 3:24 pm

If it is still going, I suggest that you telephone first to confirm the premises that they are currently in. Then I suggest that you take a taxi, and when you are in the right soi get the taxi driver and Turning Point to talk together!

You should then arrive there. It's a different night out, but not really a place for a one beer off. Suggest that you buy a bottle and enjoy the hosts(clothed).

llz and Brad's comments are very much to the point, but, since I learned the hard way, I feel I might add a bit to what they say. I went there because the late-lamented zzz used to recommend it highly.



The Dreadedned map is accurate, but gives no idea of the distances. It is, indeed, the first soi right off Soi 23, but it's a real slog from Sukhumwit and Asoke - I'd say 15 minutes, and if it's a hot night take a tuk-tuk or a taxi.

The sub-soi is a wide street and you know you have got the right one if there are houses and gardens on the right side and only a few shops (one a Muslim take-away) on the left side of it. Go the very end of this sub-soi and turn sharp left (you have no alternative) and Turning Point is 20 yards up on the left. As some of the guides point out, there is no name outside and the word 'Diner' (or Dinner'?) hangs on the building above the glass door with, I think, a curtain that you have to push your way through.



I think Brad is right to suggest a bit of care if you want to make T.P. work for you. The first time I made it, on foot, I entered, but was turned away because it wasn't open - private event that night I was told, and, indeed, it did not give the impression of a functioning bar/club.



The second time I went I was politely received, but I wasn't quite sure that my presence was welcome. No one was rude, but I had the feeling I was not a member of the 'club'. After a while I asked a manager/mamasan whether they had anyone who could bottom, and this created a real problem. The answer basically was 'no'. I was offered a guy who, they warned me, was on his first night, and since he had no charms whatsoever I imagine it was probably his last night as well. Finally, they got round to one of the barmen. I was introduced and he seemed personable and willing, so I decided to off him. When I came to pay the bill I thought I was being charged a whopping 1,000 baht off fee - which I assumed was paying through the nose because I had made the mistake of offing a valuable member of staff, whose services were needed.



So, we went off in a taxi to my hotel on Suriwong, where it turned out said boy couldn't bottom -'Too big, too big' - and I doubted whether he ever intended to do so anyway. I had an 'encounter' with him and paid the usual tip.



It was afterwards pointed out to me that the 1,000 baht may have been the boy's tip which, for safety's sake, they collected in-house as my face was unknown to them. I was certainly never told this, so, perhaps through my own fault or misunderstanding, I paid a lot of money for an evening that didn't really happen. I am still very unsure how far all this was the result of their deliberate intention and how far of my inexperience. My guess is that the remoteness and the lack of any identification from the outside means that they want to distance the place from ordinary, walk-in-and-snatch-the-goods bars, make it more of a 'club' for those in the know. If this is so, it would make Brad's comment very relevant to a proposed visit.

homintern is on your IGNORE list.

It is not too hard to find, if you follow the advice available. The sign saying "Dinner" is the correct place.



Whether you think it worth the trouble of finding is another issue.



I went there once, three months ago, with a farang friend, as I had always been curious. We arrived about 10 pm, place had about 20+ people inside, all Thai. Eventually, we were shown to a seat, and drinks were ordered and delivered. And then - nothing. We sat and watched karaoke and groups socialising, but were ignored. No one seemed keen to meet us, no staff came to explain how the bar works. We finished our drinks, paid, and left. The experience did not make me plan a return.

I was left wondering whether we were the type of customer they want, or what we should have done differently.

This is essentially an up-market club for upper-class Thais/Sino-Thais. Even when it was Turning Point its preferred customers were upper-class Thais and the occasional well-connected expat. It always included a standard tip to the boy in the offing fee - whatever else you paid was extra. Many of the boys there were genuine university students moonlighting to pay fees. The former Turning Point was great but the new Dinner is cold.  

And there's nothing worse than a cold dinner!



Everything you say fits and explains my unsatisfactory experience.



Homintern, the second half of your post is a bit heavy. This little bit of my seeking sensual pleasure wasn't 'suffering' - just a bit of a washout!

homintern is on your IGNORE list.

Thanks for the useful info about Turning Point.



To my mind, a welcoming environment is important. Who wants to feel out of place or even intimidated when you're in the mood for sanuk? In my limited experience in Bangkok, the warm and friendly atmosphere at places like B&N and Albury contribute mightily to the good experience.



Which leads to the question ... are there host or go-go bars in BKK that are upscale and welcoming to farangs?