[Cedric]

Er where is LOS ? I know it must be in Thailand, have a good trip Clawdaddy, South east Asia is heaven. I aslo dont look for western friends in particular.

[clawdaddy]

Cedric - LOS is shorthand for Land of Smiles - which is a common term for Thailand.

I apologize if my earlier post was aimed at something you were not trying to say!

Thanks also for the good wishes - August is much too far away!

(And for those brits who thought it sounded familiar - yes the Bush line was adapted from "The Vicar of Dibley")

[Cedric]

Thanks clawdaddy and happy valentines day may august come soon and all your dreams come true.

[thaipat]

Cedric-you are indeed a refreshing breath of fresh air. Stay nice and honest.

[macaroni21]

Cedric - regarding your original question about Pattaya, perhaps you should give yourself 2 days when you're next in Thailand to check it out, otherwise it'll be an itch you can't scratch. It's not that hard to reach from Bangkok. However, you should go with lowered expectations. Your impressions are not wrong. It's mostly populated by older expats, packaged tourists from Asia and in winter, hordes of Russians, some quite boorish. It really has 2 main scenes. Daytime beach and nighttime go-go bars. The beach is not fantastic unless you like slim sunburnt Thai men bothering you every 10 minutes or so. The go-go bars will probably bore you to tears, if you have no intention to purchase.

You've said you're in your 20's, caucasian, and live somewhere in Asia. Your priorities, as far as I can figure from your posts, is that of making friends with people with similar interests, and maybe getting laid. You've even said that saunas are not your scene. You don't seem to be fixated on having an Asian lover.

That being the case, it seems to me that Bangkok is not really the place for you either. The "gay" scene is an unusually commercial scene there; English is not widely spoken, so making friends may prove difficult, and other tourists of your age going to Bangkok have interests that centre on saunas, discos massage, and possibly the go-go bars, not quite parallel to yours.

Singapore may be a better place for you. The gay bar scene is closer to what you may find in the West, ranging from dance bars to chill-out bars. The average age is 20 - 40 (Asians and caucasians both). The crowd is very middle-class and everybody speaks English. Even the dance clubs that aren't gay-identified are gay-friendly too, and the women there tend to be fag hags, so even if you stay away from the gay scene, you don't need to be in the closet. And if you prefer a night out with a "special friend", Singapore on any given day, has some show or play going on that is gay-themed.

[Cedric]

Macaroni I love Thailand no question,and have been many times. It has a very special place in my soul. I am constantly on the verge of wanting to move there. I am just not yet fully independent. Bangkok is my favorite city, I dint know what I would feel if I actually lived there the pollution is pretty terrible .You could see me as a typical Euro living in lets say Utrecht the Netherlands,with Italy France Spain etc as my playground though I dint speak all the languages. I live only a few hours flight from all the South East Asian destinations and that's where I go for holidays. I am a Euro Asian gay? Expat sporn.

I like Singapore but only for a few days at a time, it has a surprising amount to offer gays but its a strange place. There are some very nice cloths shops, especially the ones for up and coming designers like Foreskin, also the Botanical gardens is not to be missed. It is a wonderfully multi cultural society etc etc problem is you get this feeling that someone is watching you all the time and that nothing is real.

I want to go away in Easter with my friend and am trying to find a good spot. An island would be good. Thailand would be excellent. I have a drivers license so the world is my periwinkle. There are some fantastic islands in Malaysia that are very gay (would you believe) that attract mostly middle class gay Asians from around the area also backpackers from all over,but also gay Malaysians. Its quite a trip getting there though, no airports, buses long boats etc.
I am a bit confused though because in fact middle class gay Asians are also not my ideal. I get enough of those where I live. There are only so many shopping malls I can take, not to mention Rolex and bell bottoms. I dint know how the middle class thing crept in. Oh yes gay pride.

[Bob T]

Cedric, you stated that "There are some fantastic islands in Malaysia that are very gay (would you believe) that attract mostly middle class gay Asians from around the area also backpackers from all over,but also gay Malaysians." Could you please give us a little more information (names,places, etc). Sounds like you are quite well travelled and although I have been to Malaysia a number of times, it has been quite a few years. I would love an update on your experiences in Malaysia. Thanks. Also sounds to me like you are interested in just getting out and enjoying the beach for a week or so and not too much interested in the bar/club scene. I have travelled to Thailand for over 25 years and as much as I enjoy the energy of places like DJ Station, I also get tired of the "meat market". There are times I would like to be around gay or gay friendly places but not dealing with the hustling all the time. I do find Phuket a much more quiet place to hang out and it always seems like there are gay tourists who are just kicking back and enjoying the beach and having a little night life at places like the boat bar in Patong without the intense hustle one sees in Pattaya. I would recommend Phuket as it has all the great beaches and there is some nightlife in Patong "if" you want it. The commercial scene is there but easily ignored. Just my take on things. Just remember there are any number of islands in the Gulf of Siam without the commercial scene. Hope you find that holiday destination and enjoy yourself.

If anybody out there knows anything about Koh Tao I would be most appreciative of information as I am considering a trip there first week in March.

[lonelywombat]

I want to go away in Easter with my friend and am trying to find a good spot. An island would be good. Thailand would be excellent.

Koh Samui would be a great place if you want that small island feel, great beaches and great restaurants. Hire a car an do the island. you dont even have to stay in the main Chaweng area, there are small B&B available

check www.gaykohsamui.net

read the thread on Bangkok to Samui for more ideas

[Cedric]

Will do, BobT.
You are right the club scene is not "so" important. Somehow though I always end up doing at least a couple of nights on the town where ever I am,getting totally waisted,before retreating into the world of gardens and art to recover. This part of the world is so rich with natural and cultural heritage that you can only manage the few nights without feeling like you are missing out on something.

My memory is like a colander, but it was the east coast Pulau Perhentian islands.Going by train from Bangkok,so it was quite a journey, limiting the time spent in the air to a minimum. The plot was to get to Singapore from Bangkok to meet my brother but stayed in Malaysia instead. Last year seems a life time away already.

[Cedric]

Thanks lonleywombat, thats a cute little site. Maybe after all? Renting a little villa sounds good?

[sing shorty sing]

GAY PATTAYA -------YOU ARE JOKING -does it really exist ???


Pattaya like an elephants grave yard, a magnet for criminal fraternity from the fringes gay scene,many of the bars seemed to be owned by drunks and dropouts and failures in life and drug dealers, they prey on the old gays ,


---------- GAY, gay in my book= homo sexual, = man that is attracted to another man,generally of equal age

not a man attracted to a male who thinks like a woman , Pattaya also seems to attract -the latter,

the drag shows are great , if acted out by Thais , the falang drags shows are the crappiest you will see any where-[ save for jimmy" Madam Jim"]


young gays from Europe are not interested in buying sex,no good saying they don't have the cash anyway, because they do, the pink Euro -or pink Pound or dollar is filling their wallets, young gays have more spending power then they ever did, so travel costs and hotels isn't the reason they don't come ,Pattaya has earned its reputation world wide,

young guys want sex with guys the same age ,its as natural as drinking water, at least most do, that's why -Ibiza-myconos are over flowing with steamy youth who nip in and out of bed with each other without cash being the motive,

Pattaya is a different kettle of Fish------it attracts mainly elderly men , on their last legs ,the gay beach on jomtien is like looking at a geriatrics convention , every day droves of cripples and obese slobs ,with beer bellies hanging on the floor
the young Thai guys look superb--in their speedos-magnificent bodies--but the falangs ugggggggg fat ugly wrinkled- , young western guys don't want to be seen amongst them,

these elderly guys have little or no chance of getting young blood anywhere else -save other Asian hot spots where these people go to -Cambodia -Laos -----ectera ,


you will say oh so why do you go there then ! answer !!! i have been a long term visitor to Thailand for 10 years , i have stayed in all the major cities , ans on some of the islands -

pattaya as a gay spot does not attract me,-------hey go to myconos -in Greece -its clean, the people are GAY GAY GAY-beautiful real gays bars- run by nice clean well presented gay guys,


GAY PATTAYA------------all in the mind

[NorthStar]

Cedric says

I live in Asia but am a young gay "gweilo"

Could it be that you are not living in Thailand, Cedric but some SAR?

When I lived in that territory, I didn't spend too many hols in Thailand, just the stopovers on the RTWs. Japan, Korea, Taipei might suit you better if things haven't changed drastically since the 1980s.

Now I find that Thailand is the most affordable place for my five star lifestyle but occasional slumming it in Shinjuku can be fun too.

[dab69]

GAY PATTAYA -------YOU ARE JOKING -does it really exist ????



-----do you have a white stick by any chance ?-----

[Cedric]

SSShorty this has been explained to me,I get the picture of what Pattaya is all about. Greece and Ibiza are very far away, I (we) have yearly commitments that take me that far already but not in that direction.Jet lag isn't a pretty thing.

But you mention Laos Cambodia etc now these do sound interesting, I am sure they can easily absorb sex tourists and the likes of myself. Though it sounds like it may have been better If I had got there first? Still you are right my pink dollar pound or whatever, gets me far especially as I dont need it for sex.

Ok Northstar RTWS (?) Japan Korea etc to be honest for just a few pink notes more,and an extra hour you can get a proper climate, I thrive in the tropics and sub-tropics. I havnt been attracted to Japan not really (though I helped build a jap garden and enjoyed) but more and more I am hearing good things about Korea and I like "Rain" not so much his music but 10 out of 10 for effort.

All the japanese I come across in 'otels etc have peanuts for c***s hard to see in all the bush and sometimes just a foreskin,not to give the wrong idea,this is usually in gyms etc. Must be the soya compounds in their diets. And I cant make head or tail of what they are on about except they would like very much to look just like me. Sashimi is a part of my weekly diet, for the omegas, but thats as far as I go.

[thrillbill]

I'm not young, (in my late 40's working in the area) but I find the gay life in Pattaya geared toward retired Western men... basically all you can find are boy-go-go bars and if you go to Panorama Bar (the only decent gay bar that isn't a "go-go- boy bar") the clientele is basically retired Western men meeting money boys... that's fine but someone like myself that just wants to hang out at a gay bar and socialize with other working gays is not possible in Pattaya (there's not even a gay dance club in Pattaya) . I am not interested in picking up a "boy" who is around 18 that I can't carry a conversation with the next morning... I want someone that is close to my age and is financially independent (and of course good looking and hot!). I find that I have to go to BKK on weekends for my gay social life. There, I can go to places like Cafe 4 and meet other gays around my age... hang out at the Balcony or go to DJ's and meet people other than money boys.

What is great about Thailand is that an older fellow , including myself, can feel accepted by the younger Thai men ; whereas in North America or in Europe, a guy in his 20's won't spend a second talking to someone the same age as his father.
I have some gay friends (in their 40's and 50's) that have great relationships with young Thai gays. I think we all realize that the Thai culture has a lot to do with the younger generation respecting the older generation.