Road trip to the south

I has been a long time since I did not undertake a long trip on my own in Thailand. The last ones were on a private car and with my boyfriend, with all the advantages and drawbacks involved. So relying only on public transportation, it had to be a little bit more constrained but at least I could go wherever I wanted. The aim was to go to Hat Yai and then slowly coming back to Bangkok with stopovers all along the way, and with the added bonus to increase the number of thai provinces where I have spent at last one night.

And so I arrive in Hat Yai which was a nice introduction to the south, being an always buzzing city full of hotel, restaurants and commercial centers. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about gay places and especially gay bars. From the four that were still there ten years ago, only one still remains open after the recent closure of Buddy Boys. City Man seems to do quite well as there were some customers every time I went there, and some boys were offed. There are six or seven manly lads working there, and on some evenings the bar even maintains the old format of the local bars ; a short gogo show where the most daring boys strip to their underwear and dance more or less energetically. The owner is a very playful and welcoming isan guy who will be more than happy to chat with you ; I was explained that the vanishing value of the malay currency had taken its toll on the businesses in Hat Yai and especially on the bars – a speech that we are used to hear to as far as euro or pound are concerned too.

Surprising cable car in the tropics

For the rest, I was curious try the newest tourist attraction in Hat Yai which is a cable car bringing you to the top of a hill (where in fact the view is less spectacular than from the foot …). I had dealt with ski resorts for most of my working life and so was curious to see how they had set this out … This cable car is part of a big park which lays a few kilometers away from downtown Hat Yai, and has also a huge standing Buddha and a nice viewpoint over the area.

After Hat Yai I visited Satun, a mostly moslim town which has however a nice atmosphere and a surprising fine French restaurant. Another day was for Phattalung where I climbed upon the Khao Ok Thalu, a steep ride to a hole in the mountain with one again nice views on the countryside ; unlike the Tham Sua Krabi, no one there except a couple of teens who seemed to be looking for a quiet place for whatever reason. And then it was one night in Trang, another welcoming with its night market and smiling locals.

Too handsome for me

Unfortunately I could not secure any contact through Facebook with any local lad before ; the only one was an isan boy lost in Hat Yai for his studies who was OK for having a meal with me (which in my mind could have lead to more). I must say he was so handsome that I finally did not contact him, and will only leave his beautiful face for you (and me) to dream about. I hope some more fun in Phuket where I will stay three nights.

Hat Yai revisited

Why did I chose to go for a two-days stay in Hat Yai rather going to Pattaya two days earlier ?. In fact I do not know myself, even if a promotion by Nok Air (2160 THB return all inclusive) was an enticing offer. I think only curiosity lead me there, as this town has not a lot to offer except good shopping opportunity.

First surprise : I was the only farang on board, both outwards and return. I knew that the town had been recently affected by some assaults by the local rebels, but I had not heard of any travel warning for the Songkhla province. In town, farangs were very free and far between, the population being clearly divided between the chinese and the locals.

The main reason for my curiosity was obviously the current situation of the local boys bars, which gets very few updates on the boards - I guess someone has to do the job, right ? Not a lot of changes since my last trip three years ago ; two bars which are still alive and well, and more and more saunas and massage places - that I did not visit. However I could not find the place advertised in the Bangkok Post Nightlife Guide as "Boys Pub Bar", with as address : Nipat Uthit Soi 3 (not very accurate, as there are three Nipat Uthit Roads, all very long and running parallel one another, and from the maps only one has a Soi 3).

Buddy Men Club, gay bar in Hat Yai

These two bars are located close one to another : Buddy Men Pub along Sriphunawat Road (along a short cut to Akarn Road to be more accurate) and Top Man Pub along Akharn Road, so in the south part of town. Buddy Men Club was surprisingly well staffed with about seven rather good-looking young men - mostly coming from the North of Thailand. And Top Man Pub had mostly local southern boys and a welcoming owner from Khorat.

I took a boy from Buddy Men, a 21 y/o from Chiang Mai which told me he was a tribe boy - rather useless in bed. Pity I had not chosen another one which proved to be much more affectionate when I chatted with him on the next day - a thai yai from Burma. Off rate 1500 THB short-time and 2000 THB for the night, including tip for the boy (who gets respectively 1000 THB and 1500 THB). An additional tip is always welcomed.

So much for Hat Yai, but I guess I will have to update myself once again in one or two years, as none seems to really bother about these remote areas ... the Buddy Men owner having told me he sees about one farang a year in his place,  ...

Down to the South

The second day in Bangkok was less adventurous than the first one but quite as enjoyable. Tam and Phi Kor joind me for the evening and we could not have begun it better than by a great meal in my favourite Saphan Kwai open-air eatery - Rakhang Thong near Elisabeth Hotel for those who do not remember.

We then headed to Silom for a show ; on an advice by a boy from Maxxis Cafe we first went to Hotmale but quickly decide to change for entering X-Boys ; we had what we were looking for. Not really my cup of tea but you really have to see anything what Thailand can offer. I preferred by far our last stay in Staxx Bar in Saphan Kwai listening at thai songs and chatting again and again.

On the next morning, Tam and Khor brought me to the airport on their way back to Pattaya, as I had booked a flight to Hat Yai. I like to go to these towns where they do not see many farangs, especially if I know that there are a few bars that could interest me.

The situation has just changed a little since my last visit. The bars are still within walking distance one from another in the southern part of the town. The good news is that the overall quality of the boys has much improved and there was much more variety and numbers than before, even on a quiet Sunday evening. So for the record you have to know that Buddys Bar has opened again after a two year closure. G-Men seemed to be less interesting, but City Man (same street as G-Men) had really a good bunch of nice men from all over Thailand. They even provided a show as there were some customers (including a group of more or less true women) - very tame show by Bangkok standards though.

Drink prices were 120 THB in City Man and 150 in the other two ; and in Buddy Boys you off a boy paying 1200 THB for short time and 1700 THB for the whole night including the tip for the boy - an old Hat Yai tradition due to the fact that some customers (did I say from Malaysia ?) used to offer ridiculously low tips to the boys before this rule was introduced. Although I did not ask in the other bars, I guess that the rule and the prices are similar.

All this is probably not enough to be worth the trip but you could combine it with a trip to the south to discover an almost farang-free scene reminding the good old days in Thailand ... and also a bustling city which is a shopping paradise.

See you now in Phuket...

Hat Yai & Songkhla

Wandering around the (small) gay district in Hat Yai we found another bar which is called T-Thong and is located almost next door to G-Men. We went back to G-Men where there was a ahow at 10.30 pm ... in fact all the boys go on the scene for about 30 minutes and this is a nice time to be had. Studio 54 was opened too but there seemed to be a group partying there so I did not go. That's all for Hat Yai except that this town has very cheap good hotels and very cheap good (non-gay) massage places ...

Yesterday we spent the night in Songkhla, a town nicely located on a cape between the Gulf of Thailand and Songkhla lake. The beach is very busy in the afternoons with all the students coming there for a break, and God these southern boys are to die for if you like tanned and smiling young men...

Quiet days in Songkhla Beach

To-day a short bus ride (3 hours) brought us to Nakhon Si Thammarat where they doesn't seem to be any gay life at all but I am sure Tam will have found some nice place....

Hat Yai

Tam is really the most beautiful boy on the earth when he is smiling ... and since we met again in Don Muang, he IS the most beautiful boy again (well, among some others ...). So here we are travelling again in Thailand, and being now in Hat Yai where Tam had never gone before. 

There were five bars here last time I came (three years ago), now there are only three left, all within walking distance one from another. The first one is Buddy Pub, they have about ten boys almost all of them over 30 y/o and noone worth the 150 THB they charge for one beer - but this is probably the kind of boys malay gays like ...

At G Men Pub it is a different story ; about 12 boys who would do well in any bar in Pattaya or Bangkok. Yesterday we finished offing two boys and the mamasan and bringing them to the local disco (Sutus). Anou a 19 y/o from Roi Et and Nou from Hat Yai were nice as well as the young mamasan and all had a great time. We separed before going to bed, Tam not being into group sex ... 

We will go tonight again in G Men and will also visit the third bar which is the Studio54. Jackys Pub and Banana Pub have closed about two years ago but I do not remember ever having seen this news on the net.

Besides the bars, Hat Yai is a nice place for shopping, everything is cheap and shops have all items you could wish. But do not come to Hat Yai for the wats, there is nothing worth seeing. Songkhla where we head to-morrow is a best place for touring.

OK that's all for to-day, local youngsters have just finished school and are very noisy in the internet place I write from ...