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.

Resting in Phuket

I usually choose to stay in Phuket only for a few days because I know that except for the beach there are not many things to do there : everything is expensive, especially transportation, and as I can never go there when the weather is at its best (December to February), I have already spent many afternoons in my room catching upon my reading. Not my idea of a trip to a seaside resort, although my accommodation at the Rendez-Vous Guesthouse was as good as ever.

Phuket beach

I had a nice day which I lazily spent on the beach, which ended with a wonderful sunburn. Curiously enough, the boys do not seem to know a lot about the so-called gay beach although it is well signposted with the rainbow flag.

As for the evenings, I visited my favorite Yes! Bar every night - only for the boys and the atmosphere as I did not time enough to look again at the show. Another bar of interest was Mamasan Bar which is a little bit hidden at the end of the main soi (turn left when going towards the mountain). They also have a staff of energetic boys, although obviously lacking some discipline. I took one from there for a nice evening. My Way was not on my list as I had read some bad reports, however I paid a short visit to find older boys, but some with a very nice face; like in most bars, not many boys due to the very low season I was assured.

Spartacus is as always specialised in rough isaan guys who lacked a little bit of distinction. And Super Boys is still sleazier than before with only four boys. Another bar has opened next door as a host bar (Backstage Bar) and seemed to be much classier from what I could see.

As for the beer bars of which there has to be more than a dozen all over Paradise Complex, they obviously had not a lot of staff but a deeper examination could have lead to find gems for sure.

Possibly best gay bar in Thailand

I came into Phuket being a little bit worried about the scene in the middle of the low season, and my first steps into Paradise Complex seemed to confirm this : few people and few boys in the open-air bars.

So I am delighted to tell that after a first evening, things are much better than expected. First there are a lot of gay places now, open-air bars, massage places and gogo bars. The boys are there and if they are probably in fewer numbers than in the winter, they still outnumber the customers.

I began the evening with a massage in Spartacus Bar, where they had many boys on the premises ; one of them was so insistent on providing a massage, and so good at selling his services, that I could not resist. The place is not really designed as a massage place with very little privacy in the rooms, but that could be more exciting for some …

I made a quick visit to Tangmo Bar where I had memories of a place filled with nice boys … it seems to have changed for the worst, but this was perhaps only one bad evening, or perhaps there was not anyone meeting my requirements.

I left then for a small place which has opened probably not a very long time ago ; one row for the customers on the length of the bar, facing the scene where the boys were dancing in two shifts. The place is called “Yes !’ Bar and is located on the main way to Paradise Hotels (which is now the way out). The first impression was great with probably one of the best mix of boys for everyone’s taste, two funny captains, and a boy which I thought was the usual underage boy hanging out in street clothes ; he told me he was in fact the mamasan and that he was 20 years old – which I still not really believe. No pressure from him, no boring words, a very cute face – I would vote him without any hesitation as the cutest and nicest mamasan in Thailand.

Yes Bar! in Phuket

The better came with the show : not a cabaret show like those you usually find in the Phuket bars, not a sex show with the usual tricks, but an absolute success. The actors were some of their own gogoboys, and when you find that the one you had fancied will be part of the show, this is a first good news. When you then see that all acts are perfectly laid out, totally innovative, with good looking boys, a communicative atmosphere, you think you have had a good evening. They have made the traditional candle show a feast for the eye, and if only one boy could be seen in the nude (and not in the in-your-face way), the whole performance was an hymn to the young male beauty.

When I think of all the shows I have already seen in Thailand (be it in Adam’s Apple in Chiang Mai or of course the Soi Twilight ones), I can only conclude that I have never been fascinated by any show like this before. The conclusion is simple : nice mamasan + great looking boys for everyone’s taste + innovative and wonderfully performed show ; this bar has to be one of the best (or possibly the best) in Thailand now. As my Michelin guide says : “vaut le detour”.

Lazy ?

Desert beach in Sichon

Why is it that I have not updated my blog yet ? Probably because I was too lazy to make it. Probably too because when you are in Thailand only for some days, you do not want to spoil the slightest minute struggling with a computer in some internet shop where everything is slower and less convenient.

I left the blog somewhere around Nakhon Sri Thammarat where we spent one night in Sichon ... only one night because the place I wanted to go was full and we had to sleep in the next door bungalows which were much less welcoming. Anyway the weather was not so good and we made abolutely nothing except eating and travelling the countryside on a rent motorbike.

Hey since then nothing interesting to write about but I will try to update weekly from now ... I am so jealous about SilomFarang's wonderful blog !!!!

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 ...