Jimbillp

Yes, if you didn’t have bad days how would a good day distinguish itself?! Great to see Vinapu with his mojo back, and such good reporting.

They don’t control the weather, but they are the actual and symbolic head of the country and representative for what was has been an awful response to both protect and support those suffering. then to divert resources from the rescue effort is tone deaf and self serving. Fair play to the local residents, at the very least they probably secured greater rescue efforts and highlighted the pomposity of royal systems

I was very pleased my last night overlapped with your first and we got chance for a good catch up. You are the sage of Bkk wisdom with the perfect glass always half full approach to life. I look forward to reading rest of your trip report and hope fate brings us back to Thailand at the same time once again

It’s so busy. Huge queues to get in and like sardines inside. But it can be a lot of fun. Depends a bit on the spot you find. If it’s the thoroughfare it can be intense jostling/shoving/grabbing!. Not for the claustrophobic. It’s mainly outdoor and they have the overhead pipe installations basicallly soaking you throughout. Fake works best going as a group of friends. And it’s 99% local crowd/SE Asian. If you do a Songkran you should do a night at fake. Much more authentic.

I have a slightly different take. Having had a couple of night’s people watching and sort of killing time over busy festive period you see that the gogos in the areas with a large footfall/good barkers are doing really well with a fast turnover. I observed inside banana and Jupiter that so many (primarily groups - gay and mixed) are in and out in less than half hour. Ok it was the busy season but I estimate a lot of seats see usage by three/ four different backsides over the evening. It’s something they are cajoled to try and add to the ‘bangkok bucket list’. I bet most think it’s a bit naff/seen that done that and wouldn’t come back. The ladyboy element is though vital to that bucket list / classic Bkk entertainment. That’s why the prices are really inelastic. Whether you pay 500 or 250 to enter/drink you’ll never do it again. But I doubt the 250 difference stops many ‘having a go’ that one time. fwiw this time I found banana bar best all round entertaining and to have some humour/energy to the show albeit too much ladyboy singers for me. Jupiter definitely has it right at the moment though, great line up and raunchy shows but without the more desperate feel of wham, bam here’s my big cock but with no creativity to it. moonlight needs a rethink, really dropped off but maybe that’s me I’ll finish by saying Vinapu is our sage leader and has it right. Variety is the spice of life, and bkk has plenty of that. What other city could offer gogos/night clubs where after a fortnight you wouldn’t have repeated yourself at all?! ps Marconi, love your reporting and the prose. Please keep educating/entertaining us

I was in fake club. You literally couldn’t move at times! But a lot of fun across Songkran festivities

I’m probably the trinity Silom regular Vinapu refers to, and yes the clincher for me is the large pool with great views on 8th floor. I never take the breakfast. So many local market and coffee shop options. The walk is fine to the main areas. Look for it on agoda where it can be a really great price. I’ve got some December 2023 nights at around 1000 baht. It can go very expensive at times too.

I did make it into Fake club on Thursday night. It was so packed. Difficult to move around at times. Took 20 mins to do one return toilet visit. The upside was being packed in like sardines with many of asias finest men has it’s pluses. They rig up scaffolding that has sprinklers so you spend most of the four hours being drenched. But the temperatures make it a blessing. I got home 5 am that night. Their Facebook has some great pics of their performers. Last night i was on soi 4 - having not got near DJ - it similarly was heaving and an effort to get into and down the soi but great fun. like an outdoor disco once you found a spot. So much eye candy and you end up partying with whoever is nearby. Great dj set too from a booming sound system. Songkran has been a blast. Silom is booming. Feels like Every gay South Asian lad has come for the pilgrimage. The energy and fun is infectious and once you accept you will be soaked you’re in. The temperatures make it a blessing. It could be by a little kid or grandma through to a posse of massage shop boys.

That may have been me! It is really steaming hot and humid. Even in Jupiter their industrial aircon can’t make it chilly! And they had something else different - a very energetic, exotic and entertaining burlesque type dancer as part of their show expect a lot of my daytime will be spent sheltering inside, even the evenings it hits you - that hot air oven type feel just need the water fights now to cool down…… other observations, bangkok really is back to ‘normal’. this is third post covid visit and the first where if you hadn’t been told you might not know anything much had even happened. Pretty much everything is open and flourishing. Looks like both Screwboys and the ‘new’ Queens will also soon be welcoming patrons just had big night out in fake club with Thai friends, still my favourite for a more local and club like night out experience. Only saw one other westerner in whole place, but definitely a lot more women and girls now attending. Maybe 25%. Adds to the inclusivity.

Having been on that trip to Grand Palace and reacquainting with Sam last month I can confirm his positive disposition, and he was recalling happy moments and pictures with you even then so I can imagine the big smile when he saw you so it was surely destiny he was the solace for your bounce back night, and restored some positive ambassadorial role for the Cambodians

Well he was planning to go to BKK with you as he told the other guy from the bar the plan. Usually it’s the least dramatic but most obvious reason. I’d guess He concluded (wrongly) you weren’t going to play along enough with his high expectations (didn’t send the further money or bring the case) and he decided to bail as he wasnt confident he would manipulate enough from it. looking forward to the rest of the report and your bouncing back

Talk about a virus knowing a virus when it sees one.

Maybe you can arrange early check in but that’s very early. Best option is to book a cheap room somewhere so you have easy access to shower/bed/storage.

Again we have small world coincidence!, I’ve just chatted to the guy who came to the grand palace with us at hotmale. His face lit up when I showed him the photos he’d taken for me back then. It clearly was special to him. And for us - That day when it felt like the grand palace had opened especially for us…..

The trinity Silom complex has a gym and 25m outdoor pool. It’s also got some great views as on 9th floor. 300 baht day pass.

It is funny coincidence that your last night included A and the pinoy boy as I enjoyed their company last night. Of course we remembered Vinapu as I had previously met A at the top of the big tower with you. Perhaps knowing you are honorary patron of Thai happy bar restaurant A marched us there and ordered most of the seafood menu before I’d barely sat down! Then the host Joy declared her undying love for V by ordering a Singha on my tab and saying ‘on you’. Haha. All in great spirits. A is actually very kind guy as he had taken the young non Thai speaking Pinoy under his wing. I do recommend people visiting Moonlight to look for the Filipino. His English is excellent and he has super energy and personality. I thought Moonlight show very samey and not enough spice. For a long time my fav bar but losing allure. Although to counter that I found two great guys in the line up.

I can report from a recent visit to Jupiter that Mr Boom was very much there with his hula hoop, that’s some hip swivel and also in other numbers where he and other Jupiter shows have increased the disrobing. In my mind to just the right balance now of very sexy model show without being too blatant.

An anonymous poster claiming they will sue for slander. So who is being defamed? A made up screen name?? Not the brightest!

Another epic trip. And I love the way you in effect double your enjoyment by writing it up over a similar time period to the trip itself thereby reliving all the experience - and of course sharing with us. You bring a very healthy and can do approach to having a great holiday in Thailand. It was great to overlap with you at the beginning of your travels and we will always have that time we had private viewing of the Grand Palace all to ourselves.

I was in there 2 weeks ago. It would be chaos in a fire. So full at times it was like a rush hour subway carriage. You literally couldn’t move anywhere.

When I got the Thai pass recently I just scanned the relevant page of my standard annual travel insurance ($90) that has coverage for medical issues including covid. Simple and easy. As you get a result within hours just try that first.

On the quarter: Modern and clean. Room is compact and a bit short of clothes storage space. Super fast Wi-Fi and good shower. Balcony is tiny. Good gym with modern equipment. Swimming pool a bit goldfish bowl alongside restaurant. Very small sauna and steam. I got a great rate in May. At their full rack rate I’d probably judge the room a bit too small but the Wi-Fi was fantastic for working.

Recently went to Thailand (mid May) and here are a few observations on what was a different Bangkok but also reassuringly familiar. Thai Pass so easy and airport arrival and entry smoother and faster than ever. Bangkok is still really quiet, which brings advantages of low accommodation costs and always getting a seat in a restaurant. At times it is too quiet, that buzz of a big city and nightlife not there, but then there are advantages….. I thought I was done with the Grand Palace and Wat Pho but an instinct it might be crowd free led to an 8.30 arrival with board member vinapu. And what a visit. It was like a private viewing! We were less than six people in total viewing the Emerald Buddha, and had the hall of the reclining Buddha and many courtyards to OURSELVES. I now have some amazing photos recorded digitally such was length of time since last entry. When we caught the boat back they had to radio for it to stop so few were the passengers waiting to head downstream. I enjoy the show bars for the entertainment rather than the taking off and here they were largely reduced in spectacle but the glass half full were how many were trying their best to get going sometimes with very low audience members. In Jupiter there were perhaps 25 brazing the air con at best and Moonlight on a Saturday had 15 at best and a much shorter show from only the models themselves. There does seem even more of a clear demarcation between the more no holds barred (Tawan/Hot male) and the fashion model parade (Moonlight, Jupiter, New Twilight). Be interesting to hear what relaxed opening and bigger visitor numbers brings. New Twilight has some money and energy behind it and is the most comfortable viewing experience, be interesting what next for them. maybe half the massage shops are empty or gone but plenty of choice at the others and walk in spaces at Prime which is the quality offering. MBK really shows how hard times have been with less than half the units occupied esp the smaller outlets I have some Thai friends and this saw a visit to Fake Club. This required a 120 baht swab test for entry with a nurse administering on the door. Felt very down beat on entry to be literally first customers at 10.20pm, buy by midnight it must have been 100 plus and was good fun with lots of time to chat to some very attentive models including Spai who appears to have transferred from Jupiter. A visit to DJ station on a Friday night with several Thai friends was the other extreme as it was so busy there were times you literally couldn’t move. It was like a subway train in peak rush hour. But this novelty was kinda fun after nearly three years. Bit bizarre to wear a mask all week on empty streets then no mask in a packed, indoor night club. As ever good to meet some new faces as well as the irrepressible @vinapu and also to catch up again with super guy and knowledgable @paulsfand @anddyover the week My last night saw all bars closed for an election, so took chance to try the local Sauna Mania. It was very busy and 120 baht to enter and as probably the only Farang there lots of interest and opportunity with no feeling of exclusion. I did find the heat and humidity a bit constraining and wouldn’t rush back in May but once again found my time in BKk, and the few days spent exploring the North, as rewarding as ever. So my advice is you only live once. go now before the world has come back, enjoy the quiet, and add to those special memories.

The premium class was full. It’s only 18 seats. The rest looked about 75%. Interesting the best economy seats they charge more for including front row with leg room were empty both directions. Seems opting for the £200 ticket at the back very popular.

Return leg just completed. Fast check in. Took off only about 15 mins late. Scoot plus as described before, a premium economy seat with basic frills. 30 mb free Wi-Fi worked. The meal included is basically one of those 99 baht 7 eleven microwave deals! Take snacks and all good in flight entertainment. Well, you do get one of those lift up from the are rests trays you could use, or you could wrap your tablet in bubble wrap, or even let it potentially slide all of 50 cm to a carpeted floor! only downer was the hour wait for baggage, but that’s Gatwick’s screw up not Scoot. All in all delighted with what I got for £830 direct flight return. However I see in next few months they are charging around double that no doubt capitalising on their lack of competition for direct flights.