Popular Post musgrave Posted April 20, 2017 Popular Post Posted April 20, 2017 Arrived in CM about 2 weeks ago with the intention of using this town as a base for 6 months (initially) in Thailand. Managed to survive Songkran here. One day of the celebration was spent travelling into the country to a place called Mae Taeng. Lots of bamboo shelters hanging over a fast flowing river - food and drink everywhere and lots of Thais just having good fun. Most of my time was spent man gazing at the mostly young men enjoying the water- sadly they seemed to want to keep their shirts and jeans/shorts on whilst in the water. But a few de-shirted and provided some stunning scenery. I took photos The other days were spent in the city and I managed to get drenched regularly -nothing like getting hit on one side of the face with water when in a tuk tuk. Must say I was a bit worried when people started getting water out of the moat to use - always looks a bit dodgy to me. One day I called into Classic Massage and didn't make it past the front bar. The guys there are always so friendly and the place is well run - have to go back soon and have a massage - Non and Sak are my favourites there, Bar wise - have been to Secrets , Orion and Station One. Secrets was relatively quiet but it may have been because I went around 9 - 9.30. Only a few boys there. Will have to return one night a bit later. Next door is Ram where I have never been - seems to draw a mixed crowd mainly for the show. Orion is always friendly though small and it will re-locate at the end of this month - only a short distance away more towards the main road of the night market. Usually about 6 or more boys. Enjoyable place. Station One is the Kalare Market on the opposite side to Orion - up the stairs and walk through to the back. Near Ozeed Bar - Small bar, open to cool beeze at night and friendly - pool table. Only a few boys - but very relaxed. The bar staff boy there is one of the best guys you will ever meet Only foot massages thus far and not ventured to Adam's Apple as yet Hornet is quite active here and even an old 69 year old like me gets a few enquiries and not all from money boys. Have met 3 sensational guys on Hornet - one is about 44 kgs , would get blown over by a strong breeze - but with equipment that anyone would envy. Another - so quiet and handsome and eyes to die for - but so horny. Have to learn to manage myself a bit better with Hornet - don't want to suffer early burnout. Wherever you look here are handsome guys - the guy who works in the laundry shop I go to - just delightful - killer smile, beautiful skin - I have the cleanest clothes in CM!!!!! So the advice to myself is to relax, calm down, manage my activities, and not get too excited too often - there is still 5.5 months to go - and find a few more gay or bi friends - all my friends seemed to be straight, married - all this looking and not touching !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! reader, sglad, Moses and 7 others 10 Quote
sglad Posted April 20, 2017 Posted April 20, 2017 Great, funny review, musgrave. You didn't go to Pandee in Kalare? I hope it's not closed. I was there in February and it was busy. Cozy with a friendly Akha waiter (I think he was Akha). Was there only briefly as my Thai friend had to go. We only took a peek at Secrets. Rough-looking customers and Thai guys (maybe not Thai but from across the border?). I would have had a drink (what the hell it's only 100 B and I had never been to a fet bar before) had my Thai friend not nudged me along. Ram is smart but rather impersonal. Seems to have an identity crisis as to whether it wants to be a pub or a show-bar. My friend and I didn't think the show was anything special; you can find cabaret acts all over Thailand - most large dining/drinking places have them. Still,worth checking out if you have the time. I believe the building across the road from Kalare is called the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. I've been twice and never saw anyone there, or was that Station One? Need to check it out again. Agreed that Orion is very friendly and the owner (short, dark guy - at least I think he was the owner) was one of the most welcoming we've encountered. Of the bunch, Pandee is the only one I would visit again and could be my 'local' if I didn't live on the other side of town. Very, very generally speaking, except for one guy with his hard dick sticking out from his trench coat in AA, I find the guys in Chiang Mai's so-called gay bars not as attractive as the guys you meet on the street or elsewhere. More on the go go bars later. Need to ration some of the excitement. vinapu 1 Quote
musgrave Posted April 20, 2017 Author Posted April 20, 2017 no sglad - Pandee is still open - there were a few there seated at the bar last night in fact - will endeavour to get there in the near future - agree about the eye candy in Chiang Mai - even the car park attendant at my apartment block has been getting my attention!!! Quote
Guest Promsak Posted April 20, 2017 Posted April 20, 2017 Secrets was relatively quiet but it may have been because I went around 9 - 9.30. Only a few boys there. Will have to return one night a bit later. Secrets was a very late bar, open till 5 or 6 when I was there last autumn. Quote
a447a Posted April 20, 2017 Posted April 20, 2017 Mai, the owner of Orion (is he still the owner) told me his bar gets going around midnight. Unfortunately, at that time I'm just getting going with my guy from Adams Apple in the hotel across the road and so have never made it back to Orion. I did, however, meet a handsome young guy from Myanmar (I think) who was working there freelance. He suggested we go back to my hotel -on the back of his motorcycle (I don't think so!) - but I had a guy lined up at Adams. It's a shame Adams Apple is so far out of town. It's hard enough getting into town during the day from up there, let alone after a few late night drinks at Orion. I offed Mai night after night when he was working at Adams. What a sweet guy! And oh, what an appendage!! Quote
musgrave Posted April 21, 2017 Author Posted April 21, 2017 Whall - not sure if you ask me or not - but i stay in the area between Kad Suan Kaew and Maya - not far from Nimman - 150 THB by tuktuk to the bars Quote
ChristianPFC Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 From Maya to Adam's Apple it's 2.7 km, that would be 40 Baht in a Bangkok taxi. With aircon! Any time of the day! No haggling! Public transport (songtheos 30 Baht) and tuk-tuks in Chiang Mai are grossly overpriced compared to anywhere else in Thailand I have been, except Phuket and Samui. firecat69 1 Quote
a447a Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 The tuk -tuk drivers were asking 150~200 baht to go from the Orion bar to the Lotus Hotel opposite Adams Apple. However, it was after midnight. During the day I could get into town for around 70 baht. Quote
sglad Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 From Maya to Adam's Apple it's 2.7 km, that would be 40 Baht in a Bangkok taxi. With aircon! Any time of the day! No haggling! Public transport (songtheos 30 Baht) and tuk-tuks in Chiang Mai are grossly overpriced compared to anywhere else in Thailand I have been, except Phuket and Samui. Are you a tourist or a resident? If you're a resident, you might want to get a car or a motorbike. I have a bicycle and cycle to uni and around town in the day (but not at night or during the hazy months). After a few months here you would have also made a few Thai friends and they are always very helpful and willing to offer you a ride. Transport is the least of my concerns in Chiang Mai. Just make sure the next beer or bowl of kuay teow is on you. If you're a tourist, 20-30 B on the songtaew shouldn't matter too much. The most I have paid for a songtaew is 60 Bt from Lang Mor to the Arcade bus-station. You can get it for 40 B but you'd have to wait longer. musgrave 1 Quote
Bob Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 The tuk -tuk drivers were asking 150~200 baht to go from the Orion bar to the Lotus Hotel opposite Adams Apple. However, it was after midnight. During the day I could get into town for around 70 baht. That's 30-70 baht more than I ever pay for the same distance when using a tuk tuk (but, then again, I bargain them down when they're asking for 150 baht). I've actually never had one quote 200 baht to me but, if they did, I'd just walk away and find another tuk tuk. But I've learned to use UBER which is up and thriving here in CM. Quick pickup times, about half (or less) of the cost of a tuk tuk, and you're riding in a clean air-conditioned car. Only way to fly these days. ChristianPFC and musgrave 2 Quote
musgrave Posted April 23, 2017 Author Posted April 23, 2017 UPDATE - Just read the report about Divine's experience with the masseur falling asleep. I had a Tai Yai friend call around this week - he was on a bit of a downer so I said come around watch TV, sleep, eat, listen to music in the aircon. On arriving he ate an ice-cream and we sat on the couch - me reading and he listening to music. 5 minutes later he was asleep so I carefully extricated myself from the couch and went into the bedroom to read. An hour later he came in , lay down on the bed and promptly went to sleep again for at least another 90 minutes. Meantime I got up and went back to the couch so as not to disturb him. After the 90 minutes he came back to the couch and fell asleep again!!! This scenario was repeated one more time. These boys love sleeping. Went back to Secrets last night around 11.00pm. 3 customers - 3 bar boys playing pool. Can recommend Bubbles Massage in Santitham for a good massage - no intimacy and happy happy stuff - but good decent massage - man to man - book ahead is better And yes the number of good looking locals abounds - the man delivering ice next door this morning was worth more than one glance and the guy who cooked my breakfast Quote
sglad Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 That's 30-70 baht more than I ever pay for the same distance when using a tuk tuk (but, then again, I bargain them down when they're asking for 150 baht). I've actually never had one quote 200 baht to me but, if they did, I'd just walk away and find another tuk tuk. But I've learned to use UBER which is up and thriving here in CM. Quick pickup times, about half (or less) of the cost of a tuk tuk, and you're riding in a clean air-conditioned car. Only way to fly these days. The tuk-tuks do try to gauge you and sometimes they won't budge. Once we wanted to go to Nimman from Burger King at the Night Bazaar and they wanted 150 B. It was late, around 11.30 pm. We haggled in Thai and they still wouldn't budge. We ubered it in the end. Another time while I was waiting for my friend outside Suriwong Book Centre, I heard an Indian couple being quoted 200 B for a trip to The Whole Earth, which is only 300-400 m in the opposite direction! They turned him down and I told them they could just walk there. Uber is great especially for going to places just outside of the main city itself like Central Fest, Mor Payap (a lot of activities there), and the Tesco on the way to Hang Dong (although you can take a songtaew there for 10-15 B from Chiang Mai Gate but I usually Uber it on the way back). A bonus of using Uber is that the driver is often male, young and cute and they already have your number which opens up possibilities. That's all I'm gonna say. ChristianPFC 1 Quote
sglad Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 UPDATE - Just read the report about Divine's experience with the masseur falling asleep. I had a Tai Yai friend call around this week - he was on a bit of a downer so I said come around watch TV, sleep, eat, listen to music in the aircon. On arriving he ate an ice-cream and we sat on the couch - me reading and he listening to music. 5 minutes later he was asleep so I carefully extricated myself from the couch and went into the bedroom to read. An hour later he came in , lay down on the bed and promptly went to sleep again for at least another 90 minutes. Meantime I got up and went back to the couch so as not to disturb him. After the 90 minutes he came back to the couch and fell asleep again!!! This scenario was repeated one more time. These boys love sleeping. Went back to Secrets last night around 11.00pm. 3 customers - 3 bar boys playing pool. Can recommend Bubbles Massage in Santitham for a good massage - no intimacy and happy happy stuff - but good decent massage - man to man - book ahead is better And yes the number of good looking locals abounds - the man delivering ice next door this morning was worth more than one glance and the guy who cooked my breakfast So your guy was sleepwalking instead of street-walking? 555 Parts of Santitham/Chang Puek are pretty dodgy. Once I was cycling home after a basketball game at the Rajabhat and I wandered off the main road and got lost in some sois that were downright seedy. A group of guys that were huddled together immediately got up when I they saw me. It felt like I had stumbled into the hood or something. Taught me not to cycle by myself at night again. But Santitham is also a working class area popular with students from the Rajabhat and technical colleges and there are many fun and inexpensive hangout places there. The bars are a bit loud for my taste but there are quite a few cute cafes and restaurants geared towards the Thai student budget. Great if you like diabetes-causing sugary concoctions. None particularly stand out; you just have to walk around and sit in the one you fancy. Best to go with Thai friends. Quote
sglad Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 UPDATE - Just read the report about Divine's experience with the masseur falling asleep. I had a Tai Yai friend call around this week I hear these Tai-Yai guys are really yai, ahem. Any truth to this rumour, musgrave? There's one working at a noodle shop near my apartment and he's tall, handsome and built like a rock - from construction (I asked!). Not some nelly gymboy. I just hope he's not carrying a noodle in between his legs. Quote
ChristianPFC Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 A car or motorbike? Heaven forbid! The inconvenience of parking and coming back to the same spot, and expenses for buying and maintaing it, far outweighs the advantages. Seems I have to try Uber next time I go to Chiang Mai. A friend in Bangkok swears by it, but in Bangkok I have no need. Last night, I had a 7 Baht (seven Baht!) songtheo ride about 10 km in Bangkok, around 11 pm. A bonus of using Uber is that the driver is often male, young and cute and they already have your number which opens up possibilities. That's all I'm gonna say. That comes as a surprise. In estimated 1000 taxi rides in Bangkok, I have encountered 1 (one single!) cute driver. However mocy and tuk-tuk can be cute. Quote
PeterRS Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 Uber certainly seem the way to go in Chiang Mai. But i wonder how easy it is to get a driver when it is really pissing with rain. Quote
Londoner Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 I've hired a car on a few occasions when I've been in CM, not so much for the city as for Doi Intanon and other scenic trips. I find driving in the city a nightmare; the one-way system around the Old City invariably defeats me. The last time I was driving, I had to hire a tuk-tuk to lead me back to my hotel. Never again. On the other hand, if you're staying at the Lotus (the gay one) or Mercure, travel at night is not easy if you are dependent on tuk-tuks. Quote
