Bangkok Trip Report: To Butterfly or not to Butterfly Part 2 – The Devil and the Angel

[vinapu]

Along with Jasper and Paulsf I'm in Bangkok camp although I can see Pattaya has own advantages. BBB I consider best bar in Thailand, hotels seem to be cheaper, definitely drinks are as well as boys tips. Distances are manageable as well.

 

It took me 9 visits to LOS to eventually go to Pattaya and my first impression was not that good but encouraged by voices from this forum /firecat, 1moRussian, anonone / I decided to give her a chance and each subsequent time was better.  Last Dec  was my first trip when I liked Pattaya part better than Bangkok one and I'm writing all of that  to encourage everybody to visit , if only to form his own opinion.

 

My main problem in Pattaya is what to do during day and it's only partially solved by the fact I always stay in Boyztown and Copa massage boys are starting to be on the duty around 9-10 a.m.

[Guest samebb]

The huge divide between the lovers and haters of Pattaya continues to surprise me on this forum. I live in Bangkok but spend a lot of time in Pattaya and have done so for what will soon be a year. I have to say there are so many misconceptions and false remarks flying around I can often find it amusing. 

I love Bangkok and Soi Twilight, but let's not beat around the bush here. The only things Bangkok has that Pattaya doesn't are Tawan (big muscle gogo bar) and quality gogo bar shows. The shows in Pattaya, of which there are 2 I believe, are rubbish and a waste of time. Bangkok does offer the big city life, the sky bars, the huge malls, and the expense that comes with it. If that's for you, enjoy Bangkok. I love this city.

Pattaya, for a visitor, quite honestly has a lot more going for it. I am not saying that it's not worth experiencing both the Bangkok scene and Pattaya scene, but in terms of variety, scale and number of boys Pattaya again wins. Pattaya has Sunnee Plaza, a place with hands on fun and a gogo bar with 100baht drinks and really cute twinks (winner boy). It has BoyzTown, where some say lies the best gogo in Thailand, BoyzBoyzBoyz, and I would say the hottest twinks in Thailand in Toy Boy and Cupidol. On top of that, you have my home away from home Jomtien Complex. 20+ beer bars with hot boys in each wanting to get into your wallet for some fun. Jomtien and Sunee Plaza are half the cost of Bangkok for the financially cautious traveler. That goes for the drinks and the boys time. Hotels are also fantastic value in Pattaya. 

I am sure there are things I have forgotten to mention but my message to any newbie here is to try both Bangkok and Pattaya. I can tell you many expats in Bangkok tend to take their fun weekends away to Pattaya after a while. It just has the variety. Each city has its pros and cons but I know now where I am made to feel welcome, not scammed and most importantly find the hottest boys and best bang for my baht. 

As I love both places I guess I will sit back with some popcorn and watch you all continue arguing over which city is best. 

As a closing statement, what will you all do next year when Twilight is knocked down for that new hotel? hmmm






 

[vinapu]

As a closing statement, what will you all do next year when Twilight is knocked down for that new hotel? hmmm

 

we will become heteros and star frequenting Patpong's girly bars 

[Guest samebb]

we will become heteros and star frequenting Patpong's girly bars 

 

 

Makes me think about how things are changing. With 2 host bars now on Soi 4, with Jupiter also.

[a447a]

"what will you all do next year when Twilight is knocked down for that new hotel? "

 

Indeed.

 

But it gives rise to another question : What will the hundreds of guys working in Soi Twilight do?

[Guest samebb]

"what will you all do next year when Twilight is knocked down for that new hotel? "

 

Indeed.

 

But it gives rise to another question : What will the hundreds of guys working in Soi Twilight do?

 

I guess some will run to Pattaya. Maybe we will see more bars move to different areas in Silom over the coming months.

Time will tell... although I know there is at least one board member here with more information on all this. Maybe he will enlighten us. With Banana Bar on 4, it seems that at least some bar owners are already ahead of things. Two boys from Hot Male 2 have already moved to work at the 4 Sports bar on soi 4, which is now operating as a host bar. Twilight prices! 

 

I know very little, although from what I have been told, whether it's true or false, is that only one-half of the soi is being knocked down. I have no idea which side. 

[spoon]

If thailand no longer have gogo, beer bars etc, sex trade will goes to apps and massage parlour. Thats is what most other countries have right now. Cruising in shopping complex and parks will also happen. Maybe that will be the case. Maybe some of the boys will go to other countries as well like malaysia? Lol

[reader]

we will become heteros and star frequenting Patpong's girly bars 

 

..and the boys will off us.  Think I'm warming to the idea. lol

[vinapu]

The huge divide between the lovers and haters of Pattaya continues to surprise me on this forum.

that's exaggeration, I don't think we have any haters of either one here. Yes , there are preferences but I don't recall any derogatory statements about either one.

 

This is not surprising and it's kind like twinks / hunks lovers  divide which perhaps is even bigger than between  BKK and PTT fans.

[spoon]

From my observation, it does seems like those who are into twink will have much better experience in pattaya rather than bangkok. Those who are into hunk/muscular beefy guy better of in bangkok. Of course both places have both type of boys, but selection wise bkk has more gogobars with hunk/muscular type, and pattaya has more twink, and as samebb here testify, hotter twinks.

[vinapu]

But it gives rise to another question : What will the hundreds of guys working in Soi Twilight do?

 

perhaps bars move to another areas, first they will be a bit dispersed and then start concentrating , may be soi 6 will go to former glory and ones like Solid or Tomahawk will be resurected?

 

If thailand no longer have gogo, beer bars etc, sex trade will goes to apps and massage parlour. Thats is what most other countries have right now. Cruising in shopping complex and parks will also happen. 

 

will it still be worth of spending 1000 $ and 24 hours to get there. I can't see myself doing that for sake on sitting at my tablet and hunting for catch such way but perhaps it's only me? 

 

 

..and the boys will off us.  Think I'm warming to the idea. lol

 

no but on two separate occasions, few years apart when tried to be dragged into girly bar there by somewhat handsome barker when I said teasingly like I often do "no,  I like boys" I got an identical answer ' I will go with you ' , not sure how sincere but I guess it was an invitation to negotiation.

 

As for the rest only we can do is just wait and see what happens and adjust our plans accordingly.

 

Sometimes those changes are never coming , sometimes they are very sudden like demise of Zeus bar where I reported here was second best selection of guy in the soi, . offed boy and in few days bar was closed in the middle if the busy Christmas season and is still closed 3 years later with abandoned Zeus statue still gracing former premises. 

[spoon]

Most app right now is just to connect two people. perhaps the whole gogobar experience might migrate to the internet, where we can see live streaming of the gogo bar shows, choose their number for private time, and able to off them and they will come to your hotel. dunno if this already exists, but it is definitely better than just browsing the many gay apps and seeing just pictures, where most of them are either fake or photoshopped

[reader]

Most app right now is just to connect two people. perhaps the whole gogobar experience might migrate to the internet, where we can see live streaming of the gogo bar shows, choose their number for private time, and able to off them and they will come to your hotel. dunno if this already exists, but it is definitely better than just browsing the many gay apps and seeing just pictures, where most of them are either fake or photoshopped

 

You may have a point.  And although I place high value on the face-to-face experience, maybe an adventurous tech genius would find a way to manage it all.

[Boy69]

The huge divide between the lovers and haters of Pattaya continues to surprise me on this forum. I live in Bangkok but spend a lot of time in Pattaya and have done so for what will soon be a year. I have to say there are so many misconceptions and false remarks flying around I can often find it amusing.

 

I love Bangkok and Soi Twilight, but let's not beat around the bush here. The only things Bangkok has that Pattaya doesn't are Tawan (big muscle gogo bar) and quality gogo bar shows. The shows in Pattaya, of which there are 2 I believe, are rubbish and a waste of time. Bangkok does offer the big city life, the sky bars, the huge malls, and the expense that comes with it. If that's for you, enjoy Bangkok. I love this city.

 

Pattaya, for a visitor, quite honestly has a lot more going for it. I am not saying that it's not worth experiencing both the Bangkok scene and Pattaya scene, but in terms of variety, scale and number of boys Pattaya again wins. Pattaya has Sunnee Plaza, a place with hands on fun and a gogo bar with 100baht drinks and really cute twinks (winner boy). It has BoyzTown, where some say lies the best gogo in Thailand, BoyzBoyzBoyz, and I would say the hottest twinks in Thailand in Toy Boy and Cupidol. On top of that, you have my home away from home Jomtien Complex. 20+ beer bars with hot boys in each wanting to get into your wallet for some fun. Jomtien and Sunee Plaza are half the cost of Bangkok for the financially cautious traveler. That goes for the drinks and the boys time. Hotels are also fantastic value in Pattaya.

 

I am sure there are things I have forgotten to mention but my message to any newbie here is to try both Bangkok and Pattaya. I can tell you many expats in Bangkok tend to take their fun weekends away to Pattaya after a while. It just has the variety. Each city has its pros and cons but I know now where I am made to feel welcome, not scammed and most importantly find the hottest boys and best bang for my baht.

 

As I love both places I guess I will sit back with some popcorn and watch you all continue arguing over which city is best.

 

As a closing statement, what will you all do next year when Twilight is knocked down for that new hotel? hmmm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will not be devastated if Soi Twilight is knocked down for a new hotel.

Drinks,off fees and boys rates are outrageous expensive also the quality of the shows are not as used to be years ago.

 

Pattaya and Phuket have beaches and much more to do for tourists. Bangkok is so huge city with trafic jam and air pollution that sometimes it's make me nervous and uncomfortable to be there.

Phuket has very nice beaches and nearby islands the gay scene is modest but plenty of boys via the apps.

Pattay is a major Disneyland for adults with plenty of boys at the bars or through the apps.

Returned from one month trip in Thailand last week and my last 3 nights in BKK were realy waste of time .

[paulsf]

We are all different people with different thoughts, ideas and priorities. Boy69, you obviously are not happy in Bangkok. You have mentioned many times your dissatisfaction.

So I'll just counter that I love Bangkok, I hang out in Twilight all the times. I have a great time there. I, and many of my friends don't have issues with the things you have problems with. It's not a good thing or bad thing. We are all just different people.

[Jasper]

[Boy69]

Well, there is no accounted for taste...

[Guest]

I prefer gogo bars with twinks.   Cupidol (Pattaya) was the best on the last trip.   On some previous trip it was Classic Boys (Bangkok), but the mamasans are running that bar into the ground.    Overall, Pattaya has offered a better selection of bars for my tastes.   Pattaya bars are also much better value for money. 

As for other activities, I think Bangkok has more to see, but Pattaya is better for proper relaxation (such as on the beach).   

 

I'll generally spend 3 nights in Bangkok, go somewhere else and then spend at least 2 weeks in Pattaya.

 

Different people have different tastes.   For the people who don't like twinks & compare Tawan Bangkok with A-bomb & BBB Pattaya, you may get a different conclusion to me.   I've never been in any of those 3 bars.    What I see outside is sufficient. 

[rollingstone]

Jasper said, Good guys go to Heaven Bad Guys go to Pattaya.

 

I do not mind being a bad guy any time LOL

[ggobkk]

Isn't Heaven a club in London?

[Jasper]

Isn't Heaven a club in London?

Yes ggobkk, Heaven is a very famous & old gay club in London.

[numazu]

Hey it's my thread that refuses to die is back J! And since the thread is almost up to 35k in views, I gotta put in my 2 cents here somehow (and I am currently bored in my flight to somewhere, thank goodness for airplane internet).

 

Bangkok vs Pattaya

 

 

Ahhh yes, the eternal struggle between the two Thai cities, vying for your pink dollars. If you’re an occasional visitor, like me, and feel the need to maximize your fun because you usually don’t have time to spare wandering around aimlessly, trying to find what works for you and choosing between the two city choices, is usually something you need to do. Through my 14 trips, I have narrowed down what works and doesn't work for me, and yet sometimes the places I frequent sometimes still hold surprises for me. This trip report is a testament to that. And it usually isn’t because of the specific place I am staying at, but it is usually because of the company.

 

So I’m presenting my accounting on which city does what aspect the best. Like always, this is opinion are based on my preference. Your Mileage May Vary™, as usual, just because we are all different people. But I think by now you guys know fully well what warms my cockles, based on the 5 trip reports I have written here. I included links to some of my “reviews” or experiences I’ve had in the bars mentioned.

 

*Gogo Bars*

 

Bangkok

 

Bars I’ve visited: Dream Boy, Hot Male, X-Boys, Fresh Boys, X-Size, Jupiter, ScrewBoys, Tawan

 

Bars wish-list: Classic, Boys 66

 

Pattaya

 

Bars I’ve Visited: Boyzboyzboyz, X-Boys, Toy Boys, Nice Boys, A-bomb

 

Bars wish-list: 360

 

 

The gogo bars are the number one reason I go to Thailand. There are a lot beautiful boys around the world, but the one thing that sets Thailand apart is its gogo bars. No other place in the world has this mount of ease of access to boys like Thailand has. You are always guaranteed a good time if you know what you want, and have some baht to spare. Bangkok and Pattaya both have great gogo bars, and I really don’t have a preference to either city in terms of quality of the bars, entertainment and boys.

 

But just for sheer variety, I’d have to give the edge to Bangkok. If you’re in the mood for super twinks, boy next door types, matiness idol hunks or muscle gods, you can probably find what you’re looking for in Bangkok. And there are more gogo bars in Bangkok, so if you’re only staying for a week, you won’t have trouble finding the variety you need if you want to visit a new bar every night.

 

I have to admit that I’ve preferred certain bars over others, just because I’ve always found what I wanted in those bars, and just the right amount variety that I need. Dream Boy and Boyzboyzboyz fit this to a tee. I’ve found that if these were the only two bars I would ever go to for the rest of my life, I’d be pretty content. And these two have been my staples for the longest time. But I’ve tried to branch out and have found luck every bar I go to, except maybe the ones in Sunee Plaza (small sample size, but I may have been turned off by this one bad first encounter).

 

Advantage: Bangkok

 

 

*Host Bars*

 

Bangkok

 

Bars I’ve Visited: Hot Male, Telephone, Balcony

 

Bars wish-list: Scorpion

 

Pattaya

 

Bars I’ve Visited: @home

 

Bars wish-list: all the other bars in Jomtien

 

 

I define a host bar as a bar, oftentimes with an outdoor patio or component, with hot waiters and help and boys who are all, or most, offable. I’ve never really warmed to the idea of offing boys in host bars, until I went to Jomtien. And I had to have a former Jomtien star with me to get me to enjoy what Jomtien host bars had to offer. I do like the idea of a more unstructured evening compared to a show bar, and just letting the night, circumstance, and alcohol dictate what happens. All you have to be is ready for the onslaught of boys trying to get your attention.

 

In my early days of Thailand touring I went with friends, and most of them did not really go to Thailand to off anyone. Telephone Bar and Balcony were perfect for my friends, with relatively cheap drinks and a less “sleazy” atmosphere. There is nothing wrong with sleaze, by the way, and I enjoy that way more than my friends, who were only interested in drinking and talking and soaking up the Soi 4 atmosphere, before a night out at DJ.

 

So for a sex tourist, if host bars are your thing, Jomtien is the undisputed king. Hot Male 2 and Scoripon and Banana are all fun as well, but the freewheeling atmosphere of Jomtien really puts it head and shoulders above the rest.

 

Advantage: Pattaya

 

 

*Gay Clubs*

 

Bangkok: DJ Station, Fake Club, Celebrity Club

 

Pattaya:

 

Bars I’ve Visited: none

 

Bars wish-list: NAB, The Venue

 

 

DJ Station seems to be the gold standard of all Thailand “traditional” gay clubs. I’ve seen a lot of reviews on Travelgayasia comparing other Thai clubs to DJ. Perhaps because DJ is the most western of all gay clubs in Thailand. Fake, Celebrity and NAB have an added Thai flair to them, which is a big plus for me, the hardened sex tourist that I am. But if you’re new or still crave for the comfort of more western trappings, or if you like to check out the hot Asian tourists who consider DJ to be a pilgrimage site, this is the club for you.

 

Since I’ve been dating BurBoy, I have been a frequent visitor of Fake Club, and to a lesser extent, Celebrity Club. The combo ‘dance club – beer bar – show bar – boy bar’ model is something else, and sometimes is an assault to the senses. But for a once in a trip thing, Fake and Celebrity are musts in every gay tourist itinerary. This is why, all this time, I have regretted being able to check out NAB Men’s Club in Pattaya, especially since my favorite Pattaya AirBNB condo is only a few blocks away from it.

 

Advantage: Bangkok

 

 

*Gay Massage and Gay Saunas*

 

Bangkok: Arena three times, Babylon twice.

 

Pattaya: Narcissus once. Never been in a Pattaya sauna.

 

 

I am severely lacking in this sex tourist experience, and probably will have to wait a few more years before I am ready to fully experience the massage and sauna scenes. But my few visits to Arena and Babylon held so much promise. My one Pattaya massage experience was hot, although the masseur was hell-bent in topping me, which made for a relaxing massage experience for me. But it was hot seeing him cum though.

 

Advantage: maybe Bangkok? Too small sample size.

 

 

*Gay Districts*

 

Bangkok: Soi Twilight, Silom Soi 4

 

Pattaya: Boyztown, Jomtien Complex, Sunee Plaza, Dongtan Beach

 

 

Talk about one stop shopping. Pattaya seems to have the variety you need if you want to taste a wide breadth of experiences in a short amount of time. Boyztown is for gogos, Jomtien is for hosts, Sunee is for sleaze, and Dongtan is for your quick beach fix. Bangkok, for all its advantages, can’t boast this kind of gay entertainment variety.

 

Advantage: Pattaya

 

 

*Gay Apps Choices*

 

 

I’ve been able to find both free sex and paid sex in both cities with good success, but one city trumps the other clearly, more or less depending on what I am in the mood to look for. If I need free sex with a hot guy, I’ve had more luck finding it in Bangkok than Pattaya. There are more people in Thailand in general, so the numbers are in your favor. My favorite Thai free boy encounter is here, but I also have had luck with non-Thai free boys like this one wild Viet guy. In general I’ve always had cute free boys in Bangkok hit me up every trip. While this is fun, this is not why I go to Thailand. If I wanted free boys I would just stay home.

 

But I think if you are looking for cheap paid sex on the gay apps, Pattaya wins over Bangkok. I’ve found that ratio of paid boys vs free boys in the apps are higher in Pattaya than Bangkok, and because of this supply vs demand disparity, the prices in the apps tend to be cheaper. In Pattaya, the minute I open my gay apps, there will be a deluge of money boys messaging me, with short time fees averaging 1000 baht, and even 500 baht for the really desperate. Again, much like with free boys, this could be fun, but I am more interested in the whole experience (bars! offing! drinks!), that just cheap sex.

 

So it came down to the numbers, and counting the number of successful encounters I’ve had using gay apps in the Thailand, I would have to go with Bangkok. All my Bangkok encounters were with free boys, and they have run the gamut of nationalities as well. So Bangkok wins, by a (non-surgically enhanced) nose.

 

Advantage: Depends on what you want, but slight edge to Bangkok

 

 

*Other factors that may or may not be important to you*

 

*Culture*

 

 

One city really stands out in this regard by a mile. The gogo shows don’t start till 10:30 PM, and the massage places don’t really get going till the afternoon, so what is there to do in the hours you’re not fucking or getting molested? Bangkok is a world-class city, so pretty much everything else you need is here. Museums, temples, landmarks, boat experiences, classes, the list goes on and on for Bangkok. Pattaya? Well, since it is a manufactured town-sized brothel masquerading as a beach resort, culture is not exactly its strongest suit. It is the Las Vegas of Thai cities, lots of pleasure and flash, and not much else.  Advantage: Bangkok

 

*Shopping*

 

 

Read any Thailand tour book  or travel website, and you will see the names “Chatuchak Market”, “Siam Paragon”, “MBK”, “Terminal 21” etc., constantly being touted. And for good reason. Bangkok has the shopping advantage. Pattaya? It has malls, and shops, and Tuk Com, but for me, nothing special.  Advantage: Bangkok

 

*Ease of Access*

 

 

I feel that this comparison is a non-starter already, since Bangkok owns the two big airports, and is only a 30-45 minute taxi cab away, or a train (or two) ride away from the airports. With Pattaya you would have to get a car service (my preference), or a bus from the airport, which would take you about an hour and half to two hours or more. So if you don't want to waste any time to get to your destination and start your sex tour, Bangkok would probably be your best bet.

 

But it is actually is more than just the cities’ proximity to the airport. Bangkok has a developed public transportation infrastructure (BTS, MRT, bus service) than Pattaya’s paltry offerings (Songtheaws), not to mention the fun ferry rides across the river. Of course Pattaya is much much smaller than Bangkok, so often times having this variety in transportation does not matter, especially if your world just revolves around staying put in the gay ghettos, but if you’re like me and would like to venture out, often and always, then Bangkok does offer a lot more variety.

 

Advantage: Bangkok

 

*Cost*

 

 

So let’s say you’re the average Joe Sex Tourist, on a fixed income due to retirement, or working an average job, saving pennies for your vacation, earmarking all your money for off fees, and have little extra for fancy food or shopping or elaborate tours, where would you go? I’d say hands down, Pattaya would be your bet. I’ve found that decent accommodation is cheaper there than Bangkok, and the food, transportation and entertainment is generally cheaper, and of course the short time and long time fees are generally lower than what I see in Bangkok.

 

And I can certainly see the appeal in just focusing on Pattaya if youre trying to save money. The city is way smaller so there generally way less stuff to do, so there is less temptation to spend more. It is your hard-earned money after all, so the more money you can spend on the boys, which is the number one reason you are in Thailand, then Pattaya would probably give you the most bang for your buck. You can certainly have a frugal existence in Bangkok as well, but if you’re like me and have no impulse control when it comes to spending, I’d probably prefer Pattaya if I want to curb the dollars just coming out of my ass.

 

Advantage: Pattaya

 

 

Numazu's Winner: Bangkok probably, but really, who cares? It ultimately comes down to what you are mainly looking for. So if you're like me, you would love to have a mix of both worlds to get the whole Thai Sex Tourist experience. We are spoiled for choice in Thailand, and it's almost a crime to not take full advantage of what these two cities have to offer. And in this contest between Bangkok vs. Pattaya, everyone wins. 

[ChristianPFC]

Sometimes those changes are never coming , sometimes they are very sudden like demise of Zeus bar where I reported here was second best selection of guy in the soi, . offed boy and in few days bar was closed in the middle if the busy Christmas season and is still closed 3 years later with abandoned Zeus statue still gracing former premises. 

That statue was recently moved to X-Boys.

 

Re Bangkok vs Pattaya.

I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya, but it's great for one trip (3 days 2 nights, arriving in the evening and departing in the morning) per month. I am living in Bangkok, the prices in Soi Twilight (even with transportation (bus) and hotel costs, Pattaya comes out cheaper!) and the fact that I could go there any day deter me from going to bars here. And in Bangkok I would take boys to my room (with all my stuff, and being busy traveling I just manage to keep my room in a state where I can invite someone, and still I worry "I hope he will not look into that corner, there is too much dust") vs in Pattaya to hotel which I prefer. None of these points apply to tourists.

 

As for daytime activities in Pattaya, I made a list:

http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/03/daytime-activities-in-pattaya.html

There is enough to keep me entertained for months, but I have visited everywhere over the years. And most of it is not accessible by public transport (advantage of Bangkok where you can get almost everywhere by public transport).

 

Overall: the advantage of Bangkok is that it's 2 hours by bus from Pattaya, and the advantage of Pattaya is that it's 2 hours by bus from Bangkok.

[Guest samebb]

Yes ggobkk, Heaven is a very famous & old gay club in London.

They are a chain. One in gran canaria also

[Guest samebb]

that's exaggeration, I don't think we have any haters of either one here. Yes , there are preferences but I don't recall any derogatory statements about either one.

 

This is not surprising and it's kind like twinks / hunks lovers  divide which perhaps is even bigger than between  BKK and PTT fans.

 

I never mentioned hate, I just said there was a divide. I have actually spoken to a couple of forum members on LINE since posting this and was told I am correct, one laughing about how everything I like about Pattaya is everything he dislikes. Funny really.