News from Chiang Mai

[vinapu]

  Interesting that if a boy comes to sit with you now there is a 100 thb fee - apparently introduced because some  were not being tipped by customers.  

do you also need to buy him  a drink ?

 

Am not against an idea of such  a fee, particularly when boy is held in ransom for prolonged time and leaves empty handed or with meager tip.

 

In Sept I was salivating over boy at BBB Boyztown who was sitting with female customer for length of whole show only to learn next day from him that he was not offed and his tip was just a 100 baht. I did not want to be assholish but regretted upon learning about it that I did not ask mamasan to ask client if she will be taking him, should I ?  

[spoon]

Yes, u can always ask mamasan to ask whether he is still available or not. I believe that is a fair play. Most likely mamasan will then ask (reads annoys) the other customer to off the boy, until either he off the boy or he leave the bar lol.

[vinapu]

Yes, u can always ask mamasan to ask whether he is still available or not. I believe that is a fair play. Most likely mamasan will then ask (reads annoys) the other customer to off the boy, until either he off the boy or he leave the bar lol.

I agree that is fair play but in case above I was a bit apprehensive because I saw that boy is having good time so decided to give up.

 

I know bitter taste of being dumped mid-bar by the boy who went to another customer so am a bit adverse to boy snatching practices 

[spoon]

Id say give it 10-20mins, more than enough for a person to decide if he will off the boy or not. But like u said on your particular case, the boy chose to overstay his welcome because he enjoys the girls company, so its his decision, u dont need to feel sorry for him. In fact, he couldve been offed and say he didnt the next day in order to get your business lol.

[sglad]

I'm bumping up this thread for mynakedtop who recently asked about Chiang Mai.

 

Just a note on Uber.  It ended its services on April 8 but Grab is still running.

[nynakedtop]

I'm bumping up this thread for mynakedtop who recently asked about Chiang Mai.

 

Just a note on Uber.  It ended its services on April 8 but Grab is still running.

 

Very much appreciate that, sglad!

 

I am taking the BKK-CM day time train (one of my "bucket list" items to do...) on Tuesday and staying five nights at an apartment on Chang Klan Road.... I do have some ex-pat friends up there who are always eager to show me around, but the urban explorer which is deeply a part of my soul likes to be out and about looking for adventures on my own as much as possible.

 

I will definitely be looking forward to seeing any words of wisdom from forum members and will, of course, share my news as well.

 

Thanks....

[ceejay]

Don't want to put you off a bucket list ambition (or come across as a grumpy old sod) but there are some things to consider about that daytime train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

It's a diesel rail car, and the seats are spaced close together. If you are above average height for a farang then it can get seriously uncomfortable during a 9 hour journey.

Long distance trains are never on time in Thailand. Allow for it to be at least 2 hours late, quite possibly 3 or 4, so you will probably be getting in to CM some time between 9.30 and 10.30 pm (if you are taking train 7 which I guess you are.)

The songtaews and tuktuks that wait outside the station are all going to try to rip you off for an exorbitant price. Depending on where you are staying you should be able to settle on 60baht (songtaew) or 150 baht (tuktuk) (those are still inflated prices).

[nynakedtop]

Don't want to put you off a bucket list ambition (or come across as a grumpy old sod) but there are some things to consider about that daytime train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

It's a diesel rail car, and the seats are spaced close together. If you are above average height for a farang then it can get seriously uncomfortable during a 9 hour journey.

Long distance trains are never on time in Thailand. Allow for it to be at least 2 hours late, quite possibly 3 or 4, so you will probably be getting in to CM some time between 9.30 and 10.30 pm (if you are taking train 7 which I guess you are.)

The songtaews and tuktuks that wait outside the station are all going to try to rip you off for an exorbitant price. Depending on where you are staying you should be able to settle on 60baht (songtaew) or 150 baht (tuktuk) (those are still inflated prices).

 

Appreciate the spirit of this posting, and the reality check that it inspires. It helps me to be more emotionally prepared for the journey and to keep my expectations in check. That is a good thing... and I continue to look forward to the adventure, although I may opt for a flight back rather than round trip on the train.

 

I am average sized.....180cm, 68 kg, so I think I should be OK.... I plan to bury myself in Proust, stare out the window.... appreciate being in a place of (relative) solitude... and think about food.

 

I am being met at the station because the one thing I dislike most about Thai travel is stepping off of a plane, train, whatever, and being confronted by scammy taxi folk. Makes me nuts.

[vinapu]

 

.... I dislike most about Thai travel is stepping off of a plane, train, whatever, and being confronted by scammy taxi folk. Makes me nuts.

that the joy of travelling almost everywhere , not just in Thailand

[bucknaway]

I still tell people about my train experience in Thailand.  I took the a first class sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang mai.  Everyone made it sound so special.  Get on the train and when you wake-up you will be in Chiang Mai.  Well I took the train and first class was kinda nice.  I slept in the top bunk and the guy that shared the cabin with me slept on the bottom bunk.  When I woke-up we were still 2 or 3 hours away from Chiang Mai.  I think the train was moving at 5 or 6 mph.  When I got off the train and checked into my hotel I had them get me a plane ticket back to Bangkok and when I got there I took my ticket back to the train station and got a refund for the unused return ticket.

 

That was one boring train trip!

[Boy69]

Air tickets to CM are so cheap this days and it's less than one hour flight ,I really don't see any advantage of tacking a train .

[nynakedtop]

Air tickets to CM are so cheap this days and it's less than one hour flight ,I really don't see any advantage of tacking a train .

 

If I do take the train back (still undecided....)  I may hop off and doing an overnight at Ayutthaya ... a place I have visited only once and briefly and which probably deserves some time...

 

But, back to the issue of Chiang Mai itself...

 

Always eager to hear recommendations from those who know it better than I do for adventures I should undertake....

[Boy69]

Better doing overnight not only at Ayutthaya but at Sukothai as well one of the remarkable places in Thailand and the people their are lovely.

[spoon]

I am one of the train enthusiast and I seriously dont mind long train ride lol. For thailand, ive done ayutthaya by train, hua hin by train, death railway which is of course by train, and took train going back from maeklong train market. Ive also done overnight train in hanoi to sapa (both ways) too. Ive always dream of going to chiangmai/chiang rai by train, as well as taking train towards laos and towards cambodia, but crossing border seems a bit of a hassle, and no train on the other sides. Anyway, all i want to say is, while train in thailand isnt the usual high speed train most of you accustomed to, if u like train, and the view/scenery it provides that most regular roads wont, go for it. Just be prepared to fill up your times with stuff to do

[DivineMadman]

If I do take the train back (still undecided....)  I may hop off and doing an overnight at Ayutthaya ... a place I have visited only once and briefly and which probably deserves some time...

 

But, back to the issue of Chiang Mai itself...

 

Always eager to hear recommendations from those who know it better than I do for adventures I should undertake....

If it's adventures on the non-sexual variety, I highly highly recommend https://www.elephantnaturepark.org

[nynakedtop]

If it's adventures on the non-sexual variety, I highly highly recommend https://www.elephantnaturepark.org

 

All adventures are sexual, and all things sexual are adventures!

[vinapu]

Better doing overnight not only at Ayutthaya but at Sukothai as well one of the remarkable places in Thailand and the people their are lovely.

From Bangkok Ayuthaya by train can be easily done as day trip so no need to break Chiang Mai trip but it would be good idea to stop in Ayuthaya on the way from Chiang Mai.

 

Very good point with visiting Sukhotai on the way in either direction

[vinapu]

All adventures are sexual, and all things sexual are adventures!

you sound like my previous boss (industrial environment ):

 

him: " vinapu,  way you did it was very sexual " ,

me : 'what? why? ",

him: 'you fucked it up"

[musgrave]

mynakedtop - most of the bars are located in the night market area - Orion, Pandee, Secrets, Ram, Blackjack - they are small bars wirh Ram having a cabaret around 22.30. Low season at present so not terribly crowded anywhere

 

Adams Apple has a boy show - mostly straight Tai Yai boys but they like to have fun - there is a Facebook page with updates if they are having special shows

 

New My Way is similar.

 

Although not primarily gay venues some of the karaoke bars provide a good nights entertainment - mind you some of them don't kick off till 1.00am.  Freeguy and Barocco fit this description - mixed crowd but plenty of boys to share a drink with you

 

Other than the songtaews and tuk tuks - Grab is a good mode of transport here.  It even mentions a day car hire service

 

A visit to Huay Taeng Tao is worth a visit - sit under a bamboo hut overlooking a lake - eat and drink with some company - very relaxing and inexpensive

 

A car trip to Doi Inthanon is worthwhile - great scenery, spectacular gardens - but a bit of a gamble in rain season

 

lots and lots to do here

[nynakedtop]

mynakedtop - most of the bars are located in the night market area - Orion, Pandee, Secrets, Ram, Blackjack - they are small bars wirh Ram having a cabaret around 22.30. Low season at present so not terribly crowded anywhere

 

Adams Apple has a boy show - mostly straight Tai Yai boys but they like to have fun - there is a Facebook page with updates if they are having special shows

 

New My Way is similar.

 

Although not primarily gay venues some of the karaoke bars provide a good nights entertainment - mind you some of them don't kick off till 1.00am.  Freeguy and Barocco fit this description - mixed crowd but plenty of boys to share a drink with you

 

Other than the songtaews and tuk tuks - Grab is a good mode of transport here.  It even mentions a day car hire service

 

A visit to Huay Taeng Tao is worth a visit - sit under a bamboo hut overlooking a lake - eat and drink with some company - very relaxing and inexpensive

 

A car trip to Doi Inthanon is worthwhile - great scenery, spectacular gardens - but a bit of a gamble in rain season

 

lots and lots to do here

This is incredibly useful information, and I really thank the post-er for putting it together.

 

My travel style is generally to use a known or recommended destination as an "anchor", start out from there and see what adventures and dangers I can encounter -- that will very much be my CM plan as well.

 

I appreciate the warnings that some of my expectations for the train trip may be unrealistic, but I am thinking of it as many hours of forced solitude, something that I, as an educator in New York City will very much treasure. 

 

And I may actually get to do a trip report although buyer be warned: I tend to get all weird reflective in my writing.

 

We'll see, eh?

[Bob]

The RAM (on east end of Soi 6 which runs from Chang Klan to Charoen Prahtet) show starts at 10:00 PM and is worth a look see.  They have a whole new cast of performers who started this past Wednesday.

Also, there's a new place in town (just south of and across the street from the Pantip building......northwest corner of Chang Klan and Sri Don Chai) called 6ixcret which just opened two nights ago.  Same dance troupe (plus a newbe or two) that used to be at RAM and is also definitely worth a look see. The 6ixcret show starts at 9:30 PM. 

If you're into ladyboys with glitzy costumes, you'll like the show (both shows have some very fine looking boys dancers too). 

[spoon]

This is incredibly useful information, and I really thank the post-er for putting it together.

 

My travel style is generally to use a known or recommended destination as an "anchor", start out from there and see what adventures and dangers I can encounter -- that will very much be my CM plan as well.

 

I appreciate the warnings that some of my expectations for the train trip may be unrealistic, but I am thinking of it as many hours of forced solitude, something that I, as an educator in New York City will very much treasure.

 

And I may actually get to do a trip report although buyer be warned: I tend to get all weird reflective in my writing.

 

We'll see, eh?

Worth to note that many locals take trains. Plenty of boy watching can be done on board as well haha.

[sglad]

Very much appreciate that, sglad!

 

 

No worries.  How was your trip to Chiang Mai?

[nynakedtop]

No worries.  How was your trip to Chiang Mai?

hey sglad, thanks for asking!!

 

A couple of things:

 

The train ride up there was not bad at all. comfortable seating (for me), on time departure, on time arrival.... the scenery was worth a long stare out of the window, and i listened to many podcasts that i had fallen behind on. my seat neighbor was a rather doughy young-ish thai person who kept expanding horizontally into my space. that, along with the difficult bathroom facility, was my only complaint. Having said that, the ride WAS long... and felt it, but even more so on the ride back to BKK... possibly because I had barely slept the night before and had a bad stomach ache and some.... ummh.... concerns.

 

Would I do the train again? Honestly -- no.

 

Chiang Mai, itself.... seems so manageable in comparison to Bangkok. The pace notably different, the people more patient... less overall "hustle". There is a curious element of a particular type of western tourist here, though... kind of self-righteous backpacker types who, having spent a week or two in thailand, have become "more thai than thai". They avoid eye contact with other westerns, dress strangely, and do yoga in public spaces. Weird.

 

I did not do much in the way of gay stuff, even though i wanted to. Spent more time with local friends... lots of Burmese/Myanmar guys working the apps, by the way.... and one freelance masseur on Hornet sent me hot pics, only to show up about 10 years older and 15 pounds heavier. I sent him on his way.

 

A guy I met had a car, so we spent a day outside of town... went to the temple at Doi Suthep.... and then way up scary winding roads in the mountains to Doi Pui.... really really wonderful stuff to be experienced out there.

 

So thanks to everyone who offered their advice/warnings/excitements on CM... I will probably return there before I head home in September.... but this time, I definitely am flying!

[vinapu]

 

 

Would I do the train again? Honestly -- no.

.... but this time, I definitely am flying!

but now at least you know and you can make informed decision

 

 

 

 

There is a curious element of a particular type of western tourist here, though... kind of self-righteous backpacker types who, having spent a week or two in thailand, have become "more thai than thai". They avoid eye contact with other westerns, dress strangely, and do yoga in public spaces. 

before you went you should do rehearsal at Khao San area in BKK

 

travelling world is full of those types who upon returning home present themselves as experts on all things in relation to countries they visited