Finally retiring and travelling to Asia in Feb 2018

[WelshGuyUK]

Hi guys

 

I have been an avid reader of these forums for some time now and I am becoming very excited now as I have a one way ticket booked to tour around Asia and I will be starting off in Bangkok. I have been a few times with friends on holiday doing a few touristy things but only for a couple of nights at the start of each holiday.

I'd like to do as much of Bangkok as I can in Feb for say 2-3 weeks before moving on possibly up North towards Laos.

 

As my ticket is one way I would like as many tips as possible to maximise opportunities everywhere.

 

Can I begin by asking what is the best location to be based for the gay areas and does someone know of reasonable accommodation?

 

Also, I would be grateful to meet up with any of you who would be around at that time ( Feb onwards)

 

Kind regards

 

Al

[fedssocr]

If I were you I would read about the latest visa rules just so you don't get into any trouble there.

 

2-3 weeks should be more than enough time to see the things worth seeing in Bangkok.

 

If you've been reading here I guess it should be clear that the most popular places for gays in Thailand are Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I'd say each has its positives and negatives.

[Boy69]

If you plan to stay more than a month you need to apply for a visa at the Thai embassy in advance you will get 60 days visa than can be extended in Thailand for 30 days more.

If you plan to stay not more than a month make sure you have

valid air ticket to other destination departure not further than 30 days from the day you arrived. If you plan to stay very long time in Thailand you can apply for a retirement visa.

[Jasper]

Have you checked if your airline let you board the airplane without onward ticket? Some airlines may refuse you from boarding and insist on buying a return ticket if you are entering Thailand on visa exempt.

 

If you are planning overland crossing from neighbouring countries, you should note that you can enter Thailand only twice a year by land.

[Guest]

Well congratulations on retiring & starting in SE Asia.    I hope you're one of those fortunate & organized people who manage to retire early ?

 

1  Silom is the area to be based in for the BKK  gay scene.    google will show you where the bars are.

 

2  For hotels, well it depends what your budget & expectations are.   Something like the Nantra Silom is cheap & conveniently located, although they could keep it a bit tidier.    Baan Silom soi 3 is one I like.

 

3  The lowest cost one way ticket to any of the neighboring countries would presumably satisfy Thai immigration that you have an onward ticket.    Even if, for a long holiday, you really should actually leave over land & see something of SE Asia.

 

Laos is lovely  -e.g. enter overland from Chiang Rai, 2 day boat trip down to Luang Prabang, a week or so there, then move on through the country.

 

However, there is a lot of Thailand to see.

Also I suggest you could go onto Cambodia first, then perhaps head north as the temperatures start to rise in April ?   

 

You could consult climate charts to make sure this all makes sense, but if you're planning a long trip all over SE Asia, spending an hour or so understanding the seasons in various places might help.    For example, I believe the dry months in Thailand are around December Jan, Feb, whilst down in Bali, December is the wettest month.

[WelshGuyUK]

If you plan to stay more than a month you need to apply for a visa at the Thai embassy in advance you will get 60 days visa than can be extended in Thailand for 30 days more.

If you plan to stay not more than a month make sure you have

valid air ticket to other destination departure not further than 30 days from the day you arrived. If you plan to stay very long time in Thailand you can apply for a retirement visa.

Thank you.

 

I have read this advice elsewhere too nd it concerns me.

 

My plan actually is 'no plan' as such and just drift to other places as and when I am ready to move on so planning where I will be is jot set in stone as a such.

 

Youngsters must be more confident than I am as they have their gap years at 21 yrs and now I am having this gap year (or even longer) at 51 yrs, I am having what we British people call 'Butterflies'

[WelshGuyUK]

Have you checked if your airline let you board the airplane without onward ticket? Some airlines may refuse you from boarding and insist on buying a return ticket if you are entering Thailand on visa exempt.

If you are planning overland crossing from neighbouring countries, you should note that you can enter Thailand only twice a year by land.

Wow thanks. I didn't realise that

[DivineMadman]

Congratulations.

 

If you decide not to get a Thai Tourist Visa the usual workaround for the airline needing to see a outbound ticket is to purchase a fully refundable ticket for a flight out within the 30 day period.

 

In addition to hotels, you might want to consider checking out AirBnB.  It's easy to narrow the search to your ideal neighborhoods (Silom/Sathorn).  As in all things, I would only book a place there that had previously been reviewed.  Also, a lot of condo buildings have been cracking down on weekly sublets, so I would steer clear of any places that hint they are not complying with all the rules.

[TotallyOz]

Wow thanks. I didn't realise that

 

Jasper is right.  But, you can purchase a cheap 60 USD flight to Cambodia or Vietnam from AirAsia.

 

Congrats on your decision!

[Guest DThump]

I think as for Thailand your are atleast 10 years past its hayday, someone recommended 2-3 weeks in BKK...a week is enough...do spend some time in Pattaya here to it is way past its prime but is worthy of 5 days to a week, a once florishing gay scene was to be had in Chiang Mai and Phuket that is now far from the truth I recommend both a pass, as for Laos you will meet more Lao guys to go with in Pattaya and BKK than you are likely to find in Laos..... Do go to Cambodia Both to Siem Reap 2-3 days is fine and to Phnom Penh were a gay seen is growing unlike Thailand where is has retracted greatly. There is also at the moment no shortage of Cambodian moneyboys in Pattaya.

[vinapu]

I think as for Thailand your are atleast 10 years past its hayday, someone recommended 2-3 weeks in BKK...a week is enough...do spend some time in Pattaya

 

..... Do go to Cambodia Both to Siem Reap 2-3 days is fine and to Phnom Penh were a gay seen is growing unlike Thailand where is has retracted greatly. 

 

most of us here are also at least 10 years past of our heyday , it doesn't mean we are not alive and kicking and so is Thailand, gay Thailand in  particular

 

With 13 go-go bars still in operation one  can spend 2 weeks in Bangkok without being / and taking off from / in the same bar again, not to mention countless massage places.

Can't envision being bored in 3 weeks in BKK , broken , yes , but bored? 

 

I agree with "visit Pattaya" recommendation for at least few days.

 

In Siem Reap 2-3 days is enough for somebody totally uninterested in architectural heritage but if one is , even 1 week may be not enough and gay fan can be had there as well.

 

While Phnom Penh scene is growing is still far from "declined' scene in BKK but I agree , worth visiting.

 

I like OP idea of just going and see what happens , with more time at disposal and not being restricted by employer give away of vacation time   that ideal way of having leisurely holidays, waking up in the morning without idea of where and with whom one will go to bed next  night. 

[Guest]

With 13 go-go bars still in operation one  can spend 2 weeks in Bangkok

 

Exactly.  

Other than Bangkok & Pattaya, where else in the world can one find so many gogo bars ?  

This is as good as it gets.

 

Having said that, I do recommend the OP starts to travel around after his 2~3 weeks.  

There are all sorts of possibilities.  Train up to Ayyuthaya, Sukothai, Chiang Mai & no doubt a few other interesting places I have missed.   On to Chiang Rai, then cross the border in to Laos @ Houay Xai  & take the 2 day boat trip down to Luang Prabang.  A week in Luang Prabang would be good.  Then decide whether to head north or south. 

 

Or take the train from Bangkok to Aranya Prathet, then travel on overland to Siem Reap onwards in to Cambodia. 

[gerefan]

Congratulations.

 

If you decide not to get a Thai Tourist Visa the usual workaround for the airline needing to see a outbound ticket is to purchase a fully refundable ticket for a flight out within the 30 day period.

 

Slightly off topic but the above has me slightly worried.

 

I have a 90 day visa but intend staying 120days with a border run after 90 days.

 

Am I going to have problems boarding when I leave UK as I have a return ticket 120days hence but only a 90 day visa?

[Guest]

Am I going to have problems boarding when I leave UK as I have a return ticket 120days hence but only a 90 day visa?

 

Someone else should advise on that, but from my reading of previous advice offered, it sounds risky.

 

However, I note you can go onto Skyscanner & find one way flights to places like Malaysia, Burma or Vietnam for about £30 (priced without baggage, on the assumption you're going to make other plans, not involving the flight).   

That's not an expensive way of avoiding an onward ticket problem.

 

Alternatively, going the whole hog & doing an Air Asia border run with a few days in another city cannot be that bad an idea ?    Think I would prefer it to those death trap minivans.

 

My trips are often a day or 2 over the limit for visa exemption & I make proper 10 day trips to another country, but have not yet been asked for evidence of those onward flights. 

[fedssocr]

I couldn't live my life without at least a basic plan, so what the OP is doing is completely foreign to me. Not good or bad, just different. I'm sure people have been doing this sort of drifting thing forever. Hasn't there been a significant crackdown by the current government over the last couple of years on visa overstays. Or was that just for show? If you understand the rules and are careful you should be fine.

 

For me the gogo bar scene is tiring and not all that exciting. Perhaps it was at one time. But now it almost seems like too much hassle. But I've always said there's much more to Thailand than the sex scene. The whole region has a very interesting history and great hospitality.

[DivineMadman]

Slightly off topic but the above has me slightly worried.

 

I have a 90 day visa but intend staying 120days with a border run after 90 days.

 

Am I going to have problems boarding when I leave UK as I have a return ticket 120days hence but only a 90 day visa?

If you have a visa then the airline won't inquire about your onward ticket.  Put another -- and with luck more comprehensible -- way, the airlines check for an onward ticket for those without a visa.  

 

(As for the date count, you will have to exit/re-enter before the expiration of your visa, which will be 90 days from the issuance date, which will almost certainly be a bit before your departure date as you get your visa in advance, which would bring you up short of 90+30 =120 days in LOS, but of course you can go to immigration to get that "last" 30 days extended by an additional 30.)  

[TotallyOz]

If you have a visa then the airline won't inquire about your onward ticket.  Put another -- and with luck more comprehensible -- way, the airlines check for an onward ticket for those without a visa.  

 

(As for the date count, you will have to exit/re-enter before the expiration of your visa, which will be 90 days from the issuance date, which will almost certainly be a bit before your departure date as you get your visa in advance, which would bring you up short of 90+30 =120 days in LOS, but of course you can go to immigration to get that "last" 30 days extended by an additional 30.)  

 

This is inaccurate. It all depends on where you are coming from and the airline.  I have had dual 3 month visas to Thailand and left from Detroit and without a return ticket or another ticket, they would not let me on the plane.  Luckily, I just on the IPad and bought one on AirAsia and it was shown to them. That is all they wanted.They needed to cover their bases because if Thai customs denies you, the airline is responsible for the return fare.  That said, I have never had anyone in Thai customs check for a return ticket.

[DivineMadman]

This is inaccurate. It all depends on where you are coming from and the airline.  I have had dual 3 month visas to Thailand and left from Detroit and without a return ticket or another ticket, they would not let me on the plane.  Luckily, I just on the IPad and bought one on AirAsia and it was shown to them. That is all they wanted.They needed to cover their bases because if Thai customs denies you, the airline is responsible for the return fare.  That said, I have never had anyone in Thai customs check for a return ticket.

 

Actual real world experience of course trumps all.  

 

I usually take my views from Ubonjoe, the resident expert over on Thai Visa, who even as recently as Tuesday said "A return or onward ticket is not required if you have a valid visa for entry."  https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1008210-onward-ticket-53-days-later/?do=findComment&comment=12388295  So at least there seems to be an open question about it.  As noted there's an easy no cost workaround of buying a fully-refundable ticket or get a cheap throw away ticket.  Up to you if decide to do it ahead of time or at check-in if there's an issue.

 

Somewhere there's a website that lets you tap into the database the airlines use to check these requirements.  Can't find the link right now.

[Guest McGarty]

I think as for Thailand your are atleast 10 years past its hayday, someone recommended 2-3 weeks in BKK...a week is enough...do spend some time in Pattaya here to it is way past its prime but is worthy of 5 days to a week, a once florishing gay scene was to be had in Chiang Mai and Phuket that is now far from the truth I recommend both a pass, as for Laos you will meet more Lao guys to go with in Pattaya and BKK than you are likely to find in Laos..... Do go to Cambodia Both to Siem Reap 2-3 days is fine and to Phnom Penh were a gay seen is growing unlike Thailand where is has retracted greatly. There is also at the moment no shortage of Cambodian moneyboys in Pattaya.

WelshGuyUK,

Don't listen to the jaded, the has-beens and the know-it -alls,

You are quite young by the standards of retired men in Thailand,

Tread your own path.  Happy Adventures!

[Guest DThump]

I don't know how young or old the OP is...I have spent most of my time the last 13 yrs. in S.E. Asia for the most part in Thailand....do I know it all of course not but enough to know what I am talking about....Like all things the OP must have his own experiences and make his own conclussions. I wish him well on the journey he is about to embark.

[vinapu]

I don't know how young or old the OP is.

answer below

 

 and now I am having this gap year (or even longer) at 51 yrs, 

[Guest DThump]

I came to BKK when I was 52 after spending time in Indonesia, it was my first time in Thailand and it was back in the days when future boys was the best go go in the universe, atleast to me. Soi Twilight in the evenings was always packed with people if you entered a club just before the show started you were lucky to get a seat, this was way before the apps. so many boys so many customers...At that time only Thai boys worked in the bars.

A fellow I met suggested I go to see Pattaya and I did, boystown comprised of 3 sois it was wonderful not guite like Soi Twilight but wonderful nevertheless. I literally stumbled upon Sunee Plaza it also heaved with people in the evening and it was surreal with snake charmers, an occassional elephant and every vice imaginable. Jomtien Complex existed but there really wasn't any reason to go, no bars no go go bars nothing really.

A poster referred to me as "Jaded" well perhaps but I see it as being lucky to have experienced everything whilst it was in its prime I have no regrets!

[WelshGuyUK]

Hi guys

 

Thanks for the posts above which I am trying to digest. Thanks also for those who have PM'd with ideas and places they have visited. (I will reply as soon as I can.

[bobsaigon]

Vietnam:  Visa on Arrival is an option.  Check the Vietnamese government website about different types of visas.

[fedssocr]

UK citizens can get a Myanmar visa online 

https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/NoticetoTourists.aspx

 

Cambodia also has evisas or visa on arrival if you choose to go there.

 

If you plan to leave Thailand and come back make sure you have a multiple entry visa. I am not familiar with what they offer in terms of single entry or multiple. Or you may be able to do a 30 visa exemption entry if you 60 day visa expires or is single entry. But I think there are rules about the number of days within a certain number that you can stay.