The Man of Thailand magazine

[abidismaili]

Recently there was a thread on this forum about gay books. Some older members mentioned the now defunct magazine The Men of Thailand. A gay travel guide and more then that: it gave all kind of info about how go go bars work, about how saving face is important in Thailand,  etc etc. The last edition (edition 7) appeared in 1999.

Since I am very interested how this gay sex tourism in Thailand operated before my time (my first trip is 2014) and what the prices where back then I ordered via second hand bookshops the first, second and last edition. It is indeed very very good and detailed. Finally I also know now what short time price was in 1987 for example. And in 1999. What drink prices were in bars back then. This will be an important magazine for social historians later (rise of gay sex tourism in Thailand, how it operated etc). Also interesting to see that much hasn't changed at all. Like it even says back then many boys used to say "up to you".  That hasn't changed at all. Very happy with my purchases.

If you still have these magazines not that many are being sold now. The ones I bought were sold for about 80 EUR each. You also see sellers who ask a few hundred EUR for it.

So if you want to earn some money sell it!

[hank75]

15 hours ago, abidismaili said:

Also interesting to see that much hasn't changed at all. Like it even says back then many boys used to say "up to you".  That hasn't changed at all. Very happy with my purchases.

This sounds very interesting and the sort of thing I like reading- bar culture is a fascinating world of its own. Not sure I would pay 80 EUR just to find out though! 

[pong]

TMOT- Have at least 3 of those, and threw away the appendix from 2 or so (which had the then more or less actual facts-places etc.) away just before last Th trip, of which i returned yesterday. Main textbooks still on the shelf, but due to housemove cleaning out the old house. If not difficult overseas sending is needed (hank) then you can contact me-will be back in TH in around 3 weeks from now. The text does not differ much between these prints, that are spaced in total some 8-10 yrs apart. Interestingly they completely ignored the then just opened soi pratoochai (hotmail or hotmale-betwen suriwong and ramIV). Also the then just coming up m2m massageshops were completely ignored. it was tied to the Thai magazine MIDWAY (of which i also hve around half the issues) that sometimes printed updates for places.

Yes, for those of you interested; OFF fee of 100 bt and suggested tip for short time of 3-500 as quoted then for Silom bars.

Similar but much less extensive books I have are about the PHillippines and MeXico.

[abidismaili]

Another thing I learned from this magazine is the reason the boys in gogo bars have a number on their underwear.

I always thought it is for the convenience of the customer who can mention a number to the mamasan. That is why I never understood that your guys mention the boys' number in reviews because I thought maybe next day another boy takes that number. So why mention his number in a review.

But thanks to that magazine I know the numbers are needed by law. The boys working in the bars MUST have each day the same number. Not for our convenience, but the law states this.

[abidismaili]

1 hour ago, pong said:

TMOT- Have at least 3 of those, and threw away the appendix from 2 or so (which had the then more or less actual facts-places etc.) away just before last Th trip, of which i returned yesterday.

Indeed my second edition magazine came also with a small appendix booklet. From the last edition the seller only had the book 1 (the main book). The other 2 booklets of the last edition (the listings booklet and the maps booklet) I not have sadly. Couldn't find any seller that had them.

Why you threw the 2nd edition appendix away? You still are using the listings in them? They are of course now very outdated.

When did m2m massage places came into being in Bangkok and Pattaya? Around the time of the last edition? So around 1999? Before that only women who were giving massage?

And when did soi twilight came into being? I remember seeing the twilight bar mentioned in one of the books.

[spoon]

Interesring fact about having numbers as law. I am now wondering if the law has change since bbb now dont have numbers for each boys, and only few use the tag with name

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, pong said:

 

Yes, for those of you interested; OFF fee of 100 bt and suggested tip for short time of 3-500 as quoted then for Silom bars.

 

so it looks that while inflation kicked in , price structure is the same i.e tip is 3-5 times of off fee, nowadays mostly 500 and ST tip 1500-2500 ( stunners and greedy at that)

[bucknaway]

I had a few of the books and the information is provided is still useful for new visitors.

[baobao]

I've had copies of a few editions of The Men of Thailand, and it IS worth searching out. I've seen it at the Dasa Book Cafe on Sukhumvit... I'd try there.  714/4 Sukhumvit Rd

[ChristianPFC]

A few years ago,  bought a second hand copy The Men of Thailand for 80 (THB, not EUR) in Thai4life (near Sunee Plaza, now closed). Interesting reading.

On the subject of gay guidebooks, a friend brought a new Spartacus a few years ago, and the section on Thailand was obviously composed a year before printing, which means half of the entries were not correct any more, and a lot of new stuff was missing.

[abidismaili]

That people still buy guides like Spartacus. We have the Internet now. I wonder how much they sell in a year.

The Men of Thailand had added value beyond just listings. Such a volume I would still buy if it was in print today. 

I did buy some old Spartacus magazines to see what they wrote about gay Thailand in the past. I have the 1991 edition, 1994-1995 and 2001-2002 editions.  The 1991 edition mentions only the twilight bar in what is now Soi Twilight. In Pattaya no Jomtien en no Sunee is mentioned in the 1991 edition.

Below the maps from the 1991 edition

[Londoner]

In 1995 I wanted to purchase a gay guide to Thailand to assist me with my first trip to Pattaya. I looked at two- The Men of Thailand and a guide written by a guy called (I think) Michael Notcutt. I chose the later because it seemed more user--friendly and  it had the picture of a delightful young Thai on its cover with a temple in the background. He was just the sort of guy I hoped to meet!

A fair number of the recommended venues, I soon discovered,  no longer existed  by the time I arrived while others (remember that this was the Good Old Days) had opened and weren't included. The guide was helpful in other ways, though. It explained "offing" succinctly and-as it turned-out- accurately and it included simple rules of etiquette such as not touching Thais' head and being respectful of the Thai monarchy. 

The only other guide of which I was aware consisted of a few pages in Spartacus. I owe a debt of gratitude to Michael Notcutt.

[Tintinx]

Thanks for sharing the Spartacus maps! They bring up a lot of memories. Some numbers in the maps seem to be misplaced though.

In Bangkok, I regularly visited Rome Club (the gay discotheque of that time) and Harrie's Bar (late night place, in full swing when all other bars were closed). Both places were amazing! From the bars, I preferred Barbiery (right on Surawong Road, with very explicit shows every night) and Golden Cock. Both bars were on the second floor, if I remember correctly, to give some 'warning time' in case the BIB would pay a visit. 

In Pattaya, Nautilus (boys swimming behind glas in a large water tank) and Adam & Eve were the most spectacular bars. Both had a large number of massage rooms for body-to-body (soapy) massage. Among others I also visited Memory and Homex Inn (further in the north) and Cockpit and Gentlemen (in todays Boyz Town). Not mentioned in the map are some more bars at the south end of todays walking street (Men's club 69 and Garden Boys, if I remember correctly). A late night meeting place was Marine Bar on walking street, which still exists today.

[abidismaili]

1 hour ago, Londoner said:

I I owe a debt of gratitude to Michael Notcutt.

Thanks. Just ordered the 1998 edition of the book you refer too. Title is 'Thai scene'. Indeed author is Michael Notcutt.

 

Below Pattaya map from Spartacus 2001-2002 edition. Sunee has arrived by that time! 1994-1995 edition still doest menion Sunee on the map. So I guess Sunee appeared between 1995 and 2001. When did Jomtien appear?

 

[vinapu]

do you have map of soi twilight and vicinity in that 2001-2002 editon ?

I'd like to see it because I forgot name of my first ever bar I visited. It was on Rama IV, somewhere where Take-a Nap hotel is now I guess

[abidismaili]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

do you have map of soi twilight and vicinity in that 2001-2002 editon ?

I'd like to see it because I forgot name of my first ever bar I visited. It was on Rama IV, somewhere where Take-a Nap hotel is now I guess

Yes, see below. If you dont see your bar it maybe is listed not in the map but only in the listing section. In that case I will put here the relevant pages from the listings also.

[vinapu]

it's not there but I noticed another oldie , favorite of mine,   Tomahawk, across from Tawan

[abidismaili]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

it's not there but I noticed another oldie , favorite of mine,   Tomahawk, across from Tawan

So you are sure it isnt My Way Bar? I see that bar listed on Rama IV

[Londoner]

I remember it....didn't the go-go dancers wear mini-skirts rather than briefs? or is that the fantasy of an old man? Round the corner was Khun Bar, sometimes called Khun Cigar. Bill Clinton may have enjoyed that bar. The many bars in Bangkok seemed to have more individuality in those days. 

[daydreamer]

12 hours ago, vinapu said:

do you have map of soi twilight and vicinity in that 2001-2002 editon ?

I'd like to see it because I forgot name of my first ever bar I visited. It was on Rama IV, somewhere where Take-a Nap hotel is now I guess

I remember the go-go bar you are talking about, Vinapu.  It was on Rama IV between Surawong and the end of Soi Twilight.  It was closer to the end of Soi Twilight, not far around the corner from Balls Sport Beer Bar, just off the edge of the map.  I think it was only open for a short time, maybe two years or less.  I don't know when it opened, but I was only in it one time, the next time I returned to Bangkok, it was out of business.  My Way Bar was between Surawong and Silom, just off Rama IV in a small dead end soi as the map shows.  This stretch of Rama IV near My Way used to have freelancers on the sidewalk lurking in the shadows looking for customers to pick them up.

[abidismaili]

I see in the listings a Up2 Bar on Rama IV, is that the bar you mean?

"Most shows include muscle men, bodypainting"

[daydreamer]

 

Yes, I think that's the bar.  I found it on an old map from Dreaded Ned's site from 2002. 

 

[paborn]

Does anyone remember a guy named Lek? Yes, I know, a very common name. This one was at Golden Cock when the Norwegian owned it and became manager. Then, he opened a tailor shop directly across the soi from Golden Cock and later was manager of a bar that has the other corner from Golden cock. He was my very first Thai.

[GWMinUS]

6 hours ago, vinapu said:

it's not there but I noticed another oldie , favorite of mine,   Tomahawk, across from Tawan

AHHHH Dreams from the Past. My first visit to a Go-Go Bar was Tomahawk.

I spotted a handsome Guy and spoke to the Mamasan about an off. He came to sit with me but he was not the guy I had seen....

Went to the Toilet and spotted my guy on the way out. So had to tell Mamasan we needed to switch ! It turns out they were Brothers...

I visited my Guy, Ton, for several years after that and he is now a Waiter at BoysBoysBoys. And his two STR8 sons also work on Soi Twilight.

CHEERS

[vinapu]

11 hours ago, daydreamer said:

I remember the go-go bar you are talking about, Vinapu.  It was on Rama IV between Surawong and the end of Soi Twilight.  It was closer to the end of Soi Twilight, not far around the corner from Balls Sport Beer Bar, just off the edge of the map. 

Yes , definitely that one , it was massage place next door called if I recall K-something. I'm pretty sure that bar was where Take -A Nap is now, I remember steps going down inside. BBB Inn is where that massage place was. 

name escaped me but I will never forget my first visit when mamasan practically ordered me to take this guy  and i'm forever gratefull he did

 

10 hours ago, abidismaili said:

I see in the listings a Up2 Bar on Rama IV, is that the bar you mean?

 

yes , definitely that one, you and Daydreamer made my day, thank you

8 hours ago, GWMinUS said:

 

I visited my Guy, Ton, for several years after that and he is now a Waiter at BoysBoysBoys. And his two STR8 sons also work on Soi Twilight.

 

I know guy you are taking about  ( only as a waiter though ) as well as his two sons, he introduced them proudly to me at one point.