BKK newbie

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Hey guys,

Newbie here! I'm planning on going on my first BKK trip early May.

Finding this forum was an absolute delight; I have been reading with great interest for the last few days and got so much info from you all ... BIG thank you!

Being all new, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I arrive in Bangkok. Now I'm excited but also anxious at the same time ... from the sounds of it there might not even be a Soi Twilight when I get there; that would be a serious set back. I got everything crossed!

As you can imagine, I still have a few questions. So sorry if they already have been answered somewhere in this extensive forum.

Not quite sure what hotel to pick (obviously taking a boy to the room must be allowed and not frowned upon). I was thinking So Sofitel, Pullman G, W ... any comments or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, considering I'm a Caucasian bottom and I like twinks, am I correct that FreshBoys, Screwboys and Dreamboys would be the best place to go?

Walking into one of those bars will be nerve wrecking for me, they will probably see me coming (as a newbie) a mile away. :-) Let alone if a hottie comes and sits next to me ... ha, nothing a few GTs can't fix I guess.

Thanks!!!

 

[BiggusDikkus]

As far as hotels go, consider Sathorn Vista. I was there in January. It was almost exclusively gay (mostly young Chinese guys). It’s also a serviced apartment, so if you return from the bars with friends, and some guests were doing that, it’s like returning to your own apartment — no one is gonna say anything (but you do have to walk through the hotel lobby to get to the elevators). The place is pricy but not as much as Sofitel.

The bars are fun if there are other customers and the dancers are cute, but in my limited experience this is almost never the case. Don’t worry about being uncomfortable. Or if you can’t get rid of the jitters, have a couple shots of tequila in your room before you head out for the night. Rather than the go-go bars, which seem to be dying out, try Silom Soi 2 and GOD. Hanging out at these places is more of a participatory sport (rather than a spectator activity like at the go-go bars), but it’s much more fun and easy enough to meet other guys.

 

[hank75]

Firstly welcome to the forum, delighted to have another member here especially with a Bangkok trip right on your horizon.

Most of the places you mentioned are high end boutique hotels and they are usually very accommodating with overnight guests. In fact I know someone who conducted a sexy bedroom photo shoot at the W with several gogo boys! Ditto all major five star hotels. As poster above mentioned, gay friendly establishments may also be a good option. The Raya is popular here with forum members for being close to the action, as is Tarntawan.

I am pretty confident Soi Twilight and Soi 4 will be there when you visit so no worries about that all! 

Fully agree you should check out Soi 2, GOD (beware many cute boys here are money boys and equally require payment) and I would add Fake Club to the list though this is best with company - at a pinch, I like to off one or two bar boys to be my wingmen rather than go solo. Or if you want a classier venue, Maggie Choo’s on Sunday night - lots of foreigners and nicely turned out Asian tourists. 

 Jupiter and Moonlight have their fair share of attractive twinks too. I would recommend not neglecting them, and take in a show at one of the larger establishments too so you have basis for comparison between all the bars.

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Thanks for the reply guys! Will check out the accommodation mentioned.

I sort of had taken Jupiter (seems to have a fair bit of negative reviews) and Moonlight (looking at their website, the guys are too muscly for me)  off my list but I agree, I should compare. Looks like I will be bar hopping on my first night ;-)

Had not heard of Fake Club nor Maggie Choo's so cheers for the tips.

[spoon]

There is plenty of choices of twinks in bkk, so much that you will have a hard time choosing one lol. Dont forget the massages places and apps too. Some massages places have line id that u can see the pics of their masseur first before going there. 

[DivineMadman]

Another hotel you might put on your list is Le Meridien on Surawong.  On the same level as Sofitel and W, and certainly very convenient to Soi Twilight/Soi 4.

Maggie Choo's Sundays is nice.  If you go you probably might want to bring a friend.  A note of caution on Fake Club - I'ld say it's sort of a "deep cut" for visitors to BKK.  A lot of fun but it is mostly a local Thai club, if you're with some local guys yes it's great.  It's also in a different neighborhood.  You might find enough to occupy yourself in Silom for your first visit. 

Perhaps to correct the reference to GOD on soi 2???  GOD closed and the club in that space goes under the name G Bangkok and in any event it's on soi 2/1, not soi 2.  DJ Station is the big dance club on Soi 2 and I certainly would encourage you to put it on your list.

Classic Boys is historically the ur-twink bar and even though they are at the far end of the soi they have not given up the ghost just yet.  They've been spreading some money around and got back some guys who have moved to other clubs.  Also they do put on a show and it's mostly guys who are available, and it's nice in its own way because they really do take their work on the show very seriously.  So put it on your list.  There are twinks everywhere (except Tawan), but if you're ranking them more at Classic Boys than Dream Boys.

Enjoy the thrill of your visit.  I'm jealous.  And you won't have the burden of "Oh, it's not what it used to be."  Enjoy it all for what it is now.

(And don't forget Maxi's restaurant on Soi Twilight and Stranger Bar on Soi 4.  )

 

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Wow, heaps of food for thought! I'm Googling like a mad man right now 

Great to hear about Classic Boys, for some reason I thought they had closed. It will definitely be an absolute thrill and a roller coaster for me. Only going for 10 days and want to pack as much in as I can. So any of the boys would be happy to join me to go to eg Maggie Choo's? (for a fee of course)

What are the draw cards for Maxi's and Stranger Bar?

Thanks heaps!

[hank75]

Fully second Le Meridien on Surawong. If you can snag it at a good rate, definitely stay there. I find the price fluctuates greatly depending on low/high season and how early you book. Gay friendly, full five star, welcoming to joiners. Great buffet breakfast for a Western palate. Couldn’t ask for more. 

Ah Stranger Bar. Love that place, so camp, always good for a few laughs. I took a boy there and he was horrified “If I want see ladyboy I go my own bar!”

When I have a few moments, I’ll PM some photos of the twinks from Moonlight/Jupiter so you can see if they’re your type. 

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

That would be fantastic hank75!!!!!! 

[hank75]

The boys will go anywhere you bring them if you pay them the regular short time fee. You can also ask “how much to go drinking with me 2-3 hours” and they may agree to some discount. But keep in mind if you decide to bring them back to the hotel after, this fee has to be converted into a standard long time. 

They will probably be fine at Maggie Choo’s for a 30 minute window. But the drag show humor is very Western-centric and Thai boys won’t enjoy or understand it (I speak from experience!). They will be much happier in Soi 2 and 4.

[DivineMadman]

14 minutes ago, BenG1000 said:

Wow, heaps of food for thought! I'm Googling like a mad man right now 

Great to hear about Classic Boys, for some reason I thought they had closed. It will definitely be an absolute thrill and a roller coaster for me. Only going for 10 days and want to pack as much in as I can. So any of the boys would be happy to join me to go to eg Maggie Choo's? (for a fee of course)

What are the draw cards for Maxi's and Stranger Bar?

Thanks heaps!

Yes a guy will go with you to Maggie Choo's.  I would make clear what your plans are with the guy if you're just off'ing him from a bar.  As the evening progresses the line at Maggie Choo's can get long.  

Maxi's is a smallish restaurant/bar where can sit and watch all the foot traffic on soi twilight.  Nice folks work there.  The food is also good.

Stranger Bar is fun (small) bar that has very popular drag shows.  The crowd is very mixed.  Sort of an East Village NYC vibe (back when the East Village was the East Village).  I regularly go there with my guys-of-the-moment and they enjoy it.  It's also very popular with expats of the younger fun loving variety.  It's more inclusive than Maggie Choo's, which is a little bit hi-so.

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

You guys are marvellous, so much info ... much appreciated.

Love Le Meridien btw! Think my choice of hotel is made 

[ggobkk]

DivineMadman wrote my post better than I could have done. I’ll add an additional comment on Maxi’s as a place to watch the world of Twilight emerge as the evening approaches.  Many Forum members meet up there and then split up to pursue their varied interests. And sometimes the “varied interests” arrive with them.

[ggobkk]

Don’t neglect the “Timeless” forum...it holds the best of the GT forums advice and suggestions. 

Have a great visit...I won’t be in Bangkok until the end of May, so I’ll miss you.

[Wynter11]

As a recent newbie myself I’d encourage a Moonlight visit. The guys you see on their sites are the models who you most likely won’t be offing anyway. They also have a regular rotation who come out before and after the shows and there are plenty of twinks. Screwboys definitely had the largest selection of twinks though that I saw and at least on the day I visited, better looking than Classic’s guys. Just don’t believe the barker when he says a show is starting in 20min. 

Le Meridien is also on my shortlist for next time. The Raya was perfectly located but they may still have upgrade construction happening so I’d avoid it for now. 

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Hey ggobkk, thanks for the tip!

Timeless was a great read full of useful advice for a newbie. Looking forward to meeting some of you at Maxi's, shame you won't be there.

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

How did you go the first time walking into a gogo Wynter11, did you go by yourself? I've put those 3 bars on my list for sure, will be interesting to see which one I'll end up liking most.

Hank75 told me about floorboys yesterday, I always thought it was just the dancers available for off ... good to know!

[Wynter11]

3 minutes ago, BenG1000 said:

How did you go the first time walking into a gogo Wynter11, did you go by yourself? I've put those 3 bars on my list for sure, will be interesting to see which one I'll end up liking most.

Hank75 told me about floorboys yesterday, I always thought it was just the dancers available for off ... good to know!

Hank gives good advice. Tbh I thought the floor guys were better looking than most of the models. 

You can read the long version of my trip at the link below but in short, yes I went alone. Yes they will know you’re a newbie, no getting around that, but you know the bar format if you’ve been reading people’s reports so you’ll be ok. Be polite but blunt is my best advice for dealing with staff.  I didn’t have any issues, they seemed to know immediately I was new and politely pointed out how check bins work and other things without prompting. 

I liked the mamasans at Dreamboys and Moonlight because they were the least pushy in my experience. They also, along with Jupiter, had the most customers which made the whole thing less intimidating as I could blend with the crowd. So if you’re a bit nervous you may want to try those first rather than Twilight bars which will have a lot of grabby barkers who try to steer you to their bar. 

 

[DivineMadman]

My unsolicited advice.  

First day have nice full service massage to get your rocks off, I mean take the edge off, in the late afternoon.  Now that that's over with, relax.  Later grab a bite soi 4 or Maxi's.  On Soi 4, Telephone or Balcony will be a better choice than the German restaurant.  My own advice would be mindful not to drink too much.  The advantage of Maxi's on Soi Twilight is you could get there and chill and watch better-than-Netflix as the guys show up for work, the bars open up, the massage guys at Bangkok and Bonny are hanging out, a food vendor or two pushes the cart by, you see lots of other vistors old and young, etc.  After 9:15 pick a bar that maybe isn't top on your list and tell yourself and anyone who asks that you are not looking for an off, just a visit.  The bars may sort of open at 8:00, but not really, and some guys don't even have to show up for work until 9:00.  Only newbies or guys picking up regulars go to gogo bars early.  Let this first bar by design be your no pressure gateway experience.  DO NOT OFF ANYONE NO MATTER HOW CUTE.  The purpose of this particular visit is just to lose you newbie status.  Have a drink.  See the guys on stage trying to get your attention. Practice the eye contact-smile-but-no-promises game.  Practice your ignoring-the-mamasan skills by politely shaking your head and saying no to whatever they ask.  Finish your drink.  Now you get to say "check bin, kap."  Pay for your drink and leave at least 20 baht for the deserving waiter.  No need to tip anyone else.  If you think there is someone you made delicious eye contact with and you want to make an impression, hand him the 50-100.  

After this you are legit longer a newbie.  You are now an experienced veteran.  You now know as much as anyone else.  You can go into any bar with confidence.  You can even start giving people unsolicited advice on what to do.  

Next bar you can have a guy sit with you but now as a vet you don't feel any pressure to off him just because he has the softest most beautiful skin you have ever seen in your life.  Or maybe you will.  You're in charge.  You're a pro.

And after having visited another top-of-your-list bar or two you think the love of your moment is back at bar, you can always go back or on another day.  DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM OF FOMO.

That's my advice.  With one caveat.  You could also do exactly the opposite.  It's all supposed to be fun. 

[Guest guest_BenG1000]

Hahahaaaaa, love it!!!!!! I will take that advice onboard.

Maxi's sounds great seeing it all unfold. Is May a busy period btw?

Could I ask a couple more questions; when you off a guy and go back to the same bar on another day, will he expect to go with you again? Do some become clingy and annoyed if you don't?

[DivineMadman]

May should not be particularly busy.  The coronation will be 4-6.  That of course will be a big event.  I think the 20th is a Buddhist holiday.  

If you've done anything at all right then the guy will ABSOLUTELY want you to take him again.  Will he really get annoyed or hurt feelings?  No.  He may play pouty-face, but he knows the deal.  I think the pouty-face thing is kind of cute.  If he's not disappointed that you're off'ing him again, wouldn't that make you wonder?  LOL

One side note - I avoid saying "maybe next time" or "maybe another day" unless I really mean it.   I find that this will all of a sudden becomes "but you promised me".  Whether this is because of real translation issues or it's just a well known pressure game they play, I don't know.  (I think the latter.)

In full disclosure I should note that I am a one-guy/one-bar person.  If I have a regular from one bar, I steer clear of other guys from his bar or his friends.  There are also working guys who will not go with someone who is a regular of a friend of theirs.  It's all just a bit of politeness.  I even avoid going to one particular because I broke up with someone who works there and I think he would lose face if I go and off another guy.  But fortunately this doesn't really limit me.  God, I love Bangkok.

[DivineMadman]

BTW - I freely give out my Line address, but if a guy gets clingy or pesky I first explain the problem to him and tell him if he doesn't stop I will block him.  Then after that polite warning if it persists I block.  

 

[Guest]

Fresh Boys would be a very good place to start if you want twinks.    Note they have 2 branches, the better one is in Soi Twilight & the other above Screw Boys

Wherever you go, they are likely to ask how many times you have been to Thailand.  Now I recommend living life honestly, but this question is an exception and you should not say it's your first trip.  Say 5 times.   You are less likely to get anyone trying it on with prices.

When you go back to the same bar, your boy may well expect you to off him.  Just remember he will only go if you pay him and he wants to go with you again because it's good business.   So you choose who to spend your money on.     You could make this part easier by visiting a different bar the second night.

When you do off him the first time, if he asks to see you again, just tell him you are a butterfly.

Some of the bars have "Shows" at about 10:30 pm.  These may often start with something in a dress screeching, followed by anything from dance routines to a couple of muscle boys simulating sex.   If you are there to hunt twinks, you might want to get your boy before the show.  Otherwise be prepared to wait for it to finish.

[martinsen]

I don't know where you are from but be prepared for the heat and humidity of Bangkok.  You are coming in one of the most hot months.  Don't worry about bringing a coat.  Short sleeves and light weight pants or shorts are in order.

If you are looking for a less pricey hotel than those suggested by others, you could try the Rose on Suriwong.  They have a really nice restaurant and a pool.

[Will7272]

Agree with the great advice here. As a newbie myself, taking a seat at Maxis on my first night in BKK was the best thing to do. Sit, watch, listen and learn. It was fascinating and if you get the right seat you can get a good look into Fresh boys which was a bonus. Plus the staff there are awesome. I’ll be there again April 19. Can’t wait.