Suggestions for destinations outside Thailand

[Guest ryanasia]

Can't beat Japan for free sex. A cruising site with a chatroom that is quite good when i was there is www.jguyusguy.org Prices of everything else are pretty expensive but the sex is free.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Malaysia is only a bit more expensive than Thailand, but there is plenty of free sex available.

[Guest MonkeySee]

The Philippines might be another option. Many of the gay guys hang out at the mall.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I know that for US folks this is a no brainer, but I had a great trip to Mexico..Puerto Vallarta. It was made nicer by having a friend that lives there who knew all the places, beaches, restaurants, etc. But as a gay destination, it is pretty good. Visited with several Pattaya people there also, even a couple that have moved there to live.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I was in PV several years ago and it was a wonderful vacation, great food, hot guys and reasonable prices. You do have to be careful what hotel you stay in; many hotels won't allow locals in as guests.

 

There was a newly opened struggling bar I liked a lot. One night I went there and the place was all lit with candles everywhere. I said to the owner/bartender, "WOW! this looks great. What is the occasion?" He said, "We are having a romantic night tonight. We couldn't pay the electric bill." I understand It is doing quite well now, the name is Paco Paco. Anyone know of it?

[Guest fountainhall]

Can't beat Japan for free sex. A cruising site with a chatroom that is quite good when i was there is www.jguyusguy.org Prices of everything else are pretty expensive but the sex is free.

I have used jguyusguy site before, but strangely have not had much success. However, if you know where the gay venues are and know the way there, Japan can be fabulous for the gay tourist, especially Tokyo. But if you're a new visitor without friends there, you'll struggle to find your way around, unfortunately.

 

I just came back from Shanghai after a gap of 2 years. Being too busy (with work), I had no chance of checking on some of the more recent gay venues. But my friends who live there say Shanghai is opening up all the time. The eye candy was simply stunning!

[Guest beachlover]

Back to Vietnam. They did not have the 1200 Bht I sent with the passport, that was stolen. The man I talked to at the embassy was so slimy he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Many of my friends and members of this board have had a good time in Vietnam, but complained of the corruption. It is obvious to me that that corruption even extends to important government agencies.

 

Of course it does... There's no reason it wouldn't.

 

I don't know why... but for some reason I found many Vietnamese completely shameless in their quests to scam and steal money from you when I traveled there. They are definitely not all like that, I met some fantastic people there, but I was a bit shocked how cold and shameless they can be doing it.

[Guest beachlover]

I can understand them misplacing it and not bothering to try to find it, but I doubt they intentionally stole your passport. Why would they?

 

It's possible they wanted to sell it. A passports can be valuable if you find the right person to buy it.

[Guest beachlover]

Sentosa has many attraction, the newest one being Universal Studios Theme Park. We will spend two days there. There is also the giant Ferris wheel. Great food, especially Chili crabs. Check out Singapore websites.

 

Sentosa feels so plastic and artificial to me.

 

Universal Studios might be worth a visit though, once the crowds die down. Entry fees are fairly hefty, around $100 for a day, I think.

[Guest beachlover]

Referring to Oogleman's comments back in 2006, I agree entirely. In many visits to Taiwan over the last 25 years, for me Taiwan guys are in general the most gorgeous in the region. I was just in Taipei for 3 days at the end of last week, and had another wonderful time, partly thanks to a young man I met on fridae.com.

 

Awesome trip report! Thanks... The spring is a must visit and the hotel sounds like a good pick.

[Guest beachlover]

For Singapore... I think the thing is to enjoy living in the place more so than sight see. I wouldn't expect to find any amazing cultural experiences there. But it's a nice place to relax, shop, drink, eat (the food is fantastic there), get a massage, admire some of the spectacular surrounds and chill out.

 

Marina Bay Sands looks like it's well worth a visit.... www.marinabaysands.com It looks spectacular.

 

Go for a walk around Chinatown and Club Street. Lots of gay businesses around this area.

 

Check out Clarke Quay and Boat Quay.

 

Friday is nude night at Absolute Sauna in Chinatown... lots of cute young Singaporeans walking around naked in there.

 

Play and Taboo seem to be the two main gay discos. They get going on Friday and Saturday nights.

[Guest beachlover]

if you know where the gay venues are and know the way there, Japan can be fabulous for the gay tourist, especially Tokyo. But if you're a new visitor without friends there, you'll struggle to find your way around, unfortunately.

 

Any advice for a new visitor finding his way around the Tokyo gay scene?... Is is easy to meet cute boys there?

 

I just came back from Shanghai after a gap of 2 years. Being too busy (with work), I had no chance of checking on some of the more recent gay venues. But my friends who live there say Shanghai is opening up all the time. The eye candy was simply stunning!

 

Gay life in Shanghai?... Is it easy to find?

[Bob]

Good job, BL, six posts in a row on the same thread is likely a new record.

 

It's good you've joined the posting numbers game and, at the rate you're going, you'll likely reach the 300 posts sometime today! Congrats.

 

P.S. You'll be happy to know that Khun KhorTose's issue (the one from March you responded to and resurrected today) was resolved six months ago.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

Good job, BL, six posts in a row on the same thread is likely a new record.

 

It's good you've joined the posting numbers game and, at the rate you're going, you'll likely reach the 300 posts sometime today! Congrats.

 

P.S. You'll be happy to know that Khun KhorTose's issue (the one from March you responded to and resurrected today) was resolved six months ago.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself Bob...but then I need to tell you that to get one more post in the contest. With six post on each thread, BL is forcing a lot of single post!!

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Sentosa feels so plastic and artificial to me.

The same could easily be said about Las Vegas, but it is a great place for a short vacation.

[Guest beachlover]

Couldn't have said it better myself Bob...but then I need to tell you that to get one more post in the contest. With six post on each thread, BL is forcing a lot of single post!!

 

Does this forum have some automatic thing, which combines multiple quoting posts made in a row to save you copying and pasting everything into one response? I notice this happened to one or more of my previous posts... but doesn't seem to consistent.

 

Anyway, sometimes I combine them, but in this case they're talking about completely different issues and different countries.

 

 

The same could easily be said about Las Vegas, but it is a great place for a short vacation.

 

True... That's what Singapore is for me. I just like living there for a few days or a week or two at a time. It makes for a great base in the region... stable, safe, comfortable (food, amenities, customer service etc.), well-connected and super-convenient.

 

Hell, I would open a business and live there if I wasn't already committed. From Singapore, it's so easy to shuttle back fourth between Bangkok, KL, Ho Chi Minh, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Borneo, Bali and so many other places in South East Asia.

[Guest fountainhall]

I just came back from Shanghai after a gap of 2 years. Being too busy (with work), I had no chance of checking on some of the more recent gay venues. But my friends who live there say Shanghai is opening up all the time. The eye candy was simply stunning!

I should have provided a little more information about Shanghai. As I mentioned in the earlier post, although I met up with some gay friends, I had no time for any hook ups. Not for lack of offers, though. Prior to my trip, I had tried gayromeo and gaydar.co.uk with zero success. However, on the fridae website, there is a section where you can put your travel dates and destination. About 3 weeks in advance I posted my Shanghai dates. In total, I received over 40 messages from guys wanting to meet me. I could have had a crazy time!

 

fridae.com is primarily a site for Chinese. although there is a large Thai membership. So if you are travelling anywhere in S E Asia, it's worthwhile checking it - or even joining.

 

For those interested in more basic matters, I stayed in the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Xiujiahui. This is a bustling part of the city slightly west of the city centre, but on one of the extensive subway lines, and so getting around is easy. It's on the outskirts of the old French quarter which still has many lovely old houses and tree lined streets. The hotel was excellent and more affordable than those nearer the centre.

 

My friends took me to a new restaurant in Plaza 66, the upmarket shopping mall close to the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The food at Pin Chuan is a sort of nouvelle cuisine Szechuan-style, not too spicey and quite superb. The decor and ambience is trendy, but restrained - a lot of black with splashes of red. After dinner we went for drinks at the Long Bar of a newish hotel nearby, The Puli. This is very trendy and looks gorgeous. We ordered mojitos. My friends introduced me to the lovely Assistant Bar Manager, Martin, who promptly offered me a complimentary glass of wine!

 

Sadly, no time to visit one of my favourite restaurants in the whole of Asia - M on the Bund. With its deck looking out over the entire length of the Bund and cuisine to die for, this is run by an Australian, Michelle Garnaut, whose M at the Fringe in Hong Kong has been one of 'the' restaurants for probably 2 decades. Sadly that has recently closed due to a huge increase in the rent, but she told me she is looking for another site. In the meantime, she has opened one in Beijing.

 

Although I had a free ticket for the EXPO as part of my hotel deal, I opted instead to make a quick trip to Suzhou. This was the centre of the Silk Trade for centuries, and part of China's vast canal system. Indeed, it used to be called the Venice of China. I only had about 6 hours to spare, and with China’s new fast rail system – the trains zip along at 320 kph – the 100 km trip took all of 22 minutes. Suzhou is a gem that I have missed on all my other visits to Shanghai. It is a must see, not only for the canals but for some of the gorgeous private gardens which, miraculously, escaped destruction during the Cultural Revolution. It’s much more spread out than I had thought, so I’d recommend taking a organized coach trip from Shanghai if you want to make sure you pack in as many of the sights as possible. For me, I was happy wandering around (in the horrendous heat and humidity!) soaking up the atmosphere. Highly recommended. Some photos attached.