Gay Bangkok vs. Gay Pattaya: A Gay Man's Adventures in Thailand

[TotallyOz]

Gay Bangkok vs. Gay Pattaya: A Gay Man's Adventures in Thailand

I have now stayed in Bangkok for the last 5 months. It is been a great visit and I have really enjoyed my time here. Bangkok and Pattaya are such different cities. The difference between them is the difference between night and day or a total top and total bottom.

First, Bangkok is a world-class city. It has everything that you would need if you were a businessman in Thailand. The transportation system in Bangkok is incredible. The choice of restaurants and food establishments is also amazing. Shopping centers are on every corner in downtown Bangkok. Siam Paragon and Central World are two of the best shopping centers I have been to anywhere. The Emporium is also pretty damn amazing. And those are only 3 of the great shopping centers in Bangkok. There are tons of others that are just as good.

At every corner in Bangkok you will find something to do. But if you are moving to Bangkok and need to do business, it is easy to get the things that you need to conduct business in Thailand. There are so many wonderful service apartments in Bangkok that is that it is often hard to choose which place to live. I have never seen a city with more amazing serviced apartments than I see in Bangkok.

The cost of a serviced apartment in Bangkok depends on what level of service you want. I have been stating at the Ascott Hotel and Serviced Apartment on soi Sathorn in Bangkok and I would consider it a 4 or a 5 star hotel or serviced apartment building. I have a large 2 bedroom unit than I'm paying slightly less than 100,000 baht per month. For that, I have room service available until late at night, nice high-speed Internet, daily room service and cleaning, and at least 3 amazing restaurants in the hotel that will deliver to my room at any time. Anytime something has needed to be changed in my apartment it was done within the hour and not the next day or the next week. I could not have asked for a better staff that would help me take care of the apartment and everything else I need. The concierge and the front desk staff have also been wonderful and helped me find things that I needed in Bangkok that I would not have been able to find on my own because of the language barrier. They have also made some reservations for me at various restaurants if I had a friend in town or a business meeting and I needed to get in to a restaurant that was booked. So all in all, I cannot be happier with my choice.

A few years back, I stayed before at the Marriott Executive Apartments and had a nice 3 bedroom that was also approximately 100,000 baht per month. That apartment building was also fantastic and the staff was great. In both of these, all the utilities and services are included in the rent and it is payable via debit or credit card.

Looking back over my records, in the 7 or 8 years that I've been coming to Thailand, I have stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel for 303 nights. That may seem like a great deal of time but on my 1st few trips to Thailand I would stay at the hotel for 30, 60 or 90 days at a time before I ever visited that wonderful Sodom by the sea.

Boys. There are so many boys in Bangkok that are available that I am still amazed at how easy it is to find someone. Of course the bar scene is always available and there are always hundreds of boys on Soi Twilight. But there are boys at every corner in Bangkok. If you go to see Siam Paragon during the daytime you will find tons of gay boys walking around and if you are not shy it is very easy to introduce yourself to them, strike up a conversation, get phone numbers and meet up later.

Also, for boys, the massage parlors kick ass! There is no other city in Thailand that has the quality or quantity of massage parlors that Bangkok currently has. So if massage is your thing, there is no other place in Thailand that could even compare. Hero Massage is my favorite and I have reviewed it many times. I have never been disappointed any time that I have been to Hero. But there are so many other choices out there for massages, and the boys are available from early afternoon all the way into the wee hours of the night. Most of the boys are also willing to come back to your apartment or hotel if you so desire. The rates for the boys vary depending on the venue that you go to.

Many of the boys that you will find on GayRomeo or Siam Paragon are boys that have full-time jobs and are not escorting full-time. They are looking for a quick way to make money, and some even just to hook up with no money. You do not find that in Sodom by the sea.

The area of Bangkok that I have been staying in is prone to the worst traffic I have ever seen. It is a nightmare from 8 o'clock in the morning until 10 AM or from 4 PM until 8 PM. And when I say a nightmare I mean a horrible nightmare. The cars are jammed bumper-to-bumper and sometimes it will take you 45 min. to go one block. That being said, there is a Skytrain stop about a 7 to 10 min. walk from my apartment. If you do not mind taking public transportation it is always easy to jump on the sky train and go to most of the places that you would want to go in Bangkok. There are also taxis available everywhere. All you have to do is hold up your hand and you will get a taxi. It is always best to open the door and ask the driver if they are willing to take you to a certain location because some of them will not want to go to the area you desire to go to. Even though the law states that they have to take you many of them will not and in order to avoid a scene I would suggest simply asking if they will take you there and if they nod their head no you close the door and get the next taxi. It's never too long of a wait.

When I stay in Pattaya, I have spent anywhere from 55,000 baht to 110,000 baht for a place to live. Those rates do not include electricity, utilities, water, Internet, and all the other things that a luxury apartment building or serviced apartment building will provide. My last apartment in the city costs 55,000 baht per month and was a one-bedroom unit with a great view of the ocean. It was a wonderful unit and I enjoyed it a great deal. All in all, I've also stayed in Pattaya over 3 years or even 4 years out of the last 7 or 8 years. So I think I have a pretty good perspective to on what each city has to offer.

Boys. Plain and simple Pattaya wins out when it comes to the availability of hookers. It does not have the variety or the quantity of boys that Bangkok has, but you know you can always find the boy day or night in the city willing to go with you at a moments notice. You know in Pattaya that every boy is a working boy. You will not find exceptions. Regardless of what your fantasy is, or how much you think the boy loves you, the fact is that if they are in the city they are there to work and they are there to make money and you are a customer. You may luck up and find great boys like I have and my two boys from Pattaya travel with me to Bangkok or wherever I stay. But, in the end, I am smart enough to realize they adore me and love me but are NOT in love with me and that I am the customer. Many forget this as time goes by but I don't. When money starts out as the center of a relationship, it will also be a factor in the relationship continuing. ALWAYS.

The transportation in Pattaya it is not bad at all if you are willing to drive a motorcycle. I have always bought a motorcycle on my trips to Pattaya and was able to get everywhere in the city that I wanted to go very fast. I have no problem renting, buying our riding a motorcycle to get around the city. That makes transportation for me very easy. There are also many baht buses that travel the roads of Pattaya and for 10, 15 or 20 baht you can get pretty much anywhere you want to go. The taxis in Pattaya are not metered taxis and will try to Fuck you up the ass when it comes to going anywhere. That is not true for the taxis in Bangkok. The metered taxis in Bangkok are metered taxis and you pay the price that is on the meter. If you stand outside of the gay bar area you will often find that they will ask you for 100 baht or 200 baht to get to a destination but all you have to do is walk down the street a little bit and there will be a metered taxi that will take you anywhere you want to go for the price on the meter. And the cost of that ride is relatively inexpensive compared to taxis I have taken in any other city in the world.

Party. Party. Party. That is what Pattaya is made for. It is a party city. 24 hours a day 7 days a week there is always a party going on and you can always find people to part with. If you are an ex-pat that lives in Pattaya, you get into a routine and you find a way to make the party happened at the time you want the party to happen.

Meeting ex-pats and other foreigners from your country is so much easier in Pattaya than it is in Bangkok. Partly to do with the size of the city, and partly to do with just the ease of meeting people in the 2 cities. If you are a social butterfly and you want to meet other men who were engaged in the purchase of boy for the night routine Pattaya is the city for you.

The price of everything in Bangkok is more expensive than it is in other cities in Thailand. If you're on a budget, it is harder to stick to that budget in Bangkok then it would be in many other cities in Thailand. The rate for the boys, the cost of drinks in a bar, and the cost of massages are all going to be more expensive in Bangkok and they will be in other cities. If you are a drinker, you will notice this difference very quick. However there are places that you can go where you can find reasonable reasonably priced drinks and a good atmosphere. It's not the tourist traps, but long time ex-pats that live here often go.

I really enjoyed living in both cities. There are things I like and things that I dislike in both cities. The thing I like most about Bangkok is the ease of finding a great service apartment where all your needs are taken care of. The thing I like the best about Pattaya is the ability to find expatriates that share common interests and good times. I have met some great friends in both cities but it is much easier in Pattaya. It is also much easier to Pattaya to meet nuts that gossip about your every move. Bangkok has less drama and less dramatic people who want to stick their nose in your business. That is always a plus for me!

I will most likely go back to Pattaya on my next trip or spend it in Chiang Mai. Only because I come to Thailand to relax and enjoy life and see new things. I don't like staying in the same city and doing the same thing every day. I find in Pattaya every day is the same. In Bangkok, there is always a variety of things to do.

I love both cities and I think they both have fantastic things to offer. That being said, I have always stated that Chaing Mai is the place I feel most comfortable. It is easy go lucky and seems like a nice middle ground between the two cities. I would stay there more if the apartment buildings were as nice as either city.

Now that I have given my opinion, please feel free to ask questions or make comments.

***When I use the term boys, I am referring to 18 and up. While many that have visited here know this, some who don't know the scene may think I am referring to underage. I am NOT. The underage boy bars are almost a thing of the past and the Thai authorities take going with someone under 18 very seriously and arrests are made. If you looking for under 18, please do NOT visit Thailand. We don't want those kinds of tourists in our paradise!

[Lucky]

Oz, thanks for taking the time to give us such an in depth look at both cities, and the differences between them. I don't think one can easily tire of Bangkok, unless big cities like that are not your thing. For me, Pattaya gets old quickly. But then, I'd have to qualify that to say when I was there at the same time you were, I had a pretty good time.

[MsGuy]

"A Gay Man's Adventures in Thailand"

please feel free to ask questions or make comments.

OZ, have I told you lately that you're my hero?

[TotallyOz]

Oz, thanks for taking the time to give us such an in depth look at both cities, and the differences between them. I don't think one can easily tire of Bangkok, unless big cities like that are not your thing. For me, Pattaya gets old quickly. But then, I'd have to qualify that to say when I was there at the same time you were, I had a pretty good time.

I agree with you. But, with Pattaya, I find if I stay a few months and then take a holiday away, I am OK. It is same same everyday but the same same can be pretty fucking amazing.

OZ, have I told you lately that you're my hero?

LOL Thanks!

[axiom2001]

Oz, you are amazing! Thanks for taking the time and writing your in-depth assessment of your three Thailand cities. I've been to all three but not as long as you. At one time I thought about getting a job in Bangkok and living there, but that has since changed. I hope to continue to visit for as long as I have the health and the energy, for "she" can be frenetic at times (traffic, traffic, traffic--people, people, people).

I like cities (grew up in one) but have lived in towns of no more than 30,000 south of San Francisco on the coast for the past 40+ years!! ...don't know how I would fair by living in Bangkok for a long period of time!