Bangkok Weekend - travelogue

[Casteran]

Much discussion in the media and on many blogs about the state of Bangkok for the visitor, one word. GO, Please (ok two words)

My third trip to Bangkok in the same number of months.

Arrived Thursday evening and whisked myself via InterCity Airport Train (45BHT), then quick taxi to Crowne Plaza Hotel. One the quickest and least expensive ways from airport to/from city center. Total of 110BHT compared to 300-500BHT on taxi.

Crowne Plaza (have stayed 2 out of three times), great location, friendly staff, rooms are good size and value. Many Japanese tourists stay here and they are very intriqued by older gentleman with two cute guys with him at breakfast, the ladies giggle and whisper comments, I find it cute. Breakfast buffet is quite good and you can get rate with bfast included. My last trip I stayed at Le Meridien, boutique style hotel, right in the heart of Si Lom night life, but staff is not that pleasant and security was hassling when I brought guests, more than longer questions. Crowne Plaza is most gratious, never asks, just asks the bois for their IDs. Le Meridien likes to ask questions, don't like that.

Friday made the rounds of several locations, Dicks Cafe for a quick meal, then to Jupiter2002 for their show, Tawan for a little muscle and a new place to me SuperA. Jupiter2002 show was not too bad, the bois just need to learn how to dance. :-) Staff was friendly, not pushy, drinks slightly lower than Soi bars. Tawan was ok, the guys are just to big for me. SuperA, well, I was just wondering around, remembered this place as a reommendation, so I went in, it was about midnight. I was the only customer and the bois just were on me like the sweat pouring off of me. The bois are more street bois and really not my type. Mamasan then said she could get "younger" guys and with that suggestion, I said goodbye. Did not got to X-Boys or BBB this night, wanted to try some other places. Plus X-Boys is off my list as the mamasan on my second trip really want to screw me over, with off fees and tipping. I did see her Saturday night as I walked down the soi with two of her bois that I met and spent the weekend with, the one boi just handed her the obligatory off fee and we just kept walking.

Saturday, late start to the day and then off for some gym time. Now those that know me, I am jolly chubby fellow that has recently decided to better my health and that requires exercise especially when you pass 45. Then off to Adonis Massage, have done Heros, that was good. Adonis was ok, not many bois working at 4pm Friday, but two bois were quite friendly and very handsome. Nice lean muscular bodies and sweet, almost shy personality. Both bois gave me a nice treatment, will leave it at that. Facility is clean and multi-story. Facilities are not great, but certainly good by BKK standards compared to others, I would go back. Get the Premium scrub and massage, really does rejenute that skin.

At night my two companions and I went for dinner, Thai resto on Thomas Convent Rd, cannot remember the name, next to a Mexican resto. Food good slightly expensive. Then off to Jupiter 2002 for the Friday show which was different than Thurs show. Good show, drag songs, hardon show, no sex show. I sat in front row and as the guys came out displaying their goods, each tapped me on the head...I am bald and large, so I stood out in the front row....I of course did not mind and my companions thought it really funny that I enjoyed it, Thai bois sometimes think things are bad when they are good, at least for me. We then went to BBB to meet a friend, I paid his off fee and we went with three cute bois for late night snack at resto not far from Soi that serves late/early.

Saturday night proved to be a night of a carnival not too far from hotel, was fun. Good rides and carnival atmosphere, the bois liked the bumper cars....we went on them three times. Day was spent Dusit Zoo and one temple, Mount of Gold and seeing a movie (Puss in Boots, 3D - my idea not the bois- good movie)

Sunday was a day of wake up late, breakies and off to aiport, leaving my two new Thai friends and a good weekend.

Go to BANGKOK! No troubles getting around, all the tourist areas are open and the boi bars NEED custoemrs! Lots of bois, not so many customers. Lots of sandbags everywhere but all is open. My two friends were flooded out and has caused their families more hardship as little help is coming, but they are cleaning up. We did see lots of donations stations and things going on at CentralWorld, not sure if this is really reaching those in real need. My friends say they have seen no assitance. Cleaning drinking water is biggest issue for them, they have to come closer to city center to get clearn water at stations set up for them.

Happy reading, now back to Singapore and back to work.

[Lucky]

Did the hotel price go down from your previous stay at the Crowne Plaza?

Thanks for the report, I enjoyed it.

[lookin]

Great mini-travelogue!! Nice blend of the world of guys and the world of recovery from the floods.

And I can't help imagining the Japanese ladies checking out your little trio d'amour at breakfast.

Thank you!

[Lucky]

It has been some years ago, but one time a newly discovered friend of mine took me to the Suriwong Hotel in Bangkok, known for its clean rooms that rented out for short periods of time. As we stood waiting for a room to clear, we saw a Japanese businessman, in suit and tie in the nightime heat, waiting with two newly found female friends. He seemed very content, and I'll bet that's what the Japanese women said about Casteran!

[Casteran]

Thanks for the replys. Crowne Plaza - was only 3000Baht - that got me a Deluxe King with Breakfast, I have status with ICHG now so they gave corner suite. I asked on how occupancy was, they said very low. Only 30% over the weekend......very sad as they enter high season.

[TampaYankee]

Great report, thanks for sharing.

[axiom2001]

Great report, thanks for sharing.

I thought I'd read since I have managed to go to Bangkok on three or four occasions, each quite different.

Thanks for taking the time to write; I enjoyed the read and began to recall some of my experiences while there.

In looking back I think I truly enjoyed my time in "The Land of Smiles" the last time more than the three previous times. I traveled solo for two weeks after a three week tour, and since many signs are in English, I just meandered all over the place, walking, taking tuk tuks, taxis, and that marvelous above the street train. When I got lost, I just walked up to attendants, spoke English, and was smoothly on my way after they'd carefully directed me.

Again, thank you!

[maleire]

Show is Jupiter is always good.

I like muscular guys, so I always go to Tawan but my last 2 visits have been disappointing, not may I would find attractive. How was it this time?

[Casteran]

Show is Jupiter is always good.

I like muscular guys, so I always go to Tawan but my last 2 visits have been disappointing, not may I would find attractive. How was it this time?

Tawan has large body builders, some are stocky, some muscular. All seemed very bored and even when not on stage they did not interact with customers. The one very hot guy was taken by a regular from what I could gather. I would not say any are cute, manly, with one guy with an obviously large package, but looked like Mickey Rourke (not the young cute version, the current version)

[Lucky]

Next month the Le Meridien hotel is available at $106 a night, no breakfast. The location simply can't be beat. So often I would like to go back to the hotel for awhile, and this makes that so easy. I don't bring boys to the rooms anyway as I usually am expected to share the wealth with the hotel, and I don't like to do that.

[firecat691614502759]

Can not imagine why anyone would ever pay a joiners fee in Thailand. As long as you book the room for 2 people and your guest has clean clothes, it would be rare that you would be questioned at a 5 star Hotel and even if you were , you just go to the desk and register your guest.

I have not stayed at the Meridian but I have stayed at every 5 star Hotel in the city over the last 10 years and have never been stopped. Assuming some security guy even sought to question me , I would either ignore him or slip him 100 baht ($3) if I felt generous.

[Lucky]

I have been stopped at the old Crowne Plaza on Silom, now the Holiday Inn. They wanted $40 and registration, but the guy did not have ID. I had security come to my room at the Narai, wondering if I had a woman in the room. He insisted on checking after I said no, and found my hunky guy in his undies.

Again, $40 would have left the guy in the room, but again, he had no ID.

I stayed at a hotel off Sukhumvit where the manager was a friend of my friend, and he assured me I could bring a guy to my room. So I did, and escorted the guy out when done.(I can still remember how nice his body felt!)

Some guy followed me back up on the elevator. He pushed a different floor than I did, but when we got to my floor he got off and said he was security and insisted on checking my room to see if I had a guy in there. Well, of course the guy had just left, so that was that. The next day I asked the manager why this happened, and he insisted, after investigating, that no security from the hotel had checked my room. I never learned who the mystery man was.

The Montien hotel would never let a guy past the entrance at night. So I pretty much learned to like the Suriwong hotel.

[lookin]

Sounds like you did a lot of entertaining. Perhaps the hinges on your door were overheating and tripping the hallway smoke alarm.

[firecat691614502759]

I have been stopped at the old Crowne Plaza on Silom, now the Holiday Inn. They wanted $40 and registration, but the guy did not have ID. I had security come to my room at the Narai, wondering if I had a woman in the room. He insisted on checking after I said no, and found my hunky guy in his undies.

Again, $40 would have left the guy in the room, but again, he had no ID.

I stayed at a hotel off Sukhumvit where the manager was a friend of my friend, and he assured me I could bring a guy to my room. So I did, and escorted the guy out when done.(I can still remember how nice his body felt!)

Some guy followed me back up on the elevator. He pushed a different floor than I did, but when we got to my floor he got off and said he was security and insisted on checking my room to see if I had a guy in there. Well, of course the guy had just left, so that was that. The next day I asked the manager why this happened, and he insisted, after investigating, that no security from the hotel had checked my room. I never learned who the mystery man was.

The Montien hotel would never let a guy past the entrance at night. So I pretty much learned to like the Suriwong hotel.

Its easy to see your problem is boys without ID . As long as the boy has ID and you reserved a double, you can never have a problem. You are entitled to 2 people in the room and there is nothing a Hotel can do about it.

I have stayed at Marriott, Sheraton, Conrad, Westin, Dusit Thani, Millennium etc etc etc. I was stopped once and I told the guy I have a double room and intended to take my guest up. He quickly walked away. The Hotel has a right to ask for an ID to protect themselves but in no case can they ever ask for a fee if you have booked a room for 2 people. Since in 99% of the cases there is no extra charge for a double versus a single, there is never a reason not to book a Double.

[Lucky]

Well, then, so be it! I'll have a double, my good man. Take that, hotel!

(Hey, I can only do one cameo today, so it has to be fun.)

[MsGuy]

Humor?!?!

Lucky, have you been drinking tonight?

[TampaYankee]

Humor?!?!

Lucky, have you been drinking tonight?

Luck is high on life.