Guest aloid Posted October 22, 2007 Posted October 22, 2007 Hey all...looking for some advice/suggetions on East Asia travelling topic. I am a gay white guy living in Hong Kong, and am taking a week vacation to see some more of beautiful Thailand and its fun boys. Just going by myself to have fun, relax, and enjoy nice scenery of all kinds. Been to Bangkok a few times...very touristy...Was thinking of going to Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koi Samoi...not sure... anybody have an recommendations for "not miss" places to see or anything? Looking for that nice vacation mix of relaxation and decadence. LA! Can use some guidance. haha Thanks so much, and look forward to hearing any tips/ideas. Later......... aloid Quote
Gaybutton Posted October 22, 2007 Posted October 22, 2007 Don't forget about us in dear old Pattaya . . . Quote
Guest pete1969 Posted October 23, 2007 Posted October 23, 2007 Aloid, if you like the beach, Phuket is very nice and relaxing and has a large number of gay venues in one small area. If you like the mountains, spa treatments, local culture, and local handicrafts, Chiang Mai is a wonderful place. There are many gay venues there but they are more spread out. Pete Quote
Guest pete1969 Posted October 23, 2007 Posted October 23, 2007 Don't forget about us in dear old Pattaya . . . GB (or anyone for that matter), I ask this in all earnestness. If a gay man wants something other than a vacation predominantly centered on gay bars and sex, then what would be the attraction of Pattaya over other places in Thailand. I'm just curious as to how Pattaya lovers might answer this. I haven't been to Pattaya (but will remedy that this year), but from everything I read it has little to offer in the way of Thai culture and scenery and the the beaches are some of the worst in Thailand. BTW, I have nothing against tourists who are mainly there for sex with a little sun and culture thrown in. That's great. I just wonder what might attract the more traditional type of tourist to Pattaya. Pete Quote
Gaybutton Posted October 23, 2007 Posted October 23, 2007 I'm just curious as to how Pattaya lovers might answer this. It's not easy to answer that since I don't know what others may be looking for, but among the things I like about Pattaya are the beaches here. I like the Pattaya beaches far more than most others I have been to in Thailand. There is also plenty to do in Pattaya besides just sex; everything ranging from shopping to museums. There are more excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices in close proximity to just about anywhere than I have ever seen anywhere else. Pattaya is not everyone's cup of tea, but to me the thing to do is give it a try and see for yourself. For example, you seem to enjoy Phuket. I do not. It's all a question of individual taste. Quote
Guest richsilver Posted October 23, 2007 Posted October 23, 2007 It's not easy to answer that since I don't know what others may be looking for, but among the things I like about Pattaya are the beaches here. I like the Pattaya beaches far more than most others I have been to in Thailand. There is also plenty to do in Pattaya besides just sex; everything ranging from shopping to museums. There are more excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices in close proximity to just about anywhere than I have ever seen anywhere else. Pattaya is not everyone's cup of tea, but to me the thing to do is give it a try and see for yourself. For example, you seem to enjoy Phuket. I do not. It's all a question of individual taste. I fully agree with GB. One of the main attractions for me in Pattaya (I live here) is the beach. While the sand maybe whiter and the water clearer in Phuket, Patong Beach, I feel, is very boring compared to Jomtien. In Patong you sit under your own umbrella, completely isolated from any other groups, baking in the hot sun which is reflected off of the sand. There are no hordes of eye candy patrolling the shores. There is not the interesting mix of Farangs, vendors and guys that give Jomtien its unique flavor. For me it has to be the most interesting beach in the world! (Not the cleanest, not the quietest, not the most scenic, but the most exciting). The weather in Pattaya is much better than Phuket: it rains far less and it is cooler. Many of us feel we have the best transportation system in Thailand: the baht buses. While we all love to complain about them, where else in Thailand can you get almost anywhere in the city for 10 baht just by hopping on one of the vehicles that come along every 30 seconds? Not Phuket, not Chiang Mai. Hotel and restaurant prices here are considerably cheaper than those in Phuket and we have a terrific selection of restaurants, ranging from small mom and pop Thai eateries to exquisite high end steak as well as continental establishments. I come from San Francisco, one of the renown culinary centers of the world, and I can say without any doubt that Pattaya offers some very fine dining at very reasonably prices. Finally, one of my very favorite things about Pattaya is its proximity to Bangkok. No wasting the better part of a day getting to Chiang Mai or Phuket and the better part of a day getting back. You've got one week of vacation, why waste almost two days traveling around by plane? Two hours by car and you're here! If you don't like it, two hours and you're back in Bangkok. Many of us who live here rarely indulge in the Sunee or Boysztown bar scene. For us, the "sleazy" aspect of Pattaya is something for CNN to go on about, not something we experience from day to day. But it's there if you want it! Quote
Guest pete1969 Posted October 24, 2007 Posted October 24, 2007 Thanks for those answers GB and Rich. This is the first time I've seen posters extolling the virtues of Pattaya beaches in comparison to other beaches in LOS. I do agree the gay beach in Patong can be a bit boring if one is by himself. GB, I also know many, many posters who don't care much for Phuket as the gay scene is too small when compared to Pattaya and BKK and because Phuket seems a pricy tourist trap when compared to most of the rest of LOS. I look forward to my first visit to Pattaya soon. I think I will spend my birthday there this year (in less than four weeks now!). Pete Quote
Guest pete1969 Posted October 24, 2007 Posted October 24, 2007 Thanks for those answers GB and Rich. This is the first time I've seen posters extolling the virtues of Pattaya beaches in comparison to other beaches in LOS. I do agree the gay beach in Patong can be a bit boring if one is by himself. GB, I also know many, many posters who don't care much for Phuket as the gay scene is too small when compared to Pattaya and BKK and because Phuket seems a pricy tourist trap when compared to most of the rest of LOS. I look forward to my first visit to Pattaya soon. I think I will spend my birthday there this year (in less than four weeks now!). Pete Quote
atri1666 Posted October 24, 2007 Posted October 24, 2007 Totally agree with GB and RS. After 20 years thailand for me is pattaya number one followed by bangkok. Stayed also many times in chiang mai and phuket - but after 3 visits dont want to return. In future want to visit koh samui and krabi to have a look. Quote
