Phuket - A Shakespeare Comedy (tragedy)

[TotallyOz]

Day 1: Pattaya to Phuket

We started our adventure from Pattaya and took a hotel car to Phuket. We had a total of 4 people and 5 large bags. We needed to be sure to handle the bags so we used the Hotel car service. The rate from them was 3500 Baht for airport in large van. After about 45 minutes on the road I had a sudden, “oh Shit” moment. I forgot my medicine in the refrigerator of the hotel. I was given some medicine that will control my Thyroid when I was in LA a few weeks back and the doctor in Beverly Hills I went to needed me on this for 2 weeks and then another blood test to determine the right dose. We called the hotel and as we didn’t have time to turn around and go back, I had them send the medicine to me via another car. This costs 2000 baht and it arrived shortly after we were checked into the airport and the boys had a few smokes outside.

 

We debated as to whether or not to go from the airport close to Pattaya or go from Bangkok. It was decided that we would do the Bangkok airport as I would be able to get my points with them and they offered Business class seats. The roundtrip from Pattaya for coach was 7250 baht and the roundtrip from Bangkok for business was 8250 baht. We choose this, as we usually never get extra surcharges for heavy luggage if you are flying in their business class seats. The boyfriend and I both have Frequent Flyer cards with Thai Air and we linked them to our respective accounts. The other two friends that went with us had never flown before and they were excited to try the first time. Both of them wanted to sit near the window and they did. One of them never took his eye off the window and as soon as we landed he called his family to tell them he was flying above the clouds. I think he would have been happy to turn around and do it again. It did remind me of my first trip ever when I was 16 and went from USA to London. I loved the plane ride and would do it again many times and rarely got bored of it in my early years.

 

We had wanted to stay at the Baan Yin Dee but they were fully booked for the nights we wanted. They did have the ability to switch us from 3 different rooms over the course of the trip but that was just not something I wanted to do so I booked at the Holiday Inn instead. The Holiday Inn is located not too far from the gay area and is an easy walk to the main epicenter of gay culture here. There are also lots of little shops and stands along the way to keep you mind occupied along the walk.

 

The Holiday Inn costs around 5k per night per room and that included breakfast for all of us. I am part of their highest level of priority points as I stay when the hotel chain hotels over 125 nights a year. When we checked in they wanted to upgrade us to a private area of the hotel with nice bungalows or studios but that area did not have Internet in the rooms and that was just not acceptable to me. So, we took rooms in the main part of the hotel. The rooms were excellent with nice comfortable beds and a very nice shower. All have been recently renovated and are clean and modern. The shower has a window in it so you can open a hidden door to see the shower from the outside room to the inside of the showers. This was great for me to watch the boyfriend shower but not so wonderful when he tried to watch me. The rainfall water shower is excellent and I have really enjoyed using it each day.

 

The first night we ate at the Ban Rim Pa restaurant. It is one of my favorites in Phuket and it on the hill overlooking the bay and simply beautiful it is a bit pricy but I wanted the guys to see the view as the sunset. We decided on a fixed menu that was seafood based and came with 4 or more appetizers and 6 main courses. The rate per person was 1600 baht. The guys ordered about 3 Coronas each and I got some watermelon juice and coconut juice. The total bill at the end of the night was slightly over 9k baht and service was included in that price. If you go here, I suggest you call and make a reservation as they are often booked and will take walkins when available but to be assured a table, call in advance. If you want a great view and your table sticking out off the cliffs, ask for one of the front tables that are gazebo like over the rocks. There are several of them and they have a wonderful view of all around the area and a great view of Patong beach.

 

Baan Rim Pa

233 Kalm Beach Road

Phone – 076-340789

 

We took a baht bus to the Paradise area. This is the gay area of Patong Beach. Most baht buses and taxis take you in the city for 200 baht. That was his rate and that is what we paid.

 

We got to the Paradise area around 8:30 but there were no boys in ANY of the go-go bars. The place was a ghost town. They all open at 8 but they say the boys don’t usually come until 9:30 or 10. We sate at My Way bar on the outside and had some drinks to watch the passerby’s. It was very slow. The four drinks cost us 530 baht. That was 2 sodas and 2 whiskey and cokes. We went into Mama Sans bar as they did have go-go boys on stage. While the outside of the place is decorated beautifully, the inside still has the worst smell of any bar I have been to. It is musky and smells like moths. We all took a whiff and sat down and ordered drinks. The boys on the stag were NOT anything like we had imagined and not one of them was attractive to me. They may have been cute to someone but I was not able to find one. After the drinks came, I told the boys they had 3 minutes to drink before they guzzled them down. Down they went and out we went. The four drinks were 600 baht and it was totally worth it to get out of there fast.

 

On the Soi directly to the right of paradise is a pool hall I fell in love with when I brought a boy here a few years back. It is well done and airs conditioning inside with 4 pool tables downstairs and more upstairs. They have a clean place and the boys rack the balls for you and drinks were plentiful. We were there for about 2 hours total and all had drinks and the cost of the night was under 700 baht. I think it is called Pluto.

 

On the same Soi as the Pool hall I love are:

Best of Faith Massage

Heaven Bar

Spy Boys

Black and White Bar Boys

Paradise Inn

Flying Handbag Bar

Aquarius

Angel- now for sale and a great inside.

 

That Soi is also full of gay businesses. Mostly beer bars and host bars. I wandered up and down the Soi but did not find anything I liked. We headed back to the hotel early after stopping by James Dean for a drink. We knew we had to get up early to do a full day boat adventure so we went back to the room and showered and were asleep by midnight. At least the boyfriend and I were asleep by midnight. The other two guys have their own room and I told them if they went out to be sure to be back in time to get up by 7Am to eat and wait for the van to pick us up. I didn’t ask them where they went or even if they went out as they were up and showered and ready to go by 7.

 

 

Day 2

We book an adventure with Island Hoppers. It was a full day of going from one Island to the next and lots of swimming, relaxing, snorkeling, etc. I have been on this same tour 4 other times and enjoyed it so I wanted the guys to experience it as well. The cost was 3250 baht per person and that included an early morning pickup and delivery.

 

The van took us to the Island Hoppers office where we tried on our fins to make sure they were the right size and then we boarded another van to go to the boat. Having been a few times I knew the best seats were in the front so the boys and I go on and went straight there. It is a bit bumpier up there but not too bad.

 

Our day included trips to Yao Yai Island, Baboo Island, Hin Klang, Momkey Beach, Phi Phi Don Island, Phi Phi Lae Island, Pileh Cove, Viking Cave, and Maya Bay. We had lunch buffet style on a private restaurant owned by the company we used for the charter. The cost was 3250 per person and included pick up from hotel and return to hotel. The group was Island Hoppers and the guides we had were great and their English was excellent.

 

We were able to go snorkeling and see some pretty coral and great schools of fish, feed the monkeys on Monkey Island bananas from the boat, swim on the same beach as Leonardo DeCaprio made the movie Beach, swim in some of the most clear and beautiful water I have seen and feed schools of fish with bread right in our hands, as well as enjoying may relaxing time on different beaches covering each other in sand, splashing in the water and just having a fabulous time. It was so great to see the guys out of their element in Pattaya and able to hand loose and enjoy themselves.

 

Island Hopprs 29/12 Moo 1 Thepprathan Road, T. Rassanda, A. Muang Phuket 83000

Phone: 66-76-252-606-8

 

Baan Yin Dee is an excellent hotel and restaurant. I tried to book their pool suites for us but neither was available for the week. They had no accommodation for us to book while we were in Phuket. I love the hotel and wanted to eat there. The food is excellent and not cheap but the view is stunning and the food atmosphere is amazing.

 

http://www.baanyindee.com

 

 

Day 3

We wanted to relax from the trip yesterday as I was sunburned from top to bottom and was in a bit of pain. We did use sunscreen but I guess I didn’t keep it on as much as I should have and therefore was a quiet uncomfortable and just needed to sleep in today.

 

We got up around 11:00 AM today and that was nice. The boyfriend and I are in one room and his 2 friends are in a separate room. When we got up, we called down to ask them if they were up for lunch.

 

Lunch was at the gay bar area, Paradise. We ate at Newspaper Restaurant. It is right on the Soi with My Way and Tangmo. It was very clean and pleasant. We were the only customers. The food was excellent. It tasted good and it was nice portions. The average cost for a plate was 220 baht. We had 5 different plates and several drinks. The bill was 1700 baht and while good, it was expensive. We were told the owner of that restaurant is the same owner as Tangmo and 5 other businesses on that Soi.

 

We then went to the Cobra Show as the boys really wanted to see it. I have seen one before in Chiang Mai and this one was very similar. The guys loved seeing all the snakes, etc and we had our picture taken with a few of them. The show cost 400 baht a person. They had a drink and food bar outside if anyone wanted drinks. We were able to see the show and walk around and look at several other snakes and animals. The show was fun to see if you have never been to one.

 

The next stop was the Shooting Range. We each wanted to try some shooting with pistols and shotguns. The pistols were 900 baht for 10 bullets and the rifles were 700 baht for 10 bullets. Each of us did both the rifle and the pistol. I was the lucky winner of the rifle contest with 94% shooting skill. The boyfriend kicked ass with the pistol and blew me and the other guys away with his percentages. All in all this is a very expensive thing to do but it really a treat for the Thai guys who always see these on TV but never had a chance to hold one and shoot.

 

Next we went Bungee Jumping. We chose the Jungle Bungy Jump under New Zealand Management. They charge 2,000 bath for the jump and that includes a shirt. They will take a DVD of the jump for another 500 baht. So, total per person was 2500 baht. This company was professional and well organized and I did feel safe there and did not think there would be any issue. I took a lot of photos myself so we didn’t pay them to do that for us.

 

Jungle Bungy Jump – 076-321351

 

At night, we ate back in the Paradise area. We choose a place called 888888 ATM. It was clean and nicely decorated. The food was simply horrible. They over salted everything and the wait time was over 40 minutes. I ordered a hamburger and it was eatable but no where close to the wonderful Niddy’s hamburger I once got in Pattaya. The boys got Thai food and 2 got Spaghetti. They said the Thai food was OK but the Spaghetti was over salted and tasted bad. We each had one drink and the cost for the 4 of us was 800 baht. I hope that this was just a bad night for these guys but watching them trying to cook a hamburger was enjoyable. They had 3 cooks and 4 waiters and we were the ONLY customers. They had a large debate about the burger and finally they decided to salt it. I wish they had just asked me about it.

 

We went over the Soi for drinks at a local beer bar. This one was directly adjacent to Tangmo. We sat outside of it as one of the guys recognized a boy who had worked at Crazy Dragon and has moved back to Phuket. The drinks at the bar were 100 baht each. Not quite as cheap as most beer bars I go to but this seems the norm here.

 

Phuket is much more expensive in every area then Pattaya or Chiang Mai.

 

We went toe the Simon Cabaret and sat 3rd row. The seats were great and the guys loved the show. They have all had Katoy girlfriends before so they really got a kick out of some of these beautiful women. The show as fun and enjoyable. The tickets were 600 baht each and that did not include transportation. For other 80 baht each, they would have picked us up and delivered us to the hotel.

 

Day 4

Rock-climbing day. We were up early and had the free buffet at the Holiday Inn. The buffet is great with a wide variety of choices for everyone. They have Thai dishes, Japanese dishes, some Arab flare and of course all the Western like food. Today was the first day I had seen the guys drink coffee. They normally just drink juice but I guess they stayed up late night and were tired and thought the coffee would give them a boost. We had to meet the driver at the front of the lobby by 7:30AM. We were there and off for the day. I decided to sit this day out as my sunburn was still wrenching from pain.

 

The boys said they had a blast. The boyfriend had gone with me to Chiang Mai on a rock-climbing trip and he was a bit more experienced than his friends but they all came back laughing and tired and said it was a very good day! The rock climbing was 2500 baht per person and that included pickup and delivery from hotel.

 

I decided to stay in the hotel all day today and get work done. I ordered up some food for lunch and spent the day catching up on e-mails and other stuff.

 

The boys returned so excited they were able to do the rock-climbing and I am glad they had a blast.

 

The night was spent in the Paradise gay area again. In this area there are several bars and go-go venues.

 

On the right:

Newspaper – which we ate at and reviewed above.

Dempseys

Connect Room and Food – Seemed to be a busy place and the food was good!

James Dean Restaurant – renovations going on one side but the other one open.

Time

Orchid Lounge

My Way

 

On the left:

Maprang Bar

James Dean and Friends

Kar Door Host and Karaoke

Thais Best Boys

Spartacus

Tangmo

Kiss

BB Boys

Corner Bakery

Around the corner to the left is the Mama San bar I mentioned above.

 

By far the best bar we went to was My Way. It was full of cute guys and enjoyable. It is not as much fun as when I was here in high season but it was still enjoyable. When I was there in 3 nights this week, only 8-15 dancers I could see. I didn't stay for a show as I was really for a go go boy.

 

Tangmo is fun and upbeat. A lot of cute boys and friendly staff if you like the really gay looking boys.

 

Dempseys has some very cute waiters and staff.

 

BB Boys caught my attention each night as they had a flow of hot studs walking into the place but I was never able to find them 20 minutes later when I would get there.

 

While I would love to have wonderful things to say about the gay scene in Phuket, honestly, I can’t. It was dull and pretty boring. They did not have the caliber of boys that are in Bangkok, Pattaya, or Chiang Mai. I did love the time I spent there and enjoyed the Island and the city. But, if you are going for a date, you may want to bring you own.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

The night was spent in the Paradise gay area again. In this area there are several bars and go-go venues.

 

On the right:

Newspaper – which we ate at and reviewed above.

Dempseys

Connect Room and Food – Seemed to be a busy place and the food was good!

James Dean Restaurant – renovations going on one side but the other one open.

Time

Orchid Lounge

My Way

 

You missed Passport Pub, to the right of Newpaper if you were looking from the middle of the Soi. It is a small bar (owned by the same owner as My Way), but the boys are dancing right next to you, and it is really friendly. I have spend a lot of time there, and never miss it on my visits to Phuket.

[Guest]

You missed Passport Pub, to the right of Newpaper if you were looking from the middle of the Soi. It is a small bar (owned by the same owner as My Way), but the boys are dancing right next to you, and it is really friendly. I have spend a lot of time there, and never miss it on my visits to Phuket.

 

Is that the one between Newspaper and the 7-11?

[Guest GaySacGuy]

Is that the one between Newspaper and the 7-11?

 

Yes...next door to Newspaper towards the main street. It is a nice small place, and very friendly. The Captains are a little nuts, but it helps! B)

[Guest]

Yes...next door to Newspaper towards the main street. It is a nice small place, and very friendly. The Captains are a little nuts, but it helps! B)

 

I saw boys sitting outside but never went in. I will give it a try the next time I am there. I really should have spent a full month there to get the feel of the city and the scene but it was not in the cards this year. I also did not get to any gay bars off of the main 2 streets in Paradise. Do you know of others worthy of visiting?

 

BTW: I got a very angry letter from the owner of a bar saying I was full of shit and a hypocrite. He said there were tons of great guys in the bars that I just didn't go at the right time. That could be true. I was never there past 11:30 on any night. If the scene is that much later, I would not be able to stay up past there any night. I wonder if they would just hold the boys over until breakfast at 7AM? I am really good at that time and love company then.

 

Also, the comments I made were based on only a short stay. We were there for 5 days and 4 nights. It was not a long trip. My apologies to anyone with hurt feelings. I did find the mamasan at BB Boys hot. And, as for the bars, they were all decorated nice and well furnished inside. It was pretty impressive to see the interior of all these places.

 

The one thing I did like was the street shows or the boys coming out of the bars to do a cat walk in the streets to carrel the customers inside. This was creative and I have not seen it anywhere. I enjoyed that very much.

[Guest fountainhall]

The first night we ate at the Ban Rim Pa restaurant. It is one of my favorites in Phuket and it on the hill overlooking the bay and simply beautiful it is a bit pricy

 

Agree it's a wonderful restaurant and I go every time I'm in Phuket. Two others in lovely settings well worth visiting are -

 

- Villa Royale - about 20 minutes south of Patong between Kata and Kata Noi beaches - last year they offered 3 or 4 superb Thai set dinners for Bt. 900;

 

- Mangosteen Resort - up on a hill in the south of the island with great sunset views - just dining at the poolside is a joy.