Bangkok & Chiang Mai Advice Required

[HKBanker]

 I live in Hong Kong but will be travelling in Thailand ostensibly on business but will have plenty of time for fun. I haven't experienced this side of Thailand before but am keen to do so. I will be staying in Bangkok for a week and then in Chiang Mai for two or three weeks. Any advice or tips are very gratefully received, particularly from those of you who have travelled to Thailand post covid. 

I will be staying at well-known luxury hotels in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and am curious how you think they will react if I bring a boy back to the room? I did it once whilst staying at the Bangkok Peninsula, and the stress of trying to sneak them in was unpleasant.  

I apologise if this post is asking too basic a question; I am a newcomer to all of this - and it is wildly out of my usual comfort zone. 

[Slut1215]

Normally I'd stay at conrad, Hilton or pullman. I'd just openly strut in with the guy in tow. I would also watch the timing so it's not so obvious. And if I do get stopped, will just have the guy registered and say yeah we are having some drinks in my room after dinner. Just feed a story and don't bother what they will think since they would already be thinking of all sorts of strange things...bringing back more than one guy, I've not tried. Prob our more experienced members can share their experiences.

[vinapu]

instead of stressing yourself with trying to sneak the boy of the  night past reception rent a back up room in one of the gest  accommodating and cheap hotels (Tarntawan, Nantra Silom , Baan Silom, XPress Pula , Furama Silom ) , is should cost you no more than 700 baht  which is tiny fraction of what Peninsula room cost you so you won't even notice extra cost.

Entertain your boys there instead of trying to impress them with lavish places.

Or just use short time rooms , boys will know where they are.

 

As for recent report I shamelessly invite you to get acquainted with my  December trip report  so you may pick up an idea or seven how to keep yourself entertained and your boys well fed during vacations

[vaughn]

13 hours ago, HKBanker said:

 I live in Hong Kong but will be travelling in Thailand ostensibly on business but will have plenty of time for fun. I haven't experienced this side of Thailand before but am keen to do so. I will be staying in Bangkok for a week and then in Chiang Mai for two or three weeks. Any advice or tips are very gratefully received, particularly from those of you who have travelled to Thailand post covid. 

I will be staying at well-known luxury hotels in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and am curious how you think they will react if I bring a boy back to the room? I did it once whilst staying at the Bangkok Peninsula, and the stress of trying to sneak them in was unpleasant.  

I apologise if this post is asking too basic a question; I am a newcomer to all of this - and it is wildly out of my usual comfort zone. 

If you're staying at almost any luxury hotel I would be shocked if they say anything to you about bringing a guest, I think mid-priced hotels trying to give the impression of luxury are usually the ones with more problems.

I stay at mostly in Marriott Bonvoy properties but have never had so much as a sideways glance at walking in with guests anywhere in the world. You could email prior to arrival and ask if there is a guest policy, but I would just bring the guest in and walk straight to the elevators. In my view you're paying a premium for privacy and service, so I expect that.

[Londoner]

Your guy will be required to leave his ID at the desk. This is for your protection, ensuring both that he is of  legal age and that reception can call you when he leaves to ensure nothing has gone wrong.

[Guest]

Don't get stressed out. 

Make sure your room is reserved for 2 people, then just boldly walk your guest into whatever hotel you are staying in.   

What's the worst they can do ?    Stop you and ask a few questions.

You might like to check the hotel policies on booking.com in advance.    Then, if there is no reference to restrictions on joiners, then remind them of that in the highly unlikely event they try to stop you.

[Milk78]

I was staying at the Banyan Tree in BKK a couple of weeks ago. I had quite a few boys come over, some money boys, some massage guys, and some local guys i met off Grindr - no problems with bringing any of them in. No questions or looks from anyone. 

I stayed at The Raya for my last night in BKK, having spent a week in Chiang Mai (but in an AirBnB so no issues). In the evening, you have to use the service elevator in the car park. They had two guys on security and again, no questions, no looks, all fine.

[Keithambrose]

I stay at the Meridien, 5 star hotel, and never any trouble bringing boys back. Early evening to 1am, I just get a pleasant 'good evening'. Never had boy asked to leave ID at desk. 

[scott456]

I really prefer 4-5 stars hotels in Silom area within walking distance to the bars.

[musgrave]

Chiang Mai is showing signs of life again particularly with the approach of Songkran - Adams Apple remains closed and Pandee Bar, Secrets Bar have ceased operation. In the night bazaar area Orion Bar and Ram Bar are open and provided cabaret shows. There are several boy host bars Pose, Maya, Route 181 which really don't kick off till 11.00 pm - staff at these venues can be invited to drink with you at a fee per hour - post work arrangements can be negotiated individually. Barrocco karaoke works similarly. Most of these venues have Facebook pages.

The gay Apps used here include Hornet, Grindr and Blue'd and there are plenty of members. The authenticity of some profiles is questionable.

Chiang Mai old city is a great place to wander around and the Saturday and Sunday walking street markets are worth a visit. 

Food is a great attraction here as is coffee - some excellent coffee locations. You have to try khao Soy crispy fried noodles atop a coconut curry broth with chicken and yellow noodles.

Classic House massage is close to the old city and remains one of the steadfast gay massage places. Woody at Classic House also does tours and he is a really good guy - a day tour costs around 2500 - 3000 thb

Some really nice places to visit outside Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon, Mon Chaem, Mae Khompong, Chiang Rai (overnight is best). However there is haze around at present which limits views. The large mountain Doi Suthep overlooks Chiang Mai and is a nice spot on a clear day.

At present one of the fads is going to a watercourse , sitting on a chair in the water and eating and drinking and getting wet of course. Lots of people go to the lake Huay Taeng Tao to eat and spread out in the bamboo huts overlooking the water.

 

 

 

 

 

[reader]

7 hours ago, vaughn said:

If you're staying at almost any luxury hotel I would be shocked if they say anything to you about bringing a guest, I think mid-priced hotels trying to give the impression of luxury are usually the ones with more problems.

I agree.

In 20+years, I never had an issue with bringing someone back, and that includes the grande dame Dusit Thani. As others have said above, the best hotels exercise discretion in these situations.

One of the few that's been known for interrogating guests about joiners is the Moniein off Surawong.

[PeterRS]

21 hours ago, z909 said:

Don't get stressed out. 

Make sure your room is reserved for 2 people, then just boldly walk your guest into whatever hotel you are staying in.   

What's the worst they can do ?    Stop you and ask a few questions.

You might like to check the hotel policies on booking.com in advance.    Then, if there is no reference to restrictions on joiners, then remind them of that in the highly unlikely event they try to stop you.

Generally I would agree with the sentiments so far expressed. Joiners can be easier at less expensive hotels. I did have one very embarrassing experience at what was then the 5-star Regent Hotel on Rajadamri (so we are going back quite a few years - it later became the Four Seasons and is now the Anantara). I took a boy back from one of the bars at around 10:00 pm. I knew there were security staff on duty at the lift lobby and managed to get into a lift without being seen. I had forgotten about cctv cameras, though. Within a minute of getting to my room there was a knock on the door. It was security. I did not answer. After various similar episodes, the phone rang. And then rang again. I refused to answer. The end result was a less than satisfactory tryst. I also agree with @reader that the Montien definitely had a no joiner policy.

I have written before about a conversation I had with the Assistant GM of the Mandarin Oriental hotel - again quite some time ago. We were having drinks in the lobby when a young man entered with what was obviously a bar girl. Before they even got to the lifts, a security officer approached them. End result? The girl had to leave. No argument about it. I asked my colleague what the hotel's policy was. No joiners after a certain time as it was against the law for hotels to accommodate non-guests who were not registered. But if the guest brought a girl or a boy who was dressed in line with the hotel policies - i.e. pleasantly casual but no tank tops, no  flip flops etc. - then they would be given the benefit of the doubt and allowed upstairs.

I have heard that there is no problem with joiners at Le Meridien on Suriwong. When I spent my one test&go night there last week, I saw no security in the lobby at all and the lift area can not be seen from the front desk. At two mid-price hotels in that area there used to be desks by the lift lobby to get extra payments for guests taking joiners to their rooms. Not sure what the situation is now. Checking hotel policies in advance as suggested by @z909 is a good idea, although given the government's overnight rule, I still think it is best to book a double room and then have your boy du jour register.

Chiang Mai

There is certainly a lot to see in and around Chiang Mai. From @musgrave's post, though, it seems Chiang Mai's gay scene continues in the death throes that started more than 5 years ago. We found the bars now situated across from Le Meridien boring. The money boys are more interested in the locals who frequent them or in their cell phones than new customers. There are certainly other gay massage spas in addition to Classic. The two gay saunas seem to be doing quite good business. Club One-Seven is located near the southern outskirts on the river across from the huge Holiday Inn Hotel. The older House of Male in the north west of the city always  seems to have some students from the nearby University, but with the Songkran holiday about to start I suspect there may not be many until term time starts again. This site is worth checking - 

https://www.gay-in-chiangmai.com

[New Londoner]

So I  (Londoner) was wrong about hotels not keeping ID cards? shows how out of touch I have become! 

[vinapu]

kind of, 

 

In Dec out of 9 hotels I was staying in Bkk, Pattaya and Chiang Mai only one - Zing, Jomtien Complex asked my guest to present ID card and it was in broad daylight, 

they did not bother in the evening though

[Guest]

7 hours ago, vinapu said:

In Dec out of 9 hotels I was staying in Bkk, Pattaya and Chiang Mai only one - Zing, Jomtien Complex asked my guest to present ID card and it was in broad daylight, 

they did not bother in the evening though

It's rare that hotels check or retain ID cards.   Admittedly I usually don't go to the desk to ask, so the onus is on them to intervene.

The last ID card issue I had was with a Khmer lad who didn't have his passport as he was in the process of applying for a visa (allegedly).   Since he was 25 and looked it, that was good enough for me.   However, he asked the security guard at The Tarntawan if he was allowed in without ID & of course, the answer was no.   My approach is to keep walking until asked.

I can't recall ever being stopped when a lad has ID.

[10tazione]

On 4/15/2022 at 4:14 AM, vinapu said:

kind of, 

 

In Dec out of 9 hotels I was staying in Bkk, Pattaya and Chiang Mai only one - Zing, Jomtien Complex asked my guest to present ID card and it was in broad daylight

... and if you count boys instead of hotels, number must have been a lot higher lol

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, 10tazione said:

... and if you count boys instead of hotels, number must have been a lot higher lol

yes but on another hand percentage  of boys who had their ID checked  will be much , much lower

[vaughn]

I just checked out of Poseidon in Jomtien Complex, they do ask for ID, but when a boy I had back only had a photo on his phone the night manager was ok with it as long as I was. Another boy I had back did have his physical ID and it was the usual situation of call when he leaves to make sure i'm ok.

I was ok with it, they're willing to compromise if a boy lost his ID so no problem.

[New Londoner]

In my early days, I was always pleased that reception checked  and kept IDs; I felt it was for my own protection in two ways.

Firstly, in the 90s there was a lot of concern about underage MBs and two cases of falangs being arrested while in the wrong company , one in Boyztown , the other in Sunee, made be particularly careful.

And secondly, as a newbie, I was aware just how I vulnerable I was if I chose someone who was dishonest or unpleasant.  I soon learnt better and never encountered such a visitor but my first visits were an entirely new experience for me and I had no one to whom I could go  for advice.

Perhaps there are guys today who feel the same? At least they have forums like this to guide them.  

By the way, the last three hotels we've stayed in -Tantawan, Ambiance and Agate, were still checking pre-Covid.

[thaiophilus]

11 hours ago, New Londoner said:

Perhaps there are guys today who feel the same?

Yes. Like you I think I have a better understanding of the probabilities than when I first visited in the 1990s, but there is still a slight possibility of having an ill-chosen visitor.

We all three (hotel, me, visitor) know perfectly well why the visitor is visiting, but since in Thai culture actually mentioning it would cause loss of face to all of us, that won't happen. SInce having the hotel check ID might prevent some unpleasantness (even if it's unlikely), and there is no downside, I think it's a good thing.

 

[PeterRS]

From the discussion so far, it does seem that there is a difference between the hotels at the top end like the Mandarin-Oriental and Peninsula compared to those with 3 or less stars who more often see visiting guests from the bars. As I mentioned with Le Meridien, there are clearly some top end hotels which turn a blind eye to joiners, but others are a good deal more strict in their policies.

[Travellerdave]

During my numerous trips to Thailand (mainly BKK and Pattaya) as a gay sex tourist I have never had any significant problems bringing  boys back to my room. Mostly I was staying in 3* type hotels known to be favoured by gay guests although occasionally  it was in top end ones such as the Banyan Tree in Bkk. If in doubt it would be wise to enquire about their policy at the time of reservation and book for 2 persons. Also when engaging boys online I always take them through reception rather than have them make their own way to my room, so as to resolve any possible problems with ID cards or their appearance. 

[vinapu]

20 hours ago, Travellerdave said:

.... when engaging boys online I always take them through reception rather than have them make their own way to my room, so as to resolve any possible problems with ID cards or their appearance. 

+1 

no matter if they are from online (almost non-existent for me ) , from bars or massages I too take a point of escorting them to my room and also from hotel, when they are leaving. In my early days I had a case  of companion from now no-existing Aqua Spa who when tried to retrieve  his ID from reception was asked for 'donation' which I learned about only in the evening when I was  taking him again.