Trip To Chiang Mai And Khon Kaen

[Guest fountainhall]

Along with two friends, I spent 4 days in Chiang Mai last week. On the first evening we went to Circle pub. We reckoned the show was excellent, well worth the Bt. 190 cost of drinks. Most of the escorts were handsome, are basically straight and were, we were told, mostly from Burma.

 

On the second evening, after a very good dinner at a French restaurant near Tapae Gate (St. Germain des Pres - 3-course set menu around Bt. 550), we visited the ‘new’ Adam’s Apple. Arriving at around 10:45 pm, we noted the elegant downstairs cocktail bar was totally empty. Upstairs, about 20 customers were watching the “show”. This consisted mostly of a series of 2 or 3 fairly chunky guys with condom-induced erections shuffling in one spot, interspersed with drag acts - some comedy, others more straight. Apart from a short body-painted episode, we found the “show” dismal in the extreme. The usual gaps between the acts made it all seem worse. By the end, half the customers had left, and our Chiang Mai friend was fast asleep!

 

Whilst the money spent on the venue has resulted in a major improvement in the environment, we all agreed not only is the “show” a disaster, the rather heavy-set and disinterested go-go boys are the most boring we have seen for years. The new owner has succeeded in turning one of the best, fun bars in the country into one of the worst. So sad! I will not return.

 

The show at Power Boys in the Lavender Hotel the next evening was a huge improvement – one of the slickest we have seen with a good mix of boys genuinely enjoying their participation. Lighting and costumes were excellent. Overall the whole show was fun and looked very professional. Also the content of the last two shows at 10:30 and 12:00 midnight was different, so there is no incentive to leave if you want just to stay for a good time. Even so, in what is a large venue, there were only about 30 customers for the earlier show, and 10 for the last one. Not enough, I reckon, to make it profitable – but then we were there mid-week. This place really deserves to succeed.

 

Earlier, we had dined on the hotel’s roof terrace. This is a lovely location which we highly recommend, and our waiter was very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, quite a number of items on the menu were not available that evening, The main problem, though, came when the bill was presented. This was not an itemized bill; just a total with a group of chits attached. The cost was Bt.1,067 which we willingly paid. After receiving our change we left a small tip. As we were about the leave, however, the cashier (whom we later discovered also doubled as a waiter and the chef!) came up and said we had been undercharged. The real cost should have been Bt.1,267. We found this odd as we were sure the meal and drinks (for 2) could not have cost that amount. I did a quick mental calculation which came to about Bt.1,000. The cashier re-checked. Once again he said it was Bt.1,267. We asked for yet another re-check, whereupon profuse apologies were offered as the real total was in fact Bt. 1,017. This was all done very pleasantly, but we recommend everyone check their bills, and suggest the hotel should have a properly itemized chit for meals.

 

Lastly, the open-air bars behind the D2 hotel were pretty active in the late evening. We learned that there had been a police raid a couple of evenings before we arrived, but could not get the reason.

 

The following day, we drove the 9 hours to Khon Kaen – longer than it should have taken due to torrential rain for the last two hours. We stayed at the Pullman Hotel. In many ways, this is a fine hotel, with large comfortable rooms and many restaurants, But beware! The even-numbered rooms face the back of the hotel. Just across the road there are some discos. So between about 10:00pm and nearly 2:00 am, music blasts its way into these rooms. It drove me crazy, as not even wax ear-plugs could silence the constant boom-boom-boom. The duty manager told me they get many complaints about the noise. Fortunately, they had a couple of odd-numbered rooms vacant and we were able to switch. But I would never again accept an even-numbered room.

 

We met and had a good time with some guys from camfrog. For those interested, the Dolphins sauna, which several web-sites claim has been closed, is alive and well, and situated only a 10 minute walk from the Pullman, If anyone wants directions, send me a message and I’ll happily provide them for you. We did not seek out the Beach sauna which is about 4 kms away near the University.

 

We are off to Mahasarakham today and Korat tomorrow. More on these cities if we find anything of interest.

[Guest HeyGay]

Thanks fountainhill just the sort of post I love, giving details of far away places with intereteing insites and observations.

 

Looking forward to your next post with addresses of Bars and Saunas and cruising areas if possible. with pictures ieven better.

[Guest]

I really enjoyed this information. Thank you!

[Bob]

I've been to Adam's Apple twice in the last couple of months and your description of the shows or variety of boys available was no where near what I experienced (and I have no fear of blasting what I see if I don't like it). And your description is different than what other friends of mine have experienced (or at least how they related it to me).

 

I'm sure you're being accurate with what you saw - and apparently proves that even good bars have off nights on occasion.

[Gaybutton]

If anyone wants directions, send me a message and I’ll happily provide them for you.

Why not just go ahead and post whatever information you have about this sauna? That way we'll all have it.

 

In Khorat you might want to go to the central canal that surrounds the Suranaree monument. That's a fairly decent cruise area, but check the IDs of any boys that interest you. Many are under-age.

 

Also, have a look at this link. Apparently it's a brand new gay bar that's only been open a couple of days so far. It's a unique idea. Downstairs it's a girlie bar. Upstairs it's a gay bar. I think we all would love to have any information we can get:

 

http://www.koratmap.com/en/forum/7-Nightlife/521-Gay-bar-in-Korat-and-New-slender....html

[Guest fountainhall]

I've been to Adam's Apple twice in the last couple of months and your description of the shows or variety of boys available was no where near what I experienced . . . I'm sure you're being accurate with what you saw - and apparently proves that even good bars have off nights on occasion.

I used to love Adam's Apple but I do not think that clouded my judgement. There were three of us and we all thought it was dreadful! It must, as you say, have been an off-night. Granted it was quite late and, who knows, maybe all the better looking boys had been offed!

 

Re the location of the Dolphins Sauna in Khon Kaen, turn right on leaving the Pullman hotel and follow the road round the oddly shaped roundabout till you reach the main road - Srichan Road. Cross to the other side and turn right. Soon you come to a smaller unlit road on your left. Turn into that road and within about 100 meters or so you will see the Dolphins illuminated sign on the left side. Take another dark road on your left after the sign and walk to the second block (you can't walk any further as it is a dead end). Dolphins is on the left side near the end. Opening time is from 3:00 pm to midnight. Note: if you are walking along Srichan Road and notice a Mall set a little off the road on your right side (one with a Tops supermarket, S&P and a Starbucks), then you have gone a little too far. So just turn back a little and then turn first right. It is very close to Soi Suppathra, but I believe not actually on that road.

 

Thanks GB for the info on Korat. We'll try and find that bar.

[Guest jtrack33]

My experience at New AA was the same as Fountainhall's...never again with the current owner.

 

Mahasarakam has always been good for me. The town has at least two large universities. I have been lucky with finding boys on Gayromeo from there before traveling and have been excellent and shown me around the campus and dormitories. However, I note there are none listed on-line at the moment on Gayromeo. But hundreds off line from the northeast. You can narrow your search to Mahasarahkam but there are many ways of spelling it in English....keep trying. If no conact on Gayromeo, then visit the Sermthai mall that houses Pizza Company and drive through the various campuses, get out and walk around.

[firecat69]

My experience at New AA was the same as Fountainhall's...never again with the current owner.

 

Mahasarakam has always been good for me. The town has at least two large universities. I have been lucky with finding boys on Gayromeo from there before traveling and have been excellent and shown me around the campus and dormitories. However, I note there are none listed on-line at the moment on Gayromeo. But hundreds off line from the northeast. You can narrow your search to Mahasarahkam but there are many ways of spelling it in English....keep trying. If no conact on Gayromeo, then visit the Sermthai mall that houses Pizza Company and drive through the various campuses, get out and walk around.

 

 

I agree AA sucked when I visited it in December. Bad show , mediocre boys and the worst seating in the world. Stick with Powerboys.

[Guest fountainhall]

In Khorat you might want to go to the central canal that surrounds the Suranaree monument . . . Also, have a look at this link. Apparently it's a brand new gay bar that's only been open a couple of days so far. It's a unique idea. Downstairs it's a girlie bar. Upstairs it's a gay bar. I think we all would love to have any information we can get

Continuing our travels, unfortunately we had to return to Bangkok today and give Korat a miss. Our driver friend was called back for work reasons, and so Korat will have to wait for a future trip.

 

We stayed at the Taksila Hotel in Mahasarakham. This we agreed was very good and excellent value at Bt. 700 including breakfast, service and taxes. As we were there for less than 24 hours, we had checked Gayromeo well in advance, but were not enamoured by those listed there. Camfrog, however, turned up trumps again, even though there was a greater than usual gap between assignation time and actual arrival time – almost 2 hours! The wait was worthwhile, though, and the students we met were charming and could not have been nicer. For those interested, there is a Mahasarakham room on Camfrog that usually has around 30 or so in it.

 

The 6-hour drive back was by expressway for almost the entire route with very little traffic till we reached the outskirts of Bangkok. Looking back on the week, personally I doubt if I will be attracted back to either Khon Kaen or Mahasarakham. So next trip will be Korat en route to more of Issarn.