Guest canadiansnowman Posted September 23, 2006 Posted September 23, 2006 I am planning a holiday to Koh Chang Island because of its reputation of unspoiled beauty...is there any gay life at all there? I am not looking for go go bars....but it would be nice to know if a friendly thai boy could be a companion and guide for a week Quote
Gaybutton Posted September 23, 2006 Posted September 23, 2006 I am planning a holiday to Koh Chang Island because of its reputation of unspoiled beauty...is there any gay life at all there? I am not looking for go go bars....but it would be nice to know if a friendly thai boy could be a companion and guide for a week Absolutely! My boyfriend and I were there just two weeks ago. We really enjoy Koh Chang and when we want a weekend getaway, that's where we go. I highly recommend staying at the Mac Resort on White Sands Beach. Their 'superior' room rate is 1600 baht per night at the moment, despite what their web site says. Get somebody Thai to place a call to them and make the reservation for you and you'll get the rate. The rooms are excellent, right on the appropriately named beach, in the best part of Koh Chang. Breakfast is included with the room and it's a very good breakfast buffet. If you meet someone, you can also have a romantic candle light dinner on the beach. Several of the beachfront hotels offer it, including the Mac. When you make the reservation, make sure to ask for a king size bed or you'll probably get stuck with twin beds. Their web site is : http://www.mac-resorthotel.com/en/index.html At White Sands Beach you don't have to worry about ATMs. There are plenty of them. There are several very good restaurants, convenience stores, and just about everything else you'll need. Local transportation is readily available and the hotel desk can help you arrange it. There are also rental cars and motorcycles available. Transportation to and from Koh Chang is easily arranged in Pattaya or Bangkok. The Mac Resort can also arrange it for you. Expect it to take three to four hours to get there from Pattaya. The only access to and from Koh Chang is by ferry boat. If you're lucky, you'll get to the ferry boat just as one is about to leave. The ride takes about 40 minutes. A "don't miss" in Koh Chang is the elephant trek that features "swimming with the elephants." It's a two-hour elephant trek, 900 baht per person (tip the guide 100 baht per person when the trek finishes). You don't have to swim with the elephants if you don't want to, but it's definitely something you'll always remember and perfectly safe. Don't worry that your wallet might end up soaked. Before the swimming part, they stop at a stand where you can leave your belongings. It's perfectly safe to leave your belongings on the stand. Nothing will get stolen. At the end of the trek they even give you a bottle of water and a bowl of fresh fruit at no additional charge. I won't tell you anything more about it. It would spoil the fun. Now, to your question: About half a block down from the Mac Resort, on the same side of the street, very easy walking distance, you'll spot the Sabay Bar. It's actually a disco and that's where all the gays go. There are a number of single local gay boys who frequent the disco and you won't have any trouble hooking up with someone. In all of Koh Chang that's the only gay life we encountered, but it's definitely there and there are definitely good looking single gay Thai boys there. The hotel won't give you any problem about bringing a boy back with you, but, of course, he doesn't get breakfast. I recommend two to three nights in Koh Chang (unless you meet someone who somehow motivates you to want to stay a little longer ). Quote
Guest letmetellu Posted September 23, 2006 Posted September 23, 2006 Koh Chang: Enjoy the nature Interesting account of The Chang If you expect a thriving gay night life with Go-go and Disco on Koh Chang, you will certainly be disappointed. Elephant island (Koh Chang) is famous for its unspoiled nature, the diving, the jungle trips and waterfalls, not necessarily its night life. Even though you might be lucky and find a friend for the night somewhere (which is generally easier in Thailand than it is in the West) you are well advised to take a companion from Pattaya or Bangkok if you want to be certain of not sleeping alone. Almost ten years ago I was picked up at Panorama by a young Dutch guy on holidays who obviously liked old tarts come moi. (No, I do not understand such things myself.) Pattaya at first sight would not seem to be the best pick for such a person, but on second thoughts, it might just be ideal. In our honeymoon spirit we decided to spend some days on Koh Chang, the second biggest island of the Kingdom, about 300 kilometres east of Bangkok and very close to the Cambodian border. We stayed at a bungalow resort in White Sand Beach and had a very good time. There was no electricity during the day and during the night only a bit from generators. The road on the island was unpaved then. Much has changed since the early days. When I recently revisited with my straight friend Martin - do not hold this against him, it is not his fault - we drove there from Pattaya in about three and a half hours. We arrived at the ferry near Trat around 7.15 pm and only just managed to board this last connection of the day because it was delayed. So it was quite dark and we did not see much this first night. Not long ago Bangkok Airways opened its own private airport in Trat, just opposite the island on the mainland. This has enhanced the speed of developments on Koh Chang x-fold, the same effect it had years ago on Samui. The flight from Bangkok takes just 50 minutes; hotel chains like Amari have opened up branches; the road is paved but not yet leading all around the island. Electricity in abundance, otherwise all those ATMs would not work. I did not recognize White Sand Beach any more, so much has been built in the last ten years. But still, as a whole, Koh Chang is not overbuilt at all. Maybe 90 % of the ground is a national park where no buildings will go up and nature will be preserved for ever. On the other hand existing land title deeds cannot be revoked but, because there are few of them, they have increased in value enormously. The largest development of private houses on Koh Chang is Siam Royal View which is well worth a visit if you are interested in becoming a full time or part time islander with unspoiled sea views and free wave sound all day and all night (access their Website through our Pink Pages). They are certainly gay-friendly. We stayed at Plaloma Cliff Resort, right on the beach (pla loma means Dolphin in Thai), they have about 80 rooms, all a bit different. Some are built on the cliff and have a huge bath tub on their balconies (I told you to bring a companion!) and a spectacular view. Their huge pool was under renovation when we were there, but should be ready again by now and their restaurant serves good food. The owner is a funny Swiss guy, a free spirit and quite a character. They are certainly gay-friendly at Plaloma, as most Swiss are since they in the first place, like to get hold of your money and do not give a damn what you do in your bedroom in the second place. Just the way it should be. But let us repeat the essentials for a successful trip to Elephant Island again: Sticky Rice Gay Guide for Asia strongly recommends you to take a companion to Koh Chang. http://www.stickyrice.ws/?view=articles&topic=stor Quote
Gaybutton Posted September 24, 2006 Posted September 24, 2006 But let us repeat the essentials for a successful trip to Elephant Island again: Sticky Rice Gay Guide for Asia strongly recommends you to take a companion to Koh Chang. They can recommend all they want, but I have a feeling they haven't been to the Sabay Bar. Sticky Rice didn't recommend that. The guy who wrote the article recommended it. I too have been approached by Sticky Rice to write articles for them. I think my information is just as valid as theirs. The only reason I turned them down is because I would have to give up my retirement visa to be able to legally write for the magazine. Of course, if you have someone to take with you, so much the better. If you are looking to find someone different in Koh Chang, the Sabay Bar is the place to do it. Quote
Guest canadiansnowman Posted September 26, 2006 Posted September 26, 2006 I appreciate all your input and thank you very much...my b/f and I may be looking for a third to join us....and would probably do so impromptu as the moment dictates...so we will certainly be looking for the Sabay Bar Quote
Gaybutton Posted September 26, 2006 Posted September 26, 2006 I appreciate all your input and thank you very much...my b/f and I may be looking for a third to join us....and would probably do so impromptu as the moment dictates...so we will certainly be looking for the Sabay Bar I should also have mentioned that the elephant trek I recommend so highly is an outfit called "Ban Chang Thai." Their telephone numbers are: 039-551 474 081-761-1554 089-849-4902 They do have a one-hour trek that does not include swimming with elephants at 500 baht per person. Quote
