Soi Twilight Revisited

[Guest fountainhall]

It’s been well over nine months since I last visited Soi Twilight. For our regular Sunday evening out, a friend and I trekked over there yesterday evening to see how it has changed and check out some of the bars.

 

We met at Dick’s Café for drinks at 6:00 pm. Since the renovations were completed a year or so ago, the front wall has been moved back to create another row of tables outside. (Note to the owner – a couple more fans outside would be welcome! It did feel hot if you were not under a fan.) The dark green paint makes it look somewhat dark and austere, but it is still one of ‘the’ places to watch the goings on in the soi. Nothing much seems to have changed with the service and the menu. One of the older hands has been joined by some new waiters. Deciding to stay for dinner, our western food was virtually as it always has been – filling, bland and average. Really the only reason for eating there is the eye candy drifting by!

 

At 8:00 pm, there was a ghastly screeching sound that bore a vague resemblance to music coming from somewhere nearby. I have never heard sounds that ear-splittingly loud except from the live-music bar next to Balcony on Soi 4. I got up to check its origin. It came from the Ocean Boys bar which had just opened its doors for the evening. I was assured that the volume would eventually be reduced and the door closed. They were ten minutes of aural agony and all but ruined the atmosphere for those in adjacent establishments.

 

The soi seems to be changing fast. At least one more beer bar at the entrance, a couple at the other end, and a couple more massage places have opened up. We also noticed a welcome sign: the touts were less aggressive. Generally, we found the overall character of the soi is becoming more like Soi 4.

 

Following dinner, we opted for Classic Boys near the end. For years, this was the bar for twinks. Not any more. The swimming tank is still there (although we did not wait for the show). The seating has changed into long, comfortable brightly covered sofas, but the boys, with a couple of exceptions, are now generally a lot older and are much more of the hunky type. Few smiled or bothered to look at the eight or so customers in the bar that early. Music was loud, but not overly so. Drinks were Bt. 250. We lasted ten minutes and left.

 

For our next stop we wandered back down the soi and into memory lane – Hotmale, the reincarnation of the much-lamented original Twilight bar. Few customers around at 9:15 and, surprisingly, not many boys on stage. Some, though, have been there for a good ten years! But one welcome change, we thought, is the introduction of cute, lively coyote boys at each corner. I invited one for a drink. A Bangkok university student, he spoke some English and was really fun to be with. I have arranged to meet him again! Drinks were Bt.250, and we noticed a couple of smokers.

 

Reversing direction again, we popped into Scorpion, the beer bar which is the new home to some of the boys who recently moved from the now-dead or dying Solid go-go bar. The mamasan told us that the landlord at Solid had doubled the rent and forced them out. It seems the karaoke bar next door will take over the space to create one larger establishment. Scorpion had only two other customers, whereas the bar next door showing soccer on TV had at least a dozen. Drinks were Bt.100. Sitting facing the soi, the boys from the upstairs massage place (sorry, forgotten the name but it is a short word and begins with ‘S’) were flirting with us, which was fun. Their massage prices seemed reasonable – Bt.400–Bt.500 with minimum Bt. 500 tip. Does anyone have any experience of it?

 

From there we again backtracked to Fresh Beach Boys to catch the end of the show and some go-go dancing. Drinks here were Bt.240. We saw a short big cock section following by the same performers indulging in a game a skittles, and then a pretty basic f--k show with the performers thereafter going around the audience for tips. Why, oh why, can’t bar owners come up with the sort of really fun, innovative f--k shows that were the hallmark of the old Barbiery! Go-go with only around 12 boys followed - just the usual soft-shoe shuffle but a good mix of cute twinks and better-built guys.

 

We called it a night at 11:30. Not surprisingly, given the comments on various Boards about the decreasing popularity of this soi, it was far from packed (although my coyote boy told me it had been very full on Saturday). And whilst the go-go bars are clearly hit and miss depending on your expectations and your readiness to part with Bt. 250 or so for a drink, there is still some fun to be had.

[Rogie]

It’s been well over nine months since I last visited Soi Twilight. For our regular Sunday evening out, a friend and I trekked over there yesterday evening to see how it has changed and check out some of the bars.

 

Memory is a very precious possession. Unless we are unlucky, we can access its treasure trove at will. I love it when an old or seemingly forgotten memory comes bubbling up from the depths. Memory adds such richness, depth and perspective to our lives. It can also be maddening and mysterious, you can have a name you ought to know on the tip of your tongue just as easily as by a bit of systematic mental effort you can recall that more obscure memory.

 

It's always good of people to feed back to us their experiences, tips on do's and don't's, new places opened or old ones closed, maybe a little anecdote here and there "But one welcome change, we thought, is the introduction of cute, lively coyote boys at each corner. I invited one for a drink. A Bangkok university student, he spoke some English and was really fun to be with." so the reader can judge for himself whether he'd like to tread a similar path. In the main there are two kinds of reports of this nature, those written by visitors and those by folk such as Fountainhall, an owl wise in the ways of Bangkok's varied strata. Some visitors report in breathless fashion as they run from place to place, their childlike enthusiasm either infectious or tedious depending on how we react to what they write. Others, old hands can come across as a bit predictable or cynical even - but they have the advantage of experience and perspective. Fountainhall, as a resident, knowing as he does his home turf intimately, reports honestly, as he finds it, without a trace of cynicism or world-weariness.

[Guest fountainhall]

an owl wise in the ways of Bangkok's varied strata . . . reports honestly, as he finds it, without a trace of cynicism or world-weariness.

 

Alas, I fear you have made me into an amalgam of several posters, for I can think of a few who are far more adventurous in their travels and experiences around the city than I. They are, I am certain, younger and therefore more open to new adventures. Here in Bangkok, I generally go for the tried and tested - with the occasional serendipitous exception. And underneath I can assure you there is indeed a cynicism and world-weariness that occasionally comes to the fore. There is also a frustration that comes with living in Bangkok, despite its many charms and attractions, that I know must show itself.

 

But there are few other places in the world I'd rather be - and those I could not afford

 

Re Soi Twilight, readers may wish to revisit one of the most popular threads of the last year or so with more than 10,000 hits -

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/6548-original-twilight-bar-bangkok/page__hl__twilight__fromsearch__1

 

lonelywombat sparked off the thread, but it was really macaroni 21 who set it alight with some wonderfully original thoughts in Post #3. As has been remarked before, as a poster and a blogger, Mack was an original and is much missed. I have not seen any reports of his new whereabouts (if indeed he has moved anywhere). I just wish he would return and post from time to time.

[Guest]

Following dinner, we opted for Classic Boys near the end. For years, this was the bar for twinks. Not any more. The swimming tank is still there (although we did not wait for the show). The seating has changed into long, comfortable brightly covered sofas, but the boys, with a couple of exceptions, are now generally a lot older and are much more of the hunky type.

Whilst the selection of boys has unfortunately evolved from twinks towards a more hunky type (over the last 5 years), there were still some twinks to be had in December. The bar on the right where they wear black trunks also had a few -not many, but two or three very cute ones (is that X-boys??).

I don't know which Bangkok gogo bar now has the best selection of twinks, but if I was forced to make a call, the money would still be on Classic Boys.

Which was best for twinks on your visit Fountainhall ?

[Guest takeaway77]

I'm sorry to hear that Solid bar has closed as I discovered this lovely spot on my recent first trip. Are there other bars in the area with similar ambiance and intimate setting?

[Guest fountainhall]

Which was best for twinks on your visit Fountainhall ?

Frankly, none! But then we only visited three. Classic has totally changed its type - if the many boys we saw were a random selection. Fresh Beach Boys had a few, but there were not many go-go boys after the show, and so they may have more on a Saturday or a holiday. The cutest boys we saw all evening were unquestionably the coyote boys in Hotmale (certainly not the go-go boys/men).

 

I'm sorry to hear that Solid bar has closed as I discovered this lovely spot on my recent first trip. Are there other bars in the area with similar ambiance and intimate setting?

 

According to some reports, Solid has not in fact closed - despite what the previous mamasan told us! I may try to visit later this week to check.

 

Some posters have expressed their fondness for Super A which is almost directly above Solid. I never feel very comfortable there, but I know the boys are very friendly. A little further down the soi is Golden Cock. On the few occasions I have put my head round the door, there have never been been more than about 6 boys of varying shapes and one or two customers. I hear it is open in the afternoon and sometimes does good business. Then, a little further down on the right side is Nature Boys. This is tiny - only about 4 tables - and a stage that can accommodate just one boy. However, if there are customers, there tends to be little go-go dancing as the boys prefer to crowd round your table massaging your ego and hoping you'll buy them a drink. More than that I think it is better not to say, other than it is one of the older sleaze bars. The mamasan is pretty pushy when it comes to buying drinks.

[pong]

re solid: the last word seems to be that is about to close-when the lease expires and they have decied it will be too costly to renew. Meanwhile a lot of their former boys have chosen certainty over possible and moved on to other newly opened places-notably that openair Scorpion bar in soi Hotmail and Heartbeat-a Isan coyote/karaOK bar in soi Wallstreet.

And alas-in its polite charm solid was the only remaining of the sort-the others SprA and Ntre are dumps- but sprA certainly has some nice boys who are excellent in bedgames-but an immense hurdle to take for newcomers in the filth, what its prices are, how to avoid the scamming, how to avoid the buy a drink (yes-it still is only 100 bt for soft) for all eager guys etc. You can certainly state to have passed the BKK entry examinations as a adult barvisitor if you suceed all that.

Combining the 2-old-fashioned unpressured charm and low prices and a fair lot of twinkies would be BeHigh (dont be put off by that silly name)-Sapan kwais only remaining gogo, Pradiphat soi 20-turn left at end into subsoi beyond STAX (karaOK), 10-12 mins walk south of BTS same name stop.

[Guest takeaway77]

I didn't notice Super A. It's right above the Solid bar location you say? I'll check it out next time. If reports of Solid bar's demise are premature, do let me know. Thanks for the helpful comments.

[Guest fountainhall]

I walked past Solid 30 minutes ago. It is definitely closed. One of the guys who works in Super-A confirmed it will not reopen as a go-go bar. He added that seven of the boys are now working in Super-A (but I did not check this).

 

As we know, one of the mamasans and some of the other boys are now working at Scorpion outdoor bar in Soi Twilight.

[pong]

I didn't notice Super A. It's right above the Solid bar location you say? I'll check it out next time. If reports of Solid bar's demise are premature, do let me know. Thanks for the helpful comments.

yes Solid is closed and forever.

Super A- is ROUND the corner-into what looks like a real dump, upsatirs and via a kind of landing-Superlek Matsuda used to be at the far end of that soi-long, long ago. For a while there is/was a massageplace with lookliketooy oung Lao boiys underneath. DK if thats still open.

Their touts are always sitting at that corner and will direct you-and press the bell to announce your ''safe visitor coming''-other codes are for police.raids etc.

[Guest fountainhall]

there is/was a massageplace with lookliketooy oung Lao boiys underneath. DK if thats still open.

Yes, it's still open. If you walk past Solid, the boys are often eating/chatting on the opposite side of that soi. Smile at one and several will immediately start asking you to go in for a massage.

[Guest takeaway77]

^{What is the Super A experience?}

[Guest fountainhall]

Dark, dingy, couches all but falling apart, gogo at best one boy shuffling, drinks reasonable but guys friendly. It's basically a sleaze bar. Some people like it - others loathe it!

[Guest takeaway77]

Well, doesn't sound so good, but I might give it a looksee anyway next time, which is already in the planning stage.

[atri1666]

Super A, Nature Boys and Golden Cock are the best bars for me since many years. Some good bars there already have been closed long time ago. Happy to go there soon again.

[Guest fountainhall]

Gave Classic Boys another try last night. My friends and I agreed it has improved since our visit in February. Lots of boys, and the owner now mixes up the twinks and more hunky guys in each rotation. A couple of coyote boys are also welcome to the eyes. By 11:30 the bar was getting quite full and there were quite a number of girls, including three whom we reckoned were Koreans. The show was the usual boring mix of candles, lip-syncing, and fuck show. The water tank show was equally so. The sound system is still too loud, but the overall atmosphere was more fun than last time.

[Guest fountainhall]

I was recently in Classic Boys (Bangkok). Quite a few customers. Had about 5 waiters, none of whom were pushy.

Had a mixture of boys, cute, slim, slightly more portly etc. There were about 4 of the slim smooth type that I would have expected to see in this bar 5 years ago. Two of these were offed by the same guy shortly after I arrived (~9:30 pm). So if you want the pick of the boys, don't arrive too late.

I hooked up with an adorable sweet slim guy from Bangkok and had a very good time.

 

I've taken z909's post from the Boys Boys Boys thread to comment on it here.

 

Went last night to DIck's Cafe for dinner with friends. At 8:30pm the open air bars at the front of Soi Twilight (sorry, I can't get used to its other name!) were doing quite good business. Soon Dick's was about 75% full but we noticed there was not much activity elsewhere in the soi. A few straight couples meandered in taking lots of photos. Others we saw were mostly youngish Asian guys who seemed to be Japanese and Chinese.

 

Classic Boys at 9:30 had one other customer. As z909 pointed out, a nice selection of about 30 boys on stage to suit most tastes. I was sorry to see the coyote guys have got older and dance as though their batteries needed replacing. Drinks Bt. 270. A westerner and soon after 4 Japanese arrived. All lit up smokes. So we departed.

 

Had one drink at Scorpion Bar where the price remains Bt.100. Two of their guys had been offed earlier and so only the mamasan and one other new one on duty. Still very little activity in the soi. A group of youngish Korean ladies were being escorted to X-Size go-go bar. We gave up around 10:15. Had a quick look into Fresh Beach Boys and Boys Bangkok as we exited the soi. Both seemed well under half full.

 

We went over for a quick drink at Balcony on Silom Soi 4. This was no comparison to Soi Twlight. It was humming with activity and all the open air bars seemed packed. No table available outside at Balcony or Telephone.

 

As others have suggested, the go-go bars in Soi Twilight seem to be being taken over by Asian clientele.

[Guest thaiworthy]

I don't know which Bangkok gogo bar now has the best selection of twinks, but if I was forced to make a call, the money would still be on Classic Boys.

 

Classic Boys? Is that anything like Funny Boys in Pattaya? I wish there were a nice, simple comfortable bar like that in Bangkok. The next time you are in town Mr. Z, I may stalk you and see where it leads me. Has anything changed since March? Maybe Fountainhall's visit was an off night?

[Guest fountainhall]

Classic is a bit like Funny Boys. It's a longish narrow bar with a stage and a swimming tank behind. The seating was replaced some months ago and is now two long rows of very comfortable long couches. At the back of the bar, the couches face on to the stage and so the seating is L shaped rather than surround. Half the boys are on stage at one time - in two rows. They don't make any attempt to dance - merely stand preening themselves. But the rotation is a lot faster than I remember it at Funny Boys. There is usually some nudity in the shows and a couple of the boys used to swim in the tank.

[firecat69]

I tried Classic in October after some good comments and I was severely disappointed .. About 15 boys body types which were fine with me but not a handsome Face in the bunch. Now I understand that is IMHO and others may disagree. But I also understand that 2 days in a row can provide a completely different sample.

 

I did not return that trip but will make another look see in January and hope that there are some Handsome Boys.

[Guest]

Classic is a bit like Funny Boys.

The boys are, or possibly were of a similar type, including quite a few cute ones.

Bar layout is different, with U-shaped seating in Funny Boys and L shape in Classic Boys.

Right now, I would say Classic Boys is the better bar.