Guest mgluyas Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I ahve been reading this forum for quite a while. About to book my first overseas trip ever, want to go to Thailand for all the obvious reasons, however reading these forums scares me a little. I want o go to Bangcock for a week to do sightseeing and shopping, then a week to relax by a beach. Pattaya/Phuckett I don't know. I obviously want to meet hot guys but don"t know where to go for the second week, and am getting a little scared and wondering how much I should bring as spending money and should I just book the flights and stay at local places or book the full airfare and accomodation package. It is hard to decide this from Melbourne. PLEASE HELP MICHAEL Quote
Gaybutton Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I ahve been reading this forum for quite a while. About to book my first overseas trip ever, want to go to Thailand for all the obvious reasons, however reading these forums scares me a little. I want o go to Bangcock for a week to do sightseeing and shopping, then a week to relax by a beach. Pattaya/Phuckett I don't know. I obviously want to meet hot guys but don"t know where to go for the second week, and am getting a little scared and wondering how much I should bring as spending money and should I just book the flights and stay at local places or book the full airfare and accomodation package. It is hard to decide this from Melbourne. PLEASE HELP MICHAEL No need to book a full fare. In Bangkok I suggest staying at the Pinnacle. The Pinnacle is a ten minute, 35 baht taxi ride from the gay venues in the Silom-Suriwong-Patpong area. Call Jimmy by telephone to book. Don't use E-mail. You'll be back from your holiday before he gets around to answering his E-mail. It's worth the call. Booking through Jimmy will save you between 800 to 900 baht per night. Jimmy is Thai and he speaks English. His office is located in the Pinnacle. The telephone number in Thailand is 081-859-6585. If you wish to have a copy of the Pinnacle's business card, send me an E-mail at gaybutton@gmail.com. I'll be happy to attach a copy of the business card and send it to you. The card has taxi directions written in Thai so that you'll have no problem getting there from the airport. I suggest Pattaya over Phuket for your first trip. From the Pinnacle it's a short taxi ride to the Ekamai bus station. From there it costs only about 100 baht for a bus to Pattaya. The ride will take about two hours. Once you reach the bus terminal in Pattaya there will be plenty of baht buses to get you to your hotel. You'll be charged about 150 baht for the baht bus ride to your hotel. You can also hire a taxi to take you to Pattaya. That will run about 1400 baht or so. The Pinnacle can arrange that for you. In Pattaya I suggest staying at either The Ambiance or Le Caf Quote
Guest Snowkat Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 and wondering how much I should bring as spending money and should I just book the flights and stay at local places or book the full airfare and accomodation package. It is hard to decide this from Melbourne. PLEASE HELP MICHAEL Definately DO NOT book an all-in package - you could end up in an hotel which is not gay friendly or which does not allow you to take male guests to your room, (if you want to, that is!!). In Bangkok, the hotel may also be miles from the "areas of action". Secondly as for how much spending money - How long is a piece of string ?! All the figures quoted below exclude daily hotel charges. It all depends what you intend to do each day and whether you want to have a companion every night. It also depends on whether you want to eat local or in westernised restaurants and also how much booze you drink. As a rule of thumb I allow between 1500 and 2000 Baht for daytime expenses and meals for myself (excluding the costs of any day trips I may decide on) and then add on an appropriate amount for the evening's entertainment, including any companion if I decide to take one that particular evening. To be on the absolute safe side and assuming you wish to "entertain" every night, you need to allow for about 4000-5000 Baht a day minimum. That can be reduced to 2000-2500 Baht a day on the days you are not entertaining a companion. These are the guidelines I work on but everyone is different and others may disagree wildly with my estimates. I know people who think I spend far too much and others who think I am a skinflint. I would also take up Gaybutton's offer to show you round when you get to Pattaya. He will steer you in the right direction and that could in the end save you quite a bit of money. Quote
Up2u Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 Good advice so far. But importantly, when do you plan to travel? Are you a budget traveler or prefer 4 or 5-star accomodations? During high-season (mid-Nov to Feb) many of the gay accomdations mentioned are already booked. Traveling during the summer months you can save some baht. Quote
Guest jomtiened Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I don't understand what is with you people and the Pinnacle. First, the Pinnacle is not in a convenient location. Second, they are moody as far as charging joiner fees or not. Third, Jimmy is a total jerk and I think you are all fools for putting up with his inefficient service. All gay first timers should stay at Tartanwan Place. Yes, it cost a bit more than the Pinnacle-2150Baht(still cheap by Farang standards). The location is excellent, the service is 5 star and they treat your guests with great respect. Why do you cheap Charlies keep reccomending the Pinnacle? Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I agree that the Tarntawan is better for first timers. I particularly liked their policy of holding a guest's ID card until he left and they were sure you are OK. Also it is an easy walk to Tlephone Bar which seems to be the place all first timers end up. There is also Vincent's Guest House and Restaurant across from the Pinnacle if you can get in. They only 7-8 rooms. It is closer to Babylon than the Tarntawan, if that is your ideal destination. Quote
Guest Hayjon Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I agree that the Tarntawan is better for first timers. I particularly liked their policy of holding a guest's ID card until he left and they were sure you are OK. Also it is an easy walk to Tlephone Bar which seems to be the place all first timers end up. There is also Vincent's Guest House and Restaurant across from the Pinnacle if you can get in. They only 7-8 rooms. It is closer to Babylon than the Tarntawan, if that is your ideal destination. Can you tell us if the Tarntawan has that Mandatory Holiday Buffet policy? Thanks. Quote
Guest jomtiened Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 If you are referring to mandatory and outrageous mandatory Christmas and New Years dinners that many hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya require, the answer is that Tarntawan Place has never had such requirements. Please believe me, I have no ownership or financial relationship with Tarntawan Place. I have been staying there for over 10 years and it is simply the best gay hotel in Bangkok , if you are willing to pay the price. Note that it gets heavily booked in high season(especially weekends), so advance booking is essential. Quote
Guest mauRICE Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 About to book my first overseas trip ever, want to go to Thailand for all the obvious reasons...I want to go to Bangcock for a week to do sightseeing and shopping, then a week to relax by a beach...It is hard to decide this from Melbourne. Where in Melbourne are you from? It is a city that I'm quite familiar with. Two weeks or a little bit longer (16-18 days) sounds just about right for a first visit. You might want to shorten your stay in Bangkok and return to it on your way home. Say four nights Bangkok, seven nights beach and then three nights in Bangkok again. Don't rush your shopping during the first few days in Bangkok since this would be your first trip and you'd need some time to get a feel of the marketplace and its potential pitfalls. Moreover, you wouldn't want to lug all your shopping bags to the beach. Visitors do fall in love with the seaside resorts and doing it this way would give you a window to extend your stay at the beach should you want to. Have you got yourself a general Thailand travel guidebook? Lonely Planet Thailand has always served me well and it caters to a range of budgets and tastes. I don't know if any of the gay Thailand guidebooks are still in print but if they are, it's worth getting one. The information in them may be a little outdated (especially with regards to tips and venues) but you can get the updates from us! The Men of Thailand by Samorn Chaiyana and EG Allyn is often suggested to first-timers. Also, check out a wonderful site by a fellow Aussie, www.dreadedned.com. It is chockfull of tidbits on gay and gay-friendly venues and events in all the major Thai cities. For a Pattaya focus, try www.pattayagay.com. Gaybutton used to have a web site and I believe you may still be able to get some articles that he wrote that'd be helpful to a Thailand novice if you e-mail him directly at gaybutton@gmail.com. Relax, the Land of Smiles is geared towards tourism and a good time. Saint, sinner or both (judging from some recent posts), you will have a great holiday in Thailand as long as you keep a level head and use your common sense. No worries, mate! Quote
Gaybutton Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 I don't understand what is with you people and the Pinnacle. First, the Pinnacle is not in a convenient location. Second, they are moody as far as charging joiner fees or not. Third, Jimmy is a total jerk and I think you are all fools for putting up with his inefficient service. All gay first timers should stay at Tartanwan Place. Yes, it cost a bit more than the Pinnacle-2150Baht(still cheap by Farang standards). The location is excellent, the service is 5 star and they treat your guests with great respect. Why do you cheap Charlies keep reccomending the Pinnacle? I don't agree with you. I think the Pinnacle is an excellent location and it is highly popular hotel for gays. I like Jimmy very much and have always been well satisfied with his service. I have never been asked to pay a joiner fee at the Pinnacle. There is nothing wrong with Tarntawan Place, but you are making unfair comments about Jimmy and calling people "cheap Charlies" because they want to stay at the Pinnacle. That's your opinion, to which you're entitled, but it sure isn't fact. Just because you don't like the Pinnacle doesn't make those comments true. I also don't think anyone is a "fool" for staying at an excellent hotel, only a few minutes away from where your preference is, and paying 1000 baht less a night for it. Quote
Guest stef Posted November 2, 2006 Posted November 2, 2006 Been there few time myself, and I always found it very interesting. When you meet the guy in his room to book or pay the room... it is like a meeting place. Sometime there are like 5 guys waiting to pay for the and it is not exactly the faster service... but it is efficient. The guy is nice. The hotel isn't the best in comfort but for the price, it is not bad. I would prefer personnally to stay at the Tarntawan Place, as the location is really really good. I have stayed at the Tarntawan, and it is in fact really good when you bring someone in your room. You are sure to get involved with someone that is over 18. The Pinnacle Place does not have the best location I think, but it is not that bad. Also the motorbike Taxi aren't easy to deal with, that I found of.... Quote
Guest pete1969 Posted November 3, 2006 Posted November 3, 2006 If you are a gay man traveling alone, then I think the Tartawan is a great choice, especially for your first time to LOS. It is very central and almost exclusively gay. It is steps away from a number of go-go bars and the Silom night market. It is great IF you really want to sample the gay nightlife. If Babylon will be your daily destination, then stay at Pinnacle or at the Malaysia. The Malaysia is very cheap, with decent rooms for the price, and an infamous 24 hour coffe shop where you can find rent boys until the wee morning hours (if you want to do that). As for Phuket vs Pattay, Phuket has much better beaches and a wealth of day time tours. However, Phuket has fewer gay venues than does Pattaya (although it still has a large number of them). Phuket is a little more laid back and has more of a small town feel that works better for many first timers. I also think three of four days in BKK is plenty. Pete Quote
JayBee Posted November 3, 2006 Posted November 3, 2006 I can't comment on the Pinnacle, since I've never stayed there, but I've stayed at the Tarntawan a few times and agree that it's a good choice. The small suites there aren't that much more than regular rooms, and are nice. For just slightly more money, I also like the Swiss Lodge on Convent Road - no problem if you have a visitor, but they take his ID at the front desk (a good thing), and it's very convenient to Silom Road. You can get better rates at Swiss Lodge online via sites including asiarooms.com than you can by booking directly. Quote
Guest damien500 Posted November 4, 2006 Posted November 4, 2006 I can't comment on the Pinnacle, since I've never stayed there, but I've stayed at the Tarntawan a few times and agree that it's a good choice. The small suites there aren't that much more than regular rooms, and are nice. For just slightly more money, I also like the Swiss Lodge on Convent Road - no problem if you have a visitor, but they take his ID at the front desk (a good thing), and it's very convenient to Silom Road. You can get better rates at Swiss Lodge online via sites including asiarooms.com than you can by booking directly. Quote
Guest damien500 Posted November 4, 2006 Posted November 4, 2006 I ahve been reading this forum for quite a while. About to book my first overseas trip ever, want to go to Thailand for all the obvious reasons, however reading these forums scares me a little. I want o go to Bangcock for a week to do sightseeing and shopping, then a week to relax by a beach. Pattaya/Phuckett I don't know. I obviously want to meet hot guys but don"t know where to go for the second week, and am getting a little scared and wondering how much I should bring as spending money and should I just book the flights and stay at local places or book the full airfare and accomodation package. It is hard to decide this from Melbourne. PLEASE HELP MICHAEL i have visited Pattaya for the last 2 years in the month of Febuary.Ihave stayed at the Cafe Royale both times,and are booked in for Feb 2007.I highly reccomend this hotel,very handy to everything a lover of boys could wish for.The way the staff treat there guests is something i will never forget. Hope you have a great trip. Quote
Guest YardenUK Posted November 4, 2006 Posted November 4, 2006 I have stayed many times at the Pinnacle (booked through Jimmy) - the hotel is perfectly adequate and great value - also the loaction is fine - wlak to babylon, or a 35 Baht taxi fare to silom/suriwong. Last time however, i stayed across the road from Pinnacle at a new place called Vincents www.vincentsbangkok.com . Cheaper than Pinnacle - 1000Baht a night (longer stay discounts- great big airy rooms, very nicely decorated, fridge, TV, nice bathroom, big bed and free hi-speed internet in every room. I should add i have no link to thsi place other than having been a happy customer! Also, for those of you who need to know - there is no joiner fee and the rooms have a separate entrance with not even a receptionist to walk past Quote
JayBee Posted November 4, 2006 Posted November 4, 2006 i have visited Pattaya for the last 2 years in the month of Febuary.Ihave stayed at the Cafe Royale both times,and are booked in for Feb 2007.I highly reccomend this hotel,very handy to everything a lover of boys could wish for.The way the staff treat there guests is something i will never forget. I agree with that too. I've stayed at the Cafe Royale numerous times and always enjoyed it. There are less expensive alternatives, but for a first-timer to Pattaya especially, it's a great choice. Quote
Up2u Posted November 4, 2006 Posted November 4, 2006 When I first visited Thailand (1998) I stayed at La Residence. A year later I started to stay at the Tarntawan and loved it. If you are going to the bars every night you can't be the location. The last few years I've stayed at the Pinnacle (thru Jimmy) and am very pleased with location and consider it a good value. I now actually prefer the location because of the subway access and connection with Skytrain although it is minor inconvenience getting back from the bars after the MRT/BTS closes at midnight. Quote
