Random Rant - Input Pls?

[Pd10642]

First time in Bangkok.

So it's Friday night, I'm all dressed up and ready to go out. But I don't know anybody, don't know where to go. Reluctant to go to Silom Soi 2 or 4 - not familiar with the scene there. Is Telephone/Balcony ok for a 24 year old? I just want to sit down and drink and listen to music and go home. I am sure I will not like DJ Station.

>>> Fast forward to 2am - I'll just go to bed!

Any tips/advice?

P.S. Please prove me wrong: I refuse to go to Bed Club since it is full of spoiled rich Thai brats - oh how revolting!

Edited July 20, 2007 by SirAlain

[Rionoir]

I'd go party with the spoiled rich boys lol... that seems to be what most of my thai friends here in the US are... =P Sorry I can't be any help - wish I was there having that dilema.

[farang prince]

Some people are lonely when they are surrounded by hundreds of other people. Life is there for the taking. You aren't going to meet the right person sitting in your hotel room. Why did you come to Bkk? For the tv shows?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hey young guy

But DJ Station is a hel_l of a lot of fun.... and almost no rich spoiled brats in there, because otherwise i wouldn't go either Can't stand "high-so" people. Haven't been to Balcony for a while despite lifetime membership because it's kinda boring - indeed, "sit and drink" that's it, and since i don't drink... well......

Drop me a PM and next time me and my BF hit DJ, we'll take you along. I'm 32 white guy, he's 30 thai.

Best regards....

Thanh

[Tyke]

First time in Bangkok.

So it's Friday night, I'm all dressed up and ready to go out. But I don't know anybody, don't know where to go. Reluctant to go to Silom Soi 2 or 4 - not familiar with the scene there. Is Telephone/Balcony ok for a 24 year old? I just want to sit down and drink and listen to music and go home. I am sure I will not like DJ Station.

>>> Fast forward to 2am - I'll just go to bed!

Any tips/advice?

P.S. Please prove me wrong: I refuse to go to Bed Club since it is full of spoiled rich Thai brats - oh how revolting!

Hi,

if u only want to '....sit down and drink and listen to music and go home.' then why go to a gay place at all? Why not try something like Saxophone pub or Tokyo Joe's for good rock/jazz music and friendly, non-money people, or an Irish pub on Silom - or Maybe The Duke of Wellington on Silom? These serve great food and drink and the people are a lot more genuine than grotty places like Balcony or DJ. believe me the Soi 4 crowd are only after your money and can be quite rude if they don't get it, believing they have a right to exploit any farang.

[expatwannabe]

I've had some nice times at the Telephone Pub, but that was years ago. It was a meat market then - probably still so. But I liked it because the waiters were nice and I got to meet people by sitting outside.

Seemed like there were mostly 3 types, though - foreigners, wealthy Thais, and working boys.

Still, fun for a nympho like I was at the time. Now I'm happily married.

[pauleddy]

Telephone is way past its best and is still a meat-rack. It has a tainted stale beer/old/wet carpets aroma like a slummy UK pub. The food is vile and way overpriced. the food at Balcony is marginally better, but the overall thrill is about the same on each side!! Yuk.

Telephone is still the place for new-farangs-in-town to hit and get conned by the faded/pasty/druggy or slightly mad MBoys that get in there. Especially those farangs who don't want to go directly to DJ or to the young-boy gogos off Suriwong. The poster was right, there are either MBs or older falangs in there. There are 1 or 2 rich Thais, and also the odd Jap/Chinese/HK. "Normal" guys (if u get my drift!) are a rarity. There are a few younger Thais who are not commercial boys but are "farang-crazy"...you see them in Babylon/Telephone/DJ---they seem to want the 'kudos" of hanging out with farangs, or to lay as many as possible/have drinks bought for them too.

Telephone staff are surly. They 'expect' tips and can be rude. A friend told me that he was ripped off/overcharged when he got a bit drunk (but not too drunk) in there, and the bill came.

I can admit all the above with the benefit of hindsight and experience. When I first hit these shores a few yrs ago, I was frequently in Telephone. So, this is not hearsay or sour gripes. I was in there again about 3 weeks ago. it hasn't changed.

[Tyke]

Telephone is way past its best and is still a meat-rack. It has a tainted stale beer/old/wet carpets aroma like a slummy UK pub. The food is vile and way overpriced. the food at Balcony is marginally better, but the overall thrill is about the same on each side!! Yuk.

Telephone is still the place for new-farangs-in-town to hit and get conned by the faded/pasty/druggy or slightly mad MBoys that get in there. Especially those farangs who don't want to go directly to DJ or to the young-boy gogos off Suriwong. The poster was right, there are either MBs or older falangs in there. There are 1 or 2 rich Thais, and also the odd Jap/Chinese/HK. "Normal" guys (if u get my drift!) are a rarity. There are a few younger Thais who are not commercial boys but are "farang-crazy"...you see them in Babylon/Telephone/DJ---they seem to want the 'kudos" of hanging out with farangs, or to lay as many as possible/have drinks bought for them too.

Telephone staff are surly. They 'expect' tips and can be rude. A friend told me that he was ripped off/overcharged when he got a bit drunk (but not too drunk) in there, and the bill came.

I can admit all the above with the benefit of hindsight and experience. When I first hit these shores a few yrs ago, I was frequently in Telephone. So, this is not hearsay or sour gripes. I was in there again about 3 weeks ago. it hasn't changed.

Hi,

Well, in my opinion, the Telephone staff are a lot less surley than those in Balcony and the food is marginally better, having gone down the pits compared to when owned by the previous Telephone owner. If the Balcony staff don't like your face they intentionally serve you the wrong dishes, believe me. What is really gruesome about that sad place, though, is the group of old farangs (mainly from the UK) that hang out along the front of the bar in Balcony. I can't imagine how most of them can hang there every single night of the week. Along with the surley owners, they look like a bunch of no-hopers just waiting to die.

[AbbeChoissy]

For Telephone and Balcony, I must admit that they are quite depressing. However, for a drink before partying I can recomend @Richards. Nice chillout atmosphere, mix old/young and expat/thai.

Then you can still try the scene in the northern part of Bangkok, younger than in Silom, a little bit chellenged by conversation in english, but enjoyable.

DJ is still a place that worth the visit, with a very eclectic croud. Same for Expresso, a little bit more High-So, as they say...

Have a nice time in Silom,

AC

[pauleddy]

yes, I would love to know where in N Bangkok!

In S Kwai there are some grubby bars, some with hosts...I'm told.

I have been to a disco somewhere up past Ratchada...the GStar?? Very yng crowd.

Where are the "normal" gay bars for a chat and "normal" gays?

[Scott]

I suggest you go to Soi 4 and decide which place you hate more Balcony or Telephone! Sounds like they might still be better than your hotel room.

I like(d) Balcony--seldom go there anymore, but it was OK. DJ Station was lots of fun--I am now a little too old for that scene, but give it a try.

Best of luck to you.

[dukkha]

Saphan Kwai is a great alternative...few farangs so some thai language or thai friend

is an asset, kareoke is popular but Charming is a non kareoke...lots of thai students

earning an extra baht but that may not be your purpose, have always been received

graciously but then I am an older farang and their is no mixed message if ya get

my drift...sorry cant give you the exact location but the soi with the kareoke bars

will point you in the right direction I am sure....Dukkha

[endure]

Googling 'dreadedned' will lead you to a cornucopia (!) of info and maps.

[bibendum]

The only way to find out which places you will feel comfortable in is to get out and try as many as possible.

When I first arrived in Thailand I made a point of going to all the different areas a few times. Don't rely on first impressions and definitely don't rely on message board opinions since there are a lot of private agendas.

I now spend most of my nights out in Silom Soi 4 and end up at DJ Station at about 1.00am. Those are the busiest gay areas and offer me the widest choice of food, drink and company. But, don't take my word for it - go and see for yourself to check out what is your cup of tea?

Despite the few detractors here, Telephone and Balcony were both buzzing on Thursday and last night, both places full of guys of all ages and ethnicities. Yes, there are some moneyboys around but there are even more who want you for your company rather than your cash.

There are many more places in Soi 4 if you don't like either of those two: Sphinx; Cafe 4; Tapas Club; Bar Bar; Luminous; and two new ones I noticed last night that I don't know the names of. Soi 4 as a whole may not suit everyone but judging by the crowds in all the Soi 4 bars last night, it has somewhere that can appeal to the majority of gay people.

[Tyke]

and definitely don't rely on message board opinions since there are a lot of private agendas.

Bibendum,

So pray let us all know what these agendas are that are so private that you know yourself. Random Rant has asked for opinions on different gay places to visit - we have all tried to give honest opinions, be they sometimes negative, based on our own experiences, as he requested. So how can you claim they are invalid? The really strange thing is that you also offer you informed opinion, based on visits every night (!) to the same places, but then ask him to disregard them.

[pukkagent]

I'm 22 and in Thailand, from the UK, though I haven't ever been out in Bangkok, and I've lived here a year. Gay scene is not my thing personally, but it sounds like it is yours. You're not going to meet people in your hotel room, and if you're not having loads of fun in one bar, socialising with people and finding out where to go, will get you more results.

You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.