Another Gay Scandal Brewing

[KevinHunt]

No wonder the locals are upset !!! "Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia's biggest resort for gay men " What a great tag to put on a charming city !!! Something must be done about this !!! Am I the only one that feels the Homosexuals want to take over the cultural heritage of a thousand years and turn it into their playground !! Political correctness has its limits and stealing a city culture

and identity is beyond the limit. I for one am very angry at this group !!

Chok dee

No, you and muggins feel that. That's two at the last count.

And while we're counting - it's not 1000 years, it's only just over 700. 

I couldn't give a kufc, personally.

[Ulysses G.]

The gay community have added a lot of charn to San Francisco. They are big spenders and like the best of the best. If they want make Chiang Mai a gay hangout, we will probably be all the better for it.

[john b good]

Well their website < http://www.powerboyscm.com/ > which they acknowledge "is under construction" better get their location right because they currently say it is located on the southwest corner of Chiang Mai’s famous city moat.

They got the "west" right as obviously someone has told them just where the sun sets at the end of each day

[PeaceBlondie]

Lanna culture is 1,200 years old; Harinpunchai.

Natee, ChiangMai 51 redshirts, Isaan natives who moved to San Camping, you and I, et al (especially Alfred E. Neumann) cannot speak for others.

[Paagai]

How many rooms does it have? The Sri Tokyo is quite a big place. Will there be enough customers to fill the place up?

100 plus rooms I understand - given the average visitor to CM probably stays 2-4 nights, that's a lot of new customers to maintain anything like a decent occupancy rate (especially when the other gay hotels in CM are almost empty). But apparently only certain floors will be GAY, not sure if this is correct but I heard they will still keep the Sri Tokyo brand too for the other floors. That's going to work real well, half your hotel is conservative Japanese tourists, and the other half screaming queens, sex tourists and prostitutes. Wow

[Paagai]

The gay community have added a lot of charn to San Francisco. They are big spenders and like the best of the best. If they want make Chiang Mai a gay hangout, we will probably be all the better for it.

CM is already very popular with gay ex-pats, and the numbers are growing, particularly retirees. The quality of life for gay people living here is excellent and there is a growth in more upmarket bars and restaurants that attract such people, that is also adding character to CM in the same way as in San Francisco. What won't add "charm" to CM is a pile of Pattaya style sex tourist venues.

Also, one should consider that the majority of customers for the existing venues which offer "extra services" are currently Thai. As they live here, neither that group, nor the ex-pats have need to stay in a gay hotel (well, not for more than an hour )

[Donnyboy]

How many rooms does it have? The Sri Tokyo is quite a big place. Will there be enough customers to fill the place up?

100 plus rooms I understand - given the average visitor to CM probably stays 2-4 nights, that's a lot of new customers to maintain anything like a decent occupancy rate (especially when the other gay hotels in CM are almost empty). But apparently only certain floors will be GAY, not sure if this is correct but I heard they will still keep the Sri Tokyo brand too for the other floors. That's going to work real well, half your hotel is conservative Japanese tourists, and the other half screaming queens, sex tourists and prostitutes. Wow

the majority of japanese tourists are conservative, but i think there are a few karaoke bars in CM that cater for them, and they do have some kinks among them (see below pic, draw yr own conclusions on what it might be) therefore the hotel will be a hive of activity

Edited September 26, 2009 by Donnyboy

[cmdream]

The gay community have added a lot of charn to San Francisco. They are big spenders and like the best of the best. If they want make Chiang Mai a gay hangout, we will probably be all the better for it.

When you say "WE" of course you mean Business people. Chiang Mai has plenty of Thai charm. Since when is "Gay" associated with charm? Not the word most people would associate with the word "Gay.

[Ulysses G.]

I lived in San Francisco for quite a few years and saw the good things that that having a lot of gays around did for the community. That is what I mean by charm.

They are often highly educated and bring arts and good restaurants to the neighborhood. They improve homes and are usually good neighbors and almost never violent.

What is it that bothers you about them?

[lannarebirth]

I lived in San Francisco for quite a few years and saw the good things that that having a lot of gays around did for the community. That is what I mean by charm.

They are often highly educated and bring arts and good restaurants to the neighborhood. They improve homes and are usually good neighbors and almost never violent.

What is it that bothers you about them?

That's one way of looking at it. I'm from San Francisco and watched as neighborhood after neighborhood was destroyed buy these DINKY materialists. San Francisco was always charming. That they splashed fresh pastel paints on already beautiful Victorian homes was no great regentrification. Their taxable incomes did help the monetary base however.

back to the neighborhoods. This is waht it looked like by the time I left, florist, hairsalon, skin care products, gym, pickup bar, juice bar, coffee shop. Repeat continuously. I drove through the Castro each day so YMMV.

[Jingthing]

Gays live ALL over the city of San Francisco, including the Sunset District comprising about 15 percent of the entire population. Yes, even in the world capital of gay culture, only 15 percent, what are you afraid of? The Castro is one small area, you can take it or leave it. The last post was just a bunch of vicious stereotypes typical of those who don't realize that gay people themselves are very diverse. Its annoying to have to still read that kind of crapola in this day and age.

Regarding the Victorians. These are very old buildings. Believe me, most of refurbs involved a heck of a lot more than a superficial paint job. Some had to be entirely gutted. It is typical of antigay stereotypes to assume that gays are only involved in surface artifice, but again, it simply isn't true.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jingthing

[lannarebirth]

Gays live ALL over the city of San Francisco, including the Sunset District comprising about 15 percent of the entire population. Yes, even in the world capital of gay culture, only 15 percent, what are you afraid of? The Castro is one small area, you can take it or leave it. The last post was just a bunch of vicious stereotypes typical of those who don't realize that gay people themselves are very diverse. Its annoying to have to still read that kind of crapola in this day and age.

I didn't say anything anti-gay and I'm not. I was just lamenting the decline of the neighborhoods in my birthplace. It is not the city of my youth. It's a hedonistic, materialistic theme park now. Speaking of the Sunset, I miss Play Land.

Edited September 26, 2009 by lannarebirth

[Jingthing]

I don't much like the way SF has changed either. It is now a city only for wealthy people. But to demonize gays for that is simply a lie. 15 percent. Do the math. SF is simply in an incredibly desirable location with very limited housing resources. It would be fairer to blame the CHINESE as people of Chinese descent dominate that city, in dramatically greater number than gays. Of course there are also gay Chinese.

I actually don't blame any demographic group. Like I said the location is unmatched, there is limited land, and then we had the technology boom in the 80's which mixed with an already solid diverse economy in the region, and the yuppies (mostly hetero) had their way with the place. Don't worry, someday a big earthquake will come again, and they can start over.

Chiang Mai, BTW, does not share the geographical oddities of San Francisco (look at a map) so the comparison is patently absurd. Any irrational rhetoric that "the gays" are going to ruin CM like they did SF (which they didn't) is beyond the pale.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jingthing

[SomchaiCNX]

Pagaai make some good points.

Gay people want to be accepted as normal (I think they are) people on the other hand they want to separate themselves by having their own hotels? Most groups with similar interests will find each other anyway (human nature).

I think there is some provocation from both gay sides.

A gay friendly hotel would have been better and less provocative?

I'm not gay but I think Chiang Mai is a nice place to live for everybody as I guess some places in the world are far less gay friendly.

So why not blend in without al the fuss?

[Jingthing]

Gay tourists like to have the CHOICE to stay in a gay hotel or a regular hotel. I have always stayed in regular hotels or residence rentals in CM but in other cities I have chosen gay hotels. It is simply a commercial choice. Other groups do this. In Pattaya there are hotels that are almost all Indian people. There are condos that are almost all Japanese people. We have a right to the choice, like everyone else. A common reason gay people do choose exclusively gay businesses is that we like to let our hair down without fear of offending anyone else (I hope it isn't a news flash for you, but many people hate us, who wants to have a holiday around such people?). Also some support small gay businesses for political reasons, helping out other gay people, the same way again that most demographics in the world also do. For example in the US some Christians will only spend money at businesses that identify themselves as being Christian. You may not like the tribal nature of many people, it may not be the most wonderful thing about human nature (it isn't!), but gays, being human ought to have exactly the same rights as all other groups in their free will CHOICES.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jingthing

[lannarebirth]

Gay tourists like to have the CHOICE to stay in a gay hotel or a regular hotel. I have always stayed in regular hotels or residence rentals in CM but in other cities I have chosen gay hotels. It is simply a commercial choice. Other groups do this. In Pattaya there are hotels that are almost all Indian people. There are condos that are almost all Japanese people. We have a right to the choice, like everyone else. A common reason gay people do choose exclusively gay businesses is that we like to let our hair down without fear of offending anyone else (I hope it isn't a news flash for you, but many people hate us, who wants to have a holiday around such people?). Also some support small gay businesses for political reasons, helping out other gay people, the same way again that most demographics in the world also do. For example in the US some Christians will only spend money at businesses that identify themselves as being Christian. You may not like the tribal nature of many people, it may not be the most wonderful thing about human nature (it isn't!), but gays, being human ought to have exactly the same rights as all other groups in their free will CHOICES.

I doubt anyone disagrees with that. At least among anyone I would care to know. My issue and it's my sole issue really, is that the way it's billed and it's location might make the town seem somewhat seedy.

You don't have any children I imagine, but its not that much fun to tell your kids what all those girls sitting out in front of the karaoke places do for a living. With the profile this place has, are we going to have to do the same regarding the "boys" out front of the hotel which lies between the hospital and the shopping mall at one of the towns busiest intersections?

[Asmerom]

You don't have any children I imagine, but its not that much fun to tell your kids what all those girls sitting out in front of the karaoke places do for a living. With the profile this place has, are we going to have to do the same regarding the "boys" out front of the hotel which lies between the hospital and the shopping mall at one of the towns busiest intersections?

Its an hotel with nightclub not a brothel. As for childhood innocence I feel its much overated as a desirable state of mind.No, I don't have any children.

[PeaceBlondie]

I'm gay, with six children. Parents don't say to their minor children, "that's where the whores get screwed."

Where were we? Oh yes, the old SriTokyo hotel, where many gay men lived. I'll bet Lanna Lavender as proposed will not last 6 months.

[lannarebirth]

I'm gay, with six children. Parents don't say to their minor children, "that's where the whores get screwed."

Where were we? Oh yes, the old SriTokyo hotel, where many gay men lived. I'll bet Lanna Lavender as proposed will not last 6 months.

That's my guess too.

[caf]

Gay tourists like to have the CHOICE to stay in a gay hotel or a regular hotel. I have always stayed in regular hotels or residence rentals in CM but in other cities I have chosen gay hotels. It is simply a commercial choice. Other groups do this. In Pattaya there are hotels that are almost all Indian people. There are condos that are almost all Japanese people. We have a right to the choice, like everyone else. A common reason gay people do choose exclusively gay businesses is that we like to let our hair down without fear of offending anyone else (I hope it isn't a news flash for you, but many people hate us, who wants to have a holiday around such people?). Also some support small gay businesses for political reasons, helping out other gay people, the same way again that most demographics in the world also do. For example in the US some Christians will only spend money at businesses that identify themselves as being Christian. You may not like the tribal nature of many people, it may not be the most wonderful thing about human nature (it isn't!), but gays, being human ought to have exactly the same rights as all other groups in their free will CHOICES.

I doubt anyone disagrees with that. At least among anyone I would care to know. My issue and it's my sole issue really, is that the way it's billed and it's location might make the town seem somewhat seedy.

You don't have any children I imagine, but its not that much fun to tell your kids what all those girls sitting out in front of the karaoke places do for a living. With the profile this place has, are we going to have to do the same regarding the "boys" out front of the hotel which lies between the hospital and the shopping mall at one of the towns busiest intersections?

I think you've hit the nail on the head with that reply. If they are discrete that's fine but larger numbers in very public places would not be very nice, many would feel uncomfortable.

[Paagai]

Its an hotel with nightclub not a brothel.

Sure, but what about the massage facility, will that be normal massage or "GAY" massage ?

Edited September 26, 2009 by Paagai

[harrry]

Its an hotel with nightclub not a brothel.

Sure, but what about the massage facility, will that be normal massage or "GAY" massage ?

Isn't the end result the same?

[Donnyboy]

Its an hotel with nightclub not a brothel.

Sure, but what about the massage facility, will that be normal massage or "GAY" massage ?

Isn't the end result the same?

depends on the tip

[Jingthing]

Gay people are part of the world. Some people with kids, some of your kids may be gay. We don't come out of pods. If your kiddies ask about gay people, just tell them the truth, that there is diversity in the world.

You want us to hide away in back alleys? We hear you. The answer is NO. I am sure even the Gay Nathee would agree with that.

BTW, your fears/assumptions that his rather upscale hotel is going to be a sleaze bucket are most likely not true. They advertise, you can go in if you want. Yes, it will be obvious it is a gay oriented business. It's called the LAVENDER, can't avoid that. Again, so what? We exist.

Also, yes it is in a visible part of town. Again, so what? You think there should be a class of people who are second class who don't deserve to have a big business in a visible part of town (but really you are so liberal, its really OK if y'all hide away in the dark corners)? Well you have a right to think that, but most of those in that class have a right to ignore you and test their business concept in the most brutal environment of all, the free market.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jingthing

[lannarebirth]

Gay people are part of the world. Some people with kids, some of your kids may be gay. We don't come out of pods. If your kiddies ask about gay people, just tell them the truth, that there is diversity in the world.

You want us to hide away in back alleys? We hear you. The answer is NO. I am sure even the Gay Nathee would agree with that.

BTW, your fears/assumptions that his rather upscale hotel is going to be a sleaze bucket are most likely not true. They advertise, you can go in if you want. Yes, it will be obvious it is a gay oriented business. It's called the LAVENDER, can't avoid that. Again, so what? We exist.

Also, yes it is in a visible part of town. Again, so what? You think there should be a class of people who are second class who don't deserve to have a big business in a visible part of town (but really you are so liberal, its really OK if y'all hide away in the dark corners)? Well you have a right to think that, but most of those in that class have a right to ignore you and test their business concept in the most brutal environment of all, the free market.

You're working the wrong angle here Jingthing. That it's a gay establishmeny isn't the issue. That kids are aware of gays, khatoeys, etc isn't the issue. Most of the friends their mother has are gay. they've been around it since they were born. It's no big deal at all. No one cares.

It's the sex tourist angle. Chiang Mai is not Pattaya. That stuff goes on here and it's tolerated by most everyone, but I think that's mainly because there are certain "zones" for that and it's seldom "in your face". There is more a university town atmosphere and cultural center here. It's not "sin city". Anyhow, I think the marketplace will see this enterprise out in short order. They should have thought it through a bit more.

[endure]

Bring back Cherry House!

[caf]

Gay people are part of the world. Some people with kids, some of your kids may be gay. We don't come out of pods. If your kiddies ask about gay people, just tell them the truth, that there is diversity in the world.

You want us to hide away in back alleys? We hear you. The answer is NO. I am sure even the Gay Nathee would agree with that.

BTW, your fears/assumptions that his rather upscale hotel is going to be a sleaze bucket are most likely not true. They advertise, you can go in if you want. Yes, it will be obvious it is a gay oriented business. It's called the LAVENDER, can't avoid that. Again, so what? We exist.

Also, yes it is in a visible part of town. Again, so what? You think there should be a class of people who are second class who don't deserve to have a big business in a visible part of town (but really you are so liberal, its really OK if y'all hide away in the dark corners)? Well you have a right to think that, but most of those in that class have a right to ignore you and test their business concept in the most brutal environment of all, the free market.

You're working the wrong angle here Jingthing. That it's a gay establishmeny isn't the issue. That kids are aware of gays, khatoeys, etc isn't the issue. Most of the friends their mother has are gay. they've been around it since they were born. It's no big deal at all. No one cares.

It's the sex tourist angle. Chiang Mai is not Pattaya. That stuff goes on here and it's tolerated by most everyone, but I think that's mainly because there are certain "zones" for that and it's seldom "in your face". There is more a university town atmosphere and cultural center here. It's not "sin city". Anyhow, I think the marketplace will see this enterprise out in short order. They should have thought it through a bit more.

Agreed. It's the in your face bit that's worrying. There's room for all and this is not Pattaya as you say.

[cmdream]

^ I agree, do not give this town a label that includes everyone that lives here

a bad reputation as being a sex center for gay people.

[Jingthing]

I am sorry. I smell homophobia here. Being gay is not all about sex. It is a gay hotel for tourists, not an orgy palace. They deserve a chance to compete in the market. I won't be staying there for my own reasons but I wish them luck as they try to make their venture succeed.

What is so threatening and offensive about this, tell me:

http://lavenderlannahotel.com/contact.php

Edited September 27, 2009 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

Most people in the West think that Thailand sells sex from shore to shore and they are pretty much right. Not every place has Go Go Bars or Kerokes, but even the smallest towns have brothels for Thai men and Chiang Mai is not a small town.

I don't see how the Night Bazzar area, Loi Kroh Road and the whole Thapae Gate area is much different from Pattaya and Bangkok and the places for Thai men are all over the place. I am not complaining, but that is how it is.

I'm surprised that some people find gay sexual outlets somehow more shocking or threatening than straight ones in this day and age.

Edited September 27, 2009 by Ulysses G.