Gay Bar Scene In Bangkok

[PatLogan]

Hi,

One of my very good friends is visiting us in Bangkok this week, and I was a bit at loss when he asked me about the gay bar scene here.

He had heard about one bar (DJ Station) and I googled a bit and looked at a thread here, and found out about Telephone and the places around Silom Soi 2 and 4.

So your advices are most welcome!

I don't think he is into GoGo bars thought, but I think he heard about some places a bit wilder he would like to go without us, so advices on these are also welcome.

Oh, not sure it matters, but he is not a Westerner, he is a Chinese/Korean (and Russian educated ).

Thanks!

[tombkk]

It appears you are straight, otherwise you would know the basics of the scene <g>. Let me take you throught the basics:

1.) Silom Soi 2 is the bar scene (ellbow bending style). The main places are Telephone (a must-visit for your friend, probably the oldest gay bar in town) and Balcony, which is right opposite. Sit outside, Paris style, and watch the crowd walk by while you have a drink and being attended by attractive waiters. Holds true for both places.

If you want to have dinner before drinks, go to Sphinx at the end of the soi (past the bars) at the right-hand side.

The unique thing about Soi 2 is that the first half of the soi is totally straight. You'll find a good Greek restaurant at the left and a good Spanish restaurant at the right (opposite to each other), and once you've passed them, and the invisible line, your in gay-land.

2.) Silom Soi 4 is the disco scene. (I don't go there any more because it's a fire trap.) DJ Station is *the* disco, watch the drag show at 11.30pm and dance until - well, until they close. Can be 2am, can be 5am. Entrance fee includes 2 drinks, if I remember correctly.

The places at 1. and 2. are frequented by both Westeners and Asians, so should be OK for your friend's first visit. He will meet people who can tell him about other places he might be more specifically interested in. None of the places in these two sois are shady or otherwise questionable. You might want to be aware of pickpockets in the disco scene, as anywhere in the world.

[PatLogan]

Thanks for the thorough information.

Yes I forgot to mention I was straight, but indeed I though it was kind of obvious given my total lack of knowledge of the scene

I guess we (my wife and I) will go with him to see the drag show and leave him there (if the disco is not gay only?)

[tombkk]

Thanks for the thorough information.

Yes I forgot to mention I was straight, but indeed I though it was kind of obvious given my total lack of knowledge of the scene

I guess we (my wife and I) will go with him to see the drag show and leave him there (if the disco is not gay only?)

The disco is not "gay only", you'll be fine. In fact, the missus will not be the only (straight) woman over there either, so don't worry.

This is the most tolerant country I know. Both in terms of gay people in mainstream society as well as straight people in the gay scene. Just enjoy and keep your mind open. Your friend is lucky to have you as a friend.

[PatLogan]

Great! We have been with him to a few gay places in Beijing, and I would have felt bad if i had to tell him we could not join him here in Bangkok!

I don't know if he is lucky, but we are lucky to have him as a friend for sure

[tombkk]

Great! We have been with him to a few gay places in Beijing, and I would have felt bad if i had to tell him we could not join him here in Bangkok!

I don't know if he is lucky, but we are lucky to have him as a friend for sure

Beijing? Ha! Been there with my BF. No comparison, Bangkok is where to go. ;-)

[PatLogan]

Great! We have been with him to a few gay places in Beijing, and I would have felt bad if i had to tell him we could not join him here in Bangkok!

I don't know if he is lucky, but we are lucky to have him as a friend for sure

Beijing? Ha! Been there with my BF. No comparison, Bangkok is where to go. ;-)

Good, he will love his time here then

[Guest]

Telephone, Balcony etc are in Soi 4,not Soi 2.

DJ Station, JJ Park etc are in Soi 2

There are lots of gay websites with listings of bar places.

[tombkk]

Telephone, Balcony etc are in Soi 4,not Soi 2.

DJ Station, JJ Park etc are in Soi 2

There are lots of gay websites with listings of bar places.

Yes, you are right. I mixed the soi numbers up in my posting. Sorry. It would be quite obvious when entering the sois.

I wonder when PatLogan's friend is coming and when the "big day" is? Maybe PL can post his experience here.

[PatLogan]

Telephone, Balcony etc are in Soi 4,not Soi 2.

DJ Station, JJ Park etc are in Soi 2

There are lots of gay websites with listings of bar places.

Yes, you are right. I mixed the soi numbers up in my posting. Sorry. It would be quite obvious when entering the sois.

I wonder when PatLogan's friend is coming and when the "big day" is? Maybe PL can post his experience here.

Oh he is already here

I told him where to go on Tuesday evening, and I have not seen him since. He seems he has been busy and find other guides than us to bring him to Chatucahk today .

But tomorrow we are going to DJ station with him, and hopefully manage to get him to visit Bangkok daylife before he leaves (but I have a strong feelign he might come back soon )

Edit: just read his FB status. He has a lot of fun indeed

hahaha, dont remeber who and how many guys bought drinking for me...but they got nothing.....haahah.....even i m drunk,,but i can still find my hotel

Edited October 8, 2010 by PatLogan

[tombkk]

Telephone, Balcony etc are in Soi 4,not Soi 2.

DJ Station, JJ Park etc are in Soi 2

There are lots of gay websites with listings of bar places.

Yes, you are right. I mixed the soi numbers up in my posting. Sorry. It would be quite obvious when entering the sois.

I wonder when PatLogan's friend is coming and when the "big day" is? Maybe PL can post his experience here.

Oh he is already here

I told him where to go on Tuesday evening, and I have not seen him since. He seems he has been busy and find other guides than us to bring him to Chatucahk today .

But tomorrow we are going to DJ station with him, and hopefully manage to get him to visit Bangkok daylife before he leaves (but I have a strong feelign he might come back soon )

Looks like he's having a ball. I wish you all the best for tomorrow night, I think you two (especially the missus) will enjoy it too.

On a side note: Please tell your friend not to buy a house in the name of this really cute and honest-looking Thai person just yet. There is actually no difference at all between the gay and the straight scene with regards to this. Or the buffalo feeling sick, the grandmother being in hospital, the elder brother being in a motorcycle accident...

[PatLogan]

Oh that person is not Thai I'm sure . I think he is more into Westerners and always has been very much... in demand . Anyway my missus has warned him about Thai for sure (she is Thai )

[tombkk]

Hehehe... missus is smart.

[chrisyork]

Suradit is quite right. I find a more helpful model is of the poor family who suddenly find a wealthy barrister thrust into their midst by marriage. For sure the family will want to test the limits of generosity of the barrister, be they Thai, English or American!

[Ijustwannateach]

The advice given above is pretty thorough, especially if OP's friend is not especially looking for Thais. Other Asians who are vacationing in Bangkok will often end up in these locations, as well as most of the Western tourists.

Let's try to stay on topic here- there have been many threads listing advice for the newcomer, and this is another one. This is NOT a thread on which to debate deeply the nature of the Thai gay scene. I find the warnings given above- especially for a newcomer who doesn't speak Thai - to be quite helpful and timely, because (sadly) there ARE many Thais on the tourist gay scene (<---- note: generalisation which does not apply to all Thais, all gay Thais, or all gay Thais who are on the tourist gay scene) who have 'agendas'. I would also advise caution among the long-term foreigners here, because AS A GROUP (<----- note: generalisation which does not apply to all readers of this post) they have a lot of issues.

Sorry about all the disclaimers above, but the blinkered nature of some readers (<---- note: generalisation which does not necessarily apply to the reader) make them advisable when posting about the tourist scene here.

[PatLogan]

Not been on the board for 2 days, and it seems i have stirred quite a debate....

Anyway, my friend has left, enjoyed his time here, thanks to the advices, and might be back soon. He loved the place and the scene. Tom, way better than Beijing according to him indeed

Unfortunately we did not go to DJ Station on Saturday, as he has been enjoying most of the day in a police station...

On his way to our place at 2pm, the police stopped his taxi, asked for his passport, and since he had left it at the hotel, brought him to the station. There he called the hotel to get the passport in his room and bring it to him, but he arrived in our place at 9pm... exhausted by the day.

Now this is something new to me honestly. I had not heard about police stopping taxis to check foreigners, and taking them to the station if they had no passport. And he was not alone. According to his estimate, about 50 westerners were there too with him for the same reason!

Kudos to the hotel (De Arna in Surawong) staff for helping him anyway...

[Guest]

Sorry that your friend got caught in that trap. Couldn't be called a scam as foreigners are required to carry photo ID, which most cops view as meaning their passport. The BIB (cops) know very well that few foreigners carry their passports so the fines boost the station house coffers.

As for stirring a debate, its more a bitchfest. Common in forums, and rather silly.

[Ijustwannateach]

I've removed a bizarre, off-topic attempt to raise this issue of prostitution on this thread (which has nothing to do, as far as I can tell, with what anyone else has posted). It shouldn't arise here again.

[tombkk]

Not been on the board for 2 days, and it seems i have stirred quite a debate....

Anyway, my friend has left, enjoyed his time here, thanks to the advices, and might be back soon. He loved the place and the scene. Tom, way better than Beijing according to him indeed

Unfortunately we did not go to DJ Station on Saturday, as he has been enjoying most of the day in a police station...

On his way to our place at 2pm, the police stopped his taxi, asked for his passport, and since he had left it at the hotel, brought him to the station. There he called the hotel to get the passport in his room and bring it to him, but he arrived in our place at 9pm... exhausted by the day.

Now this is something new to me honestly. I had not heard about police stopping taxis to check foreigners, and taking them to the station if they had no passport. And he was not alone. According to his estimate, about 50 westerners were there too with him for the same reason!

Kudos to the hotel (De Arna in Surawong) staff for helping him anyway...

We are having this discussion in another thread (I think it's in the General Topics forum) whether foreigners are required to carry their passports. Knowledgable people say there is no law saying this, but I disagree. I still have to find the law though. In any case, practical experience says that any photo ID is usually accepted, and it is a big issue (IMHO) that he was held at the police station until his passport was brought in. I had never heard of this, and I hope it was brought to the attention of his embassy.

In fact, several embassies advise against carrying the passport around, because of pickpockets.

I am very sorry that your friend had this experience.

[tombkk]

As for stirring a debate, its more a bitchfest. Common in forums, and rather silly.

I think gay forums are more prone to bitchfests than others, though. The reason is that we enjoy it more. ;-)

[PatLogan]

We are having this discussion in another thread (I think it's in the General Topics forum) whether foreigners are required to carry their passports. Knowledgable people say there is no law saying this, but I disagree. I still have to find the law though. In any case, practical experience says that any photo ID is usually accepted, and it is a big issue (IMHO) that he was held at the police station until his passport was brought in. I had never heard of this, and I hope it was brought to the attention of his embassy.

In fact, several embassies advise against carrying the passport around, because of pickpockets.

I am very sorry that your friend had this experience.

I am going to have a look at this thread. No he did not report to his Embassy, it happened on Saturday and he left early this morning. He was actually controlled as well on Friday evening, again in a taxi, and that time he had his passport with him. But on Saturday afternoon, since he was coming to our place, he did not bothered taking it... Anyway, I think it did not really spoiled his trip, since he wants to come back soon.

And as he could wake up early yesterday evening, we got him to visit Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Kwai river, and ride on an elephant. At least he managed to say Thailand outside Bangkok, day time

[tombkk]

We are having this discussion in another thread (I think it's in the General Topics forum) whether foreigners are required to carry their passports. Knowledgable people say there is no law saying this, but I disagree. I still have to find the law though. In any case, practical experience says that any photo ID is usually accepted, and it is a big issue (IMHO) that he was held at the police station until his passport was brought in. I had never heard of this, and I hope it was brought to the attention of his embassy.

In fact, several embassies advise against carrying the passport around, because of pickpockets.

I am very sorry that your friend had this experience.

I am going to have a look at this thread. No he did not report to his Embassy, it happened on Saturday and he left early this morning. He was actually controlled as well on Friday evening, again in a taxi, and that time he had his passport with him. But on Saturday afternoon, since he was coming to our place, he did not bothered taking it... Anyway, I think it did not really spoiled his trip, since he wants to come back soon.

And as he could wake up early yesterday evening, we got him to visit Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Kwai river, and ride on an elephant. At least he managed to say Thailand outside Bangkok, day time

It's here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/404346-thai-alien-id-card/page__pid__3944846#entry3944846

Please let me know when and where he was stopped along with 50 other foreigners and arrested. In fact, I am surprised I still haven't heard that from any other source by now. This kind of thing is usually in the rumour mill.

Also, you say his passport was checked again a second time but he did have it with him. When and where was that?

Reason for edit: Added the other thread's link.

Edited October 11, 2010 by tombkk

[PatLogan]

We are having this discussion in another thread (I think it's in the General Topics forum) whether foreigners are required to carry their passports. Knowledgable people say there is no law saying this, but I disagree. I still have to find the law though. In any case, practical experience says that any photo ID is usually accepted, and it is a big issue (IMHO) that he was held at the police station until his passport was brought in. I had never heard of this, and I hope it was brought to the attention of his embassy.

In fact, several embassies advise against carrying the passport around, because of pickpockets.

I am very sorry that your friend had this experience.

I am going to have a look at this thread. No he did not report to his Embassy, it happened on Saturday and he left early this morning. He was actually controlled as well on Friday evening, again in a taxi, and that time he had his passport with him. But on Saturday afternoon, since he was coming to our place, he did not bothered taking it... Anyway, I think it did not really spoiled his trip, since he wants to come back soon.

And as he could wake up early yesterday evening, we got him to visit Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Kwai river, and ride on an elephant. At least he managed to say Thailand outside Bangkok, day time

It's here: http://www.thaivisa....46#entry3944846

Please let me know when and where he was stopped along with 50 other foreigners and arrested. In fact, I am surprised I still haven't heard that from any other source by now. This kind of thing is usually in the rumour mill.

Also, you say his passport was checked again a second time but he did have it with him. When and where was that?

Reason for edit: Added the other thread's link.

Thanks for the link.

First time he was arrested was on Friday evening, going back to the hotel. He was not alone, but the other guy was a foreigner living in Thailand, and had his passport. Difficult for me to tell exactly where the taxi was arrested for controlling them (he does not know well Bangkok), but my understanding was that it was around Silom/Surawong.

As for last Saturday, he was not arrested with 50 other people at the same time, but he told me there were around 50 other guys in the station when he spent time there, all of them it seems arrested for the same reason.

To be honest, if it was coming from somebody else, I would doubt the story, but I have no reason to not believe him... I had never heard about such arrest before actually.

[cdnvic]

Ok, lets not start a pointless argument here, please stick to the topic at hand.

[Ijustwannateach]

^I agree, and I have deleted other off-topic messages and issued one warning. Any further messages not related to the topic (advice to OP's friend and/or discussion of his trip) will be deleted. Discussions of the Thai gay scene in general may STILL be started in OTHER threads. General bitching and comments on moderation will earn warnings in this thread henceforth.