I'm in Phuket right now but am far from enjoying myself, place is very quiet and the paradise complex at night is a veritable ghost town. I arrived on Sunday, was due to go fly home via Singapore on Saturday but have changed my flights and am returning to BKK tomorrow, 3 nights back there before flying out on Saturday.

I've used Air Asia for BKK-HKT-BKK sectors and they have been good and cheap. Around B2800 each way (this despite that one fare was a last minute one)

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wow that isnt good news. at least the plane tickets are cheap.

does anyone have a report for chaing mai? is it pretty dead there too?

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But the culture is always alive

Oh, you mean the gay scene? I'm not in Chiangmai, so I can only speak generally. Chiangmai is not as dependent on tourism as Patong in Phuket. Its bars (see exception below) and massage places rely more on local custom than Phuket which relies almost exclusively on visitors. I would therefore expect there to be at least a steady trickle (or more) of customers in all Chiangmai places, but what the economic downturn has recently done to local purchasing power, I don't know.

The other side of the coin is that Chiangmai's boys are less capable of handling English than the more touristy places like Phuket and Pattaya. Nearly all the boys I've taken from bars and massage shops in Chiangmai have not been able to manage any English at all. Most times, I've had to use my very limited Thai.

The exception I referred to above is the area close by the night market. There are a few open-air bars known for street urchins hanging around and available for rent. I've never sat at any of these places because (a) urchins are not my taste (b) I've seen 10 year-old boys being fondled by 70-year-old farangs in open view of others, at these places, and I do not wish to be associated with them. This area has NO local custom, it depends on tourists. It's been a dying scene for some years now, and it may well be no more by now. To which I'd say, good riddance.

But really,few people go to Chiangmai for the gay scene. By itself it's too small to be worth the trouble. You're going there for the culture and the sights, right?

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My Shameless Thai blog: shamelessmack.wordpress.com

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I am going to Chiangmai next week, so I'll let you know what I find

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Im going for more than the gay scene, but where ever I am I try to at least check out the local scene.

I guess now I am deciding on whether to spend more time in phukett or samui and bangkok and skip chaing mai.

I'll wait for trentaus report!

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Some feedback on Samuii if you decide to take that route. I have been there three times. The air fares are expensive because Bangkok Air have a monopoly on the airport which they own (last i heard anyway).

I stayed at Akwa Guesthouse at North Chaweng which is gay friendly/owned and across the road from a great swimming beach, rooms from 750 to 1200 baht approx. Akwa is also a short walk to the main gay soi. There are also many other great places that you can stay.

In the gay soi you will find the Malebox disco which has a great midnite show, no fuck shows like Bangkok, but much classier and and I find more erotic shows with some really hot guys doing some more traditional type numbers. It is a great atmosphere but don't bother getting there till just before midnite.

Across the soi is BoyZone which is owned by a nice farang and they again have some very hot dancers and hosts you can off. I liked the shows there as well, all in good taste and still very sexi. I did have a good massage with one of their boys in the adjacent massage part of the business, well the sex was probably better.

There never seems to be many customers so i don't know how these places keep going but they certainly have some excellent talent working for them and you can choose the best. There were no huge off fees or tips expected, just the usual.

I took two boys home from one of the nearby clubs and they were a lot of fun, we went to a disco and then back to my room.

If you want any tours just contact Adam at Rainbow Scuba and he will look after you, his round island tours are excellent and he can organise snorkelling, scuba diving and many other leisure activities.

Most of the above have websites if you want to google you will find them. There is plenty of info about Samuii on the net. Spice magazine has maps and advertisements for the main gay places on the island. You can get a copy at the bars in Bangkok or at their online site.

Chaweng Beach is a pain with all the tailors and others trying to sell but I like the beaches and the rest of the island is very beautiful. Samuii is worth a visit on this trip or your next. I am sure you will be back. I also went to Krabi which is also a great scenic place with some gay action available at a couple of bars and then flew to Samuii on my way to Bangkok. All the best for your adventure in Thailand.

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It's not just their English, their Thai isn't very good either. Try speaking Burmese or, better still, Shan.

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