Babylon downhill - Page 15

Salimkhan · #**211** 4th January 2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wantasian

I just got back from a Bangkok visit that started with my arriving at my hotel (Pinnacle) around 1 a.m. on December 20. I left to return to the U.S. in the early morning of January 3. Anyway, I checked out several cruising areas in Bangkok during the daytime and found them to be totally bad and/or dead--worse than ever before.

I went to Babylon for something to do during the day (about once every other day). It sure looks like older farangs are quickly snapped up by nice young Thai in there. Unfortunately, I have a problem. Isn't that enlightenment ?? I'm tall and basically slim and 49 (but look younger). I don't want to sound conceited

, but I think my problem is that I'm too young for Babylon. It's just amazing to see older farangs quickly disappear into booths with young Thai. Suggest you wait a few years to become an old farang I still cannot figure out the psychology of the place. Also, what amazes me is how all of a sudden, almost all the booths become occupied. I'm observant but still don't see who goes into the booths. It's just amazing how secretly and quickly this is done.

Anyway, I can still connect with some nice Thai in Babylon--but it's really difficult and frustrating. It's amazing to see average older farangs walk in and immediately disappear into a booth. (It seems that having a "silver daddy" appearance helps.) So hopefully I have that to look forward to maturing gracefully .

Sometimes I had good luck in that new downstairs under the metal grate crossover section.

I hated December 31 starting around 6 or 7 when the place got so unbelievably crowded that I literally had a problem getting out of Babylon to go to Central World for the New Year's celebrations. It was cram-packed with wall-to-wall bodies (even though all areas of Babylon were opened up). All booths were occupied.

The other thing that always baffled me was all the hot young Thai who go with other Thai. Again, why are they going to Babylon, then Why not ? Is Babylon supposed to be inter-racial ? Or is every Thai expected to drop his pants and drool over you as soon as you make your entry ? ?

By the way, Babylon continues to jack up its prices. I think it was 380 baht on December 31.

The other weird thing is to see really hot young farangs, arabs, etc. pose forever in the hallways. I mean, why don't they just connect with some other hot guy? I suppose this is some weird gay mental thing they have to do.

Also, I don't understand why Babylon waits until later in the day to open up the other areas. Sometimes that little black cruising area upstairs (the Bruegel gallery) gets so cram-packed nobody can even walk in there.

My comments are given in good faith !

sextile · #**212** 4th January 2011, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asiatraveler

... , I visited three other saunas (with mixed results) and can say that a considerable number of young locals continue to use saunas. There's something about the thrill of the chase, in a real time environment, that cannot be duplicated on line.

-- Agree with what you write about '... the thrill of the chase ... .'; difficult to replicate ON-Line, I'd have thought.
- What are the names of these three other saunas that you visited?

Taoboxer · #**213** 4th January 2011, 08:27 PM

I agree about the thrill of the chase 100%. Nowadays there are no more cruising areas or saunas in Penang and I really miss walking about shirtless in the old Penang cruising areas, giving people the eye...

or just walking into a sauna dark area and taking off my towel and wrapping around my wrist

asiatraveler · #**214** 4th January 2011, 10:18 PM

Other saunas:

Sauna Mania--based on previous posts here, pretty much accepted before I entered that it would be a waste but it was just so convenient. I should have just had a nice cup of coffee (it would have been more stimulating).

39 underground--Again, other posts had prepared me for what to expect but patience was eventually rewarded.

Heaven--successful on a few counts. The crowd was more mature and very much Chinese Thai. Although I have never been to GSM, Heaven seems to have benefited from its temporary demise.

As for the thrill of the chase, I hope it never becomes consigned to the dustbin of history. As convenient and "educational" as the internet is, I'm really a "you gotta be there" type.

gygygy · #**215** 4th January 2011, 10:24 PM

Yes Babylon has its faults....the price hiking at weekends and special days, the overcrowding in the cruising area before the other side opens, those stupid chains hanging at the doorways (they really irritate me) .....BUT I quickly forget all those and others when a beautiful young Asian guy smiles at me, touches my arm and says, 'Where you from?'

I LOVE BABYLON SAUNA

sextile · #**216** 5th January 2011, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gygygy

Yes Babylon has its faults ... the price hiking at weekends and special days, ... .

-- It's some time since I visited BABYLON SAUNA last, but from memory the working weeks' prices are 230.Bh. while the W/Es'. prices are 260.Bh. - if correct not really a great increase, surely?
- As for the prices' INCREASES for special events I suppose that it has to remain OPEN for longer and thus the staff's o'time. pay has to be kept in mind, PLUS the cleaning-up after a foam party and/or other events before the flg. day's opening etc. etc..

-- But, as a well-known 1914-19. War's cartoon's caption reminds us: 'If yer knows of a better 'ole. go to it.'.*
-* Cartoonist was Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather, R. Warwicks.. Many of his cartoons featured Old Bill. - a been everywhere ... . type of olde sweat and his raw-recruit-to-the-front-line companion, who was the butt of his war-weary comments.

BKK-European · #**217** 5th January 2011, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taoboxer

Nowadays there are no more cruising areas or saunas in Penang

Oh, that's really a shame, I once had a great time at this sauna in Penang that was located in some kind of a shopping complex... I was sort of nervous, but I didn't have to wait long before a very nice Chinese guy took good care of me.

gygygy · #**218** 5th January 2011, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sextile

[/i][/color]
-- It's some time since I visited BABYLON SAUNA last, but from memory the working weeks' prices are 230.Bh. while the w/es'. prices are 260.Bh. - if correct not really a great increase, surely?
- As for the prices' INCREASES for special events I suppose that it has to remain OPEN for longer and thus the staff's o'time. pay has to be kept in mind, PLUS the cleaning-up after a foam party and/or other events before the flg. day's opening etc. etc..

-- But, as a well-known 1914-19. War's cartoon's caption reminds us: 'If yer knows of a better 'ole. go to it.'.*
-* Cartoonist was Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather, R. Warwicks.. Many of his cartoons featured Old Bill. - a been everywhere ... . type of olde sweat and his raw-recruit-to-the-front-line companion, who was the butt of his war-weary comments.

No you're right, an extra 30 baht at the weekends is not a lot but in these days of the strong baht and the floundering pound...... every baht counts

'If yer knows of a better 'ole. go to it.'
.....I most certainly don't know of a better 'ole and that's why I put up with any little niggles and keep going back.

Babylon is a very well run business and I am sure a very profitable one too. It really has no competition, none of the other saunas seem to go out of their way to attract farang customers, they probably do well enough with just local trade?

I'll reiterate....I LOVE BABYLON SAUNA and miss it greatly when I am back home in the UK.

icon513 · #**219** 5th January 2011, 02:42 AM

How would a sauna "go out of their way to attract farang customers"?

Taoboxer · #**220** 5th January 2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKK-European

Oh, that's really a shame, I once had a great time at this sauna in Penang that was located in some kind of a shopping complex... I was sort of nervous, but I didn't have to wait long before a very nice Chinese guy took good care of me.

I haven't been cruising at the old Penang areas in a long while so I can't really say for sure, but I haven't seen any people hanging out there when I have passed by late at night so I'm assuming that's more or less the case. One of these days I should go check it out for sure.

As for the saunas, the constant police raids have forced them all to close.

Concerning Babylon, I haven't been for a long while now but I'm glad the prices are still affordable. I must make it one of my stops again when I come to BKK.

BKK-European · #**221** 5th January 2011, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taoboxer

As for the saunas, the constant police raids have forced them all to close.

Luckily, I read about the possibility of police raids at gay establishments in Malaysia after going there (yes I know, that was pretty naive), otherwise it's quite possible that I wouldn't even have dared to venture to this sauna. But I'm glad that I did.

Taoboxer · #**222** 5th January 2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKK-European

Luckily, I read about the possibility of police raids at gay establishments in Malaysia after going there (yes I know, that was pretty naive), otherwise it's quite possible that I wouldn't even have dared to venture to this sauna. But I'm glad that I did.

The old saunas were quite fun, I agree. Nowadays, I think you'd have to go to saunas in KL for any fun. For some reason, there doesn't seem to be quite as many raids on the old established ones there. But quite frankly, I'd still stick to LOS. In fact, if I manage to time it right, I'm plannning to go to one in Hatyai on my next trip there sometime this month. I'll try to post a full report when I get back.

JupiterJake · #**223** 8th January 2011, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asiatraveler

Other saunas:

Sauna Mania--based on previous posts here, pretty much accepted before I entered that it would be a waste but it was just so convenient. I should have just had a nice cup of coffee (it would have been more stimulating).

39 underground--Again, other posts had prepared me for what to expect but patience was eventually rewarded.

Heaven--successful on a few counts. The crowd was more mature and very much Chinese Thai. Although I have never been to GSM, Heaven seems to have benefited from its temporary demise.

As for the thrill of the chase, I hope it never becomes consigned to the dustbin of history. As convenient and "educational" as the internet is, I'm really a "you gotta be there" type.

Asiantraveler, could you please provide more detailed accounts of your Sauna Mania and 39 Underground experiences.

sextile · #**224** 21st February 2011, 02:00 AM

-- Today, 21 feb., I lunched. with my mature & gweilo friend from HK., who has visited BABYLON SAUNA. twice during his trip:

-- First visit was mid-week: MORE elderly farangs than younger & Thai men. He met a 30's. man from TAIWAN, (RoC.), with whom he had a pleasurable time, otherwise little to report;
-- Saturday: Apart from meeting & enjoying again the a/m. man from the RoC. he was ignored completely by all of the Thais there, most of whom left around 18.oo.hrs. to go elsewhere.

-- Remembering what Khun TST. has written about HEAVEN - Mahaset rd., Bang rak. - I enquire if my friend had visited recently? He replied that he hadn't. as he scored there seldom if ever.

-- E&OE. as reported speech.

icon513 · #**225** 21st February 2011, 02:07 AM

I went to Heaven last week -- unfortunately only literally and not figuratively.

Crowd was like the panda enclosure at the zoo...very middle-aged and very paunchy, with a few elderly farangs in the mix.

Nothing at all that got this jaded cruiser's juices flowing. And I hate the way the staff gather on the second floor to gossip and smoke. Wish my job was so carefree.

The place is also in serious need of some maintenance.
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