Funny how there are so many opinions of this place. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we all take our preconceptions wherever we go. How much the place sparkles or how cute the guys are that night ... well, maybe that's (partly) a reflection of the mood we're in at that moment? Since there really aren't any objective standards to use here, we might take all of these opinions with a grain of salt.

In my opinion, Babylon is a decent place, although I do wish they could have kept the original and expanded it somewhat. It had many features which are lacking in the present one (such as the aforementioned never-ending-loop and the rooftop showers). I also liked the terrace garden. The present ultra-aircondtioned restaurant just isn't as cosy. And the too-much-glamour entranceway could be much more understated. On the whole, though, I think it's a nice spot, and have had many good times there (in both its past and present incarnations).

I dislike new Babylon - I've been there twice only. I liked the old one sometimes.

For me the main overall differrence is that the old Babylon was a rabbit warren of small places where some sort of fantasy game could and often was played out. Especially the many changing rooms with small shower spaces, the several saunas and steam rooms, the quiet jacuzzi.
The roof terrace was also really nice though the courtyard bar in new babs I like too.

The reason I dislike new babs is the cruising spaces are all too big and impersonal. Both steam rooms are just free for alls there's an assumption anyone who ventures inside has given permission for anyone to grab them. This was true in the darkest part of the steam at old babs too and I therefore rarely went there. At old babs that left me enough other places. At new babs it doesn't.

Beind constructive, it wouldn't be so very difficult to restore some of the old charms. The showers with wooden slatted partitions could easily be thrown in a small outhouse near the pool for example. They could copy the roof gardens of other saunas and use potted shrubs and trees to create a warren of cruising space in the far corner of the garden.
It would also help if all areas were open. Really don't understand the business logic of keeping them closed. Staff are paid so little anyway and so many guys want work. I know for a fact (at old Babylon and I assume new too) that one extra admission daily would pay for an extra staff member so why not open everything from 5pm onwards.

There is one good thing about Babylon which I always viewed as the place for farangs and Thais who want to behave in the less reserved way that is common in farang culture. This is the place for that "push and grab" behaviour and the fact it exists means other places are left to be more thai. Somewhere for everyone then. I used to go to old babs when first arriving from Europe because I was aware that my way of behaving had changed and it would be more difficult to score at Obelisks. After a week or two back I managed to behave sufficiently "well" to get what I want elsewhere.

..You want hot (temperature-wise) showers at the Babylon? OK, here they are- Shower room, locker level; three showers, ALL hot. After 5PM area (jacuzzi, etc): When you enter area from outside bar, turn to left, across from sauna is a large circular stall with four showers, ALL hot. That's it, all other showers cold. Anyway, I agree new Babylon is not as good as old, but then again, what is???

Well, the old Babs was sleazy and smelt a bit funny (especially the steamroom), but the layout was great and there was action.

The new Babs has beaten its predecessor to smell. It STINKS now BIG TIME. Everywhere including the Barracks. I don't know, maybe they put a bunch of dead rats in the foundation according to some savage custom. Or maybe they store kitchen trash in the air-conditioning system?

The shower maze downstairs is constantly semi-flooded with soapy water. The only time I went there I spotted something very turd-like merrily floating in one of the shower cubicles. I wouldn't bet though that was not a drowned rat or maybe even a chocolate muffin!

Some restaurant manager from Massachusets told me that he was amazed how immaculately clean the new Babs is. One thing I know for sure: you won't see me dead dining out in Massachusets.

The jaccuzzi is hard to find and maybe that's for better. Normally one look is enough to turn one away from jaccuzzi for the rest of his life. To top it off, the water is cold and -- surprise! -- it smells funky. I can very well imagine Babs staff walking with buckets all the way to draw water from to the khlong between South and North Sathorn Roads.

In fact, there are so few hot showers, that you always end up queueing until cum cakes on you. The locker rooms remind of WWII submarines and the lockers themselves are barely big enough to squeeze in a silk fan and a leather purse. Now I understand what kind of crowd is the new Babs' target group. LOL

It's absolutely true: there's always something closed in the new Babs. It feels like a full size maze for gay lab rats. I don't see any rationale behind it except for trying to keep the crowds as close as possible to paid-for drinks and food. Well, dudes, we understand, you have your bills to pay.

I also felt the staff are embittered and crabby, especially in the Barracks (not all of them though) -- the doorboy is particularly obnoxious. They must be severely underpaid and have unlimited working hours per day or SOMETHING.

The hyped up disco events gather crowds of whopping 25-30 funked out dudes -- you know them, the former DJ Station junkies expelled from the premises for good. I was surprised to se them still alive there. They all seem to gather with the sole purpose of socializing with each other, so don't even bother to distract them from their excited chit-chat, they'll beat you into pulp with their fans and fancy purses.

The pretentious eclectic style with Babylonian sphynxes, concrete gargoyles, mismatched antiques, and chains everywhere is good enough to impress undereducated chintz-loving Americans and provincial European bourgeois travelling to Asia on package tours. The money should have rather been invested in some hygienic equipment.

I agree with flyagain's opinion that a bit of re-laying-out and lots of cleaning up would only do the place good. The gym and the pool area are neat and the building itself is bigger than the old Babs. It has the potential, but as of yet it is just mispllaned, mismanaged and miserable.

Chakran is perfect as a kind of country club for lazy weekends, but it's mostly "sticky rice" and the multi-layer cruising area with the underlit stairs is just dangerous.

The moral of the story us: the sad point of all gay establishments around the world is that the management always take their customers for granted.

Cum cakes? Sounds yummy!

Raebkk
do I understand, you don't like it?

I can't believe raebkk and I are going to the same Babylon Sauna in Bkk.My impressions are the total opposite of his.I think its a great place;has nevered appeared unusually dirty to me; and the staff are quite friendly.I go at least 3-4 times a month and have been doing so since the original babylon opened in 1986 or 87.

__________________
George

be kind - she must be having her monthlies.

After all this it is hard to believe they are all talking about the same place. I have nothing to compare but the old Dallas baths, but they were a lot of fun although this seems to be more for the older ones the Dallas baths were for the young. So here we all are looking for an old babylon or old Dallas. Well they are gone make the best of it.

Agreed grumpy faces are worse than the cum cakes.

just to add my pennies or satangs worth - i too think that Babs is a poor shadow of its former illustrious self- being one of the most shagged customers in there for many a year i paid a recent visit during the CNY festivities only to find as in many of the previous posts one staff ie the guy handling the keys and bags at the door otherwise all were as pleasant and charming as usual. The toilets are certainly lacking in hygiene as is the area near the showers and whats with keeping half the area closed till 9 - the place was jumping with hot n horny guys all looking for rooms but cos of some stupid senseless reasons the hot action areas such as glory holes cage etc dont opent till 9 - seems like they are wasting a valuable space and depriving customers of decent cruising opportunities
but judging by the number of guys in there the owners dont give a shit and will continue to do just as they like till something better comes along and takes away more of their business hopefully located on sukhumvit closer to a BTS station

I always wondered why the Obelisk owners did not start up another sauna, although obviously it would be a Thai Asian affair rather than the farang friendly Babylon. I think we have done to death remembering the old babs . Lets get on with what we have.

Never a one to let sleeping dogs lie, I went back to Babs this evening just to see if we had made any difference; and I have to say I think we have. The staff were going out of their way to say thank you and be pleasant to their customers (except the little thing at the desk who barely looked up from her computer game of patience) and the floors were distinctly cleaner.

However (there's always an however), the music from the live combo was simply awful. The singer was miked to be effective in Madison Square Garden and the piano wasn't miked at all. In the courtyard the effect was simply risible - a lone singer unaccompanied but for a faint wailing from a distant saxophone. I know... I know... we're lucky to have live music at all. Well not, actually, if it's that awful.

It may just be coincidental but if the powers at Babs have got to know about what is being said here, we seem to have had the right effect.

Elgar, blessed are those who bring us the glad tidings of good things! It's a shame the best East-meets-West sauna in Bangkok can't seem to do 2 simple things: rid of the funky smell and move around some partitions so that we can cruise anywhere throughout their office hours. Have they finally done it, or the only improvement is that they started saying thank you for our putting up with all that? )

P. S. I'm sorry for inadvertently offending the feelings of "them chintz-loving Ah-Bengs and purported Eurotrash" in my previous post and thus causing their flaming if short-lived outburst. I'll try to be more considerate next time. +big grin+ Fancy a noogie, girls?

I went to Baylon last nght and plan to again tonight. Had a wonderful time and saw nothing wrong with it at all. Of course it was dark and I wan't there as a health inspector taking samples for bacteria. Just for a good time and a a few insect bites I give it an 8 on the good time scale.

for what its worth i emailed babs via their website email address and gave them the link to these pages - lets hope that someone somewhere bothers to read and take note - was there again this week thursday - key giving/baggage handler man still miserable (though a different guy!)and the jacuszzi section that opens after 5pm looks decidly scary with the lighting being in the process of repairs - lets just hope that the odd wire doest fall into thejacuzzi or showers - power cut off a few times and it was abit scary making yr way past lots of bods in pitch darkness. Also was attacked by mozzies in a few of the 'resting' rooms. Has anyone seen a comments box? If not it might be a good idea to put one at the counter!
Havent heard much regarding the barracks - anyone wanna share their experiences 'upstairs'?
Regardless of all my moaning i still think that babs offers some of the best facilities in the world - just seems a shame to let standards slip when it has the potential to be so good.
happy cruising.........