Thailand

Bangkok’s Stranger Bar – The Nomadic Boys

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Bangkok's Stranger Bar - The Nomadic Boys

What used to be an unassuming gay bar in Bangkok’s Silom Soi 4 gay scene is now one of the hottest gay hangouts in the city. Every evening from around 9pm Stranger Bar has a hilarious drag show featuring some of the most talented, quirky and hottest queens from all around Asia.

We first came here back in 2012/3 and barely noticed it – the gay scene of Silom Soi 4 dominated by giants Telephone and Balcony bars next door. When we returned a few years later it had started making an impact and had become one of the fixed staples on the scene. Then when we were last here in early 2020, it had become THE hottest drag venue in the entire city, busy every evening!

We caught up with the super charismatic owner of Stranger Bar, Chakgai. In this interview, Chakgai tells us what it’s like owning a bar in Bangkok, what gay life is like in Thailand and what it is about Stranger Bar that has made it become so successful over the years.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Travel Resources

Gay Koh Lip – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Koh Lip - The Nomadic Boys

Koh Lipe is the best island in Thailand!

There, we officially declared it. The secret’s out…

We’ve been visiting Thailand for over a decade, trying out many islands along the way, but each time we keep circling back to Koh Lipe.

Why?

Koh Lipe still has those crystal clear tropical waters you associate with Thailand – surrounded by healthy coral. So you can literally wake up, go to the beach, put your head in the water and see Nemo swimming about around you! It was like this when we first visited many years ago and has remained this way on our recent visit.

We used to think the same about Phuket, Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi, but over time they quickly became built up, super touristy and overcrowded. Not gay Koh Lipe! We put this down to the fact that it’s quite remote and rather complicated to reach: first, you need to fly to Hat Yai airport in South Thailand, then drive over to Pak Bara port (around 2 hours) to then take a 2-hour speedboat to Koh Lipe…Let’s just say this is enough to put off the large crowds of packaged tourists.

Don’t get us wrong. Koh Lipe is developed enough to have plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars and shops, but it’s a controlled growth, helped by the fact that it is part of the group of Tarutao National Marine Park islands. We’ve put together our love for Lipe in this detailed gay guide to include the best gay friendly resorts, bars, practical tips and more.

How Friendly is Gay Koh Lipe?

Koh Lipe is very gay friendly! We met many more other gay travellers here than we did on most of the other Thai islands, plus the Thai locals are super friendly and accepting. Even if they don’t approve, unlike other places in the world, they would never outwardly express this in front of you.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Lesbian Thailand – Once Upon a Journey

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Thailand is our favorite country in the world to travel to! It’s such a diverse country that has beautiful islands, adventurous jungles, stunning temples, and delicious foods; we can’t get enough of it. Thai people are super friendly and welcoming, it’s accurately called the land of smiles.

Also important: in Thailand, we can truly by ourselves as a lesbian couple. It’s no problem to walk hand in hand, cuddle and/or kiss on the streets. In this blog post, we will tell you all about lesbian Thailand: the best places to visit, our favorite things to do, and practical information for lesbian travelers.

Lesbian Thailand – Where To Go?

Thailand is a much-visited country, but besides popular destinations like Bangkok and Phuket, there are still many hidden gems to explore in this beautiful country. The (gay) hub of Asia, Bangkok, can’t be missed during your Thailand trip, though we will also tell you about the lesser-visited places.

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. We absolutely love this busy and dirty (sometimes smelly) city, though we can see why many people hate it. You really need to know where to go in this big city! Besides the famous sightseeing spots Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Lumphini Park, and the many markets, there is a large gay scene.

By Maartje and Roxanne – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Lesbian Thailand Travel Resources

GaySail – Gay Owned Tour Operator in Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Gay Sail Cruise Split-Dubrovnik - GaySail

YOUR ULTIMATE GAY HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

At GaySail we organize about 50 gay sailing cruises a year, all over the world, for single gay men, couples, friends and private gay groups. We sail in Greece, Croatia, Ibiza, Virgin Islands, St. Martin & St. Barth, Bahamas, Brazil and Thailand.

With our team of 22 fully licensed gay skippers and gay cooks/co-skippers we can offer you a wonderful one- or two-week gay sailing vacation. We offer regular GaySail sailing cruises but also a lot GayNudeSail sailing cruises and GaySail Exclusive luxury sailing cruises, both monohull and catamaran yachts.

Cruises with gay skipper only, or skipper and cook for breakfast and lunch. Something for everyone!

See the Gaysail Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Lesbian Bangkok: Off the Beaten Path – Once Upon a Journey

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Lesbian Bangkok

Bangkok is one of our favourite cities in Asia and we keep coming back to it. There’s so much to see and do in Bangkok. But while most people visit famous places like the Grand Palace, Khao San Road, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, there are so many other great lesser known places to visit. We already discussed the best things to do in Bangkok and all Instagram worthy spots in Bangkok, but we love to tell you about Bangkok off the beaten path! This is our top five hidden gems around Bangkok.

Wat Samphran aka Dragon Temple

Wat Samphran is a unique temple you won’t find elsewhere in the world. By accident, we found out about this place and couldn’t believe our eyes. A pink building with a dragon? Why aren’t people talking about this place? It’s not mentioned in the travel books and therefore not many tourists know about it yet. The temple is 17 floors high and you can walk through the body of the dragon to reach the top.

The top makes for a great view. Not only the dragon temple itself is worth visiting, but there are also other beautiful structures around the complex. For example a giant bronze Buddha and animal statues like a giant turtle and elephant. We recommend taking at least two hours to explore the complex. Wat Samphran is a temple, so make sure to dress properly.

By Roxanne & Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

 

Bangkok by Bicycle – Once Upon a Journey

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Bangkok by Bicycle - Once Upon a Journey

Bangkok is one of our favourite places in Asia. There’s so much to see and do in the city! And one of the best ways to explore Bangkok is by bike and boat. This way you can explore off the beaten path and get to know the different faces of the city. From busy markets in China Town to green palm plantations in the outskirts to the fresh breeze on one of the canals. Sounds amazing right? Ready to hop on that bicycle and explore? We will tell you all about our adventures during our bicycle tour through Bangkok.

Bangkok Bicycle Tour

It’s no secret us Dutchies like to bike! We don’t just bike in the Netherlands, we bike all over the world. So no surprise, 30 years ago a Dutchman named Co van Kessel started to show tourists around Bangkok by bicycle. His company never stopped doing just that! It’s a unique way to see a city.

At Co van Kessel, there are multiple bicycle tours you can do, varying from 3 to 9 hours. We hop on the bicycle for 5 hours, or well, we also go on the water by boat. With our bicycles, how fun! Make sure to book a tour in the morning for better temperatures.

By Roxanne and Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

 

Intagrammable Bangkok – Once Upon a Journey

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Intagrammable Bangkok - Once Upon a Journey

As the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok is the perfect city to start your travels in Thailand or elsewhere in Asia. And Bangkok is so much more than just a hub, it’s a city with many things to see and do. From beautiful temples (have you ever seen a dragon temple?) to crazy markets to chaotic streets with tuk-tuks everywhere.

We are huge fans of Bangkok and love exploring the city. We found you the best Instagram spots in the city. Are you ready to see the 13 most Instagrammable places in Bangkok?! Grab your camera + outfit and let’s GO!

AIRPLANE GRAVEYARD

Abandoned places are always a bit creepy, but so cool, don’t you think?! The airplane graveyard in Bangkok is a unique place to visit. Always wanted to sit in a cockpit? This is your chance! There are multiple airplanes you can explore and you can take the coolest pictures. It’s not fully abandoned though, there is a family living in one of the airplanes. Be prepared to pay around 200 baht per person to enter the property. You can get to the airplane graveyard by taxi or by river taxi (way cheaper). Go to Wat Sriboonreun (last stop of the Khlong Saen Saeb), and from there it’s just a short walk.

By Roxanne Weijer – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

 

Gay Thailand Like a Local – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Thailand Like a Local - The Globetrotter Guys

We have been to Thailand many times and have had nothing but great experiences. Thailand has so much to offer from the crazy capital city of Bangkok, to the jungles of Chiang Mai and the idyllic beaches you will find on the islands in the south, including the island of Koh Phangan, where the world famous Full Moon Party is held every month.

Like most countries, we know we are in a privileged position as a tourist so we wanted to interview an LGBT local to get a more in depth insight as to what it’s really like to be LGBT in Thailand. We got in contact with Bud who was willing to share his experience, read more below:

Hi Bud! Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Bud Jungsaitakul. I am a middle aged gay professional and a world traveler from Thailand. I work as a senior operations manager at a large multinational company. I am a Thai National, MBA graduate and I live in Bangkok.

Thanks, so tell us, what is the stereotypical view of a local from Thailand towards someone who is LGBT (either local or tourist – is there a difference)?

Thailand is generally very tolerant towards the LGBT community and is probably the most gay friendly country in Asia.

The LGBT community has been visible in Thai culture for a very long time. Stereotypical views towards gay men in particular is that they are mostly feminine and camp.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

 

Chiang Rai Day Trip – Once Upon a Journey

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Chiang Rai Day Trip - Once Upon a Journey

Chiang Rai is a city in Northern Thailand located about 185 kilometres from famous Chiang Mai. A Chiang Rai day trip is perfect from Chiang Mai. We think it’s an absolute must to visit! Where in Chiang Mai you can find many old temples in Chiang Rai, there are newer ones like the White and Blue Temples.

We love exploring places by motorbike but this time we decide to go on a private tour with TakeMeTour, as it’s a 3-hour ride to Chiang Rai and a guide can tell us all about the places.  In this blog, we will tell you all about the perfect day trip and the things you can’t miss when visiting Chiang Rai.

WAT RONG KHUN AKA WHITE TEMPLE

Wat Rong Khun is one of Thailand’s most special and famous temple. To foreigners the temple is known as the White Temple, you can definitely see where that name comes from! The temple is open for visitors since 1997. An artist from Chiang Rai, named Chalermchai Kositpipat, completely rebuilt a temple and created the White Temple as you can visit now.

The temple is incredibly beautiful and unique. Every detail of the temple has meaning. The bridge is the Gate of Heaven while the hands in front of the bridge reach from hell. Good to know: since this temple is famous, it can be very crowded.

By Roxanne & Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

 

Koh Adang, Thailand’s Hidden Gem – The Nomadic Boys

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Koh Adang, Thailand's Hidden Gem - The Nomadic Boys

Unspoilt and untouched by mass tourism, Koh Adang is how most islands in Thailand used to be 25 years ago.

It is the largest island of the Adang Archipelago, which forms part of the Koh Tarutao National Marine Park. It is also the antithesis of busy touristy Koh Lipe located just opposite: secluded, unspoilt and peaceful.

We love visiting this part of Thailand because on the one hand it offers all the touristic options you need for a comfortable holiday on Koh Lipe, whilst at the same time you find gems like Koh Adang.

The Adang-Rawi Archipelago

Adang is part of the Tarutato National Marine Park in southwest Thailand close to the Malaysian border. Within this national park there are two groups of islands: Tarutao and Adang-Rawi. The Adang-Rawi group consists of Koh Lipe, Koh Adang, Ko Rawi, Koh Butang and Koh Lek.

Koh Lipe is the only island in this archipelago that has been allowed to develop for mass tourism, with many restaurants, hotels, resorts, bars, agencies and more. Although Koh Lipe has managed to avoid the problems caused by mass tourism in Thai islands, during peak periods like the Chinese New Year, it can become extremely busy, and quite claustrophobic.

Koh Adang on the other hand is the total opposite: remote, underdeveloped and peaceful. It is the ideal respite from the heaving crowds on Koh Lipe, yet only 5-10 minutes away by tail boat.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources