Bangkok Report Songkran

[Trongpai]

I was out and about Wednesday night, the night before the official day one Thursday, 13 April. Besides the Silom and upper Sukhumvit area traffic is very light. It seems that many have left the city to go home.

I made my way over to soi Twilight and it was packed with hordes 20-somthing year old trendy presumably gay visiting Asians. They were armed with over the solder squirt guns but were refraining for the most part from using them. That is until midnight and then I guess it was the the 13th and day one of Songran: the water wars commenced.

All the gay Twilight bars were pretty much full house for the shows. The prices had been 400B since New Years but now were jacked up to 450B and off's 700B. There were a lot of decorations on the soi but the best I could tell the shows were the same-same as it has been for the past few months. The bars were exceptionally well stocked with boys. Not all Thai.

Right at midnight the Patpong bars put out barrels of water and gave buckets to the customers.

I then made it over to Silom and it was still open to traffic but there were huge crowds of mostly youngish Asians in packs all armed with water pistols

In front of DJ Station the crowd was over flowing on to both sides of Silom trying to get in DJ Station. I don't know what time they are going to close the street but it was not really functional as a traffic way at 12:30.

Babylon has Sonkran parties planed but as usual the place fills to capacity quickly. Get there early if you want to get in.

It was the same situation over on upper Sukhumvit but the water splashing was more bucket throwing. Many people walking on the traffic way.

That's it for me, now I go home and stay there for the next three days. Someone else will have to continue this years Bangkok Songkran report.

[fountainhall]

Thanks for the Report. I wonder if you got the impression that most of the guys in Soi Twilight were Thais or other Asians? I'd assume others. It would also be really interesting to find out if the Asians packing the bars took any of the go-go boys off. Probably unlikely with the street celebrations starting at midnight, But I've always assumed that since visiting Asians tend to visit with friends or in groups, most are there only for the experience and the shows. If they look for sex, it's more likely at the saunas beforehand. One reason for drink prices now being so high.

[Trongpai]

. I wonder if you got the impression that most of the guys in Soi Twilight were Thais or other Asians? I'd assume others.

My impression is that they were other Asians. I heard a lot of Mandarin and Malay. One of the mamasans commented that all of Singapore is in Bangkok now.

They do buy the boys drinks and tip in the bar but as for 'off'ing' I don't know. I do know that they visit the gay massage venues and used to line up at Hero.

[Trongpai]

This is day 3 Bangkok Songkran and generally a winding down day and pretty much over at night fall. I guess since this was a Saturday and with the added long weekend the situation changed and it was pretty much all going full steam at 2300.

The burbs remain deserted and not a drop of water. Go by any bar in the Silom, Sukhumvit and KhoSan area and there's madness afoot. The bars have garden hoses deployed in front of the bar facing the street and every one gets it. Mostly the bar girls but they encourage farangs to take part. The streets were soaked wet.

Loud music, dancing on the roofs of cars and heavy drinking. This is not a "toned down' Songkran.

Will it stop tomorrow?

Many businesses including restaurants remain closed. Some with signs and other's just closed up, pulled the gates down and left with no notice.

[Trongpai]

It's all over now in Bangkok and it's safe to move about the city. Many businesses still closed. Soi Twilight busy and I see farangs. Dream boys now 500B for a drink/admission. Dream boys was filled to capacity with customers. The other bars had prices at 400 and 450.

[gkwanger]

A belated report on Babylon activities. Parties began on 13th ran through 15th, with a Bear Party event on the 16. Admission 13-15 500B. Comp beer and snacks on those days as well as foam parties, go-go shows, pool races etc. On the first day, the foam party began in the evening about 7 or 8 in the converted parking lot just outside the pool/gym area. For me and bf and his posse not as much fun as the following two days, when the foam began in the afternoon. I like seeing all the slick bodies, but that's just my preference. I guess there are those who like the stealth action that probably occurs more in the darkness, lol. They added a second foam machine this year which made all the difference to the volume of foam, easily over your head near the out flows. At one end of the area a stage with go-go going on. There was no partitioned walkway area around the foam, so you were either in it or out. No gawkers. And no guys with buckets of ice water drenching the foamers. Attendance was the usual Songkran mix, 50 percent Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, 30 other Asian (actually noticed more Japanese this year), and 20 percent other (Euro, US, MidEast)). Of course these are estimates. The 16th was an unusual affair. The Bear Party involved an outside event sponsor, who had sold tickets apart from Babylon, and who were renting the venue for their event. I turned around at the door when I found what the deal was. For 500B I could only use the inside sauna areas and restaurant. No pool, no foam, no gym. If I wanted to have full access, I would have to fork up 1350B. Guests of the Babylon hotel facilities had to pay the additional ticket price as well. They had gotten in with no additional charge during the 13-15 parties. The three days me and BF attended were great fun and exciting, better than last year. All three days, when we left, there were chairs set up outside the entrance with rows of guys waiting for us to exit and make room for them. I wondered if they would get to the front of the line before it closed.