Pattaya before it was Pattaya

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thewayhelooks
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Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by thewayhelooks »

Erik Allyn did put out a phrase book, What You See is What You Say. For nostalgia seekers, there was also two volumes of Dear Uncle Go, by Peter Jackson which contained advice to gay men from a straight columnist in a national magazine, Go Pak Nam. An excellent effort. And for those with long memories back to the 1980s, the magazines Midway, Neon and Mithuna Junior and their splendid pictorials.
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Trongpai
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Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by Trongpai »

All archived here, click "catalog" then 'Midway.' All in Thai until 'Thai Guys' came alone, 1999. Adds of places long gone.
http://thairainbowarchive.anu.edu.au/

What ever happen to Erik Allyn. Who was he, still alive? There's lots of farang founders of gay venues named in these old publications, where are they now? Also, Dreaded Ned, anyone know if he's still kickin?

Erik Allyn, a pen name?, and others who were the 'fathers' of the gay scene in Thailand used to post under various anonymous names in the old Dreaded Ned board, I was told, but when that went under they all seemed to have disappeared or died out. The board was a haven for trolls and insult posters but there were also some very knowledgeable posters with inside information. I learned a lot from that board. http://www.dreadedned.com/
Now, badly outdated, listing places closed for years.

The only Thai owners of venues that I know from the 80's still in the business is the owner of Babylon, Tak and the owner of Super A, Manoo. Tak's family owned all the land on both sides of the soi that leads to Babylon. He's an interesting person and is the most unpretentious rich person that I've ever met. Staff are instructed not to high wai him and to ignore him when we walks around the sauna. He often invites youngish fit farangs visiting the sauna to have a free dinner with him at the big table. Once you're past 35 forget getting an invite!

The first gay tourist:

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For more: Thai Guys, Aug 2000, P 22. http://thairainbowarchive.anu.edu.au/
thewayhelooks
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Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by thewayhelooks »

There is an interesting account of the founding of Babylon in the book Imagining Gay Paradise by Gary Atkins which came out only a few years ago. I found it in Bookazine here in Pattaya. By the way, the owner is called Khun Toc in the book.
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Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by Trongpai »

Thanks, I'll be sure to look for that book. The book store at Emporium has a gay section.

Toc and Tok, same transliteration. C in Thai is most often a hard C, closer to K. Same with B and P, really neither in sound, something in between. I asked him once was it Tak, Toc or Tok and he replied, none of the above or whatever I want. At UTL school they used a C with a funny squiggle for Romanized Thai. I don't know how his name spelled in Thai script. His English is excellent, no Thai accent at all.

In the late 80's early 90's there was generally a line to get in Babylon (old location). Sometimes you would meet someone waiting in the line and took off together to someplace less crowded. It took me several visits to actually get in the place.
nynakedtop

Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by nynakedtop »

Trongpai wrote:There were also some organized gay tours of Thailand. One was called 'Tours to Paradise' run by a man by the name of Sam Adams of Hollywood ,CA. I knew him years ago and was sad to learn that he had died recently. He operated tours starting in 1990 to around 2000.
I believe you mean Sam JONES...(i may be wrong)... The first time I ever traveled to Thailand was with one of his two-week packages.... But I separated myself from the group after about two days to have my own adventure(s). While his mode of travel did not specifically work for me, it did give me the fundamental love for and appreciation of the place that would lead to more than 15 return visits, including an extended one for my thesis fieldwork research.

By the way.... the reason I left the packaged tour was being swept up by a group of other travelers while hanging out in the coffee shop of the Suriwong Hotel... and then finding true (hehe) love at the Jupiter Bar...
fountainhall

Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by fountainhall »

Trongpai wrote:In the late 80's early 90's there was generally a line to get in Babylon (old location). Sometimes you would meet someone waiting in the line and took off together to someplace less crowded. It took me several visits to actually get in the place.
I well remember those lines to get in. At the weekends there were usually 3 or 4 dozen guys waiting in line or in the little sitting area on the left as you entered. That was mostly before Babylon expanded and took over the next door unit. This allowed it to extend the bar at the top, add another cafe on the ground floor, more showers and dark rooms. Rather like the famous Continental Baths in New York where Bette Midler (Bathhouse Betty!) gained her gay following (often accompanied by Barry Manilow) and where other stars who appeared included Gloria Gaynor, Yvonne Elliman, Natalie Cole, Chubby Checker, the late "great" Elaine Stritch and Gladys Knight, there was usually some live music in the 1st floor restaurant - sometimes a guitarist, sometimes a pianist - at least on Fridays and Saturdays. The staff were also so cute! How I miss those days!! :D
Doug

Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by Doug »

Nice to see this thread revived.

2lz2p, you took me back when you mentioned 69 Club. That was the first boy bar I went to on my first visit to Pattaya. I must correct you though, the bar wasn't where the Siam Bayshore is now because I stayed at the Bayshore and I remember walking south just past the "pinched" part of the road and immediately turned left to find the bar.

One of the publications mentioned this bar so that's why I chose the Bayshore on my 10 day Cathy Pacific tour ( 2 days in Hong Kong, 3 days in Bangkok and 5 days in Pattaya) The bar was to open at 8:00 and I was outside the door at 7:45. The owner saw me hanging around and invited me in when he discovered I was an eager newby. He said the bar didn't open until 8:30 but offered me a drink. He took the time to answer all my questions about how the system worked. I was somewhat distracted as the boys began to arrive. I think I began to drool. The owner suggested he had a new boy who started the day before and had never been with a customer. He thought because we were both new, we could working things out slowly for ourselves. He introduced me to Chai.

What a stunner!! A fearfull expression but a beautiful smile. I had learned a little Thai, he knew no English but quickly we developed some hand and facial sign language and became comfortable with each other.

Back at the Bayshore we were both embarrassed to sign-in at reception but they were nice. In the room we took everything real slow and trust was established. That night we only cuddled with me mostly caressing his so smooth, sculpted bum. We happily spent the next 4 days and night together exploring Pattaya by day and each other by night. It was heaven.

My trip the following year was booked as soon as I arrive home. I went directly to Pattaya, this time staying at the Cafe Royal Hotel. At 8:30 on the dot I turned the corner to the bar where Chai would be waiting. Now my memory is letting me down but either the bar was gone or Chai was no longer employed there. I spent the rest of my vacation looking for Chai with no luck but many other beauties filled my time and other parts.
2lz2p, you mentioned you met a dream boy there. I'm going to try a post a photo of Chai. Maybe you'll recognize him.

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thaiworthy

Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by thaiworthy »

Beautiful story, Doug!
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Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by Undaunted »

thaiworthy wrote:Beautiful story, Doug!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Ronnie4you

Re: Pattaya before it was Pattaya

Post by Ronnie4you »

My first visit was in 1987. We stayed at a hotel which would have been on the grounds of the Royal shopping mall. I agree that the guys seemed to very much like farangs. 2d Road was a dirt road in many places. Gentlemen's Club was popular, but the age of the guys so questionable that I did not go more than once. (Some looked to be about 12.) Otherwise, the layout was much the same, deducting all of the new buildings since then.
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