Bangkok - the city of gay angels
The capital of Thailand is one of the biggest asian city. Bangkok is the city of contrasts, where miserable barracks live out under huge modern skyscrapers; the city of three-level roads, where cars from all seven sides move past you; the city of extraordinary entertainment that you don’t even guess about.
People call Bangkok "city of angels" because this phrase is in the full name of Bangkok in Thai language. For the Thais Bangkok is a spiritual, cultural, economic and political center, it's home for more than 16 million people. For foreign visitors it's place where they can step outside their reality, gain new ideas, experience another feelings or, well, just relax. Bangkok is the hub for both Thailand and Southeast Asia – Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are just a quick flight away.
Young, dynamic, fashionable and energetic - the capital of Thailand annually attracts thousands gay visitors. And if earlier elderly tourists preferred to come to gay Bangkok, in recent years the city was flooded with young travelers. And their choice is quite reasonable. Capital contains several gay areas and more than one hundred spots for LGBT. So it's never boring in Bangkok.
Contents
- Transport in Bangkok
- Bangkok's tourist activities
- Bangkok's gay community
- Bangkok gay map
- Bangkok gay spots
Transport in Bangkok
Taxi, motorbike taxi and tuk tuk
In Bangkok more than 2 million taxis (most of them are air-conditioned sedans). Taxi prices in the capital of Thailand are the lowest in the world, and payment is counted by a meter. But often taxi drivers ask for a fixed price, which may differ from the price by the meter in several times. The average cost of taxi trip in Bangkok is about 100 baht.
Bangkokian taxis accept cash only. You should also have small money with you as the taxi driver may not have a change.
In certain places of the city (metro stations, shopping centers, living complexes) you can see Thais guys in colorful vests who offer motobike taxi services. This taxi is incredibly convenient for short distances. In addition, motorbikes are not afraid traffic jams, so the motorbike is one of the fastest modes of transport for Bangkok.
On the streets of the Thai capital can also catch a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw). In tourist places tuk-tuk is mainly focused on carrying tourists and the fare is several times higher than the cost of a regular taxi.
Water transport
In Bangkok, a river canal system was well developed from the very beginning, that's why the city was called the Eastern Venice. At the end of the 20th century, most of the canals were filled up to make the roads where its flowed. However, part of the channels still remained. On the canals that are still preserved, and rivers, you can hire a boat-taxi. But for independent movement in the city this type of transport is hardly suitable for an ordinary traveller excluding tourist routes along the Chaya Praya River. However, a ride on a fancy longtail boat is a very fun adventure.
Bus connection
Locals in the general mass prefer to use buses when moving around the city because it's the cheapest type of transport in the capital. On the roads you can find several bus types with different fare. Buses with wooden floors and no windows seem funny for visitors. Conductors and bus drivers, as a rule, don't speak English. Bus's passengers are also not strong in English. Without knowing the Thai language and the route is better to use another type of transport.
Bus fare depends on the distance. A trip in an air-conditioned bus costs 11-23 baht, without it - 6.50-8.50 baht. From 11 pm till 5 am there are night buses on some routes.
Skytrain (overground subway)
The official name of this type of transport is BTS (Bangkok Transport Systems). The first overpass was launched in 1999. BTS is constantly expanding and is a convenient form of transport especially for tourists. All BTS stations and trains are equipped with english prompts.
The fare depends on the distance and ranges from 16 to 60 baht. Some BTS wagons have transparent windows from where you can enjoy magnificent views of Bangkok.
A map of the BTS with stations and fares can be found here.
Underground subway
The official name is MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). The first lineup was launched on June 3, 2004. Since then the underground metro is growing and according to the plan-project for a near future should cover the entire city and neighboring towns. The fare depends on the distance and can be 15-40 baht.
The current MRT scheme is available on the map here.
Attention! MRT and BTS are owned by different private corporations with a different pricing system and don't have direct connections. But you can transfer from BTS to MRT and back at the following stations: Mo Chit - Chatuchak Park, Asok - Sukhumvit and Sala Daeng - Si Lom.
Rapid bus
In 2010, project called Bangkok BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) was launched in Bangkok, which planned the construction and maintenance of five special urban routes. To date, Sathon – Ratchaphruek route is up and running, the other four have been canceled. BRT operates on public roads at a dedicated lane. A task of the line is to bring passengers to the BTS and MRT stations as fast as possible.
Airport Rail Link (ARL)
ARL is another type of metro, the task of which is to transport passengers to Bangkok’s international airports, as well as local residents living in the suburbs between the airports and the capital. The line is covered with two trains City Line and Express Line.
From the main air gate of Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to the capital can be reached in less than half an hour with the high-speed train ARL Express Line. Express Line takes passengers from the airport to MRT Phetchaburi station or BTS Phaya Thai station. The maximum fare is only 45 baht.
Currently the construction of the ARL branch to the Don Muang International Airport is underway.
Intercity buses
Intercity buses - one of the most popular and common modes of transport in Thailand. The whole country is permeated with a network of numerous bus routes, most of which begin (or end) in Bangkok. In the capital of the kingdom there are three large bus stations (not counting the small bus terminals). The first bus station and the largest is Mochit. From there buses go to the north and north-east (Isaan) of the country. The second, fairly new and modern bus station, Southen. From there buses go to the south of the country. The third, the smallest, is called Ekkamai and is within walking distance of the BTS station Ekkamai. From there buses go to the east of the country, including Pattaya city.
By the way, Pattaya is so popular among tourists and locals that regular buses from Mochit and Southen bus station are organized to Pattaya. But from Ekkamai to Pattaya buses go more often.
Train connection
Trains are not the most popular form of transport in Thailand due to its underdevelopment and high prices compared to buses. Train station Hua Lamphong is a railway junction which links the capital to other cities in the country of smiles and neighboring countries. Hua Lamphong railway station is located next to the same named MRT station. From Hua Lumphong you can go by train to the north (to Chiang Mai), south (to Hat Yai), east (to Aranyaprathet) and northeast (to Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani). The cost depends on the class of service and often greatly exceeds the cost of buses for similar distances.
Flight connection
Bangkok is one of the most fascinating and exciting places in Asia. In addition, Bangkok is the "gateway" to Southeast Asia - many tourists before heading for example to Cambodia or Laos, visit Bangkok as an obligatory point on them route. Bangkok can be considered as a starting point for traveling around the country, although you can spend as much as a month in the capital, without having fully explored it, without revealing its intimate secrets. Needless to say that the Thai capital long time has been recognized as a popular destination for holidays or vacations.
The huge city is served by two international airports Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang. Suvarnabhumi is the main airport for long-distance international flights. In Thai cities from Suvarnabhumi passangers fly by such airlines as Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways. Don Muang - the base airport mainly low cost airline (Air Asia, Lion Air, Nok Air and ect), serves both local and international flights to neighboring countries. There is a bus route between the two airports. Buses depart from both airports every hour from 5 am to 24 am. Travel by bus is free if passanger have flight ticket.
Bangkok's tourist activities
Bangkok is a city of extraordinary recreation and tourism. Despite a glory of the city for carnal pleasures, there are many places for cultural and spiritual pastime in Bangkok. The modern city offers the best in Asia (and probably around the world) food, entertainments and night life. Numerous restaurants, bars, night markets, shopping centers and other places open their doors every day for guests and locals.
In an urbanized metropolis with hundreds of skyscrapers and business centers, the heritage of the past is sacredly honored, and the perfectly preserved architectural monuments are the main evidence of that. The majestic temples, palaces and museums cherish the secrets of many-sided oriental culture. The historical center of the city is Rattanakosin island, which means "the highest jewel". Royal Palace and the main temples of the Thai capital are located there. The island is surrounded by a network of canals, on the banks of which the most expensive restaurants and hotels are concentrated.
At night Bangkok turns into a giant entertainment center - hardly anywhere else you will spend time as fun, bright and extravagant as in the ever-beating heart of Thailand. Numerous night markets, scattered in a gigantic city, invite for shopping, as well as taste exotic Thai dishes. More than a thousand bars and pubs, go-go clubs and other hot spots are waiting for customers to quench their uncontrollability for entertainments. Bangkok’s nightlife, organized primarily for tourists, is concentrated in areas such as Khao San Road, Patpong, Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza, Siam Square, Sukhumvit Soi 11 and many other places.
Bangkok's gay community
The most attractive gay scene is concentrated in tourist area called Silom where you can find local boyz-town - Soi Twilight; dance alley Silom Soi 2; the famous street Silom Soi 4 (there are located the oldest queer bars of the capital); and several dozen places, from massage parlors and saunas to bars and restaurants which are scattered in Silom and surrounding streets - Sathorn, Surawong and Rama IV.
Another tourist gay area is still Sukhumvit, although the number of establishments there decreasing every year. But several massage salons still open for gay pleasure of tourists and local.
Local residents, Thais guys, prefer other places. For example, the area with complicated name Phahonyothin. This area is mainly focused on relaxation spots - saunas and massages.
Bangkok gay area with not less difficult name Ramkhamheng is remarkable because its main audience are young people and students. There are several educational institutions and so many young yammy thai guys come to Ramkhamheng's spots.
And we have to allocate another gay block which has stood out a few years ago - Ratchada. At end of 2000s there was only one small gay pub. But now there are more than a dozen venues already, and perhaps soon there will be many more. By the way most spots at Ratchada are bars and dance clubs.
Just want to mention that for the tourists and expats who don't spean thai only two districts are suitable for visiting - Silom and Sukhumvit. Most travellers and local expats come and hang out at those places. At other gay areas visitors come very seldom. Of course, in case if you come to explore it no one would drive you away because thai people are very friendly.
Bangkok gay map
We suggest you to use the map of gay Bangkok where we marked all spots and venues for LGBT which we only could find. Click on marker to open popup and find details of spot.
