Thailand
Thailand “Land of Smiles” as been the premier gay destination in Southeast Asia for many years. It offers you a wide selection of rooms, guesthouses and resorts to choose from. Nothing is better than a relaxing Thai Massage after a day of touring the many Wats and shopping centers. Great restaurants, cafes, hotels, saunas, spas and shopping await you. While prostitution is illegal in Thailand, as is “underage” sex, there are host and go go bars everywhere you go. Just be careful, and be sure not to do anything stupid. Bangkok is the “hub” for both Thailand and Southeast Asia. Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are just a quick play flight away. Mainland Thai culture is heavily influenced by Buddhism. However, unlike the Buddhist countries of East Asia, Thailand’s Buddhists follow the Therevada school, which is arguably closer to its Indian roots and places a heavier emphasis on monasticism. Thai temples known as wats, resplendent with gold and easily identifiable with their ornate, multicolored, pointy roofs are ubiquitous and becoming an orange-robed monk for a short period, typically the three-month rainy season, is a common rite of passage for young Thai boys and men. Thailand’s age of consent is 15 but a higher minimum age of 18 applies in the case of prostitutes. Thai penalties for sex with minors are harsh, and even if your partner is over the age of consent in Thailand, tourists who have sex with minors may be prosecuted by their home country. As far as ascertaining the age of your partner goes, all adult Thais must carry an identity card, which will state that they were born in 2535 or earlier if they were over the age of 18 on January 1, 2010 (in the Thai calendar, AD 2010 is the year 2553). Some prostitutes are “freelancers”, but most are employed by bars or similar businesses and if hiring a prostitute from a bar or similar business, you will have to pay a fee for the establishment called a “bar fine”. This entitles you to take them out of their place of employment; it does not pay for any bedroom gymnastics.
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Thailand Travel Tips
An Introduction
The Kingdom of Thailand is the geographical heart of South-East Asia. The famous golden triangle, located at the nation’s northernmost point, is where Thailand’s borders meet those of both Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The border with Myanmar continues to the west and then south as far as the Malay Peninsula, much of which is occupied by Thailand .On the east, the border with Laos meanders southeast along the Mekong River until it reaches Cambodia , which is due east of Bangkok , the Thai Capital. In the south is the Gulf of Thailand.
The Gay Scene
The gay scene in Thailand is the most vibrant in all of asia. There are hundreds of gay owned and managed hotels, guesthouses, bars, pubs,restaurants, spas, saunas and tour companies. There are no laws against homosexuality in Thailand. Same sex marriages are not permitted yet. Overseas same sex marriages are not recognized. In practice gay people are not prosecuted and gay venues are permitted to operate freely without too much interference. Coming out to one’s own family or work colleagues as being gay is still a difficult thing for many Asian gay men,
Climate
Most of the year is hot and humid. Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with two distinct seasons. The rainy season is from the beginning of May to the end of September, and the dry season is from October through April. The yearly average temperature is about 28 degrees Celsius, rising to a maximum of 38 degrees Celsius during April and May.
Shopping
Most shops in the tourist areas are open from about 9am until 10pm, 7 days a week. Thailand is a mecca for the shopper, street shopping is a favorite and bargaining is the way of life here. But for the more upscale shopper, the Malls here are fantastic. Thailand is know for its silk and other hand crafted items.
Banking
There are local banks in all areas of the kingdom, and in Bangkok, many international banks. Banks offer the usual banking services – cash advances on credits cards, international currency exchange, telegraphic transfers, cash travelers checks and most offer ATMs with international access. Most banks are open from 9:00 to 15:00, Monday through Friday. Some banks in the Malls are open Saturday and Sunday. ATMs are available 24 hours, dispensing Thai Baht.
Immigration
All nationalities must have a valid passport and need to apply for a travel visa, except for ASEAN nationals. Visa on arrival is available at the International checkpoints.
Traveling To Thailand
Most major air carriers service Thailand, there are several international airports thruout Thailand. There are also several international checkpoints to enter via land transportation.
Getting About
Thailand has an excellent transportation system. There are local buses serving all of Thailand. All major cities have airports. You can hire a car in the major cities. In Bangkok there is the BTS (overhead)and the MRT (subway) which can take you to most of the popular destinations within the city.
Electrical Appliances
Thailand uses type A, B, C, E and F electrical plugs with a voltage of 220 V at 50 Hz. Some outlets offer a combination of type A and C. Type F outlets are most often found in hotels.
Tipping
Most restaurants add a 10 per cent service charge but an additional 5 to 10 per cent may be given, where deserved. When a service charge is not automatic,10 per cent is acceptable. Small tips may also be given to taxi drivers, bellboys, doormen and washroom attendants.
Thailand Tourist Attractions
KO PHI PHI is a small archipelago in the Krabi Province in Southern Thailand. Ko Phi Phi Don is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants while the smaller Ko Phi Phi Leh is very popular as a beach or dive excursion. Tourism on Ko Phi Phi has exploded only very recently, especially after Ko Phi Phi Leh was used as a location for the 2000 movie The Beach. As a result of the masses of tourists Ko Phi Phi is becoming less and less attractive but for now it is still a very beautiful place to visit.
PHANG NGA BAY is located just over 95 km (60 miles) from the island of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is one of the top attractions in Thailand and one of most scenic areas in the country. It consists of beautiful caves, aquatic grottoes and limestone islands. The most famous island in the bay is a sea stack called Ko Ping Kan (more commonly known as James Bond Island) which was featured in the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. A popular way of visiting Phang Nga Bay is by sea kayak as they are the only way to get inside the grottoes and sea caves.
CHIANG MAI NIGHT BAZAAR is one of the top Thailand attractions. The famous Night Bazaar sprawls along several city blocks along footpaths, inside buildings and temple grounds. It has handicrafts, arts, clothing and and imported products of all descriptions, and a number of large, well-appointed modern shopping centers. At first, the market was owned by Chinese merchants, but since it grew in size as more commercial buildings were built, it was no longer owned by a single group of people. Instead, there are many owners, and most of them are Thai.
THE GRAND PALACE was constructed started in 1782 when the capital of Siam was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok. The palace served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the mysterious death of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946. His brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej who succeeded him moved permanently to the Chitralada Palace.Part of the palace compound is dedicated to a royal temple, Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple of Thailand and home to the Emerald Buddha. A jade statue adorned in gold clothing, the Emerald Buddha, the Emerald Buddha is one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.
AYUTHAYA was founded in 1350 AD by King U Thong as the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai. Throughout the centuries, the ideal location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become one of the largest cities in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. In 1767 the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The city was re-founded a few kilometers to the east of the ruins, which now form the Ayutthaya historical park. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time.
JIM THOMPSON HOUSE The infamous CIA operative Jim Thompson revived the Thai silk industry after World War II and had this house assembled from six traditional Thai-style houses. As Thompson was building his silk company, he also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art. Jim Thompson’s House sits on a klong across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. You must take the guided tour through the buildings, which are given in plenty of foreign languages.
BANGKOK KLONGS “Klong” is Thai for canal. Historically, people used klongs throughout Thailand for transportation and commerce, earning Bangkok the nickname, “The Venice of the East.” Today, most klongs have been filled in for use as streets. But you can still visit a tourist version of a traditional floating market on the Klong Damnoen Saduak in the Ratchaburi province or take a boat through central Bangkok on the Khlong Saen Saeb to avoid city traffic.
WAT ARUN is situated on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River , Wat Arun (“Temple of Dawn”) is one of the oldest and best known landmarks in Bangkok. The temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. Despite its name, the best views of Wat Arun are in the evening with the sun setting behind it.
WAT PHO is famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. It is one of the largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the oldest, constructed nearly 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand’s capital. Wat Pho holds the distinction of having both Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha image and the largest number of Buddha images in Thailand. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and commemorates the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana.
SUKHOTHAI is one of Thailand’s earliest and most important historical cities. Originally a provincial town within the Angkor-based Khmer empire, Sukhothai gained its independence in the 13th century and became established as the capital of the first united and independent Tai state. The ancient town is reported to have had some 80,000 inhabitants. After 1351, when Ayutthaya was founded as the capital of a powerful rival Tai dynasty, Sukhothai’s influence began to decline, and in 1438 the town was conquered and incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom. Sukhothai was abandoned in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Thailand History
The Thais moved from their ancestral home in southern China into mainland southeast Asia around the 10th century AD. Prior to this, Indianized kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms ruled the region. The Thais established their own states starting with Sukhothai, Chiang Saen and Chiang Mai as Lanna Kingdom and then Ayutthaya kingdom. These states fought each other and were under constant threat from the Khmers, Burma and Vietnam. Much later, the European colonial powers threatened in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but Thailand survived as the only Southeast Asian state to avoid colonial rule. he earliest identifiably Thai kingdom was founded in Sukhothai in 1238, reaching its zenith under King Ramkhamhaeng in the 14th century before falling under the control of the kingdom of Ayutthaya, which ruled most of present-day Thailand and much of today’s Laos and Cambodia as well, eventually also absorbing the northern kingdom of Lanna. Ayutthaya was sacked in 1767 by the Burmese, but King Taksin regrouped and founded a new capital at Thonburi. His successor, General Chakri, moved across the river to Bangkok and became King Rama I, the founding father of the Chakri dynasty that rules (constitutionally) to this day.
Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only South-East Asian country never to have been colonised by a foreign power, and fiercely proud of the fact. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. During World War II, while Japan conquered the rest of Southeast Asia, only Thailand was not conquered by the Japanese due to smart political moves. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. After a string of military dictatorships and quickly toppled civilian Prime Ministers, Thailand finally stabilized into a fair approximation of a democracy and the economy boomed through tourism and industry. Above it all presided King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the world’s longest-reigning monarch and a deeply loved and respected figure of near-mythic proportions.
