[the_conductor]

(05-07-2012 01:56 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Conductor I think you mentioned going out in Ratchada before? The girl I was with last night mentioned it and said it's her fave place to go out, normal thais, not HiSo, no pros, few if any tourists. Says there's lots of clubs in one Soi, Soi 6 maybe? Can you or anyone else recommend any? I might give it a shot this weekend.

Yeah, we went to Ratchada Soi 4 for the RVF Bangkok meet up. There are also some in Soi 6, but I think it's quite a different crowd and I've never been there. In the news last month a guy got shot in front of Soi 6 because of some argument. In Soi 4 there are Zaleng, Snop and Sote along with many smaller clubs in between. In Snop there are seats along with tables though so the crowd doesn't start standing up and dancing late into the night

[AlphaTravel]

Is it a good night out and farang friendly?

[AlphaTravel]

Anyone else have trouble with condoms here in Thailand? I had a supply from home but they've ran out and the Durex here are too small and tight to use. It's a nightmare to get them on and keep them on. Is there a certain brand or packet that are a bit bigger as the standard ones in 7/11 are just no use.

[Soma]

(05-07-2012 11:25 PM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Anyone else have trouble with condoms here in Thailand? I had a supply from home but they've ran out and the Durex here are too small and tight to use. It's a nightmare to get them on and keep them on. Is there a certain brand or packet that are a bit bigger as the standard ones in 7/11 are just no use.

Condoms in Thailand are terrible. I highly, highly recommend Sagami Original L-size. Best condoms I've ever used. Unfortunately you can only get the "regular" size from Boots, which are rather small, but if you order from that Sampson Store link (in Hong Kong) they arrive in Bangkok in 1-2 days.

[WanderingSoul]

(05-07-2012 11:28 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Is it a good night out and farang friendly?

the_conductor may have to correct me, but I think we went to Sote. I would say it was a tough venue. No farang there at all really. Made a handful of approaches, all bombed. The night we were there was all Thai music and all Thai people. I think number of girls who speak English is much lower than RCA or Scratch Dog. Almost all mixed guy/girl sets. Off of my first impression I wouldn't recommend it for trying to hook up. You may have better luck than I did though. I'll admit, my state wasn't super high that night and that probably had an effect.

[Cr33pin]

whats up with a Visa for thailand? you need one before you go, can you get one when you get there? im american btw

[LifeBeginsAt40]

You can buy the visa when you land.

[Cr33pin]

Thanks

Also what are some good places to stay, im not on a hostel budget. i preffer a apartment but hotel will work long as they are guest friendly.... i want something like Jun-N-Dell in the philippines, this place rocks.

i dont want some place to get scammed like some other guy posted on here saying the property owners said he staind their drinking glasses, burn the bottom of a pot, ruined the sheets an was trying to charge him crazy money to replace those things either...

[NewToPUA]

First off, in regards to the visa. I do not know where you are from, but I am from the United States and I did not even pay anything. They just stamped my passport and let me in.

Regarding apartments/hotels, what is your price point? I have been finding decent stuff on airbnb for around $50-70 a night. I also stayed 3-4 nights at a VERY nice serviced apartment in Thong Lor called the somerset (completely guest friendly) - however it is $100 a night which may be too much if you are staying here for an extended period of time (as I am).

(05-08-2012 06:48 PM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

Thanks

Also what are some good places to stay, im not on a hostel budget. i preffer a apartment but hotel will work long as they are guest friendly.... i want something like Jun-N-Dell in the philippines, this place rocks.

i dont want some place to get scammed like some other guy posted on here saying the property owners said he staind their drinking glasses, burn the bottom of a pot, ruined the sheets an was trying to charge him crazy money to replace those things either...

[Soma]

More specifically regarding the visa, as an American tourist/visitor you have 3 options:

1) 30-day visitors permit "visa-exemption" if arriving by air
2) 15-day visitors permit "visa-exemption" if arriving by land
3) 60-day tourist visa (extendible to 90 days) if applied for before arrival at a Thai embassy/consulate

[AlphaTravel]

Quote:

You can buy the visa when you land.

Visa exemption stamps on arrival are free. You get 30 days. If you'll be here longer get the 60 or 90 day visa if it's available to Americans which I'm sure it will be. This costs money and has to be applied for in advance.

Quote:

Condoms in Thailand are terrible. I highly, highly recommend Sagami Original L-size. Best condoms I've ever used. Unfortunately you can only get the "regular" size from Boots, which are rather small, but if you order from that Sampson Store link (in Hong Kong) they arrive in Bangkok in 1-2 days.

I'll have a look round Boots today, there's 2 near here, and see what they have.

Quote:

the_conductor may have to correct me, but I think we went to Sote. I would say it was a tough venue. No farang there at all really. Made a handful of approaches, all bombed. The night we were there was all Thai music and all Thai people. I think number of girls who speak English is much lower than RCA or Scratch Dog. Almost all mixed guy/girl sets. Off of my first impression I wouldn't recommend it for trying to hook up. You may have better luck than I did though. I'll admit, my state wasn't super high that night and that probably had an effect.

No farang, thai music and thai people sounds good to me. As long as it's decent Thai music, any rock, ska or reggae, some of that stuff is good? I would have thought at Ratchada it would be a fairly well educated crowd, it's a nice area from what I've seen and the girls I know that live and go out there have fancy condos and nice apartments. Mixed crowds would make it hard to hook up though for sure. I never know what to do in those situations, it's hard working out who's just friends, who's gay, who's boyfriend / girlfriend and I'm always cautious that I'll just chat to a girl and suddenly have a bottle or punch to the head from her boyfriend who didn't take likely to the farang chatting them up. I guess the way to go is talk to the guys first and take it from there.

[WanderingSoul]

(05-09-2012 04:50 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

No farang, thai music and thai people sounds good to me. As long as it's decent Thai music, any rock, ska or reggae, some of that stuff is good? I would have thought at Ratchada it would be a fairly well educated crowd, it's a nice area from what I've seen and the girls I know that live and go out there have fancy condos and nice apartments. Mixed crowds would make it hard to hook up though for sure. I never know what to do in those situations, it's hard working out who's just friends, who's gay, who's boyfriend / girlfriend and I'm always cautious that I'll just chat to a girl and suddenly have a bottle or punch to the head from her boyfriend who didn't take likely to the farang chatting them up. I guess the way to go is talk to the guys first and take it from there.

Sounds good to me too, if the girls are open to being approached by farang. I didn't get that impression that night. However, I made only 3-5 approaches so my sample size was not large. I can do 3-5 approaches at RCA or Scratch Dog and usually get something working in my favor. At this club in Rachada I got nothing at all. No eye contact walking around, no smiles, nada.

If you give it a try let us know how it goes. I would like to be able to add Rachada to my list of spots to hit, but my one night there left me feeling it isn't the best place to hook up as a foreigner. Hopefully I am wrong.

[AlphaTravel]

Can you speak Thai? I speak basic Thai but nothing great, wonder if that makes a big difference. If I go I'll let you know the outcome.

[WanderingSoul]

(05-09-2012 05:08 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Can you speak Thai? I speak basic Thai but nothing great, wonder if that makes a big difference. If I go I'll let you know the outcome.

Just some basic phrases. I'll open in Thai, introduce myself in Thai, and throw in a few Thai jokes/lines that I use that work well. That's the extent of it.

[AlphaTravel]

What jokes do you know? Please share, sounds useful.

[WanderingSoul]

(05-09-2012 05:13 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

What jokes do you know? Please share, sounds useful.

I guess "jokes" isn't the right word. But the main one I use is to tell them they have "phom suay" which means beautiful hair. Then I say "same same me" and point to my head, which is shaved. They usually laugh. Then I'll take her hand and rub it on my head. If I'm wearing my hat, I'll take it off my head and while she's rubbing my head, put the hat on her. They will usually model it, seems Thai chicks love that model shit. This is an easy way to gauge how interested she is in me. If she won't touch my head or wear my hat, might be time to move on.

Another one I use is when they ask why I am in BKK, I tell them to train Muay Thai. It isn't 100% true but Thai girls have no clue what Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is. Sometimes I say Judo because they seem to know that. Then I'll show them my right pinkie finger which is fucked up from a street fight when I was a kid. They will usually touch it and I will act like it hurts and say "jib!" which means something like pain or hurts and pull it away quickly. Usually startles them a bit because they think they actually hurt me. Then I smile so they know I am kidding. If she hits me on the arm or pushes me this is a good sign. I'll tell her somethin like "Oh, you do muay thai too!" and then feel her bicep and say "kaeng lang!" which means strong.

Basically just a couple kino routines that work for me which involve some Thai words. They work really well, but are pretty specific to my interests and personality.

I go to these quickly to judge how open she is to being touched by me and how playful she is. If she seems boring or not warm to me touching her then it's on to the next one.

[AlphaTravel]

Nice routines.

[the_conductor]

(05-08-2012 12:47 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(05-07-2012 11:28 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Is it a good night out and farang friendly?

the_conductor may have to correct me, but I think we went to Sote.

Yup, we went to Sote. It's different from RCA in that there's no separate zone for Thai music and Hip-hop. I don't think many foreign guys do their gaming in Route66's Thai music zone either. They usually have hip-hop music in between Thai live band performances though (mostly popular Thai hits you hear on the radio), and after about 1:30 to closing it's all hip hop and people are getting wasted. That's like the hour where the magic happens around there. You gotta watch out for your liquor also cause when everyone in our group already left I was still out approaching alone, and when I came back to the table the couple at the table next to me told me that the waiter kept my bottle. I asked the staff but no one knew a thing, but they were courteous enough to give me a ticket for a new small bottle. I still have that if you guys want to join me again some time.

Innuendo from Romania said that at SNOP, girls were sending messages on napkins to him via waiters, but he's quite good looking. Personally I don't really like SNOP that much though.

[the_conductor]

What clubs do you go to AlphaTravel? I think you used to mention the Thai clubs on Kaosan Road, and the bars on Din Daeng, is that right?

[Cr33pin]

(05-09-2012 02:38 AM)NewToPUA Wrote:  

First off, in regards to the visa. I do not know where you are from, but I am from the United States and I did not even pay anything. They just stamped my passport and let me in.

Regarding apartments/hotels, what is your price point? I have been finding decent stuff on airbnb for around $50-70 a night. I also stayed 3-4 nights at a VERY nice serviced apartment in Thong Lor called the somerset (completely guest friendly) - however it is $100 a night which may be too much if you are staying here for an extended period of time (as I am).

(05-08-2012 06:48 PM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

Thanks

Also what are some good places to stay, im not on a hostel budget. i preffer a apartment but hotel will work long as they are guest friendly.... i want something like Jun-N-Dell in the philippines, this place rocks.

i dont want some place to get scammed like some other guy posted on here saying the property owners said he staind their drinking glasses, burn the bottom of a pot, ruined the sheets an was trying to charge him crazy money to replace those things either...

My apartment in the Philippines was like $430 usd a month an was everything i needed. I would spend that a month for a apartment in Thailand

[WanderingSoul]

(05-09-2012 07:57 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

My apartment in the Philippines was like $430 usd a month an was everything i needed. I would spend that a month for a apartment in Thailand

You shouldn't have any problem finding a place in the price range in BKK. You should be able to get a very nice place right off of the BTS. How long will you stay here if you come? My trouble was finding a place within my budget for less than 6 months. A 6 month contract would have been no problem. However, your budget is larger than my initial budget so you will have less trouble.

Your best bet is to come here and grab up a hotel or a hostel and then I can ask a few friends at the gym for recommendations. It usually doesn't take long to find a place and move in here in Thailand. Hell, I think most places you can move in then and there if you have the cash.

[CrackerJack]

(05-09-2012 05:28 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(05-09-2012 05:13 AM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

What jokes do you know? Please share, sounds useful.

I guess "jokes" isn't the right word. But the main one I use is to tell them they have "phom suay" which means beautiful hair. Then I say "same same me" and point to my head, which is shaved. They usually laugh. Then I'll take her hand and rub it on my head. If I'm wearing my hat, I'll take it off my head and while she's rubbing my head, put the hat on her. They will usually model it, seems Thai chicks love that model shit. This is an easy way to gauge how interested she is in me. If she won't touch my head or wear my hat, might be time to move on.

With your hat/head routine it's not necessarily a lack of interest when a girl pulls away. Obviously the country is heavily Buddhist and the head being the sacred part of ones body, strangers wouldn't like to be touched there or to touch someone else head. If anything the girl pulling away might be a sign of solid middle class upbringing or at least not as corrupted by lower Sukhumvit as some other ladies of the night are.
Similar but opposite with feet. Pointing your feet at someone is considered very rude. I sometimes noticed foreigners keeping their feet on their knees while sitting down in public spaces like BTS, which makes Thais positively uncomfortable.

[AlphaTravel]

Quote:

What clubs do you go to AlphaTravel? I think you used to mention the Thai clubs on Kaosan Road, and the bars on Din Daeng, is that right?

I've been to many different clubs and bars in different area. There's none I really go to consistently as it depends on whether I'm going out with a girl, whether the girl is a first date, whether I've known her a while. whether I'm out with a mate or a random I just met earlier in the day. Here's some...

Banglumpoo / Kowsan area: Brick Bar, Molly Bar, that bar across from Molly Bar with the Thai name that I don't understand, Bangkok Bar, Club Deep, 999 West, many of the student bars on Phra Thit road which I don't know the names of. The blues bar on Samson 13 and some other bars further along that road. All farang free mostly which I like even though it's a prime tourist spot.

Ratchethewi Area: Coco Walk, mostly Retro Bar but will sometimes bar crawl around the area and then head along to Hua Chang area and go to Treehouse and Taksura then sometimes go to Saxaphone.

Victory Monument: The outdoor bar area, I don't know what it's called but right beside the BTS.

On Nut: The beer gardens.

Ding Daeng: Like Room, the bar next to like room and the rock pub above like room (no idea of the name).

Lad Prao area-ish: Parking Toy

Sukhumvit area: Climax on occasion, have been to Soi Cowboy a few times now (been 4 times and 3 times with Thai girls i'm on dates with at their request).

Thong Lor / Ekkamai: Muse (just once), Narz (couple of times), Sonic (once)

Been to RCA a few times on previous trips but not so far on this trip, as I keep saying it seems to always slip my mind when deciding where to go out and it's a bit far away from where I'm staying which I guess influences things.

Others: Spicy and Swing (where are these clubs? I'm always drunk when I've been to these places and just tell the taxi driver Spicy, I don't pay attention to where I am going. When I leave I'm even more wasted and don't pay attention to how I'm getting home.

No doubt forgot many places I've been to.

At the moment I'm focusing on dates with girls who's numbers I already have and didn't get round to meeting (from street, malls, clubs, bars, through friends etc) rather than going out and trying to meet new ones as whenever I go out I spend loads of money, get wasted drunk and more often than not won't get a one night stand or occasionally when I end up in the after hour places I'll be dealing with pros and semi pros which is just a big headache where as if I get a girl out on a date I've a very high success rate and can usually get her back to my hotel.

Quote:

Pointing your feet at someone is considered very rude. I sometimes noticed foreigners keeping their feet on their knees while sitting down in public spaces like BTS, which makes Thais positively uncomfortable

You mean legs crossed? I know it's rude to show the soles of your feet in Asia but many of the Thai girls I know sit cross legged so I don't think that's considered rude or maybe they just don't care...

[NewToPUA]

(05-09-2012 01:44 PM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

At the moment I'm focusing on dates with girls who's numbers I already have and didn't get round to meeting (from street, malls, clubs, bars, through friends etc) rather than going out and trying to meet new ones as whenever I go out I spend loads of money, get wasted drunk and more often than not won't get a one night stand or occasionally when I end up in the after hour places I'll be dealing with pros and semi pros which is just a big headache where as if I get a girl out on a date I've a very high success rate and can usually get her back to my hotel.

After having been here for 2 weeks I have to agree. If you want to get laid dates are BY FAR the best option. I am 4/6 on dates and one of them was a virgin (which made it a lot more difficult). When going out at night its significantly more difficult. It is possible, but expect to work throughout the night and you probably will not succeed until an after-hours joint. For one, all the girls travel in packs - many times with other guys. So even if you get into the group its hard to get them to leave. Also, not all girls here are receptive to foreigners so you may get blown out of sets. Finally, although it is not as expensive as where I am used to going out, it definitely adds up going out here. If you buy bottle service everywhere and drinks it can get expensive going out. Also beyond just the $ involved, its incredibly draining physically. Being out until 5-6 am and hooking up until 8 am is hard on the body.

Dates are cake because you already know they are someone interested in you. You can screen your dates to know they speak decent english and like foreigners. Also, they are alone, so its easier to get them back to your place and seal the deal.

[AlphaTravel]

Getting a bottle of whisky or rum actually works out as a cheaper night for me usually, it's when constantly buying single beers or single spirits and mixers I spend a fortune. Two beers sometimes costs more than a small bottle of Sangsom rum. Can get a bottle of rum, few buckets of ice, some cokes for under 500 baht in most places. I like to move from venue to venue after each drink most of the time though especially with new girls so buying a bottle doesn't really work most of the time.

Dates work out best for me because I nearly always make the date near my hotel and most of the girls don't know Banglumpoo area very well so I can bar crawl them around all the decent places and take them for good food, show them something new. By the time it's gotten late and they are drunk it's rare for them to want to take a taxi back home because everyone tends to live so far away. Works a treat. Without their friends around they don't feel any pressure about coming home with you either. As much fun as it is going out is, it's draining on the wallet and body.

I'm a bit sick the last 2 or 3 days, feeling really drained and have a bit of a fever yesterday. Hoping I feel better in a couple hours as I've a date lined up, I had to cancel one yesterday because I couldn't face it.