Our first article in our occasional series “Whatever happened to….” seems to have struck a chord with many and we’ve had some interesting feedback, not to mention several pleasant evenings supping beer and discussing the good old days of Chiang Mai’s gay scene with friends. We already have enough material for several articles but before publishing any more we thought we would throw this open for our reader’s contributions.
If you have any information or stories about the places listed below, or know of any other we have omitted please let us know. Photographs particularly welcome.
Please fell free to add comments to this article or send us by email – see contact page
Your assistance much appreciated, we look forward to bringing you the next installment in our series very soon.
Bars and Go-Go
Cherry house (Guesthouse & Bar)
21/7-8 Soi Rajapruk, off Huaykaew road (near Nakornping Condo)
Original Adam’s Apple and Lotus bar
Pre July 2006 – not the current version after the remodel.
Coffee Boy
248 Tunghotel road (near Arcade bus station). Also known as Bannana Club for a brief period, and had attached guest house Coffee Boy Cottages.
Siamese Cat Cocktail lounge
19/39 Singharaj Rd. We believe this was Chiang Mai’s original gay bar, owner subsequently opened Coffee Boy.
Kudos Bar
70/16-17 Gold Place Centre, Chiyapoom Road Near North Wheels, where Jack Van Bar parks outside. This was Martin and Nooks Bar. We believe martin is still in Chiang Mai – any photo’s that go-go pole must have given some good Photo opportunities!
Sandy bar
One of the beer bars at the Muay Thai Boxing centre next to Top North Hotel. We believe there were some other gay bars there but can’t remember the names.
There was also a gay disco bar opened upstairs in the grounds of the Top North hotel maybe in 2007 sometime? It was only open for a few months. Anyone recall the name?
Unknown
A German guy called Klaus (of Yum Boi Boi Fame) had a beer bar in the same block as New My Way. Any info?
Unknown
Gay Bar in Santitham on corner of Sod Sueksa Rod and Soi 1. Now called NaNa Coffee (not Gay)
Soho Bar
Yes we know, Soho is still open and very popular; both the current owners (since August 2011)and previous owner, Scott Taylor are good friends of ours. But what about some stories from the original owners Paddy and Oud?
Club 9
In Nimmanheminda Soi 9, we believe opened by a well know Scottish gentlemen after the sale of the original Soho.
Munro’s Showbar
They Didn’t last too long in Chiang Mai but who could forget Ruby Munro and partner Vince. Are they still in Phuket?
Lanna Corner/Lanna Paradise/Buddies
On the Sriphum inner corner of the moat (Now Riders GT Bar), given the notoriety of some of the staff there should be plenty of gossip to spill on this one!
Fan Club
If you don’t know, don’t ask! It couldn’t get any worse!
His Club Karaoke and Coyote bar
Chiang Mai Land – Now Sofa Boy Karaoke. Not to be confused with His Club Massage which is still going strong.
Golden Ball
Now Sabbai Dee Santitham
Dragon Pub
Modern Disco and restaurant with live bands near Royal peninsula hotel. Now straight Karaoke.
Darling Wine Bar
Although still open, but only in name, there must be some good stories from the sadly departed Lucas and Daeng days, as well as more recently.
2 Style
Near or at where Zoe in Yellow is now.
Simon Cabaret
Ladyboys galore – where are they now?
Bubbles
Disco in the Basement of Porn Ping Hotel
Spicy ( night Illusion) or Nice Illusion
Still open but in a new location and reportedly very gay unfriendly now.
Night Bazaar:
Snake Pit/Gutter Alley – Bars beneath the night bazaar building
Closed after the social order campaign of Purachai around 2002/3. Bars included Jungle bar and Cruise bar.
The Peak
- MTVee Bar
- Paradise Bar
- Friendship Bar
- Cupid Bar
- Chez Nous
- Friends bar
Also Boony’s bar (Same block as Friends) later taken over by Dom and another bar of Dom’s that opened later – don’t recall the name.
Sleaze Alley – Behind D2 Hotel
- Cruise bar
- Cream Bar
- Dragon King
- Chameleon
- Jackpot Bar
- Wood Bar
Massage:
- B-Beez (Behind Hillside Condo)
- Release Club (Pa Daet near Sparoma)
- Chakkha (first in Santitham then where Victory is now)
- Maple House (next to New My Way)
- Art of Massage (Viangbua Soi 2)
- Ken’s Club Massage (near where Victory is now)
- Barai Massage
- Man male Massage (Santitham Road)
Also, TonBap (As in notorious pimp and Mamasan at both Adam’s and Free Guy) had an outcall massage place inside a shirt shop (we kid you not…) 12/4 Thanin Road. Santitham
Sauna
Freeman Suana
The original Free Guy Club opened as a Sauna, they also tried it again for a while last year.
Sparoma
Out South of town on the river in padeat, beautiful building
Nagaraj
Near Big C on the Superhighway, by the owners of Circle Pub. Popular with Tai Yai guys from the bars using the gym.
Sauna Mae jo
Out near Mae Jo University
We know of another Sauna near CMU but don’t recall the details – anyone?
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The first time I ever visited Chiang Mai (1994?) I stayed at Cherry House. Banjert (now sadly no longer with us) picked me up from the airport and that evening he and Luknam (the owner) took me and a couple of other new guests on a full tour of all the gay places in Chiang Mai (including the more dubious ones). I stayed there every year until it closed. Luknam used to throw a party if he found out it was your birthday. There was always a big crowd every morning for ‘elevenses’. It was a home away from home for lots of visitors. I miss it quite a lot.
Danny’s Bar was really a good place: no nudity, no show, but very nice boys to meet and actually get to know.
Doi Boi: I only have the standard gossip, which is still amazing. Evidently, one of the guys had won the heart of an elderly British man, and he and his three gay friends were busily defrauding that man. What HE thought was money going to buy a retirement farm in Thailand was actually buying a townhouse, quickly converted to a gay bar on three floors with four “managers.” There was always something “funny” about the place — the boys came and went with astonishing speed — and then finally someone explained it to me. The whole point of Doi Boi was to provide plentiful sex for the four managers, with customers coming a very distant second!
Naturally, they never developed a customer base, because every boy who was decent in bed was taken for the management. :-0 Customers with any smarts were across the street at Danny’s Bar, which had an ironclad “hands-off” rule with the boys there, and did very nice things like cook dinner for them every night. This lasted right up to the moment when Danny himself fell hopelessly in love with a Thai boy, which led to a divorce with his Austrian partner, and the demise of Danny’s Bar. Tempis fugit and all that.
Coffee Boy: I never liked the place, because it was house policy for a boy to come (uninvited) and sit with you from the minute you walked in. I’d rather choose my own company!
That’s two votes for “Danny’s Bar”; it must have been fun!
Thanks for the input and keep them coming!
Thanks for the column many of us long time residents have seen so many bars and other gay establishments opening and closing. One bar though is missing from your list which was by many residents of Chiang Mai considered one of the best Gay bars Chiang Mai ever had – “Danny’s Bar” on Changphuak Road Soi 4. Parties there where legendary – if Birthdays, Christmas, New Years or any other occasions like Halloween – a real Bar with reasonable drink prices boys in street cloth – no a go go. A real meeting place for residents and tourists alike. Often when the official opening hours were over only he back door would stay open and the party went on well into the wee-hours.
Danny’s Bar was a great place. (1992-93). Across the street was the original Doi Boi, and many many tales could be told about THAT place.
This would be before Adam’s Apple, when the Lotus Hotel had a bar and a show filled with screaming drag queens, right up to the day when Mohamed fired them all.