Gay Koh Samui
Although Koh Samui has always been extremely welcoming towards the gay crowd, until a short while ago it couldn’t compete at all with places like Pattaya and Bangkok. Nowadays, the island has its own gay scene, although it’s very different from the sleazy ones in places like Pattaya. There’s no ‘Boyztown’ here. Instead, many gay visitors prefer a more laid-back approach rather than the jaded and seedy scene that can be found elsewhere in Thailand.
Updated and correct: November 2008
Emerald Green is a new Men Only Spa. Owners Bruce and Mark are a goldmine of information about the gay scene on the island, and are extremely friendly and helpful. Not only do they produce their own gay map of Koh Samui, but also run the very efficient www.gaykohsamui.net.
BoyZone: on a side soi opposite Centara Grand beach resort in Chaweng. Chic décor cute boys on stage and a glass box for foam dances in this intimate venue, tel: +66 (0) 7723 0611.
Male Box: Medium-sized club opposite Boyzone, features extravagant cock tails and an entertaining nightly Midnight Caberet, tel: +66 (0) 81083 1273.
Two Ladyboy cabarets worth catching are at Christie’s (tel: +66 (0) 77 413 244) and Star Club Cabaret (tel: +66 (0) 77 414 218), both in Chaweng.
There is a scattering of gay bars in Chaweng, though currently a large number of them seem to be closing. K Club Bar (tel: +66 (0) 81 326 8560, K-Club@thaiboy.net) is a rent boy place in Soi Starbucks. Sweet Soul Café Dance is a mixed venue, but there are plenty of gay souls too, as there are at the Green Mango Dance Club (tel: +66 (0) 77 422 661, gmango@greenmangogroup.com). “The gay guys will find you,” as Bruce from The Three Gems Project puts it. And almost certainly they will if you go to Samui’s gay beach, which is situated approximately 1.5 kilometres north of Chaweng, as you continue along the beach road.
Gay-run accommodation includes Kaewjun Resort in Ban Taling Ngam (150/3 Moo 1, Taling Ngam, tel: +66 (0) 77 423 271-2, +66 (0) 89 983 0521, info@kaewjunresort.com), and though this is far away from busy Chaweng, the scenery and tranquility more than make up for it. There’s also Mana’s Home (Chaweng Tropical Sea View Residence, 42/26 Moo 6, Bo Phut, tel: +66 (0) 81 899 1767, + 66 (0)81 089 82 49, manahome@wanadoo.fr), located in the hills above Chaweng.
Rainbow-scuba & Tours is still going strong after many years of providing first class service for gay travellers on Samui, including diving and sightseeing with a gay-friendly group. Tel: +66 (0) 86 272 0980, info@rainbow-scuba.com
Fah Samui offers massage and spa treatments geared specially to the gay and lesbian crowd with classy, reasonably priced services, at the Chaweng Plaza road. Advertised as ‘Easy to Find, Hard to Forget!’. Tel: +66 (0)77 414 419 email: fahsamui@hotmail.com.
Updated and correct: November 2008
Full details on all hospitality venues mentioned here can be found in our Hospitality section in the appropriate pages.
