Bangkok has a reputation as a city of sin and sexual craziness. To be honest Bangkok isn’t as crazy as you’d imagine though. The first time you come here it might seem like an “adult playground” but that’s just the areas where prostitutes ply their trade. In general Bangkok, and Thailand, is pretty reserved.
London has a few great private clubs and venues for crossdressers and admirers, Bangkok doesn’t. This made it difficult to choose a venue to go for the first time. I also didn’t have anyone to go with. In all honesty I knew I needed at least one other person to be with on that first night out.
When I first arrived at 23 I didn’t know that a lot of younger Thai people didn’t really go out to clubs and bars. It’s not culturally acceptable for many. This made things even harder. I found a lot of people who were happy to meet, chat and dress with me in private but didn’t want to go out to a venue. My luck changed when I met a ladyboy who was visiting from the Philippines.
A lot of Filipino trans come to Bangkok, they see it as a Mecca for transsexuals. Surgery is cheaper for them here, as are hormones and other medicines. They also feel much more accepted by Thai culture than their own. Because of this my friend Bee came to Thailand.
Bee was a few years older than me at 28 but wanted to experience some of Bangkok’s nightlife. She was adamant that the famous gay street, Silom soi 4, was the place to go. To be honest I was a little apprehensive as it would involve seeing a lot of tourists in that region and traveling by taxi to get there. I also knew there would be a load of glamorous Thai trans and gays there.
To make things easier we split the cost of a hotel room nearby. Luckily you can get a half decent room in the Silom area for about $30. Getting there at 6pm after work on Friday we decided to get ready, and drunk, with the aim of leaving at 8pm.
I won’t lie, I was shitting myself. Like my first time out in London I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I’d be stared at and might hear some negative comments. I’d agreed with Bee that we’d start off in a small bar and find a table inside and see how we got on. She probably saw that I was super scared and bless her for putting up with me!
Our hotel was around a five minute walk to Silom 4. If you haven’t been to Bangkok before then you should know two reasons why this was a problem. Firstly, even at 8pm, Bangkok is super hot. I had only really dressed before in the air-conditioned comfort of my condo or the cold climate of the UK before. Secondly, the sidewalks in Bangkok are a disgrace, it makes walking in heels a real challenge.
From the moment I walked out of the room I felt on edge. I’m not really passable and I must have shown a lot of nerves. I felt the eyes of the reception staff on me and from there the hotel security guards and people hanging outside reception.
I’d dressed rather conservatively which meant not much skin showing. This was partly to boost my confidence but it had the negative effect of making me sweat a lot! That five minute walk felt like a marathon. It was also the one and only time I’ve walked to a venue, from then onwards I’ve taken a taxi right to the door.
That walk helped me a lot though. It gave me the confidence that nobody said anything negative about me. It also allowed me and Bee to chat and it put me at ease.
The first bar we went to was still pretty empty at 8pm. We found a table inside and within a matter of minutes I’d downed another drink. It was at this point a couple of the bar staff asked if they could join us. The (gay) guys there were super sweet and complimentary which put me at ease. I guess they could see how nervous I was and told me that I was fine there and could use the ladies bathroom, no problems.
We ended up staying there all night as things got busier and the atmosphere picked up. I got a lot of lovely things said to me that night and met some people who I still see and talk to today. At around midnight I headed back to the hotel with Bee. I was so proud to have made it through that night and it would only be the beginning for me on my adventure.