I mentioned in my bio that my first international trip as an adult was to Thailand, both Pattaya and Bangkok. What I did not mention was the main drivers of that trip… some people go to Thailand for the romantic beaches, the great food, the ancient temples or history; I initially went for none of these things, but I did enjoy them. Let’s put it out on the table, I went to in search of the best vacation spots for single guys. I will let you fill in the blanks to what that means… After two very dysfunctional relationships, I needed an adventure, being a rookie, I simply googled “the best vacation spots for single guys;” Thailand was at the top of the list (for some strange reason).

For Hotels in Bangkok Click this Link

You can judge me, love, or hate me for it, I did it…and have fond memories. It was a different time in my life, I searched for a crazy adventure and I got it… (without bringing anything back…) 

I initially wasn’t going to write this; my wife is my editor, so right off the bat, I am asking for trouble. Plus, my grandma is still living, and her reading this could make for some interesting Thanksgiving dinner table conversation. It is part of my history and it started my love of travel. I was also given my wife’s encouragement (I feel a set up…). I will go into detail, but not too much detail, as I am not stupid (I love you, honey!) Also, no videos will be shown (sigh, they may still be out there)!

The Tame: History in Bangkok

Let us ease our way into this trip. A man needs something to do during his “downtime” when visiting Bangkok. Luckily, there are plenty of unique things to see in the city. Let me clarify, the ‘plenty of unique things’ that you can tell your family and work friends about: Take plenty of pictures of the temples, this way you can say “see my trip to Thailand was all about history.” Regardless of why you visit Bangkok, site seeing is a must. Before I begin, let me warn you there are scams around here. A guy tried to sell me a pass for about $50 to see three temples. Of course, he was ripping me off, the price for all was much less.

Wat Arun

To get here you need to take a small boat trip to the other side. The entire cost is under $4 US and worth every penny. As seen, it is a mountainous temple, that engulfs the landscape. You will spend an hour or so here, depending how high you attempt to climb. The view great, it is perfect place to take photos. Climbing it might be a bit of a challenge, but the reward is there. The picture above speaks itself; Wat Arun is an exceptional example of Eastern architecture.

The Grand Palace

Another must see when visiting Bangkok is the Grand Palace, which can easily kill a half a day; I saved this for the end of my trip, as I didn’t want to be distracted. A “friend” doubled as my tour guide and showed me all the history behind this complex. It is like a Disneyland of art; the structures are amazing and awe inspiring. Walk around and just marvel at the architecture. You might even forget why you originally came to this city. The place does get crowded, so it is best to visit off season.

 

 

Why Thailand is One of the Best Vacation Spots for Single Guys

Did you ever just need to get the hell away from everything? That is where I was in 2013, after escaping from a couple of horrible situations. I wanted adventure and a free for all experience. Not the run of the mill ‘hey let’s go to Vegas,’ I needed somewhere foreign (where I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew). Well Bangkok makes Vegas look like Chuck E Cheese and that’s what I wanted. So, even though I hadn’t travelled out of the country in 20 years, I took a solo trip to Thailand.

People had different reactions when I told them about my trip. My southern Baptist dentist asked me “are you going to do missionary work?” He wasn’t amused when I said, “in a way.” Others just shook their head with disappointment. The thing is, it wasn’t about them, or anyone. I am here to validate, (given you are not married) you don’t have to conform to anyone else’s morals. There is a reason why Thailand is one of the best vacation spots for single guys, it lets you live out all your hedonistic desires, without apologies…

Pattaya

Even though I spent most of my time here, I won’t go into too much detail. Partially because my description will be too graphic for the internet. Pattaya at times was like crawling into PornHub. The beach itself was one of the worst beaches in terms of beauty, but it made up for it in other ways. Plus there were islands right off of it that were nice.

Let’s be honest, you go to this beach town for the women. Stepping out of the taxi at 2 am after about 17 hours in the air, I needed to look around. I walk 2 minutes from my hotel, Page 10 Hotel Pattaya, and a bar full of girls pours out like I was Justin Timberlake. Maybe they liked my rugged good looks or maybe they liked my wallet…to tell the truth I could care less.

That is pretty much what Pattaya is, road after road of bars filled with women. There is a walking street where a lot of action happens at night. There are also avenues or (Soi) with varying degrees of shadiness. Soi 6 in particular was so bad, the girls from the other Soi’s thought it was too dirty. Twice I saw unspeakable acts in the bar. Let me tell you, it was a hell of a way to spend a Tuesday afternoon!

The beach wasn’t great as mentioned, but I did spend hours there being served cheap Tiger beer, eating questionable fried food and wasting the time away.

I met tons of American and European men that were in their 50s or so, divorced and permanent residents of Pattaya. Can you blame them? In a way it is a little slice of heaven, in the US, they are a nobody, disrespected and ignored; here, they are treated like royalty. They gave me all the proof I need that Pattaya is one of the best vacation spots for single guys.

Bangkok

Bangkok, like Pattaya is a free for all in every sense of the word. In some ways it is tamer because it is also a normal city. In other ways, you will find yourself saying ‘what the F*ck’ on a regular basis. From the random things sold on the street, the women, food, alcohol, it seems like almost anything goes.

Food and Alcohol

You will need nourishment in Thailand, luckily the food is delicious and plentiful. Cheap street food is everywhere, and one could go days without entering at a restaurant. Yes, some of it is questionable in nature, but I can assure you, you won’t be picking any collars out of your teeth.

My food started off standard, spicy coconut soup (Tom Kha Kai), Pad Thai, and lot of pork/chicken with rice. I dove into Som Tum, a spicy salad with green papaya, a variety of meat skewers, curries, and beef salads. Then I started getting off the beaten path, enjoying some strange things like whole fish sold on the street. I had it both cold with a weird sauce (pictured above) and hot and topped it off with what I was told were fish balls on a stick. 

The best grilled fish I had in 2013 was on a random corner in Bangkok. Another must try is a delectable and yet interesting banana pancake dessert, Chocolate and Banana Roti, also shown above. These things were like crack to me I ate them every time I came across them.

My hedonistic depravity fell so low that I was eating crickets, grasshoppers, and baby frogs like they were popcorn. Crickets actually taste pretty good, salty with a nice crunch. It is crazy what a bottle of Thai Whiskey, some Tiger beer and a bar girl can make you do before noon…

Cheap food and street alcohol are a mark of freedom in a country. Freedom to go crazy is why Bangkok, Thailand is, to repeat myself, one of the best vacation spots for single guys.

Finding a “Friend” for coffee

Food and temples are great, but let’s face it in reality you want one thing. The reason Thailand is ranked the best vacation spots for single guys, is because of something more entertaining. To keep it somewhat clean, let’s say you want to find a friend for.. coffee. Let me tell you coffee partners will find you, not the other way around. I already mentioned my experiences with Pattaya, it is hard to describe just how plentiful coffee is…

There is coffee for every taste you can think of. If you want to have a quick cup or you want the same cup for a week it is up to you. Every bar, restaurant, block has plenty friends. Hell, if you want to drink two cups with multiple friends at a time that is available! You can probably drink it with a friend while riding a donkey swinging from a chandelier wearing a clown costume…ok, I’m back. There are friends of all shapes and sizes, just make sure the friend(s) you meet for coffee don’t come with any extra “beans attached”. Also, it goes without saying always drink safely with/wearing a filter…ahem.

Bangkok Party Area: Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza

These are the hotspots in Bangkok, although there are plenty of places to have fun in Bangkok. As tempting as it may be for a newcomer, walk past the fifty or so girls just hanging out on the streets and go straight to the bars at Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy. Sit down and watch them come flocking. You can have a face like Don Knotts and abs like Michael Moore, but you will be made to feel like a king amongst boys..

There are too many bars to count in these areas, Go Go clubs have shows that will stretch the limits of your imagination. The whole atmosphere is just electrifying and crazy. I know outsiders think it is seedy, but it never felt that way. Of course, I might not be the best judge of what is or not seedy. No one between the girls or guys looked like they were in a bad way. No one did anything they didn’t want to; people just had a good time with having to explain it to anyone. One last piece of advice, go to the Eden’s Club…you’re welcome.

The Wild West of the East

People call America the Land of the Free, but how is it? America is the land of supervised fun. Whether it is the conservative Baptists (please don’t write any letters, we are religious..) who killed alcohol or the ultra-feminists who neuter and cut men down to pocket size, every action is judged and controlled. The reason why Thailand is best vacation spots for single guys, is its total freedom. If you have money, everything is for sale… Love it or hate it…

Some May Judge

I am sure many people will read this and will look down on me and those who go there to “party.” As mentioned, it was many moons ago, in another life. I am now married to a wonderful woman who shares my love of travel.  Most people who find out I visited the country, by myself, look at me sideways. On the other hand, most would also say it wasn’t totally out of my personality for the time period. People in America love to judge, and control other peoples behavior, it, as opposed to baseball, seems to be our favorite pastime.

I also want to note that the reputation of Thailand spun by the American media was nonexistent from what I saw. I won’t go into detail because I am trying to keep this a fun post, but don’t believe everything you see on Dateline.

The funny thing is every guy who heard about this trip, in front of their partner was on a moral high ground, but privately wanted to know all the grimy details (what pervs!). The truth of the matter is the morality isn’t so cut and dry…

The guys I met that live there almost all had wives they met in a bar. They weren’t bad people, they were just sick of how they were being treated by women in their home country. The place is alluring, I had heard about and even saw people crying in the airport on the way home. I didn’t feel like crying, but I was planning my way back.. (for the food!..I love you sweetheart…)

Of course, my plans have changed, but it doesn’t work out that way for others. Some would rather stay and experience endless hedonistic activities without apologies. It is a place where men can act like men, women can act like women (and sometimes men act like women).  Is it any wonder Thailand is one of the best vacation spots for single guys?

Some Warnings

Not everything is paradise in Bangkok, there are plenty of places where you can get scammed. Like anywhere, you have your good and bad people. There are stories of guys getting robbed, conned etc..by these bar girls. I know most people would think they are all like that, but that isn’t the case. Other scams included the above mentioned about tour guides, there are jet sky scams, and of course taxi drivers can’t always be trusted. Do your research, as always, especially if you are traveling alone. Read here for more info

Conclusion

So why is Thailand the best vacation spots for single guys? One-word: Freedom. You are free to live your most hedonistic desires without judgement. I have no regrets and I make no apologies. Now my travel plans are different, but if you are looking for a place to truly cut free and you have a strong stomach, Thailand should be considered. Below is a link to one of the hotels that I stayed in, so if you are considering the trip check it out on TripAdvisor. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO THE PAGE TEN IN PATTAYA

Update: As of 2020 I am once again a Single Guy… I have a new Website related to Mens Topics attached to the Link Here