Phuket’s long been a popular destination for those seeking sun, sand, sea and… companionship but not all men coming here seek female company.
Many male visitors look for male companionship, sometimes for the duration of their holidays, sometimes for much longer. At the Royal Paradise Complex in Patong an estimated half of the businesses there are run by, or are catering to gay people.
Many are small bars with a selection of young men who sit, talk and share drinks with their guests. There is no obligation to spend more than the price of a drink.
The atmosphere in the Complex during the day is sleepy as most of the 1,000 young men working in the almost 40 entertainment venues are fast asleep but at night the atmosphere is, to say the least, friendly with the occasional invitation to join a cabaret show, a massage or some private company.