“Sansuk” = “Happiness”

Far away from traffic and nightlife noise, the resort is built on a large parcel of land between two roads, one which leads to the sauna and the other to the guesthouse. The three-story guesthouse features 19 rooms built around an open-air, plant-filled atrium. On each level of the atrium are comfortable lounge areas in which to sit and read.

The rooms themselves are spacious, most of them L-shaped with pleasant views, especially from the upper floor. The luxurious handmade hardwood furnishings include a king-sized bed with a fantastic, comfortable mattress, two love seats, marble-topped end tables and matching coffee table, a large wardrobe, a coat rack, a marble-topped cabinet containing the refrigerator with additional shelving, a desk and chair, and another table holding the cable TV and DVD player. Each room also has a ceiling fan, recessed halogen lighting with dimmer, remote-controlled air conditioning, bedside reading lamps, hot water pot (refreshed daily by staff) with coffee and tea service, and a plug and play ADSL high-speed internet connection.

Forget anything you know about the word “sauna” as it typically applies to gay men.  What the Sansuk offers is really much more like a country club without the golf course.  Located immediately adjacent to the guesthouse, the area includes on the ground level a swimming pool with a gorgeous waterfall-style fountain at one end; a Jacuzzi, dry sauna and steam rooms; large shaded lounge areas with sofas and tables; chaise lounges and chairs for sunning; a fitness room with weights and cardio equipment; plus several showers and two locker rooms. Also on the ground floor is the large indoor-outdoor restaurant, with adjacent living-room style seating complete with big screen TV and surround-sound, usually playing a major Hollywood movie or a great concert, such as Celine Dion, Kyle Minogue or P. Bird.

Guesthouse rates are 1,500 to 2,000 (low and high season) baht per night, including free admission to the sauna (opens at 3:00 p.m. daily), which is generally 180 baht.  Visit www.SansukPattaya.com for more info.

Life’s a Beach!
One of the biggest reasons to come to Pattaya, or rather, the nearby Jomtien Beach, is the gay beach scene on what is officially called Dongtan Beach. Shop from your chair throughout the day for products and services more extensive than you can imagine, including manicure and pedicure (250 baht), nearby on-the-beach oil massage (250 baht per hour), electric razors, nose hair clippers, DVD’s and VCD’s, beach towels, sarongs, wood carvings, bedspreads, and yes, much more, even perhaps the man of your dreams.
What still astounds me is that a full day on the beach including everything I’ve mentioned above doesn’t cost more than about 1,000 baht (about $33.00 USD) depending upon how much shopping you do, and yes, this price includes the manicure, pedicure, massage, food, and beverages!

For some, a trip to Pattaya is a common experience; for others, the trip is a rarity.  For some, the gay Jomtien beach scene is simply a variation in their openly-gay existence; for others, it could be a first-time or annual escape from a world in which they must live deeply in the closet.

For everyone, Pattaya offers a chance to meet and mingle with new friends and fellow travelers, and experience truly Amazing Thailand in all her beauty, with all of her exotic offerings—a Kingdom truly fit for the world’s queens, tiaras not included.