basabajo
December 20th, 2011, 21:50
I've enjoyed and benefited from reading reviews from other guys here on the gay bars and go-go-boys clubs in Bangkok and Pattaya, so I thought I'd share my own experiences.
I live in Asia and made my first two visits to these venues in May and Aug 2011. Both times I noticed that everywhere was so quiet. Both times I was told that it was low season, but come Dec and Jan it's the busy high-season. Well, it's not! At least, not yet! I've just returned from a night in Bangkok and four in Pattaya and, while Pattaya has many more (straight) tourists than before, and many more stalls and restaurants are open, there seemed to be just as few gay customers.
So what's happened? Many questions came to mind? Is there a high-season for these gay venues any more? Are there simply too many bars and clubs, saturating the market? And how do these places make enough money to survive over the year? How can it be worth the while of the average boys who may not be hot enough to get offed every night or so? Do the visitors whose bums used to grace the velvet / plastic benches in these clubs maybe 10 or 20 years ago, now stay at home and watch internet porn instead? Or is this "low" high-season all due to visitors' fears of the floods? Has it always been the case that most of the farang visitors are gay men in their 50s or 60s (I'm in my 40s) - and anyway, most that I saw in the bars seemed to be more like expats who live there, than tourist visitors?
Anyway, here's what I found. First, a Wednesday night in Bangkok:
Dick's Cafe in Twilight for a THB 95 beer. This is supposed to be a good spot to sit outside and engage in some people-watching. And so it might be if there were any people to watch - beyond the bored boys in Bonny Massage next door. I enjoyed my drink, surrounded by a grand total of 3 other customers - dry weather, about 9pm.
Went across to Dream Boy to see the show. This was busier. Maybe 20 boys, mostly mid/late 20s I'd guess. Perhaps 10 customers. Interesting to watch at the back, in the darkness, the boys using the gym weights and doing their pre-show crunches. There was a show, but it didn't leave any impression on me. Entry was THB 330, including one drink - that's expensive!
Headed down to Surawong area and ended up in Solid Bar (beer THB 170) at about 10:30pm. 1 other customer, who soon disappeared upstairs to the "lounge" area with one of the dozen-or-so bored boys, all probably 17-20 years old. Felt too uncomfortable having 12 pairs of eyes staring at me, and so I left. Nothing wrong with this place, but just sad it was so dead inside.
I then had the misfortune to be enticed upstairs to Super A Boys (beer THB 100). I thought I saw 3 or 4 other customers on the battered old sofas, so I went into the darkness. In fact they were just locals - friends or staff or something. I was the only customer, so I got the immediate and full attention of the 5 or 6 street kids who were hanging around in this living-room type of place. None attractive, some a bit pushy, so I quickly drank up and left.
By now it was around mid-night so I thought Screwboys might be starting to warm up. Looked in the door, 3 boys stood motionless on the stage and I think 2 customers hidden in the shadows. Decided I'd had too much excitement already for one night, so headed back to the hotel.
Next day moved onto Pattaya and will report on that soon.
I live in Asia and made my first two visits to these venues in May and Aug 2011. Both times I noticed that everywhere was so quiet. Both times I was told that it was low season, but come Dec and Jan it's the busy high-season. Well, it's not! At least, not yet! I've just returned from a night in Bangkok and four in Pattaya and, while Pattaya has many more (straight) tourists than before, and many more stalls and restaurants are open, there seemed to be just as few gay customers.
So what's happened? Many questions came to mind? Is there a high-season for these gay venues any more? Are there simply too many bars and clubs, saturating the market? And how do these places make enough money to survive over the year? How can it be worth the while of the average boys who may not be hot enough to get offed every night or so? Do the visitors whose bums used to grace the velvet / plastic benches in these clubs maybe 10 or 20 years ago, now stay at home and watch internet porn instead? Or is this "low" high-season all due to visitors' fears of the floods? Has it always been the case that most of the farang visitors are gay men in their 50s or 60s (I'm in my 40s) - and anyway, most that I saw in the bars seemed to be more like expats who live there, than tourist visitors?
Anyway, here's what I found. First, a Wednesday night in Bangkok:
Dick's Cafe in Twilight for a THB 95 beer. This is supposed to be a good spot to sit outside and engage in some people-watching. And so it might be if there were any people to watch - beyond the bored boys in Bonny Massage next door. I enjoyed my drink, surrounded by a grand total of 3 other customers - dry weather, about 9pm.
Went across to Dream Boy to see the show. This was busier. Maybe 20 boys, mostly mid/late 20s I'd guess. Perhaps 10 customers. Interesting to watch at the back, in the darkness, the boys using the gym weights and doing their pre-show crunches. There was a show, but it didn't leave any impression on me. Entry was THB 330, including one drink - that's expensive!
Headed down to Surawong area and ended up in Solid Bar (beer THB 170) at about 10:30pm. 1 other customer, who soon disappeared upstairs to the "lounge" area with one of the dozen-or-so bored boys, all probably 17-20 years old. Felt too uncomfortable having 12 pairs of eyes staring at me, and so I left. Nothing wrong with this place, but just sad it was so dead inside.
I then had the misfortune to be enticed upstairs to Super A Boys (beer THB 100). I thought I saw 3 or 4 other customers on the battered old sofas, so I went into the darkness. In fact they were just locals - friends or staff or something. I was the only customer, so I got the immediate and full attention of the 5 or 6 street kids who were hanging around in this living-room type of place. None attractive, some a bit pushy, so I quickly drank up and left.
By now it was around mid-night so I thought Screwboys might be starting to warm up. Looked in the door, 3 boys stood motionless on the stage and I think 2 customers hidden in the shadows. Decided I'd had too much excitement already for one night, so headed back to the hotel.
Next day moved onto Pattaya and will report on that soon.