How do the go-go-boy clubs survive? Plus Bangkok review.

[basabajo]

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.

[fedssocr]

People have been asking these questions forever. And yet somehow the bars keep on surviving.

I thought the Boys Bangkok and its companion bar were pretty full for the show when I was there. Of course they also have like 100 guys working there. The others on Soi Twilight were much quieter. I was in X Boys (I think) which had a decent amount of customers at showtime. But there was so much smoking going on that I couldn't take it.

The Soi 6 bars have not changed in a long time. Super A is never busy and always has lean and hungry guys who descend on you.

[pong]

thanks for your report-always good to read independent fresh reviews.
1. If beer is now 170-then even Solid has upped its prices-used to be 120 for a very long time.
and really-believe me, Solid will NOT hire anyone under 18-this critical age is soooooo important nowadays.
2. in BKK you did not go/mention to the very expensive with show gogos along soi Pratoochai/Hotmail/male which are the best known and some reported to be very busy the last weeks.
3.gogoboys have always had to live with high and low seasons-and many indeed-more so in PTY though- have barely the required 4-5 customers a MONTH to have them kept being hired (they have to ''earn'' at least their ''salary'' this way!). And yes, indeed it sees that the instream of fresh boys is slowly drying up-more and more Lao and Burmese boys taking up the crumbs left. But here in BKK there is an ever growing nr of massageshops-offering more as just that, spread all ove town-so no tedious long bustrips from home- that offer more flexibility, less stress and more garanteed income. The steady crew in the well known bars seem to stay the same all those years-they get older just as their bars do!

[latintopxxx]

often wondered about that...the go go bars are relatively empty except for dream boys and BBB which have the same owner and share performers...but then mostly at show times...at 22h30 it can be packed with over 50 customers...most leave after the show:(
most of the other bars have very mediocre shows...nothing like 2 years ago when all the bars had long acrobatic fuck shows....
Even Pattaya was relatively quiet...except for good boys (opposite krazy dragon) who seems to have hit on a winning formula...place had a constant stream of customers...and this was a Monday evening....must admit there is something quite perverse about the set up...max exploitation..

[lonelywombat]

often wondered about that...the go go bars are relatively empty except for dream boys and BBB which have the same owner and share performers...but then mostly at show times...at 22h30 it can be packed with over 50 customers...most leave after the show:(
most of the other bars have very mediocre shows...nothing like 2 years ago when all the bars had long acrobatic fuck shows....
Even Pattaya was relatively quiet...except for good boys (opposite krazy dragon) who seems to have hit on a winning formula...place had a constant stream of customers...and this was a Monday evening....must admit there is something quite perverse about the set up...max exploitation..

When it is obvious patrons only come for the shows and arrive a they begin and leave when it finishes, how do you decide on drink pricing to recover costs. The cost of the show has to be met from the drinks bought during the show.

All this bitching about the cost of drinks comes from those who have never been in business or understand costing a business. The suggestion that the recovery of drinks should be spread over the drinks for the whole night is pathetic.

Next time I see this comment I will ask how the costs of the shows should be covered. Not what is costs for beer in 7/11. Id like to know the answers.

the answer is simple .. dont go to the show ... go to a host bar instead .. i much prefer the type of guy who works those bars anyhow .. plus the drinks are cheaper .. i also really have no great reason to want to sit in an enclosed bar when its 80 degrees outside ..
bty how much does it cost to put on a fuck show ??

[Neal]

The answer to that is that it is not that particular type of show but an average show costs about 2,500 baht and up. a show is only one part of the equation. The rent, police, air con, staff, boys as they are all on salary, insurance, key money, repairs and a host of other stuff.

[latintopxxx]

well I guess they must be profitable or they wouldn't stay open...I know that the old German running BBB+Dream claims he kinda fell into the business by chance he still wouldn't be burning through his retirement funds to support this organization...

[basabajo]

Thanks guys for your comments and responses. All interesting stuff. OK, now I'll add post my review of the Pattaya venues .........

[Manforallseasons]

Having been in BKK, recently and Pattaya it is certainly not business as usual...your comment on falangs being older is very true especially in Pattaya, but no one mentioned the state of the world economy, I think this can't be underestimated.

[quote="DaBoss"]The answer to that is that it is not that particular type of show but an average show costs about 2,500 baht and up.
what is the 2500 baht for ??? costumes .. surely you can get condoms cheaper than that :tongue3:

Doesn't even touch costumes. That's extra. I was told once, I think, that the show at Boys Boys Boys cost about 125,000 a month!
Mine costs about 1,500 a night, or 45,000 a month!

[martin911]

my own opinion is that it is a combo of the world Economy and the ever encroaching internet in all our lives !!

Traditionaly the gogo bar customer was of the more older generation (i think without this type of retired/semi retired customers who had the time and money to be able to travel to Thailand for these type of holidays WERE one of the main reasons that Thailand Gay economy developed in the first place !!!! )
Then through the internet all else started seeing what was happening and it grew and grew into what it has been for the last the few years !!

Now however poorer world economies have led to people cutting back on all type of luxuries , one of the groups (those on retirenment pensions) that would be effected a lot have simply stopped or cut back on travel to Thailand --and this is keeping gogo bars quiter than previously


Then the internet is a huge other option to hook up with guys

Guys that do not want to stand in there underwear are more comfortable on GR/Gridr/postjung etc --so they are not in the gogo bars anymore !!

The Gay clubs are well busy with farang ,but these are of the younger generation --so there are gay travellers coming here !!!-

I met a guy in Kar Dae this early this morning ,(comes from about 40kms from my hometown,small world !! )--but works in Japan and has come to Bkk/Ptta for a 5 day sex marathon
Other friends have flown in from Singapore /Manila for similar breaks ---but this type of punter are Not going to gogo bars like the older type of punter would trad have done !!

I really dont see this pattern changing back to what it was say 7/8 years ago !!