Dream Boy Bar - Soi Twilight charging 330 baht for one drink

[CoffeeBreak]

Dream Boy Bar in Soi Twilight is now charging 330 baht per drink. This is ludicrous.
I hope potential customers will adopt the attitude of not going to places which charge such nonsence prices!

[pong]

no dear, it wont happen. And be glad: so many tourists now able to pay the high price! Do not you know human psychology? That what cost such a lot MUST be much better quality! Noone forces you to go inside (well-some of their touts nearly do-grab them in their secret spot to check the size-so you can have at least a little return in investment).
But then about all things here in BKK go up in price, except the citybuses: was 7 bt, now 6,50 bt-and you can still wait for the free bus.

[krobbie]

Vote with your feet and walk on by.

[markie1]

Dream Boy Bar in Soi Twilight is now charging 330 baht per drink. This is ludicrous.
I hope potential customers will adopt the attitude of not going to places which charge such nonsence prices!

Tha'ts why I stopped going in those bars soon as it hit the silly 300 baht for a drink. It's way over the top.
After speaking with the farang owner his main clientel in now Chinese, and Japanese, and are you surprised the Europeans can not afford those silly prices. They will never learn. I suppose if there making 300 profit from every customer he will be laughing all the way to the bank.

[a447]

Paying 330 baht to watch a show is cheap. No problem there. I hate it when they charge the same price just to look at the guys!

But the old German owner must know what he is doing; he's been in business a hell of long time there. And don't forget, he does run the biggest gogo boy bar "in za verld."

I have avoided BKK completely for the last 4 years or so and I read/hear about nothing that might attract me back.

330B for a single drink and to watch a show that you've seen 100 times before (let me guess - shower show, big cock show, fuck show) does not seem to me to be good value personally, considering I would have at least 2 and possibly 3 drinks during the on-stage "extravanganza", thus getting close to 1000B (yesI know 2nd drinks might be cheaper but then there's the tip!)

:occasion9:

[sydneyboy]

If you avoid Bangkok where do you go in Thailand? I was last in Thailand in January last year and Bangkok was as great as ever then on to Pattaya which as I have commented on more than one occasion was as dead as Julius Caesar. I repeat this was January, peak season. Bangkok is cheap in respect to accommodation so you have to pay at some point and if its drink prices I for one can live with that particularly as the bars were so good in contrast to Pattaya where literally nothing was happening.

[stevehadders]

I have been here twice in the last 3 months and have to say...expensive yes, but superb also!I was, both times, passing through BKK and on both occasions visited dreamboys, then took drink downstairs to best boys later on. The fact of the matter is, yes they are more expensive but they were as full with customers as they could be on both occasions (not weekend), using loose chairs to fill every aisle- so they are doing something right. In my opinion the shows are as good as anywhere, but the selection and quantity of boys is better than anywhere in the country, and I will be back for sure. I guess its "horses for courses", but the owner is doing something right to attract full houses, unlike his neighbours in the soi who struggle to draw customers in
And as previously pointed out, 2nd drink onwards is cheaper 290 I think (not cheap!!). Real expensive night, but good fun! :occasion9:

If you avoid Bangkok where do you go in Thailand?....

I would far rather spend time in Pattaya or Phuket - but I accept that's a personal preference.
I don't doubt that the bars in Soi Twilight may be busier but I don't need bars to be full to have a good time - I don't travel alone so I always have a small entourage anyway and we can entertain ourselves no matter how dire a bar or show may be . I can understand that if someone is on their own then maybe they prefer the atmosphere of a full bar.

I disagree slightly about the relative accomodation costs - I want to be in the thick of the action, so if it's BKK I want to be around Silom, in Pattaya it'll be around BT, in Phuket I want to be near the Paradise Complex. I am only willing to pay up to 2000B per night and for that I get a really good choice of good rooms in good hotels in Pattaya and ditto in Phuket. In BKK I've been restricted to the Suriwongse, the Pavilion Place, the Rose, (none of which is great) and maybe the Tarntawan if I got a discount!


....The fact of the matter is, yes they are more expensive but they were as full with customers as they could be on both occasions (not weekend), using loose chairs to fill every aisle- so they are doing something right...

They may be doing something right - but I don't see how it's any advantage for me whether a bar has to put chairs in the aisle for customers to see the show - that makes no difference to my enjoyment :dontknow:



In my opinion the shows are as good as anywhere, but the selection and quantity of boys is better than anywhere in the country, and I will be back for sure. Real expensive night, but good fun!

Heh - for 330B a drink I'd expect the shows to be better than anywhere! I guess the attractiveness of the boys in any bar is a matter of personal preference and I think it's fair to say that generally they are a little older in BKK and consequently have more meat on their bones. For someone like me who likes them (legally) small and skinny there's no advantage - but I accept that many other have different tastes.

Maybe I should stay a few days in BKK next time I transit the Airport - maybe I need to be more open-minded about the place.

:party

[stevehadders]

Scottish, the times I was there this bar was busier than any in Pattaya, and others in their same soi. My point that they "are doing something right", is that they are so busy and still attracting the crowds despite the drink prices.

You are correct, however, that the guys do tend to be the less skinny types you allude to

Is personal coice. I am always happt to visit this place, but much prefer when I hit Pattaya.

Regarding hotels , have you ever looked at Silom Serene (look at them on booking.com), just off Silom Road and 5 mins to Soi Twilight - very comfortable boutique hotel which is visitor friendly, and they have some great deals....they also have a small pool and gym (not my thing, although it should be!)

Thanks for info - I'll take a look @ that hotel.

:salute:

[christianpfc]

considering I would have at least 2 and possibly 3 drinks during the on-stage "extravanganza", thus getting close to 1000B (yesI know 2nd drinks might be cheaper but then there's the tip!)

A second or third drink? Do you have a tree that grows money? I have a quite strict one-drink policy, one drink can last up to 3 hours if it has to.

Let me quote what I recently wrote on gaybuttonthai regarding drinks (a thread about cheap coke substitutes in small glasses):


If you care about the volume you get, just order water. It's cheaper and doesn't make you fat. I always get a 500 ml bottle (and take the rest with me for the following day, because I cannot drink that much - half a liter of water in each of the bars I visit).

And if 500 ml is not enough, here a little trick: complain that there is no ice left in your glass and ask for more. Then you wait until the ice has melted and drink the water!

(And yes, asking for more ice and waiting for it to melt is a joke!)

If you don't want to pay 330 Baht, you can ask for a discount. In January, I successfully negotiated down from 250 to 200 at Hotmale. (Blame Neal, he wrote somewhere on this forum that it is possible, I just wanted to confirm! Sitting inside I thought: the message probably spreads through the entire staff, so if I off a boy, his expectations for a tip will be low, so his performance will be poor, a downward spiral. Probably not the best thing to do if you want to off someone.)

330 is a lot, but nonetheless, I might be prepared to pay it. However, with high drink prices probably comes a high off fee (I would think 500 Baht, can someone confirm?), and a high tip (1500 Baht for short time was quoted a few times to me in Soi Twilight), because who can afford 330 Baht for a drink can affor 500 off fee and 1500 tip as well. That brings us to 2330 (drink + off fee + tip for boy, not included boy drink or tip to waiter). If I can bring myself to paying 330 for a drink, it's pointless if I'm not prepared to spend another 2000 for a boy.

I rather go to a disco, sauna, massage or Saranrom park.

[stevehadders]

Whilst I admire your frugal approach to drinking in the bars Christian, there are many of us who like to have a couple of gins to enjoy our evening....... each to their own dear :party

You have to hand it to christianpfc - he "negotiated" a reduction of 50B on a drink @ Hotmale.

Now you might say that if you are having 5 drinks then that would be a total saving of 250B - a free drink in effect - but not for Christianpfc because his maximum is one drink (well 1/2 a drink actually because he takes the other 1/2 bottle of naam out with him).

A night out with him must be a laugh riot.

:party

[stevehadders]

Half the joy is having your Thai friend, quite often with several others, enjoying time and several (quite often several too many :) ) in a bar/disco, and if its a holiday like it is with me...who's counting? Well thats my idea of fun

It is the frugal ways of others that have resulted in this first drink price policy - for those who nurse one drink for hours....mine lasts minutes, although I have to admit am approaching "old soak" status :alc:

[Davidjewel]

When I was last in Bangkok I found that I spent very little time in the gogo bars. I went to a few bars but my habits have changed since my prior visit to Bangkok. This last time I went there for show time, ordered one drink and held it till the show was over. left and went to DJ station. On my prior visits I would stick around and maybe hire a guy or just have some fun there but the cost is not worth it. Besides, if I continued to buy drinks as I did before, they would be all to happy to raise the prices even higher on my next visit.

I spent a lot less time in the gogo bars in Pattaya and a lot more time in DJ station and the Balcony.

[gerefan2]

(yesI know 2nd drinks might be cheaper but then there's the tip!)

Tipping at these prices? No dear hit them where it hurts....

and if they want to know whey TELL them!

I saw a wonerful moment at Copa last night. At the end of the show (when we all leave!) I saw that pock-faced arrogant waiter (Neung or something?) thrust an empty money tray into the hands of a customer, who obviously left no tip at, as he went out of the door. Excellent.

As I say hit them where it hurts....

[martin911]

(yesI know 2nd drinks might be cheaper but then there's the tip!)

Tipping at these prices? No dear hit them where it hurts....

and if they want to know whey TELL them!

I saw a wonerful moment at Copa last night. At the end of the show (when we all leave!) I saw that pock-faced arrogant waiter (Neung or something?) thrust an empty money tray into the hands of a customer, who obviously left no tip at, as he went out of the door. Excellent.

As I say hit them where it hurts....

LOL -he can be a biy of a pain in the ass for sure !!
tonite i was there for a while ,and i was soo not in a good mood (BF mama probs !! )and just wanted a quick drink after dinner before i went home to the battlegroiund !!--Copa ideal for a drink like that ,normally you wont get harrassed by the gogo boys

Now normally i chat and tease with him when im there ,i know him a long time ,,but i made it clear i just wanted to be left alone,and he kept coming over and staring at me !!

I swear it was all i could do NOT to tell him to Fxxk Off !!

Poor lad !!

[atri1666]

Always had god times in BKK without needing to visit this bar once. There are enough places to have fun. I have enough money but i am not wasting it.

The guy in Copa you are referring to is, I believe, "Thong".

"Neung" is younger (not hard!) shorter, and much cuddlier (again, not hard!).

Both can drink like a fish and grab tips like an octopus!

:occasion9:

[firecat69]

I agree the prices have become ridiculous but his customers don't care. People from Singapore, Hong Kong, japan etc are used to paying that for a normal club in their own countries. Therefore for the same price they are getting many hot boys, f--k shows etc and they think it is a bargain.

The few times I have stopped in recently there were almost no farangs. That is not his audience and he does not care what they think..

[newyorkgeorge]

I saw a wonerful moment at Copa last night. At the end of the show (when we all leave!) I saw that pock-faced arrogant waiter (Neung or something?) thrust an empty money tray into the hands of a customer, who obviously left no tip at, as he went out of the door. Excellent

deleted. Flaming. DaBoss "hit them where it hurts", i assume you do not tip anywhere you go to? maybe in Thailand they should do what most countries around the world do, and add a service charge, ....deleted. Flaming DaBoss

[christianpfc]

Is it really that expensive to run a bar in Soi Twilight and the owners just get by or does the money we/you pay for the drinks funds the owner's luxury condos and expensive cars?

Even if the latter is the case, I can't blame them for taking as much as they can, I would probably do the same.

Christianpfc dear, no offence, but the amount you spend in drinks would not purchase a doll's house and a Dinky car never mind "keeping people in luxury condos and expensive cars"

:occasion9:

[lukylok]

There are three possibilities :
You like the show and can afford the prices, enjoy.
You don't like the show, you just ignore it and don't go. And don't complain, you are not interested.
The last one is tougher : you like the show and cannot afford the prices. You spend less on something else, you go less often, or you make do with a cheaper bar.
And we all learn that the golden age of western white superiority is past. :crybaby:

[Beachlover]

I'm curious why anyone would have more than one or two drinks in a gogo bar anyway... doesn't seem like the sort of place you'd hang out. You go in, watch the show, maybe grab a gogo boy and then leave right? It's such an awkward setting with everyone seated in these rows of tiny seats, all facing the stage. You're more likely to want to have a few drinks in a nightclub like DJ Station or a chill out Bar like Siam@Siam Design Rooftop or something.

The last gogo bar I visited was Happy Place... I went in, got a drink, stayed till the end of the show and then left and went to get a foot massage.


don't forget, he does run the biggest gogo boy bar "in za verld."
LOL... Ah yes I remember that line and I also recall he says something like his drinks are "zi best value" because you get the biggest show or something.


If you avoid Bangkok where do you go in Thailand? I was last in Thailand in January last year and Bangkok was as great as ever then on to Pattaya which as I have commented on more than one occasion was as dead as Julius Caesar. I repeat this was January, peak season. Bangkok is cheap in respect to accommodation so you have to pay at some point and if its drink prices I for one can live with that particularly as the bars were so good in contrast to Pattaya where literally nothing was happening.
Yep, wise... totally agree with this.


I disagree slightly about the relative accomodation costs - I want to be in the thick of the action, so if it's BKK I want to be around Silom, in Pattaya it'll be around BT, in Phuket I want to be near the Paradise Complex. I am only willing to pay up to 2000B per night and for that I get a really good choice of good rooms in good hotels in Pattaya and ditto in Phuket. In BKK I've been restricted to the Suriwongse, the Pavilion Place, the Rose, (none of which is great) and maybe the Tarntawan if I got a discount!
No need to disagree as it comes down to what level of accommodation you're after. Pattaya is lacking when it comes to high-end accommodation where as Bangkok is fantastic... lots of competition and fantastic hotels at prices, which are far lower than most other major South-East Asian cities. Pattaya might be better with low to mid-end accommodation.

I used to have no problem finding great hotels around the 2,000 baht/night range in Bangkok in the heart of Silom but really, you're on the cusp of something heaps better... there's some fantastic places in that area if you're willing to go up to 3,000/night.



I saw a wonerful moment at Copa last night. At the end of the show (when we all leave!) I saw that pock-faced arrogant waiter (Neung or something?) thrust an empty money tray into the hands of a customer, who obviously left no tip at, as he went out of the door. Excellent
What a sad evil git you are, "hit them where it hurts", i assume you do not tip anywhere you go to? maybe in Thailand they should do what most countries around the world do, and add a service charge, at least that would keep creeps like you out of the bars.
Ah... in case you hadn't noticed, Thailand does NOT have the same tipping culture as the US. The only places, which expect tips are tourist joints like this one. You rarely see a Thai leaving a tip in restaurants and other bars (not gogo bars - they're different). Tourists or expats like you who criticise other tourists for not tipping are just showing how ignorant and incapable of adapting they are.

Also, a lot of places in Thailand DO add a 10% service charge to their prices. Have you not noticed?

[bucknaway]

I bet they could charge 1000 baht a beer and some would say it was fair because they offer a show.

I think they will earn a reputation as being an overpriced tourist trap and suffer from it. Also I am sure that if they are paying tea money they are going to have to pay a bit more because of their higher prices.

[gerefan2]

newyorkgeorge...
deleted quote as it was originally flaming[/quote]

Those are personal attacks in my book.
DABOSS doesnt like personal attacks. You be careful, be very very careful. :lam:

I cannot see why anyone should tip in a GoGo bar that charges outrageous prices. If we dont tip, because we didnt think we had received value for money or had a good experience (and overcharging falls into that category) then the waiters would feel the pain, see the Owner, and maybe, (just maybe)! he would get the point. Hence I dont tip if I consider I have been overcharged.

And can someone explain the rationale in leaving a tip after a 300 Bt meal (20 Bt maybe) when the waiter has helped you select a meal, taken your order, delivered 3 courses, gone and got sauces, cleared up after you etc. etc., compared with a waiter in a Gogo bar who has merely delivered a glass of water?.

[atri1666]

Agree 100% with gerefan2.

... can someone explain the rationale in leaving a tip after a 300 Bt meal (20 Bt maybe) when the waiter has helped you select a meal, taken your order, delivered 3 courses, gone and got sauces, cleared up after you etc. etc., compared with a waiter in a Gogo bar who has merely delivered a glass of water?.


The waiter in the Restaurant works in a legitimate, respectable business of which there are probably hundreds/thousands in a city.
The other waiter works in a whorehouse.
Sex sells for a premium - always has, always will - therefore whorehouse staff receive bigger tips (no pun intended).

As to why people feel the need to tip bigger in whorehouses - well that's maybe buried in amongst the Western guilt trip that most of us have about sex - that little niggling doubt that you're exploiting people but with the self-assurance that if you pay them extra it makes up for it.

:occasion9:

[newyorkgeorge]

LOL... Ah yes I remember that line and I also recall he says something like his drinks are "zi best value" because you get the biggest show or something.



Tourists or expats like you who criticise other tourists for not tipping are just showing how ignorant and incapable of adapting they are.

Not at all my dear, in fact what is does do is show what a cheap charlie you are! and by not tipping the waiter, you are not hurting the owner, all you are doing is depriving the waiter of a little extra baht?

[Beachlover]

Not at all my dear, in fact what is does do is show what a cheap charlie you are! and by not tipping the waiter, you are not hurting the owner, all you are doing is depriving the waiter of a little extra baht?
Happy to pay 4,000 baht for a massage or $800/night for a hotel so certainly not cheap... Just not dumb enough to go around tipping everyone 10-20% in a country where it's not expected.

But thanks... that pretty much illustrates the point I was making about your post: Complete inability adapt and unwillingness to accept the entire world doesn't do things the same way as America. Could you be any more of a stereotypical American?

How many Thais do you see consistently tipping 10-20% at restaurants and bars? Thailand doesn't have a compulsory tipping culture... neither does the rest of Asia, Australia, New Zealand and most other countries in the world. The US is one of the only countries in the world with a compulsory tipping culture.

(Americans, don't take offense... I didn't invent that stereotype and stereotypes aren't true for everyone.)


I cannot see why anyone should tip in a GoGo bar that charges outrageous prices. If we dont tip, because we didnt think we had received value for money or had a good experience (and overcharging falls into that category) then the waiters would feel the pain, see the Owner, and maybe, (just maybe)! he would get the point. Hence I dont tip if I consider I have been overcharged.
Actually, you should keep the issues separate and not let the pricing pollute your decision whether to tip the staff. My point about Newyorkgeorge is he shouldn't be criticising anyone for not tipping at other venues in Thailand because it's simply not expected in this country.


And can someone explain the rationale in leaving a tip after a 300 Bt meal (20 Bt maybe) when the waiter has helped you select a meal, taken your order, delivered 3 courses, gone and got sauces, cleared up after you etc. etc., compared with a waiter in a Gogo bar who has merely delivered a glass of water?.
Yeah, true... To be honest, I only tip in gogo bars because I see everyone else doing it. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. I think it's just an abnormal practice, which has evolved because staff in many gogo bars have a habit of harassing customers for tips and whatever else they can get. I don't tip in other bars and nightclubs except for small change or when the service has been extra special.


As to why people feel the need to tip bigger in whorehouses - well that's maybe buried in amongst the Western guilt trip that most of us have about sex - that little niggling doubt that you're exploiting people but with the self-assurance that if you pay them extra it makes up for it.
Interesting... out of curiosity, does this have something to do with why you've been going off at Latin for what he pays??!!

Sounds like he doesn't have any of these issues with that guilt! :rolling:

Latinpoxxx had issues with the truth.

[newalaan]

I agree the prices have become ridiculous but his customers don't care. People from Singapore, Hong Kong, japan etc are used to paying that for a normal club in their own countries. Therefore for the same price they are getting many hot boys, f--k shows etc and they think it is a bargain.The few times I have stopped in recently there were almost no farangs. That is not his audience and he does not care what they think..I would say 'spot-on' Firecat69 (also agree with stevehadders writes in his posts as i just noticed them as i didn't read the whole thread before posting). This is the WHOLE point of Dream Boys.. they simply could not care about farangs...farang-customer bar income count for next-to-nothing in Bkk right now. It is made perfectly clear on the advert (in English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese etc) )outside the venue that it is NOT Bt330 for a drink but Bt330 for the SHOW with a free drink, because that is how it is perceived by 99% of their customer base...e.g. Asians. Many Asians just buy a Soda or a water, they don't care, it's a cover charge for the shows there and as far as they are concerned cheap as chips. I visited Dream Boys for the first time in years on this visit, last Friday, ok a weekend night so (probably?) busier than weekdays and i went there as i had time before heading to the Clubs.

The popular Dream Boy doorman has always been great with me on that soi, a tip a good while ago guarantees i never get hassled to go to any of the gogo bars, a wai from him and him not even asking me to go in to his gogo seems to let the other doormen know i'm not interested, so it was a major shock to him when i actually went in and up to Dream Boys. I too got a shock as i really did not expect to struggle to find a seat in there, it was jam packed, a quick look round and rough head count i could see adding the 10's here and there and very approx the place must hold between 250-300 and it was single bar stool-room only. I was 'lucky' in getting a raised seat at the back when a customer joined another party, and as a customer I was more interested in the goings-on around me than the show which was 'routine' bordering on the boring (for me). Lots of young Asians in groups and couples here, money not an issue by the looks of it. I was one of only THREE farangs i could see there.

Next to me a young very fit looking Asian (Korean?)sitting alone had 2 drinks and did not seem much older than the boy he had sit with him, within minutes an off chit was in the bin along with the boy drink, a drink for the mamasan and a bill for about Bt2000, a further tip for the bar and what looked like another Bt200 for the mamasan, and you see why Asians are prized by this bar.

Also in their defence they do during the evening say they hope you go 'downstairs' for the second show and no need to have to buy another drink, that was said quite clearly over the tannoy system more than once, and many only did have the one drink, many obviously non-boozers in Asia. So for your Bt330 there were two big shows with multiple skits, not only agogo boys but also Coyote boys in between shows and gogo boys, you could easily be there for 2 hours on your Bt330 drink....i just can't see how that can be considered a rip-off. Yes, in-and-out to 'off' a gogo boy in 15 mins for your Bt330 is over the top, but for Asians the whole show thing is the appeal, and going by the attendance the management have got 'something' right here as no other bar apart from the first two in the soi, XMEN and Hotmale can compete. I also went to Hotmale just out of interest and they were Bt250 for the drink and show including bigcock and fuck show, but again (for me anyway) not worth the effort really.
I'm curious why anyone would have more than one or two drinks in a gogo bar anyway... doesn't seem like the sort of place you'd hang out. You go in, watch the show, maybe grab a gogo boy and then leave right? And you 'claim' to be Asian..right? As with many of your 'expert' opinions...you really show that actually you have'nt got a clue with regards to many of the things you comment on, this occassion being the the 'soi twilight experience' for 95% of their customers which happen to be Asian ones.....see above. Of course the non-boozers will not buy multiple drinks there but i noted many asian drinkers with a few chits in their 'bin' who are obviously in for the 'longhaul'
And can someone explain the rationale in leaving a tip after a 300 Bt meal (20 Bt maybe) when the waiter has helped you select a meal, taken your order, delivered 3 courses, gone and got sauces, cleared up after you etc. etc., compared with a waiter in a Gogo bar who has merely delivered a glass of water?.Understand your point completely 'gerefan2' but in the agogo/bar trade it's the ONLY way most of the 'backroom' staff get any real kind of living wage. The agogo boys get the prime customer short-time/long time tip when offed. The waiters, cashiers, bar tenders, backroom staff etc etc..rely on the tip-jar shareout to pay the monthly rent, simple as that, and it's just something that 'goes with the territory' like most things in Thailand 'rationale explanations' are somewhat irrelevant.

[Jellybean]

I spent most of Sunday with my ex (who works in the Boys Bangkok/ Dream Boys bars in тАШSoi TwilightтАЩ in Bangkok) his sister and her husband. He was complaining about the lack of customers who actually take a boy out of the bar. So I asked him about the high cost of drinks and mentioned some of the chatter on this forum. He said the boys met with the management this week when they were told that the ownership, which was split between two Germans, has now passed to just one owner. The other co-owner will now assume responsibility for the BBB Inn. He also said that their website would be discontinued. Names of the owners were mentioned, but IтАЩm not sure whether it would be appropriate to mention them here.

Apparently the cost of drinks is a regular subject of discussion with the boys, which they see as the reason why so few farang are coming to the bars and why so few of them are being offтАЩd. My ex said that they were told that the show costs 30,000 Baht to put on and, on average, there are about 80 boys available every night and they are paid 100 Baht each. Then you have the cost of the DJ, mamasans, waiters, bar and door staff. On top of that there will be the usual overheads of stock purchases, rent, electricity, water, taxes and, presumably, the under the counter payments to you know who. Although, no mention was made of the last payment, it is a presumption on my part.

During the week he said that as few as 40-50 customers might enter the bar with the weekends naturally being the busiest with 100-300 customers a night.

I was told that the majority of customers are Asian and, surprisingly, because I havenтАЩt been there for over a year, he also said that many of the customers are female Asians and they, and the Asian men, are mainly there just to watch the show and not off a boy. He thought that as few as 5-10 boys are offed at any one time. If these figures are in anyway representative of what actually happens, then the vast majority of boys are not making a great deal of money every week and I canтАЩt imagine how they could survive on the тАШturning up feeтАЩ of 600-700 Baht a week. I wonder how this compares to JustmeтАЩs knowledge of actual figures in his bar in Pattaya and if he thinks the above is an accurate or fair picture.

Another interesting set of figures, that I was previously unaware of, is that the boys are charged a 50 Baht fine if they arrive after 8.00pm and before 9.00pm. If they arrive after 9.00pm and before 10.00pm they are charged a 100 Baht fine. And if they arrive after 10.00pm they are charged a whopping great 500 Baht fine. So an enormous incentive to arrive on time and, presumably, very few arrive after 10.00pm.

I did complain on another thread about the high cost of water and other soft drinks at these two bars, but as has been mentioned by newalaan, the cost does not represent the cost of the drink, but the cost of seeing the show. Whilst I now think I have a better understanding of the bars running costs I still donтАЩt feel, as someone who lives in Bangkok, inclined to visit the two bars that often and probably no more than once or twice a year if that. But I can well understand why someone here on holiday will want to pop in and check out the show and the boys at least once, despite the high cost of the drinks.

[pong]

about boyfines_what a change nah-not the barfine for us!
Well-thats not new at all-has been there as long Thai employ Thai. These apply too about in any Thai bisnis. There are most likely a whole list of other fines too -like having your mobuy with you or have it ring too often etc. An old friend once had it all explained to me. Try to look at it from how the Thai look at one another: they will misuse any given chance. CLassic apparently does it the psychologial way-only carrots, no sticks-no money at all if not turn up, 50 (then, maybe more now) bt if they do and on time. But there would not be that many boys working there if the pay was that low.
the 500 bt fine is most likely simply the off/barfine-they assume the worker has made his own arrangements-sidestepping the bisnis.
Anyway-thanks for your detailed exploration and trouble to write it all down. Must open eyes to a lot of people who have not thought about it that much. But 80.000 THB for 1 show: so that needs 250 clients to just break even........average!

....During the week he said that as few as 40-50 customers might enter the bar with the weekends naturally being the busiest with 100-300 customers a night....

Interesting information Jellybean.

Sounds like Dream Boys employees ought to change employer - according to some, bars in Silom 2 + 4 (the main gay area apparently) have more than 300 customers per night at the weekends, and without the expense of a 30,000B show and 80,000B payroll every night, the drinks are obviously much cheaper too!

Roger can give you details of these overcrowded bars in the aforementioned streets :evil4:
Apparently they are real gay bars too, unlike gogo bars which are not gay bars at all. :evil4:

I hear (second-hand) that extremely detailed information on customer numbers can also be had from Oldalaan who apparently spends his evenings peering through the door or curtain of every establishment to note how many customers there are.

:occasion9:

[newalaan]

Apparently the cost of drinks is a regular subject of discussion with the boys, which they see as the reason why so few farang are coming to the bars and why so few of them are being offтАЩd. During the week he said that as few as 40-50 customers might enter the bar with the weekends naturally being the busiest with 100-300 customers a night. I was told that the majority of customers are Asian and, surprisingly, because I havenтАЩt been there for over a year, he also said that many of the customers are female Asians and they, and the Asian men, are mainly there just to watch the show and not off a boyInteresting to get some feedback from one of the boys. It's a classic "catch22" for the boys, their bar attracts the biggest crowds in the soi, but because it caters for asian customers who tend to go for the show and visit there with friends or at least one friend, the chances of an off are low. I saw only a couple of lone Asians in the agogos when I visited and one of them sitting right next to me did off a boy. Farangs tend to visit alone looking for a suitable off, as i say with a crowd of 250-300 i saw only 3 farang in the crowd.

I think the obvious thing to do would be to drastically drop the drink cost outwith show time. Have a time slot for the agogo boys only on stage and make the drinks Bt200. That would get farangs back for the real purpose of the boys in an agogo bar...to be off'd! that would increase their chances dramatically. This bar could do somethig as it has two venues 'in one'. It could have the agogo boys downstairs at Bt200 per drink, and the show upstairs at Bt330 with the boys going up after a certain time inbetween show numbers to give them a chance with the Asian customers too. Or if they have a large stable of boys, split the numbers and rotate the boys between the two bars. That alternative could certainly be considered at Dream Boys. Obviously the Bt200 drinkers downstairs would not be permitted to go upstairs with their drinks.

The ignore button of a certain poster apperas to be 'faulty' a bit like his brain. Seems he is 'desperate' for a fight Roger. But don't offer up facts when dealing with him, he takes scant note of actual facts preferring to simply make up things as he goes along to fit whatever ludicrous arguement he is pitching that day. Twisting facts is his main feature example being taking the figures of the one busy agogo and applying that to every bar in the soi. Dim and vacant. Still when you have an ego the size of Glasgow to pander to.......any chink of 'limelight' no matter how small is seized upon. Sad but funny.

[christianpfc]

My ex said that they were told that the show costs 30,000 Baht to put on and, on average, there are about 80 boys available every night and they are paid 100 Baht each.

That's 8,000 Baht for the boys (80 boys 100 Baht each, I think pong and scottish-guy got this number wrong) + 30,000 Baht for the show = 38,000 Baht, divided by 100 customers is 380 Baht per customer (let's assume the bar has 100 customers on average). Even if the 30,000 Baht for the show includes all other costs (water, electricity, rent, bribes), it doesn't fit.

My ex said that they were told that the show costs 30,000 Baht to put on and, on average, there are about 80 boys available every night and they are paid 100 Baht each.

That's 8,000 Baht for the boys (80 boys 100 Baht each, I think pong and scottish-guy got this number wrong) + 30,000 Baht for the show = 38,000 Baht, divided by 100 customers is 380 Baht per customer (let's assume the bar has 100 customers on average). Even if the 30,000 Baht for the show includes all other costs (water, electricity, rent, bribes), it doesn't fit.

Yes, I took Pong's figures but did the mental arithmetic wrong!
I was giving the 80 boys 1000B each - I'm just too generous!!

:love4:

[Jellybean]

Sorry guys I did include my figures (100 Baht x 80 boys = 8,000 Baht) in my original draft, then I removed it in the belief that I would be criticised for including unnecessary simple arithmetic. But 8,000 Baht a night x 7 = 56,000 Baht a week x 4 = 224,000 Baht is still a hefty monthly wage bill and that's, as far as I know, only for the boys.

At one time I did think that perhaps the owners of Boys Bangkok/ Dream Boys were making excessive profits when the cost of the drink/show crept slowly up from 200 Baht to 330 Baht. But even with the benefit of knowing some of the costs I find that I am still not in a position to say whether the now single owner is either running the bars as a hobby, just breaking even, making a reasonable profit and a decent return on his investment or making excessive profits. In my view there are just too many unknowns. For example, I donтАЩt know how many customers have more than one drink or how many order a bottle with mixers. I donтАЩt know the wholesale cost of his alcohol and soft drinks. I donтАЩt know what, if any, тАЬtea moneyтАЭ is paid out and a whole host of other figures. I couldnтАЩt even use my best judgment to arrive at reasonable estimates because I simply donтАЩt have any comparable figures to work on. But it is clear that many posters here, including the OP, think the price is too high and are voting with their feet.

I did however see a great deal of merit in newalaanтАЩs suggestions and, if I was the owner, I would certainly give them proper and careful consideration. Perhaps now that there is a single owner running the bars he might be free to think up some innovative ideas for drawing back more farang customers. Perhaps he might come up with similar ideas to Justme to stimulate demand and thereby give the тАШworking boysтАЩ a reasonable chance to earn some decent money. ItтАЩs a pity the owner is not a member of SGF (well, not that IтАЩve noticed) as he would then be able to take on board newalaanтАЩs and other members suggestions.

IтАЩve promised my ex that I shall, at some point, pop into Boys Bangkok/ Dream Boys before I head off home, so IтАЩll then be able to see what the show and the boys are like for myself. Think IтАЩd better take along a few thousand Baht just in case!

I spent most of Sunday with my ex (who works in the Boys Bangkok/ Dream Boys bars in тАШSoi TwilightтАЩ in Bangkok) his sister and her husband. He was complaining about the lack of customers who actually take a boy out of the bar. So I asked him about the high cost of drinks and mentioned some of the chatter on this forum. He said the boys met with the management this week when they were told that the ownership, which was split between two Germans, has now passed to just one owner. The other co-owner will now assume responsibility for the BBB Inn. He also said that their website would be discontinued. Names of the owners were mentioned, but IтАЩm not sure whether it would be appropriate to mention them here. While I do not know which owner may have taken of which, I would have to assume that the crank old German took over the Dream Boys etc part and therefore nothing will change as the other one was a very quiet sort. Neither ever said thank you or hello even when spoken to by myself.


Apparently the cost of drinks is a regular subject of discussion with the boys, which they see as the reason why so few farang are coming to the bars and why so few of them are being offтАЩd.
Sounds exactly correct and yes of course the boys would be interested and talking about it as this is why they don't make money.

My ex said that they were told that the show costs 30,000 Baht to put on and, on average, there are about 80 boys available every night and they are paid 100 Baht each. Then you have the cost of the DJ, mamasans, waiters, bar and door staff. On top of that there will be the usual overheads of stock purchases, rent, electricity, water, taxes and, presumably, the under the counter payments to you know who. Although, no mention was made of the last payment, it is a presumption on my part.
Still most sounds correct with the exception of the cost of the show and the payment to the boys, etc. In my opinion, it is unfair to give them 100 baht a day. Why? Because the boys are not able to hold on to one single baht and giving them a daily wage means that at rent time, none will have a room.
Monthly is the way most bars do it and I do it every 2 weeks. Also it sounds interesting that two large bars would have a show that costs 30,000 a month when our small bar costs about 40,000 - 45,000 a month.


During the week he said that as few as 40-50 customers might enter the bar with the weekends naturally being the busiest with 100-300 customers a night.

I was told that the majority of customers are Asian and, surprisingly, because I havenтАЩt been there for over a year, he also said that many of the customers are female Asians and they, and the Asian men, are mainly there just to watch the show and not off a boy. He thought that as few as 5-10 boys are offed at any one time. If these figures are in anyway representative of what actually happens, then the vast majority of boys are not making a great deal of money every week and I canтАЩt imagine how they could survive on the тАШturning up feeтАЩ of 600-700 Baht a week. I wonder how this compares to JustmeтАЩs knowledge of actual figures in his bar in Pattaya and if he thinks the above is an accurate or fair picture.
Yes. Sounds close.


Another interesting set of figures, that I was previously unaware of, is that the boys are charged a 50 Baht fine if they arrive after 8.00pm and before 9.00pm. If they arrive after 9.00pm and before 10.00pm they are charged a 100 Baht fine. And if they arrive after 10.00pm they are charged a whopping great 500 Baht fine. So an enormous incentive to arrive on time and, presumably, very few arrive after 10.00pm.
Most bars have fining rules and yes many are aimed at the time they "feel" like arriving. In our bar they are due in at 8:30pm and are to leave at 1am.
Different arrival or departure times will cause different amounts of fines. I know of some bars that even fine 1 baht per minute.



I did complain on another thread about the high cost of water and other soft drinks at these two bars, but as has been mentioned by newalaan, the cost does not represent the cost of the drink, but the cost of seeing the show. Whilst I now think I have a better understanding of the bars running costs I still donтАЩt feel, as someone who lives in Bangkok, inclined to visit the two bars that often and probably no more than once or twice a year if that. But I can well understand why someone here on holiday will want to pop in and check out the show and the boys at least once, despite the high cost of the drinks.

The bottom line is that the patrons are always judging what the cost of a bottle of water or a drink should be based on the price that the bar pays for it rather than taking into consideration all the various costs there are to keep a particular venue OPEN. The other thing patrons love to do is to compare apples with oranges. They love to compare fresh air bars with show and go go bars. Different style bars pay different amounts not only in costs but in TEA money. I am not sure but it is my understanding that most beer bars and restaurants with beer, not air conditioned, don't have the expense of tea money which is a huge savings by itself if true.

[lukylok]

I went to the Dream Boy Bar tonight and can confirm that most of the client├иle is asian, over 90 %, and are not interested in offing boys.
I went because a nice gentleman I offed several times before, saw me in the street last night and sent me a SMS. I always fall for people who remember me. And he confirmed that it was not easy to get an off.
The show is par for the course, a variation of the previous ones, but nicely executed.
There is a enormous number of boys, many of them very good looking - to my taste. On the whole, much better looking than the places I visited last night.
Which puts the question, if they are not offed offen, how do they live, and why do they stay ?
Now the price. I paid 250 in Hotmale, but the show isn't as good and much fewer boys. For me the 80 bahts are worth it.
What I found a ripoff is Screwboys, 200, no show, unattractive boys, and dirty as hell !
Went also to Heartbeat, and was the only customer, which is a pity, because the place is nice, very friendly, and quite a choice of boys. This place deserves better !

[christianpfc]

Still most sounds correct with the exception of the cost of the show and the payment to the boys, etc. In my opinion, it is unfair to give them 100 baht a day. Why? Because the boys are not able to hold on to one single baht and giving them a daily wage means that at rent time, none will have a room.
Monthly is the way most bars do it and I do it every 2 weeks. Also it sounds interesting that two large bars would have a show that costs 30,000 a month when our small bar costs about 40,000 - 45,000 a month.
If the boys are paid monthly, they can pay their rent, but they have to put money aside for food for an entire month. The best would be to pay a part daily (so they can buy food) and a part at the end of the month (so they can pay the rent). Which means basically managing their money for them.

I think the 30,000 for the show in Dream Boy were per day? Your show costs 40,000 - 45,000 per month? That sounds more reasonable.

a week maybe ... thats ┬г6000 a day or there abouts .... how the hell can the same show cost that a day .. it seems a lot a week also .. unless you got the andrews sisters on stage everyday !!!!! then the 6000 would be for embalming fluid ..

a week maybe ... thats ┬г6000 a day .. it seems a lot a week also .. unless you got the andrews sisters on stage everyday !!!!! ..

Who in their right mind would spend money bringing The Andrews Sisters all the way to BKK when you have The Dolly Sisters only a taxi ride away :evil4:


[youtube:29eirdod]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pFKdvoT4-I[/youtube:29eirdod]

[joe552]

There's really nothing like great musical talent - and this is really nothing like great musical talent!

Well if the Dolly Sisters are no good, how about this?

[youtube:hl08qd2f]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQsTcuqv3Vg[/youtube:hl08qd2f]

[gaymandenmark]

Well the Dolly Sisters in Pattaya are not good or funny, but the last video are in a way cute and funny, maybe because it is old :bounce:

[joe552]

Nice on, scottish - now I'd pay to see that show!

[Jellybean]

Having read some of the above comments I thought I had better clarify with my ex the cost of the show and the payment to the boys. I was surprised when he told me that the cost of the show is 30,000 Baht per day! I asked him several times in English and in my fledgling Thai and he confirmed, yes it is 30,000 Baht per day, adding that the show boys are paid тАЬ1,000 Baht upтАЭ each.

So the weekly cost of the show is 30,000 x 7 = 210,000 Baht or x 4 = 840,000 Baht per month.

Estimated takings (Assuming just 1 drink per customer)

330 Baht x 50 = 16,500 Baht. Less show and boy cost i.e. -38,000 Baht = - 21,500 Baht daily loss*

330 Baht x 300 = 99,000 Baht. Less show and boy cost i.e. -38,000 Baht = 61,000 Baht daily profit*

So quite a discrepancy between a quiet weekday night and a weekend night.

Payment to the Boys

I also asked if the 100 Baht payment is paid daily, weekly or monthly. He confirmed that the payment is made daily.

Please also bear in mind that the above figures are only as related to me and have not been verified by the owner.

*Before other costs are taken into account.

[Neal]

Sorry Jellybelly, there is no freakin way that the show can be 30,000 a day! I don't care who told your sweetie that and I am not inferring that he is telling an untruth, I am saying he was told something that was embellished. BBB does a professional show and if my memory serves me correctly, their show is 125,000 baht a month. No way the show at Dream Boy is more than twice that. Don't care what the owner says.

As an add on under my other handle which I try to use for personal posts but sometimes am either too lazy to switch or forget to look at which one I am logged in as, show people in Pattaya other than bigger shows like BBB or Copa (I have no idea about them) are paid between 50 and 100 baht per act. So let's say one boy is paid the 100 baht max and is in 3 different acts in the night, he gets 300 baht.
Now, basing my thoughts that bangkok is double Pattaya let's say that it is double my show. OK, my show runs between 1,000 and a high of 1,500 when we have some extra show people and that includes the BBoys who get paid!!! So 1,500 times 30 is 45,000 and double that saying Bkk is double would be 90,000....get the picture? No way.
By the way, they have a lot of big cock shows and they not only still get the same 100 baht but sometimes do it for free because they usually get a size queen right after the show!

... they usually get a size queen right after the show!


Especially when you're in town, darling

:occasion9:

Got that right ya old twat! Do I sense a bit of jealousy? :evil4:

[colmx]

I presume that the 30,000B per day also includes fees payable to the authorities for overlooking the sexual content of the show?

[joe552]

Colmx, surely you're not suggesting bribery in the Kingdom? A more law abiding country it would be hard to find.

Colmx, surely you're not suggesting bribery in the Kingdom? A more law abiding country it would be hard to find.

That'll be the influence of the law abiding, god-fearing, whiter-than-white ex pat community - not to mention those shining examples of rightousness known as tourists.

:occasion9:

I presume that the 30,000B per day also includes fees payable to the authorities for overlooking the sexual content of the show?

No, those fees are payable on the 1st of every month just like rent and are paid in monthly fees.

[joe552]

Oh, justme, no need to introduce reality into it. After all, you're only living and working there. Those of us outside the kingdom are much better placed to answer Colmx allegation, surely?

[colmx]

Oh, justme, no need to introduce reality into it. After all, you're only living and working there. Those of us outside the kingdom are much better placed to answer Colmx allegation, surely?

I was insinuating that the tea money payments were being amortised and rolled into this daily cost

Whatever the bars in pattaya pay must surely be multiplied several times over in bkk... after all the costs of a good school for the Bkk Colonels kids and his wives shopping bills in Emporium must be greater than those of a lowly Colonel in Pattaya!

And then the fact that these bars have lewd acts going on in them must cause that multiplication factor to go up again several times

The tea money in Bangkok is about 100% what it is in Pattaya. As stated before 30 - 45,000 times 2 is 60 - 90,000. As far as sex in the bars, BKK bars do get raided periodically. No tea money even if it were 4 or 5 times would be enough to keep them out.
tea money is Believe what you want Colmx, their shows are NOT over 50,000 baht and their tea money isn't either. Believe what you want and of course we all understand that because you do own a bar, right?

[Jellybean]

I donтАЩt think weтАЩre ever going to get to the bottom of this one Justme, unless of course I ask the owner some direct questions and get to see his тАШbooksтАЩ, but thatтАЩs never going to happen is it?

But, interestingly, I did have some experience of these issues when I looked at the subject of male brothels, sorry, тАШescort agenciesтАЩ in London when I really did get to see the books. But thatтАЩs a tale to be told on another occasion.

And hey! The nameтАЩs Bean, Jellybean!

:occasion9:

[Neal]

But the other name reminds me so much of the jellybean candies I miss so much!

[colmx]

of course we all understand that because you do own a bar, right?
How do you know i don't own a bar? :dontknow: :dontknow:

By the way you have detailed everything lovie.

The tea money in Bangkok is about 100% what it is in Pattaya....

That would make it exactly the same, sweetcheeks.

I presume you mean it's double? That'd be 200% then.

Between your Americanised english and your dodgy arithmetic it's as well you have a great bar :rolling:

:party

The tea money in Bangkok is about 100% what it is in Pattaya....

That would make it exactly the same, sweetcheeks.

Between your Americanised english and your piss-poor arithmetic it's as well you have a great bar :party
shouldnt that be sweat cheeks .... not a place for the faint hearted !

[quote=justme]The tea money in Bangkok is about 100% what it is in Pattaya....



I presume you mean it's double? That'd be 200% then.[/quote:3w1lf5sn]

I think the non pedants amongst us all understood that Neal obviously meant 100% "more than what it is in Pattaya" which then as he correctly said would of course then be double the amount that is paid in Pattaya, so whilst he may have missed out a word or two his intent was obvious to most and his maths stands.

[pennyboy]

No NO no No and no again. Justme was just plain wrong and I did not have a clue what he was trying to say :violent1:
Anyway NIrish if I was a pendant I woulfd point out that it had nothing to do with maths. It was his arithmetic that was wrong :hah:

Anyway NIrish if I was a pendant .............


PENNYBOY ?? What, are we ALL having multiple profiles on here now or what !!! :-(

Very eager to pretend you did not understand what was meant my dear pennyboy but you see you have left out a major point. You have been to the bar and you know it is in Pattaya and you just can't tell me that you did not realize that what was meant was 100% over what we pay in Pattaya, just like there were some other figures I threw in and said they were double and triple Pattaya.
I guess the problem here is that I said, anyone with A BRAIN would realize what was meant. :evil4:

Pennyboy, this seems to be how it works - as espoused by NIrish :

If Neal had posted something completely different to what he actually posted, he would have been correct.

This makes everything OK, we just pretend that there was no error, and the person who (correctly) pointed out the error is a pedant.

Got it?

:occasion9:

[pennyboy]

Tks SG
My apologies to Neal and NIrish. I did not realise that you both have had a humour bypass.
I guess I don't have a brain after all.

Tks SG
My apologies to Neal and NIrish. I did not realise that you both have had a humour bypass.
I guess I don't have a brain after all.

Apology accepted then I guess as to be honest I didn't even realise that you were TRYING to be funny, but hey be sure to drop me a private message the next time you're maybe thinking of trying to be funny again some time and I'll be sure to watch out for your scathing wit in future as I'd so hate to miss it (again)

[pennyboy]

Hey NIrish
I guess ANYONE attempting a bit of humour would have to pm you to ensure it did not pass you by.

Anway I will bear in mind that I must pm you before I utilise my scathing wit again.

Can't let it go to waste, can we?