Chinese tourists at gay go-go bars

[Wim888]

I have noticed that Chinese tourists seem to be the largest group of customers at some gay go go bars. During two recent visits to Dream Boys, for example, many if not most of the customers were Chinese tourists, and announcements were made in Thai and Chinese, with only limited announcements in English.

The Chinese tourists seem to come to watch vulgar shows rather than off the guys, although I noticed Chinese women offing handsome guys. Several of the tourists even tried to made videos of the shows with their cell phones, but the staff stopped them.

Is the focus of Dream Boys now on offering vulgar shows for Chinese tourists? What do you think?

I hope that this post does NOT appear anti-Chinese. I am about 1/8 Chinese; my late mother had a Dutch/Indonesian/Chinese background.

[a447]

The Chinese are also predominating in the bars here in Pattaya, too.

And yes, I think Dreamboys is actively chasing the Chinese customers. And who could blame them? That's exactly what I'd be doing if I owned a bar. As you pointed out, they don't tend to off the guys - just come for the show -but do seem to spend a lot of money on drinks for themselves and the guys. That's why they can charge such outrageous prices for drinks, even when there is no show to enjoy.

I hope more Chinese discover Pattaya. They will keep the bars we all enjoy in business.

[Brad the Impala]

Is the focus of Dream Boys now on offering vulgar shows for Chinese tourists? What do you think?


I think it's focussed on making money as it was when you first posted these comments in 2013 and again in May this year, when you even answered your own question.



I know about Dream Boys. The bar now seems to cater to Chinese tourists that arrive in great numbers to gawk at the vulgar and boring shows. I suppose that is how the bar makes its money.


That didn't stop you asking a few days later:


What is the business model of Dream Boys? The management seems interested in attracting large groups of Chinese tourists, primarily for the shows.


And which one of us would be interested in watching vulgar shows? Surely we are there for the mimed musical interludes from Madame Butterfly!

[goji]

Just to make sure I'm right about this, the subject of the thread is (as written) Dream Boys, which is in Pattaya, rather than Dream Boy, which is in Bangkok? Assuming both are still open.
However, the description doesn't really sound like the Pattaya bar.
For a start, I don't recall seeing any Chinese customers or any shows on multiple visits about 6 months ago.

[a447]

Well, you should see the bars now. Most of the customers in BBB are Asian ; they often arrive in groups. I've seen quite a lot in the other Boyztown bars, too, specifically in Funnyboys and Toyboys. I can't comment on Sunee.

[egel]

I can't comment on Sunee.
None in Sunee....they wont lower themselves that much!

[bucknaway]

The Chinese guys I've met in Pattaya knew nothing about Sunee Plaza and had no idea how to find it. But once I showed them they loved it.

[francois]

The Chinese guys I've met in Pattaya knew nothing about Sunee Plaza and had no idea how to find it. But once I showed them they loved it.

God will get you for that, Bucky! :-o

[goji]

Well, you should see the bars now. Most of the customers in BBB are Asian ; they often arrive in groups. I've seen quite a lot in the other Boyztown bars, too, specifically in Funnyboys and Toyboys. I can't comment on Sunee.

Well I've seen them in Boyztown too, including Toy boys.
I just didn't see any of them venture 2 streets up to Dream Boys during my visits.

From what I see of Chinese tourism, many of them like to cover as many destinations as possible.
e.g. Barcelona Monday, Rome Wednesday, Zurich Friday & Paris for Sunday. Or the tour groups that spend just long enough somewhere to take the photo.
I recently spent 2 weeks in another relatively prosperous Asian country. Every time there was a busload of Chinese tourists in my hotel, they were there for 1 night only.

Anyhow, of all the Chinese tourists entering the Boystown bars, it would be interesting to know how many spend 1~2 nights in Pattaya & how many spend a longer time there.
My point being, anyone spending (say) just 1 night in Pattaya is probably going to go to the most obvious bars (typically Boystown) & splash out as well.

Is the focus of Dream Boys now on offering vulgar shows ...How does that differ from every gogo bar in Thailand? I spent an hour or so with a Thai student here in the UK a couple of days ago. A group of Chinese were nearby, speaking loudly in Mandarin. He remarked that the Chinese are always very noisy in Thailand too (he worked in a Phuket hotel, so he tells me)

[bucknaway]

I like that the streets are filled with Chinese visitors. Saves me the trouble of going to China to meet cute c Hines guys. That's what I like about Thailand, you can get online and almost do take out and have the guys deliver themselves to you whether they be Korean, thai, Chinese, or Japanese and so on and so forth.... :ymparty:

[Smiles]

Large bus-tour-type groups of Other Asians have been herded into gogo bars (especially in Bangkok) for as long as I can remember ~ a rather long time. Not a new topic on Sawatdee by any means.
I think Brad has impaled (can I say 'petard') this poster exactly: the OP is a wind-up.

[loke]

I went to BBB in boyztown the other night and the place was packed with Chinese visitors during the show, I would say 90% in the room were Asians. Maybe only 6 farang in the room.

[scottish-guy]

I can't comment on Sunee.
None in Sunee....they wont lower themselves that much!

If that's the case then since a447 has commented on Sunee he is clearly not only content to "lower himself", but to positively wallow in it!

All the more kudos to him for doing so, IMHO !!

:ymparty:

[christianpfc]

Recently I was at Bali Hai Pier at night (around 10 pm), and there were over 30 empty buses standing and waiting, up to the flyover bridge. Then I spotted Bali Hai pier from begin to end covered in tourists (didn't take a closer look this time, but when I noticed this before they looked Chinese). The whole show lasts about half an hour, and then everything (road and pier) is back to normal. 30 buses x 50 seats, estimated 1500 people. Do they all go to Koh Larn (but why would they return 10 pm?) or do they have dinner on swimming restaurant?

[fountainhall]

I like that the streets are filled with Chinese visitors. Saves me the trouble of going to China to meet cute c Hines guys. That's what I like about Thailand, you can get online and almost do take out and have the guys deliver themselves to you whether they be Korean, thai, Chinese, or Japanese and so on and so forth.... :ymparty:
The bulk of the Chinese tourists at present are almost all on group tours. So they go where the guides direct. With guide/tout relationships being developed, it's hardly surprising it's the main bars and main bar areas which are seeing the bulk of the custom. Since few of these tours are for gays, a visit to a gogo bar is a curiosity to be sampled, not somewhere to pick up a guy. Hence the jacking up of drinks prices - and hence the easier it is becoming (certainly in Bangkok) for westerners to negotiate the drinks price down before entering.

That's not to say, though, that individual gay tourists from China are not starting to explore Thailand. I have a friend arriving tomorrow from Yunnan Province keen to enjoy what he cannot at home. This has been happening in Hong Kong for quite a few years now - relatively rich guys, many tall, young and in good shape, coming to Hong Kong to shop for luxury goods and take in the gay venues over a long weekend. It will happen more here as entry to Thailand is far easier.

It always surprises me that there are still relatively few Japanese and Korean gay visitors here. We know the Singaporeans and Taiwanese tend to come with a group of friends and generally stick together except when visiting saunas. I have found that Japanese and Koreans often visit on their own, but I never see many around.

[Wim888]

In my initial post, I was referring to Chinese tourists at Dream Boys in Bangkok. I suspect that travel agents bring the Chinese tourists into Dream Boys, and the owner gives the agents some fee.

Here is some data about Chinese tourists in Thailand. {from Wikipedia]

"In 2014, 4.6 million Chinese visitors travelled to Thailand.[7][8]In 2015, 7.4 million Chinese tourists are expected, and 8 million in 2016. Thailand relies heavily on Chinese tourists to meet its tourism revenue target of 2.2 trillion baht in 2015 and 2.3 trillion in 2016. During the first half of 2015, Chinese arrivals rose by 111% to 4 million, generating tourism income of 190.91 billion baht, up 138.9% year-on-year.[9]

Chinese visitors now account for 20% of all foreign travellers to Thailand.[10] It is estimated that the average Chinese tourist remains in the country for one week and spends 30,000тАУ40,000 baht (US$1,000тАУ1,300) per person, per trip.[11] The average Chinese tourist spends 5,500 baht (US$160) per dayтАФmore than the average European visitor.[8] According to Thailand's Tourism Authority, the number of Chinese tourists rose by 93% in the first quarter of 2013, an increase that was attributed to the popularity of the Chinese film Lost in Thailand that was filmed in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Chinese media outlets have claimed that Thailand superseded Hong Kong as the top destination for Chinese travellers during the 2013 May Day holiday.[12] The huge influx of Chinese tourists has not been without its downside. Locals have complained that many Chinese visitors are culturally insensitive and boorish. This has led the Thai government to publish a Mandarin language "etiquette manual" for distribution to Chinese tourists.[13]"

[fountainhall]

The Thai - and other governments - must be vastly relieved that the Chinese currency remains pretty high, whereas the collapse of the rouble has led to a huge drop in the number of Russian tourists.

The outbound mainland Chinese market will continue to explode exponentially for decades to come. When I was staying at a small lodge in the far north of Finland last November, I was the only guest for 2 nights. On another, a family from Hong Kong stayed and I was told they were the first ethnic Chinese guests the lodge had ever hosted. I spoke to the management about the need for them to have a Mandarin-speaking staff member or intern as Chinese could make up a large part of their market in future years as Chinese start to travel ever further.

[Up2U]

Chinese tourists boost Thai economy but stir outrage
July 5, 2015


CHIANG RAI, Thailand (AFP) - Accused of urinating in public, spitting on the street, or kicking a sacred temple bell -- free-spending Chinese tourists are receiving a mixed welcome as their soaring numbers help the kingdom's creaking economy.
Growing outrage over the perceived disrespect of visitors from the Asian giant saw authorities print thousands of Chinese-language etiquette manuals earlier this year in a bid to keep their tourists in check.

Last month it was a photo of a young girl peeing in the grounds of BangkokтАЩs Grand Palace that triggered the latest round of enraged, and sometimes racist, comments as Thai social media users claimed she was Chinese...... (read more).....

http://linkis.com/nationmultimedia.com/GsZzU

[fountainhall]

That outrage is not confined to Thailand. Hong Kong and Taiwan media regularly report the latest examples of behaviour on the part of Chinese tourists.

But I think it's important to remember two things. Not only are these and most other countries actively wooing mainland tourists because they spend a lot and usually more than other tour groups. Presently the groups mostly comprise middle-aged to older Chinese. Many of these received little education during the years following the Cultural Revolution. Most do not speak a word of English or the languages of the countries they visit and few speak Putonghua, the country's national language. Their knowledge of tourism etiquette and their destination country and its culture is often at best outdated or non-existent.

In many parts of rural China it is still usual for little children to have slits in the seats of their pants for ease of urination by the roadside. Someone has to provide them with information of how to behave in other countries. I don't think that should be exclusively a matter for the Chinese authorities. If Thailand is happy to sit back and wallow in the cash spent by millions of Chinese, the least it can do is help the tour agents ensure knowledge of local dos and donts is provided - and adhered to.

Let's also not forget the hordes of British tourists who flock to parts of Spain, Tallinn and other places; the Finns who flock (or used to) to St Petersburg; others who invade Prague and other middle European cities simply for loud-mouthed booze-filled week-end binges. Is that just not as bad - almost?

[arsenal]

Chinese tourists are kept in groups because most of them can't survive by themselves and I mean that literally. For a start they are unable to cross the road unsupervised outside of China. Secondly because the way they behave runs the very real risk of violence from the local population. The children will pee in the supermarket while the adults happily spit their way around the fruit and veg counter. Meanwhile they will pick up and smell every piece of meat with their bare hands that is not wrapped before they buy it. The government is genuinely embarrassed by the behaviour of their citizens and has enacted laws to try and get them to behave. I expect Xi Jinping is rather pissed off as he must feel mortified every time he attends an Asian summit. I know I would.

[Marsilius]

During the influx of Russian tourists a few years back, many on this board - including me - mentioned the quite blatant displays of homophobia exhibited by many of them during their gawking visits to gay go-go bars. Are the Chinese better mannered in that respect?

[fountainhall]

Chinese tourists are kept in groups because most of them can't survive by themselves and I mean that literally. For a start they are unable to cross the road unsupervised outside of China.

They come in groups because that is the only way the vast majority of them can get passports and visas to travel abroad! Period!

[latintopxxx]

i'm just happy to see them patronise the fuck shows...means the gogo bars will keep putting them on, especially if thats the main reason the chinese come. Personally I love the shows and always try and catch as many as possible when im in BKK. Pity pattaya is not as strong when it comes to that, onlyn the one venue as far as I can tell.

[scottish-guy]

.... Personally I love the (fuck) shows and always try and catch as many as possible when im in BKK.....

Have you tried asking at the Tarntawan for a room adjoining NIrish when he's in town?

Preferably with a connecting door so you can press your face against the crack :p

[latintopxxx]

..i do have standards...believe it or not!!

[a447]

I think I'd keep my face well away from Nirish's crack.

No offence, but I also have my standards....lol

[Blueskytoday]

I have liked viewing the sex shows in bars,
However have not gone into one for 2 years...
I understand the bars need income,,,they are there of course to make money.
But I cannot enjoy the show or anything else with a bunch of Chinese or other woman,
giggling,,,and such, and some with their husbands in tow....
Totally not enjoyable to me at all...ruins it..

[latintopxxx]

I'm the opposite, if a straight couple , or if straights are in the audience I like to show off a little...like will call one of the big cock boys over , feel him up and tip him. love watching the reaction on chinese groups....

and some with their husbands in tow....
Totally not enjoyable to me at all...ruins it..
Some would argue that it's our sacred duty to seduce their husbands