Tips from a Pattaya Taxi Driver

[Dodger]

Mr. Tong is a very popular and well-respected taxi driver with over 35 years behind the wheel in Pattaya. He is especially popular with farang on holiday who stay in-or-near Boyztown. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you know him.

Besides being extremely honest and reliable, Tong speaks fluent English, has a personality more aligned with western thinking, and has a great sense of humor. I can’t remember ever using anyone else’s taxi service in the past 22 years, and it’s fair to say that we’ve become good friends in the process.

Tong transported me to/from Bangkok yesterday for my vaccine appointment giving us 5 hours to catch up on old times, share opinions about covid, and talk about what’s going to happen to Pattaya in the future. I listened very closely when he spoke, because he has this uncanny ability to see things and know things about Pattaya that others sometimes don’t.

He said in a very clear and confident tone, that it would take several years for Pattaya to recuperate from this disaster, but saw businesses starting to open again gradually sometime in the middle of next year. As far as the gay bars go, he said Boyztown will survive, although Le Café Royale is finished and won’t be reopening, Ambience is temporarily closed but may possibly reopen in the fourth quarter if at least some customers knock on its doors. He believes Panorama will reopen, as well as a handful of host bars. Note, that Tong has been personal friends with the owners and managers of these establishments in Boyztown for decades. He does not believe the gogo bars in Boyztown will ever reopen, and that includes BoysBoysBoys, which, according to him, is now permanently closed.

He sees a much smaller gay community (at least for the next few years), but said, without any hesitation, that when the customers start to return, so will the sex workers. He sees Jomtien Complex as surviving, but with fewer customers and staff workers than in the past. When I asked him about Sunee Plaza he just laughed and said it would be another century before Madam Sunee could lease or sell that property to anyone else, so he sees a handful of beers bars, and possible a few gogo’s reopening in the future. He seemed to suggest that Sunee would be livelier than Boyztown going forward. I hope he's right.

On the ride home we passed what appeared to be a hundred police vans and trucks all with their sirens on and lights flashing heading into Bangkok. Tong just shook his head and said “either we get the vaccine – or this will continue to happen”…tourists can come back after that.

[Oliver2]

Taxi drivers have often provided P and and me with entertainment during long journeys from Don Muang to Pattaya. Many come from Isaan and all the ones with whom we have had extended discussions- often their English is much better than your average bar-worker- have been Red Shirts. I recall the honourable involvement of taxi drivers during the Red Shirt demonstrations a few years ago.

So I take their views seriously. They are insiders, insofar as their incomes depend on us, but also outsiders because they are self-employed and so independent. Mr Tong's forecast seems about right to me

[a447]

He does not believe the gogo bars in Boyztown will ever reopen, and that includes BoysBoysBoys, which, according to him, is now permanently closed.

I can't see how it could close permanently.

It was doing really well and raking in the money when the Chinese tourists were there. The bar specifically catered for them.

So surely when they return the bar will re-ooen.

[arsenal]

I'm sorry Dodger but Mr Tong has no idea what will happen in the future. If there were no go go bars in Boyztown I'd consider opening one myself cos who doesn't love a monopoly.

Great read though.

[goji]

There is a tendency amongst businesses to copy what works, rather than innovate. Whilst many of us would like to see some decent gogo bars open, I suspect people will be more inclined to open host bars.

As for Chinese tourists, well at present Arsenal informs us China is still imposing very strict lockdowns. With any luck, they will persist with the 14/21 day quarantine for returning visitors well into 2022 & beyond, which will kill of the outbound tourist trade for a while.

[colmx]

I highly recommend Tong as a driver also. He has been our go to guy for a while now, reliable and an excellent driver. As Dodger says above has a real western way of thinking and sense of humour.

[Dodger]

If there were no go go bars in Boyztown I'd consider opening one myself cos who doesn't love a monopoly.

Maybe we could go in as partners. I can see it now:

BoysRus Gogo coming soon to Boyztown. (Arsenel and Dodger Proprietors).

Only the HOTTEST boys in Thailand will grace the stage...dancing totally nude...while performing gymnastic type moves in sexual poses guaranteed to dazzle the crowd and get those pokers between your legs stiff even before you've popped your first dose of Viagra.

Manly macho boys...fem boys...ladyboys...shoeshine boys...transvestites'...and even a few scar-faced sado masochists' for you twisted fucks out there.

Off fee's 500 baht. The boys with scars on their faces are 250 baht, but if they hurt you don't come back complaining to us.

[arsenal]

Well you'd better move quick Dodger. A partnership in the venture, Arse & All Go Go Bar has sparked a three way bidding contest between sglad, mrgiggles and steviewonders.

[Manforallseasons]

Interesting read Dodger, I agree that Pattaya will take at least a couple of years to come back I also agree that Pattaya has seen the last of GoGo bars and beer bars will continue however, much fewer in number. Eventually, if you want to go to a GoGo Bangkok will have to suffice.
Those that don’t live here may speculate but the few of us that actually live here witness on a daily bases the catastrophic impact Covid has had here.

[goji]

Maybe we could go in as partners. I can see it now:
Only the HOTTEST boys in Thailand will grace the stage...dancing totally nude...while performing gymnastic type moves in sexual poses guaranteed to dazzle the crowd

Exactly what we want.

However, question number 1 is how much of a pay off do the bars that currently allow nudity have to make to the local law "enforcement" ?

[arsenal]

A while back 4 1/2 out of the 8 did. Nice Boys, Eros, X-boys, Dynamite and right on the edge at Winner.

[Brad the Impala]

A while back 4 1/2 out of the 8 did. Nice Boys, Eros, X-boys, Dynamite and right on the edge at Winner.

How much, not how many! Sheesh, English teachers eh! :)

[mr giggles]

He said ...that it would take several years for Pattaya to recuperate from this disaster, but saw businesses starting to open again gradually sometime in the middle of next year. As far as the gay bars go, he said Boyztown will survive, although Le Café Royale is finished and won’t be reopening.....
.

WOW! DOES HE HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL? :dash:
That basically applies to any city and/or business in the world..
you don't need to be a Nostradamus..

[arsenal]

Yea see. It's posts like the one above that allowed the jury to convict you of being steviewonders and sglad without the need for absolute proof. It matters little, so few now read what you post.

[Dodger]

.

......how much of a pay off do the bars that currently allow nudity have to make to the local law "enforcement" ?

From what I understand, no two bars that offered nudity and/or fuck shows paid exactly the same amount of tea money. It all depends on who owns the bar (Thai or Farang), the BIB you're negotiating with, the amount of business a bar is drawing, the location of the bar, and which way the wind is blowing.

[arsenal]

Of course, everyone is looking at this as if the only option is for the present owners to continue. But with plenty of premises available it's perfectly possible for new players to enter the market.

[latintopxxx]

I reckon that all the ex gogos of all sexes are sooooo bored back home at the ranch...after tasting coke and macdonalds they must be sicked of green bananas and yams by now....the moment we all have our vaccines relagating covid to a flu like status and we are all allowed back....they will flock back in such a rush that it will raise a cloud of dust visible from space...they''ll soon be swing fucking from the rafters in every bar...

[Manforallseasons]

Of course, everyone is looking at this as if the only option is for the present owners to continue. But with plenty of premises available it's perfectly possible for new players to enter the market.


False hopes.

[dinagam]

I reckon that all the ex gogos of all sexes are sooooo bored back home at the ranch...they''ll soon be swing fucking from the rafters in every bar...

Oh how I miss those trapeze acts in the bars of Soi Twilight, how skilfully they 'bonded' before swinging in the air in unison, akin to the precision of the docking of rocket capsules to the international space station.

[Oliver2]

Yes, they were remarkable. And in those days, the performers were twinks rather than ladyboys....or is my memory deceiving me?
There were even a couple of watchable shows; I particularly liked the copulating pyramid at Boys of Bangkok. This consisted of about ten guys piled on top of one another and, on one occasion, only ended when an appendage became loose (and flaccid) and flopped about uselessly.
Not only were things better back then ; they were also funnier. Where has the comedy gone? Even the go go had its amusing moments when the guys were teasing each other.

End of my nostalgia trip.

[Manforallseasons]

Many, many years ago my favorite BKK GoGo was Future Boys….second was a small GoGo at the end of the ally from DJ station and up a flight of stairs called Top Man, another but mostly for Thais was Bee High in Saphon Kwai…..Sadly all disappeared way before Covid.

[Armando]

However, question number 1 is how much of a pay off do the bars that currently allow nudity have to make to the local law "enforcement" ?
I can only give an indication as my information is about six years old. There was a very small beer bar in Soi Twilight to the right of Dick's (next to Scorpion I think). It was managed by the mamasan from the defunct Solid Bar. He told me that at that time go-go bars in the soi usually paid 160,000 baht per month and beer bars 40,000. But since that bar rarely seemed to have any customers, I wonder how it could possibly have made the payment.

[Sen Yai]

I reckon that all the ex gogos of all sexes are sooooo bored back home at the ranch......the moment we all have our vaccines relagating covid to a flu like status and we are all allowed back....they will flock back in such a rush that it will raise a cloud of dust visible from space...they''ll soon be swing fucking from the rafters in every bar...

They're way ahead of you....

[Brad the Impala]

Many, many years ago my favorite BKK GoGo was Future Boys….second was a small GoGo at the end of the ally from DJ station and up a flight of stairs called Top Man.

Most be thinking of the same period as I agree with you on this! At that time these were the best fun and best source of sexy boy next door types in Bangkok.

Top Man was on the premises of the old Garden Bar which also used to be great fun, not gogo, but gay boys, so I don't think your type! They used to line dance the cha cha cha.

[goji]

I can only give an indication as my information is about six years old. There was a very small beer bar in Soi Twilight to the right of Dick's (next to Scorpion I think). It was managed by the mamasan from the defunct Solid Bar. He told me that at that time go-go bars in the soi usually paid 160,000 baht per month and beer bars 40,000. But since that bar rarely seemed to have any customers, I wonder how it could possibly have made the payment.

160,000 baht per month = 5333 per day.
Rent, electric and staff salaries on top.

From memory, it costs just under 1500 baht for the minimum of 2 drinks and an off fee on Soi Twilight, which is almost all gross margin.
I suspect any bar that does reasonable trade can afford the tea money at that level.

However, any bar with a handful of customers is going to struggle, unless of course the tea money is scaled back according to the size of the premises.

Also, with Grindr providing a very good alternative, there's more of a temptation to visit gogo bars just to have a look & therefore no need to buy boy drinks or pay off fees. The Bangkok gogo bars don't even make much of a case for offing boys, as the average gogo boy provides less service than the Grindr lads & when we're done, the gogo boy expects a higher tip. So my off from a Bangkok gogo bar costs about 2000 more than one on Grindr, but I get less service in return.
I don't mind paying more out for more service in return, but paying more for less service makes no sense.

[mr giggles]

Yea see. It's posts like the one above that allowed the jury to convict you of being steviewonders and sglad without the need for absolute proof. It matters little, so few now read what you post.

Oh, stop flirting with me....
:heart: