The boys savings

Where do the bar workers keep their tips from farlangs? I had the opportunity last trip to see several rooms where the workers were staying. Some had 12 to a room with several bunk beds in.

The rooms were very basic, & IтАЩm assuming without independent safeтАЩs for each person.

Lets say one has just returned to his room after being offed with earnings of 1200bt, IтАЩm sure a percentage of this would very appealing to another lad sharing the room, who possible hadnтАЩt been offed for a few weeks.

I could see some individual bags in the room, but I doubt whether keeping money in a zipped side compartment is adequate enough.
If certain lads are fortunate enough to have all their funds still in place from the night before, do or can the mamasans set up some kind of account for each lad?

I had someone tell me that when one lad went to the bathroom briefly, & left his mobile on the bed, as he thought everyone was still asleep, but when he returned it was gone!!

Another person told me that they spend the money as soon as it is earned. I find this hard to believe, as maybe they were saving for a mobile like to many lads seem to do, who are fairly new to the bar.
What about the money they also need to retain to give to mama & papa when they return home?

Bank accounts. Yes! Even bar boys can get them. What's the mystery?

More oft than not when one boy has money they all have money as they seem to share everything. Often they also leave money with the bar manager or mamasan for safe keeping. I have noticed tho that after awhile the boys seem to realize that so many living together does not work out and they usually end up by renting a room with just one room mate.

A couple who stayed with me several days asked me to hold the money (In an envelope in the room safe)until they could go to the bank, post office, pay rent, shop-ping....

[TrongpaiExpat]

Issan Money boys that put away money and save are quite rare. It's a day to day subsistance. Extended Issan family sturctures are replaced as boys join together in groups. The one that makes the money is expected to share.

The only way a bar boy can put some money away is to break with tradation and become more bangkok middle class like.

The amount of money that can be spent in this culture has no limits. This one boy I know spent three months in Switerland with a Swiss guy. The guy gave him over 300,000B in one lump sum. Three months latter the boy was broke. All he had to show for the money was a top of the line cell phone and now he is looking to sell that. His rent was 4,000 and he had 3 roommates. He is now back working in a bar and the Swiss guy has cut off anymore money.

[bao-bao]

Issan Money boys that put away money and save are quite rare. It's a day to day subsistance.

Trongpai, I appreciate your viewpoint but respectfully disagree on this, especially if you meant Isaan guys away from home seeking their fortune in general.

I don't claim to be an authority for a couple of reasons: one - I only have a handful of extended trips there under my belt, and two - I'm not there to play with handfuls below the belt, if you catch my drift.

I can offer what I've learned from friends, club workers and gogo boys I've spoken with at length who send about half of the money they make home to the family. The rest is for their (often) shared room, food, basic clothes and other expenses. The only Thai I met who were living check to check were office professionals, who were in hock up to their little brown noms with car payments, medical bills, school expenses or a mortgage.

Granted, as I've said in other threads they're certainly vulnerable to the deplorable "gotta have this" trappings I believe are the fault of outside media and cultures, but assuming they're not drawn into the seedier side of club life - i.e. alcohol, drugs and/or conspicuous consumption - many are just earning money for the family, schooling, their future or all of the above.

Trongpai,

My ex has that guy beat... he spent 3 months in switzerland this summer and came home with about 600,000 baht (although from many, many punters... not one guy). I have no doubt he will burn it all up in a record amount of time.

Who is to say what is right and what is wrong for Thai guys to do with their money. Although, talking to some, they do have a little pet peeve with other boys who do not send money home to the folks, perhaps its contempt that these other boys do not look after their family, perhaps its a little jealousy that they have been able to break away and can spend all the money on themselves.

Most of the guys I know choose to live alone or with one other person and they have all experience living as a group, which genreally means that 'stuff' goes missing 'too much' and nobody ever has any money. Oh and they also know at least one boy who they give money to when needed but that boy never shares his money, drinks, food.

A random sample of most guys I have chatted to gives me the impression that most have bank accounts but they all have different ideas as to what they can or should do with their money.

My friend goes to the bank every weekend and deposits everything except his rent and living expenses. Parents have access to his account and take the money out as and when needed. He has gone wild once and bought a gold chain and gold ring. The chain he tells me is for mama when he goes home and the ring for papa.

Guy 2 has been a 'superstar' off in the past and banks everything but when he decides to buy something he buys good quality but affordable long lasting goods (mobile/motocyke) and never buys 2nd hand. He goes home every couple of months and takes money home to his mama.

Guy 3 has a 25,000 baht monthly income from one Farang overseas plus he works the bars as and when he wants for extra earnings. He buys the latest fashions, has a new expensive mobile and likes gold, never sends money home, likes to gamble and is spent up just before the next deposit arrives in his bank.

Guy 4 is a low earner. He lives hand to mouth. No gold, no fancy goods but still tries to take care of his family, especially his brother and sister.

Guy 5 has little money. He is rarely offed but when he is, he gives whatever he can to his Thai bf and family.

Guy 6 does not work, but may do a little freelance work now and again. He has a little income from a Farang overseas and spends all his money on gambling.

Guy 7 has a wife and is saving to buy a little piece of land before he can start a family. Banks what he can and sends money home.

All the guys want a good time, they just have different ideas about what to do with their money.

[Blueskytoday]

From what I read, First,,must be very nice to be well-off enough to send 25,000 Baht to the B/F monthly.. Second, .Like the boy is not tramping around with every other Farang he can fine anyway...Guess I am glad I don't have nor want a b/f...Just give what I can that is fair ,to the ones I am with at the time..no committments, no hassles, visits to the Issan home with gifts..I give credit to the boys who do travel abroad and come back with MORE than enough baht to cover their and their family's expenses., But fear most is spent fast on things really not needed nor kept away for the future..It seems mostly that the boys spend whatever they make rapidly until the next off...Am I missing something in NOT having a b/f to visit once a year???? Think not

Every Thai, including bar boys holding a bank account with ATM card (usually including VISA electron). It’s easy. Usually the bank account is held where at the home town. That’s why many do not like using there ATM card outside: Any transaction costs at least 20 TBT – which is not much for farang but nearly the costs a small meal for an always hungry boy.
Interests earned on ATM account are low. Thai’s do not count on any interests.

Many Thai’s are heavily in debts; therefore deposing any money doesn’t make so much sense to them. More than 50 % of loans in Thailand are not performing. Credit cards are easily to be obtained and consumer credit’s for electronics or vehicles is widely common. Sliding into red is very easy.

But most of them do not trust banks at all. All banking is to abstract to them.

I personally know some people who turning up frequently asking me to keep there money somewhere safe. They know that cash in there hands is like a bird on rooftops … It is a good sing of friendship and trust. Do not betray anyone. I do keep the cash in an envelope and note any payment in or out.

For them carrying cash is problematic. There are friends who want borrow money – which cannot be denied of there is any, and also too many offers luring the boys into trouble: drugs, karaoke, disco and more.

And some gangs are going around forcing the boys at knifepoint to empty ATM accounts. The boys usually do not talk about it but I knew this happened and I witnessed it once as it happened to someone I knew. I surly stepped in and helped him to get away from it but for this you need courage and clever action (I took photo’s of the incident and send them by MMS to a police officer I knew very well).

There are only a very few boys who are actually making money in bar business. Maybe some are really lucky but this is as rare as winning the lottery. Most boys going back home after while with maybe not quite empty pockets. Bar boys usually do not get rich by any means.

At the boy’s home people are desperate for cash. They do not have any problems to remind the boys frequently to send some. And it is impossible for a Thai boy to not follow his parent’s or older sister’s orders.

Its all about money . The trouble is, the Thai’s do need and like money – but the money doesn’t like the Thai …..

Most boys send money monthly to mama ( not to papa the drinker lol)

Even they dont ask for it or need it they still send it. Face?

Long time ago, a (Butch) Mamasan told me: "Of every ten boys who say they send money to Mama, one actually does--And for every ten baht those say they send, they actually send one."

On the other hand; I know a num who worked as a captain at a famous Bangkok bar (I'm sure many here knew him too.) who saved his money and got a condo, new car, new mini-van, college degree and gorgeous lover, in that order, before he was thirty--But he was lucky in the family department; his parents tossed him out when he was sixteen.