Freelancers at bars

Is this a new concept? where on a few occasions some lads would say that maybe tomorrow they would not be working at the bar, & then they would be absent for about 2/3 days.

A friend also explained to me that not all the lads in the bar are on the payroll, as the popular oneтАЩs can come & go as they please, once agreeing with the mamasun that they wish to go freelance. I must agree that this has advantages both for the bar & the boy, & that there should be a fine balance between the ratio of freelance & lads that are on the payroll.

I only experienced this in the sunee bars so far.

... this is a new thing or not but it certainly is something that happens quite frequently. I think most guys tend to stick with one place so that they get the 2000 to 3000 baht monthly wage from the bar or they change to another bar that they think is more likely to have Ferang who 'off' them and stick with that for a time (also taking the monthly wage). I do tend to think it is the more attractive guys or the ones who seem to be offed more frequently who tend to take on the freelancer role or the guys who have a Ferang and just do the bar scene occassionallly for extra income. It's also not just a Sunee thing as three of the guys I know in Boystown tend to move around the bars several times in the same month or even in the same night.

Freelancers at bars are not uncommon. Some used to work with the bar before or just went off the payroll for a month or so in order to spend some time during the month somewhere else – and are going to avoid the bar fine.

There is nothing wrong with all that. The mamasan usually will not stop a freelancer as long as he a good looking ore otherwise useful addition to the employees. Many freelancers work like staff and get there share as everybody from collected tips – so the freelancer can expect some frequent income.

Some freelancers do not like the feeling of being employed by someone. They like to hang around with there friends and do there business likewise.

Some venues, like in Bangkok the Telephone bar or especially DJ station do have a fair chare of freelance around who are working entirely without any connection to the bar. It is a hunting ground they know quite well. Others are cruising customers in places, like Central Si Lom in Bangkok, the Royal Garden in Pattaya or even directly on streets.

And for sure, freelancers are not just looking out for farangs, they looking for potential customers who might suit them well.
It could be the bell boy or receptionist at your hotel or someone waiting in front of an convenience store. But this is not alone Thailand but everywhere in the world.

[daa raa]

Most bars do indeed pay the boys a monthly salary of 2000 to 3000 baht. On my most recent trip, I was suprised to hear that one popular bar does not pay a monthly salary. The boy I met insisted that we not go to the bar on our second date, he said I do not need to pay his off fee. He said he only works whenever he wants, usually about 3 days a week.

Hmmm...first I've heard of this. Most bars make a decent amount of money on bar fines from the boys (fees for being late or for missing days), so from what I know, most don't allow a boy to just work a few days a week and then work at another bar during the other days. Boys do and can bounce around bars in solid blocks of time for longer periods (except in Phuket where boys are pretty much only allowed at work for the original bar that employed them unless some arrangement is other wise made between the bar owners).

However, it could be a new trend (freelancing) as competition for talent gets stronger.

Pete

[allieb]

A boy I offed from the Krazy Dragon told me that if they off 10 customers a month they get a salary of 3,000 Baht If they don't reach the target they get NOTHING!!! I saw the boys room one night It was in a long stay sort of hotel. I asked at the reception and the rooms with a fan only were 3,000 Baht a month. There was no indication that he was sharing and the place was very clean.

I offed that boy for the last 4 days of my holiday. Had I met him sooner I dare say I would have settled down with him for the entire vacation. The sex was just fantastic and I paid him well. perhaps too much. I have been told so often not to spoil the market and pay too much but this boy really did a good job so I felt he deserved over the odds. He even said to me "Oh darling you pay too much" Was that the words of an honest boy or was that part of a bigger sting for later, who knows?

The problem is now, I don't know if I should contact him or take a chance he's there next trip. I have his phone number and email. He hasn't got mine. The last time I got involved with a boy the money thing started pretty soon. I'm not prepared to get into money transfers with someone I knew for only 4 days. On the other hand I would really like to see him next time when I go in April. I would then see if there could be a future.

Bearing in mind how often these boys change phone numbers or just loose phones. I'm in a dilemma. Any thoughts guys?

As long as you are not the jealous type, and don't mind him seeing other guys when you are not there.. go ahead and start a relationship. Barboys/Moneyboys may tell you that you "are the only one", but they will be lying. I tried for 3 years to get one to change. They may become attached to you emotionally, but they will rarely give up the money and attention they get from a constant flow of tourist farangs.

If you want a more "monogomous" relationship.. better to find a middle class guy with an education and a real job.

[haikudude]

IтАЩve always wondered how that worked.

The Night Bazaar bars in Chiang Mai are bursting with young studlings. Most congregate at Cream and Cruse Bar. The bars seem to have their own selection of boys but I sometimes see them hop from bar to bar. Yet I see some boys stick regularly at the same bar. Whenever IтАЩve offed a boy from my favored Night Bazaar bar (a regular at the bar) I never had to pay an off fee, although I have seen the boy run to the bar to collect money. I assume itтАЩs a commission on the drinks I bought him. So I suppose these boys stick to a particular bar because of the clientele, Cream and Cruse being the classier, or as classy as you can get at the night bazaar bars. However, two new bars have opened up there. One called Secrets Bar. Right across from Secrets is another new bar whose name I canтАЩt recall but I here itтАЩs the same owners as Jack-Pot. ThereтАЩre both nice with studlings hanging around playing pool beckoning me over.

Anyway, still not sure how the bars work these boys. I suppose I shouldnтАЩt worry about it as IтАЩm already told I think too much.

[Dodger]

The boy I spent my last holiday with (Maniac) left the gogo stage and started working as a freelancer one year ago, and during the nearly 8 weeks that we lived together during my last holiday he shared the details of "freelancing" with me quite candidly.

Apparently, the opportunity to become a freelancer within the working boy circuit (a lucritive one anyway) is for the most popular boys in a bar - the ones who get offed very frequently. I really think the old ParetoTheory (80/20 rule) applies, where 20% of the boys employed in a gogo or host bar rake in 80% of the business. Of those 20%, who I commonly refer to as "shining stars' there's typically one, or possible two boys, who are offed continually due to their above average looks and sexual appeal. It's typically these boys who have the opportunity to become freelancers and the Mamasans love it. Freelancers typically don't receive any salary from any bar. They simply visit any bar where an agreement has previously been made with the manager and/or head Mamasan and bait customers as they chose. The freelancer usually pays a tip of 100-300 baht per each customer offed from a particualr bar to the Mamasan. This arrangement provides an extra income for the Mamasan and the freelancer has all the freedom he wants.

Maniac had (and possible still has) an arrangement like this with 3 different gogo bars. He could wander in to these places any time he choses and sometimes would not visit a place for weeks at a time. It was totally up to him. According to Maniac, the biggest benefit of freelancing is that he had the choice of who he went off with.

The working boys have an indepth knowledge of a farangs patterns, e.g., how much he tips, what type of service he expects, etc., and use this knowledge to categorize each of us. Yes, the boys have our M.O. down perfectly, especially those of us who are repeat visitors or residents. According to Maniac, the prime target for a freelancer is a farang with a known habit pattern of tipping over the average who expects very little once in the bed. An example being a farange who tips a boy 2,000 plus baht for a 30 minute hand job. Maybe he's exajerating, but according to his frank statements, there are an abuldance of farangs who fall in this category. Another prime target are those farangs who have tons of money to throw around and want a boy for a few days mearly as a companion. These farangs are also the best bets for buying those cell phone and gold necklaces.

He also informed me (at no surprise) that most freelancers have a steady farang (or multipe steady farangs) who they spend long periods of time with when they visit LOS...like your truly. In these circumstances, the boy has the freedom to simply stop working without paying any bar penalties.

I have to admit, if I were a working boy and blessed with over average looks and sex appeal I'd be doing the same thing.

Oh well...there's my two cents.

[allieb]

Dodger

I would believe that it all makes sense. Everyone wins. We should all take note and not let any of these boys maximize our tip for minimum in return. As soon as that happens then its time for a smaller tip and a trade in.

[jinks]

Another prime target are those farangs who have tons of money to throw around and want a boy for a few days mearly as a companion. These farangs are also the best bets for buying those cell phone and gold necklaces.

Moi.....

Tons of money not me - sufficent.
Mearly as a companion - no sex too !
To date 3 phones and 15 necklaces hehehe

I fit the MO
17 days and counting to the next phone purchase.

Im doing ok- only 1 phone and no necklaces in 8 years lol!

but my bar bills & tips - well..........lets just say whoever survives me - their inheritance shrinks a lot every time i visit LOS.