Host bar vs gogo bar

[a447]

Can someone please tell me the difference? The only host bars I know are in Japan, but I imagine the Thai ones might be different.
Also, has anyone been to Hard Rock in Jomtien recently? I heard somewhere that it's the Pattaya equivalent of nature boy is BKK.
Could I be so lucky??

[Smiles]

A (Thai) Host Bar is one where Thai guys work in their street clothes and flit around the customers, being at once friendly, helpful, flirtatious, sexy . . . and generally making the customer feel welcome. The guys are all offable, and you will pay the bar fee to the bar before leaving, plus the "up to you" part later to the guy who you've asked to join you.
On the whole, host bars are a little more laid back, and often less pushy. One can often just sit and talk to different guys there without feeling any great pressure to 'off'. (But if you sit and talk to a guy for any reasonable amount of time it's decent form to buy him a drink and/or offer him 50 or 100 baht for the time ~ maybe more in these inflationary times. Same same for GoGo bars).

A GoGo Bar is pretty well the same except the guys do their turn up on the stage ... usually dressed in shorts, underwear etc. In some bars in Bangkok they wear somewhat less later at night. The 'gogo' designation is a reference to dancing, but that part of it is rarely memorable ... really they are up there with the strip poles and other stage accoutrements to show off the wares. In some bars there are shows where the same guys who've just paraded in front of you will act out a skit or a comedy thing. These are even less memorable.
The 'off' part is the same as above except they wear numbers which you can refer to when you want any of the guys to join you.
GoGo bars can be pushy, and often a little intimidating to newbies.

The end result is the same (i.e. the 'off') in both, but the technique in getting there is somewhat different.

Host bars are much more common in Thailand than GoGo bars.
The latter can be found in Bangkok, Pattaya, Patong, and a few in Chiang Mai (I think).
Host bars are much more numerous and small ones can be found ~ if you search hard enough ~ in most reasonably populated Thai towns: as an example, here in Hua Hin (Pop: 'around' 40,000) there are 6 host bars, granted, all small. I would make a guess that most Thai towns with at that population level would have at least a couple.

Cheers ...

[francois]

Although unaware of Nature Boy, I can say that Hard Rock is a very "hands on bar". Not many Thai guys, nor farang, but most willing to accommodate the clients.

[latintopxxx]

Hi Smiles, you mentiom that , "In some bars in Bangkok they wear somewhat less later at night" care to name a few, as far as I know they all close around 2am and speedos are the skimpiest items I've seen worn.