How desperate is the financial situation in Thailand?

[aussie_]

I arrive in the LOS soon for my 7th visit. I read the recent entry by latintopxxx about the boy's dropping their prices (and their pants on many ocassions). Has anyone else been experiencing this low price frenzy in Bangkok or Pattaya?

I am not looking for cheap sex in fact I am concerned that I will spend all my holiday worrying about being ripped off. If the boys are really getting desperate then we need to be even more vigilant when they visit our rooms or when we are at the club or disco.

After recieving emails from long term Thai friends who have never asked for anything before it is sad to see them pleading for some money even before I get there. I realise that the "never ask for anything" method can be part of the trick to take a farang's money but I never expected it from these guys. How bad is the work and financial situation in Thailand at present? Are there many customers at the farang hangouts like Silom Soi 4?

I will still give the boys a fair tip as I realise that part of the money will be sent to the family back in the village somewhere or will help feed their friends and pay the rent on their room.

[bigben]

Here are some things I have noticed that most likely are caused by the current world wide meltdown...

Motorcycles taxis who for years charged 20 baht for a short trip but the charge increased when the price of gasoline doubled not to long ago. Now that the price of gas has dropped where it was before the increase, they have not lowered the 30 baht ride to the level it was prior to the gasoline increase.

A massage parlor on one of the sois in North Pattaya have dropped there prices. For example an oil massage was listed on the sign board for 400 baht now has been crossed out with a magic marker and is advertised for 180 baht. Foot massage normally 150 baht is now 60 baht.

I have noticed that the produce at the Pattaya Tai Big C is not as fresh as before. They are keeping the produce on the shelves longer and it shows if you inspect it closely. The check out lines seem to be longer because there are not as many check-out stands open.

There are at least three grades/sizes of eggs available in Thailand. Size "0" to size "3", 3 being the smallest and cheapest to buy. I will not mention the breakfast venues, but 2 venues are now using the smallest sized eggs instead of the larger size. The cost difference isn't but a couple of baht, but apparently it adds up.

But on the other hand you have a business (Pizza Company) for example who have the buy one get one free deal happening until the end of March.

Of course the sales prices of some condos are slowly coming down. I wonder when the silly rental prices for nice condos will start to decrease? I am ready for an upgrade. :thumbleft:

[TrongpaiExpat]

Here are some of my unscientific observations:

2 years ago there were no parking places in my building, now the parking garage is about 1/3 empty and there is the same number of occupants.
The BMW's and the large SUV appear in lower numbers.
My landlord is willing to lower the rent if I renew my contract.
Half the treatment rooms in my dentist clinic are empty, few customers. It used to be a very busy clinic with lots of foreigners getting all sorts of treatments.
My fitness club is offering special discounts to members.
There was a travel fair in Bangkok offering very good discounts on rental cars and hotels.

I have noticed a lot less customers in the bars on weeknights, weekends are still busy, very busy some nights.
Future Boys did a price reduction to 100B per drink, as reported on another post, that new!
Asian tourists up here in Bangkok, Western down.

I don't know about condo prices in Pattaya (strange market) but I have noticed some listed price reductions from a few years ago in Bangkok. Rental prices are down a little but you have to really negotiate.

Taxis and motobikes, I have not noticed any significant changes.
Some Hotels are putting signs out with good discounts to attract walk-in but keep the internet prices or web agent prices the same.

[Khor tose]

In preparation of my move to Chiang Mai I have been checking housing cost for some time. The cost to buy or rent a condo or home has gone down by about 10% this year as compared to last, and still the web sites have hundreds of places for sell or rent.

[thrillbill]

Evidently the 4-5 star hotel industry here is hurting... If you look at the Agoda sight, there are some big discounts with these hotels in BKK. And now the department of tourism is promoting big discounts to Thais to get them to travel to places in Thailand. With the (stupid) PAD take over of the airport, the guys in "red" demonstrating, and the poor economy, there are less tourists coming here. When I go to DJ's and soi 4 on weekends it is still packed with many visiting tourists so I think "gay tourism" here hasn't dropped as dramatically--but there will be people who will argue that. Ones who are retired here may be pinching their pennies more which makes sense...and for those like me who work here, we are keeping our fingers crossed that we don't lose our jobs, so will be more conservative with our money in LOS.

[TrongpaiExpat]

They built too many 4 and 5 star hotels and resorts in Thailand. I know one of the assistant managers of the Sheratan and they are at 1/3 capacity. About half of the floors have been shut down to save money. His salray was also cut by over 50%. Low end places like the Malaysia are booked solid.

You right about marketing to Thais and there will be another Travel Fair in Bangkok in May. The deep discounts are available to anyone but they are not advertised in the English press. The 5 star Four Seasons in Chiang Mai had a booth but I did not inquire.

I was out tonight (Monday) and went to the Jupiter 2002 for the show. There were about 20 Asian customers and 3 Westerners including this old guy with white hair, mutton chop side boards, a mustache, a red hat and he stunk to high hell. Maybe he can't afford soap. Lots of boys were getting "off'ed" by the Asians and some frumpy Asian ladies. So, someone has some money. Drinks at Jupiter 250 and by the way it's now one of the smoke free venues!

Then over to Soi 4 and at 1130/midnight almost all the outside tables were filled.

I would not worry about desperate people trying to get your money anymore then usual. As for Latintopxx's reports, I would not take him too serious.

Trongpai, we must have crossed paths on Monday night.

I was in Soi Twilight viewing a boy in Classic Boys that I met on Gay Romeo - he must have had his pictures well photoshopped because he was nothing like I had expected. There were less than half a dozen customers in there.

Then on to Screwboys where the beers are cheaper and an ogle at cute No.10 who I really must off one of these days. Not at all busy but a few good lookers, I must say.

Then about 11pm I had arranged to meet another Gay Romeo boy at Balcony so we met and of course 2 of his friends just happened to be there as well. Soi 4 was really humming for a Monday night and we got seated at the last free table next to the entrance of the new 9 disco club and polished off a bottle that I'd kept on the shelf since last week.

The boys didn't want to go to 9 club so we left for DJ's at midnight. On the walk to DJ's we looked into the soi where God is and it was completely empty, not a soul. On to DJ's soi and most of the small bars were quiet but DJ's was really lively and a lot of good looking lads and a few 'untouchables' hanging around the second floor.

I never made it with the Gay Romeo boy who pissed me off just after getting in to DJ by going after some other farang about 10 years my junior. After failing, he came back to me for another drink but I'd already made up my mind and went home with one of his friends - who turned out to be better than expectations. He's just left in a taxi so now I'm off to bed.
Good Night (5.45am)

The harsh reality for UK visitors and retired folk.

If i arrive tomorrow i would have to bring around 40% more cash to keep my spending levels the same as last trip.

Obviously not every countries exchange rate was hit so hard.

for ┬г1000 i got around 70000 last trip - now its 50000

if i plan on spending 140,000 over 2 weeks i needed ┬г2000 - now i need ┬г2800

[pong]

is that really all that bad? try some figures:
It is now-early april, the usual-have any year-start of he dead-slow-low-end of the low season. ALL airlines are also tumbling their prices. Nothing unusual-when that wheather is so oppressing hot/humid-this drives the tourists away.
Tourist arrivals have gone up the last 3-4 yrs with millions/year. It is now about 13/14 mill, yes, thats less as the TAT hoped/praid for 15. mill. When I first came-they were SO happy in the amazing Thailand campaign to gain 5.mill/yr.
Even if arr are down by 15/20%-that means its still on the level of 3-4 yrs ago and it was not really bad then, nah? Nor do i really think gay bisnis has exploded that much in the years in between either.
That depression seems for a large part something for the english-speaking world. Here on the continent of Europe its hardly worth mentioning or making much of a dent-yet. Many agents report bookings for Asian/intercontinental destinations up by 10/12% compared to last year-1 major reason being the lower airfares (remember 2008=superhigh fuel surcharges?).
The prices some people quoted above are just ├бdjustments to still even higher as normal everyday Thai prices''-like 180 bt for 1 hr of nouat. But then i recall that even some high-priced Phuket beachside restaurants had to do that when the farang did not come and the Thai came in for their songkran holidays.
Seems no big loss to me if those overpriced tourist-rip-off prices go down. And maybe-having just read the heated discussion about the latino lower price experience- this is just what is happening in the gay bisnis too.

I was in Soi Twilight viewing a boy in Classic Boys that I met on Gay Romeo - he must have had his pictures well photoshopped because he was nothing like I had expected.


That's an obvious risk with on line dating.
I reckon gogo bars are an ideal way of selecting one's company.

Motorcycles taxis who for years charged 20 baht for a short trip but the charge increased when the price of gasoline doubled not to long ago. Now that the price of gas has dropped where it was before the increase, they have not lowered the 30 baht ride to the level it was prior to the gasoline increase.

Neither have the song-taews, who doubled their prices for similar reasons.


Don't forget that the government in the last two weeks bumped the tax on gas (petrol) of all types, pushing the average price up to about 21 baht litre.

Actually, fatts, this has been an on-going (but little publicised) policy since they took office, accounting for a 5.1 baht per litre price rise - quite an increase on a cost of 16 baht a litre. Technically it is not actually a tax hike, but a removal of the subsidy introduced by the previous government; hardly the sort of anti-inflation measure you would expect from any economist, but just as weird and wonderful as listing a dozen of the most popular Thai spices (neem, turmeric, ginger, galangal, chilli, celery, lemongrass, American marigold, stemona, ringworm bush, bitter bush, tea seed cake and glory lily) as "hazardous substances"!!

[thrillbill]

The boys didn't want to go to 9 club so we left for DJ's at midnight. On the walk to DJ's we looked into the soi where God is and it was completely empty, not a soul.

FYI GOD doesn't get going until after 1am (it use to be 3am) but now it is forced to close at 3am instead of 5am. When I go to GOD on Friday or Saturday nites, it is packed by 2am...and the guys are better looking than at DJ's. Not the "Nellie" type, but buffed and good looking.

The boys didn't want to go to 9 club so we left for DJ's at midnight. On the walk to DJ's we looked into the soi where God is and it was completely empty, not a soul.

FYI GOD doesn't get going until after 1am (it use to be 3am) but now it is forced to close at 3am instead of 5am. When I go to GOD on Friday or Saturday nites, it is packed by 2am...and the guys are better looking than at DJ's. Not the "Nellie" type, but buffed and good looking.

Ewwwwwww ... and I had you down as the frilly knickers type :dan:

[danny99]

Unlike Singapore [being a city with big financial services industry, hit very hard] in Bangkok those who are in their major car industry and all the side industries servicing that, have suffered most. Tourism still thrives but at the lower end, hotels under $50 full, under $100 busy, 5 star empty [much less business travel].

The quality places in Soi 4 have had a great year, particularly considering the early rains and extremely high temperatures. Top end restaurants are a bit quiet but March-April is LOW season after all. Boys prices never vary! SOLID still the best value for money in Bangkok.

Expect more local Asia tourism and from Australia as a Thai holiday MUCH cheaper than their usual US or European holidays. Some win, some lose.

[aussie_]

Update on my findings after being in Thailand for 1 week and a mini trip report. Silom 4 bars have been busy most nights especially when the gay cruise was in town for 2 nights last weekend. There have not been many tourists in Silom Road but some of the girly bars in Patpong were full while many others were empty. Soi Twighlight looked quiet but I only watched from the Sphinx bar. The Bonny and Bangkok massage boys in the soi seem to be having a quite time. Most of the massage places look desperate for customers and some of the so called straight places have cut their prices.

My waiter friends took me to the ICK pub at Lamsalee which was full as always with me the only farang and we had a great night dancing and watching the hot cayote dancers. 1400 baht paid for whisky and mixers for five of us for the night so it is not expensive for the Thais when they go out in a group. These bars will always be full whatever happens with the economy, the Thais love their fun night out.

I now have two friends in Pattaya who dance in a bar show and they took me to X-Ray for 2 nights in a row, my ears will never recover from the loud music but the cayote dancers are great and they start at 1.00 am with a show from Tiffany dancers around 2 am which is also excellent. We finished at 5 am when they closed. I went to the Dave Man Club which is also a great place and the friendly manager will find you a very sexy cayote dancer to stay with you. 400 baht off fee, rest 'up to you". Dave Club coyote boys start about 2 am with a show later.

I always check out Sunee, some of the bars there are a worry and I look in the door and leave but Crazy Dragon and Happy Boys are better bars for me and have sexy boys and you can have a nice time.

I found in Bangkok and Pattaya that the off fees and tips are unchanged but you can negotiate if you are a cheap farang. Look after the boys in these difficult times and they will remember you next time. I have always been generous without overdoing it and I now have many Thai friends to go out with just for drinking and dancing and more if wanted.

Now I am in Korat for Songkran with my bf. The only gay bar here called K9 has closed but if you make friends with the right people here there is still fun to be had. Don't bother coming to Korat for wild gay life like Bangkok or Pattaya but it is a good place to escape for a few days to see a different type of Songkran festival.

[llz]

Now I am in Korat for Songkran with my bf. The only gay bar here called K9 has closed but if you make friends with the right people here there is still fun to be had. Don't bother coming to Korat for wild gay life like Bangkok or Pattaya but it is a good place to escape for a few days to see a different type of Songkran festival.
Did you by chance try the Buddy Boys Bar in downtown Khorat - not far from the railway station ? Was open last June but closed last November, do you know how it is now ?

[aussie_]

Did you by chance try the Buddy Boys Bar in downtown Khorat - not far from the railway station ? Was open last June but closed last November, do you know how it is now ?

It is raining in Korat on a Saturday night but just for you llz and to satisfy my curiousity I walked around to check out Buddy Boys Bar and it is closed tonight. I have been there three times over the past year, met the owner once but never seen any boys in the bar. I may try the Living Bar later as there are always some gays there and plenty of eye candy.

Tomorrow I go to the village to see the bf and I hope it stops raining so the boys can play football and get their shirts off, worth a look when visiting the rural areas.