There were tattoos then, but we also had wide choice of boys free from tattoos and many other boys with perhaps one modest tattoo which did not ruin their appearance.
As can be seen by the following photos. In all these pictures, there is a good selection of tattoo free or near tattoo free boys.
Now there are many boys with tats all up their back, their front, on the arms AND the neck. Whether or not these are the ones who struggle to get clients, I don't know. That's because I don't off them and don't get to hear their life stories.
[The Tattoo debate probably belongs on a separate thread, so as not to spoil the original Soi Twilight thread. Even my contribution to the tattoo debate includes third party photo evidence obviously from Pattaya]