More worries for Boyztown bar-owners

[scottish-guy]

Whether the sois are one-way, two-way, or they install a roundabout, the impression we are getting from recent reports is that BT is heading down the Suwannee (how curiously Thai the name of that American river looks/sounds)

When large numbers of customers are openly boasting of using Apps to secure their fun (and you can't blame them for trying to avoid expensive off fees, poor selection of boys, and ever higher drinks prices), and the would-be providers of the fun are increasingly using the same technology, business owners surely cannot survive on 2 "busy" months a year - which is what BT seems to be reduced to.

You can argue over the running order but it boils down to: the fewer the customers, the fewer the boys, and the fewer the venues. It used to be the case that many of the bars were vanity projects for expats with very deep pockets but I think that's no longer true (at least to the same extent) and when the bars aren't making money these days, they close.

Going by the reports on the forums, only BoyzBoyzBoyz seems to be regularly busy but their overheads must be enormous, so who knows whether it makes a fortune, breaks even, or struggles. Other venues which have not succumbed already seem to be on life support.

Frankly, I read very little in the current reports that would ever tempt me back. (MiniMee enters from stage right)

[arsenal]

Perhaps my recent thread didn't make it clear that there's loads of fun and great restaurants to be had in Pattaya other than go go bars. Which, if you're in a bona fide relationship would surely have no interest for you anyway.

[scottish-guy]

No doubt some pithy comment (damn that gay lithp) - maybe someone will quote it

[arsenal]

No one needs to. Rumbled. Hahaha.

[scottish-guy]

Plus d'effluents sans doute

[dinagam]

Effluents - treated or untreated?

[aot871]

boys town is played out now a days , what with high drink prices and off fees, boys all playing on their phones , looking for offs

[arsenal]

Creepy Scat Boy rides again. In French now but still his favourite subject.

[Oliver2]

We've been in Pattaya over a week now and we also spent two days in Jomtien. It is undeniable that Boyztown lacks vibrancy and the closed bars are dispiriting to say the least.
. But we've enjoyed ourselves; the ever-increasing restaurant scene, the malls and Sansuk have all given pleasure and we've found Big C in 2nd Road a particularly enjoyable place to spend a couple of hours in the evening. It's a lot more lively than during the day with many Thai families; it is noticeable that there are child-friendly facilities there. While Central is aimed at the more affluent tourist; Big C seems a more local and friendly place to us, particularly now that there are now more restaurants.

I am no judge of the Boyztown go-go bars- it's been years since I've entered one- but I did take advantage of P's early night a few days ago to look at Winners and Nice in Sunee. A friend back home had been asking me to do so for some time.
Winners had twelve punters at about 2230 and maybe fifteen twinks. The atmosphere was lively and full of humour....it reminded me of places like Cockpit in the late 90s. Much smaller of course.
Incidentally, the 79bht I paid for a Diet Coke was much the same as I paid in Cockpit all those years ago. I don't have the opportunity to visit go go bars nowadays- nor, truth be told, much of an inclination to do so, but if I were to spend an evening in one, my choice would be Winners.

Nice had more than twenty guys on the podium. No dancing, alas; that more or less disappeared from Thailand a decade ago. And they were, in my estimation, all straight. I didn't like the guys' use of mobile porn for personal stimulation, nor the tattoos. In short, Nice wasn't my cup of tea.....but I can't deny that the atmosphere was vibrant, with lots of interaction with the customers (some of it of questionable taste) and the twenty minutes I spent there was certainly not boring.

Sunee was quiet but these two bars had plenty to offer to gay visitors with differing tastes. They indicate that there is still market for such bars, if well-run. And as for Pattaya itself, we have already booked-up two further visits, one of them in the High Season which will be particularly important for gay businesses this year, I sense.

[arsenal]

Great post Oliver and it mirrors my findings recently.