The Demise of ‘Blockbuster’ Ago-Go

[rooster59]

The Demise of ‘Blockbuster’ Ago-Go

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

The rapidly changing face of retail and the once popular high streets is a result of consumers moving online to do their shopping. Who would have imagined stores like Blockbuster video, Woolworths, Maplin and Toys R U could ever go out of business, but go out of business they did. Could they have done anything to stop this? No, the market takes no prisoners and will dictate how we move forward.

 

eCommerce has given consumers more choice, more convenience and better prices. We can now shop around and compare and look at products from our homes via a click of the mouse. In fact the landscape has changed more than that. We can shop on the way to work, on the train, when we are on the beach, in fact anywhere you can get internet connection and have a mobile phone in your hand. We can shop 24/7 where ever we are. Retail stores cannot and could not compete and so go out of business.

 

The reality is we can now do anything on line and that includes pick up women too.

 

 

The ago-go bar in Thailand used to be the go to venue to ogle the most attractive women who worked the bar scene and pick them up. It was the online equivalent of a ‘market place’ website. However times are changing and this threatens the very fabric and longevity of the role of the ago-go.

 

If you thought the ago-go was more than just a pick up place then perhaps it is time to think again. Ago-gos are being hit on multiple fronts in a vicious circle. Online ‘meeting places’ like Baddoo, Tinder and even Facebook mean some customers can do their ‘shopping’ from home, but more than that it means many of the girls now do not have to flaunt their goods in a ago-go at unsociable hours. It is far more dignfied to meet guys from the comfort of their front room on their mobile phone than have to shake their stuff on a chrome pole with hundreds of other women like some big meat market.

 

“It was like going to see a Hollywood blockbuster at the cinema only for an amateur home movie to played”

This means the pretty ones can now stay at home and that puts pressure on the ago-gos to attract the best girls. This means standards drop in the ago-go and so when guys turn up it is now not like it once was. Casing point, in a rare night out with a few friends we hit a couple of ago-gos in Walking Street. Now I really am not a fan of ago-go anyway, girls going through the motions on a central stage holding on to a chrome pole does not rock my boat in fact I don’t find it titillating at all. It all seems rather dated to me. Anyway the standard of the girls was shocking, these girls should not have been half dressed and they had seen better days. It was like going to see a Hollywood blockbuster at the cinema only for an amateur home movie to played.

 

Full story: https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/06/30/the-demise-of-blockbuster-ago-go/

 

DAN ABOUT THAILAND

Weekly Vlogs and Blogs from in and around Thailand

[Samui Bodoh]

I read the full posting and it appears to be a simple, run-of-the-mill article that could appear in any paper around the world, with a Thai bar girl tossed in for local colour.

 

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform? Having read a few of his articles, I fail to see what he provides that isn't already covered in many, many other locations, often in a superior posting.

 

Is there not someone more interesting? More provocative? More relevant?

 

 

[cyberfarang]

The OP is just using the stores as a side detraction, what this is really about, that prostitutes are now operating online, which means they can work from home without the efforts of having to be employed in bars to be picked up.

 

But what I see happening is that the police will clamp down on the freelancers working independently online and big business will take over, whereas the girls or customers or both, will have to pay commissions to those that will control it, the same as what's happened to the bars over the years.

 

This cannot in anyways be compared to online store shopping, whereas one is legal and other is not.

[maxcorrigan]

Onine shopping i can understand the demise of the likes of Maplin etc. But i see no comparison between sipping a nice cold beer in agogo and watching lovely (mostly) young ladies doing their stuff  compared with looking online at a crappy little screen, but to each his own!

I am i must mention  i am way beyond the ogling stage, much to old, beside that the wife won't let me! 

Ps the underline has come back not to emphasise my post, so sorry once again!!

Edited July 2, 2018 by blackcab
Underline removed

[mstevens]

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform? Having read a few of his articles, I fail to see what he provides that isn't already covered in many, many other locations, often in a superior posting.

Agree 1000%. 

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I read the full posting and it appears to be a simple, run-of-the-mill article that could appear in any paper around the world, with a Thai bar girl tossed in for local colour.

 

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform? Having read a few of his articles, I fail to see what he provides that isn't already covered in many, many other locations, often in a superior posting.

 

Is there not someone more interesting? More provocative? More relevant?

 

 

 

I respect your opinion and will ask a couple of questions.

 

You obviously chose to open and view this thread authored  by a person whom you believe is not worth your time  reading.

 

I have to wonder why you opened it in the first place if you had  a pretty good idea you  don't like the author.

 

There were a couple of ideas I had  caused by the thread title that I was going to post but since the thrust is about bargirls  my posts would be irrelevant.

 

Second question.    Are you in any way offended or sensitive to bargirls and the bargirl scene?    I know some fellows feel negatively towards ladies who earn a living by entertaining  men.       Do you feel that way?

 

I personally think Thailand is great for men  what with the attitude of  Thai ladies.     

 

Are you offended by that?

 

 

[topt]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform?

Are you being deliberately naive/provocative or do you really not know............

[bkkgriz]

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

I respect your opinion and will ask a couple of questions.

 

You obviously chose to open and view this thread authored  by a person whom you believe is not worth your time  reading.

 

I have to wonder why you opened it in the first place if you had  a pretty good idea you  don't like the author.

 

There were a couple of ideas I had  caused by the thread title that I was going to post but since the thrust is about bargirls  my posts would be irrelevant.

 

Second question.    Are you in any way offended or sensitive to bargirls and the bargirl scene?    I know some fellows feel negatively towards ladies who earn a living by entertaining  men.       Do you feel that way?

 

I personally think Thailand is great for men  what with the attitude of  Thai ladies.     

 

Are you offended by that?

 

 

Hey look, it's Dan Cheeseman's soc account. Busted.

[kingstonkid]

Rooster.

 

Let's look at a few of your facts.

 

Woolworths and Toys r Us and Blockbuster were not ut out of business by online.  Y was not put out of business by e-commerce.  

 

Woolworths, in order to compete with Walmart, changed to a big box called WOOLCO  Kresges changed the KMART.  Neither of these could stand up to the Waltons who were very nasty when it came to business.  They would buy a space in a mall that a competitor could use and leave it blank. Toys r us also fell to the buying power of WALMART and was on its last legs.

Since the advent of the computer, there have been and will always be places that you could go to find a hooker.  The challenge that is faced in most countries is that the person you are booking an appointment with could be a cop.

 

I find a great deal of the people that go to bars go there for a few beers and to enjoy the scenery.  I personally would rather go to a strip club and look at the customers more so than the ladies although a good stripper will always get my attention.  

 

The idea of 30 girls standing on a stage does not turn my crank but I realize that it is the name of the game.

 

Would you rather see the actual girl, know that she is what she says she is, that she has all the parts and that she is friendly and outgoing or find yourself paying for a ladyboy that is 40 years old and uses a pic of a girl he once knew 40 years ago.  Or it is a guy that is going to roll you for everything you have.

 

 

 

 

[watcharacters]

2 minutes ago, bkkgriz said:

Hey look, it's Dan Cheeseman's soc account. Busted.

 

Sorry,  but can you  please explain what your post means?

 

You post has zero relevance to what i posted.

 

Please explain if you have the time.

[Samui Bodoh]

2 hours ago, topt said:

Are you being deliberately naive/provocative or do you really not know............

Really did not know!

 

However, thanks to you and Google, I do now.

 

Cheers mate!

 

[Enoon]

3 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

I have to wonder why you opened it in the first place if you had  a pretty good idea you  don't like the author.

 

 

 

I opened it, no doubt like many others, because the authors name is not included in the "Featured Forum Threads" article listing......only the title of the article.

 

Had I known that the "story" was by Mr Cheeseman I would of course, like many others, not have opened it.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2018 by Enoon

[watcharacters]

3 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

I opened it, no doubt like many others, because the authors name is not included in the "Featured Forum Threads" article listing......only the title of the article.

 

Had I known that the "story" was by Mr Cheeseman I would of course, like many others, not have opened it.

 

 

 

OK,  you opened it and that takes a second or two to do that.

 

Next I suggest you just close it and avoid any offense to  you.

 

Simple approach, Yes?

[bkkgriz]

2 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Sorry,  but can you  please explain what your post means?

 

You post has zero relevance to what i posted.

 

Please explain if you have the time.

Sigh, do I really have to explain what a soc account is? It is short for sockpuppet, or fake account. I was referring to the fact that for some reason someone felt the need to vigorously defend Dan Cheeseman. As a professional, I am sure he can take a bit of criticism. Is English your second language?

[Bangkok Barry]

8 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I read the full posting and it appears to be a simple, run-of-the-mill article that could appear in any paper around the world, with a Thai bar girl tossed in for local colour.

 

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform? Having read a few of his articles, I fail to see what he provides that isn't already covered in many, many other locations, often in a superior posting.

 

Is there not someone more interesting? More provocative? More relevant?

 

 

 

Why? Because he works for Thaivisa. From his website/About Me"

This site is a side line to my everyday job of running a media group in Thailand, which includes products such as Thaivisa

[Thaidream]

Actually, the article is quite correct.  Smart phones, web site and every other type of on line network is just one of the problems involved with the Go Go Business.  Most clubs/bars/Go Go have a very hard time finding staff and go through agencies that provide 'ladies'.

 

It used to be that the bar owner or  a trusted  employee had contacts up country and would recruit all their 'girls' from certain villages.  Those days are gone and so is any loyalty the  employees have to the bar.

 

The Go Go bar is a dying and mostly a business that is losing  money.  There are not enough punters to go around;  the 2 week millionaires are going to other countries that are cheaper and more friendly;  the land owners where the bars sit are raising prices to levels that are impossible to pay and make a profit; the  age of the ladies is rising. Anyone  who wants to make money in the business as a sideline- works a regular job in the daytime and goes online for the night work. And then there is the Government that really doesn't like the business at all.

 

There will always be a vibrant nightlife in Thailand but  as far as Go Go bars- they will eventually  become extinct.

[timendres]

13 hours ago, watcharacters said:

I respect your opinion and will ask a couple of questions.

 

You obviously chose to open and view this thread authored  by a person whom you believe is not worth your time  reading.

 

I have to wonder why you opened it in the first place if you had  a pretty good idea you  don't like the author.

When seeing the posting in the email I receive, there is no clue who the author is, making it impossible to avoid your lackluster and uninteresting articles.

[Puwa]

He's just the millionth farang douchebag to show up, get excited in a go-go bar, declare that he has it all figured out, then tap out senseless commentary. The least he could do is proofread his own article before publishing it. He makes Stickman look like Alistair Cook.

[HerbalEd]

IMO the OP is so not the expert he thinks he is. Some of his observations are somewhat accurate, but his explanations of what happening in the "ago-go" scene -- and why -- appears to be much more conjecture than actual fact. 

 

I've been regularly working the girl-bar scene in Thailand for almost 40 years, and also the Thai on-line social-media "dating" scene for several years --- and I'm still seeing very high quality girls in the bars. Actually, more than ever. At least the bars and clubs I regularly visit.

 

Meanwhile the on-line "dating" sites are crammed packed with thousands and thousands of a very broad array of available young, beautiful girls/women from many backgrounds: from hi-so to Isan girls; some pros, but a much larger number of amateurs, part-timers & semi-pros; office girls, accountants, government workers, female cops, waitresses, nurses, tour guides, etc.; tons of university girls (teachers & students); and too many katoys (555); etc., etc., etc. Indeed, social media is a very rich source of potential "girlfriends" here in Thailand. 

 

BTW, I don't need to be told I'm full-of-it and naive. I speak from from a huge number of personal experience, and after several decades of experience with many many Thai girls/women, I'm not easily fooled.

[JHolmesJr]

no online hos for me....nothing like picking from aisles of fresh produce at Insomnia, Flexx and 808.

[thaiguzzi]

On ‎7‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 9:12 AM, Samui Bodoh said:

I read the full posting and it appears to be a simple, run-of-the-mill article that could appear in any paper around the world, with a Thai bar girl tossed in for local colour.

 

Respectfully, why does ThaiVisa give this man a platform? Having read a few of his articles, I fail to see what he provides that isn't already covered in many, many other locations, often in a superior posting.

 

Is there not someone more interesting? More provocative? More relevant?

 

 

For a "media person" the guy's grammar, spelling and subject matter leave a lot to be desired....

In fact, these days, if I see a Cheeseman article it gets auto clicked off. Sharpish.

I certainly don't think we could share common ground on pretty much any topic over a beer or three. Thankfully.

Oh, and innit strange that TV normally has topics about prostitution verboten. Strange that. Innit?

Edited July 24, 2018 by thaiguzzi