Masks and bikinis as Bangkok red-light districts reopen with new rules

By Jiraporn Kuhakan and Matthew Tostevin

 

Women wearing face masks dance inside the XXX lounge at Thailand’s legendary Patpong nightlife district after the Thai government eased isolation measures and introduced social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as bars and nightclubs are reopened nationwide in Bangkok, Thailand, July 1, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - With performers wearing facemasks as well as bikinis, Bangkok's red-light districts reopened on Wednesday after more than three months of shutdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.

 

Bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours were in the latest category of businesses allowed to reopen - with conditions - now that Thailand has gone 37 days since recording any local transmission of the virus.

 

It meant a return to work for some of the hundreds of thousands of people in the nightlife industry who have been struggling to survive.

 

"I lost all my income," said Bee, a 27-year-old dancer who goes by her stage name at the XXX Lounge in the Patpong district.

 

"I'm glad that I can come back to work in a job that I'm good at. I'm OK with the mask because it's one of the precautions."

 

All customers have their temperature taken. They must give a name and telephone number. Inside, everybody must sit at least one metre (yard) apart and two metres from the stage.

 

British expatriate Michael was among those who questioned the need.

 

"You can take a BTS (train) in the morning with 200 people on a packed train but then you can come into a bar and still have to sit 2 metres apart," he said.

 

Thailand has staggered the reopening of public places over several weeks. Schools also resumed on Wednesday.

 

Cockfighting and fishfighting venues remain closed.

 

The coronavirus has killed 58 people out of 3,173 infections, a relatively low number even within the region.

 

But Thailand's economy is forecast to sink further than any other in Southeast Asia with the number of foreign tourists expected to drop 80% this year.

 

At the Dream Boy club on Patpong's Soi 1, bare-chested men with faceshields tried to encourage the few passers-by off the street. But many businesses remained shut and there were few customers.

 

"There are bars all over Bangkok that have been open for 10 to 15 years and now they are closed and they are not coming back," said Christian H., who manages the XXX Lounge.

 

(Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-02

 

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Prices please....of beer of course.

Wet Blanket Agogo

Can the customer's take the staffs temp as well! I don't trust the MGR'S in these establishments, they are hungry for revenue imop

5 minutes ago, riclag said:

Can the customer's take the staffs temp as well! I don't trust the MGR'S in these establishments, they are hungry for revenue imop

 

What type of thermometer would you use and where would you place it?

what a great title for a new movie based on the wuwu.

 

37 days - the dawn of the red light

Usual stupid sort of post about "naughty" Thailand.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Women wearing face masks dance

LOL. I've yet to see a Bkk gogo girl "dance". Shuffling around a pole is not dancing in my opinion. I've seen tourist women dancing on a gogo stage and they can dance, but only show how lazy the Thai BGs are. However I don't blame the Thai girls as it must get really old after a week or so.

 

From the photo, it looks like the sort of gogo I'd never go in as it looks like a nightmare with that awful lighting and horrid decor. I can guess it has that ghastly noise the DLs think is music, but is just too awful to endure and always played too loud.

I note the Chinese writing- I wonder how many Chinese they get in there, and if their are some, how many takeaways they do.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

With performers wearing facemasks as well as bikinis,

as well as bikinis

Trying to titillate by implying they were not dressed before- pathetic.

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They must give a name and telephone number. Inside, everybody must sit at least one metre (yard) apart and two metres from the stage.

With stupidity like that why even bother opening? Give name and phone number- sure; Mickey Mouse is going to be a frequent punter, and some strange phone numbers for sure.

The girls make money from punters buying them drinks- fat chance if they can't sit with the customer for a bit of fondling.

Quote

fishfighting 

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I note the Chinese writing- I wonder how many Chinese they get in there, and if their are some, how many takeaways they do.

Number 69. on the menu is particularly popular. ????

1 hour ago, M71 said:

 

What type of thermometer would you use and where would you place it?

It's the new norm when visiting such establishments.

 

Customer checklist : condoms - check

                               mask - check

                               cash - check

                               thermometer - check

 

????

Edited July 2, 20206 yr by thequietman

10 minutes ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

Yes.

A 30 second google search would have enlightened you.

16 minutes ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

Siamese fighting fish.....your missing out if you haven't indulged    

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I note the Chinese writing-

Japanese.

How glad am I, that the wise men at the helm kept "Fish Fighting" a forbidden pastime ???? 

 

This country is becoming one single big laugh ???? 

12 minutes ago, RedRoadRunner said:

This country is becoming one single big laugh ???? 

 

at the expense of the last little shred of sanity the expat came to a simulated erotic paradise to ... shed ?

 

yes, the joke is on you.

 

~o:37;

42 minutes ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

Fish-ting???  A Dutch past time, I believe. 

54 minutes ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

You clearly don't know the real pleasures Thailand can offer.

 

Rooster

2 hours ago, riclag said:

Can the customer's take the staffs temp as well! I don't trust the MGR'S in these establishments, they are hungry for revenue imop

55555 its me

Edited July 2, 20206 yr by riclag

2 hours ago, M71 said:

 

What type of thermometer would you use and where would you place it?

 There you are !   That didn't pass the I nearly spit my coffee out test ! B+ for effort mate.

I'm serious though ,about those temp checks, especially when these servers top off everyone's glass!

7 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

1 hour ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

You clearly don't know the real pleasures Thailand can offer.

 

Rooster

Yeah, but they have to wear boxing gloves.

 

will they give me a visa if I offer to be the pole cleaning boy--covid and all....gotta keep the ladies safe

 

Or maybe give me a pole cleaning in lieu of payment......oooooo teelak..u so jaidee and hansum....oy!!!!

2 hours ago, M71 said:

 

What type of thermometer would you use and where would you place it?

You are getting confused with the Eden club

59 minutes ago, RedRoadRunner said:

This country is becoming one single big laugh ???? 

I would have a problem to make such a statement for anything related to Covid. How about Koreans or Taiwanese laughing at US, Brazil, UK, Italy, Spain and France ?

But they wouldn't, as they are decent people.

Edited July 2, 20206 yr by Boomer6969

Better to go to the beach!

Yeah I don’t think that’s gonna work out.  Leave your name and number so if a Covid-19 infection is traced back to the establishment you’re going to be tracked down and sent to an expensive quarantine concentration camp for two weeks at your expense.  Just keep them shut down because even if foreigners were allowed in I don’t think there are too many that would risk that.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

But Thailand's economy is forecast to sink further than any other in Southeast Asia with the number of foreign tourists expected to drop 80% this year.

With the new regulation of mandatory insurance expect tourists to stay away !

None are going to tag that onto the already high expense of a holiday.
Thailand likes to boast family friendly country, think about a family of four having to add insurance to their holiday ....

1 hour ago, thequietman said:

It's the new norm when visiting such establishments.

 

Customer checklist : condoms - check

                               mask - check

                               cash - check

                               thermometer - check

 

????

Gel - check.

 

...and don't forget the hand sanitizer either.

1 hour ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

 

1 hour ago, chaihot said:

Really????? FISH-fighting?????

Monty Python?

31 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

I would have a problem to make such a statement for anything related to Covid. How about Koreans or Taiwanese laughing at US, Brazil, UK, Italy, Spain and France ?

But they wouldn't, as they are decent people.

The US, Brazil, U.K., Spain France, don't have woman dancing on stage with masks on.