Whats the business model for yr average 'Pole dancing' club?

[bbabythai]

I visited a pole dancing club in central bangas (bkk) a few nights ago and was surprised to see that I was the only customer. 

 

I counted the girls on stage. Around 20 and more rotating after 20min

 

Also, 4 to 5 guys behind the bar. 3 old bags whose job it was to serve drinks and do the bills. All 3 sitting directly in front of me staring at me drinking 

my beer slowly. 1 Dj

 

Security staff- maybe 2

 

My bill came to 170. I gave them 200 and told them to keep the change. 

 

No other customers at all and I was there over 30min. 

 

Questions:

1. How much money is the owner losing per night?

2. How much money are they paying the girls?

3. Do the girls only work there hoping to be bar fined? Why would they work there if there are zero customers? Surely the monthly salary is small?

4. Why would it remain open?

 

Thanks for your time. 

[ukrules]

1 minute ago, bbabythai said:

4. Why would it remain open?

I guess it depends on how many millions of Baht they are depositing into their bank account each month.....

[dimitriv]

9 minutes ago, bbabythai said:

My bill came to 170. I gave them 200 and told them to keep the change. 

 

That made their day ????

 

The business can be a money laundering operation.

 

 

[scammed]

as you would guess, its not profitable with the current lock down,

the staff gets a bit under 10k per month, the rent is 100k+.

[kingstonkid]

CORRECTION

 

 

There are no pole dancing bars in BKK.  Thaydo not exist.

 

 

 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

26 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

CORRECTION

 

 

There are no pole dancing bars in BKK.  Thaydo not exist.

 

 

 

 

True, they're more commonly called "gogo bars".  Not many feature actual poles, or much actual dancing.

[holy cow cm]

18 hours ago, ukrules said:

I guess it depends on how many millions of Baht they are depositing into their bank account each month.....

Perfect answer. 

[holy cow cm]

Could be the girls at this time are also working for free and hope to get a girl drink or taken away for the night. No one format in these trying times but any baht is good baht.

[ballpoint]

18 hours ago, bbabythai said:

I counted the girls on stage. Around 20 and more rotating after 20min

There's the problem.  They should be rotating around the pole more often than once per 20 minutes.

[Yellowtail]

As someone else said, I think a lot of them are laundering money. That, and I think some guys just like owning them for a number of reasons. 

 

Even in good times when you look at he traffic and what's spent, they just don't seem to pencil out....

[Unify]

I talked to a bar girl in Patong a few weeks ago. It was the 17th of the month, and they said I was the first customer that month. I doubt that's true, but there were no other customers for the two hours I was there.

 

According to her, they were not getting a salary, but all had a place to live and two meals a day. They sat at the bar day after day, hoping someone would come by.

 

They were holding out for the possibility that things would get better in the coming months, but were not well informed about possible changes in travel restrictions.

 

5 or 6 ladies there. I don't know what the rent on the bar or the house was.

[micmichd]

21 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

That made their day ????

 

The business can be a money laundering operation.

 

 

Then Thai authorities would certainly get them. 

[Thingamabob]

I used to have a share in the Alleycat on Patpong 2, along with Thai, Taiwanese and American partners. I was in it for fun and never took much of a profit. For my partners it was a front for other activities which is why some bars can keep going with virtually no customers. It's tough to make money purely from the bar business.

[PatOngo]

Did they say "Hamsom man, wewcome, come inside pease"

[Susco]

31 minutes ago, micmichd said:

21 hours ago, dimitriv said:

The business can be a money laundering operation.

 

 

Then Thai authorities would certainly get them. 

To be honest with you, Thai authorities already got them before they started the gogo, otherwise they would never have started it.

 

The boiler room boys own a significant part of the gogo scene in Bangkok

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, bbabythai said:

Questions:

1. How much money is the owner losing per night?

2. How much money are they paying the girls?

3. Do the girls only work there hoping to be bar fined? Why would they work there if there are zero customers? Surely the monthly salary is small?

4. Why would it remain open?

There might be different business models, but to my knowledge a general model is that the dancers are paid a monthly salary, which a number of years back was around 7,000 baht, and might be in level of 10,000 baht a month today; which can be in reply to your question #2.

 

However, if a girl is not having a certain number of lady drinks, or being bar fined a certain number of times, or a combination of both, within the month, she will be deducted in the salary; as well as if the numbers are over the the specified amount, she will earn extra commission. I saw a bar in Phuket advertising "50 beautiful girls and 2 ugly ones", the two ugly girls might never earn more than half a basic salary, but still survive, while waiting for the knight of a white horse.

 

So in reply to #3, the girls could loose a major part of their salary, if there are no customers, but half a salary – or whatever the individual bars have agreed – might be better than nothing. Furthermore, some "handum" gentlemen – a potential "boyfriend" – might still walk in.

 

#4 is a good question, i.e. I cannot think of an answer, other than there might be more customers other times than when you were visiting. They may also close again, after a while, if that is cheaper than keep the establishment open; i.e. get a reduction in rent. It's also a question of how fat the owner's bank account is.

 

#1 can be simple math. Depending of location the rent can be fairly high – I know the owner of a "normal" beer with 20-30 girls in a prime location, she say that she pays 3 million baht for a 3-year contract; i.e. about 2,800 baht a day – plus electricity, plus number of girls times minimum salary; plus other staff salaries, which could also be a minimum plus some small commissions for both this, and that. Perhaps the the minimum costs to run such a place could be in the level around 15,000 baht a day. Just 15 customers buying a drink, plus a lady drink, plus paying a bar fine, could make it about brake even, or a combination of 170 baht customers like you, and some real handsum-spenders...????

[NCC1701A]

23 hours ago, bbabythai said:

4. Why would it remain open?

I keep Crazy House in Bangkok from going under. 

[Lacessit]

27 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I keep Crazy House in Bangkok from going under. 

I'm not sure which is more impressive, the size of your wallet, or your stamina. Do you use Vitamin V?

[NCC1701A]

11 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'm not sure which is more impressive, the size of your wallet, or your stamina. Do you use Vitamin V?

i have been thinking about getting counseling.  

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i have been thinking about getting counseling.  

Don't do that, you're supporting the Thai economy.

[zoza]

the girls i know are on 12k a month salary , but are in contact with a few boyfriends 

so do not starve no matter how many punters visit the go-go.

[scubascuba3]

The model should change during covid. Girls don't receive a salary, they get their share of LDs, the idea is they try for a ST or LT. Bar fines halved so girls more likely to be barfined 

[ezzra]

I don't know about you guys but when i go into a go go place my minds are far away as possible on the question of the bar's viability and how it make it's money, I'm there to rest my brain not get it working...

[Scott]

//CLOSED//

 

This topic gets a little too close to the discussion of prostitution, which is not permitted.