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Bangkok Redlight Nightlife Empty??


JimTripper

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I am a Cinderella (in bed before midnight), but one night couldn't sleep and hit a 7-11 on soi 4 about 2am just recently. The place was crawling with women, wine, and song. I guess it takes night owls to experience the experience now. 

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3 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

I am a Cinderella (in bed before midnight), but one night couldn't sleep and hit a 7-11 on soi 4 about 2am just recently. The place was crawling with women, wine, and song. I guess it takes night owls to experience the experience now. 

 

   Which 7-11 was that ?

My 7-11 sells Pizzas and that's about it 

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7 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

I am a Cinderella (in bed before midnight), but one night couldn't sleep and hit a 7-11 on soi 4 about 2am just recently. The place was crawling with women, wine, and song. I guess it takes night owls to experience the experience now. 

That's because your gettin' a bit older, experiencing various ailments & performance issues.

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14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Nana and Cowboy have become rip off tourist atractions.  Rude arrogant pushy staff and over priced everything.

I really don't understand owners that encourage staff to rip off customers. Sure, in the short term they might make more money, but in the long term customers experiencing poor treatment will not return. There's this trend going on of girls who'll gladly drink with you all night, yet give you a lame excuse if you ask to bar fine them. It already existed in some gogos before Covid - usually hotter girls who moonlighted there for extra income - but now it seems a lot more prevalent and even encouraged by owners. Again- they might make more money now on the drinks, but a guy who spent 10k baht on lady drinks to be told "I don't go with customers" is simply not going to return.

 

13 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Then you also need to take into consideration that before Covid the average age of the women was mid-twenties. Now it looks to be mid-30s and 40s and even more do not want LT or giving the GF experience anymore.

Again a Bangkok problem- the average age in Pattaya is much younger. Young women now avoid Bangkok and choose other places to go work, so you're left with remainders of the same old crew who've been working for 10-20 years already. Contrary to common sense, the older she is, the more money she will demand. Not sure if this is due to more obligations and expenses, Thai society where older should be more respected, or simply delusions that she's more experienced therefore should be paid more. Probably a combination of the three. Ultimately Bangkok is no longer hospitable to this, uh, "hobby".

 

 

In Pattaya now, had a girl over each night I was out. All of them were happy to come (pun intended), stayed until evening, and left with two notes and a smile. Such a different experience.

 

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2 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

I really don't understand owners that encourage staff to rip off customers. Sure, in the short term they might make more money, but in the long term customers experiencing poor treatment will not return. There's this trend going on of girls who'll gladly drink with you all night, yet give you a lame excuse if you ask to bar fine them. It already existed in some gogos before Covid - usually hotter girls who moonlighted there for extra income - but now it seems a lot more prevalent and even encouraged by owners. Again- they might make more money now on the drinks, but a guy who spent 10k baht on lady drinks to be told "I don't go with customers" is simply not going to return.

Nobody cares about return regular customers in Thailand (but they may care about online reviews these days). It's tourist oriented. You're replaced with the next bloke in a couple days when you move on.

 

In fact, becoming a regular often creates suspicion and problems. It's better to choose a new venue each time and act like you are a tourist (contrary to what many newbie's believe, i.e. if I act like a long timer I'm respected more or treated better). Ditto for being asked how long you have lived here. It's better to not give the 10-20 year report. They like people on holiday here.

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I can confirm this.

 

Not just BKK is dead, but pretty much all the main tourist hotspots are also on their knees.

 

I actually made a thread the other day about it, for which I was repeatedly shot down and told 'it's busy where I am' etc etc..

Mostly nonsense from the usual suspects here.

 

I am in Koh Chang now and it is dead as can be.

It's actually quite depressing.

 

bob.

Edited by bob smith
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8 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

In fact, becoming a regular often creates suspicion and problems.

I have also noticed this!!

 

I thought I was the only one.

 

Why do you think this is, Jim?

talk about weird! every other country I have ever visited loves the regulars.

 

bob.

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Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, bob smith said:

I have also noticed this!!

 

I thought I was the only one.

 

Why do you think this is, Jim?

talk about weird! every other country I have ever visited loves the regulars.

 

bob.

As far as I can tell many Thai's don't want foreigners integrating. They want them as visitors and tourists who move from place to place. When foreigners dig in, some Thainess and way of doing things is lost. It becomes diluted. Especially when they have to speak english to sell something or provide service.

 

Kind of like the Mexican's who have invaded California. It's hard to imagine you are in America in some spots now.

Edited by JimTripper
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19 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Nobody cares about return regular customers in Thailand (but they may care about online reviews these days). It's tourist oriented. You're replaced with the next bloke in a couple days when you move on.

That has not been my experience in Bangkok. The venues I frequent there do treat me well (but I also pay well). It's worth noting these venues are all foreigner owned and managed.

 

In Phuket it's 300% all about tourists. They absolutely treat tourists better than locals, I remember one venue where they kicked out and banned a local girl and her group because she had a fight with a Thai girl visiting from Bangkok. They literally sacrified year-long revenue for a chick that'll be gone next week. Nuts.

 

Pattaya seems to be somewhere inbetween: some venues will treat you better if you're a regular, others won't. It also depends whether it's high season (they dgaf about you) or low season (nicer).

 

My experinces are mostly with nightclubs. I don't know about other types of establishments as I'm not a regular in those.

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2 hours ago, bob smith said:

I can confirm this.

I am in Koh Chang now and it is dead as can be.

It's actually quite depressing.

I just returned from Koh Chang and agree. Spent a night at 3 different hotels over a week and all looked deserted. Mercure Hotel was amazing but I could see maybe 5 cars in the carpark. 

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Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, marin said:

Do live here in Thailand or are you just a visitor. I for one have never observed this. In fact the opposite, its great to be greeted by name and upgraded most every time. 

10 hours ago, bob smith said:

I have also noticed this!!

 

I thought I was the only one.

 

Why do you think this is, Jim?

talk about weird! every other country I have ever visited loves the regulars.

 

bob.

 

Long time. Ask Bob above also.

 

You're not looking closely enough. Some guys are able to just ignore the nuances. It could also be the venues you go to (it won't happen as much in nicer places).

 

It's not an outright rejection, more like a place starts acting "weird" once they feel like they know you and things take a bad turn from there. It's hard to describe.

Edited by JimTripper
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2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

I'm not old enough to have bad eyes, so what I saw last night is in stark contrast to what I've read here.

 

A couple of friends came to town, and after dinner they wanted to see some 'nightlife'. I took them to Nana, and hit a famous agogo on the top floor. By 2100 there were no seats left. Late comers could only walk around hoping to be in the right place at the right time, kind of like looking for a parking space at the Mall days before Christmas. Low season? What's that?

 

On the stage were perhaps 100 women, some tatted some clean skinned. Many were quite lovely and void of any Covid Kilos. Prices are not so bad for drinks, considering what I suspect the operating costs are, and unless one is a skint pensioner living on a tight budget, it hardly impacts the wallet.

 

The visitors had a few women come sit and chat. Good people skills. The women seemed to have honed their craft well. The atmosphere was like a typical holiday. The crowd was largely young East Asian, plus lots of 30-ish Westerners. Not too many of the 'fat, old baldies' that one would think are the usual customers. I watched a fairly endless stream of women changing from bikini to street clothes and heading out the door hand-in-hand with their temporary spouse. Neither prices nor any Neo Morality seemed to get in the way of it being a participation sport. Tales of its demise are wildly exaggerated.

 

The women make some serious money, enough to be the envy of the typical Western pensioner. Watching how many were going out the door, and having heard their fee for services to be rendered, plus how often they claim to be taken out, a good many of the women in that club are likely making $5000 a month or more. In a nation where per capita income might be $8000 per year, these women are killing it.

 

I'm beginning to realize that when I see a tatted woman coming out of Chanel or Prada, bag in hand, she might not be the daughter of a general or senior politician, but rather a modern day woman of the night, enjoying the fruits of her labor. Demand looks to exceed supply, and these woman are living a John Stuart Mill life.

 

I spoke with one who is a uni student by day and works a few nights a week at that venue. Her extracurricular activity covers her school fees, room and board in BKK, and what the family needs back in Isaan. She was wearing at least two 'baht' of real gold, too. I'm sure some save, while others probably blow their monthly take plus some. Not everyone is aware they have an expiration date.

 

I picked up the tab for a few beers, plus what my 'generous' visitors bought for their lovely friends. The bill was quite clear, noting each drink, and if it was for a woman, her name and badge number appeared under the drink. The point-of-sales system looks pretty good. The bill matched what I had watched coming to the table, no there was no padding. 7000 baht total, which seems quite fair for the entertainment the three of us enjoyed. Much cheaper than a single Taylor Swift concert ticket, not that I would ever want one. Everything is relative, and if one has kept ahead of worldwide inflation, it's quite reasonable.

 

About 2130 we left, and it was a scrum getting down the stairs, out of the Plaza, and then trying to get up Soi 4 for a taxi ride home.

 

Empty and dead the area was not. Also, there's probably no better time to be a bargirl, as plenty of flush customers can fill their coffers.

 

I would guess the pensioners are prices out of the market, but between South Koreans and Western 'digital nomads', the women have a large enough customer base to make hay while their sun shines.

 

One can look down on them for what they do, if that fits one's faux morality better, but not having grown up poor in Isaan, trying to care for grandma, a couple of unemployed drunk uncles, useless rapper-wannabe brothers, etc., I cannot judge.

I'm 57 and been here since 1998 but really don't partake anymore in the things you detailed above.  Loved the post and feel I understand the scene more.  I guess I'm on of the borderline oldies now and prefer the late 1990s through 2010.  Things move on and happy you are enjoying yourself. I do miss my version of your night out 🙂

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2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

I'm not old enough to have bad eyes, so what I saw last night is in stark contrast to what I've read here.

 

A couple of friends came to town, and after dinner they wanted to see some 'nightlife'. I took them to Nana, and hit a famous agogo on the top floor. By 2100 there were no seats left. Late comers could only walk around hoping to be in the right place at the right time, kind of like looking for a parking space at the Mall days before Christmas. Low season? What's that?

 

It sounds like you were in Billboard which is widely regarded as the very best gogo bar in all of Thailand. Quite simply, no other bar comes close to Billboard. Hard not to have a good time in that bar, but it's not especially representative of the bar industry in general. No other bars are nearly that good and don't get me started on Cowboy or Patpong.

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4 hours ago, JimTripper said:

 

There was also a subset of this group that echewed deodorant and fragrances as evil. They would complain to the school board if people were wearing aftershave or deodorants in class (or they had to be vegan products, like the clear deodorant crystals). They did not shave, had unruly underarm hair and could smell musty. There were guys also like this who never wore deodorant who believed that what God gave you is never wrong.

 

I, too, despise synthetic fragrances of all kinds.

 

It is downright disgusting to be eating a beautiful breakfast, only to have some guy or girl sit down at the same table wearing some evil fragrance of questionable origin.

 

If anyone comes to repair my ACs, most of the time these young boys will be wearing the most retched fragrance they have been able to find, to date.

 

I usually turn on my exhaust fans, open the doors, before I allow them entry to my house.

Then, it requires several hours after they have left just to rid my abode of their left-behind abomination.

 

So, I agree with Bryn Mawr girls, and I like them, as I stated previously.

 

Also, I do not need deodorant, myself, either.

 

For one thing, I usually do not wear clothes, and so this helps.

Then, I change shirts about three times per day, when I must leave my territory, and venture out through my gate.

 

In these instances, I will take two spare shirts along with me, even for a short visit to the city, or to the university.

This way, when wet with sweat, I can just change my shirt, and feel good as new.

 

Underarm hair is something I prefer to not see trimmed.

Girls in Taiwan and China do not shave underarm hair, or at least this has always been true in the past.

It's just a natural growth of the body, and it affects me very little, one way or the other.

 

Chinese girls never smell musty, just reporting from my experience.

Maybe this is why I like Chinese girls and Thai girls (from 24 to 30).

 

Finally, I must tell you that Bryn Mawr girls RARELY believe that their underarm hair, or their bodies, are God given....

And, they are correct!

 

 

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3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

I, too, despise synthetic fragrances of all kinds.

 

It is downright disgusting to be eating a beautiful breakfast, only to have some guy or girl sit down at the same table wearing some evil fragrance of questionable origin.

 

If anyone comes to repair my ACs, most of the time these young boys will be wearing the most retched fragrance they have been able to find, to date.

 

I usually turn on my exhaust fans, open the doors, before I allow them entry to my house.

Then, it requires several hours after they have left just to rid my abode of their left-behind abomination.

 

So, I agree with Bryn Mawr girls, and I like them, as I stated previously.

 

Also, I do not need deodorant, myself, either.

 

For one thing, I usually do not wear clothes, and so this helps.

Then, I change shirts about three times per day, when I must leave my territory, and venture out through my gate.

 

In these instances, I will take two spare shirts along with me, even for a short visit to the city, or to the university.

This way, when wet with sweat, I can just change my shirt, and feel good as new.

 

Underarm hair is something I prefer to not see trimmed.

Girls in Taiwan and China do not shave underarm hair, or at least this has always been true in the past.

It's just a natural growth of the body, and it affects me very little, one way or the other.

 

Chinese girls never smell musty, just reporting from my experience.

Maybe this is why I like Chinese girls and Thai girls (from 24 to 30).

 

Finally, I must tell you that Bryn Mawr girls RARELY believe that their underarm hair, or their bodies, are God given....

And, they are correct!

Nobody that goes to Bryn Mawr ends up in Thailand (unless it's on some weiird gap year visit).

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1 hour ago, mstevens said:

 

It sounds like you were in Billboard which is widely regarded as the very best gogo bar in all of Thailand. Quite simply, no other bar comes close to Billboard. Hard not to have a good time in that bar, but it's not especially representative of the bar industry in general. No other bars are nearly that good and don't get me started on Cowboy or Patpong.

Yes, I guess my description narrowed it down to one place.  Apparently it is like that virtually every night. I understand the owner is an American guy. He has created quite the destination. I never expected spotless bathrooms with a full time attendant.

 

As we departed, we became more and more 'han sum', as other bars were hungry for customers. Oddly, the walkways and stairs in the entire complex are packed with people, but popping our heads into a few places as we departed gave a very different picture than the top floor venue. As I noted, Soi 4 and the bars along that street, from Sukh to NEP, were also packed.

 

Someone above tried to 'educate' the OP about the women in such places not really liking him. I suspect finding a wife is not the goal of most customers. Personally, I enjoyed the atmosphere, and since I brought no faux morality into the place, I took some pleasure in seeing the women can make quite a lot of money. Good for them. They have accepted what the job demands, and weighed it against the needs of their family, and for many it sounds like a kid back home, fathered by a guy who did a runner.

 

Not sure it's an every night thing, but I was entertained enough to visit again. There's also giant screens running a variety of sports, so something for everyone.

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15 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Yes, I guess my description narrowed it down to one place.  Apparently it is like that virtually every night. I understand the owner is an American guy. He has created quite the destination. I never expected spotless bathrooms with a full time attendant.

 

As we departed, we became more and more 'han sum', as other bars were hungry for customers. Oddly, the walkways and stairs in the entire complex are packed with people, but popping our heads into a few places as we departed gave a very different picture than the top floor venue. As I noted, Soi 4 and the bars along that street, from Sukh to NEP, were also packed.

 

Someone above tried to 'educate' the OP about the women in such places not really liking him. I suspect finding a wife is not the goal of most customers. Personally, I enjoyed the atmosphere, and since I brought no faux morality into the place, I took some pleasure in seeing the women can make quite a lot of money. Good for them. They have accepted what the job demands, and weighed it against the needs of their family, and for many it sounds like a kid back home, fathered by a guy who did a runner.

 

Not sure it's an every night thing, but I was entertained enough to visit again. There's also giant screens running a variety of sports, so something for everyone.

 

I didn't state "the women in such places". I stated "no one". 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/14/2024 at 12:15 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

, I will take two spare shirts along with me, even for a short visit to the city, or to the university.

This way, when wet with sweat, I can just change my shirt, and feel good as new.

 

Just say you're a sweaty mess and you've never adjusted to the climate. I don't go through three shirts in an entire week.

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It's all finished for Bangkok. Cowboy was hobbling along pre COVID. Post, it's a permanent cripple.

 

Now, low season it's probably more full of tourists especially before 10:00 then it is punters. I had a happy hour beer in dollhouse a bit over a month ago. I was completely ignored which is fine. The chubby girls inside were all over the new Asian men that there were. Upstairs was closed.

 

I was down in cowboy last week (mid) and it was absolutely dead. Most of the girls were standing out in the street trying to drag customers in all night. Until midnight there was probably the majority of the dancers outside

 

I enjoy drinking 1x a week outside Nana. The women in these bars are old enough to be grandmothers. I imagine many are. Nana doesn't get itself cranked up to probably 10:00 now and I'm guessing it's short lived running until probably 1:00.

 

The women working in these bars attempting to get taken out are all freelancers. They are entirely dependent upon drinks and bar fines. I wouldn't pay salary for them either. They have become quite mercenary and many are downright rude when you tell them that you're not going to buy them a b180 drink for them to ask you a lot of stupid questions about being a tourist here.

 

They usually shut you down immediately by that I mean not talk to you. This is fine but it strikes me as such a *service* and so socially rude that I take offense to it. It's sort of funny.

 

Even funnier is that when you tell them you're married and don't need a piece of ass from them and they still pursue you. What I often tell them is that I get enough yakking from my wife lol.

 

There was one woman who offended me so much that I finished my beer and left. I imagine she thought I she was laying down some guilt trip. I just laughed

 

I guess they're all doing okay because they're asking serious money for services. Another bit of hilarity is barfing a freelancer that is required to be in the bar but is paid nothing.

 

I have no idea what Nana plaza looks like these days. About a year ago I did a really fast walk through and it was a bit of a joke. I recall I spoke a few words of Thai to one of the beauties outside an agogo she literally turned on her heels and walked away. The beer at the time was priced something like 180 baht. I can't see any locals you're drinking at that price.

 

It's just a vibe perhaps but Go-Go's and Nana just seems so sketchy. Like they're going to try and clip me and I have to constantly have my antenna up rather than enjoy myself with every approaching woman and their purchased

 

I would direct anyone interested in this sort of saying just to go to Pattaya.

 

Day drinking can be fun in that bar next to Stumble.

 

*** Can anyone tell me if there are happy hours running inside Nana?

 

Edited by BobDobbs
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