Sunee Plaza Update

[Alex]

I think it's a combination of two factors: Firstly, a broader change that can also be felt elsewhere (e.g. Pattaya's two other gay prostitution zones and Soi Twilight in Bangkok), gay visitors in search for P4P simply have more options now (most notably, the apps). Secondly, the question is why Sunee Plaza has been suffering more than the other areas, and I think it's because Sunee Plaza used to attract the child molesters and this has been common knowledge. So from today's point of view, the kiddie fiddlers aren't catered to anymore (here's hoping!), so they stay away which by itself brings the number of customers down. And others who are into boys of legal age continue to stay away, just because the foul reputation still lingers and because they're more familiar with Boyztown and/or Jomtien. To an open-minded newbie visitor, on the other hand, it doesn't help that Sunee Plaza looks like a ghost town in comparison.

Just my opinion, as a detached observer I'd prefer if it just died and the other zones prospered.

[Gaybutton]

I disagree with the idea that the former reputation has anything to do with it now. It hasn't been that way for years and most people know it, including the police.

I do agree that Sunee Plaza has been on the decline with regard to go-go bars, but from what I see the beer bars are doing ok.

I don't see Sunee Plaza as dying, but if nothing changes and the decline continues, I may eventually be changing my tune.

[a447]

I don't see Sunee dying yet, either. Over the past few nights there have been pretty good numbers sitting in the beer bars and Eros was doing ok. Even as I sat in All of Me massage chatting to Ton, lots of farang were walking by even though the soi looks dark and uninviting. At one stage All of Me was full.

But if Eros were to close, that would be a disaster for the area and could signal its demise.

[Oliver]

I agree with much of the above but would add the issue of the environment. Closed bars and darkened sois create more closed bars and darkened sois. And this is not helped by the closure of the shisha bars in the sois adjoining Sunee which were busy and bright. And the aroma was nice, too. Most of us like a lively, vibrant scene; sadly, this was not the case when I was there in October. I hope it'll be better in three weeks when I return- though I'm not holding my breath.

[Gaybutton]

I hope it'll be better in three weeks when I return- though I'm not holding my breath.

I will be very interested in your comparison of the two trips.

[halfhansum]

Well I have only been in low season, but I find that most straight beer bar complexes are almost totally devoid of customers ..How they all keep going is a Mystery to me .
Sunee by comparison always seems to have a fair amount of customers coming and going .
It seems to me that Pattaya in general just doesn't seem to get the same amount of `Visitors`, Gay or otherwise, as it used to get .

[Oliver]

The ones along 2nd Road, between Royal Garden and Central, seemed to be very busy in the early evening. The Beach Road ones certainly were less so.

[Jun]

It has been a long time since Sunee was wall to wall GoGo Bars at least in my definition of long time.
Old favorite things die hard but they die. Sunee has been in a descending spiral for years . Every once in awhile a new Bar will open and fail. It is not likely to change.. Can anyone name a Go Go Bar that opened in the last 3 years that is still open. Name changes don't count. There have been none. The Beer Bars are what keeps Sunee on a respirator because of very low drink prices . I sometimes wonder how they pay the bills 8 months out of the year.

I'm not quite sure why the decline has been so marked. OK, there is internet dating, but there must still be a market for the bars. There are plenty of straight bars left.

This time around I certainly helped to keep the bars in business, with off fees paid most nights. The exceptions were one lad met on the beach and one repeat meet on the night a bar was closed. So not a single pure internet date.
Where I did find lads on line, it turned out they were working in bars & as I like my fun in the evenings, the bars got some business out of it.

[Oliver]

One issue seldom discussed relates to the times of day when sex is available. My first visits to Pattaya in the 90s were characterised by a feeling of listlessness in the afternoons. Not being a great beach-lover (certainly not of those around Pattaya), I struggled. The day seemed to be "on-hold" until the bars opened. Planet Romeo changed all that. Now I have my fun in the afternoons and, not looking for partners in the evenings, make only occasional visits to the bars. Anyway, to be blunt, as I get older I find myself more interested in the afternoons....

[Gaybutton]

That is a very good point, Oliver. I am the same. I prefer the afternions too and I don't go to the go-go bars very often. Not anymore. I never thought there might be enough people doing the same that there would be much of any effect on the customer numbers in the bars. That idea never occurred to me.