Easiest and simplest practice

[Gaybutton]

I thought I read somewhere that the minimum age to work in a gogo bar was now 20 y/o and being enforced as part of this supposed new push to stamp out prostitution. If that's the case I think half of the workers in Sunee would be underage.

I believe you might be correct about the current minimum age to work in a go-go bar, but you are misinterpreting what would constitute under-age. Boys 18 or 19 years old would not be under-age with regard to sex. They would simply be working in the bar illegally. That is not your problem at all. That's the bar's problem. You, as a customer, are under no obligation whatsoever to make sure boys working there are at least 20 years old.

The only part that is your concern is making sure a boy you take off is at least 18 years old. That part has not changed. Even if an 18 or 19 year old boy is sitting with you in the bar, you still are under no obligation to check his age. Even if a boy is under age, you still are doing nothing illegal if you take him off and all you do is take him to dinner and a movie. I wouldn't recommend doing that, but technically you are committing no crime.

His age is only a legal factor when it comes to sex.

[readerc54]

I'm admittedly not any good when it comes to guessing someone's age but don't have any problem telling the difference between a young man and a kid and that's always worked for me.

Your instincts are working out pretty well for you, Dodger.

[readerc54]

declaring with such certainty that "it doesn't happen" in the bars any more is going out on a limb

No it isn't. I'm not out on a limb at all. None of the bars hire under-age boys anymore. Apparently Sunee Plaza still can't live down that reputation, but you're not going to find under-age boys working in any of the bars.

I know of no farang arrests, ever, when taking a boy off from a bar - even back in the days when several bars routinely did hire under-age boys.

GB, it's not your claim that you know of no associated farang arrests that I take issue with. It's your position that "it doesn't happen anymore."

You're trying to make the argument akin to: I've never had a fire in my house therefor I will never have one. You can't prove a future negative.

I don't doubt that you have a very good handle on what's happening in the bars in Pattaya but none of us is clairvoyant.

[Gaybutton]

I don't doubt that you have a very good handle on what's happening in the bars in Pattaya but none of us is clairvoyant.

I can only repeat - it does not happen anymore. Anybody who frequents the Pattaya bars will tell you exactly the same thing. I'm arguing with you about it because I don't want people to think the bars still hire under-age boys when it is not true at all.

What makes you so sure that under age boys still work in the bars? You're basing that on what?

In any case, it really doesn't matter. It's very simple. If you have any reason to think a boy of interest might be under age, check his ID.

[readerc54]

"Anybody who frequents the Pattaya bars will tell you exactly the same thing" is a thesis we can debate until the cows come home, but there are other points to consider. Not all readers here spend the bulk of their time in Pattaya. Many spend it in Bangkok so this discussion should be viewed within a larger context.

You ask "What makes you so sure that under age boys still work in the bars?" Because none of us can prove that they do not. We're free to speculate and offer our best opinion but that's just what it is: our opinion. A greedy mamasan or desperate bar boss may occasionally look the other way and their actions cannot be predicted.

Afraid I must still agree to disagree on this one...and stick with my instincts.

[Gaybutton]

we can debate until the cows come home

Well, that's no fun. I'd rather debate with the cows until you come home . . .

One thing we can agree on - if there is any doubt about a boy's age, check his ID. I like Geezer's method of making sure the ID card actually belongs to the boy. Put the ID in a position where the boy can't read it and then ask him to tell you his birth date.

[readerc54]

At the risk of straying a bit off topic, it occurs to me that the debate seen on this thread is an example of what makes this board unique: interesting posts respectful of each other's argument and at times humorous (thank you, Dodger).

As I look back at the most recent threads on the Thailand forum, it's clear what generates the most interest among members. And the topics were all over the place which I think is really healthy.

- Thai travel-related (Hill Tribes)
- ATM fees going up
- New supermarket
- Sunee nostalgia
- Winner Boys bar
- BKK walking maps
- Pedophile captured

While all drew respectable views, Winner Boys and Sunee nostalgia ruled the roost. And while the well-followed story about the pedo ranked third, most of the posts debated overlapping issues and certainly none were in praise of the activity. It's simply a subject that will always generate curiosity.

I hope this encourages greater member participation. Everyone's opinion should be valued; we benefit from each other's willingness to share their thoughts and experiences.

[Dodger]

I believe you might be correct about the current minimum age to work in a go-go bar, but you are misinterpreting what would constitute under-age. Boys 18 or 19 years old would not be under-age with regard to sex. They would simply be working in the bar illegally. That is not your problem at all. That's the bar's problem. You, as a customer, are under no obligation whatsoever to make sure boys working there are at least 20 years old.

Thanks for the clarification.

With the way they keep changing, bending, twisting and sometimes misinterpreting their own laws over here it's not surprising when people get confused.

I was standing in a line at the Drivers License Place in Banglamung last October and got in a conversation with 3 other farangs about the procedures for renewing a motorbike license. All 3 were provided completely different instructions regarding what documents they would need so they opted to bring 3 copies every possible document they could think of to complete the process. One guy even had a copy of his divorce papers from England dated 1982. I laughed my ass off when the guy said that, but in all honesty, that's how bad it is.

Sometimes I think the Thais actually rely on this confusion so when a conflict does arise they are always right and we are always wrong.

[thaiworthy]

You're trying to make the argument akin to: I've never had a fire in my house therefor I will never have one. You can't prove a future negative.

I don't doubt that you have a very good handle on what's happening in the bars in Pattaya but none of us is clairvoyant.

I don't think he's saying that at all. It used to be the case that underage existed. So there were fires. Chances are, not clairvoyance, that there are fewer fires today, if any, compared to yesterday. How is this a prediction of future events? It is minimizing risk, not a prediction. You limit that by asking for ID, not all the time, just when necessary. It seems to me you are over-thinking this.

As I look back at the most recent threads on the Thailand forum, it's clear what generates the most interest among members . . . - BKK walking maps . . .

I would love to imagine that gay Pattayans will be organizing a pilgrimage up here to Bangkok to walk the walk. But I don't think that's going to happen. Not sure how this topic would be what generates the most interest among members. Where's the (Burger, BBQ) Restaurant Reviews in this list? Now that, generates interest!

[Dodger]

If you look at this broadly over the years you will see that any posted topic that includes the word "Boy" usually receives the most viewers, which of course makes perfect sense. Some are interested in "walking maps" but not all. Some are interested in restaurant recommendations but not all, etc., but everyone connected to the forum shares a common interest in "Boys".

For instance, if I were to post a topic right now entitled "Thai Boys Love to be Rimmed" it would receive more viewer hits than any restaurant topic in history.