Bar observations

[Gaybutton]

Wish we could say we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The "red light" anyway . . .

[Trongpai]

Quick update Bangkok bars weekend 2-3 October, dark and stormy nights:

Moonlight at the original location has reopened and is no longer featured at the Hotmail location. Hotmail remains open but with all the Moonlight models gone it's slim pickings and rather rough trade. Only 7 on stage when I looked in around 10pm.

Hotmale had been full of customers when featuring the Moonlight models but for this weekend both bars were short on customers.

Fresh Boys has the most boys on stage, about 30. Fems to boy's next door types and a few mildly masculine. I was told in spite of the heavy rain Friday night was hopping with customers yet strangely Saturday with less rain and flooding there were very few customers.

Screw Boys is struggling and generally only open on weekends. They had about 10 to 15 boys on stage all rather scruffy. Two customers at 10:15pm

The Hotmale outside balcony bar was doing well with several customers and friendly hosts. Drinks not expensive.

Dream Boys open and I don't know why they bother.

I wanted to check out the soi 6 sleaze bars but by the time I got over there it was well after midnight and everything was pretty much closed up and flooded.

I bounce a lot between the Pattaya scene and the Bangkok scene and there's not a lot of difference between them right now. Both quiet but there's sufficient availability of friendly hosts for all tastes with little customer competition. If you're capable of having a good time it's possible.

[Gaybutton]

Quick update Bangkok bars weekend 2-3 October, dark and stormy nights

Thank you very much, Trongpai. I know everyone appreciates the latest bar information, even when the news is not so great. Seems like Fresh Boys has the best selection these days. I'm glad at least some of the bars are getting enough customers to remain open.

[windwalker]

I heard that Panorama in Boyztown, Pattaya, is extending its Happy Hour from 9 pm to closing time. About 100 Baht or less for most common drinks.

[aussie]

Jomtiem Complex bars have been finding new Thai and other Asian customers recently. Some are nearby lady bar owners and their workers/friends who like the vibe of the Complex bars. With so few farangs this is very good for business in some of the bars but unfortunately for the few farang customers left the music volume near Sun Bar and ? Bar can be so loud it is impossible to carry out a conversation. Thankfully Doubleshot bar only plays farang music at a reasonable level and has the added attratcion of shirtless waiters around midnight. I am not complaining as i am happy the bars are open but i have seen farang customers go home when it gets too noisy to have a chat. One bar owner told me that to survive he has to cater for the needs of his now mostly Thai customers.

The Venue and M2M keep going with few customers most nights. The birthday shows and special Abba/Cher type shows attract a larger crowd.

Not bars but some added information from my walks through the Complex. Another boy massage shop, HE massage closed and there are only two left inside the Complex with Soda and another shop across the soi. There are some mixed shops on the Thrappaya road heading towards Dongtan beach which have some attractive male staff.

Super Isan and Spring Onion restaurants have closed in the Complex.

My friend walked the Boyztown soi on Tuesday night at 8.40pm and only Panorama was open in the dark soi. If someone can afford to pay for some lighting it might make it more attractive to visit. Otherwise there is no reason to leave Jomtiem Complex although i doubt some of the bars wiil be able to keep paying the rent in the next few months.

[Jun]

the music volume near Sun Bar and ? Bar can be so loud it is impossible to carry out a conversation. Thankfully Doubleshot bar only plays farang music at a reasonable level and has the added attratcion of shirtless waiters around midnight. I am not complaining as i am happy the bars are open but i have seen farang customers go home when it gets too noisy to have a chat.

I hope anyone who does go home when it's too noisy tells the bar owners why they are leaving. Eventually when they start losing too much trade, they might have a word with the landlord and some pressure might be applied to the offending bars.

I would also make a point of noting which bars are laying very loud music and make a point of never going there even on nights when they don't have the music. OK, as long as they are not all at it.

Noise is of course a big disadvantage of the outdoor bar scene. Noisy gogo bars were not usually a problem as there was a door to contain the noise & hence it usually only made one bar off limits. In Jomtien, at times I've had to limit myself to the 2 bars nearest the beach because of the noise.

[Gaybutton]

Noise is of course a big disadvantage of the outdoor bar scene.

I have never understood the need for excessively loud music. I don't go to entertainment venues to wind up deaf. And I don't consider that volume level as my idea of entertaining.

Despite the city ordinance forbidding the noise level to be in excess of 90 decibels, it is never enforced, even when people complain to the police.

Not only would I stay away from those bars, but I would also not stay in any accommodations where that noise filters in. If I found myself in a hotel where that noise gets in, I would immediately check out and let the management know why I am checking out - not that it would do any good.

[Jun]

I also take care to avoid noisy hotel locations.
I don't stay in Boyztown hotels for such reasons.
When I've looked at Jomtien, there are one or two options on the same street as the gay bars and I've always rejected them for this reason. When I tried Zing, I asked for a room in a quiet position and got one on the side furthest from the complex gay bars. That was fairly quiet, other than a little road noise.

[traveller123]

When I'm visiting Pattaya/Jomtien I always stay at The Agate Hotel requesting a room which doesn't face the street, I have never been troubled by any noise and I'm a light sleeper.

[aussie]

On a brighter note it was much quieter in regards to noise in the main Jomtiem Complex soi last night. There was a well attended birthday party for one of the owners of Happy Boy bar in the next soi. I counted seventeen customers at the Venue show bar which is good in the current situation. I went for a walk around the corner from the main Complex soi and saw that Colours bar was packed with customers seated and standing at the bar. Many guys from the the nearby massage shops like to have a drink there which attracts farangs to chat with them and also the very attentive waiters.