The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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Jun

Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

Post by Jun »

Undaunted wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:11 pm When I first came here everyone I knew was in their 50’s now just a stroll through the complex quickly reveals almost all are in their 60’s and up, what will be here after this group slowly thins out as even in the good old days young gay customers where few and far between?
bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:44 am The demographics of tourism (pre-Covid) have changed -- less Americans, more Asian and European country visitors (China, India, Russia). But why are the gay tourist aging out? Where are the younger replacements?
Well, during the last 2 high seasons, Thailand has had restrictions on inbound travel. Arguably, it was only worth accepting those conditions if you intend to have a really long holiday. Younger people with jobs are generally limited to 4~5 weeks and often far less, particularly if they want another holiday during the year.

bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:44 amI use the gay apps extensively, but it doesn't mean that I am very successful. Just last week, a guy (money boy) I wanted to hook up with would not answer my messages on two apps, yet I could tell he was regularly logging in. Over the weekend, I went into Winner Boys and of course, that is where he worked and was happy to see me and wanted me to bar fine him. There were NO customers. His answer to why he didn't reply so we could hook up the previous week was that (in summary) the apps were boring and too many people just want to talk.
Not every boy has the work ethic and mindset to talk to several customers in order to hook one.
There are plenty of others who do put the time in. I find the apps work quite well.

Of course, some lads are on the apps several times a day, every day. Others might disappear for a few days.
Also, whilst most of them can write enough English to do their sales & marketing, some struggle more than others. I was chatting to one of them in my room and he didn't understand one word, so I got my phone out to translate. I needed to translate it to Khmer audio. So I'm not entirely sure how well he could read his own language, never mind English.
So no wonder some of his messages were odd.
Admittedly, I know more guys who know a surprising amount of English and seem to steadily be learning more.
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:44 am His answer to why he didn't reply so we could hook up the previous week was that (in summary) the apps were boring and too many people just want to talk.
My answer to that is he is full of it. If he doesn't want to respond to people trying to chat with him on the apps - and you said you spotted him on two apps - then why was he using the apps in the first place? That's one boy who would quickly find himself on my Forget It list.
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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Jun wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:24 pm Well, during the last 2 high seasons, Thailand has had restrictions on inbound travel.
Complete agree and understand the situation POST Covid -- but Covid only increased the damage. Gay tourism has been declining for years, visible in the suffering of the bars.
Jun wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:24 pm Not every boy has the work ethic and mindset to talk to several customers in order to hook one.
Thank you for that comment, it was very informative. Just because they are "workers", I shouldn't assume they are "go-getters". Some are happy to sit at the bar and if a customer comes, he comes. And thinking now about his overall attitude, he really did give off a "whatever happens" vibe. In my own case with the apps, it takes a lot more "several" for me to chat with to hook one!

Someone else in this thread talked about the demise of "cruising". Although I had not considered it as "cruising", I did comment the other day that I don't notice boys "hanging out" anywhere. It made me think -- what do boys (money boys, workers) do? Years ago, I remember seeing lots of boys in Royal Garden and on the beach. I don't notice that any more.

Where are all the regular young men and women of the world? At home, on their phone! lol

I am just not smart enough to get it, I guess. I look at the USA, and the huge uncrossable divide between, with large age gaps, and wonder why there aren't planes full of travelers seeking what we have known Thailand to offer. Unless you are after a relationship with someone near your age, it is NOT getting better in the USA.
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:53 pm wonder why there aren't planes full of travelers seeking what we have known Thailand to offer.
There could be dozens of reasons we can all guess about and debate about to explain it, but that doesn't mean planes won't be much more full in the near future. Maybe that will happen and maybe not. Give it time before you assume the gay crowd has written off Thailand.

Don't forget, right now we're in the middle of the low tourist season. Let's see what high season brings. I'm not ready to travel down the gloom and doom road just yet.
Jun

Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:53 pmIt made me think -- what do boys (money boys, workers) do? Years ago, I remember seeing lots of boys in Royal Garden and on the beach. I don't notice that any more.

Where are all the regular young men and women of the world? At home, on their phone! lol
I suspect you have answered your own question there. They may well be at home on their phone. The phones are the one big change that has happened since the days when they were regularly cruising the beach.
Incidentally, massage shops often used to have loads of lads sat outside in the old days, at least when there was some shade. Now they are likely to be inside on their phones.

These days, occasionally some unattached boys might walk up the beach, but very few. Most boys who are at the beach are more likely to already be there with a farang. I occasionally see some I know walking around the shops in Bangkok, but I very rarely see any that I know walking around Pattaya during the day.

If I ask "What did you do today ?", the response is usually "nothing", "play with phone" or something similar.
They never admit to seeing other clients during the day, although some clearly do just that.

Some are reasonably organised & professional.
If regular one asks to meet and I tell him next Thursday (as I have other plans in between), when Thursday comes I usually get a message asking "What time we meet today ?".
Others can't even manage a discussion that involves anything other than meeting right now. In some cases, boy A takes so long to reply, that I have contacted boy B, discussed everything and fixed an appointment before boy A replies. Then Boy A launches his toys out of the pram as we can't meet that day. This is no problem, as there are plenty of other lads around with a good attitude.
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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bi-top wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:53 pm
Where are all the regular young men and women of the world? At home, on their phone! lol
Don't laugh - because that's probably where they are.

I visited Jomtien Complex a few weeks ago to spend a few days visiting the bars and rubbing elbows with old friends. During my first night I was sitting at a Bar staring across the soi at 100 people (Thai and farang) sitting at the various bars. No exaggeration, at least 50% of them were sitting there locked in a trance staring into their smartphones like zombies...while the other 50% were socializing with other human beings

Then I noticed 2 Thai boys walking down the soi together and both of them were glued to their smartphone screens. I said to Jai who was sitting next to me "how can they even see where they're going"? He responded with a giggle..."they must be using GPS."
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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Dodger wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:28 pm Don't laugh - because that's probably where they are.
Dammit!!! I laughed . . .
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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Interesting discussion.
I wonder how many customers of the gay go-go bars visit the places for the in-bar "entertainment" and shows.
Most punters probably go to check-out the guys for a possible hook-up -- and want to see the guys in scanty underwear.
Jun

Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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werner99 wrote: Mon Oct 31, 2022 9:58 pm Interesting discussion.
I wonder how many customers of the gay go-go bars visit the places for the in-bar "entertainment" and shows.
Most punters probably go to check-out the guys for a possible hook-up -- and want to see the guys in scanty underwear.
I agree.
For me, the shows are not "entertainment".
Gogo bars need cute lads in scanty underwear, or preferably even less than that. That's what the higher gogo bar drink prices are supposed to be for.
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Re: The Future of Entertainment in Bars

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Jun wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:41 am For me, the shows are not "entertainment".
We've been discussing this for years and the vast majority agree. Nobody is going to convince me that the bar owners are not well aware that very few are going to their bars looking for shows. They know what attracts us to their bars, and yet they insist on putting on these shows anyway. Why?

I have yet to meet any farang customers who tell me they go to the go-go bars because they love the shows. Personally, I don't tolerate them. Whenever I have been in a go-go bar when a show is about to begin, that's when I leave.

You want to entertain me in your bar? I'll tell you how. Have your boys wearing the tiniest thongs and g-strings you can find. When they're on stage have them actually dancing and trying to entice the customers instead of doing the "one knee shuffle", staring at themselves in the mirror, staring at their mobile phones, and generally acting as if the customers are merely part of the furniture. Keep the music volume down to a reasonable level and turn off your fucking strobe lights. You want to entertain me? That's how. You want me to be a customer in your bar? That's how. You want me to be a repeat customer - a frequently repeating customer? That's how.

One more thing. If you've got street touts grabbing my arm and/or trying to high pressure me into going into your bar - that's the best way I know to get me to never go into your bar.

This has been on my "I Don't Get It" list for years. What I also don't get is that the bar owners are probably going to continue with these shows and letting the boys behave in that manner anyway.
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