12 Years in Pattaya..Then and Now...part 1

[Gaybutton]

I will not answer these very private questions. The questions I have for you are not that private.

Why am I not surprised by that response? I knew you wouldn't answer any of those questions. I knew it before you knew it.

As for the questions you put to me, I'll be the one who decides whether they're private or not. Any aspect of my life is absolutely none of your business, just as any aspect of your life is none of mine or anybody else's.

Now excuse me please - time for me to continue living my impossible life . . .

[Doug]

I thought this was going to be an interesting topic with lots of great memories of Pattaya gone by. But it seems to have been hijacked. Is there a way to block or ignore a particular member?
Speaking of memories, does anyone remember Memories Boy Bar in Naklua and the nearby Homex Inn from the late '80s and early '90s. I have many stories of them but hesitate to put in the effort is this topic continues as it is.

[thaifarang]

I think thaifarang has a valid point here, vast majority of of working class people in the west can not retire at the age of 50,

Not only working class, also middle class. I would love to see a calculation.

[colmx]

ThaiFarang - I have done some maths and I can easily see how one could retire at 50...

Example
Gross income €80,000
Net income €51,000 (assuming a harsh Irish tax regime, other countries would be better/Worse)
Monthly Net: €4250
Rent/Mortgage: €1250PM (again assuming expensive Irish rent, could pay a lot less by sharing or living outside city)
That leaves €3000 PM in disposable income
Spend half, save half - or put he 1500€ into an investment property

At 50 you move to Thailand and rent out your apartment, rent covers Mortgage.
Live off your savings until state pension kicks in
When mortgage is cleared on your property(s) the rental income adds to your disposable income...

On the other hand you could be like me and live a lavish lifestyle in your 20/30/40s and plan to retire at 65!

[Gaybutton]

I thought this was going to be an interesting topic with lots of great memories of Pattaya gone by. But it seems to have been hijacked.

Yes, and I've let it go on and on far too long and I previously asked that those who wish to talk about retirement income to start a new topic. That request was ignored - something I rarely tolerate.

Of course, any time I step in and steer a topic back to what it is supposed to be about, next thing I know here come all the posts saying I'm a control freak. So, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. As long as I'm damned anyway, this topic is about Pattaya, then and now. Any further posts on this topic about retirement income will be deleted.

Anyone interested in retirement income is free to start a new topic.

[Undaunted]

I am surprised that no one remembers "Name That Hung Nam" which was a recurring post for a long time on S.G.T. or Charlie restaurant and Seven restaurant(owned by Sven) in Sunee.
Anyone remember the Siren bar on walking street? (I have heard many tales of this bar) run by the woman that has the plastic chair bar in Sunee.
Who remembers the name of the bar in the Day Nite hotel previous to Keven Q. and La Cage?
Who remember Bobby the bartender at at the sports bar and his fondness for memorizing saying like "One in the hand is worth two in the bush" and "One man's meat is another mans poison "?
Who remembers the original Sawadee Boys in Sunee and who can forget Kaos.
Sport bar was a 24 hr. Bar
Who remembers Amigo Go Go, Topman, Monty's pool?

[Doug]

I remember the Siren Bar very well. It was a large building (still there) that had an amateur Thai boxing ring surrounded by many individually owned bars. Most were girly bars but near the back were 2 boy bars.One of them was run by Pim (I think that's her name) who runs the Green Chair Bar in Sunee. The counter was a square and Pim and her son tended the bar from inside the square.
When you sat down, a boy would approach, stroke your arm or thigh or other and ask for 10 or 20 baht. The boys were of all ages as many were involved with the boxing or had a friend who boxed. The boxers were of all ages. Of course you could buy a drink for a boy or arrange a trip to your room. No "off" fees. I came to know that a lot of "activity" occurred on the adgacent beach under the bar but I was too shy to explore.
I learned a valuable lesson there. One night I met a boy of my dreams (of course) and took him back to my room at "On Hill House". It was wonderful and afterwards he said he was hungry so I agreed to go the noodle maker at the end of the soi and buy us some food. When I returned my room was a shambles and my hidden stash of money and a camera were gone with the boy. Two nights later I saw him sitting with another farang at the other boy bar next to Pim's. I was still furious and more so due to the cheek of the boy to return to Siren Bar. I went over to the two but the boy seem unperurbed. I quietly informed the farang that he was courting a thief and should be careful...I was robbed. The farang looked at me, sneered and explained that I was the one at fault and the boy was only doing his job to survive. That bit of wisdom served me well for the 22 years.
Siren Bar....a little bit of the old west.

[colmx]

It's 15 years since my first Pattaya trip
Back then I was a Naïve 27 year old and was on my way back to Ireland after spending a year on a working holiday visa in Australia

I flew from Ko Samui to U-Tapao airport and took the minibus to Pattaya

I had no pre-booked accommodation but knew from reading the Dreaded Ned and original GayButton sites that The Ambiance/Café Royale is where I wanted to go. However I was scared to tell the driver that I wanted to go to Boystown... so I told them I had no hotel and went on a mini tour of Pattaya as the bus dropped off passengers at their various hotels, before getting out at RoyalGarden Plaza

After checking in to the Ambiance, my first gogo bar was Jolly Boys on Soi Day night... After that I tried to find Sunee Plaza, but ended up getting lost and ended up on what is now 3rd road!

Backtracked my steps and ended up in BoysBoysBoys for their show and the subsequent disco in the raised area at the back of the bar... I really miss that Disco as it was the cruisiest place in Pattaya. As soon as the bars closed at 1 - all the boys who still wanted a customer would go to BBB and strut their stuff on the dance floor and show off to potential suitors.

Then around 2.30 everybody moved to Le Café Royale bar, where Toi would sing his repertoire until 4am with Ian Read and Noom keeping their eagle eye on proceedings!

On my second night I found Sunee.... But I was drawn back to BBB every night for 3 nights to try and find the gorgeous boy that I had seen on my first night (found him on the 4th night and he became my first Thai BF)

Other places that have not been mentioned so far in this thread:
X-Zyte - It was the most happening disco in Pattaya at the time. When it eventually closed the owners knocked the entire venue and the lot remains empty to this day (except for the odd morlam)
Icon - One of the original Showbars with an all male troupe. It moved across the street from Mr Macs hotel but never really took off in its new venue
Leks bar -in the Day night hotel, Lek had been the manager of BBB and setup his own venue, which never really took off
Noknok (Sunee) - Owned my mamasan Em - who is still active and working in cupidol
Smile boys (Soi 15) - around the corner from Ods Spot
K-boys (Sunee) - eventually became Nice boys... They just changed the K to an N on their Neon sign which is still there today!
Original Funny Boys on Soi Day night
Original Crazy pub (Sunee) - home of the 100B Chuk wow show. First to Cum got the 100B. They usually came on your table!
Butts Bar (just outside Sunee) - it took over as the sleaziest bar in Sunee after Crazy pub was gentrified into krazy Dragon
Kaos (Sunee) - half the crew from there seem to still be working in Nice Boys
Minou/Filou Boys(Sunee) - strange bar run by and for Swiss/French guys (?) I always felt like an interloper in their private club
Super Boys (Sunee) - Even sleazier than Crazy pub and Butts boys. Dart Show, Egg Show, Fanta-to-coke show, razor blade show, Cigarette smoking show. It was dirty and disgusting!
Charlie Boys (Pattayaland) - it was run by Mick a rather loud (but friendly) Yorkshire man, who frightened the life out of me first time I went in there, it felt like I was after walking into a straight bar which just happened to have boys dancing!
Tai boys (Pattayaland) - my first Thai BF worked there and it was owned by Louis. Louis eventually moved to Gacuya (old City boys - still empty to this day) and eventually on to Lucky 7. I bumped into him an Songkran and we had a mini reunion!

[Undaunted]

Another sleeze pit was "All Boys' in Soi Yensabi.

[Gaybutton]

Am I the only one who remembers the Playboy go-go bar? It didn't last very long, less than a year as I recall. It was just up the soi from Boys Studio or Studio Boys (whatever it was called).

The owners were "Madam" and her Thai boyfriend - forgot his name. Madam was the French woman who used to run the upstairs go-go bar, many years ago, when Terry had the Happiness bar in Boystown.

After Playboy closed, she and her boyfriend drove a baht bus for awhile. Years ago they both disappeared from the scene. I have no idea where they went.

I also remember a short lived bar in the same location where the La Marina restaurant is, in Sunee Plaza. I've forgotten the name of the bar. Maybe someone remembers.

The guy who owned Gentlemen Club in Pattayaland had a home on "The Dark Side." Long after he sold Gentlemen Club he eventually was arrested - under-age boys at home. I don't know what became of him. The last I ever heard about him was the article about his arrest in the Pattaya One online news. Of course, there was never a follow-up article. As far as I know he's long gone.