Double Shot and BC Bars Gone

[Ruthrieston]

And now Divarium has closed down, and the rumour mill has it that 4T and Dorothy's will be next to close down.

[Dodger]

Considering they offer what you want........

You must have been reading someone else's post - because I never said that "they offer what I want". I was referring to their current clientele based on discussions I have with many of them on a regular basis. I already have what I want.

I remember sitting next to Michael at Corner Bar/Sunee late one night listening to him describe a regular farang customer who still, after years of sitting on the same bar stool, didn't know that M the bartender was a ladyboy...thought that Bank the waiter, who went off with every punter in Sunee, was a married str8 boy who only left the bar to pick up supplies...and that Thomas, who was Michael's long-time American partner, was actually a spy that the Thai tourist police planted in Sunee.

Here was a guy who spent every single night in the boy bars who hadn't the foggiest clue what was going on around him. Believe it or not, we see this fairly often.

[Jun]

You must have been reading someone else's post - because I never said that "they offer what I want". I was referring to their current clientele based on discussions I have with many of them on a regular basis. I already have what I want.

Ah you're basing observations from talking to other customers of the bar & making conclusions on how other people want to spend their money.
Remember those who visit a particular bar on a regular basis must like it, if they're selecting that bar ahead of all the others.

However, those of us who still visit the bars ourselves & spend our own money there can see what's on offer.

We can also count customers (it doesn't take long). Sadly, M Bar usually had no more customers than some of the bars at the bottom of the soi that do nothing other than sell drinks.
I also like M-Bar & I like the concept of a proper boy bar, but it doesn't alter the fact that not everyone wants that type of bar.

Also, relatively small changes to their format and the boys in the bar have a big influence on how frequently I visit.

I gather they have since changed the format again, adding a boy show. So perhaps it is now thriving. I hope so.

I'm also grateful that others take the trouble to run bars. Even if some of them are having to resort to desperate measures to find the rent money.

[Dodger]

However, those of us who still visit the bars ourselves & spend our own money there can see what's on offer.

Absolutely, and we (expats) would like to thank each and every tourist like yourself for your continued donations, because without your contributions a lot of the boys we interact with (on-and-off the bar scene) would no longer be here providing their services.

[Jun]

I'm grateful to anyone who is keeping the good bars open.
Whether that be expat & tourist customers, donations "for the rent" or bar owners being prepared to run a good bar at barely above break even.

I'd also love to hear more about expat visits to these bars.

I suspect it's difficult running a bar in Jomtien, after paying the rent, paying the police and competing with all the other nice bars. Even if they are charging more for their drinks than many non gay bars.

When it comes to the survival of bars, it's important to compare our perceptions of "what the customers want" with where people really spend their money.

For example, many of us have nostalgic ideas about wanting to see a gogo bar in Jomtien. Including me.
The reality is most such bars have not been viable in recent years.
Even if one opened in Jomtien it would need to be very good to keep customers returning on a regular basis, after the novelty has worn off.

People don't need to regularly keep going back to a gogo bar, or any boy bar if finding their boys on Grindr. Or having a regular boyfriend.

[Dodger]

......People don't need to regularly keep going back to a gogo bar, or any boy bar if finding their boys on Grindr. Or having a regular boyfriend.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

There's no doubt that the dating apps are contributing to the decline of customers at the public gay venues...a trend which will undoubtedly continue in the future. Reminds me of that old saying..."you can't have your cake and eat it too".

As far as expats go (I'm generalizing of course), having a live-in boyfriend, having several regular boys on the line, or both, seems to be the flavor-of-the-month these days. The days when all the farang (expats and tourists) would pack themselves in the boy bars anxious to select their date-for-the-night I'm afraid are dwindling - as we watch the gay venues start their transition from "meat markets" to "social settings"

I also think we'll continue to see a decline in the number of "Thai Boys" working the circuit over time - as the $$money$$ is simply not there like it used to be.

As far as JC goes...it's the bars with the most boys...the cutest boys...and the sleaziest ambience that have a chance of surviving. This is the way it's always worked - and this is the only way I can see it working in the future.

[Gaybutton]

There's no doubt that the dating apps are contributing to the decline of customers at the public gay venues

That is certainly the way it is working out for me. When the go-go bars were in their "golden years" I used to go to the bars at least 3 or 4 times a week, often more.

For me, the four factors that changed for me were the advent of the apps, so many bars closing, when the boys stopped going to the beach, and the day Michael (Crabby) and Thomas left corner bar. It all changed for me and now I can't even remember the last time I went to the bars.

There are some aspects about going to the bars that I miss, but easily finding all the boys I want on the apps, from the comfort of home, without having to pay off fees, without having to buy drinks that I don't want in the first place - that makes up for it.

I'm sad to see the way the Pattaya bar scene is now only a shadow of how it used to be, but that's the way it is.

[Jun]

When the go-go bars were in their "golden years" I used to go to the bars at least 3 or 4 times a week, often more.

I used to go to the Pattaya gogo bars every day, but admittedly those were shorter holidays.

The key factor is that people used to visit gogos to off boys. In a large gogo bar, one would see a constant stream of punters offing boys.

Once people switched to the apps or found a boyfriend, gogo bars ceased to be essential.

Hence the market has evolved & people go out to Jomtien style host bars to socialize. Either with farang or hosts.

As for bar closures, it is rumoured that the owner of Double Shot has returned to Europe. We don't know why, but it could be any number of reasons, many of which would not be related to the viability of the bar.

Someone published a list of all the gay bars that ever opened in Pattaya. Didn't it contain over 400 bars ?
There are currently 37 bars on the Jomtien map, so probably just over 50 in all of Pattaya.
I suspect this isn't that much different to 15 years ago.

High turnover with bars coming & going is nothing new.

I just hope the next crop of bar owners will offer something pleasant, not a horrific noise, like in The Best Bar. I'm still waiting for that one to close.

[Rocket]

While I agree with Dodger that’s it’s about providing sexy boys to attract customers, I disagree about M bar. I hope it’s changed but it never had any more customers than any other bar. It always appeared dead to me.

I use that soi about 3 or 4 times a week when I visit the Complex. I try to avoid the main one, as too many boys harass me for drinks. The workers at M bar are used to seeing me walk by and smile or ignore me. Because they know I’m not going to stop in. I do talk to Em every now and then to be friendly.

The plus of that bar , aside from the boys is the quiet ambience.

I think the most active bar is Best bar. I’ll sit across from it for many hours and I’m forced to hear their loud music. At one point I couldn’t differentiate their music with the bar I was sitting in.

It’s popular because it’s a new bar. The big cock show at midnight was interesting. They lower a hue screen in the front to block the view from the outside.

I miss the twinks that worked there when it was JQK bar. They went to Boystown when that bar closed.

[Gaybutton]

The only bar I truly miss and would still patronize if it hadn't closed is Eros in Sunee Plaza. I think nearly everyone reading this board probably remembers Eros.

Do you also remember that the owner said he was going to reopen, this time in Boyztown? Whatever happened to that? It never came to be. If he hasn't reopened by now, my guess is he's not going to. I'd love to be wrong about that guess.