Requiem For Sunee

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Gaybutton
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Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 3:19 pm what makes you think this one will be better :?:
I didn't say I think it will be better. If I had to gamble on it, I would think it will be the same or worse, but I also think it is pointless to make predictions when none of us know what the next few months will bring. My position is wait and see.

If you want to declare Sunee Plaza dead, go ahead. If I join you in that, it will be after high season, not before.
Jun

Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by Jun »

Dodger wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:38 am As much as it pains me to say this, gogo bars (gay & str8) are just becoming outdated.
Gogo bars provide a slightly more erotic style of entertainment and I don't see that as being outdated at all. If all else were equal, I would prefer to be in a gogo bar to a host bar.
Gogos offer the pleasure of seeing the guys in underwear on stage & if selecting on appearance, the less they wear in the bar, the better.

For me, the one issue with the Sunee gogo bars is the lack of quality & quantity. We're down to 3 bars. Winner boys is good, Power Boys doesn't have many boys & on some visits, none of them interest me. Finally Nice Boys appeals to some, but definitely not me.

I also think that farang want good value gogo bars. However, if we go down to Boyztown, bars like Toy Boys & Cupidol were more busy than the Sunee bars last winter and charging more for the drinks. Perhaps Toy Boys has a few Asian customers, but Cupidol had mainly western customers.

I haven't ventured down to Jomtien as much, but when I do go, it's for the boys and NOT the format.
The way the format works can vary considerably.
In the case of Sun Bar, all the boys were sitting at their tables, drinking amongst themselves. Groups of farang were sitting on separate tables. At one point I did a count and excluding one much older Thai, obviously not bar staff, I think they only had one lad sat with a customer. There was no circulation. Probably good for drinking and socializing, but not for finding a lad. (At one point, Oud turned up with a couple of farang).
Directly across the soi @Home bar had staff circulating and even sitting with customers. Completely different.
Dodger wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:38 am Fortunately, cruising bars are still popular, and, from what I've seen, Jomtien Complex has a lot to offer.
:o
I'm not entirely sure that "cruising bars" is the most appropriate name for what Jomtien offers. Here's a link describing some of the Berlin cruising bars, which is more in line with my understanding of a "cruising bar". Incidentally, I haven't been to any of them, but have visited the rent boy bars.https://www.travelgay.com/berlin-gay-cruise-clubs/
windwalker

Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by windwalker »

I agree with you Jun about Jomtien bar scene. The lads there get you to come in and then go back to playing with their phones. There are some places where the lads do make a pass for the customers, which is always nice.
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Re: Requiem For Sunee

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windwalker wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:01 pm The lads there get you to come in and then go back to playing with their phones.
That has also been my experience in some of the Jomtien Complex bars, but if you call a boy over to sit with you, they are definitely eager to do so. Call a boy over and the telephone playing stops.

If they are freelancing, then I can kinda-sorta see it. But if they are paid to work in the bars, I'm surprised the management puts up with it. I remember at some go-go bars the boys were doing exactly the same thing, but if a customer walked in, now the phones were quickly put away and they were on the stage.

Host bars should, in my opinion, have a similar policy. If there are no customers in the bar, play with the phones all you want. But if customers come to the bar, put the phones away.
Jun

Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by Jun »

windwalker wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 6:01 pmThe lads there get you to come in and then go back to playing with their phones.
This is frequently an issue with host bars, including some in Sunee, although NOT all host bars. @Home in Jomtien had lads circulating when I was there. That is just how host bars should work.

Where the format isn't working, I've noticed 3 different issues:
i) Lads drinking amongst themselves, with no interest in looking for customers.
(ii) All the lads drinking with one farang
(iii) Lads on their phone

If all the lads drink amongst themselves, they are not earning money and if they do that on a regular basis, they will end up overweight and out of shape. Drinking at a table might be more fun, but walking around a stage in underwear is healthier (more exercise, less calories).

The lads all drinking with one farang might have a good time, but they are typically getting a 100 baht tip for often over an hour of their time and aren't going after any bigger tips during that time. Perhaps some of these farang who entertain 5~6 boys tip well, but I've often seen 100 baht notes handed out. Which is of course OK for a short period of time.

Anyway, of course I could interrupt lads in any one of these scenarios, but I'm used to the gogo bar format where eye contact can be made, or some other indication that he's slightly interested in getting an off.
Guess I just need to get used to peeling lads off from the pack and if it turns out they don't want to be away from their phone/friends, just write off the price of a drink and try another one.
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Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by SP55 »

Sunee was actually unusually busy Wednesday evening.

Jomtien complex is not for me. All the disadvantages that have been mentioned here I agree with, and have plenty more to add about things I don't like about Jomtien complex.
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Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by SP55 »

Undaunted wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:53 pm
SP55 wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:54 pm I'm still hoping some new Eros/Goodboys-style bar will open again and there are rumours about two different gogobars opening so I am still clutching to hope that there will be some new input of energy and life into the area. Look at the great impact on the whole area that Winnerboys has had. Just one or two more bars like that and Sunee can probably be saved and start attracting customers again.
I wouldn’t hold your breath :!: When something dies grief begins in different stages...anger, denial and as for Sunee time for acceptance.
Well Undaunted, the two new gogobars in Sunee I was hoping for didn't come true during this high season (if you could call it high season) and as it looks now the plans for them have been canceled if I understand correctly. So it looks more and more like Sunee will continue to fade away.
stkyricesf

Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by stkyricesf »

Maybe they are becoming outdated for those of us who live here, but aren't the go-go bars exactly where the holiday makers want to go?

As usual Gaybutton, your rational thinking, I believe is correct. Since coming to Thailand in 1998, I come 2-3 times a year for the go-go bars. I am a
holiday maker and the go-go bars are a highlight of my trips, plus the friends I have made over this period of time.
Finnseventy

Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by Finnseventy »

I visited Sunee during my holiday there last month. Nice boys is a big favourite of mine. After enjoying some hands on sport with a couple of the boys I moved on to Winner boys. A man approached me outside who had been sitting at the next table in Nice Boys. He had not actively engaged with the boys, happy to watch their antics with the other customers. He asked if there were any other bars in Pattaya like that one. I said not really, nodding towards the darkened entrance where Eros had recently closed, it would have been the only comparable venue in Pattaya, I felt. He was visibly disappointed so I talked up a few of the better bars in Boystown. But nothing quite the same.

I hope Sunee never shuts down. If any gay area in a city in Europe had three gogo bars and about eight host bars with attractive Asian guys we would all be there in a shot, at least the Europeans amongst us would.

If Sunee Plaza was the gay area in your local town or city would you really consider it a failure?

Sunee is fine. Long may it continue.
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Re: Requiem For Sunee

Post by SP55 »

According to the poster Manofallseasons on sawatdeenetwork the owner of Doubleshot and The Elephant hotel has emptied the premises and moved out. That sure is a loss for Sunee plaza.

The fate of Sunee now if it will be able to reopen and survive probably depends on Winnerboys and Niceboys.
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