Gaybutton

For years I've heard about those girly go-go bars. And for years, try as I might, I've never been able to spot them. Maybe I'm just blind or something, but do those bars actually exist or is it nothing more than gossip simply believed to be fact? Does anyone know the names of any go-go bars around the Jomtien Complex vicinity or just where they are? Has anyone been to them? Better still, does anyone have a photo of them? After all these years of hearing about them, I think it's high time to verify. Boy69 wrote, "I understood that Jomtien area is classified as residential one so gogo bars are not allowed." That's another one that I don't know whether it's true or not. If it is a residential area, other than the Jomtien Complex condotel, where are the residences? All I see is bars, restaurants, and a few massages. That doesn't sound very residential to me, especially since virtually everything in the area is commercial. I would find it difficult to believe, without seeing documented verification, that the existence of the condotel is the reason no go-go bars are allowed. In other words, for quite a long time we have all been told these stories and accepted them as true, but I have yet to see verification of any of them. If go-go bars really are prohibited in Jomtien Complex, I'd like to know the real reason why and who made that decision, under what authority. And if prohibition of go-go bars in Jomtien Complex is genuine, I wonder if it has ever been challenged in court.

I think it depends on where you are and what you're looking for. For me, the Boystown-Sunee Plaza area is not central at all. As an expat living on "The Dark Side" I drive to get there. Finding a place to park anywhere near Boystown is next to impossible these days, even with the Covid crisis going on. Unless a parking space is available in the parking lot at Sunee Plaza, finding a place to park is also next to impossible. There have been times I finally found a parking place so far from them that I had to take a motorbike taxi from where I parked to the bars. No thanks, especially during rainy season. Meanwhile, for me I have never had a problem finding a place to park when going to Jomtien Complex. For me, Jomtien Complex is the central location. Also, I lost interest in the go-go bars a long time ago. Sunee Plaza's Winner Bar charges reasonable prices, but the Boystown bars? Forget it. I won't pay those prices to see boys who are of no interest to me in the first place. The prices at every bar in Jomtien Complex are fair and reasonable. I've never felt overcharged or ripped off in Jomtien Complex. I can't say the same for Boystown. As firecat69 says, it would nice if there were go-go bars in Jomtien Complex. Over the years I've heard two stories about why no go-go bars are there. One story is there is some sort of city ordinance against it - although I've never heard a credible explanation as to why and have never seen any documentation that shows such an ordinance actually exists. The other story is the Jomtien Complex bar owners have an agreement about not having go-go bars there because that would generate unfair competition and draw too much business away from all the beer bars. That story is second and third hand. I've never heard it from any of the bar owners. I have no idea which story is true or even if either one of them is the real story. All I know for sure is, for whatever reason, there are no go-go bars in Jomtien Complex and none are expected. But for all I know, maybe there is nothing at all to prevent go-go bars in Jomtien Complex and the only reason there aren't any is simply because nobody ever opened one. So, those of you who cherish the go-go bars, let's hope the remaining Pattaya go-go bars will survive. If they don't, the end of the era of Pattaya gay go-go bars may already be imminent.

At least the Chinese tourists never invaded Jomtien Complex. If Jomtien Complex survives, I hope it stays that way.

In Pattaya, the only gay venue area doing relatively well is Jomtien Complex. No go-go bars, but most of the beer bars are open and plenty of boys. Not that many customers, but it does seem to be enough, so far, to sustain those bars. In my opinion, the beginning of the end for Sunee Plaza was the day Michael and Thomas left Corner bar. It has been a steady downhill ride ever since. For Boystown, I believe the beginning of the end was when Jim Lumsden left. I understand now even his Baan Souy resort is up for sale. If it sells, I have no idea what Jim's plans are after that. Apparently between Bangkok and Pattaya, now Jomtien Complex is the last relatively thriving and surviving gay venue area. If Jomtien Complex fails too, as Jimmy Durante once said, "Then we're all in the ter-let." My hopes are pinned on an eventual comeback.

I was hoping Bangkok's go-go bars would have a better chance of surviving. Apparently not. Obviously a business cannot make it very long if there are few or no customers. And with the situation now, it's going to be much longer before the bars have much of a chance of customers coming. My guess is many of the boys are going to give it up and return home, if they haven't already.

This is very bad news. With only a few expats as bar customers, to tell the truth I'm surprised some of these bars were able to last as long as they did. And this latest round of Covid outbreak is not going to help anything. I hope once unencumbered tourism opens up again, and it's anybody's guess when that might be or even if that might be, there will still be at least a few go-go bars left. At least the hook-up apps work and are filled with willing young gents. Once this is over, that very well may be the way to find boys. There is always the hope that the go-go bars will eventually reopen or some of the bars manage to get sold and new owners will reopen them. Hopefully, if gay farang holiday makers do start returning, there will be a gay paradise resurrection. If that does happen, who knows - maybe the gay scene will eventually be better than it ever was. I think many of us remember the days when the most difficult decisions of the evening were where to eat, which bars to visit, and which boy to "off". Now, not very much to have to decide. I hope for a gay scene comeback - and quickly. I just hope Boystown won't eventually turn into Girlie Bars Town.

That's the bright side . . . ? As for going to The Dollhouse, I'll have to take your word for it. Maybe they get away with it if certain members of the constabulary are somehow getting something more than just a mere pittance of tea money . . .

Please enlighten me. I know of no Pattaya go-go bars where the girls are fully nude. As far as I know, those same powers-that-be prudes put the kibosh on that years ago.

I think some will, but most won't. It is much less expensive to just stay home and, if nothing else, hire an "escort". Speaking only for myself, there is no way I would pay thousands of dollars, be quarantined for two weeks, only to end up using primarily hook-up apps in a quest to find willing young gents. In the post above PeterRS says, "While this forum focuses more on gogo bars, most did survive the Campaigns". I'd say that depends on your definition of "survive". Many might have survived initially, meaning they remained open, but it didn't take long for many of the go-go bars to start closing down. Meanwhile, the bars that did survive were forced to make a lot of changes in the way boys were presented and behavior of the boys and customers. It just wasn't the same after all this got started. For people who remember the way things were in Thailand 15 or 20 years ago, it's a different world now and became so, long before anyone ever heard of Covid-19. Now there is almost no comparison. While there are still a few go-go bars and "off", the way it used to be is now extinct and I believe it would take a miracle for there to be any kind of significant resurrection. We can all hope for that, but will anything come of it?

I think that is correct, along with pressure from religious NGOs and some foreign governments whose prudes want to tell Thailand how to run their internal affairs. The frustrating part is how Thailand so readily gave right in and began ruining things for us, as well as straights. And yes, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to reverse it to the way things were before this nonsense began. As Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again". I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me why sex is such a bad thing. Regarding sex, the ancient Romans and Greeks had it right. Sadly that way of thinking is long gone.

That is why I fail to understand why they have been trying (and failing) to change Pattaya's paradigm. Whether they like it or not, reputation or not, sex and the enjoyment of it plays a major part in attracting foreigners to Pattaya. I doubt the main reasons foreigners go to Pattaya are to shop, or spend time in water parks, or watch shows. For sun seekers there are many beaches in Thailand much better than Pattaya, especially considering Pattaya's polluted sea water. Why on earth do people in power, and not just Thailand, want to prevent people from enjoying sex - unless, of course, it's for their own enjoyment? There has been serious talk from Thailand's powers-that-be about legalizing prostitution. Why am I not surprised that so far it has been only talk, but no action? Humans, at least normal humans, want sex. Aging humans are usually attracted to younger - both gay, straight, and bi. The bars provide it and it is a perfectly natural human desire. Why do those in power always seem to want to deny it to people? Why do they act as if sex is some sort of terrible thing that cannot be allowed - unless of course it is their way? If they truly want to re-attract foreign tourists to Pattaya, you know what they should do? They should just butt out. Somehow I find it difficult to believe that many foreigners are going to take expensive, long haul flights only to find that they're going to have to use the hook-up apps to find what they want.

I agree with most of your post. I believe the best chance for a gay venue resurrection and attracting a major influx of gay farang depends on what the Thai government will do. If they will allow the bars to operate as they were doing 15 or 20 years ago, when it was mostly "anything goes" and many bars had convenient short time rooms available, then we'll all see the good times return once Thailand allows unencumbered tourism. The problem has been the prudish rules that ruined so much of it. I have never understood why. Who was being harmed? Most, if not all, the gay venues are located in areas where the general public is unlikely to go. Nobody can see inside the go-go bars unless they enter. The nonsense about the bars having to close around 1:00-2:00am doesn't help and doesn't make any sense. Is there anyone here who needs government officials to tell them what time to go to bed? And they only come up with absurd justifications. I'm not holding my breath for any serious changes. Maybe if all the gay venues get together and form some sort of lobbying program they might be able to pressure the government to relent on at least some of their rules, but if they do nothing, then I don't foresee anything changing. What is wrong with these people? Especially Pattaya - how many adults do they think go to Pattaya looking for nice, clean, G-rated, wholesome holidays? What on earth is wrong with letting adults be adults? What is so terrible about adults enjoying sex? Maybe the gay tourists don't amount to a major part of Thailand's tourism industry, but the whole thing needs to change. I have yet to meet any Thais who give a damn about how the gay venues operate, so who are all these rules protecting? I think none of these rules would have ever come into being in the first place if the powers-that-be refused to give in to outside pressure along with a few Thai prudes who managed to get powerful government positions. I wish the powers-that-be would just leave us alone, but as I said, I'm not holding my breath.

I'm not sure what year the legal age was changed, but for a long time that didn't stop several bars from employing under-age boys. That didn't change until crackdowns got serious. The worst bar of all, as some of you may remember, was the Amigo Pub in Sunee Plaza. That bar alone probably gave Sunee Plaza its bad reputation. They had boys as young as 14 and 15 on stage and boys younger than that at the bar, but out of sight. They were available and there were plenty of pedophiles to keep them busy. In those days there were no-questions-asked short time rooms. Amigo Pub had it arranged so they usually would get tipped off when a police raid was imminent and the under-age boys were all scooted off - I don't know where - until the coast was clear. I also remember the Gentlemen Club in Pattayaland. The owner of that bar actually bragged to me personally that he pays off the police 60,000 baht a month to look the other way. They finally cracked down and that was the end of the bar, but he still lived in Pattaya - on "The Dark Side" - not far from me. After a few years he ended up arrested when he was caught with under-age boys in his home. I don't know what became of him after that. There was yet another bar in the Soi Day-Night area - Playboy. I knew the Thai owner long before he ever opened that bar. Every boy there was under-age and the bar was packed every night. The boys slept upstairs. I asked him why he is doing that, knowing it is illegal. He said he can get away with it because he is Thai. He also said he is doing the boys a favor. They are making a fortune compared to how much they could make at home. He was finally forced to close. He was never arrested. After the bar closed he was a baht bus driver. He has finally vanished from the face of the earth. Then, also in the Day-Night area there was Boys Studio (or Studio Boys - I can't remember which it was called). That bar was also notorious for under-age boys. I believe the owner was Danish - maybe some of you remember - but whatever country he came from, he was forced to close when his own embassy, along with the police, finally closed him down. But again, those kinds of goings-on stopped several years ago and, so far, has stayed that way. I know of no bars now where under-age boys can be found. I don't even see under-age boys on the apps, at least not on the apps I look at.

For years no bars that I know of anywhere in Thailand, including bars in the infamous Sunee Plaza, have had under age boys for years. That is a thing of the past and it is becoming a thing of the distant past. If some of them look under age, that doesn't mean they are under age. If in doubt, check their ID card or take a different boy who you are certain is not under age. Between the bars and the hookup apps, there is no shortage of choices.

That ferry is not currently operating. No word at this time whether this is temporary or permanent. If it is temporary, I doubt it will be placed back in service until there are enough customers to make it profitable. However another ferry is expected to launch soon - no date specified yet - from Satthip (just south of Pattaya) to Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla, but not Hua Hin.

Just in case there is any confusion, this "emergency decree" applied only to the unrest going on and applied only in Bangkok. It had nothing to do with the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations. All of that is still in effect and is virtually certain to be extended through November.

It seems to me tourists would have to want to go to Thailand very badly just now. Right now Thailand does have warm going for it, but at the price of a mountain of paperwork, insurance, expensive quarantine for two weeks, and all followed by very little left open to attract tourists. Along with that the possibility of a second wave Covid outbreak, meaning Thailand might forbid international flights, stranding people again and the possibility of home country's borders closed or quarantines once you arrive home. As an added bonus, you would get to walk into serious political unrest going on in Thailand now too. For me, all of that would be a thanks, but no thanks.

Aren't there any warm places to go other than Thailand?

I'm sure it will be fun filled for them - both of them . . . If I wasn't already living in Thailand, would I even want to go to Thailand under these circumstances? Not a chance.

Actually not all the time. I have been to restaurants where only farang food is served, but the farang came with a Thai. The Thai brought his own Thai food and the restaurants gave him a plate and utensils with no objections. I've never seen that to fail, although it doesn't happen often. After all, even in the best of farang restaurants the Thai staff usually goes out and gets their own food rather than eat whatever the restaurant is willing to give them, so they certainly understand.

Died: August 7, 2000 https://www.google.com/search?channel=crow2&client=firefox-b-d&q=donald+trump+mother

Off topic, I know, but here is the newspaper headline I hope to see after the election: "Biden Wins in the Biggest Landslide in American History - and the Democrats also take the House and Senate" Even if that happens, I'm expecting Trump will still try to steal the election and remain in power. I believe he would murder his mother to become a true dictator if he can. If Biden wins and Trump still tries to stay in the White House after Biden is sworn in, if nothing else now he could be arrested for trespassing and evicted. Just in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet - I don't like Trump . . .

So far I appreciate my login being saved so that it is no longer necessary to login every time. I'm anxious to see what other new changes you will be offering.

That is for sure! Even the Special Tourist Visa is no guarantee. Thailand's powers-that-be are saying if there is even one case of Covid-19 under that visa, then the entire program will be canceled. People who bought the Elite card are also being denied entry unless they manage to meet all the requirements and then find a way to even get to Thailand. Normal international passenger airline flights still are not allowed in Thailand. I haven't seen anything that forbids entry via rowboat though . . . I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but I am trying to be realistic as I see it. As it stands right now, I just don't see Thailand allowing general entry to tourists within the foreseeable future. I'm sorry, but from where I sit, that's the way it is.

I've seen people who bring their own wine if they know the restaurant doesn't have what they want. That is not particularly common, but some people do that. Other than wine, I've never seen anyone bring anything else.