Regulars

[hank75]

I am interested to hear how other members stay in touch with their favourite boys and set up repeat meetings on later trips.

 

On my last visit, I collected a couple of Line contacts from boys who made an impression. Since then I have been receiving a steady stream of stickers, “how are yous” and the occasional selfies every few days. I respond to each message with matching levels of enthusiasm but without being overly effusive.

 

My question is, do boys actively try to bring back a good customer they liked and actually remember who they are amongst the hundreds of offs? Or is this just an effective form of marketing that they do for every customer? The attention is flattering but I am trying not to read more into this than it is. I can imagine they wake up in the morning, and go to “work” - sending out stickers, smilies and the same selfie to every single customer in their little black book.

 

I know for a fact the boy who stays in touch the most is very popular and I am just one punter amongst many. Toying with the idea of booking him in advance for my next trip but also wouldn’t want to plan my schedule around a misplaced sense of loyalty to a boy who possibly wont know me from Adam if we passed each other in the street.

 

My second question - and sorry for the lengthy post - will boys agree to meet outside bars? Eg skip work and meet me at a non gogo bar or at my hotel? I may not be in the mood to sit through a whole show, knowing already who I will off. Do I offer to compensate for the bar fine and loss of show earnings on top of tip? My friend who has a Dreamboy regular usually “reserves” him over Line but will go to the bar, pay the cover, off fee and sit through part of the show before leaving with him. Given I have very limited time, a more efficient method that is also acceptable to the boy would be ideal.

[a447a]

I have 2 regulars -one in Bangkok and the other in Pattaya.

 

I've known both for around 6 years. I let them know when I'm going to Thailand and they are always waiting for me.

 

I spend the entire holiday with Nom in Pattaya. When he was working at Eros he'd come and meet me at my hotel early in the afternoon. At night he would accompany me to the bar where I paid the off fee and then we'd go off together. Now he no longer works in a gogo bar so there is no need to pay an off fee every night. Instead, I give it to him.

 

My guy in Bangkok waits for me every afternoon and will not accept an off from someone else. I meet him in the bar every day and we then go back to the hotel. I pay the off fee every day. After we've had our fun we usually go out to dinner. He then returns to the bar, where he works more as a manager than a gogo boy and I am free to off someone else.

 

So the situation with the two guys is different.

 

The key is getting to know them over multiple visits; then they will refuse other customers while you are in town.

[alex303]

As the A447 says above its really about getting to know them over time and it tends to build from there.

 

Most of the guys I've offed a few times will add themselves into my LINE or Facebook at some point, and we tend to keep in touch via that, with the Viet guys I know...its a mix of knowing that when you return you'll hook up with them again plus their curious as to what your getting up to at home.

 

Some are better than others, some I might get a message from 1x a month....some 1x a day although it tends to drift back to weekly...but if you've been with them a few times they don't tend to forget.  Example chatting with a guy from Screw-boys the other day and all of a sudden his pal whom I offed from X-Size in April/May & he used to share the room with started using his phone & jumped into the conversation and I didn't see him around on my last trip...but he was keen to chat and I think they like to know you've not forgotten them. 

 

The ones that keep in touch regularly I usually make sure I make an effort to spend some time with on the next trip and they're smart enough to know this too...messages tend to thin out when they're home in Vietnam but that's understandable.

 

I can and have 'pre-booked' guys via LINE but bit like A447 that tends to be my regular guy who does not work bar so its more like making a plan for when he finishes work etc in the early morning.  For me its tricky to make plans early in the evening in case you end up letting a planned off down cause you spotted some super hot guy who got your heart racing...so I like to keep it a bit fluid.

 

On balance though I enjoy it as the odd message here and there brightens your day sometimes.

[Londoner]

I use Planet Romeo....the Classic version when I'm at home, the other one here in Thailand.

 

But I must add a cautionary note. In August 1996 I made that first life-changing visit to Pattaya. I was so overwhelmed,I booked another trip for October. In my dreams I had a list of three guys whom I was determined to meet. To my horror , all three had "gone home" on my return. And as my visits grew in number, I became aware that the go go community is transitory. Some stay to make a career (meeting the "right " falang) but many others are here in Pattaya for six months or a year before returning home.

 

So my advice is, don't expect your favoured guys to be around on your next visit or even to answer your messages. You may be disappointed.

[Guest]

Many boys try the trade for a few months and will not be there on your next visit. You are right not to count on them being there.

 

Then there are some who are around for 5 or more years. Even these may take time out, if they travel abroad with clients or something like that.

It's good to see the nice ones on multiple trips.

 

I have one whom I first met in 2011 & have met several times since. He doesn't keep in touch at all, but the moment my profile shows up in Pattaya, he contacts me.

 

There are others who message me every few months, with slightly more interest when they know my next trip is coming up.

These include one Cambodian lad from Jomtien, who is currently back in Phnom Penh studying.

 

It's mostly quite nice to hear from them, although there was the case of a Filipino lad who was contacting me every couple of weeks, with a fairly boring conversation which usually ended in some big hint about money needed. Or some improbable story about needing $80 to pay for a visit to a doctor as he has a cold (that fails the common sense test on several levels). I got bored of that & cut him off.

 

 

The other possibility, is your lad may change over the years.

There was one Funny Boy who was adorable & had a very nice personality. Then about 2 years later, he was seriously plump. That's normally a deal breaker, but I offed him due to previous good experiences. Next morning he's up at 7:00 am wanting breakfast. That's the last time he got offed.

I saw another one for about 5 years. He was certainly getting older, but was in good shape, pleasant to talk to and good in bed, also happy to do long time. On my last trip, I found all of those attributes had been lost.

 

Finally, the one I first met in 2011 has now had breast implants. We may well meet again, but if so, sharing the bed with someone who has breasts would be a first for me.

[paborn]

Eg skip work and meet me at a non gogo bar or at my hotel? I may not be in the mood to sit through a whole show, knowing already who I will off. Do I offer to compensate for the bar fine and loss of show earnings on top of tip?

 

 

I have never keep in touch because the performers change. They go home, they're not Thai and on a Visa run, etc. But, even when I know who I'm going to off I always go to the bar and pay the off.

 

What I don't get is why you feel obligated to sit through the show or any part of it, why? In fact, I might pay the off fee  the night before and have him come to the hotel for dinner, movie, etc

[hank75]

Thank you alex303, Londoner and z909 for the thoughtful and informative replies. I will take your point on not getting my hopes up for my preferred boy to be around / or available during my visit- hopefully I will be lucky.

 

I also see that the off-fee is a must. I am not trying to save on this by any means but was just wondering if I could pay the boy, and he transfers this to the bar the next day, thus avoiding me actually having to go to the bar in person. I would much rather meet the boy elsewhere and invite him for a late dinner, or make my own plans with an arrangement to meet him at the hotel.

[hank75]

Eg skip work and meet me at a non gogo bar or at my hotel? I may not be in the mood to sit through a whole show, knowing already who I will off. Do I offer to compensate for the bar fine and loss of show earnings on top of tip?

 

 

I have never keep in touch because the performers change. They go home, they're not Thai and on a Visa run, etc. But, even when I know who I'm going to off I always go to the bar and pay the off.

 

What I don't get is why you feel obligated to sit through the show or any part of it, why? In fact, I might pay the off fee the night before and have him come to the hotel for dinner, movie, etc

I don’t feel obligated to sit through the show, but the two boys I am in contact with perform in some numbers and I imagine the bar would not be keen on them dropping out of the show on short notice. Just trying to understand bar protocol. And they would lose their show earnings. So I assume I would have go to the bar, pay off fee directly

to bar (instead of to boy), let them finish their numbers at least before leaving? Or can anyone state otherwise, that show boys are able to leave early?

 

I was not aware that I could pay the next day’s off fee in advance. Is this usual practice?

[paborn]

I don't know Hank. But, there is something to be said for going and being seen as a regular by the staff, not to mention the guys.

[paborn]

I was not aware that I could pay the next day’s off fee in advance. Is this usual practice?

I've been doing it for thirty years in Bangkok and Pattaya.

[hank75]

Paborn, good to know and I will keep that in mind. I still plan to visit the bars but am expecting my next visit to be work and on a very tight schedule, so I would prefer not to rewatch shows I’ve seen several times. Show-watching is a luxury kept for holidays or when with friends.

 

Also I have some gay colleagues that I plan to introduce to the bar scene at some point but would prefer to keep my own offing discreet.

[paborn]

I hope someone else has better knowledge about the shows. But, off hand, I would say you have a better chance of arranging a substitute for a show a day in advance than the actual night. 

[Jasper]

My question is, do boys actively try to bring back a good customer they liked and actually remember who they are amongst the hundreds of offs? Or is this just an effective form of marketing that they do for every customer? The attention is flattering but I am trying not to read more into this than it is. I can imagine they wake up in the morning, and go to “work” - sending out stickers, smilies and the same selfie to every single customer in their little black book.

It’s safe to say they send out Line messages to every customers unless the customer was a bad experience but they do remember you.

Go go boys are very good with faces even you don’t actually off them.

 

My second question -

will boys agree to meet outside bars? Eg skip work and meet me at a non gogo bar or at my hotel? I may not be in the mood to sit through a whole show, knowing already who I will off. Do I offer to compensate for the bar fine and loss of show earnings on top of tip? My friend who has a Dreamboy regular usually “reserves” him over Line but will go to the bar, pay the cover, off fee and sit through part of the show before leaving with him. Given I have very limited time, a more efficient method that is also acceptable to the boy would be ideal.

Most boys would agree to meet you outside bars unless he has a day job or other commitments.

You could arrange to meet him at your hotel before the bar opening, like 6 pm.

Do they skip work? It’s up to the boy as they have to pay fine to the bar if they don’t turn up work.

In Jupiter, boys pay 400 B to the bar for one day absence.

 

It would be tricky if your boy is a popular show boy. If you want them to skip shows and spend the evening with him outside the bar, prepare to pay 1. Off fee to the bar (400-650) you can pay the fee to the boy and ask him to pay to the bar on your behalf 2. Usual tip to the boy 3. Show appearance money up to 1000 Baht.

 

One Jupiter regular customer I know reserves his regular when he arrives for a month or two pay the whole off fee in advance whether he comes in to the bar or not.

 

And remember if your boy is very popular, be prepared to get disappointed even you reserve him in advance on Line.

A friend of mine is in love with Jupiter’s star and sometimes he gets beaten “Off Competition” lol

[Nathan_B]

 if I could pay the boy, and he transfers this to the bar the next day, thus avoiding me actually having to go to the bar in person.

 

I would be wary of this. I once gave a Pattaya bar boy a week's off fees in advance for him to give the bar. Of course, he promptly went home with my money.

 

Most boys only work in the bars transiently, so I never expect to see them on the next visit (but, if they were good, I still hope). I was madly in lust with a straight guy who worked in the long defunct Throb gogo bar in Pattaya in the early 2000s. I offed him every day over several visits spanning a couple of years. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across him again this year, touting for massage business outside Copa. At nearly 40 he still looked great, he'd lost the lithe athleticism of youth but had put on a lot of muscle and was looking decidely hunky. I resisted the temptation to go with him again, past memories are best left that way I think.

[CurtisD]

Hank, my experience matches most of the advice others have given you.

You can pay the off in advance for as many days as you agree with the guy. The guy may prefer it as it offers more certainty that you are not going to be distracted by another guy and he has your business, he does not have to turn up at the bar each night and being offed for multiple days makes him look successful to his bar friends.  

As long as you have a good rapport with the guy to start with, from experience it is quite safe to pay the off for days in advance. The guy will not decide that now you have committed your time to him he can slack off. Quite the reverse in fact. Now you have shown commitment to him he is likely to show commitment to you. A positive cycle and one of the reasons I enjoy having a regular guy.

The guys are happy to meet you anywhere. If you do not go to the bar at all, so you have not paid the off fee to the bar in advance, a guy’s main concern in meeting outside the bar will be that you pay the off fee in addition to their fee so that they can explain the situation to mamasan and pay the off fee to the bar next time they go there.

The guys are happy to see you again no matter how long it has been since your last visit. I am usually only in Bangkok once or twice a year but meeting again after 6-12 months is pretty seamless.

All the guys will ask for your contact details and I am strict in only giving my contact details to guys that I have been with several times and think would make a good regular. No one gets my contact details when I butterfly.

Communication is pretty light from my end and typically also from theirs. Enough from me that they know I am thinking of them and will see them next time I am in town. Enough from them that I know they will be happy to see me. So far no stories of buffalo-related misfortunes.  

There is high turnover in the bar guys, one of the reasons I try to get on with the mamasans with whom there is little turnover. Most of my regulars have lasted 12-24 months until they achieved their goal for being in Bangkok (study, raising the cash for a project back on the farm) and returned to their home city/village. However, typically they were in the bar scene for a shorter time, less than 12 months.

 

[spoon]

Another great thread with a lot of personal experiences shared. I have limited experiences since ive been to bkk only 3 times, but i have made one contact through line on my second visit. Ive only been to his bar once, and then on subsequent repeat, its always him coming to me at my hotel, and i pay both off fee and tips before he leaves. On my third visit, ive pre-arranged with him a week before my flight, but forgot to remind him the day before and no details on when i want to meet him either. I line him few hours before, he says he couldnt coz he has another customer, but i managed to meet him two more times on that trip so all is not lost. Regarding keeping contacts, after my second visit, he has been texting me quite often, almost every other day, then to once a week then to just some ocassion like holiday. I guess since i dont visit thailand as often, he stopped bothering me after my third visit lol. I am still going to line him on my next visit for sure though.

[ggobkk]

Lots of excellent information in this topic thread.  I keep in touch using both Line and WeChat.  My incoming messages increase when word is out that I'm on my way back.

 

If I know I will be offing one guy from a club for more than one night, I pay the first (and sometimes) the 2nd) night's fee in person in the club.  If there are more nights, I give the off fee to the guy who can pay the club the extension.

 

As noted in the topic thread, guys leave and guys change.  Many who leave, do return - and those who do will let you (me) know.

[Guest]

Thoughts on whether this is a possibility for Timeless Forum??

[CurtisD]

Another great thread with a lot of personal experiences shared. I have limited experiences since ive been to bkk only 3 times, but i have made one contact through line on my second visit. Ive only been to his bar once, and then on subsequent repeat, its always him coming to me at my hotel, and i pay both off fee and tips before he leaves. On my third visit, ive pre-arranged with him a week before my flight, but forgot to remind him the day before and no details on when i want to meet him either. I line him few hours before, he says he couldnt coz he has another customer, but i managed to meet him two more times on that trip so all is not lost. Regarding keeping contacts, after my second visit, he has been texting me quite often, almost every other day, then to once a week then to just some ocassion like holiday. I guess since i dont visit thailand as often, he stopped bothering me after my third visit lol. I am still going to line him on my next visit for sure though.

 

Spoon, your experience rings true with me.

 

I have found that once your trip details are set it pays to contact your regular guy with increasing frequency as the date of your arrival approaches. These guys don't keep appointment calendars a month out or even a week out! Send him the details about a month out. Then weekly until the week of arrival, then daily for 4-5 days before arrival and make sure to message as soon as you arrive in Bangkok if you want to meet that night. 

 

It's the mirror image of your departure. He will Line you every day for a week, then drop to weekly, then occasionally. 

 

It is some sort of     physical proximity = reality   lack of physical proximity = unreality    sort of thing, at a guess.

 

Before you arrive, the customer in front of him is more real than you, so you need to increase your presence through a lot of messaging.

 

Immediately after you leave, if you have spent a bit of time together, you are still real to him for several days and he maintains contact.  

[paborn]

Scooby, I would let it run for a few days and then put it in the Timeless Forum.

[Jasper]

I don’t feel obligated to sit through the show, but the two boys I am in contact with perform in some numbers and I imagine the bar would not be keen on them dropping out of the show on short notice. Just trying to understand bar protocol. And they would lose their show earnings. So I assume I would have go to the bar, pay off fee directly

to bar (instead of to boy), let them finish their numbers at least before leaving? Or can anyone state otherwise, that show boys are able to leave early?

 

 

About the show boy dropping out of the show on short notice.

I can only speak of the case of Jupiter but dropping out of the show on short notice is not a problem at all for the bar.

Normally if the show is consist of 3 dancers, another 3 boys could easily substitute regular dancers.

Jupiter show boys including mamasan have a dedicated group LINE and if the boy is with customer, has a hungover and cannot come into work they will LINE to let the group knows so DJ/show manager will prepare which show they going to do that evening.

The only problem is compensation for the loss of show earnings.

If you reserve him on LINE and don’t want to visit the bar, if he agrees you will not need to go to the bar.

Some show boys want to appear on shows even you reserve him but some may agree to skip shows and the bar it’s up to your agreement with him.

But if the show boy agrees not to go to the bar instead spend the evening with you, he expects compensated for the loss of show money otherwise it is not worthwhile to be offed if you only pay regular tip.

 

Jupiter pay 200-250 per show and a show boy does 3-5 shows earning 600-1000 B per night so you need to pay up to 1000B on top of boy tip(2000+). And of course you pay off fee 400. So it could get pretty expensive if you want show boys to skip work.

But then you don’t need to pay your drink & boy drink and tip to mamasan, waiter so probably works out the same money wise and you save time watching the same show repeatedly.

[Vessey]

'Regulars' are a key feature of my holidays, boys who I have met before and who I want to see again. There will also be boys who I meet for the first time on a holiday who I really like who I will see several times.

 

Facebook is the way I keep in touch with most of them between holidays, using Messenger to do a 'Hi, how are you?' perhaps once a week, sometimes its a longer chat, sometimes one of us sends the other a picture. Its basically a 'don't forget me'. Occasionally one will try it on to get sent money for one reason or another, but if they get gently refused most will then carry on as normal.

 

My main holiday, sometimes my only holiday each year is in low season where customers are scarce for many boys and the possibility of a re-encounter with a past customer is gratefully seized upon. Past encounters will also have established a degree of trust between you and the boy; that if you say you will come an barfine him on a certain day/time then you will, and if he says he will come and see you on a certain day/time then he will. Many boys are plagued by timewasters who promise but never show.

 

Saying you will come to a bar to take your lad can be a bit hit and miss in my experience, if another customer gets to him first, he may well take the 'bird in hand ......'.

 

What works well for me, in terms of short-times, is to arrange the day or so before for them to come to my hotel, usually in the afternoon or early evening before they start work. No barfine for you and no problem with their bar for them. Most boys prove fairly punctual, particularly on a repeat visit when they know where to come and what to expect - although I have on rare occasions spent lengthy periods downstairs in my hotel waiting for someone to show. 

 

If I want to extend the short-time into their work time then I go with them to their bar and pay the off-fee, even if I don't always go inside for drinks. We have to keep the bar's in business as well as their boys LOL

 

There can be disappointments - boys can go home for extended periods in low season, or get day jobs. However, if they believe you will taken them several times during your holiday then they may well fit their visits home around your holiday dates. Other pitfalls can be if the main boyfriend/sponsor shows, as you might expect, they will naturally give their priority to their main source of income.

 

That said, my 'regulars' are the mainstay of my holidays; my absolute favourites I can end up seeing maybe 12 times or more on a 20 day holiday, some provide great sex, some are just huge fun to be with, but all keep that big Pattaya smile on my face! 

[ChristianPFC]

On my last visit, I collected a couple of Line contacts from boys who made an impression. Since then I have been receiving a steady stream of stickers, “how are yous” and the occasional selfies every few days. I respond to each message with matching levels of enthusiasm but without being overly effusive.

 

My question is, do boys actively try to bring back a good customer they liked and actually remember who they are amongst the hundreds of offs? Or is this just an effective form of marketing that they do for every customer? The attention is flattering but I am trying not to read more into this than it is. I can imagine they wake up in the morning, and go to “work” - sending out stickers, smilies and the same selfie to every single customer in their little black book.

 

I would not rely on Line alone. It happens quite often that boys lose or break their phone, or log out and forgot password, or for any other reason suddenly the chat in Line goes quiet. Knowing their place of work, and name and picture so you can ask their colleagues, is the best way to find a boy who has disappeared online.

 

Frequent messaging can become a nuisance for people like me who are not into online chatting. If it gets too much, I leave messages un-read for days.

 

"amongst the hundreds of offs" is a bit exaggerated. The average might be 50-100 customers per year. But yes, their memory of people is incredible. In Power Boys or Nice Boys, a boy approached me and asked if I remember him. I had to ask for name and home province, and then memory slowly came back. Later, checking my notes, I found that I offed him half a year ago, but his performance in bed was such that I quickly forgot him.

[spoon]

Just as we quickly forget nonperformers, boys quickly forgets the non regular. And its true that previously, line make it hard for you to backup data, so its easy to lose chat history if u change to new phone, but now they already have easy backup system. That said, it wont protect the boy from losingg contact if their phone broke, they forget password etc or simply didnt know how to backup chat. My regular asked me why i didnt put picture in my line, i guess because he changed his phone and lose chat history so when i text him for my next visit, he dont know who i am until the day we met lol.

 

On the show, my regular didnt do shows, so i have no such problem, but some of my off before, did asked me to wait for him to finish shows before i can off him, which i am us ok with, other times it was me who asked if i can stay for the show first before going back and boys usually ok with that too, and dont mind sitting with you in the regular cloth after u have paid the off fee.

[Londoner]

Each trip, I ask the same question; a regular -one of whom has been  reliable and still handsome performer for ten years- or take a chance on a newbie who may or may not be a star.

I'm in Pattaya at the moment and have relied on my three regulars. However, the one chance I took has turned out to be a star and- assuming he stays here-has joined the ranks of the regulars!

 

How lucky we are....in a week's time, back in chilly London, I shall be thinking about this with a tear in my eye!