Be worried - very worried

[Guest wowpow]

Purachai is Bangkok's favourite for PM - Bangkok Post

 

Purachai Piumsomboon, former deputy prime minister who resigned from Thai politics in January 2005, has emerged as the favourite choice for prime minister in a survey conducted by the Abac Poll.

 

The Assumption University survey – better known as the Abac Poll – interviewed 1,750 Thais and 558 foreigners in Bangkok and surrounding areas. It found that 41.7 per cent of the respondents wanted Mr. Purachai, dubbed "Mr. Clean" for his staunch anti-corruption line while served during the first term of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to become the new prime minister.

 

Slightly over one third of the respondents – 37.7 per cent – wanted ex-prime minister Anand Panyarachun to head the new government after a general election, likely to be held this December, while 34.6 per cent favoured Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

 

As many as 59.3 per cent of foreign respondents said they agreed that the ousted government of Mr. Thaksin was engaged in rampant corruption while 7.4 per cent disagreed.

 

Almost half of the foreign respondents – 49 per cent of the foreigners – also believed attempts by an ongoing demonstration to drive out the Council for National Security from power would lead to violence in the country, while 8 7.9 per cent of them believed that a general election would be the best way to solve the country's political impasse. (TNA)

[Guest kenrfc]

....The Assumption University survey – better known as the Abac Poll – interviewed 1,750 Thais and 558 foreigners in Bangkok and surrounding areas....

 

This is a very puzzling poll. Why on earth are they interviewing foriegners and Thais together? Who the hell cares what foriegners think about Thai politics? They don't vote do they? The results of the poll are gibberish.

[Gaybutton]

Even if Purachai ends up as Prime Minister, I don't know if many of us would notice much of a change. In Pattaya, several gay go-go bars have closed for whatever reasons. Euroboys, KBoys, Gacuya, and a few others are closed. More bars seem to be closing than ever before. I've been saying for years that they will probably eventually fail for lack of customers. Other venues that were gay go-go bars at one time have changed over to other forms of business. Some of you may remember bars such as Nok Nok, Diamond, Boys Studio, Playboy, Lek's, etc. All are gone now or have converted over to other forms of business.

 

I realize Pattaya is in the midst of the low part of the low season right now, but this year's high season resembled previous years' low season. I've never seen a low season as low as it is right now. During the past couple of weeks I visited several bars and there were several times the only customer at all was me. In others there were very few customers. A few bars seem to be popular and fill up with customers, but nowhere near as many as before.

 

The beaches have been virtually empty as well. The long-term resident "farang" are usually there, along with a few who are present on holidays, but other than that you certainly won't have any problems finding available beach chairs. The freelance boys that used to scour the beaches in droves, looking for available "farang" seem to have all but given up. There are a few who still try to find "farang" on the beaches, but most of them are the regulars who are there just about every day. It's been a long time since I've seen many new faces.

 

I haven't been to any Bangkok or Chiang Mai bars in a long time. Someone else will have to let us know the situation in those locales.

 

Not that I'm trying to be a doom-and-gloomer, but the gay life in Pattaya is simply not at all what it used to be. If Purachai does indeed become Prime Minister, I don't see very much that he would change that hasn't already changed anyhow.

[Guest wowpow]

How short peoples memories are. From my point of view. Firstly on the present state of bars in this the lowest period of the low season. There are more now than there has ever been in the history of Gay Thailand by a veery large measure. Look at Gayrice which has photos of two big new bars opening in Bangkok WiFi and True Love, and last night bash at New Monty's Gayote and I was dragged into a smart tiny bar between Pattayaland Soi 3 and Soi 2 last night - I think called Vassar (odd). So we have low low season and oodles of bars so no wonder some are not well attended. I wonder why the owners are not flooding the cities with special shows, promotions and fund raisers. Perhaps the owners know that the punters are just not there. Mind you they were at Throb this week and Monty's.

 

Purachai was stopped by Taksin when he was Minister of the Interior and his proposed controls of the entertainment business got too stringent. I seem to remember:

 

Zones for entertainment

Enforcing 2 a.m. closing in zones and midnight elsewhere. For a long period it was 1 a.m.

Frequent raids on bars, discos and karaoke, gay and straight

Proposals to stamp peoples hands entering bars and limiting to 3 drinks on any one evening.

Strong controls on 'Massage Houses' including tax returns!!

Changing minimum age for drinking in bars to 25 years

Banning explicit shows

Banning tiny briefs and sometimes making the go-go boys wear shirts

etc etc etc.

 

Purachai's big attraction to many Thais is that he is moral and incorruptible. I very much doubt that the ruling classes would allow him any control for long.

 

kenrfc - I tend to agree with your take on the poll. Ill thought out polls seem to be a speciality of the Assumption University.

[Guest gay_grampa]

Even if Purachai ends up as Prime Minister, I don't know if many of us would notice much of a change. In Pattaya, several gay go-go bars have closed for whatever reasons. Euroboys, KBoys, Gacuya, and a few others are closed. More bars seem to be closing than ever before. I've been saying for years that they will probably eventually fail for lack of customers. Other venues that were gay go-go bars at one time have changed over to other forms of business. Some of you may remember bars such as Nok Nok, Diamond, Boys Studio, Playboy, Lek's, etc. All are gone now or have converted over to other forms of business.

 

I realize Pattaya is in the midst of the low part of the low season right now, but this year's high season resembled previous years' low season. I've never seen a low season as low as it is right now. During the past couple of weeks I visited several bars and there were several times the only customer at all was me. In others there were very few customers. A few bars seem to be popular and fill up with customers, but nowhere near as many as before.

 

 

Not too many years ago you could go to a gogo bar, watch guys dancing instead of shuffling and looking bored, buy a drink for 100 Baht, chat to the number you liked without having to buy him an overpriced drink, pay an Off fee of 200 Baht and tip the boy 500 Baht for a short time. And during the short time the boy would actually do what you had agreed to do in the bar, and maybe (pretend) to enjoy it.

What do you get now?

I know people say prices have gone up everywhere but in most Pattayaland bars the drinks are up 40%, the boys won't join you unless they get a drink of the same price, Off fees are 3 - 400 Baht and the boy want 1000+tip for giving you a hand job.

 

People will start going back to these bars when they get some value and not before.

[Guest pete1969]

IMO, I think two things are happening in Pattaya.

 

First, the market for gay bars is correcting itself because it has long been oversaturated in that city.

 

Second, and more importantly, Pattaya's reputation might be getting the best of it. Add to that the improved choices for gay venues for gay tourists in other Thailand destinations such as BKK, Phuket, Koh Samuai, and even Chiang Mai. At one point, Pattaya was THE gay destination in Thailand. Now BKK has many more bars and gay businesses than does Pattaya, and other much prettier destinations have an abundance of gay nightlife venues as well.

 

It seems that for many gay tourists, Pattaya would have little to offer that other destinations don't do better. If one wants a huge variety of clubs, massage shops, saunas, and gay restaurants, then Bangkok is the place to go. If one wants great beaches with upscale beach hotels then Phuket or KS are the places to go. If one wants Thai culture and great local shopping then Chiang Mai is the place to go. Why would a gay tourist go to Pattaya?

 

I've never been to Pattaya, but will go one of these days in order to see the bars and the city just to have a reference point. But there are so many other places in Thailand I'm actually anxious to visit that I can't muster much excitement for Pattaya.

 

So, I think Pattaya is no longer the first (and only) destination that gay tourists or expats consider when thinking of Thailand. Plus, thriving gay entertainment areas in other cities have probably hurt Pattaya's gay businesses as much as oversaturation in Pattaya itself.

 

Just my personal opinion here. I don't think politics or poor customer service is as much to blame for Pattaya's downturn as much as it is increased competition from much better tourist destinations.

 

Pete

 

 

[Guest wowpow]

To Gaybutton and gran-pa.

 

can only speak about 11 years ago when I first came to Pattaya. The exchange rate was 35 to the UK£. A drink at Boyz Boyz Boyz I think was 95 baht = £2.70 and now it's 150 baht but I get 68 baht to the £ = £2.20.

 

I can't remember the off fee say 200 baht then £5.70 and 400 now £5.90.

 

Tips for boys then 700 baht £20 now 1200 baht £17.65. If anything overall it's cheaper for most and about the same for US citizens who have a fallen currency - hardly the Thais fault.

 

The Men of Thailand, 7th edition published 1999, so written maybe 1998, certainly after the baht crash of 1997, suggests off fees of 200-300 baht and a tip of 500 to 700 baht and up to 1000 baht for overnight.

 

You can still get a drink at 99 baht and tip the boy 600 baht from Krazy Dragon.

 

I have never seen all go-go boys dancing with enthusiasm ever in any go-go bar in Thailand over the 13 years since my first visit. I have seen women dancing their g-strings off in lady bars but never boys. The nearest used to be Wild West.

 

Back then Boyz Boyz Boyz was outstanding with it's smart decor, disco, terrific service, large stage and superb lady-boy show. Now the standards in the bars have soared in fact sleaze seems to be quite difficult to find.

 

I am sorry to disagree again but I find the boys as gorgeous and delightful as ever.

 

Pollyanna wowpow.

[Gaybutton]

"Not too many years ago you could go to a gogo bar, watch guys dancing instead of shuffling and looking bored, buy a drink for 100 Baht, chat to the number you liked without having to buy him an overpriced drink, pay an Off fee of 200 Baht and tip the boy 500 Baht for a short time. And during the short time the boy would actually do what you had agreed to do in the bar, and maybe (pretend) to enjoy it.

What do you get now?

I know people say prices have gone up everywhere but in most Pattayaland bars the drinks are up 40%, the boys won't join you unless they get a drink of the same price, Off fees are 3 - 400 Baht and the boy want 1000+tip for giving you a hand job.

 

People will start going back to these bars when they get some value and not before." Gaybutton

 

I hate to break the news, Wowpow, but the quote you attributed to me belongs to Gay Grampa, not to me, although I completely agree with him.

[Guest wowpow]

Gaybutton - apologies for that incorrect quote.

 

Somehow I got both quotes on the page and that confused my responses but you were both unhappy with many aspects of the current scene whereas I think we are in a Golden Age so my message stands.

 

 

[Gaybutton]

I think we are in a Golden Age so my message stands.

 

No problem at all about the incorrect attribution. As for your opinion about being in a Golden Age, I hope you turn out to be correct. I'd love to be able to agree with you, but I'm just not seeing it the way you do. I hope developments change my opinion.

[Guest fountainhall]

I haven't been to any Bangkok or Chiang Mai bars in a long time. Someone else will have to let us know the situation in those locales.

 

Some Bangkok bars are still attracting customers. That was not the case in Phuket 10 days ago when there seemed only a couple of dozen people around on the week-end nights. I have never seen the boys at My Way look so bored.