Pray!

[Guest fountainhall]

From a recent article in TIME magazine highlighting the ups and downs of the sex trade worldwide in times of recession.

 

Pong, the female manager of Babylon Sauna, Bed and Breakfast, which depends on foreigners to stay afloat, frets that she may be forced to close. Babylon welcomed 800 visitors per day before the recession hit. That number now hovers around 500. "The entrance fee is already low, so dropping it won't make a difference," Pong says. So what's a sauna manager to do? "Pray for us," is all she can say.

 

I suggest Ms. Pong casts her eye on what other establishments elsewhere are doing to counter these difficult times.

 

The world's oldest profession isn't about to take the recession lying down. Brothels and bathhouses have launched promotions - including free shuttle buses and senior-citizen discounts - in a bid to arouse interest among wary spenders. As part of a new deal at Yes Sir! in Hanover, Germany, customers pay $111 to have as much sex as they want (or can) for one hour. At Geizhaus, recent promotions allowed guests to have sex for free on Halloween and Easter if they wore a costume or brought in a decorated egg. And Berlin's Pussy Club charges guests a $98 flat rate for six hours of unlimited sex, access to a sauna and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

 

An all-you-can-eat buffet and discounts for seniors? I'll bet Babylon will have lines out of the door.

[Guest tdperhs]

I don't know how effective the buffet would be. Isn't it impolite to eat with your mouth already full?

[Guest shockdevil]

From a recent article in TIME magazine highlighting the ups and downs of the sex trade worldwide in times of recession.

I suggest Ms. Pong casts her eye on what other establishments elsewhere are doing to counter these difficult times.

An all-you-can-eat buffet and discounts for seniors? I'll bet Babylon will have lines out of the door.

 

This has to be a joke right? This article is hilarious.

 

[Guest fountainhall]

This has to be a joke right? This article is hilarious

 

Here's the link -

 

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8...1901396,00.html

[Guest buckeroo2]

From a recent article in TIME magazine highlighting the ups and downs of the sex trade worldwide in times of recession.

I suggest Ms. Pong casts her eye on what other establishments elsewhere are doing to counter these difficult times.

An all-you-can-eat buffet and discounts for seniors? I'll bet Babylon will have lines out of the door.

Unless the entrance is free, the price can be lowered - I am not sure how the manager knows that a lower entrance fee will not make a difference. Get the people in the door and make your profit with the money customers spend once they are in the door. Lowering prices is such a foreign concept to most Thai businesses. Well, at least they did not raise the prices to try to recoup the lower revenue due to decreased business.

[Guest fountainhall]

Get the people in the door and make your profit with the money customers spend once they are in the door

 

I agree - and think it would be a useful experiment at an establishment like Babylon. With tourists rapidly become an endangered species, it might encourage more of the younger Thais who presently visit the many other saunas which have sprouted in areas like Ladphrao and Ramkhamhaeng to make the trip in to the centre of town.

 

I have noticed that other saunas have regular themes nights. I have not been to Babylon for years, but I don't recall seeing much about theme nights there, except their pool parties. Why not make more of an effort to ginger up their image? In addition to discounts (50% off or two-for-the-price-of-one nights?), why not have special reductions on food and drinks for those under, say, 26 - or indeed over 60? Whatever, there's a great deal they're not doing which could attract both a new clientele and more repeat business from existing patrons.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Creative marketing is a little understood foreign concept here.

[Guest fountainhall]

I've come to realise that few Thais have any idea of what 'marketing' is about and why it's necessary. Going back to basics, the feeling seems to be that supply will create its own demand.