BINGO! The latest innovation?

[Marc308]

BINGO wow that's the most exciting innovation I have heard of from Jomtien in YEARS!! :0 Some genius at @Home must have dreamt that one up to excite the crowds! Seriously folks, aren't there better ways to "have fun" than sit around punishing our livers while passively oogling the merchandise?

You know many years ago Jim Lumsden and Gordon May came to town and built Boys Boys Boys and the Ambiance Hotel and totally revolutionized the gay scene in Pattaya. It was hard work, and risky work.

Just WHEN is the next generation of innovators going to remake our precious city into an appropriate 21st century scene? The current "ambiance" doesn't appear to be working for anyone under 50. Just stroll through JC to see the graying of our compatriots. The clock is ticking!

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, Marc308 said:

 

Just WHEN is the next generation of innovators going to remake our precious city into an appropriate 21st century scene? The current "ambiance" doesn't appear to be working for anyone under 50. 

that should be easy. Just to ensure every single chair is attached to free smartphone. No need for boys , waiters or even beer as all patrons under 50 will be surfing net and checking their social media.

[bkkmfj2648]

5 hours ago, Marc308 said:

BINGO wow that's the most exciting innovation I have heard of from Jomtien in YEARS!! :0 Some genius at @Home must have dreamt that one up to excite the crowds! Seriously folks, aren't there better ways to "have fun" than sit around punishing our livers while passively oogling the merchandise?

You know many years ago Jim Lumsden and Gordon May came to town and built Boys Boys Boys and the Ambiance Hotel and totally revolutionized the gay scene in Pattaya. It was hard work, and risky work.

Just WHEN is the next generation of innovators going to remake our precious city into an appropriate 21st century scene? The current "ambiance" doesn't appear to be working for anyone under 50. Just stroll through JC to see the graying of our compatriots. The clock is ticking!

Wow @Marc308 - what you write is so poignant.  I retired here just 2 years ago - and I am already bored with the sterile atmosphere in both Boyztown and in the Jomtien Supertown Complex, as there is a lack of imagination to create some new innovative excitement.  

Every time a new bar opens - I get so hopeful - as I see that the new owners put a lot of money into it (the new East Lounge comes to mind) - but then the bar program remains the same as all of the other bars - "farang sit and farang drink...."

and yes I agree, we need some NEW Jim Lumsden and Gordon May to come to town to liven things up here....

Lastly, I have recently started to join the weekly BINGO event - to please my gym trainer - as she says - let us go there and liven that place up - so we try to come with fellow gym friends and be crazy - so perhaps there is hope....

[bkkmfj2648]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

No need for boys , waiters or even beer as all patrons under 50 will be surfing net and checking their social media.

sounds what the nomad workers call a Nomad Coworking Space - but in this instance it would be for purposes of cruising.

but at least the bar should have a one drink minimum or rental fee to sit and "work" - like the Nomad Coworking Spaces do.....

[Patanawet]

Years ago, during the rainy season in Silom Soi 4 a bar tied tried a promotion.
If it rained any time after 9 P.M., customers would be issued with lucky number tickets, then a lottery would be held for the winner.
After a while, the police arrived and locked up the manager for the night for gambling!
Rumours had it that they had been reported to the fuzz by a rival bar.
 

[WelshGuyUK]

I actually really enjoy the Bingo in the @home bar 👌😆😎

[omega]

A few points.

1. Younger generations tend to be less wealthy at their stage of life than the generations that came before them. The don't have the same wealth to spend. Wealth distribution is skewed very heavily towards the older generations at the moment. Rent/Mortgage costs as percentage of income is much, much higher than in the past.

2. There is a lot more acceptance and freedom at home. They don't feel the need to escape half way around the world to enjoy gay fun.

3. There is lots of exciting options closer to home for a gay holiday.

4. Grindr. So much easier to meet guys closer to home, even those in relatively rural areas.

5. Younger guys have little interest in the 'farang sit, farang drink' model. They want a party.

[Olddaddy]

1 hour ago, omega said:

Younger guys have little interest in the 'farang sit, farang drink' model. They want a party

Yes very good point.

The younger Asian guys (tourists)  want to dance and I believe are not into paying for sexual services.

 

[colmx]

Whilst I have never participated, I have been in the vicinity of Home bar during the bingo and it's usually standing room only each Wednesday Bingo night.

So it is a very popular night out. I have heard plenty of departing expats tell their friends that they will see them again the next week. Seems it works for them and the people that enjoy it

[Olddaddy]

40 minutes ago, colmx said:

Whilst I have never participated, I have been in the vicinity of Home bar during the bingo and it's usually standing room only each Wednesday Bingo night

Oh I won't be standing when I arrive in 2 weeks,I fly business class and I won't even line up to exit the airport so certainly won't be standing up at a Bingo meet, I will have to demand VIP seating !😐

Who is the owner? I will tell him I know Vinapu 😂

[vinapu]

27 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

Who is the owner? I will tell him I know Vinapu 😂

I doubt he knows me or even heard about me. Jomtien Complex is my hunting ground to very limited extend and even at that , I usually engage massage  rather tah bar boys from there. But need to add one of my best boys ever , Z,  was from @home bar

[vinapu]

30 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

in 2 weeks,I fly business class and I won't even line up to exit the airport

unless you forget your walking stick aboard

[Shonen]

31 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

Oh I won't be standing when I arrive in 2 weeks,I fly business class and I won't even line up to exit the airport so certainly won't be standing up at a Bingo meet, I will have to demand VIP seating !😐

Who is the owner? I will tell him I know Vinapu 😂

Congrats you must have won the lottery Olddaddy. Usually you’re very thrifty. But glad you’re flying first class, life is short.

The bingo is very popular, so why not keep it. When I played once, I couldn’t understand the announcer with his thick accent. I might have won but I wouldn’t have known it.

[Olddaddy]

2 minutes ago, Shonen said:

Congrats you must have won the lottery Olddaddy. Usually you’re very thrifty. But glad you’re flying first class, life is short.

The bingo is very popular, so why not keep it. When I played once, I couldn’t understand the announcer with his thick accent. I might have won but I wouldn’t have known it.

😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I think he is Scottish 

[Olddaddy]

4 minutes ago, Shonen said:

Congrats you must have won the lottery Olddaddy. Usually you’re very thrifty. But glad you’re flying first class, life is short.

Life is short 

But I now have a Filipino boyfriend who earns more money than me so I take advantage of his salary,after all he is getting my apartment in Sydney when I kick the 🪣 

He asked me today ( Saturday) whether he thinks he should work an overtime shift, I said yes I think so 😂more $$$ for me to spend in Thailand 

[Shonen]

14 minutes ago, Olddaddy said:

Life is short 

But I now have a Filipino boyfriend who earns more money than me so I take advantage of his salary,after all he is getting my apartment in Sydney when I kick the 🪣 

He asked me today ( Saturday) whether he thinks he should work an overtime shift, I said yes I think so 😂more $$$ for me to spend in Thailand 

Good idea. Stay away from food courts and low cost places and things like that. Say you wouldn’t be caught dead in those places. Go to Siam Siam and order expensive drinks in the exclusive lounge. Maybe lower yourself to the buffet on the roof of the Hilton. 
Stay away from places like Mikes shopping mall, and anyplace selling counterfeit stuff. Another words, any place outside the mall.

Pretend you’re like a money boy and make sure he buys you some gold and a new phone. Tell him working overtime builds character.

[emiel1981]

Haha! The good old BINGO!

As it might have a dusty image, it seems BINGO is still around. In my country, The Netherlands, there are very populair drag BINGO's where the drag host makes it really fun with naughty and filthy remarks all the time. Last year I've been to a "strippers bingo": between the different rounds of BINGO there were male strippers doing their thing. Me and my friend were the only male players, between about 100 females. We had so much fun! Specially when one of the male strippers spotted us between all the girls and decided to do his lapdance on me. You should have seen the faces of all those jealous bitches... lol

On 9/20/2024 at 5:40 AM, bkkmfj2648 said:

Wow @Marc308 - what you write is so poignant.  I retired here just 2 years ago - and I am already bored with the sterile atmosphere in both Boyztown and in the Jomtien Supertown Complex, as there is a lack of imagination to create some new innovative excitement.  

Every time a new bar opens - I get so hopeful - as I see that the new owners put a lot of money into it (the new East Lounge comes to mind) - but then the bar program remains the same as all of the other bars - "farang sit and farang drink...."

and yes I agree, we need some NEW Jim Lumsden and Gordon May to come to town to liven things up here....

Lastly, I have recently started to join the weekly BINGO event - to please my gym trainer - as she says - let us go there and liven that place up - so we try to come with fellow gym friends and be crazy - so perhaps there is hope....

@bkkmfj2648 is already for a long time commenting on the (how he calls it) "farang sit and farang drink"-concept that all the bars in Jomtien Complex seem to have. I totally agree with him. All the bars doing the same thing. And if there is a show of some kind, the acts they do also are almost the same in every bar. Talking about shows: I follow the facebook group page of the Jomtien Complex and it seems there are some more of the "farang sit and farang drink"-bars doing some ind of shows nowadays. The bar-boys doing some dances for example. So that probably already makes the complex a bit more "lively" than before. Will see it with my own eyes in a few weeks!

But how come none of these bar-owners comes up with a new concept. I've seen some ideas on this forum before. Can't be that hard to find a creative way of entertainment. With more "audience participation". I think I had read something about a price-draw where you can win a lapdance of a barboy or something for example. 

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, emiel1981 said:

 

But how come none of these bar-owners comes up with a new concept. 

perhaps they feel more secure and comfortable in the herd ?

[bkkmfj2648]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

perhaps they feel more secure and comfortable in the herd ?

Yes I agree.

2 distinct bar owners in the Jomtien Complex told me that the "farang sit farang drink" modus operandi was preferred, to avoid that any of the other bars show off or upset the already existing business mantra  apple cart, as it could be deemed as not being fair to the other bars.

We need to remember that in Asia there is a strong idea of social conformity and cohesiveness.

Ironically, some of the bar owners complain about the fact that they need to sacrifice (for 2 to 2.5 hours)  their Wednesday night potential to the @Home bar for their popular Bingo night - as they need that part of the complex to be quiet so that the customers can hear the Bingo numbers being called out.

So, in effect, the bars can, if they want to, upset the apple cart and go against this supposed social cohesiveness.

But, still, the majority of the 35 bars choose to not create any friction and conform to the expected:

Farang sit --> farang drink

discipline.

 

[Olddaddy]

The next Generation of farangs say 10-15 years from now won't care farang sit ,farang drink🍷🥃🍸

Last time I was there I stayed in the Zing resort and went into one bar , twice in the Jomtien complex the entire month  I was there

But if you live there it's entirely different,you go there to socialise with other farangs and talk chat catch up,talk rumours etc  💬

 

[Shonen]

It’s easy to complain but what solutions does anyone suggest?
 

I don’t like to drink or sit for long. My solution was to learn pool and I can walk around a lot. It’s fun because many of the boys love playing also.

i won’t be going to East Lounge bar because they got rid of the pool table. So it’s mostly 69 bar. I can spend hours there and many hot guys come and go there throughout the evening.

[Olddaddy]

Whats the best bar for boy meeting ?

I don't want Botox lips feminine boys I want straight acting man types 

[Marc308]

5 hours ago, Shonen said:

It’s easy to complain but what solutions does anyone suggest?
 

I don’t like to drink or sit for long. My solution was to learn pool and I can walk around a lot. It’s fun because many of the boys love playing also.

 

Let me go back to my OP. When Jim and Gordon came to town, there was almost no precedent elsewhere in the gay world for the kind of interesting (and profitable!) businesses they built -- a pleasant, clean hotel; a nice friendly restaurant with a variety of cuisines; a bar (BBB) which packed them in every night to overflowing while still offering drinks at a reasonable price (99 baht). All this was innovative and revolutionary. Their foresight and creativity made a whole industry in Boystown, with spillovers in Sunee, Day & Night, and even North Pattaya. Their concepts were entirely appropriate for the 1980s/1990s. We must move on OR face extinction.

Especially in low-season, going to a bar nowadays is an expensive, forlorn and lonely experience with dispirited boys using their smartphones, expats chatting with each other oblivious to most other goings-on, loud music which is usually ear-splitting.

I'd say the biggest innovation since, and perhaps the one which has the longest staying power, is the appointed massage. Maybe this model will grow more (will Soda Massage adopt it?) And yes I found the 3 hour trip to Jey Spa to be well worth the time spent, just to get out of Pattaya for awhile: Super clean, nice guys, more or less reasonable prices. Why don't we have a decent one in Pattaya?? That would be a start.

[Olddaddy]

Agree with you 100% Marc👍

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Whats the best bar for boy meeting ?

I don't want Botox lips feminine boys I want straight acting man types 

one you see boy you like