The Ideal GoGo Bar. What Would Be Your Recipe For Success?

[PeterRS]

I know that many more recent readers are no doubt fed up hearing from old stagers like me about the gogo bars in the 1980s, 1990s and even part of the 2000s and how much more fun they were with nudity, much more inventive shows and bars packed at the weekends with a wide mix of Thais and foreigners.

As complaints started to appear in this forum about how all bars (with very few honourable exceptions) were following the same old formula, at some point - I think in the mid-late 2000s - one poster, shamelessmack in his first incarnation I believe, made a long and detailed post of how he would like to see a gogo bar operating. He ilustrated this with drawings of floor plans. It was a fascinating and different slant that could have perhaps enlivened what was starting to become a very slowly dying scene, but of course none of the bar owners put it into practice, although none had probably seen the post in the first place! Somewhere on my computer I still have that gogo bar model but I believe it should be replicated by its originator should he so wish. But I expect it is too much out of date.

Times have changed. Government, police, army attitudes have changed. The gay scene for non-Thais in Chiang Mai is all but dead. Soi Twilight is no more. Many other bars have closed. The more regular customers are much less the older westerners now replaced by the growing number of younger Asians - including in some bars, women!

So I am wondering. Given the changing times, in an ideal world what would you like to see offered in a gogo bar? What would make you wish to return regularly? Rather like everyone seemed to return to Barbiery in the 1980s and 1990s. Or are you happy with what is presently on offer?

[vinapu]

23 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Or are you happy with what is presently on offer?

with 4 trips to Bangkok in 2024 I guess I'm happy with what is an offer as strongly  believe that I need only one bar with one boy in it to keep me returning. 

[bkkmfj2648]

After living in Thailand now for 2.5 years as a new retiree, I see that what I like the most is to be entertained.  Consequently, I see myself gravitating more and more to the show bars like:

• M2M,
• The Best Bar,
• Candy Bar,
• M Bar,
• etc.

This is why I abhor the current common bar mantra of, "farang sit - farang drink".  Those are the bars that bore me and I only frequent them by request (to catch up with a local friend who only likes these types of bars -or- I need to be a guide to visitors who just want to sit and drink...).

I go home much more satisfied if I am in a bar or event venue that makes me laugh and has sex appeal that is provoking and stimulating.

These 2 places were places that brought me much joy from the past:

1. soi Twilight (in Bangkok) - the intense energy in that place was amazing, titillating, and exciting.  It had the right balance of bars, restaurants, and gogo bars.
2. Boyztown from the past (in Pattaya) - I truly looked forward to the daily 9pm sexy march on the red carpet in the center of the principal alleyway of Boyztown.  Unfortunately, the organizers of this canceled its continuation after covid.  I used to try to be there by 8:30pm to get a good seat - near the corner angle of BoyzBoyzBoyz - where the former gogo guys would be warming up for their time up on the stage by working out in the outdoor gym.  Between watching them and then the sexy guys who would march on the red carpet - I could not wait to get inside of BoyzBoyzBoyz to watch the show and often I already knew who I wanted to off because of the prior 2 mentioned outdoor activities.

So, to answer @PeterRS question, I would like to see venues that bring back the former titillating, erotic energy that has been lost over the years.  As the cherry on top, it would be great if there was a place to go dancing where the sexy gogo guys would dance amongst us to great disco music.  That is a NEW mantra that I could get into:

"farang dance, farang touch sexy guy, farang take home sexy guy..."  And of course, said farang is drinking the night away so that the bar cashier remains employed and happy...

 

[vaughn]

If i were looking to try something new in the gay scene my first thought would be to try an replicate the success of the straight bars of Pattaya Soi 6.

Open front bar downstairs with grabbers in skimpy clothes/swim suites to bring them in, guys getting a few drinks, then 500 baht ST rooms upstairs to do the deed.

But the reasons it might not work are vast, to name a few:

• Smaller customer population for gay venues, less foot traffic 
• Older existing clientele in our bar areas. Soi 6 seems to draw more of the younger tourist crowd, the 2 week millionaires seem to be the real money makers for Soi 6. I might be wrong in this observation, but it's what I noticed when i walked through there a few times
• Gov zoning / locations available, I don't know how they get away with it but it seems the gay areas have less flexibility in offering any on-premise action
• Finding staff that will work in their speedos to be in the bar and out the front bringing in customers
• There is basically no marketing at all for any of the gay scene in Pattaya, it's off the radar for most gay guys my age that might be inclined to try it out.

[bkkmfj2648]

50 minutes ago, vaughn said:

There is basically no marketing at all for any of the gay scene in Pattaya, it's off the radar for most gay guys my age that might be inclined to try it out.

And this is SO SO SO true.

There is ZERO marketing on the international stage for:

- Pattaya / Jomtien as a gay retirement destination,

- Pattaya / Jomtien as a gay tourist vacation destination.

All advertising is:

- local inward facing,

- disfragmented - Supertown (Jomtien Complex) advertises and does marketing ONLY for what is inside the walls of Supertown and ignores the gay venues outside of its walls - like a medieval fiefdom.

For Boyztown I cannot remember the last time that I saw any local or international marketing.

For Sunee Plaza - no words are needed.

I think that the Thai government needs to step in, because the local gay community appears to be lost.  Since the Thai government is petitioning to host the 2030 World Pride, that would be an excellent opportunity to put all of the gay places (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, etc.) in Thailand back onto the world stage.

Thailand should not MISS this opportunity.

[jason1975]

If I could open a gogo bar, I would ensure there are different types of guys to cater to customer tastes and preferences like the drawing below drawn using ChatGPT.

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

I see myself gravitating more and more to the show bars like:

• M2M,
• The Best Bar,
• Candy Bar,
• M Bar,
• etc.

 

 

can't find that etc. bar on the map, where is it me wonders ?

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

 

Thailand should not MISS this opportunity.

but rater it should MISTER this opportunity

[floridarob]

2 hours ago, jason1975 said:

I would ensure there are different types of guys to cater to customer tastes and preferences

There's no chunky or hairy....

When I 1st started going to Thailand, Boys Bangkok always had the widest variety of guys. I'd wonder, who the f*ck would pay that chunky guy to go for sex, and almost always, within 15 mins of saying that, there he was sitting next to a customer and ultimately being offed. So they knew that there was a market for everyone.

A friend that sold cars told me, there's an ass for every seat. People actually bought AMC Pacer's 🤷‍♂️

[PeterRS]

4 hours ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

Thailand should not MISS this opportunity.

The Tourism Authority may be keen on doing something but the government definitely will not. There are still far too many in the elite who loathe - loathe - Bangkok being called the sex capital of Asia. And by Bangkok they mean the country as a whole. As Alex Kerr wrote 20 years ago in his perceptive book "Bangkok Found", the elite want sex out of the picture. Gay Pride marches and international World Pride events are great for image and they will go along with that. Promoting gay gogo bars are no-nos for them. 

[12is12]

Back to Peter's question - "ideal bar" (not in order of priority):

BKK's - "farang dance, farang touch".

Vaughn's - all boys in swim suits, ST rooms upstairs.

Jason's - all body types.

Sleazy side section for semi public action (like Nice Boys, I think).

No pushy mamasans.

Big cock show, with touch-tip among the audience (without rubber).

LOWER VOLUME, that enables conversation.

Light snacks with drinks.

Energetic show.

 

[PeterRS]

16 hours ago, bkkmfj2648 said:

Thailand should not MISS this opportunity.

Returning to @bkkmfj2648's point, Japan has a huge sex industry. I recall reading somewhere that it contributes somewhere between 3% and 5% to GDP.  Of course, most of this is for local consumption but anyone who has been to the foreigner-welcome bars and the main saunas will know that there is a large number of tourists and foreign residents. And the gay scene covers many of the country's cities. Yet, few consider Japan a sex haven. That is the sort of image Thailand's elite want. Keep the sex if you must but keep it well away from the front pages.

[jason1975]

An AI generated short video

[a-447]

My ideal bar would be a re -creation of the old Eros bar.

It had everything I want -

1. guys dancing (yes, really!) on plinths right in front of me, wearing just a small piece of cloth that sometimes didn't even cover the goods 

2. Reasonably priced drinks 

3. A variety of types of guys to suit everyone, and plenty of tops and bottoms 

4. Lots of available guys who were totally uninhibited and very friendly 

5. Full hands-on fun. The guys were up for anything. You could even take them to the room next to the bar if you wanted to fuck 

6. Music at an appropriate volume 

7. Great air conditioning 

8. Open until late 

9. Smoking area outside where you could sit and chat with the guys 

10. Non-pushy mama-san

11. No need for a show. You could enjoy your own show in the bar with the guys, or get a couple of guys to put on a show for you 

12. Guys could get a hard-on at the drop of a hat 

 

[CallMeLee]

If I could have my way, it’d be nice if bars had a system like some of the massage shops do—set minimum rates/tips for short time and long time offs.

It would save a lot of back-and-forth and help manage expectations on both sides. At least then you’d know the baseline before even starting the conversation, and you can just add to the minimum accordingly based on your satisfaction.

It also protects the guys against those horrific situations I’ve heard about where the customer refuses to tip or just give them 100 Baht after the deed, claiming they were told the off fee was the full payment.

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, a-447 said:

My ideal bar would be a re -creation of the old Eros bar.

It had everything I want -

1. guys dancing (yes, really!) on plinths right in front of me, wearing just a small piece of cloth that sometimes didn't even cover the goods 

2. Reasonably priced drinks 

3. A variety of types of guys to suit everyone, and plenty of tops and bottoms 

4. Lots of available guys who were totally uninhibited and very friendly 

5. Full hands-on fun. The guys were up for anything. You could even take them to the room next to the bar if you wanted to fuck 

6. Music at an appropriate volume 

7. Great air conditioning 

8. Open until late 

9. Smoking area outside where you could sit and chat with the guys 

10. Non-pushy mama-san

11. No need for a show. You could enjoy your own show in the bar with the guys, or get a couple of guys to put on a show for you 

12. Guys could get a hard-on at the drop of a hat 

 

That would be heaven,  but obviously  not now possible. More flesh on show and interaction would be great, but first the boys have to want to do it, let alone the BIB. I am happy to pay more for drinks, as you need the bar to survive, and attract more boys. Good, but not too cold aircon, yes, non deafening music, yes, non pushy mamasan, yes! I would add darker, cosier, areas where you and the boy could get acquainted. Maybe booth type area. 

[a-447]

5 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

That would be heaven,  but obviously  not now possible. More flesh on show and interaction would be great, but first the boys have to want to do it, let alone the BIB. 

In not so sure about that.

The old Golden Cock and Nature Boy were fully hands on. Their problem was the lack of available guys.

[Keithambrose]

1 minute ago, a-447 said:

In not so sure about that.

The old Golden Cock and Nature Boy were fully hands on. Their problem was the lack of available guys.

Yes, but that was some time ago. I agree that 15 or so years ago, when you walked into Golden Cock, the boys would whip out their cocks, etc. I remember while I was having a beer,  a guy was being given a blow job, at the bar. Same at Nature Boy.  Quite apart from lack of boys, which I agree became an issue, times have changed.

[colmx]

52 minutes ago, CallMeLee said:

If I could have my way, it’d be nice if bars had a system like some of the massage shops do—set minimum rates/tips for short time and long time offs.

 

From memory the menu in Toyboys in Pattaya shows minimum tips for short time and long time to be 2500 and 3000 respectively. This is considerably higher than the prevailing rates in Pattaya, and i have seen it causing consternation when an unsuspecting farang sees the menu.

So is not always the best thing to have written down!

[reader]

My ideal bar already exists. It's Freshboy on Patpong2.

[CallMeLee]

20 minutes ago, colmx said:

From memory the menu in Toyboys in Pattaya shows minimum tips for short time and long time to be 2500 and 3000 respectively. This is considerably higher than the prevailing rates in Pattaya, and i have seen it causing consternation when an unsuspecting farang sees the menu.

So is not always the best thing to have written down!

I totally get the appeal of keeping rates verbal—it gives both sides flexibility and avoids awkwardness upfront. But I’d say the sticker shock some guys get when they see the rates written down say at Toyboys isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it’s just the market doing its thing.

Whether the rate’s quoted by the boy or printed on a menu, if it feels high compared to what people expect in Pattaya, there’s going to be a reaction. The written format just makes that reaction more immediate. So really, that bit of surprise is useful—it reflects real-time feedback on where the market thinks the price should be.

Of course, I’m probably showing naivety in assuming the bars are always on the pulse with market sentiment and listen to feedback... 😉

[colmx]

3 minutes ago, CallMeLee said:

Of course, I’m probably showing naivety in assuming the bars are always on the pulse with market sentiment and listen to feedback... 😉

Unfortunately in this case it is the bar over inflating the price so they can fool unsuspecting or newbie Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian customers into paying higher than the prevailing rate.

When a friend of mine called out management on it they said you are free to negotiate your own price with the boy, their argument is that these high sticker rates were to counter those that pay no tip (assuming that the off fee was 'all-in') or try take the boy back to room where 2-3 others are waiting for their turn.

 

[10tazione]

3 hours ago, reader said:

My ideal bar already exists. It's Freshboy on Patpong2.

... and now tell us something about the ideal massage shop

[reader]

That’s a tough knot but here’s my composite:

45% of the best shops in Silom, Surawong and Soi 6.

25% of Phoenix Spa

15% of I5M Massage 

10% of remaining shops in Saphan Kwai

5% of 365 The River