Bangkok Reports

I arrived in Bangkok a little over a week ago after what seemed an endless flight that turned me into a wilted human pretzel. Bangkok seems to be under the weather right now and a heavy torpor lies over everything and everyone. Tourism has fallen off the cliff and the girls are looking skittish and weighed down with worries and are complaining about the lack of customers and baht that is coming their way. A girl told me today that she is going to retire from the biz and work at her mother’s fruit stand that brings in around 400 baht a day. Others that I have called just tell me that they have stopped coming in at night because the cost of getting there and getting ready makes it a losing proposition. I have hit a few go-go bars and most of them are as empty as a Republican’s campaign rhetoric. You could hold a funeral in them and it wouldn’t dampen the mood any more.

Part of the tourist travails were already in place because of the high cost of getting here for many from faraway places, but it has been accelerated by the political unrest that has grabbed headlines around the world. Apparently, some worrywart embassies sent out official warnings not to come and reservations were cancelled in droves leaving many hotels at less than 50% capacity. But here in Farang Land we are left untouched by the turmoil. It’s just street theater that we read about in the Bangkok Post. Most people here wouldn’t even know about it except for the papers. Coups are acceptable here, but the Thai mantra is don’t intrude on the comfort zone of tourists - don’t pop their insular bubble of willing girls, cheap drinks and foot massages. Tourist money is the lifeblood of this city and people are getting pissed that this “crisis” hasn’t been resolved yet. My guess is that naming the brother-in-law of Thaksin to the PM position won’t make things much better.

One might think that all this would bring the prices down for bargain hunters but I haven’t seen much evidence of that. Inflationary pricing is creeping into everything. The Nana Hotel daily rate jumped from 1,290 to 1,490 since I was here in April, beer prices are up which I know is of paramount importance to many and some restaurants are using sticky things on their menus so that they can change the cost quickly. Freelancers of merit are generally asking for 1,500 to 2,000 baht and aren’t in the mood for negotiating. My friend has been trying to get a statuesque Nana Parking Lot girl to come down off the ledge of 2,000 baht short time all week long with no success. Every time he walked by her he asked if she is 1,500 today and she finally told him that if he asked again it would be 3,000 for him. The incessant rain hasn’t helped the sour mood of anyone. The weather ranges from a drizzle to a downpour and Bangkok looks even seedier if possible when wet and the girls look like refugees huddling to stay dry.

The Nana Parking Lot has continued its slide into irrelevancy. The pickings are slim and the general quality has reached its nadir – nearly the same tired faces always appearing hopeful that maybe tonight you will give in to their hushed entreaties to do “everything” you want. The Nana Disco is doing even worse. If I was in business school I’d love to do a case study on how the clowns who run the place drove it into the ground with simple greed. This place used to be the number one destination for late night freelancers and it would be so packed with guys and dolls looking to negotiate their short time future that it was almost impossible to move at times. It was a perfect unfettered market place of demand and supply with no middle man pushing up prices – capitalism at its best – but the managers decided to kill the golden goose by raising the entry fee to 300 and then 400 baht. That, over priced drinks and a surly staff was not a winning combination. Guys had other cheaper options and found an entry fee of 400 baht absurd and nearly the same as a bar fine – so they stopped coming. The managers made the most basic mistake – they didn’t know their customer base and in their stupid greed they didn’t bother to find out. The Nana Hotel isn’t the Sheraton or the Novatel which can charge guys that much – people who hang out at the Nana are cheap bastards with a limited budget and 400 baht just insulted them. Of course when the guys stopped coming, the girls slowly adjusted and found other venues to hang their sign on – Spice Club, Boss, The Tunnel, CM2, Conrad’s and so on. After two years of this silliness the managers recently brought the price down to 200 baht (with a free drink) and so the other night I wandered in and witnessed a ghost town – maybe 20 girls and 10 guys. A really sad spectacle. I am not sure how they can reverse this – it’s the chicken and egg quandary – the girls won’t come unless guys come and guys won’t come unless girls do. Well, I guess if an institution like Lehman can go down so can the Nana Disco. I regret the demise of the Nana Disco a lot more of course.

The Nana Hotel seems to be in a bad mood as well though I am told that occupancy is still quite high. The other night some fellow brought in two ladyboys and was turned away by the security desk telling him he could only bring up one guest. That is actually the official policy of the hotel but one very much winked at. The fellow went to the front desk and gave them an earful of heated words driven no doubt be his unquenched ladyboy desires and kept calling them “bad managers”, “bad managers”. I am not sure if it was really because of two guests or two ladyboys or because they were just showing good taste since these were two of the ugliest ladyboys I have seen yet; like football players in drag. I swear as many ladyboys get brought in to this hotel as do women – it’s become ladyboy central. Then last night a fellow tried bringing in one of the African girls currently selling her wares around Sukhumvit and was denied. Going up to the same hatchet faced woman at the front desk who looks like a smile would crack her face wide open he asked her why he could not bring in this girl – “because she is not Thai” he was told – so you mean you won’t allow black girls into your hotel – to which she looked stone-faced and said “I can not say”. The hotel has always discriminated against guests of course – no Thai’s and no Arabs allowed. But since I don’t want this place turning into the Grace Hotel I can’t say I will petition for that to change.

I am not a big fan of the go-go’s in Bangkok in general but often find myself going into one for the wont of anything else to do at night. I have been burnt often enough by go-go girls not to take many of them but they can be diverting for short periods of time. In Soi Cowboy I took in the sights and sounds of Déjà Vu, The Doll House, Sharks and Baccarat. In April The Doll House was on my top of the charts for good looking girls but these passing five months have not treated it well. There were only about 15 girls in total alternating between two sets but there wasn’t one girl that made an impression on me or my friend. The Doll House once had in my opinion the best looking girl in Thailand – number 30 or 31 I think – a short haired blond who looked from a slight distance to be right off the beaches of California – a total stunner who unfortunately fell tragically short of her looks in her bedroom performance – no kissing and her marvelous breasts were off limits – but I could watch her easily for a set or two of songs – but now she is gone I am told. A similar fate has fallen on Déjà Vu which is full of round stomach girls with unmemorable faces. There was only one exception to this – a total pint sized cutie with breasts that were made for nibbling on, but she seemed to only have eyes for the Japanese customers. Not that I would ever take a girl from this establishment again – last year I took a duo only to discover that it must have been some religious holiday that did not allow kissing, touching or blowing. Neither of these places had any customers to speak of, but this wasn’t the case of Sharks and Baccarat – they were packed with customers and girls swirling around in a dizzying brew of desire and quiet negotiations. Why Baccarat was so full is a bit mystifying to me – I thought the girls were extremely ordinary – at least on the first floor – I went to check out the girls on the second floor where they get a little more risqué but the clouds of cigarette smoke drove me away. My old friend Snooker was still working there, but we didn’t exchange any words this time. She is an ex-Nana Parking Lot girl and had been a major favorite of mine – remarkably sweet with a lovely set of breasts and a bush so thick you needed a map to find your way through it which I did happily on more than a few occasions. I lost touch with her until I saw her come into the Nana one night last year pulling along some young timid looking Japanese fellow. I followed her and found out she was working at Baccarat and so pulled her out the next night. What a metamorphosis had taken place in a year. She was in a hurry, had no patience for much of anything, had changed her name and had shaved her pubic hair. I asked her what was going on and she was honest and told me that she made an exception for me because she now only went with Japanese men who she was able to easily control and who came quickly. It was this more than the money they paid her she told me – it was nice being in and out in 30 minutes. I think she recognized me the other night but I guess exceptions are only made once in her case and we passed each other in silence. At one time when I was back home I had actually decided that the next time I came to Bangkok I would spend a lot of time with this girl and see if anything happened and recalled her spontaneously breaking into tears when I told her one night that I was going home the next day. I wonder what happened to that girl that seemed as sweet as apple pie. Was it all an act or had the “life” changed her so much? I guess I’ll never know. Sharks gets a big thumbs up from me though – not a clunker within and by far the best looking girls of any go-go bar I have visited yet.

I used to often argue that Nana Plaza had it all over Soi Cowboy and could never understand how people could think otherwise, but I can’t make those claims anymore. I entered a handful of go-go bars in this claustrophobic village square – Hollywood, Carousel, Mandarin, Rainbow 4 and others whose names escape me and other than Rainbow 4 I just really found them tired and depressing and escaped as soon as I could. It is almost painful sitting there and seeing girls with bigger stomachs than I do. I go with my friend and he drinks so slowly that I wanted to kick him. It’s just boring and somehow watching scantily clad girls should be anything but boring. Hollywood in particular really irritated me – the hard sell from ping-pong girls and girls constantly trying to get me to buy drinks for them or mamasan’s trying to get me to take a girl off the stage. I won’t be going back there any time soon.

Well one week down and many more to come. I expect Bangkok is just in a slump and will soon spring to life again. Though not intentional, so far I have been sticking to one girl that I have known for a year or so which is very unlike me but she is adorable, funny and smart as a whip and I have yet to come across anything remotely better so far. There are rare reflective moments when I wonder if after 15 years of this activity, the *****monger has just been drained out of me and I am looking more for a welcoming familiar smile that warms up my heart than one more forgettable notch in the saddle.

Excellent report DR although it does make for pretty depressing reading, particularly in view of a forthcoming visit. Not to worry, I intended breezing through anyway. For me, Bangkok has been throttling the goose for a long time and now appears to be stamping it into the ground. When times are tough you would think entertainment venues would reduce prices to try and draw back the money, but such economic logic is lost out here, and the reverse happens. Its the same in the Philippines and no doubt elsewhere in the region.

So guess it will have be a couple of days whistlestop with a nostalgia trip round old haunts catching up with a few rogues that stayed on, a soapy and an oily and maybe a spot of depravity at Eden. And then on to Pattaya, where no doubt it will be similarly dead, but at least not so much a blatant rip off. But the go-go scene in Bangkok is dead in the water and I'll give it a miss this time.

Nice report DRRonin.
the last 3 lines in your post are a perfect description of how many old timers feel, IMO. (myself included)

Well written report Ronin, but depressing as hell for me. I always looked forward to escaping to Bangkok for three or four days when the Philippines started getting me down. Now, apparently, I will have to search for another destination to which I can get for a long week end from the Philippines. Of course, as Gamahucher alludes to, the Burgos St. bars in Makati have been in this situation for a long time; no customers, escalating prices, empty bar stools. You would think that someone would go to the trouble of reading a textbook on basic management.

I was especially sorry to hear of the apparent decline of Nana Plaza. At least in Manila, there's the always reliable LA Cafe, which rarely if ever disappoints and that is a haven for freelancers. It's the place to go to when all else fails.

The attachment of Thai women to Japanese men seems roughly equivalent to the growing preference of the LA Cafe ladies for Koreans who get drunk, pay way over the odds and come immediately, or so I'm told by the LA Cafe band of merry pranksters.

Thanks again for the insightful observations, depressing though they were.

GE

[QUOTE=DRRonin] I have hit a few go-go bars and most of them are as empty as a Republican’s campaign rhetoric.[/QUOTE]

The Republicans may have empty rhetoric, but at least they don't just sling Bull Shit like the Democrats.

I think your report is one of the few that deserves a ROD, politics aside.

Mongering in Thailand is all about the business cycle. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not so good. As the Thai economy takes the financial hit from the crisis in the U.S. there will be lots more girls available.

Sorry to hear about Angel's Disco in the Nana Hotel. That used to be a favorite hang out of mine. What about the Thermae? Nothing was mentioned about the situation there.

[quote=drronin]bangkok seems to be under the weather right now and a heavy torpor lies over everything and everyone. [/quote]

jeez i think i'm gonna kill myself. thanks for all the good news.

i have thought of exactly the same assessment of nana disco -- it's too little too late at this point. what they need to do is just make it free again. they need to grab some dramatic attention, and a moderate price reduction isn't gonna get that attention. they were making money hand over fist a few years ago, the place packed every night of the week. you have to wonder who the dumbass is who managed to destroy their business with this gate fee. how pathetic had it become? they used to sell the tickets right outside the door. as the place dropped in popularity they moved the ticket table up further and further in toward the lobby. why? well, you couldn't go past the ticket table without a ticket. and if you went outside the door to peer into the club, of course you would see how pathetically empty it was and wouldn't consider buying a 400 baht ticket to enter an empty club. obviously the realized this -- seeing lots of would-be customers walking up, peering in, seeing an empty club and just doing a 180 and walking away. so the solution: move the table in toward the lobby.

it's funny, but i've seen at times in asia that the desire to bilk the foreigners is stronger than the desire to actually make money.

Damn,

Sound like I'm screwed every which way! I'm on a budget and always stayed at the Nana, because you get a 25 baht, newspaper, buffet breakfast, a free fruit drink at the bar and get a wave from the guard to enter the disco for free since I was staying in the hotel. I just flashed him my room key and ask him if I could take a look. Now there's nothing to look at!!! When you break it all down I was paying around 800 baht a night.

Now I'm expected to pay more because the economy is down and I look Japanese. This is pure discrimation! This is more of a reason I'm sticking to Tulip, for the price at least I can relax without all the Bullshit and still get GFE.

LBM

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan]Damn,

Now I'm expected to pay more because the economy is down and [b]I look Japanese.[/b] This is pure discrimation! This is more of a reason I'm sticking to Tulip, for the price at least I can relax without all the Bullshit and still get GFE.

LBM[/QUOTE]


ROFLMAO

LBM - welcome to the club. I think the TG can tell the difference btw japanese and chinese - just tell them you're from hk or singapore ;)

[QUOTE=Traveler1234]
LBM - welcome to the club. I think the TG can tell the difference btw japanese and chinese - just tell them you're from hk or singapore ;)[/QUOTE]

not too sure on that. the last time i went to los i was called everything from japanese, chinese, and everything in between.

[QUOTE=Penbelly]Dr Ronin's report was silly in the extreme. How could someone spend so much time whining? Can't we get past the "Man, it sure was better the other day, the other week, other month" "Grass is greener, remember back in. Blah, blah, blah. " It rains in BKK until November 1 or so. Anybody that has spent any amount of time here knows it will pick up again. Just in time for yours truly.[/QUOTE]
Yeh man. I am arriving for some fun. I don't give a damn about the weather the politcal unrest and whatever. I am determined to have a great time. I have seen the downpours many times before. We just get used to it. More large umbrellas, less walking, more time on the bed.

[QUOTE=Dizz Hizz]not too sure on that. the last time i went to los i was called everything from japanese, chinese, and everything in between.[/QUOTE]
Even I as a Westerner can see that most Japanese don't look like as Chinese. I think generally Thais can tell the difference too. Head is a slightly different shape. Eyes a bit different. But its when they open their mouth and talk that of course is the give away, again mostly.
Now in T1234's case it could be confusing when he has American accent.

Sorry if my report sounded depressing and whiny - please don't assume that my experiences will be yours - everyone sees these things differently and it really depends on what you are looking for. For example, I never go to massage parlors because they just aren't my thing but I am sure they are doing fine. I'd never step foot inside Eden Club but others swear by it. I don't go to the high end clubs because I can't afford it. My needs are simple - reasonably young, pretty and fun freelancers who can give great blow jobs - and to a large degree that market has dried up, become more difficult to access or risen in price. I understand that guys are always talking about getting girls for 1,000 baht - good for them - but then I also see many girls that guys go with for 1,000 baht and I wouldn't touch them with John McCain's shrivelled dick. It's all a matter of what rocks your boat. And there are still loads of go-go bars that I haven't seen yet and they may be filled with treasure or maybe I just caught them on bad nights. Mainly though I need to say that my experience so far is very much through the prism of my changing mindset about p4p - I never really thought this day would come but I am getting kind of tired of the whole process. It is starting to feel soulless to me. So please I hope no one will change their plans about coming to Thailand, there are still loads of girls here, the sun was out today, the food is great, the beer is cold, lots of comradship and you can find pretty much anything you want from a ladyboy to a Russian to an African to a total Thai Cutiepie in pairs or triplicates!

Someone asked about the Thermae - have not been yet but two friends did and they had a similar experience to what I had received on my last trip - lots of girls but most of the cute ones want to go with the Japanese. He even asked a girl why and she told him "because they are Asian and you are not".

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]For the newbie who's never been here, what those of us who are tired of it all think of as boring and not worth the bother, would all seem quite fantastic and eye-popping. It's all a matter of perspective.[/QUOTE]


Look, The Bargirls are not what they used to be 15 years ago, fine but we are in 2008 and what makes me happy is that a lot of girls are now very much open to Casual Sex :)

As my Thai Female staff told me, it is now almost impossible to find a Thai girl that is a virgin at 19...

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Look, The Bargirls are not what they used to be 15 years ago, fine but we are in 2008 and what makes me happy is that a lot of girls are now very much open to Casual Sex :)

As my Thai Female staff told me, it is now almost impossible to find a Thai girl that is a virgin at 19...[/QUOTE]

Well, it's the ordinary TGs, of course that make it worthwhile staying here.

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]As my Thai Female staff told me, it is now almost impossible to find a Thai girl that is a virgin at 19...[/QUOTE]
I hope, that was not in answer to your own question!
The saying goes:
"Never fuck the hired hand!"