New Year 2017 - My Experience In Town
On New Year's eve met up with a friend in town and decided to have a few drinks, see in the New Year together and get a couple of girls to round off the night. I haven't seen this friend for 7 years and during that period we had a wow of a time in Chiang Mai New Years Eve 2009, bargirls literally throwing themselves at us. I thought this being new years eve there should be no problems in obtaining available girls considering the large numbers of tourists visiting for the occasion, I really believed they would be out in force.
Last night we first visited a bar in LK. It was crowded with mostly young couples and back packers, blaring loud music, couldn't hear ourselves think, no seats available, it was a crush standing inside and only a very girls were there that seemed to be hired by a beer company to promote the sales of beer. After one drink in there, had enough. All the bars seemed to be the same, young couples, back packers and very few girls.
Then at about 9. 45 pm we visited the Star Six bar. Business is now so bad that customers have no need to pay an entrance fee anymore; they can just walk directly into the bar. We went in and I was shocked. Appears the bar has been made smaller, still has the stage at the centre but only a little space around that with a few stools. There were 2 girls prancing around on stage and only 2 girls sitting in the bar area. No customers, not one, only me and my friend. Then literally within seconds of us sitting down the 2 girls pounced on us and then the 2 girls who were on stage joined us. An hour later 5 Chinese looking men walked in and a lone Australian guy I got chatting with and that was about it. Unlike back in the old days these girls were fully dressed, one even wearing a jacket saying she felt cold. We had a couple of drinks and felt obliged to buy the girls drinks; it was a hustle by those girls. They had 1 girl do a shower show on the stage but she was fully dressed, way too tame and I commented on that, more or less saying; this is crap. I asked one girl who targeted me; how much to go out short time? She quoted me, 2500 baht for short time plus 600 baht bar fine. I told her to forget it. Then she dropped to 2000 baht plus 600 baht bar fine. I still said; too much but she refused to budge on her price. I would have been willing to pay 1500 baht plus the 600 baht bar fine for short time. So I left it. While there had a chat with the mamasan. She told me that business is so slack that she doesn't know for how much longer the bar can remain open. This is now typical of the few remaining bars in the Loi Kroh Road and surrounding area.
Then at midnight we stood near the Tapae Gate for the countdown to 2017. Hundreds of tourists almost climbing over each other in a tightly packed area launching the balloons. After that was completed it was like someone had fired a starting pistol for everything to close. Instantly the shutters on the bars, massage parlors and restaurants began to come down. With still hundreds of tourists milling about they all began to disperse. The very few bars that did remain open were again packed to the hilt with young tourists but still very few girls.
About 12.20 am my friend and I decided there was no point in hanging around and we went our separate ways. I went for a Burger King and after that walked around looking for some action, but by then most of it was closed, no street girls, even the Spotlight and Spicy were closed. It seemed some bars were only open for privileged customers but to all the rest the doors were closed. Most of what I saw was a few freaky, creepy looking ladyboys standing in the shadows looking for business. So I gave up and went home. Celebrating the new year in town was really about going out drinking with a bunch of mates, definitely not much in the mongering department available and I certainly won't be bothering to do the same next year.
Short CM trip in Nov 2016
Celeb at CNX massage. This place is on Charoen Prathet Rd opp the the Soi 6 junction or opp and a bit south of Pornping Hotel. Fishbowl girls (1600 b) and sideline girls (1800 b). I took a pretty sideline girl and I guess she was one of the stars since the service was quite perfunctory.
Bar next to Celeb at CNX– can't remember the name of the bar but there were 8-9 very pretty hostesses here. They don't barfine and are just there to chat and drink with customers. 2-3 of them spoke some English. Beers and lady drinks were cheap and the girls were never pushy about ordering more drinks. Good music, good place to chill.
Foxy Lady gogo. This is on Tha Phae Soi 1, opp the Dusit D2 Hotel. Music as turned way down because TH was still in mourning. Girls were dancing in their bikinis. Maybe 2 pretty ones.
Bar complex / boxing ring. On the left of Loi Kroh as you walk towards the old city, near the junction of Kampangdin Rd. Manage to pick up a pretty one at a bar next to the StarSix gogo. I think the barfine was 500 b and LT was 2500 b. There are also a few pretty ones in the bars near the boxing ring but I suspect their job is just to pull in the punters and they don't barfine. Bought drinks for pretty girls at 2 different bars but when I asked about LT / ST they claimed they could not go with customer that night. The bars were empty on most nights but were packed with Chinese tourists on Friday night.
StarSix gogo– this is next to the bar complex / boxing ring. Girls were dancing in their bikinis. 3-4 pretty ones but the guys I was with quickly grabbed them.
Get a hotel near the Loi Kroh Rd / Chang Klan Rd junction and you will be within walking distance to all the above attractions. Email the hotel about their guest policy before you book. Many hotels I contacted charged a 500 b-800 b joiner fee.
Thai brothels in Neimann area?
A few years ago (around 2012), there used to be several low-end Thai oriented brothels in the small street between Neimmanhemenda Soi 13 and 15 or thereabouts. Very low key, 400-600 baht service, open in the daytime. Foreigners OK, but speaking Thai was useful, since we weren't their target market. Does anything remain of those?
Are there any similar places in Chiang Mai these days, either in Neimann area or elsewhere?
Let's Live in the Present
[QUOTE=ArthurTick;2008525]I go to Bangkok for 2 weeks once every 3 months. I choose some girls on Thai Friendly and arrange to meet them there. Not as cheap as you think, but I do get what I pay for. As for reiterating about the good old days, I am simply giving comparisons to how CM used to be in the past and how it is today and considering this is the Chiang Mai section of the ISG; what else would you prefer to read on this thread?[/QUOTE]I get your point about the past. Now, having made that point, let's move on. So what if the past was better? We don't live in the past; we live in the present.
So, I (and I am sure many others as well) would be pleased to see you focusing your comments on "what is" today, and not "what was" yesterday.
SW4.