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What Is Going On In Bangkok Nightlife?


Nasiadai
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I remember talking to one of the Nana bar owners about 10 years ago. We were commenting on the sudden 50% increase in drink prices. He came back, "Do you know how much this would cost you in England?" My Brit companion fired back at him, "THIS IS THAILAND, NOT ENGLAND, AND WE ARE NOT MAKING ENGLISH WAGES." Then he stomped out, and I followed him.

 

Basically what the Crown group and the others did was to send the message that local expats were not wanted. No problem, we all switched over to Soi Cowboy. I wonder how the Nana bars did in the off season, when the expats wouldn't set foot in them anymore.

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Noticed that there was not much concern about the "dry" days for the elections this time.

Seems that they police don't have much police power or time to regulate vice like normal.

 

There was concern in the Thonglor district. On Saturday night the manager of Royal Oak was taken away after they were selling when the other pubs in the vicinity - Londoner, Dubliner and Robin Hood all were not.

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The last 4 years several bars went out of business, went bankrupt. The most prominent bar is Carousel Bar of the Hollywood group;

one of the biggest with the most girls.

 

The result:

Prices exploded, went through the roof; for beer, beverages, barfines, girls.

Today Nana Plaza is not a cheap pleasure any more; it changes in a place for “3-weeks-millionairesâ€.

 

And that means:

The decline, the descent of Nana Plaza has begun. The decline of Bangkok’s and Thailand's P4P scene has begun.

 

What would you estimate the number of girls in Nana to be nowadays?

 

I

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What would you estimate the number of girls in Nana to be nowadays?

 

In the years 2001 - 2003 the plaza reached its highest increment, its greatest stage of extension. There was no space left: rien ne va plus.

There were about 35 bars and – according to my experiences – with about 2.000 girls working in the bars.

The Nana Plaza had reached its highest point, its peak. Roughly, right?

 

Today, how many girls are in the gogo bars? My personal estimation: 1700 – 1800 girls.

 

 

Interesting are two issues, two facts, two developments:

 

1. On Soi 4 there are more and more (big) beer bars with many girls.

2. And there is an increase of freelancer girls on Soi 4 and on car park of Nana Hotel

 

The beer bars are cheaper than the gogos in the plaza.

Cheaper means: the drinks are cheaper, the barfines and the girls are cheaper for short time or long time

 

In my opinion the beer bars are a response to the overpriced GoGo Bars and so are the freelancers!

 

These two less expensive offerings (the beer bars and the freelancers) are used by the Sanukers, they are accepted by the guys.

Guys avoid the very expensive Nana and prefer the less expensive offer.

 

Is that right? What is your opinion, guys?

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Oh I thought you were talking about in NP itself, I didn't realize you were including the bars up and down soi 4 too. The reason I asked, I was there in December, and compared to my previous visits, the numbers of girls in NP gogos were way way down. The ladyboy slice of the pie seems to have grown incredibly both inside and also on Soi 4. Also, the lineup at the carpark was dreadful compared to previous visits, both in quantity and quality.

 

Gradually there seem to be more LB gogos in NP, and I think the numbers of male dancers in those places must be really high -- if you stand outside at the entrance at closing time, it's like a rock concert just let out where they only let ladyboys in to see the band. It was a bit like when all the clowns come out of the little car, you just wonder, how on earth did all those ladybodys FIT in there? If there's that many at 2am, it means not many are getting barfined, so...why so many ? It's weird. I just find it hard to believe that the financial incentive is there to encourage that many LBs to be working there. Yet they seem to be gradually taking the place over.

 

so I'd be curious to hear your estimates of just NP, back in its peak period compared to now.

 

And then I would wonder what the ratio in that place is of LBs to real girls, these days.

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I don't recall ever seeing a trannie in a gogo bar in the 1970s, and only a rare few in the 1980s. Even in the late '80s, you would never see more than one or two in an evening out. But the number of bars really increased in the 1990s, and the owners had to hire what they could get. Nevertheless, I always remember seeing more khatoey dancers in Nana than Cowboy or Patpong. I wonder why.

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In my view, although my timeframe is different - late 90s to now - the important difference is not the ones you see, it's the ones you don't... and can't, even with a good set of eyes and background. While it's especially an issue with freelancers, the LB infiltration of the bar scene is really astounding these days. Docs are getting better at cuts, meds are more effective, and especially, the young trannies are starting the process earlier - prime fodder for the industry once they hit adulthood (and I would expect somewhat before). The tall, buxom types are somebody's cup of tea, but they're not going to fool any but the drunkst of us - the number of really quite amazing near-replica TGs is off the charts these days, I think. Better Living Through Science And Chemistry?

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