Update on the Scene.

[jacko]

I am a once a year visitor these days. Normally there for over a month when I do make it though. So, last trip was November - and that was the scene I knew. Now on my 'first night' I am normally fairly tired so I cannot hit everywhere - so I need to be efficient.

Has the effect of the clampdown eased yet ? I am not querying about the 2am closures so much as the 'covering up'. Used to be that the higher up you went in NEP the less was worn on the stage! Not so recently with "Bottoms up" being most revealing yet on the ground level. ::

So update time - I am partial to the 'show all' scene on my first night, somewhow it puts me in the right mood for a good first night. So save me wandering into the places that 'used to' and help me find those that 'do now'! NEP and SC data would be good.

[StoneSoup]

It's a day-to-day game these days. Last night (Friday) it was cover-up time on Soi Cowboy - even at Suzy Wong, upstairs at Sheba's, Cactus Club, etc. They were clearly awaiting an offivcial visit.

 

But - most days, you can find open season on birthday suits at numerous venues at both SC and NEP. Just pop your head in and give a glance around.

 

Bangkok is very quiet thesedays - more so than usual - so you can generally expect to receive more attention than ususal - and to see ladies "going the extra mile" to attract attention. This can be a good thing........

 

"Let the good times roll!"

The Fighting Fish

[Guest]

Over the past several weeks the ?rules? have been substantially relaxed. Before only Bottoms Up was fully showing; now at least four bars (and probably more I didn?t visit) are fully showing. I have seen Lesbian shower shows over the last week that I have not seen since the crackdown. But everything stills seems to close at 2 a.m.

 

I am not sure is this is temporary or things have just returned to ?normal.? And I don?t know why the rules have been relaxed (less tourists? Leadership change in the local constabulary?), but for the time being at least, NEP seems to be returning to its pre-crackdown practices. It is also a ?buyer?s market? since tourism is way down. :hubba: If you are not frightened off by SARS, a good time to be in Bangkok.

[june11]

I was expecting to notice "tourism being down" in the bars, but that's not what I saw at all in Nana or Cowboy last night (friday) and the night before.....(I wasn't in any of the bars before wednesday, except for 2 months ago, so i can't say). I saw as many customers as ever, and in many bars it was hard to find a seat. I looked into maybe one-third of the bars in nana and they were crowded. ...and nana disco was packed as usual.

[Guest]

I saw as many customers as ever, and in many bars it was hard to find a seat. I looked into maybe one-third of the bars in nana and they were crowded.

---

Hmmm? We must have visited different bars last night. Plenty of sitting room in Rainbow I, Playschool, Fantasia, Spunkys (or is it ?Spankys?? (the one by Topcat?s Bar)), G-Spot, Bottoms Up, and Rainbow II. I think that is roughly the order I visited or stuck my head in the bars between 9 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. I did not visit Angelwitch, but that bar always seems to be packed and although I enjoyed their shows the first twenty times, I am now ready for a change. I also never made it up to the third floor. Overall, however, it seemed quiet to me.

 

There was an article about a week ago in The Nation where the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said that she expects tourism to be down 40% this month from the same month last year. There is also now a big hotel campaign offering major discounts (as low as 500 Baht a night) to local residents because the occupancy rates are so low. I don?t own a bar so I won?t pretend to know if they doing well or suffering, but I do know the BGs are complaining about the lack of customers and certainly seem hungrier for business.

[keith doug]

HIYA !! I just had to agree..I am in the Travel Business and because of Iraq War ppl ar not travelling..Ok the Iraq war has finnished a bit Now Sars..It is ok mainly in hongkong singapore china canada..But ppl read the Papers and think DAM!! we will go to spain or another warm place.. What concerns me is when this will all finnish.// I am arriving in May and a bit concerned ,

[ZMAN Z28]

"so you can generally expect to receive more attention than ususal"

 

Sounds great to me. I have already thought about this, and glad to hear it is confirmed. Much better then hi-season when if you don't look like Brad Pitt, then you don't get the attention I think I deserve.

 

ZMAN Z28

[kamui]

Says ZMAN Z28:

---

Much better then hi-season when if you don't look like Brad Pitt, then you don't get the attention I think I deserve.

 

ZMAN Z28

---

 

Do not worry. To make sure you get the attention you deserve they introduced new rates:

500 ST

1000 LT

to be more precise:

500 ST = 30 min. talking to you at the bar

1000 LT = 45 min. talking to you at the bar

exclusively lady drinks of course

[Guest]

Much better then hi-season

---

Except for the heat (it's damn hot now), this is a great time to visit Thailand for Sanuk. But there is one thing I don't understand. Most of the rules introduced during the New Social Order are now gone or on their way out. Full nudity and lesbian shows are back. But the 2 a.m. closing rule still applies

[Lord Toad]

I think that is becasue it is the most public of the rules. Bars stay open everybody knows, mind you Pattaya seems to have let that rule slip in bar beers (but lights and music must be off, or low.)

Elsewhere there have been plenty of attempts to stay open late, even with local official support, but when it looks like it is about to happen there is another clamp down, Face and government credibility seem as much the issue here.