The following is taken from stickman's site
In an attempt to find out just what Thai guys get up to, myself and a friend went hunting in a province that borders Bangkok. We figured that we needed to get a bit out of Bangkok to find the sort of places that are typical of where Thai guys go, and not just of the wealthy Bangkok boys. Into his car we piled, in search of neon at night.
So there we were in his car, approximately 40 km from downtown Bangkok and heading further away. Down the main road we went and we had barely covered a couple of clicks when we passed the first establishment for the evening, the conspicuously named Love Club. It was a single shophouse in size, in a block of shophouses, all the other businesses already closed for the evening. It was still early evening, having only got dark an hour or so earlier, and outside this venue were 6 or 7 fair-skinned maidens, all dressed in matching pink evening gowns. The sign in Thai informed us that it was a karaoke venue but we didnโt venture in, for it was early, it looked quiet, and we wanted to explore some more before entering our first venue for the evening.
Less than a kilometre down the same toad we approached one of those large country style pubs that are so prevalent all over Thailand, the type of place where the irony is never lost on me. I mean, in the car park you often see Mercs and Beamers so the customers have money, yet they venture into a place with the sort of music and food that is most popular in the countryside and the rural areas, amongst the very people who wealthy Thais prefer not to socialise with.
We decided that this was worthy of further investigation and pulled into the large gravel car park out front of what was a massive property, set back from the main road. Getting out of the car and walking towards the main entrance we were waied by a well-dressed Thai man who asked if we wanted karaoke or massage. Not knowing what we were going to find, we said massage and were ushered into the barn on the right.
Inside we saw that it was a fish bowl with perhaps 40 or 50 Thai women looking bored, most watching one of the two TVs that were placed inside the bowl. On the glass window of the fish bowl prices were written clearly for all to see. 170 baht per hour for a Thai style massage or 650 baht for a two hour oil massage. It also noted that early in the day it was just 100 baht per hour for traditional Thai massage.
The girls in the fishbowl ranged from pleasant on the eye to very attractive. There was not one old, one fat, and most certainly, not one ugly girl. Frankly, in terms of their appearance, this sort of quality cannot be found anywhere in the farang nightlife areas. Believe me, it just doesnโt exist.
We ordered a beer, which being Thai style was one large Heineken served into two separate glasses. We were offered a bucket of ice which we declined, us explaining that it is not to the farang taste raised a few eyebrows amongst the locals. When the bill came, it was just 120 baht. Fair. Very fair.
We chatted with the papasan about the deal in this place and he confirmed that the prices posted were for massage only and any extras were to be negotiated directly with the girl, with him suggesting that such services would likely be in the vicinity of 1,000 to 1,500 baht. After half an hour of observing the comings and goings, girls being selected and taken out back, we finished our beers and departed, but not before going for a wander around the complex. There were a large number of chalet style bungalows and low rise buildings out the back, as well as fountains, gardens and pebbled pathways. These led to private karaoke rooms. I got the feeling that singing was not the only thing that may happen in those rooms...
We turned off the main road and entered a lane which had several such venues. We were now in rural karaoke country. The lane was perhaps 150 metres long and there were several small karaoke bars, each with perhaps 10 or 12 girls. Each of the venues was a single floor, single shophouse inside. Small. Surprised to see farangs at such a venue, we were invited into each venue Pattaya beer bar style, with girls calling out to us. The only difference was that everything was in Thai. Finding English out there isn't easy. We found the biggest venue and entered.
The bar, if you could call it that, was dimly lit and the furnishings were similar to what you would get at a typical food vendor on the street. We're talking basic. We were approached by a couple of girls who sat beside us, me quickly shooing one away. At the time I was worried about fleas. I don't know why, but I was! I also wanted to observe the comings and goings. There were a couple of other customers in there, two much older Thai guys.
I couldn't help thinking that this is the closest the Thai guys have to the gogo bars that cater to Westerners.
From a looks perspective, the girls in this particular spot were probably on par with the better gogo bars, such as Angelwitch or Rainbow 1. Some of the girls were seriously cute. The girls were mostly from the surrounding district and had not been shipped in from the North or Isaan. All were there of their own accord. Sadly, some were of a very modest education, and two could not even read or write. I asked the girls about broken marriages and babies and no, most hadn't been married and NONE had had babies, major difference with the girls in the farang sector of the industry. Frankly, if you were to pull all of the girls out of there and put them into a Nana gogo, youโd probably be running the gogo bar with the prettiest girls. And absolutely without a doubt, the most polite.
This is what I found perhaps most interesting of all. The girls were VERY polite especially when compared with the girls in the farang oriented sector of the industry. We had had a couple of large bottles of beer and one small plate of food and I called for the bill, expecting it to be somewhere around 300 baht. I was therefore most surprised to see that it was 680 baht! Each of the large Heinekens was billed at 150 baht and the one food dish we had ordered was 80 baht. All a bit dearer than we had thought they would be, but still acceptable enough. The killer, the extra 300 baht, was for a large 2 litre bottle of Pepsi which one of the girls had opened without our permission. We were pissed but we both knew that it would not be a good idea to kick up a stink in a neighbourhood like that so we paid and disappeared, chalking it up to experience.
Slowly cruising past, each of the places had a number of Thai guys relaxing, and drinking and they looked rough. Forget taxi drivers or tuktuk drivers, these guys didnโt even get close to those lofty heights in the social strata. Labourers, factory workers and farm labour were this lotโs vocations. Certainly not one of them had arrived in their own transport and that we drove up and parked outside in a private car marked us as different, even before we got out of the vehicle to a chorus of the word โfarangโ being said in seemingly all 6 bars at exactly the same moment. Iโd be lying if I didnโt admit some nerves and no small amount of trepidation.
We finally chose one venue and wandered in, grabbing a seat. Looking around the shophouse, there was a fridge out the back full of Chang Beer, and signs up on the walls in Thai saying that no weapons were allowed, no drugs, and no gambling. Everything was basic, plastic chairs and tables and the glasses which were presented with the beer must have come from the Vietnam era, and perhaps only been cleaned a handful of times since. Despite the rudimentary surroundings, even there, at the very bottom of the food chain, in what essentially was a rural brothel, the girls were polite, very polite in fact. There was no pressure placed on customers apart from some gentle words of persuasion and while I wouldnโt say everyone was smiling and having a jolly old time, neither did it seem like I had expected a low class brothel to be.
Chatting in hushed tones to find out the score, the deal is that the lady gets half and the brothel gets half of the fee paid, but the lady doesn't get her share of the money until the end of the month. The lady has a degree of control over everything and it is her who sets her price, and not the establishment. We were told the prices were generally 300 baht, or 400 baht short-time, that being the only English we heard all night. Inquiring about what the 300 baht got you, "30 minutes upstairs was the response", short-time being one hour. This is an all up fee.
Apparently the most expensive ladies go for 600 or 700 baht although they would represent a very small number. These women come from very poor backgrounds and the sight of a purple banknote is a lot of money to them. They have to work every day except during menstruation, and if they miss a day they are docked 2,000 baht at the end of the month.
So off we went for another lap of the district, speeding past rice fields, buffaloes, and barns garishly lit up with Christmas tree lighting and music blaring out over the quiet night of Central Thailand. We passed naughty venue after naughty venue after naughty venue, and clearly the naught nightlife industry is flourishing in the provinces.
From an anthropological point of view, this was one fascinating evening out. And contrasting it to what is available to the average Westerner in Sukhumvit, well letโs just say it is no wonder the average Thai is puzzled at what farangs end up with. The girls we met and saw were friendlier, prettier and more polite. That said, I don't expect to see taxis full of farangs venturing up and down provincial highways, in search of Thai princesses.
Stickman
In an attempt to find out just what Thai guys get up to, myself and a friend went hunting in a province that borders Bangkok. We figured that we needed to get a bit out of Bangkok to find the sort of places that are typical of where Thai guys go, and not just of the wealthy Bangkok boys. Into his car we piled, in search of neon at night.
So there we were in his car, approximately 40 km from downtown Bangkok and heading further away. Down the main road we went and we had barely covered a couple of clicks when we passed the first establishment for the evening, the conspicuously named Love Club. It was a single shophouse in size, in a block of shophouses, all the other businesses already closed for the evening. It was still early evening, having only got dark an hour or so earlier, and outside this venue were 6 or 7 fair-skinned maidens, all dressed in matching pink evening gowns. The sign in Thai informed us that it was a karaoke venue but we didnโt venture in, for it was early, it looked quiet, and we wanted to explore some more before entering our first venue for the evening.
Less than a kilometre down the same toad we approached one of those large country style pubs that are so prevalent all over Thailand, the type of place where the irony is never lost on me. I mean, in the car park you often see Mercs and Beamers so the customers have money, yet they venture into a place with the sort of music and food that is most popular in the countryside and the rural areas, amongst the very people who wealthy Thais prefer not to socialise with.
We decided that this was worthy of further investigation and pulled into the large gravel car park out front of what was a massive property, set back from the main road. Getting out of the car and walking towards the main entrance we were waied by a well-dressed Thai man who asked if we wanted karaoke or massage. Not knowing what we were going to find, we said massage and were ushered into the barn on the right.
Inside we saw that it was a fish bowl with perhaps 40 or 50 Thai women looking bored, most watching one of the two TVs that were placed inside the bowl. On the glass window of the fish bowl prices were written clearly for all to see. 170 baht per hour for a Thai style massage or 650 baht for a two hour oil massage. It also noted that early in the day it was just 100 baht per hour for traditional Thai massage.
The girls in the fishbowl ranged from pleasant on the eye to very attractive. There was not one old, one fat, and most certainly, not one ugly girl. Frankly, in terms of their appearance, this sort of quality cannot be found anywhere in the farang nightlife areas. Believe me, it just doesnโt exist.
We ordered a beer, which being Thai style was one large Heineken served into two separate glasses. We were offered a bucket of ice which we declined, us explaining that it is not to the farang taste raised a few eyebrows amongst the locals. When the bill came, it was just 120 baht. Fair. Very fair.
We chatted with the papasan about the deal in this place and he confirmed that the prices posted were for massage only and any extras were to be negotiated directly with the girl, with him suggesting that such services would likely be in the vicinity of 1,000 to 1,500 baht. After half an hour of observing the comings and goings, girls being selected and taken out back, we finished our beers and departed, but not before going for a wander around the complex. There were a large number of chalet style bungalows and low rise buildings out the back, as well as fountains, gardens and pebbled pathways. These led to private karaoke rooms. I got the feeling that singing was not the only thing that may happen in those rooms...
We turned off the main road and entered a lane which had several such venues. We were now in rural karaoke country. The lane was perhaps 150 metres long and there were several small karaoke bars, each with perhaps 10 or 12 girls. Each of the venues was a single floor, single shophouse inside. Small. Surprised to see farangs at such a venue, we were invited into each venue Pattaya beer bar style, with girls calling out to us. The only difference was that everything was in Thai. Finding English out there isn't easy. We found the biggest venue and entered.
The bar, if you could call it that, was dimly lit and the furnishings were similar to what you would get at a typical food vendor on the street. We're talking basic. We were approached by a couple of girls who sat beside us, me quickly shooing one away. At the time I was worried about fleas. I don't know why, but I was! I also wanted to observe the comings and goings. There were a couple of other customers in there, two much older Thai guys.
I couldn't help thinking that this is the closest the Thai guys have to the gogo bars that cater to Westerners.
From a looks perspective, the girls in this particular spot were probably on par with the better gogo bars, such as Angelwitch or Rainbow 1. Some of the girls were seriously cute. The girls were mostly from the surrounding district and had not been shipped in from the North or Isaan. All were there of their own accord. Sadly, some were of a very modest education, and two could not even read or write. I asked the girls about broken marriages and babies and no, most hadn't been married and NONE had had babies, major difference with the girls in the farang sector of the industry. Frankly, if you were to pull all of the girls out of there and put them into a Nana gogo, youโd probably be running the gogo bar with the prettiest girls. And absolutely without a doubt, the most polite.
This is what I found perhaps most interesting of all. The girls were VERY polite especially when compared with the girls in the farang oriented sector of the industry. We had had a couple of large bottles of beer and one small plate of food and I called for the bill, expecting it to be somewhere around 300 baht. I was therefore most surprised to see that it was 680 baht! Each of the large Heinekens was billed at 150 baht and the one food dish we had ordered was 80 baht. All a bit dearer than we had thought they would be, but still acceptable enough. The killer, the extra 300 baht, was for a large 2 litre bottle of Pepsi which one of the girls had opened without our permission. We were pissed but we both knew that it would not be a good idea to kick up a stink in a neighbourhood like that so we paid and disappeared, chalking it up to experience.
Slowly cruising past, each of the places had a number of Thai guys relaxing, and drinking and they looked rough. Forget taxi drivers or tuktuk drivers, these guys didnโt even get close to those lofty heights in the social strata. Labourers, factory workers and farm labour were this lotโs vocations. Certainly not one of them had arrived in their own transport and that we drove up and parked outside in a private car marked us as different, even before we got out of the vehicle to a chorus of the word โfarangโ being said in seemingly all 6 bars at exactly the same moment. Iโd be lying if I didnโt admit some nerves and no small amount of trepidation.
We finally chose one venue and wandered in, grabbing a seat. Looking around the shophouse, there was a fridge out the back full of Chang Beer, and signs up on the walls in Thai saying that no weapons were allowed, no drugs, and no gambling. Everything was basic, plastic chairs and tables and the glasses which were presented with the beer must have come from the Vietnam era, and perhaps only been cleaned a handful of times since. Despite the rudimentary surroundings, even there, at the very bottom of the food chain, in what essentially was a rural brothel, the girls were polite, very polite in fact. There was no pressure placed on customers apart from some gentle words of persuasion and while I wouldnโt say everyone was smiling and having a jolly old time, neither did it seem like I had expected a low class brothel to be.
Chatting in hushed tones to find out the score, the deal is that the lady gets half and the brothel gets half of the fee paid, but the lady doesn't get her share of the money until the end of the month. The lady has a degree of control over everything and it is her who sets her price, and not the establishment. We were told the prices were generally 300 baht, or 400 baht short-time, that being the only English we heard all night. Inquiring about what the 300 baht got you, "30 minutes upstairs was the response", short-time being one hour. This is an all up fee.
Apparently the most expensive ladies go for 600 or 700 baht although they would represent a very small number. These women come from very poor backgrounds and the sight of a purple banknote is a lot of money to them. They have to work every day except during menstruation, and if they miss a day they are docked 2,000 baht at the end of the month.
So off we went for another lap of the district, speeding past rice fields, buffaloes, and barns garishly lit up with Christmas tree lighting and music blaring out over the quiet night of Central Thailand. We passed naughty venue after naughty venue after naughty venue, and clearly the naught nightlife industry is flourishing in the provinces.
From an anthropological point of view, this was one fascinating evening out. And contrasting it to what is available to the average Westerner in Sukhumvit, well letโs just say it is no wonder the average Thai is puzzled at what farangs end up with. The girls we met and saw were friendlier, prettier and more polite. That said, I don't expect to see taxis full of farangs venturing up and down provincial highways, in search of Thai princesses.
Stickman