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Anyone Remember The Good Old Days?


jw_marryrit

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Preface:

 

I came for the first time to Bangkok and Siam at the beginning of the 90ties; more than 20 years ago.

 

I enjoyed the gogo bars and the girls. It was so different from my experiences at home in German discos, summer parties, birthday parties and other celebrations and locations where you can meet girls and women. It was amazing: I entered a bar and two minutes later I had a beautiful girl in my arms, dressed in a bikini only, my hands exploring her body, my lips kissing her sweet mouth, enjoying her emotions, her cheerfulness, her smile. An affect-cocktail of disbelief, of high spirits and intense sense of pleasure started shivering through my mind.

I am still fascinated by the girls-scene on lower Sukumvhit, although today I am an aging boy.

 

Bakwahn

Hamburg Duesseldorf Bangkok

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Part 1: A look back

 

Let us have a look back into history of Thai P4P scene.

That is very helpful to explain the confusing situation of today.

So let us have a look back in the history of sanuk-tourism in Siam.

 

A short history of the P4P scene in Thailand.

It started all at the end of the Vietnam War in the year 1975. While the American troops left Siam, the country of “rest and recreation†for their stressed soldiers, male holidaymakers from the western countries were flocking in and replaced the withdrawing American soldiers.

The sanuk scene in Bangkok and Pattaya started growing and developing:

More beer bars, more gogo bars, more venues and gathering places for freelancers.

And more girls were attracted from around the country coming to Bangkok and Pattaya, populating those venues.

Accommodation, beverages, food were cheap and the girls were willing, eager, keen and cheap and more farlangs kept coming.

 

 

Bakwahn

Hamburg Duesseldorf Bangkok

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Part 2: Nana Plaza and Pattaya.

 

Two examples: Nana Plaza and Pattaya.

First I give you a concrete example: the Nana Plaza in Bangkok

I came to this place at the beginning of the nineties, some 20 years ago.

There have been about 18 to 20 bars or so; mostly gogos; and there was the legendary Woodstock bar, the famous music club. On the left side there was the Swiss restaurant Matterhorn and on the right a travel agency and many free and empty spaces, “black holesâ€. On the third floor there were no bars; there was the Nana Guest House with short time rooms, and opposite a dubious massage parlor.

The bars like Sexy Nights, DC-10, Spider’s Web, Hogs Breath, Farlang Connection etc. were relatively small, a little bit shabby, but beverages and lady drinks, barfines and the girls were cheap! The atmosphere was great and the girls willing and had great attitude!

 

Singha beer 50 to 60 Baht, lady drink same, barfine 200 to 300 Baht, ST 500 Baht, LT 1000 Baht.

 

According to my experiences there have been working about 400 girls at that time in the bars of the plaza. All those bars were owned and managed by Thai ladies or by some stranded farlangs.

Oh memories, sweet memories.

Three, four years later – around 1995 - professional companies (investors) came like the Hollywood Group, the Crown Group, and the Rainbow Group with some money in the back. They wanted to transform the gogo bars into profit centers. The new bars got larger, more modern with a modernistic interior; and many more girls.

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. German: Nichts geht mehr.

 

In the first years of the new decade there were about 35 bars or more and – according to my experiences – with about 2.000 girls working in the bars. The Nana Plaza had reached its highest point, its peak.

The last 3 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.

 

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€.

 

 

The first thesis:

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

 

Pattaya

A short look at Pattaya. 20 years ago Pattaya had about 25 gogo bars. Today maybe 70!!!

The numbers of beer bars increased too.

According to my calculations and experiences in the beginning of the nineties there have been working about 10.000 girls in Pattaya; in the last years maybe 15.000 or 20.000 girls. My personal estimation.

 

But:

What began in Bangkok, spilled over to Pattaya a few years later .

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

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

 

The thesis:

The decline, the descent of Pattaya’s P4P scene has begun.

 

 

Bakwahn

Hamburg Duesseldorf Bangkok

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Part 3: Explanation:

 

As long as the western countries (inclusive Japan) have been growing national economies with high employment and good income for industry workers and employees the Thai P4P scene has been growing steadily: more bars, more girls.

For about 2 or 3 years the Thai bar scene is not only stagnant but decreasing. Why?

Explanation 1: The Decline of the West - Money crisis

In the year 2007 the money crisis came. Since that time the western world and its economy is in a crisis-shaken economical and financial situation: The western-wide bank crisis and money crisis (Lehman Brothers, Euro crisis, property bubble etc.), and the global economy crisis with high unemployment around the world (especially in the USA) are leaving negative marks and disastrous effects, catastrophic fallouts on most western countries.

 

Explanation 2: The Decline of the West - job crisis

For about 15 years the western countries have lost millions and millions of industry jobs to economical rising countries like China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia etc. and Thailand too!!! Those jobs for low skilled workers and employees will never come back! In the same time the western countries were not able to create enough jobs in the service sector. The main looser of loss of jobs have been the USA. That is globalization!

 

Explanation 3: The Decline of the West - very low currency exchange rates

The fallen rate of exchange for western currencies is a natural consequence of the western decline. In the good times I got 50 Baht for one Euro. Today I get about 39 Baht.

 

Explanation 4: The Decline of the West - stagnation of income

In Germany workers and employees did not get a rise of their wages and salaries for about 10 years. It was the policy of our government, the trade unions and employers to safeguard jobs. It was a good idea as we can see now. Germany is developing very well in the moment, but we earn the same money as 10 years ago.

 

 

Reasons concerning Thailand:

Reason 1: the positive economic development of the last decades

Thailand has been changed from a Third World Country into a well emerging nation! The Thai economy has millions of new jobs in the industry and the service sector; well paid for Thai standards; and the economy is growing. So there are more jobs for millions of Thais; for our girls too.

Reason 2: inflation, general rise in prices

The prices for accommodation, food and beverages, living expenses etc. increased noticeably in the last years. Thailand has become more expensive.

That corresponds with the stagnant western wages and the bad rate of exchange.

In the first years of the 90ties you needed for a good day (hotel, bar hopping, drinking and a girl for the night) about 100 US-Dollars. Today you need about 250 Dollars to buy the same!

Reason 3: negative demographic development

Since 1985 Siam has a fallen birthrate. Since that year the numbers of girls, who would work in a bar, is decreasing. Slowly, very slowly but surely the supply of girls will decrease. The raising living standard, higher incomes and better job opportunities together with the negative demographic development will change the sanuk- and bar-scene substantially.

Girls in the P4P and bar scene will be slowly dwindling away, and their services will be more expensive for bar owners and for us sanukers as well.

 

Closing statement, wrap-up:

For about some years we are witnesses of the unstoppable Swansong, of the doom, the Goetterdaemmerung of the P4P scene, the bar and sanuk scene: fewer girls, higher prices.

Sanuk will be no longer affordable for many of us.

 

Any further proofs? Look at this board: it is dead.

 

Bakwahn

Hamburg Duesseldorf Bangkok

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