ST rates drop to 800 baht!

[jadeite]

According to the news, the political fiasco has reduced the short time fare:

Prostitutes offer two hours of sexual services for 800 baht instead of the normal 1,500 to 2,000 baht

Read about it here.

[Stogie]

Bangkok's red light district suffers from political chaos

7 hours ago

BANGKOK (AFP) €” The go-go bars are empty and sex is on sale at half price as Bangkok's infamous red light districts suffer from a blockade of the capital's airports.

"It's high season, but now it's like low season," said Nan, a scantily-clad hostess at one deserted nightspot in the Thai capital's notorious Patpong area.

An old man played guitar and sang along to a karaoke machine inside. Outside, beneath the pink neon, about 10 women in almost identical low-cut dresses tried to drum up trade.

Although anti-government protesters have ended an eight-day siege of Bangkok's airports, the effect of Thailand's ongoing political chaos on the tourism industry is devastating.

Sex tourism is no exception. Patpong depends on foreigners to keep afloat, but as the 350,000 air travellers stranded by the airport closures rush to leave Thailand, replacements are not coming in.

"Now Thailand has a problem -- no customers," said Lam, a man who works for Nan's bar, luring tourists in off the streets by posing as a friendly Thai offering unsolicited advice on good places to go.

Lam is hopeful the trade will return to Patpong, a lurid strip of live shows and sleazy nightlife.

"It is because of the airport, but now the airport is all clear," he said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is not so optimistic.

The group expects incoming travellers in 2009 to be half the 14.8 million the kingdom saw last year, with word of the protests causing tourists considering a trip to Thailand to book elsewhere.

At the normally standing-room-only "ping-pong" shows, five or six women swarm each new arrival. Some are following the example of Thailand's resorts and luxury hotels by offering discounted rates.

Prostitutes offer two hours of sexual services for 800 baht (about 22 dollars) instead of the normal 1,500 to 2,000 baht that would cost.

The airport closures also hurt Bangkok's other entertainment options, such as the famous "ladyboy" cabaret shows.

"The shutdown of the airports seriously affected our business," said Nipon Boonmasuwaran, sales and marketing manager of the Calypso show in Bangkok, where flamboyantly-dressed transvestites lip-sync and dance to famous tunes.

"Our guests have dropped 90 percent -- we have less than 50 guests in our 350-seat theatre," Nipon said.

The Calypso also cancelled its second daily showing during the November 25-December 3 chaos, when images of frustrated tourists trying to flee Thailand from a military airbase beamed around the world.

"We handed out thousands of free tickets for the stranded hotel guests in order to entertain them and hope that they would buy drinks -- otherwise we will have no business," he said.

"Since re-opening of the airports business is trickling in but very slow," adding that guests normally came from Europe -- especially the Netherlands and Belgium -- and Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

The blockade may have brought in some extra trade.

American tourists Lisa Richardson, 30, and Michael Latham, 29, said they would never have come to Patpong had they not been stranded in Bangkok.

"Being stuck for an extra week convinced us to spend time and money on things we wouldn't have normally -- ping-pong shows for example," said Latham.

But he said that he felt for Thais whose livelihood was being hit, adding: "they're hurt so much worse than we are and it just hurts to see," Latham said.

Thailand was until 2005 the world's leading destination for sex tourists, when its crown was taken by Brazil, according to Interpol.

Although prostitution is officially illegal in Thailand, estimates for the number of sex workers range from 80 000 to two million women and men.

At her Patpong bar, Nan says she hopes the tourists return soon, as she sends the money she earns back to her family near the Cambodian border.

"Maybe in 15 days, a month it comes back," she said.

[sev7en]

Yay!!! Lucky all cheapcharlies saving 20 bucks

[Stogie]

"Being stuck for an extra week convinced us to spend time and money on things we wouldn't have normally -- ping-pong shows for example,"

Every cloud...

[rxpharm]

Had a chat with my lb companions of choice - they have said the mamasans were talking about the bars closing for a month or two if business stays slow, over the not "high season". If this happens, you can imagine a flood of low price freelancers on the streets.

[Tomcat]

I spoke to Trailfinders two days ago and they said that the flights for the Xmas period were still mainly full on EVA and that they had very few cancellations over this period... even with the problems

EVA flights are pretty mixed and not all sex tourists but my guess is that is will pick up for our friends..I hope so

[robbo]

dont keep those hopes up,it could be that only now is the world economic depression is starting to bite,for sure the airport chaos had an impact,but most airpassengers arent sex tourist,with many western countries now begining to go into depression,many losing jobs,how can you not expect this to impact on visitor numbers.going to LOS is not a cheap affair even for sex tourist,they probably spend more than your average tourist........and they gota find that money from somewhere........no job = no honey

[robbo]

sukhumvit will be a freelancer supermarket...........buy one get one free?

[Stogie]

I wouldn't do those pudgy female hookers for free. And why aren't they at home taking care of their teenage kids! Yuk!

There are far more better looking girls in the mall and on the buses than there are working the bars of Patpong or Nana.

It's very very rarely that I actually get turned on by a female hooker... in fact it hasn't happened for many years now. Overweight, old, used retreads are not sexy!

Still - if you are from another country and pretty drunk I suppose it'll do for you.

Only ladyboys have what it takes...

[Tomcat]

(jadeite @ Dec. 07 2008,18:43) Prostitutes offer two hours of sexual services for 800 baht instead of the normal 1,500 to 2,000 baht

ha ha... the GG Hooker

So thats 30 minutes to get back to the Hotel.

Another 30 minutes for the showering followed by the usual extraneous frivolities like the tune the TV fiasco to find the music channel plus the look in mini bar

That leaves 10 minutes on the stopwatch to stick your dick in a vag that has seen at least three babies heads in passage...

[alibaba]

That sounds like the times in the early 80th`s. At that time I paid for one night 500 baht.

[Stogie]

That's what billy pays now!

[jimslim]

If those girls in the pics are anything to go by 800 baht is still a little on the high side .

The dead dog in the foreground looks more appealing

[robbo]

(Stogie @ Dec. 07 2008,19:31) I wouldn't do those pudgy female hookers for free. And why aren't they at home taking care of their teenage kids! Yuk!

There are far more better looking girls in the mall and on the buses than there are working the bars of Patpong or Nana.

It's very very rarely that I actually get turned on by a female hooker... in fact it hasn't happened for many years now. Overweight, old, used retreads are not sexy!

Still - if you are from another country and pretty drunk I suppose it'll do for you.

Only ladyboys have what it takes...  

wow stogie mate you got one on there mate,as for the record ive met and been with some real sexy GG,s in BKK,some nice lookers and damn hot in the sack to mate,by the same token ive been with some LB,s outa some of the nana haunts............and they were shite in the sack!,so its no good generalising.
also if you live in LOS then youve plenty of time to spare wandering around the shopping malls uggggggg! trying to catch the eye of the odd cutie then spend days chatting her up the dating then mayby....... by then its time for me to get my flight home mate..whats the fuckin point in that?may as well stay at home.point is i, like a lota guys may only have a few weeks to spare, going to bars,gogo,s etc is a quick way to eye up n hook up,i also happen to like goin out n havin a beer n mixing/listening to the music and ogglin,basically chillin out........im not ready for my zimmer frame yet!

[katoeylover]

(Tomcat @ Dec. 07 2008,12:52) I spoke to Trailfinders two days ago and they said that the flights for the Xmas period were still mainly full on EVA and that they had very few cancellations over this period... even with the problems

EVA flights are pretty mixed and not all sex tourists but my guess is that is will pick up for our friends..I hope so

Many places on these flights, at this time, are people heading to and from europe to Australia and NZ, to meet with family for the Xmas Holiday.

Few are whorists, as this is seen as an expensive time to go.