was in bkk this pst wkd .. samo samo , which is fine with me.

shocked to find that at the height of the low season and problems everywhere the BBB group has decided to raise Off fee to 500 bahts. can't blame a Thai mentality as the BBB is foreign owned. i suppose in face of inflation and since i stay for only a few, it's OK but still ..

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People will pay it. It's therefore good business sense.

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-- Agreed - possibly first timers, newbies and those who can't find suitable partners ON-Line; but I doubt if frequent visitors will continue to pay-up.
- Although we outsiders to BBB. Gp's financial reports shall never know, it would be interesting to learn if a similar numbers of spectators continue to take-out the boyz at that price?
-- ??? Bibi.. --

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Went into Boys Bangkok on sunday night just before 10pm. Ordered my drink and shortly, mamasan told me to proceed upstairs to Dream Boy for the show. Was told that they show is bigger.... all bullshit! What they are trying to do is save money by having just having one show at each bar. They used to have 2 shows at each of the bars. After the show at Dream Boy, I sat down for a while and an annoucement was made to ask customers to go downstairs at Boys Bangkok for show!!!!
When I told the mamasan that its rediculous to keep on increasing the off fees. He say they can't help it as the police are demanding for higher pay offs. For the past 2 weeks, there hasn't been any fuck shows in all the bars as the police has been harassing them. True or not, I just listen to him.
THe BBB group, were the first one the increase the off fees to bht400 last time and also increase the price of drinks. So, I presume the other bars will be following suit.

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There has been no special show for about a month if my random visits are anything to go by.

A European looking gentleman does some touting as well while vigorously chewing and looking anxious.One night he threw up his hands in frustration at the empty seats.I think he is an owner and seems to be liked by the staff.

Last time the well-endowed show was done in briefs.

Is this a lull or long payment standoff ?

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Brief Encounter,

According to some of the dancers at Dream Boys, about 3-4 weeks ago, the police raided Future Boys during one of their sex shows. (How they could EVER get past all of the touts is beyond me....) So, since that raid, the shows have calmed down quite a bit. But, this is cyclical. It happens all the time. The bold shows will be off for awhile...the owners will then pay the police what they are demanding...and everything will go back to normal.

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"Normal" changes over time too. Things may arrive at a new modus vivendi, but it may not be quite like the old.

The above few posts together seem to be revealing what is really happening. Right in the middle of the low season, the police decide they need to increase their cut of the business. They raid and threaten to continue raiding until owners pay up the new "tax". To balance the budget, bar owners raise the off fee and cut back on show costs.

A new modus vivendi will indeed be arrived at in time, but it will be different in some way from the old. Costs will be higher and the reputation for show-reliability damaged.

By "reliability", I mean the certainty in visitors' minds as to whether, when they come to Bangkok, they'd get the kind of "interesting" shows they are looking forward to. A visitor who has only a few days in Bangkok will be greatly disappointed if he does not get any show, and this disappointment will factor into his decision whether to make a next trip or go somewhere else.

Both cost-wise and reliability-wise, there will be a tipping point. Perhaps 500 baht as the off fee is something people will get used to. Perhaps 600. But common sense tells us, it cannot be going up 100 baht every year without there being some long-term repercussions. There will be a tipping point somewhere though you won't know until you've hit it.

Same with the reliability reputation. How much damage can it take without long term effects?

The greed of the police may well be slowly killing the business.

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Greed is what makes this game go 'round. People want the police to look the other way when it comes to what are clearly 100% illegal activities -- but expect them to do it on the cheap. Vice always comes at a cost -- and that cost is rarely cheap. Enjoy it now, at whatever price, because one day it will no longer be there.

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During this time Jupiter and X have had "reveal all"shows,though not special shows.

One wonders if the police excuse isn't just being trotted out by staff.I simply don't know but I think some businesses like to experiment with meaness,oops,rational economics a lot.And that new sign outside about amalgamations of shows would have to be organised a little ahead of the current situation.The anxiety about small crowds was palpable the week before the crackdown.

keeping an open mind.

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