I don't know much about Jupiter, but in general if someone were to open a bar that consistently and reliably offered a higher quality of service, both in terms of the attractiveness of the boys and their performance/behavior, I would think that could be a good thing even if it meant higher fees and minimum tips.

Although charges and minimum tips at massage places like Hero are relatively high, I would rather travel some distance by Skytrain and pay the higher amounts there knowing that the boys were attractive and there was no doubt what was on offer. Spending 1/3 the amount at a cheaper place where the majority of boys were unattractive & inept, hoping that I might get lucky is to me a false economy and a gamble.

Likewise, if some go-go or host bar charged higher fees (or maybe a membership charge) and had a minimum tip AND the boys were well trained to satisfy the customers, the boys there would probably be better compensated and, like Hero, they would probably have a steady clientele of resident farang and locals. I know the supposition made was that it was just greedy mamasans, but in most bars the mamasan gets a kick-back from the boys. If the Mamasans are simply greedy for no reason, then business will suffer.

When this topic was raised somewhere else I seem to recall someone saying that the minimum only applied to customers they did not know and was set to provide some protection for the boys.
The report that I read about Jupiter made it sound like the boys were arrogant, had very high opinions of themselves and were poor performers once off’d. I used to read similar comments about Tawan, although I never found it to be true. Reports like this can be a good starting point especially for newbies, but I quite often find the reality to be quite different from what was reported.

If I get to Bangkok later this week as planned, I may pay Jupiter a visit to see what it’s like and maybe others could also post their experiences here. The more reports made the better the chance they will present an accurate assessment.

If it takes higher fees and minimum tips to get a higher standard of service, I’m all for it. The tourists and bargain shoppers can search for cheap drinks and mind-numbing sexy shows elsewhere, and those who are willing to spend a bit more might have an alternative venue.

If Jupiter’s boys simply have a bloated opinion of themselves for no reason, that would be a shame, but how have they managed to stay in business so long (I think I’ve heard the name for years??) if they aren’t providing what people want?

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