Bangkok go-go bars in Patpong

[Richard]

I just saw this article in the on-line edition of the Bangkok Post. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/14600/more-than-just-a-gigolo

 

I have been to Bangkok a number of times, but the only muscle bar I know of is called the Tawan and it's a few blocks from Patpong. This one is open to both men and women to hire. Here's the opening lines of the article:

 

Tanned burly men in white boxer shorts and striking crew cuts gyrate suggestively to a dance number. The low-rise stage offers the audience a close-up view of the muscular men, capturing the attention of male and female patrons seated on a row of sofas

 

Do any of the experienced Thailand visitors know of the names of the bars to which the article refers? When I cut through the Patpong on my way to the boy bars, I have the impression that the Patpong bars were all girls or lady boys working there.

 

Thanks.

[+ Lucky]

The article comes to troubling conclusions:

Judging from the male sex workers we spoke to, it was pretty evident that most of them took drugs and alcohol to get them through the day. Most are shy and introverted at the beginning. Encouraging customers to buy them drinks is the first step to getting better acquainted. They get a meagre 50 baht from each 150 baht priced drink. After hitting it off with a potential customer, the price _ which can range from 1,500 baht up _ is fixed, the customer decides on the venue. A ''bar fine'', a cover charge of 500 baht, is paid to the bar before they are allowed to leave with the customer. The more effeminate men are sometimes physically abused by their male clients. Reporting them to the police is futile, said doll-faced Kai, and showed us a purple bruise on his left arm. This is part and parcel of working in this industry, he lamented matter-of-factly. Despite his gay tendencies, Kai admitted that women are more gentle and nicer to be with.

 

The services offered to some male and female clients don't always take a sexual nature, said a handful who were interviewed by Spectrum. Clubbing, followed by dinner and an oil massage. Most women sex tourists are very precise about how they want to be pleased _ often preferring oral sex to other services. The working environment in most clubs looked rather stuffy and crowded, with narrow exits and windows that could be a problem in the event of fire. As customers are allowed to smoke inside, flammable objects such as thick curtains and cardboard boxes stored near the bar area were points of concern.

 

We left the bars of Patpong with a heavy heart _ hoping and praying state agencies would find it in their heart to safeguard the interests of these sex workers, most of whom would not risk their health if given an opportunity to make a good living.