Foreign Labor in Thailand, including at Go-Go Bars

[Jun]

In this context, the Sugar Daddies are simply not here anymore.

Why is that ?
The only reason I see is the strong baht, which means your average middle-class westerner needs to be slightly more careful with his expenditure. However, there are plenty of quite rich westerners, so I would still expect some of them to roll up in Thailand.

Filipinos seem particularly keen on looking for sugar daddies via the apps. I think Thais are doing this too, but if I get any inkling they are looking for a long term sugar daddy, I move on & haven't been counting.

Incidentally, if Thais don't want to work in the gogo bars, it would do no harm if a few more Filipinos made it across to Thailand to take their place.

[fountainhall]

Incidentally, if Thais don't want to work in the gogo bars, it would do no harm if a few more Filipinos made it across to Thailand to take their place.

Would it be easier for Filipinos to find longer term visas? I suspect not. So the cost of constantly flying in and out of Thailand would presumably be prohibitive. Filipinos get 30 days visa-free on arrival but they are still subject to the rule not usually applied - the need to have a confirmed non-changeable air ticket out of the country. I have a feeling that if an 18 or 19 year old cute guy turns up at BKK on his own planning to stay for 30 days, the Immigration officer is going to ask quite a number of questions, including how he will finance his visit, and also see that return ticket.

[Dodger]

In this context, the Sugar Daddies are simply not here anymore.

Why is that ?
The only reason I see is the strong baht, which means your average middle-class westerner needs to be slightly more careful with his expenditure. However, there are plenty of quite rich westerners, so I would still expect some of them to roll up in Thailand.

Better stated:... "Sugar Daddies are not as abundant as before."

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there simply aren't as many high-rollers visiting Thailand anymore. The "Golden Years" for the working boys (and girls) are over.

[Bangkokian]

I have not heard of raids in Bangkok since the closure of Soi Twilight. But there were a few in the couple of years before then.

It's best not to know too much or ask questions but most of the Bangkok gay gogo bars are either fully owned or partly owned (acquired) by the police, so I'm told but my official line is, I know nothing.

Owned or partly owned by their wives or mia nois. I also know nothing .

[werner99]

"Sugar Daddies are not as abundant as before."

I wonder whether such is the case. Some money boys continue to look for sugar daddies, who now seem to be available in many nationalities, including millionaires [if not billionaires] from Singapore, Taiwan, HK, the Russian Federation, the Chinese mainland, as well as Thailand.

Moreover, a number of sugar mommies prowl the bars, especially Moonlight and Jupiter, and some guys have received their generous patronage.

[Jun]

Regarding the "Sugar Daddies", the following graph might give some ideas why there are fewer of them.
There is quite an astonishing increase in employment rates in Europe amongst 55~64 year olds. If tied to a job for 45+ weeks per year, it doesn't make sense to be a sugar daddy in Thailand.
Why that's happened is possibly one for another thread.

[fountainhall]

I believe sugar daddies are as abundant as ever in Thailand. For westerners, the problem is we have a tendency to look at this country through blindfolds with tiny holes in them. We assume only well-off tourists fit into this category. There are many Thai sugar daddies, only their affections are centred and their cash splashed on younger professional Thais - not on those we would describe as money boys. I have met one well-known entertainment promoter who purchased a house close to his office where his young proteges, all extremely good-looking budding TV actors, live. He is married with two children, but very much a successful professional who is primarily gay. Discussions over many years with other well-off professional Thais have thrown up the names of quite a number of other such Thai sugar daddies, far from all in the entertainment industry.

I am sure this has always been the case for many decades.

[gera]

I believe sugar daddies are as abundant as ever in Thailand.

But even your post indicates that Thai sugar daddies are not looking for their proteges in go go bars. They do not need to. The same is true for billionaires and millionaires of any nationality. They do not need to travel to Thailand to satisfy their sexual cravings (e.g. , refer to your own post about Japanese boy). What is really shrinking is middle class everywhere in the West and this is the major source of sugar daddies in Thailand. As for Chinese, I am yet to come across any Chinese sponsoring Thai boy long term. By the way, digressing, Chinese are totally dominant tourist crowd in Pattaya at the moment. Pattaya would be virtually empty otherwise. I still maintain that they do not spend 200 USD per day on average. Take a stroll in Terminal 21. Yes, Chinese are WALKING everywhere but not buying anything or eating in restaurants.

[werner99]

Thai sugar daddies are not looking for their proteges in go go bars. They do not need to. The same is true for billionaires and millionaires of any nationality. They do not need to travel to Thailand to satisfy their sexual cravings. What is really shrinking is middle class everywhere in the West and this is the major source of sugar daddies in Thailand.

You are correct about all of this.

But perhaps the shrinking middle class in the West is a major source of sugar daddies rather than the major source.

[Jun]

Thai sugar daddies are not looking for their proteges in go go bars. They do not need to. The same is true for billionaires and millionaires of any nationality. They do not need to travel to Thailand to satisfy their sexual cravings. What is really shrinking is middle class everywhere in the West and this is the major source of sugar daddies in Thailand.

You are correct about all of this.

But perhaps the shrinking middle class in the West is a major source of sugar daddies rather than the major source.

I'm not sure the boys looking for sugar daddies would do so in the bar. I've had conversations with very friendly university students in saunas, which have gone well until they discovered I'm not living full time in Thailand.

As for the "shrinking" middle class, well the OECD defines "middle class" as between 75% and 200% of the national median income. So even if someone is just in the middle class bracket AND their income is keeping up with inflation, they can still drop out of the middle class bracket due to higher minimum wages and so on lifting incomes for the poorest. Likewise, the definition of poverty is based on a percentage of the usual income. So many of the people allegedly living in "poverty" are better off than the middle class from about 70 years ago.
Many of the so called Indian middle class would be "in poverty" with the same income in other countries.

As for Western sugar daddies, I suspect exchange rates might have a bigger influence than the shrinking middle classes.