Jomtien Complex is Gay Pattaya (if only by default)

[Gaybutton]

As for freelancers, presumably they just show up at the bar when they feel like it ?

That's right.

[Up2u]

There's a lot of bars in the Jomtien complex and I am familiar with Sun, Home, 3Bb, BC and 4T. Their similarities are greater than their differences which is usually how much of the staff is foreign. Many of these bars you can find the owner on the premises if you have an issue or comment, besides the manager. Yes, the boys sit on the street level and entice you to enter if they're not looking at their phones. It's up to the customer to take the initiative if they want company and if I was the bar owner I would tell my staff not to approach customers and ask to buy you a drink, no high pressure. Two nights ago a farang entered, sat down, opened a bottle to share and was joined by six boys. He was in control, as it should be.

[thaifarang]

If you are single and want company simply ask a boy to sit with you and buy him a drink.

This is what I do. But after 5-10 minutes I have nothing to say anymore and the boy also doesn't have anything to say anymore. So it becomes a bit awkward. I see this often when I watch other single farangs in bars who are sitting with a boy. Often they sit next to each other, the boy playing with his phone or looking around, but there isn't much mutual interaction going on between the Farang and the boy, besides the occasional huddle/kiss.

So what I do I chat 5 minutes to get a feeling if I want to off him, if so I talk what he will do and about the price and off him. I never sit 30 minutes with a boy alone next to me because it soon turns awkward because of lack of conversation. I see other single Farangs do that, they sit easily 30 minutes with a boy, the last 20 of which look awkward when you watch closely. Because of lack of any interaction between the two and the boy often looking bored.

It is different when there is group of farangs sitting together with boys. But a single farang with a boy in a bar it starts looking awkward soon. No one else has that experience when they watch others?

[Gaybutton]

No one else has that experience when they watch others?

I don't. I have no way of knowing how long a farang may already have been sitting with a boy. I also don't watch other farang, especially if he is sitting with a boy. I'm watching the boys who are available.

I can certainly see how it can become awkward after you get past the "What you name?" "Where you come from?" and "Where you stay?" if you can't speak any Thai and he can't speak any English. It can be a little helpful if you have a Thai-English translator stand alone unit (plenty of those available at Tuk Com) or a translator installed on a smartphone.

What are your suggestions, folks?