I am in Pattaya, using the Internet in the overpriced place in Royal Garden shopping centre. It is raining outside.
When I was here in December it was the Russian season. Now it is the Indian season. Just as Thailand is fading in the eyes of Western tourists Thailand gets lucky and Indians and Chinese come in larger numbers. These must be the “quality tourists” Thaksin spoke about.
Prices are up. The Economist magazine has its Big Mac index. I prefer the Burger King index. When I moved to Thailand in 2002 a Double Whopper Meal was either 129 B or 139, I can’t remember. But around 18 months ago it was 159 B. Then they changed it to 199 B. Now it is 209 B.
The Thai baht is up too the last few months, around 10% to many Western currencies. With quite strong inflation in Thailand the Thai baht should if anything drop, but has not. I saw this in the 1990ies too, and then it ended with a loud crash.
I ran into a former “waiter” in Sunnee Plaza. He correctly said I had known him for four years. Pattaya has changed, complained the waiter. His customers don’t recognise him anymore. He is not getting enough offers.
I am afraid Pattaya is the same while he is getting older and less attractive. Now he considers becoming a waiter for real. I said that was a good idea.
I also met another familiar face from a few years back, a former Number One Off go-go boy. It is just three years ago, but what used to be a sweet face with irresistable looks and charm is now a rough, tatoo-covered guy with an half-criminal air about him.
Time is not kind to the “service boys” in Pattaya. I compare them to other young men I know, people with ordinary jobs, and the ones in Pattaya seem to be in an aging accelerator. The x-waiter also spoke about how some of his friends were dead now. Suicides, accidents, drugs, murder, Aids. The money is good for the working boys but many of them pay dearly for their short career.
March 20th, 2006 at 4:36 am
I think it depends on the Guy and the Farang.
Ah Thai men, don’t you love them!!!
I am just back from BKK. Saw my special friend, who I met 5 years ago in a Go-Go Bar. Now he is 35 and still very handsome, in a manly way!!
Only thing, when I met him, I “thought” he told me he was 25. How did he age 10 years in only 5???
March 20th, 2006 at 8:32 am
I’m not sure if you are willfully misunderstanding the purpose of the Economist’s Big Mac Index or not, but it’s purpose is to measure what is the true exchange rate to the US dollar of all of the countries listed. Your “Burger King Index” is a measure (supposedly) of price inflation inside Thailand. However burgers are not local food, so wouldn’t a more appropriate measure be the “fried rice index” measured at a local food stall? On that basis there has been price inflation of around 50% over the last 10 years
An alternative measure would be the “tip for sex index” measured against the US dollar. When I first came to Thailand it was 500 baht - approximately USD20. It then moved to 1000, but after the currency crisis of 1997/8 that wasn’t a big jump - approximately USD25 or 20% in nearly 10 years. Another (almost) 10 years on to today, it’s 1500 baht - roughly USD40, so a price inflation of 100% in 18 years. I’d say that’s a more realistic view of Thai price inflation
March 20th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
Colonel,
I am aware of the purpose of the Big Mac index. My Burger King index is not for exchange rates, but for domestic inflation in Thailand.
Thank you for introducing the Moneyboy Index. May I ask if this is based on barboys? I have the impression that street boy are cheaper.
March 20th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Anonymous,
Indeed some seem to age well, you might even say they seem to thrive in the moneyboy business. People are different. It makes me wonder if those who get problems do so because of the sex selling job as such, or because of other factors they carry with them. Which again makes me ask who are reqruited to the trade and for what reasons… it hard to tell cause from effect here.
March 20th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
It’s based on gay.com but also bar boys, where the Soi Twilight price is 1500+ and the Soi 6 is 1000+
At my last orgy (all organised via gay.com and gaydar) prices ranged from zero (”I don’t need the money”) to 1500. I did knock back one gaydar request for 3000 from someone I’ve had before, on the basis that he certainly wasn’t worth two of anyone else