Early Warning Radar in Angeles City
I read again a contrasting experience to my own this morning. Matthew's last report about stampeding bargirls was within 9 days of my trip before last and the one today is fairly close to my return flight of the 23rd of August after a 2-week tour.
It is hard to determine the purpose of such statements. Atlantis had hundreds of girls there on the 23rd August and Dollhouse seemed to have over 150. Does the writer own bars in Pattaya? I have to wonder how both of those bars had 75% less women than when I was there.
My perspective may be different as I am, I think, much older. But, I do not buy bar managers drinks nor play the VIP game. Nor am I out until 3 AM. If I do not find what I like, I just forget it, the same as I do here in Pattaya. But then I am older. And over ten years pretty steady on this game.
In Angeles in July, I saw the multiple drink bar fine and the statements one has to sign. I did in Q bar, my personal favorite but all of the actions were explained to me as the usual dog and pony show for Manila getting funds from America. There are terrific stories going around, very creative. I even heard that if you are caught in a room with a girl 15 years younger, you are going to jail. Since I am generally 45 years or more older I did read them, but no one THERE validates such, and the fellow I get I do from have lived there over ten years and are right around my age.
I am sure sorry all our writer saw were 5s and I wonder why he stayed out in such terrible conditions until 3AM. But at least that stampede happened after I left and before he got there. It is fine with me if guys prefer Pattaya over Angeles City as I stay in both.
Regarding Pattaya, it would also have less customers now in low season were it not for Russians, Chinese, Indians, Japanese and so on. Respite from Tokyo prices, and Arabs, none of who I have anything to do with other than steering clear of their way.
While I was there, US Marines were out bargaining hotties like crazy which meant I had to go out between 8 and 9 PM. Maybe the US invaded the Philippines after my flight in the 24th?
I bear no ill will towards the writer, I just think he is mostly a drinker and likes the Thailand scene AND hopefully he speaks good Thai otherwise it can get maddening. I have fun in Thailand as well. And we all know Thailand does not get typhoons which makes things a bit nicer.
So I assume he went to back up his prior claim that mongering is over in Angeles City. Does anyone else remember in 2002 Pattaya's claim it will be a family only city in a few short years? <Some would say it almost is now – Stick>
Anyone who bets against prostitution in third world countries must be either naive or have some bizarre motivation behind such thoughts. The world's oldest profession will not die until we are neutered.
I recommend Matthew meet me in Angeles in late October and I will show him 9s and if early enough, a 10 or two. Then he can either take one or get drunk with VIPs.
He will infer that his tour of Angeles City bars is objective, but it cannot be unless there was a stampede of hookers leaving town after I left on August 24th. When I went out on the 23rd of August, both Dollhouse and Atlantis seemed up to their normal capacity to me. His 75% reduction in girls present estimate indicates the drinks may have been too strong, or perhaps some plague occurred among the 6's, 7's, 8' s, 9's, and the ever elusive TENs to be ravaged in less that two weeks and left with 5s.
I own no bar in Angeles or anywhere and I have no interest in defending the bar scene. I am not a drinker nor do I stay out late enough to witness the horrors of 5's dominating the bars. I just like the easy access to girls.
Drunken tales tend to bore me as I drank long ago (27 years) and know that world. You will not find me buying bar managers drinks unless there is a specific girl whose performance I am curious about. VIP means one who pays more to me and I am not in the bars late as I am there to get what I want and that doesn't include drunken bragging conversations.
Angeles has its controversy and many blogs from Harry the Horse on across the spectrum of opinions can be studied. But how about one's own experience if one prefers mongering over drinking? As we age we become less enameled with the superficial. After 10 years in Thailand I find the Philippines a refreshing change of pace. I have not left Thailand and doubt I will, but it sure is pleasant to speak English with ladies and spend half as much.
Sweeping generalizations can get us all into trouble. But grandiosity is annoying. How can one justify their observations by saying that although repulsed one stays in the bar until 3 AM? Oh, is that a supporting statement for knowledge? "I studied the scene all night!"
I took issue with the stampede as I had just left there. The same thing this time. I saw a packed Atlantis with the Koreans sticking money in those long balloons and watching the girls grovel, less than two weeks ago.
In other words…it won't help your Thai bar making up exaggerations about some other city. If that is the motivation for such venom, getting great girls is a better idea. I was in Pattaya's Gentlemen's Club last night and yes, it had many great looking, happy girls.
Mongering in Angeles may be over for 80-year old Harry the Horse or today's writer at Stickman, but no one ever won a bet against prostitution.
To the writer who is an expert on Angeles City, meet me there the last week in October and I will get you on the town between 8 and 9 PM and show you the 9's you missed on the late night drinking tour. I am sure you can be a nice guy and I will leave before you are drunk.
Maybe the town is better for older guys like me, but I watched young US Marines bargaining on the early shift as well. What troubles me is why a guy goes there repeatedly when he has a clearly negative mindset about the place. Personally, I do not have to see Buriram to never, ever go there.
It is one thing to seek controversy by half baked generalizations, but not reporting factually is quite another.
If I am wrong I can admit it. I have seen the trays of drinks and the forms to sign in my favorite bar there, The Q Bar. But I still pay bar fines and have a better time in general than on Walking Street. The other Pattaya guys I know enjoy it over there more in that aspect as well. They most often say they prefer the infrastructure here and the seemingly safer environment and the food. Also, the bars can have generally leaner girls than the Jollibee (not a bar, a fast food franchise) influence.
I like being able to converse with the girls and have laughs where you actually are both laughing about the same subject, as do many other old boys.
Good for the young guys who can afford gogo girls in Pattaya and Bangkok, even Patong Beach for the wealthy Scandinavians. It is just easier on me than Thailand but I am still here and a long time regular is here right this moment, cleaning. Good girl.
They say experts are anyone from a hundred miles out of town. Certainly he who condemns Angeles and says it is over and all these exaggerated numbers has a lovely time in Thailand full time for many years and speaks great Thai. Is that so?
I hope this creates enough annoyance that the expert will meet me there in late October and try and convince me of how horrible it is. I cannot write to the man because he wishes to not be contacted. Somehow I think this will get a response :))
We can all enjoy the sexpat experience both here and there. But when one attacks another with obvious distortions I wonder why?
Stickman's thoughts:
Interesting response. I preface my comments with the fact that I have never been to Angeles City (and probably won't ever).
What I find most interesting about your contentions with Matthew concern the number of women in the bars and the perceived attractiveness of them. First of all, it's quite possible that you're both right – that when you were there it was busy with pretty girls and when Matthew it was quiet with few girls. Perceptions? Early evening versus late evening? There are plenty of plausible scenarios to explain how you could both be right.
What I find interesting is that there is conjecture over whether barfines can be paid. I did some investigating and from a well-known and respected expat resident in Angeles I can confirm that OFFICIALLY barfining is not possible even though it is still happening, which makes the situation totally contradictory. It seems that bars have their own 'work around' but if they are suspicious of you, the bottom line is that it may not be possible. That's what Matthew experienced and apparently that's what some others are experiencing too. I would have thought that would have been the bigger issue here.
