RAWBangkok

Last night I went to the Resort on Ratchadapisek Road.  It was my second visit to this member club.  The differences between this visit and my first one were several.  Last night was Monday, my first trip was a Friday.  Last night I arrived sober at 9:30 pm, while on my first trip I arrived intoxicated just before midnight.

And this time I was a member.  That’s because last time, when I arrived fairly drunk and with a credit card in my wallet I paid for a 20,000 baht one-year membership.  It’s my third G-club membership, having previously been a member of the Pent Club on Wireless Road, and a current member at Sky Club on Srinakarin Road.

Let me tell you briefly about the Resort and Sky Club, both of which I visited this week.

Member clubs are designed for Asian clients, not westerners, so the girls tend to have a certain look.  They tend to be a bit taller, lighter skinned with ‘western’ features in their faces — usually a nose that isn’t as flat as the normal Thai girl.  And it’s almost unheard of to find a fat girl working in a member club.

The girls at Sky Club and Resort fit this mold.  A large percentage of the girls are university students from struggling middle class families who are trying to earn cash for the family while they study at Bangkok Uni or Ramkamhaeng University.

They may or may not speak English, but they know how to entertain.

Both venues have live music.  I prefer the selection of music at the Sky Club — a lot more of a Rock & Roll flavor — but the live music at Resort is a much better than the typical member clubs which tend to play a lot of English and Thai love ballads.  Think Celine Dion and you’d be right.

But there are few if any love ballads in sight at Resort and Sky.  It’s high energy music, with a mix of Thai and English.

When the band takes a break the DJ takes over and the coyote dancers climb the stage.  The Resort Club is a modest affair that probably seats only about 500 people, with a limited stage.  The Sky Club is at least twice as big, with a very large stage for the band, and an impressive circular ‘catwalk’ for the dancers.  That means that there are more dancers and better views at Sky Club.

I’ve heard several people say that the girls at Resort are hotter than Sky Club… some say that they are the hottest girls in town.

That may be true, but I’m here to tell you that ‘HOT’ is always a matter of taste.

Asians admire white women, and the girls on offer in these clubs reflect that.  On the positive side, they are slender, clear skinned, youthful and clear-eyed.  There’s rarely a tattoo or a body piercing to be found.  And, almost without exception, they can dance.  They are sexy.

But they aren’t brown-skinned, flat nosed, Isaan girls.  None of them.

And while Asians may look down on the poor daughters of Isaan farmers as undesirable, I have appreciate them as being among the most beautiful girls on earth.

So, while the dancers and hostesses of Sky, Resort and the other Bangkok member clubs are sexy — on the Werewolf-meter very few of them rate as highly as the small, slender brown-skinned beauties I prefer.

I appreciate the coyote dancers in the member clubs for what they are, but my heart belongs to the little brown fucking machines of lower Sukhumvit.

But I know there are people out there that will enjoy member clubs.  Live music, sexy girls, modern decor, sophisticated light shows, good food, attentive service and no cover charge make this a great night out.

The Resort is situated in the heart of the big massage parlor district on Ratchadapisek Road at the intersection with Soi 13.  It’s just a short walk from Huay Kwang MRT station.

The Sky Club is well away from the train lines and the areas frequented by most westerners.  If you visit,you are likely to be the only white face in the crowd.  To get there, take the BTS to the end of the line (Onnut station) then tell the taxi driver that you need to go to Srinakarin Road near Secon Square.  The club is actually about 300 or 400 meters past Secon Square, and it’ll be on your right.  It’s got a large neon sign with blue letters written in English, so it’s not tough to spot, but you may want to sit in the front seat of the taxi to see it easily.  The taxi will need to go about 100 meters past the club and u-turn to come back.  It’s actually not that difficult to find, as Srikakarin is a main road and Secon Square is one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok; you just need to be confident when you tell the driver to go past Secon Square if that’s the original destination you gave him when you entered the cab.

If you’re looking for something different — an upmarket treat in a real Thai environment — then try one of Bangkok’s many member clubs.

When it comes to member clubs, Resort and Sky Club both rate as Shit hOt!

So, what exactly is a member club and how do they work?

If you’ve never been to a member club and you want to know what they’re all about, go see the 2008 version of Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicholas Cage.  There are several scenes in the movie, including one long sequence in the opening third, which show the Caribbean Club — a large members club with a large stage and dozens of beautiful girls doing choreographed dance routines.

I tried to find a great photo from the movie of all the girls dancing, or even a video clip from the movie that I could embed here, but I had no luck.  This is the only photo I could find:

The focus of the photo is on the actor playing the character of Kong, but in the unfocused background you can see a slew of beauties in bikinis dancing in a Las Vegas-style show that is complete with a live band, sophisticated lighting and tight choreography.

Speaking to a friend of mine here in Bangkok the other day he commented that most people seeing the film would think that the club was a Hollywood invention of an imagined Bangkok; that nothing like this is really to be found.

I’m here to tell you that member clubs like this not only exist, but they are common around Bangkok.

They are designed for Asian clientele, but more and more westerners who enjoy the Asian lifestyle are finding their way into member clubs.

I’m one of those westerners.

So let’s clear up a few things.

If you’re idea is that ‘this is Bangkok, so in every club I go to I expect to be able to hire a hooker and take her home tonight‘ then member clubs are not for you.  The girls working in these clubs are generally dancers, not hookers.  In go go bars, the hookers dance but in member clubs the dancers don’t hook.

Can you get laid by a dancer or hostess in a member club?  Yep!  But generally you need some ‘game’ to make it happen.  If you’re the young, handsome, stylish type with some cash in your wallet you have an advantage over aging, balding, overweight go go addicts like me, but of course, everyone can try to hook up with a dancer or hostess.

But the club is primarily about ‘entertainment’ and like their stripper-cousins back in America, the girls will talk to you and tease you all night long if you’re paying the bill, but at the end of the night they’ll normally give you a hug and put you in the taxi back home.

So, point #1 is that member clubs are not brothels.

Also, member clubs are not cheap.  They’re not meant to be.  They offer a well-designed interior, comfortable decor, live music, live dancing and excellent service.  This is where Asian businessmen come to be entertained at night, and the surroundings and service reflect that.  If you’re sitting by yourself drinking from your own bottle the cost isn’t much considering what you’re getting.  There’s no cover charge for this package — one that would normally attract a healthy entrance fee back home — but where the club makes it’s money is when you want to talk to a girl.

You don’t bring your own girl to a member club.  They have hostesses and coyote dancers.  Both are available to entertain you during your visit, but you pay for their time.

The normal rate is around 270 baht every 40 minutes.  But you typically have to pay double or triple for the first 40 minutes.  Because you have your own personal mamasan who arranges any girl you like, you will also be charged a mamasan fee of 270 baht for assisting you.  If you don’t take a girl on your visit you don’t pay this fee, but really, the girls are the point.

So, here’s a quick summary of what it costs to have one girl at your table for different amounts of time:

40 minutes  (3 x 270) + 270 mamasan = 1,080 baht minimum charge (or 1,620 baht per hour)

2 hours (5 x 270) + 270 mamasan = 1,620 baht (or 810 per hour)

4 hours (8 x 270) + 270 mamasan = 2,430 baht (or 607 per hour)

So for about US$70 you can enjoy the company of a beautiful Thai girl for four hours, in a clean, modern club with great entertainment.  What will the girl do during those four hours?  Well, if she speaks English or you speak Thai then she will talk with you, and try to help you relax, laugh and have a good time.  She’ll certainly drink whatever you offer her, and if you order food she’ll most likely feed you like a baby, peeling your prawns, selecting fruit for you and generally offering every service she can think of to make you feel comfortable and special.

She got the job because she’s young and beautiful, and while she’s not expected to sleep with you, she is expected to put up with a certain amount of pawing and groping in the job.  So you can cuddle and play.  She may end up on your lap.  If she’s fairly relaxed about things you may end up kissing her or copping a feel.  One Japanese guy I know got his fingers wet at the table in Pent Club with a girl who appeared quite ready to go home with him, but at the end of the night he said goodnight and went home alone.

If your girl is a hostess, she will be in a cocktail dress and she is yours exclusively for as long as you are paying the tab.  If you have chosen a coyote dancer then her clothing will be more revealing.  She stays with you as well, but she has to dance on a specific schedule… usually two sets of around 30 to 40 minutes in a five hour shift.  You’re not charged for her time while she is dancing.

The membership itself is pretty standard at most clubs, but there are variations.  Normal memberships cost 20,000 baht for 12 months, and include ten bottles of premium brand whiskey (which can be traded for different types of alcohol, including beer, if you’re not a whiskey drinker).  At Pent and Sky Clubs the standard member brand is Chivas Regal, while Resort offers Johnny Walker Black Label.

Your memberships lasts for 12 months or until the whiskey runs out, whichever comes first.

You can try to negotiate terms such as a longer time period (if you are not a full time resident for example), different brand of spirits, or more bottles.  It doesn’t seem to be possible to negotiate a lower price.

Some clubs offer smaller or larger packages in addition to the standard 20K package.  For example, Sky Club offers 6 bottles for 10,000 baht (and their standard package is an attractive fourteen bottles for 20K).  Resort offers a 40K option.

Given the membership terms, member clubs are not a great option for the occasional Thailand visitor, though they may be satisfactory for someone who visits Thaialnd several months a year — especially if you have a company expense account for entertaining clients.  Member clubs area a great way to show foreign visitors a different part of Bangkok nightlife.

For full time residents, member clubs can offer an attractive option for nightlife.

A lot of people ask, “what’s the point is you can’t bang the girls?”

Well, the point is that it can be a fun night out, especially if you’re travelling with Asian friends or business associates.  It can also be a good option if you’re alone for the evening, as you can hire some temporary company to help you laugh and enjoy life.  If you really have to get laid, and she’s not interested, there are plenty of places to pick up a hooker on the way home, after you’ve enjoyed exclusive attention, good music and the great atmosphere of the club.

Are member clubs for you?

If they are, then Resort on Ratchadapisek Road and Sky Club on Srinakarin Road are two shit hOt choices that you should enjoy.

For some lengthy discussion of member clubs (also called hostess clubs or G-clubs) click on the following links:

Thursday night Fun

Review: The Pent Club

From BigBabyKenny:

St Moritz & G-Club help

Dummies Guide to G-clubs part 1

Dummies Guide to G-clubs part 2

Guide to the Big Mango
In the right hand column, choose the “open all” option.
Then click on “Bars”
Then “Hostess”
After that you can choose the location you are interested in. There are reviews of a dozen or more member clubs in this section.