Sometimes, You Go To A Women-Only Lounge And It's Just Kind Of Depressing

[Lite Beer]

Sometimes, you go to a women-only hostess lounge and it’s just kind of depressing
By victoriamitchell

BANGKOK: -- Curiosity, my two best friends and a few too many Pina Coladas – that’s what led me to a hostess bar for women one fateful Bangkok night.

You probably know all about the token ladies’ nights at nightclubs, which typically feature free drink tickets, chick music and maybe a little salsa. Levels has “Six-Pack Fridays” and Q Bar has “Magic Mike” night on Thursdays, with professional male models and dancers. But believe me, Bangkok’s women-only hostess lounges inhabit a league all of their own.

In waters where Levels and Q Bar are only making their maiden voyage, 18 Plus One has been traveling for close to five years. The club is one of a handful of hostess bars for ladies in Bangkok and the lone wolf of the pack in the Sukhumvit area. Whereas most similar establishments are located in Ratchada and Silom, 18 Plus One is only a five-minute taxi ride from Sukhumvit 11. That’s how us ladies ended up there, one drink-besotted night.

One of my girlfriends originally heard about 18 Plus One from an article published in January. Indeed, this bar is something of a secret society: It doesn’t advertise and there’s no sign out front. Word mostly travels on message boards and between gal-pals, but as for the club itself, it’s easy to find although in an unlikely place. 18 Plus One is perched on – of all places – the 18th floor of an office building called Serm-mit Tower on Asoke Road.

So we trolled through the entrance of Serm-mit Tower, through the fluorescent lights and closed restaurants and shops. Without introduction, the security guard told us, “sip bairt.” He knew exactly where we were going.

I was expecting the entrance of 18 Plus One to be absolutely gaudy, maybe a few flashing neon lights in typical hostess bar fashion. However, it was much more low-key, even bordering on dull. It looked like the entrance to a movie theater. A pair of big steel doors held a sign that announced “No Photos.”

The air was already rife with cheap cologne and’90s bubblegum pop by the time we entered. We stumbled into the dark, my eyes darting around what looked more like a lounge or a living room than a nightclub. There were television screens hanging on the walls, but they weren’t black. Large couches and tables were grouped into diner-like sections around a sprawling dance floor. That dance floor reminded me of something from a wedding reception or a social in the high school gymnasium – it was the only spot in the whole club with adequate lighting.

A group of Thai guys sat in the very middle, sharing whiskey from a bucket. They were all wearing button-up shirts and nice shoes and they looked more like office workers or businessmen than the escort employees of a women’s-only nightclub.

The manager sat us down three sections to the left and tried to give us the spiel. However, he only spoke broken English so a non-Thai employee, a young guy from South America, came by to explain the rules.

For one guy to come and sit, it costs two drinks or THB600. After that, it’s THB300 per drink unless you take a bottle. Then you can give free drinks after that. So we take a bottle of Johnny Walker Red for THB2,600 (mixers included).

We soon learned that the South American guy’s name was Guillermo and he was the only non-Thai male escort. So it seemed natural we pay for him to come sit with us.

Guillermo was only 20 years old. He seemed more like the kind of guy that was shy and maybe even a little nerdy as a teenager, definitely not a player by any stretch. He said he used to be really into fencing in high school. Apparently, he found the club on the Internet a few months ago when he first came to Thailand. He told us during the day he works as an English teacher.

According to Guillermo, we were the first farang girls he’s seen come here. The manager affirmed we were definitely not part of the club’s customary demographic.

Apparently, its typical clientele are Thai women, predominantly hi-so. The ages range from older Thai businesswomen to models and entertainers in their ‘20s or ‘30s. Guillermo said that he’d occasionally run into the odd woman from Japan, Korea or Singapore, but not often.

And no, men are not allowed as customers.

Read More: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/06/09/sometimes-you-go-women-only-hostess-lounge-and-its-just-kind-depressing

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-06-09

[Boo]

In all of my years on this earth & traveling the globe, I have never, ever heard of this. Thankfully,

To be totally blunt, having a vagina, a pair of boobs & a half decent appearance can guarantee any woman a shag as long as you aren't that fussed on what you are riding.

I've turned down more offers than I have ever accepted but if I were really desperate I could just go out for an hour & score. Pretty much the case for any woman (as long as you have zero expectation to the mans hygiene, looks, personality)

And I don't know, it might just be me, but I am far to cheap to pay for it.

[Ajaan]

There are many of these around Bangkok, and there have been for years. There was one--a lot less fancy than the one the OP describes, I believe--across from my apartment building on Ratchada soi 1 (don't know if it's still there...I lived there a good 8 years ago). The guys (all Thai) wore tuxes with number on them, the music was quite loud (typical Thai disco) and from what I could see from my apt. balcony, all of the customers were Thai women.

[sbk]

I had no idea. Doesn't sound very appealing. I went to one of the karaoke bars with the pretty girls in dresses once, (hubby and i dragged along by his elderly cousin) some 20 years ago it must be now. The girls looked bored as hell and ended up chatting with me (wow a farang married to a Thai man) with more interest. Seems to me this would just be another version of that.

[rene123]

I would agree with Boo from a western woman's point of view, but I'm not Asian and don't know what restrictions they put on themselves. I think it might be a Thai "thing" of out of sight, out of mind.

[MacChine]

Sounds nauseating. Having said that , the western Chippendale style clubs and revues are lots of fun- the men have to be perfect though, women are far more demanding.

I have often thought it would make a good business in a tourist area. Too bad work permit rules make it impossible to hire western men