I’m not sure if Thailand’s recently not-elected legislature has yet moved to name General Prayuth as the country’s new Prime Minister, or if they are waiting until after the new holiday on Monday that he bestowed upon the country to do so. That the good general will become Thailand’s newest leader is, however, a given. Even more so than that Hillary will be the next U.S. President. And even the republicans have already conceded that contest. No one seems to know if when that happens if Prayuth will then wear two hats or one. Not that it really matters. The man who anointed himself Grand Pooba by decree seems to have the country firmly in hand and appears to intend to keep it that way until he’d dragged the kingdom into the state of happiness he envisions for it.

There are those who applaud the military taking over in Thailand and bringing an end to the country’s political upheaval (okay, not so much down south but then no one likes to talk about that). There are those who are aghast at the army’s move and the assumed end to democracy in Thailand. I think those are the same people who actually thought the Red Shirt movement was about bringing democracy to the little people. Some are happy with some of what the junta has wrought; others are merely waiting for the other shoe to drop. And while no one seems despondent over Prayuth’s move to break up the taxi mafia in Phuket, those who don’t blindly take one side over the other can’t help but note that that move would appear to be politically motivated since everyone can at least agree the taxi mafia was always a strong supporter of the Thaskin-supported Red Shirt movement.

With his crack-down and arrest of a hundred or so pickpocketing ladyboys along Pattaya’s Beach Road, not so much. Ladyboys are not generally known to be affiliated with any specific political party in Thailand, probably because they know that no one really looks good in red or yellow. He’s busted cock fighting rings, gambling rings, and unleashed his might against illegal immigrants too, although in retrospect it turns out the latter was more about providing those with some form of protection against slavery than with clearing the country of undesirables. For that purpose he’s put an end to back-to-back visa runs and visa over-stays. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that there are changes he wants to see in his country, and one of those is the manner in which it is perceived by the world.

Closer to home (meaning my heart) General Prayuth has put a stop to the sex shows on Soi Twilight. Slightly naughty still works, but full on in your face naked sex has become a thing of the past. But he’s also cracked down on the straight blow-job bars, and there is an even more noticeable police and military presence on Soi Cowboys and at Nana these days. Or nights. So at least its not about homophobia. With the already broken economy of the world and visitor concern that Thailand’s political troubles are not yet over, this has not helped business on the soi. Bidness is slow, bar owners and bar boys are not happy. And the high season is still long months away. There is a (desperate) sense of hope that by then things will be as they once always were. But that hope, I believe, is the same that spurs the national lottery. And there is a better chance that some lucky bar boy will win big on the lottery than come November the soi will once again feature shows filled with acrobatic, high-flying sex acts that only a Thai mind could envision.

And I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.

Long-time visitors and sexpats will tell you those shows are boring and are no longer a draw for them. I doubt if a newbie would agree. They are no longer as exciting for me as they once were either, but I can still remember how earth-shattering they were when I fist started visiting the country. And a bunch of naked penis on stage is still worth seeing. But the acts were getting out of hand thanks to the bars’ attempts to out-do each other. Eroticism still relies on the sexual, and there is nothing sexually attractive about a little screaming queen getting plowed on your lap while screeching for a tip. Maybe a rewind back to the days when the sex was more suggested than clinically demonstrated might not be a bad idea. Or maybe it’s time the bar owners move their establishments into their next phase of development. It might even be good for bidness.

Visitor numbers are down in Bangkok, but you’d hardly notice it on Soi 4. Telephone and Balcony are still packed nightly. There may be a bit more room inside of DJ Station these days, but the place still draws the crowds. And there are still handfuls of desperately horny local gay boys easily scored when G.O.D. finally closes its doors. Thailand is still a major draw among gay touri. But in a different way than it, predominately, once was. The elderly farang pawing his too young looking companion for the evening as they headed back to the Rose Hotel is no longer a common sight. Sex tourism, which once ruled the night, is quickly being replaced by tourism with a bit of sex thrown in. You don’t need to drop hundreds of baht at Dream Boy to get laid in Bangkok these days. Five minutes on Grindr works just as well.

Even though the way it is practiced in Thailand is different, prostitution still has a well-deserved rep for being sleazy. There were always those who visited Thailand who wanted nothing to do with the gogo bars on Soi Twilight. Among today’s gay visitors they are becoming a majority. The perceived tolerance of gays in the country is still a draw, paying for an up close and personal experience, not so much. Don’t get me wrong, sex still sells. We are talking about gay men after all. But the brand of sex that sells these days is different. It no longer has to come with an orgasm attached. Because orgasms are fairly easy to come by on their own. And the bars on the soi would do well to start catering to the masses instead of to the dwindling population of sex tourists.

I’d like to think that it’s not that I’ve become jaded, but, back in the day I would spend an entire night on the soi going from one bar to the next trying to cull the potential offs down to a manageable number. I hated offing the first hot guy I saw because experience had taught me that five minutes later someone even hotter would appear. It wasn’t just about being a kid in a candy store, it was being a kid locked in a Godiva Chocolate factory for the night. The stunners out-numbered the average ten to one. For all tastes. On my last visit it was just as good that I already have Noom ‘cuz I can’t think of a single bar boy I saw that made me consider being a butterfly for the night. Quantity has replaced quality. And those palaces of pleasure are starting to look like the houses of prostitution that they are. It really is time for an upgrade.

Yes, sex sells, but hot guys are always a better draw. And if you remove the sleaze from the equation, more customers will flock to your doors. Today gay visitors have the pubs on Soi 4 or the gogo bars on Soi Twilight to choose from. I think Soi 4 draws the bigger crowd by default. At least until the clubs gets going. Because otherwise, there really is no there there. Soi Twilight could pull a lot of that business away if its rep changed. Filling your gogo bar with actual gogo dancers, and hot ones at that, could make a world of difference. And since the majority of your customers have already seen a penis or two in their life, the importance of showing off the variety of the Thai version isn’t really all that necessary. An upscale strip club where suggestion overrules graphic sex would have a much wider appeal. Think Vegas, not Nature Boy. And bar owners would make a lot more baht on cover-charges than they do now on 500 – 600 baht off fees. Especially since those are becoming few and far between.

Thailand has had a reputation for its naughty nightlife for decades now and, despite the good general’s feelings on the subject, that’s not likely to change. How you market that naughtiness can. Less is sometimes better. And when there are more customers sitting on the patio at Dick’s Cafe than in your bar, maybe it’s time to consider a change. Besides, for the true sex-addict, there will always be Pattaya.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
The Twilight Of Soi Pratuchai	Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks	The Top Ten Bangkok Experiences Part 4: Yes It Is All About Dick