Evil Penevil Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 One more tidbit of information from the P-A board. It's from the member who uses the handle Bachelor's agogo, which he says is part of the Baku group. "The owner of the Cinema is one of the main shareholders in the whole Avenue group, which is not just limited to Pattaya, they have malls all over Thailand. It was mainly his idea to make an entertainment complex so I guess he doesn't see it as an issue." The issue that was under discussion was parking at The Avenue. And one more question: When Thaivisa and others say, "Indian" in reference to the Baku group, do they mean Thai subjects of Indian heritage or citizens of the Republic of India? I know the landlord of the former FLB was a Thai of Indian background. He was one of the leaders of the Sikh community in Pattaya. Everyone, Thai and farang, referred to him as "Indian" even though he was a Thai subject born in Thailand. Evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadAndAlive Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 That would be awesome, but only if it would be quality gogo bars like in Nana Plaza and Walking Street and not like the poor quality gogo bars we see in LK-metro. I do think there would be a customer base for it if the bars were to be populated with top-notch gogo girls like in Pin Up and Palace or Billboard in Nana Plaza, those places are filled up ever night and you can barely find an empty spot to sit The Avenue was a failure from the beginning, and the owner's never got their investment returned, surely converting it to gogo bars would change all of that, and why wouldn't they get the licences for it, wrong zone? but not far from LK and a long way from the beach, it seems like the perfect zone for it. Why keep a ghost-mall instead of converting it into something that makes money for the city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Something's been bugging me all night... Again, I might be (and quite probably am) wrong, but... A couple of trips ago I used to eat a lot at a little restaurant on soi 15 called Spagetti Bistro. It's now a derelict site. Half way through the trip it was bought up by the Baku group. I was introduced to the new "owner" and his thai wife/pa/secretary/gik/whatever. He was known by a mate who was staying at Baku guesthouse. I have a feeling this blokes name was Sean, and he sure wasnt, or even looked like, from India. I think he was from "oop norf" in the UK. The restaurant moved to the Roof at the Avenue when the land owner discovered some bars and restaurants on his land, which he knew nothing about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Penevil Posted December 18, 2019 Author Share Posted December 18, 2019 In response to my question in the post above, I got the following answer from a member there who posts on behalf of the Baku Lounge: "Baku is a persons name. He was one of the original investors in the first guest house project and the name Baku Guesthouse was coined. It has nothing to do with Azerbaijan or any mythology." I posted a follow-up question asking about Baku's nationality, but haven't gotten an answer yet. Here a screen shot from the public portion of the Baku Group's closed Facebook group: That's an eclectic group of bars and other businesses, but I don't really see any Indian angle unless Baku turns out to be Indian, or at least of Indian ancestry. Any group that undertakes to transform a dead shopping mall into an adult entertainment plaza has to have deep pockets and heavy duty connections to Thai authorities. I can't see the Baku Group in and of itself having either. Of course, farang could be "fronting" for investors from India or any other country. That's the way the Thai family that owned Nana Plaza did it. Anyone remember the American called Boss Hogg? According to a post from a Baku Group rep on Addicts, the first stage of the Avenue Plaza is supposed to open on March 31, 2020. Like I said, I will believe it when I see it. Evil 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 58 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said: Like I said, I will believe it when I see it. Quite Something of a jump in scale from running 1 GoGo bar to running 39? Whole story stretches credibility, likelihood and business soundness, miles past breaking point. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazle Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Lemondropkid said: Something of a jump in scale from running 1 GoGo bar to running 39? I don't think Baku group intend running their own gogo bars (if they do, it would be incidental) but rather run a property business where they rent out units to be used as gogos. 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lirchenfeld Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Apart from Starbucks on the outside of Avenue, I don't think I have set anywhere else in Avenue before.... Maybe that will change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazle Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Lirchenfeld said: Apart from Starbucks on the outside of Avenue, I don't think I have set anywhere else in Avenue before.... Maybe that will change. If you haven't been to the food court, you haven't lived! ☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Evil Penevil Posted December 20, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) On 12/18/2019 at 4:59 PM, Bazle said: I don't think Baku group intend running their own gogo bars (if they do, it would be incidental) but rather run a property business where they rent out units to be used as gogos. That's what they'll do. The Baku Group will act as agents for the owner(s) of The Avenue. The details will probably never be released publicly, but it's likely holding companies and joint ventures will be set up to administer the Master Lease and Baku Group could be included in such arrangements at some level. On 12/18/2019 at 3:41 PM, Lemondropkid said: Whole story stretches credibility, likelihood and business soundness, miles past breaking point. Over-establishment is a huge problem in Pattaya and not just for go go bars. There are simply too many bars, restaurants, hotels, massage parlors, condos, opticians, shopping malls and every other kind of business. The dilution effect, i.e., customers spread out over many businesses, means a few will make money but most will struggle. The bar sector in Pattaya was already saturated in 2005 and it has kept on expanding since then. If I remember right, Pattaya had 40 go go bars in 2004 and now has about 80. By all anectdotal accounts, the number of farang "sex tourists" has shrunk over those years. More and more bars are fighting for a slice of a customer pie that keeps getting smaller. To keep things in perspective- Walking Street alone today has more go go bars than all of Bangkok, the capital city with a population of eight million and 12 million in the metro area. In 2018, Bangkok had 22.78 million foreign tourist visitors, while Pattaya had 9.44 million. Bangkok also has a legally working foreign community of over 100,000, with 70% estimated have lucrative expat salary packages. Pattaya, on the other hsnd, is noted for the guys who chase 99-baht breakfast specials, 59-baht draft beer and whine about giving the girls 1,000 baht for a long-term session. Pattaya simply has way too many go go bars considering the number of potential customers and their purchasing power. The other side of the coin is that it is its extremely hard for go go bars to find girls willing to work as dancers. That's the reason for the rise of agencies that supply coyote dancers. It's a classic example of a labor market squeeze. As the years go by, it will become even harder for the bars to hire attractive girls. Given the shrinking number of customers and girls, about 39 go go bars need to close, rather than 39 new ones opening. Unless there is a mass migration from WS to The Avenue- and that is highly unlikely- I can't see the Avenue Entertainment Plaza succeeding. There just aren't enough customer butts to fill the seats or girls to fill the stages. Evil Edited December 20, 2019 by Evil Penevil 5 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR007 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Evil Penevil said: Given the shrinking number of customers and girls, about 39 go go bars need to close, rather than 39 new ones opening. Unless there is a mass migration from WS to The Avenue- and that is highly unlikely- I can't see the Avenue Entertainment Plaza succeeding. There just aren't enough customer butts to fill the seats or girls to fill the stages. Evil Agree entirely somethings way out of kilter with this yarn. Reminds of about a year ago remember that wind up over some Scottish joint supposedly opening opposite Retox in Soi Lenkee with massive breakfasts for ludicrous prices. This sounds more like the "Baku" group raising awareness of existing outlets. How the hell are you going to get a return when "39" Go Go bars are in competition in one relatively small location 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nampla69 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 On 12/18/2019 at 7:38 AM, Evil Penevil said: In response to my question in the post above, I got the following answer from a member there who posts on behalf of the Baku Lounge: "Baku is a persons name. He was one of the original investors in the first guest house project and the name Baku Guesthouse was coined. It has nothing to do with Azerbaijan or any mythology." I posted a follow-up question asking about Baku's nationality, but haven't gotten an answer yet. Here a screen shot from the public portion of the Baku Group's closed Facebook group: That's an eclectic group of bars and other businesses, but I don't really see any Indian angle unless Baku turns out to be Indian, or at least of Indian ancestry. Any group that undertakes to transform a dead shopping mall into an adult entertainment plaza has to have deep pockets and heavy duty connections to Thai authorities. I can't see the Baku Group in and of itself having either. Of course, farang could be "fronting" for investors from India or any other country. That's the way the Thai family that owned Nana Plaza did it. Anyone remember the American called Boss Hogg? According to a post from a Baku Group rep on Addicts, the first stage of the Avenue Plaza is supposed to open on March 31, 2020. Like I said, I will believe it when I see it. Evil Remember Boss Hogg from 2003. Often to be found in the old Big Dogs and later he had Bully I believe. Bit of a character .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWA Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 14 minutes ago, RR007 said: Reminds of about a year ago remember that wind up over some Scottish joint supposedly opening opposite Retox in Soi Lenkee with massive breakfasts for ludicrous prices. This lot? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Spice Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 34 minutes ago, RR007 said: How the hell are you going to get a return when "39" Go Go bars are in competition in one relatively small location Works in Nana Plaza. Ok, maybe not 39 but still a lot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR007 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 58 minutes ago, KWA said: This lot? lol yes thats them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misteregg Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Yawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 FWIW, a quick wander through the Avenue earlier showed no signs of building work on any level. As soon as I see any, you'll get an exclusive (maybe)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy dee Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 4 hours ago, Thai Spice said: Works in Nana Plaza. Ok, maybe not 39 but still a lot. only been a few times in the past years but nana is a ghost town full of ladyboy bars and now it has a roof over it it smells of piss. seriously reeks. i can only imagione the fuin for the other shop keepers, washing the piss out of their doorways and picking up the bottles. it wont happen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadAndAlive Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, tommy dee said: only been a few times in the past years but nana is a ghost town full of ladyboy bars and now it has a roof over it it smells of piss. seriously reeks. i can only imagione the fuin for the other shop keepers, washing the piss out of their doorways and picking up the bottles. it wont happen Um, not a ghost town, actually it's always very busy. Did you go there before 6 pm or on a national Holliday? Edited December 20, 2019 by DeadAndAlive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knuckles Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) More details now becoming available via postings on Pattaya Ladyboy forum....the poster "Batchelor A Go Go" on Pattaya Addicts is the guy Scott who opened Sensations ladyboy bar in Action Street six or seven years ago and allowed Sky TV to document his progress in that project. He teamed up with an Indian guy who posts as Sean Archer on the forums and SA recently took over the running of Batchelor in LK, using the name Smitty. I think Scott from Sensations is the manager there now. Others may be involved too, but these guys are the foundation players. Scott and Smitty acquired an almost fully kitted out venue in The Avenue known as the Roof as its then Russian owner failed to follow through to opening due to unpublished circumstances and so they landed a big salubrious venue for minimal investment, and the first Avenue project was hatched. With so much empty space around, it seems like questions were asked and answered and some very ambitious plans then started to germinate. If you want to get more details of whats planned, log in to Pattaya Ladyboy forum....you are all probably members there already! Latest : 17 of the 39 first phase Go Go bars already signed up or signing up...been "allocated" was the phrase used! Specialist Bangkok builders on the way down and things to happen from April. Edited December 20, 2019 by Knuckles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Knuckles said: More details now becoming available via postings on Pattaya Ladyboy forum.... Joking mate, thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadAndAlive Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Knuckles said: More details now becoming available via postings on Pattaya Ladyboy forum....the poster "Batchelor A Go Go" on Pattaya Addicts is the guy Scott who opened Sensations ladyboy bar in Action Street six or seven years ago and allowed Sky TV to document his progress in that project. He teamed up with an Indian guy who posts as Sean Archer on the forums and SA recently took over the running of Batchelor in LK, using the name Smitty. I think Scott from Sensations is the manager there now. Others may be involved too, but these guys are the foundation players. Scott and Smitty acquired an almost fully kitted out venue in The Avenue known as the Roof as its then Russian owner failed to follow through to opening due to unpublished circumstances and so they landed a big salubrious venue for minimal investment, and the first Avenue project was hatched. With so much empty space around, it seems like questions were asked and answered and some very ambitious plans then started to germinate. If you want to get more details of whats planned, log in to Pattaya Ladyboy forum....you are all probably members there already! Latest : 17 of the 39 first phase Go Go bars already signed up or signing up...been "allocated" was the phrase used! Specialist Bangkok builders on the way down and things to happen from April. Good stuff, keep on updating.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chang_Paarp Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 More details on TV; Not just for Indians The TV post includes a phone number for those interested in taking a space. The organisers claim to have Pattaya and Bang Lamung authorities on side with appropriate approvals and a Bangkok based company ready to start the fit-out in the new year. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Step 1. Free bungy jumping? Or are they replacing a transformer on the room? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Answer.... new transformer on the roof... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWA Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 12 hours ago, Knuckles said: Latest : 17 of the 39 first phase Go Go bars already signed up or signing up...been "allocated" was the phrase used! Verbal agreements only was stated by Sean yesterday(?). Not on paper yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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