BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -

      Today, the accepted definition, or should I say, 'definitions' of freelancer are elaborations on the original, and often dissimilar to one another.   Today's freelancers also can be found in a wider variety of Night Entertainment Venues, no longer just 'coffee shops', discos and the occasional 'lounge'.

      Note first, the rise of the "Pub", usually Irish or English/ British in orientation.   Their continued and increasing popularity would tend to make the long-time Bangkok nightcrawler shake his head in disbelief.   However, they successfully have done a few things which encourage customers to walk in the door - to include weekly "quiz shows" and, more to the point - "Ladies' Nights" where financial benefits to the fairer sex are proffered in one form or another.   Ladies' nights are an open invitation to all ladies, but when the dressing comes off, a specific open invitation to freelancers - as they attract the larger percent of male customers.   And, without question, the invitation is not ignored.   Ladies come from a variety of backgrounds; bar girls, "weekend freelancer" office girls, and a number of foreign mem farang.   In fact, this has spawned the rise of a new classification of freelancer: the 'pub girls' who confine their 'circuit' almost exclusively to the pubs.   

      It is worthy of note that a number of traditional A Go-Go bars are offering short-term contracts to top dancers.   (The dearth of attractive, active, reliable dancers has become a universal problem in the A Go-Go arena).   One such A Go-Go bar has offered their 'hottest' dancers 10,000 Baht for ten days' work -with the stipulation that they obtain 100 lady drinks, and come to work every day.   They are allowed to "Op" after a certain hour, but the barfine is also higher.   And that is it.   It has a great appeal to the top dancers, as a ten-drink per day quota comes quite easy for them, sometimes from just 2 or 3 customers.   The girls then, after the 10 days are up, walk away with their 10,000 baht, plus drink money, plus any barfine commissions.   Usually the girls will take a few days off, and return for another ten days.   What does this have to do with freelancing, you say?   Well, in the traditional sense, not much, but the dancers consider themselves to be "freelancers" (yes, the term has entered the Thai lexicon of farang words).

      Another group of ladies are the Bar Beer Girls - those who are nominally 'employed' in the bar beers.   Examples abound on Soi 4, such as Hillary's, the Morning-Night and Stumble Inn, to name just a few.   The ladies show up every day for work, but do not draw a salary.   They are dependent on lady drinks, tips and 'Ops' only.   They do have to have permission from the bar to ply their trade there, however.   These girls also consider themselves to be 'freelancers' - yet another variation of the definition.

      In summary, currently there are almost as many variations on the freelancer theme, as many sets of special conditions under which the girls work - and ply their trade, as there are different bars.   And a great many of these girls, regardless of actual circumstances, prefer to be known as freelancers.   The net benefit is to the girls, however, as many of them now work under less exacting rules than previously imposed by, say, the A Go-Gos of old.   One could say they have a lot more freedom, generally, if not exactly that of the 'classical' freelancer.

"A long time forgotten, dreams have just fell by the way..."