Welcome to the Thai New Year 2551 and let’s all hope it is a good year for Thailand.  Another Songkran has come and gone for most of us, but don’t forget that Pattaya will continue the water warfare until this weekend.  I have to say that I thought the Songkran Festival was a bit quiet overall this year.  If you question what I mean by that, then just ask a bar owner.  The go-go bars in Bangkok had fewer go-go dancers, due to many bar girls deciding to go home this Songkran.  Some go-go bars cut their girls as much as 2,000 Baht per day.  This is a very severe cut for not working during Songkran.  However, this can be counterproductive to the bar, because some bar girls will stop  work for the rest of April.  If a bargirl is cut 6,000 Baht that is over 50% of a go-go dancers salary.  Of course, many Thais are on much lower salaries than go-go dancers are.  Most service girls don’t earn 6,000 Baht.  Therefore, a bargirl might well think; why should I work for nothing?  I would hazard a guess that in most go-go bars in Bangkok, the takings were down on last year.  Also, I couldn’t help but notice that fewer bargirls got into the spirit of things. (more…)