PART 1: The Saigon Bar Scene.. – From Frivolous Fun to Down Right Dangerous…
Whilst COVID19 has most certainly contributed, a nasty pandemic of remorseless greed has infected and all but killed the once-booming Ex-Pat/ Tourist bar scene of central Saigon.
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At its peak, a few dozen ‘Hostess Bars’ brimming with cheerful tourists, locals, and staff alike bubbled along Pasteur St and its surrounds until the wee hours of every morning. A volatile mix of incredibly cheap drinks, gorgeous young Vietnamese girls, and virtually no regulation** fuelled the drunken party every night, and relative fortunes were made by the lucky owners in record time. **[ Irresponsible service of alcohol is untranslatable in Vietnamese…]
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The Good Old Days:
Everyone was happy. Single young uneducated girls flocked to the area to get paid to learn English or Japanese while they worked – and legitimately meet and drink with prospective new (wealthy) boyfriends. For so many, it was the opportunity of a lifetime – no formal education and the chance to “succeed.” Fun and a future! Why wouldn’t you?!!
The Business model was ideal. A volatile mix fueled a thriving nighly scene. Ex-Pat workers and visiting businessmen loved to drop in for an extended after-work session with an attentive young lass willing to flirt and share a drink. A far more attractive prospect for many than rushing back to stressful home life or an empty hotel room. At 2 USD beers were incredibly cheap by world standards ( still are) and a cocktail bought for a girl meant $2 – 3 USD commission in her pocket. ( A lot for a local. ) Combine an abundant source of tourists seeking fun, with two for one bottle of spirits at bottle shop prices ( for westerners), zero OH&S regulation about dancing on bar tops, and the party rivaled Ibiza. The girls were paid to entertain, paid to drink ( bottles as well,) were well tipped, and learned the invaluable English lingo in the process. They were making a relative fortune – unusually in Asia – with no obligation to sleep with anyone.
Mutual respect prevailed. The bar owners looked after the customers. If someone drove their motorbike to the bar then overdid it – the bike was kept safe until recollection. As a matter of course, seriously drunken punters would be assigned two or more staff to find a cab and escort them home to safety.
Long term – outside the bar – friendships evolved, single men married Vietnamese wives, and the bar scene kept growing. Demand was high, business and tourism were booming, and soon there were dozens of neon entrances to new bars lighting up the streets.
Tragically, little did most know that a shameless few of rapacious owners were embedded in the rapid growth, and a cancerous rot was slowly eating away at the innocent fun and fortune.
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STAY TUNED FOR Part 2, 3 and 4 of :
The Saigon Bar Scene.. – From Frivolous Fun to Down Right Dangerous…
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Coming soon at ENRICHLOVE.CO
