London Lowf

Oh - I see in another thread that they are charging B130 for a small Singha - maybe that's why they are lacking in punters?

On 11/11/2021 at 1:44 PM, MarkT63 said:

Hey.

Just got to Patong today and was going to take some pics for you but it looked like most of the work had stopped and the shutters were down again.

Mu guess is they were working towards a 1 Dec opening for nightlife, but now that is looking unlikely they have pulled the plug on any more work - but that is just my guess.

I go through regularly so will keep you updated. ????

I think this is the development you were talking about - a few weeks ago they cleared the area but then nothing. However, a couple of weeks ago they were putting a fresh skim coat on the floor and they have now put down what looks like Astroturf and furnished it and voila - yet another live music bar!

It's amazing how quickly they can cobble together a business here, but if you see them in daylight then you can see the shortcuts. Still impressive though, and good luck to them - they were quiet last night, as you can see, but so was most of Bangla.

For a trip next week I would pick Kamala, Rawai or Patong.

I stay in Kamala as i used to find Patong too much, but now it is quite pleasant there - plenty of bars and small eateries open but nowhere near pre-Covid levels.

Things are opening up incredibly quickly (the entire west coast was ghost towns when I arrived at the beginning of October) but at the moment I think those are the best choices for bars and restaurants - albeit with 11pm closing (officially).

I will admit that I can't comment on Kata or Karon as I have not been there in the lasat few weeks.

12 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Really? I walked through there last week (we went to Phuket from CM for a short break). Most of the customers in the bars there were the stereotypical kind...fat, old, Chang vest wearing men covered in tattoos.

 

However, the street has had a nice makeover, resurfaced, clean, no litter and no stinking drains....so was much nicer.  Also the bar workers and people selling tuff no longer grab your arm and drag you about....they have to keep social distancing. ????

Really? When I learnt English "most" meant "the majority, more than half, over 50%". It is your statement is stereotypical, not the punters on Bangla.

Really? Yes - I arrived on the 3rd October and, thunderstorms permitting, I have been on Bangla at some point every single evening since then.

Really? The (masked-up) bar girls do constantly grab your arm as you walk past - and I am old and ugly!

Also, the Phuket News would have been far better taking a photo at a time other than during a rain shower!

(Admittedly, very difficult on most nights this week apart from yesterday)

6 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

But TAT don't want the type of tourists that patronise Bangla.

You clearly have not been to Bangla in the last month or so - the traditional pay-to-play sex tourist that I assume you are referring to has been dwindling in numbers over the last few years and most punters on Bangla now are young party-seekers. Sad to see the perplexed expressions on their faces when they get kicked out of the bars at 11pm, but I would imagine they are having far more fun than they would be back home.

It is now much rarer to see a fat ugly old farang walking along Bangla arm in arm with a hottie than it was five years ago.

7 hours ago, elgenon said:

Thanks for the update. Is Patong able to circumvent the no alcohol thingy?

The majority of bars on Bangla are now fully open and selling alcohol without restrictions until 11pm - at which point a motorcade of traffic cops cruise along to make sure that sales heve stopped.

From what I have personally seen it is the same along Nanai and in the side sois all over Phuket.

Enjoy.....

I am in Bangla virtually every night - I used to find it overpowering in previous years and needed to take a break every other day but I find the current vibe very comfortable.

What I notice most is that things are changing on virtually a daily basis - a few days ago Soi Sea Dragon was mainly a staff bike park but now most of the bars seem to be open but, as in previous years, it's only the bar at the far end and the one at the entrance that get any appreciable business.

Also, the customers last night seemed to be predominantly SEAsians, or maybe that was just in the non-girlie bars that I use. Whether they are Thai, Malaysian or other I can't tell but there are a lot of groups on "girls nights out". I've also noticed that the farang tourists are generally much younger than I recall and again, lots of single girls.

A few young hunks for the ladyboy freelancers to get excited about, but from what I see they are wasting their time - or maybe it kicks off after the bars have closed and I've set off home.

I was also pleased to note that there are now quite a few eateries open beside Bangla market up near Tiger. In years gone by I sometimes used to take a half-time drinking break and line my stomach with some deep-fried chicken and prawns so I might well do that later - weather permitting!

PS: Just stepped outside and It's raining steadily, plus there's a weather warning elsewhere on this site so it looks like I'm stuck with the Kamala expats this evening.

.... but don't get too excited - this was not the return of the hotties (well, some of them) gyrating atop the bars along Bangla.

No, it was three waitresses that I caught sight of dancing in Hooters as I rode past last night. A pleasant but brief distraction and a sign of things to come?

Bangla itself is gradually getting busier, but the increase in bars and bar staff seems to be outstripping the increase in punters. Having said that, it is only early November with thunder showers pretty much every evening so still a way to go before peak season.

The dancing girls are back!

A boatyard, meaning a place that actually makes GRP boats?

They were laying up a GRP hull on the bank of the klong at the back of Layan beach - the bit inside the National Park where quite a lot of small boats are always moored.

(Sorry, that's not a definite answer - please disregard)

I've spent a total of almost about forty weeks on Phuket over the last few years and never seen a monitor in the wild until this visit.

Saw one on a Kamala back street a couple of weeks ago, and then another last week on the road near the Z-Cape complex in Laguna - both of them bigger than the one in the video.

I wonder if they have become more brazen since the tourist areas of the island have died?

On 10/15/2021 at 1:35 PM, Peabody said:

Really only 1 place to go: Ta-to.com

I've been using them for probably 15+ years. Easy safe online ordering. I was sandboxed over the summer and they mailed them to Pattaya for me, 2-day service, no extra charge. Best prices and seem to be genuinely helpful customer-oriented Thai people. On occasion I've gone directly to their offices to order. They always include some small freebie, like a bottle of eyedrops or some-such. They seem to stock EVERYTHING contacts.

I used these people, so thanks Peabody.

Ordered and confirmed online last Friday morning, A bit of faffing around confirming my prescription and then a day later my address, but arrived on Wednesday.

Regarding any kind of surgery - my cosmetic improvement funds have been swallowed up by my dentist!

PS: That annoying sax player is back at Bar Funk - zombie mechanoid table dancers to follow shortly, I would imagine!

Much like Thai drivers anticipate the lights changing and deliberately jump the red........

I think that the bars on Bangla have already relaxed their hours in anticipation of next months probable relaxation. Up until very recently the 10pm shut-down has been very strictly adhered to and, although you have been allowed a little drinking-up time, you have not been able to order after 10pm and you have been asked to settle your tab before that time.

Last night it was all different - 10pm came and went and, when I asked at my "local" (in which the police regularly stop for a meal) what time they were closing, I just got a shrug. I'd already had my fill and so set off home but at 10:15 things were still going strong.

Earlier, I'd noticed that two bars have now been brave enough to open in the Tiger complex - that place was increasingly becoming more and more bare over the last few years and they had a grand total of three punters between them.

Also, i had a wander down Soi Sea Dragon and there are quite a few bars opened up in the last few days - probably 25%. The remainder of the soi is being used for staff parking which helps explain why it is so easy to park within a two minute walk at either end of Bangla these days. Sadly, these bars were generally deserted.

A Sandboxer on a "rival" forum, from which I've now excommunicated myself, mentioned that Bangla was "busy" -  clearly, they are comparing it to an English seaside town in February. There are people around but look closely and the vast majority are staff. The Sea Dragon bar is a good example - it is a hive of activity but look closer and they must "employ" 30-40 girls. Nowadays you don't get one girl to ask you "where you fom" and "you come alone" - you get three of them. That can work out a very expensive night out for the unwary.

It's the same at several bars along Bangla - outwardly busy, but plenty of girlies and very few paying customers and, looking at the daily international arrivals, I can't see any improvement on the horizon.

(Of course, me being a sensible chap, I drink at bars where the lady drinks are at regular prices - albeit without the eye candy)

When I arrived for the Sandbox, the first thing I did when I got the "not detected" result from my arrival test was to dive in to JungCeylon (right next door to my hotel) to sort out a SIM and then have a wander around Big C - as I had not eaten a substantial meal for two days I was tempted by that eatery next to the bakery section and ordered a spaghetti carbonara.  Obviously not the most inviting surroundings but I was not out to impress anyone and simply wanted a safe no-nonsense meal. Many will scoff, but that was the best carbonara i have ever tasted. It's not the most complex of dishes, but the bacon bits were as savoury as you could wish for, the pasta was cooked to perfection, and the creamy sauce was delicious.

By contrast, last night I had the same dish at Napoli in Soi Post Office and was underwhelmed and disappointed from the first mouthful - it was bland by comparison. Admittedly, Napoli is a really inviting premises with good service and a pleasant ambiance, but I really was expecting more. Also, B380 for the main dish was fair enough I guess, but I did baulk a little at B80 for a can of Coke.

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Immigration most likely will make you obtain the standard 30 day extension prior to any covid extension

That's what I was afraid of, and by the time my 30-day expires the Covid extension may have been withdrawn. Fingers crossed that it's not!

Thanks for the answer Joe but maybe I didn't make myself clear - I want to get the 60-day Covid extension instead of the standard 30-day. Will they let me do that?

Very pretty, but surely double-yellows and a central demarcation zone would send a stronger message? There's plenty of width available.