Zoe Complex.

[EL159]

Very strong rumour that the Zoe Bar complex and all the other bars on that plot have been served notice to quit. The whole area sold for redevelopment. The only uncertaity is when, three different versions of when, its either "one month", "Christmas", or "April next year".  Personally, I ve got no problem with the continued existence of Zoe as long as they relocate to the middle of nowhere 15 kilometres from the City and take all their customers with them!

[Nick ZepTepi]

Small report on it here.

http://www.livingthai.org/zoe-bar-moving.html

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[idman]

Went to that garbage dump one time on a whim, had one beer and said adios. I saw more fights, more macho B.S. posturing to last a lifetime. Good riddence to it and the its clientel.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Pre Zoe era was more mellow yes. I have been to Zoe many many times. Nothing but reasonably good vibes, I never saw the fights or beatdowns.

Recently however everytime you WILL see 'packers stumble in carrying the 7-11 large Beers in hand to enjoy the music and on the Cheap! Not acceptable behavior anywhere in the world. Why do some people have these problems in Thailand? Mostly they bring it on themselves.


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[Trujillo]

It's interesting to read so much about a bar that I have never gone to, let alone know where it is. 

I must be an endangered species.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Pre Zoe era was more mellow yes. I have been to Zoe many many times. Nothing but reasonably good vibes, I never saw the fights or beatdowns.

Recently however everytime you WILL see 'packers stumble in carrying the 7-11 large Beers in hand to enjoy the music and on the Cheap! Not acceptable behavior anywhere in the world. Why do some people have these problems in Thailand? Mostly they bring it on themselves.
 

Zoe bouncers have clamped down on that .

They seem to mark their beers and anyone with a non Zoe beer in their hand is likely to get beaten

[sanemax]

I wonder how they will develop that area

It would be great for CM if they turned that area into a public park , with greenery , trees and a pond and benches where you could sit under a tree and drinking 7/11 Chang all day long

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Great idea but the Trustafarians and Begpackers would set up tents and turn it into an illegal Campground.

 

Then they would list sleeping bag space on Airbnb.

 

 

 

 

[DGS1244]

Zoe moving next Sonkran to a site near the flower market. Don't be surprised to see the vacated area as a large shopping mall.

[elektrified]

Moving early - mid next year to JJ Market bar area, close to the Super Highway end. They are preparing the area now. Will be interesting to see how the backpacker types blend in with the 99% young Thais who inhabit that area at night; many of which are affluent. Many biker types, etc. as well. I don't see how they will tolerate the drunk trash packers shouting, howling, and generally making trouble in the street without regular fights.

 

Actually, my guess is that the change of location to an area where tourists don't frequent at night will be the death of those bars anyway.

[CMKiwi]

In regards to Zoe Yellow marking their beers, yes they do and have done for some time now.  When a customer buys a beer they have some type of paint pen to mark the bottle as coming from their premises.

 

The bouncers do NOT beat up people wishing to use their area if the have beers from 'outside' they do however advise them of their policy as show them one of many signs that state that no outside alcohol is allowed.

 

That's normal for most places I believe. Although some of the low life's do try and push the boundaries quite often.

 

My missus has a bar in that area and yes it will be closing down around April 2018. The area near JJ market/Kamthieng market seems to be the replacement site for the Zoe Yellow complex.

 

It may work but then it may not due to its location away from town. If and it's a big if, the authorities at be were to also push Loi Kroh establishments out that way....a new 'sin city' or 'red light' area maybe in the making.

 

I agree that if it's very close to the Thai drinking area, I could see a bit of violence erupting should idiots from one zone upset the other.  Maybe the police will monitor both in the opening months.

 

At least there isn't many 7 11s close by for the mutton heads to buy cheap booze from and gate crash legitimate bars.  We shall see....

 

 

[Cory1848]

2 hours ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Great idea but the Trustafarians and Begpackers would set up tents and turn it into an illegal Campground.

 

Then they would list sleeping bag space on Airbnb.

 

 

 

 

Oh, be nice! They're young and they look good and they're having the time of their life traveling around Southeast Asia. To be that age again! I was at Zoe's Friday night, the only place in that part of town with any life to it -- certainly more than the Irish Pub a block down the street, with its grumpy old farangs glued to their football ...

 

[sanemax]

27 minutes ago, CMKiwi said:

 

The bouncers do NOT beat up people wishing to use their area if the have beers from 'outside' they do however advise them of their policy as show them one of many signs that state that no outside alcohol is allowed.

 

It has happened a few times, read the reports on trip advisor

The Zoe security team do seem quite aggressive and quite ready to respond with violence quite quickly, although that may be necessary with drunks .

  

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

It is a good location, just outside the center but not far. Plenty of open space there for tourist oriented bars and relocation of the Loi Kroh sexpests and mongerers.


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[WinnieTheKhwai]

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

Zoe bouncers have clamped down on that .

They seem to mark their beers and anyone with a non Zoe beer in their hand is likely to get beaten

 

That's ridiculous.  Why actually are you commenting on nightlife topics when it clearly isn't your thing?   (The door guys will politely point out that drinks need to be purchased from the same place, which is reasonable.  Actually it's the same for all the other bars too, like Roots, etc. )

 

It's necessary as some of the demographic they get are people on some sort of zero-dollar challenge. 

 

Clearly in a nightlife area with lots of drunk guys around there will be trouble now and then.  That doesn't mean that everyone who walks in with a beer from any other bar or store gets beaten up.  (Why does this need pointing out..)

 

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

I wonder how they will develop that area

It would be great for CM if they turned that area into a public park , with greenery , trees and a pond 

 

That's the plan for old city land that's government owned, at the old jail.  The Boon Yoo area though (where Zoe and all the other bars are) is privately owned, so whatever will be built there, it'll be something that makes more money than those bars bring in in rent. 

 

3 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

Zoe moving next Sonkran to a site near the flower market. Don't be surprised to see the vacated area as a large shopping mall.

 

It can't be "large" (as in tall) as you're not allowed to go over 3 storeys up in the old town area.  It can still be sizable though of course.  Most likely it'll be a boutique hotel, perhaps also with some shopping space, a restaurant, etc.  

 

I don't really mind.   Actually I don't think the JJ market area will work for tourists.  Those bars better be looking at other available areas, such as around the Night Bazaar and the river.

Edited September 4, 2017 by WinnieTheKhwai

[EL159]

2 hours ago, Cory1848 said:

Oh, be nice! They're young and they look good and they're having the time of their life traveling around Southeast Asia. To be that age again! I was at Zoe's Friday night, the only place in that part of town with any life to it -- certainly more than the Irish Pub a block down the street, with its grumpy old farangs glued to their football ...

 

"The grumpy old farangs glued to their football" are there because its a SPORTS PUB, not a bloody discotheque!

[CMKiwi]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

It has happened a few times, read the reports on trip advisor

The Zoe security team do seem quite aggressive and quite ready to respond with violence quite quickly, although that may be necessary with drunks .

  

In the pas and Im talking over 2 years ago a few 'drunks' did get a bit of a hiding at Zoe Yellow, this was due to these drunks starting fights and annoying other customers.  They didnt listen to the bouncers and were very aggressive when forcibly removed.  Hence they got a bit of a slapping.

 

After a few incidents like that the Police clamped down on troublemakers in the area.  Some of the bouncers were also moved on.

 

All in all it is a good place for the younger crowd.  Live and Loud music with generally a good vibe.  Loi Kroh however is IMHO slowly but surely dying

[cmsally]

Well I guess another "boutique hotel". Really in need of those !

Who is going to stay in all these boutique hotels?

 

That area actually had an earlier incarnation before anyone had heard of Zoe's.

It used to be an amulet market. Interestingly the amulet market got moved to JJ Market (directly west across from Tesco Lotus) when the bars moved in. JJ Market is seemingly the de facto dumping ground for locationless businesses!

[Cory1848]

1 hour ago, EL159 said:

"The grumpy old farangs glued to their football" are there because its a SPORTS PUB, not a bloody discotheque!

And you, quite evidently, are one of them! <stupid smiley face>. I've been to most of the establishments along that entire strip and enjoyed myself at each ...

[BernieOnTour]

6 hours ago, sanemax said:

Zoe bouncers have clamped down on that .

They seem to mark their beers and anyone with a non Zoe beer in their hand is likely to get beaten

From what I saw: begpackers  trying to get in with their 7/11 bottles are told the rules and asked to either leave their bottles outside or to leave the premises.

 

If those drunken cheapcharly idiots are then getting aggressive, because they want to show their fat farang uglies what a great guy they are... IMO what's then following is just self defense of the bouncers. 

 

(Been sometimes there, because often visiting a place in the near ... and had more than one time, where I felt lucky to have one of the Zoe bouncers near, so I didn't have to get my own hands dirty...)

 

 

[EL159]

2 hours ago, Cory1848 said:

And you, quite evidently, are one of them! <stupid smiley face>. I've been to most of the establishments along that entire strip and enjoyed myself at each ...

As it happens, I m not, I watch my sport mostly in the comfort of my home HD on Truevisions, but if push comes to shove, I d rather spend three hours in the UNIrish than five minutes in the god forsaken s...hole known as Zoe!

[CMKiwi]

The people in Zoe are probably quite happy that you would rather spend 3 hours in the UN IRISH too....

[cmsally]

Some posts have been removed that insult other members, please keep it civil.

[Loaded]

The place never appealed to me - freelancers with naive foreign tourists who think they pulled a local bird, alcohol fueled 'hard men' wearing flip flops and foreign staff/owners who clearly despise their customers.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Loaded

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, Loaded said:

The place never appealed to me - freelancers with naive foreign tourists who think they pulled a local bird, alcohol fueled 'hard men' wearing flip flops and foreign staff/owners who clearly despise their customers.

And then theres the majority of people happily drinking, dancing and enjoying themselves

[idman]

If and when this move occurs it will mean that the Twatpackers will have to pony up more Baht to get there and thus blow a hole in 500 baht a day all in budget. And furthermore when word gets out on the Twatpackers grapevine that the local Thai blokes in the area don't take too kindly to them and their macho posturing and drunken antics they will soon vanish as getting the sh...it kicked out of you kinda ruins their holiday.

[Rama]

I've heard a rumor that that land was being sold for 8 years now. So far everything on the thread is just reporting rumors.

[Lizard2010]

Will Sheryls,  Fat Elvis  and the UN  be closed too

Or is it the corner part only ?

Does anyone actually Know the full details

I did read the article quoted above

[Paul Catton]

22 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

That's ridiculous.  Why actually are you commenting on nightlife topics when it clearly isn't your thing?   (The door guys will politely point out that drinks need to be purchased from the same place, which is reasonable.  Actually it's the same for all the other bars too, like Roots, etc. )

 

It's necessary as some of the demographic they get are people on some sort of zero-dollar challenge. 

 

Clearly in a nightlife area with lots of drunk guys around there will be trouble now and then.  That doesn't mean that everyone who walks in with a beer from any other bar or store gets beaten up.  (Why does this need pointing out..)

 

 

That's the plan for old city land that's government owned, at the old jail.  The Boon Yoo area though (where Zoe and all the other bars are) is privately owned, so whatever will be built there, it'll be something that makes more money than those bars bring in in rent. 

 

 

It can't be "large" (as in tall) as you're not allowed to go over 3 storeys up in the old town area.  It can still be sizable though of course.  Most likely it'll be a boutique hotel, perhaps also with some shopping space, a restaurant, etc.  

 

I don't really mind.   Actually I don't think the JJ market area will work for tourists.  Those bars better be looking at other available areas, such as around the Night Bazaar and the river.

As usual WTK has better perspective than most and not knee jerk reaction. Might have even crossed paths at Nang Nuan (could well have been the origin of food courts) maybe 30 years ago.

[Sparkles]

4 hours ago, Rama said:

I've heard a rumor that that land was being sold for 8 years now. So far everything on the thread is just reporting rumors.

To add to the rumours I was told by the owner of a coffee shop, that has just closed the doors nearby, that the CHANG Company are the "investors" so there will be no shortage of development money. Height restrictions will hopefully be observed