What happened to Silom bars: all closing?

[Just Weird]

15 hours ago, Red Forever said:

O'Reillys was definitely there in 2002

Exactly, it hadn't been there for anything like 30 years!

[Just Weird]

10 hours ago, Wake Up said:

They are building a new mall on covenant and revamping the mall near covenant according to a friend of mine that works at the USA embassy and generally knows what is happening in that area. 

Where is Covenant Road?

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

Why anyone wants to pay 6 or 7quid for a pint that is only 2 in a wetherSpoon In UK beggars believe, surprised they lasted this long. 

What have "wetherSpoon" [sic] UK prices that are not available here got to do with Bangkok prices?  

[Just Weird]

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

The demise of illegal boiler room operations also had a fair influence on the British pub business in Bangkok.

Are you sure about that?

[baansgr]

22 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

What have "wetherSpoon" [sic] UK prices that are not available here got to do with Bangkok prices?  

Each to their own, Im in Thailand and prefer to eat and drink Thai food/drinks. I can imagine those paying 6 quid for a pint here, when going back to the UK, eek out Thai restaurants and pay silly money for a Singha and fried rice while eating steak and burgers here, .nothing like the taste/memories of home?

[gropes]

20 hours ago, BobbyL said:

You've still got Robin Hood, Herrity's and Royal Oak within a 50m stretch. 

 

20 hours ago, Cats4ever said:

Soi 33/1 seems to be gone already. Used tobe a good bar for watching AFL there.

That bar could have been the Kangaroo Sports Bar. Aussie Football is now shown in the bar above Christie's Club.(don't mistake the entrances!!)

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

Are you sure about that?

Sure about what? The shuttering of boiler rooms or their heavy 'investment' in English style pubs?

[Blue bruce]

does anyone know if the old Bangkok Beat on Soi 7/1 has relocated. It was always one of my favorites. Now a massage parlor with a hotel upstairs. Glad the beer garden on soi 7 is still around

[tigermoth]

22 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

Price increases is my opinion. Was there last year, 'bout this time. Asking 350 baht for a pint of 'Craft Beer' in some places. Little in the way of reasonable prices for food or drink, from what I could see. Paid over 600 baht for street food someplace around soi 18. Area basically deserted after about 6pm because the Thai cannot afford to stay there after work. If rents have spiked too, well, it still boils down to people having to buy your stuff in order to pay the rent, whatever the level. You would have to drag me back, to be honest.

Development, development. All the bars disappearing becaose of, in the main, condo developments. Most of these condos are purchased by chinese and then put up for sale or rent at ridiculously high prices.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Sure about what? The shuttering of boiler rooms or their heavy 'investment' in English style pubs?

"Sure about what?"

Well, the only point that you made was that the demise of boiler rooms had affected  Bangkok's "British pub" businesses.   How do you see "British" pubs have been affected.  Your comment seems to suggest an adverse affect. 

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, Blue bruce said:

does anyone know if the old Bangkok Beat on Soi 7/1 has relocated. It was always one of my favorites. Now a massage parlor with a hotel upstairs. Glad the beer garden on soi 7 is still around

No, it hasn't relocated.  Gone for good.

[Just Weird]

5 minutes ago, tigermoth said:

Development, development. All the bars disappearing becaose of, in the main, condo developments.

Since when has a handful of bars closing or relocating become "all the bars disappearing"?

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

"Sure about what?"

Well, the only point that you made was that the demise of boiler rooms had affected  Bangkok's "British pub" businesses.   How do you see "British" pubs have been affected.  Your comment seems to suggest an adverse affect. 

A lot of legal looking entertainment businesses are fronts for more nefarious businesses. When the nefarious business fades away, there's a corresponding liquidity crisis in 'pub land'. High rents then become unsustainable so the legitimate pubs relocate and the 'launderettes' close.

 

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

Since when has a handful of bars closing or relocating become "all the bars disappearing"?

Agreed. Maybe suggesting that it's the start of a trend is more appropriate? However, a recent poll has indicated a slower flow of farang visitors to Thailand AND a faster ebb of farang workers from Thailand. These pubs weren't for the locals after all.

[lamyai3]

23 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

Price increases is my opinion. Was there last year, 'bout this time. Asking 350 baht for a pint of 'Craft Beer' in some places. Little in the way of reasonable prices for food or drink, from what I could see. Paid over 600 baht for street food someplace around soi 18. Area basically deserted after about 6pm because the Thai cannot afford to stay there after work. If rents have spiked too, well, it still boils down to people having to buy your stuff in order to pay the rent, whatever the level. You would have to drag me back, to be honest.

Most of the English and Irish pubs here aren't charging anything like these prices. Typical all day happy hour prices until 8pm are around 100 baht a pint on the local beers, less for bottles (craft beer is a different story, taxed to the hilt here and definitely an indulgence). Food from the main menu is pricier, but some of the specials can be great value. Royal Oak for instance in 33/1 has a decent lunchtime menu, Thai dishes are under 100 baht.

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

Since when has a handful of bars closing or relocating become "all the bars disappearing"?

Yes, overall there's probably a similar number of them as there always was. There's a brand new English pub in Thonglor opening this month, so while some places are closing, others are just starting up. 

[berybert]

Crat beer is like gourmet food. Cut down the portion and triple the price. Someone will think they look cool holding a small bottle they paid 400 baht for. Look for a guy with a goatee beard and a bad cardigan and there is your craft beer specialist. 

[Snig27]

55 minutes ago, berybert said:

Crat beer is like gourmet food. Cut down the portion and triple the price. Someone will think they look cool holding a small bottle they paid 400 baht for. Look for a guy with a goatee beard and a bad cardigan and there is your craft beer specialist. 

Given their market share in the UK, US and Australasia now, one suspects your definition might be past its sell-by date. Even in Thailand, the local brewers can't keep up with the demand (and they sell for vastly less than 400 baht - around 120B at 7/11s etc)

[Wake Up]

16 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Where is Covenant Road?

Google Thanon Covenant near Silom. 

[lamyai3]

5 hours ago, Wake Up said:

Google Thanon Covenant near Silom. 

All I found was a murmur of nuns.

[lamyai3]

15 hours ago, berybert said:

Crat beer is like gourmet food. Cut down the portion and triple the price. Someone will think they look cool holding a small bottle they paid 400 baht for. Look for a guy with a goatee beard and a bad cardigan and there is your craft beer specialist. 

Only true in Thailand due to the ridiculous monopoly held by the big corporations. Craft beer can vary from dodgy to exceptional, but in most places around the world it's priced comparably or sometimes cheaper than regular brews. Wetherspoons in the UK showcases many craft beers at usually <100 baht pint, it's often cheaper than the regular lager in there. It's a great shame, as the local Thai craft beer producers have brewed some nice beer. 

[Just Weird]

19 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Yes, overall there's probably a similar number of them as there always was. There's a brand new English pub in Thonglor opening this month, so while some places are closing, others are just starting up. 

Official opening is Wednesday 8th.

[Just Weird]

9 hours ago, Wake Up said:

Google Thanon Covenant near Silom. 

No such place.  There is a Convent Road, though; wake up, Wake Up.

[Ks45672]

18 hours ago, berybert said:

Crat beer is like gourmet food. Cut down the portion and triple the price. Someone will think they look cool holding a small bottle they paid 400 baht for. Look for a guy with a goatee beard and a bad cardigan and there is your craft beer specialist. 

Aha well, stick to drinking Chang if you're happy with it.... 

[blackcab]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

No such place.  There is a Convent Road, though; wake up, Wake Up.

 

Public roads in Thailand are named in Thai. The English translation is simply that - a convenience for those who cannot read Thai script.

 

Below is a screenshot from Google maps to help you with that.

 

The location is:

 

https://maps.google.com/?cid=4489475517897559654&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=gb

[huawei]

9 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Official opening is Wednesday 8th.

Where on Thonglor and the name..

 

thanks 

[observer90210]

why the bars are closing ?....maybe you could check at the local stationnery stores ? perhaps they ran out of brown enveloppes for a bit of time ?

[Wake Up]

9 hours ago, Just Weird said:

No such place.  There is a Convent Road, though; wake up, Wake Up.

You picked a good name for yourself Just Weird. 

[watcharacters]

On 8/3/2018 at 2:03 PM, korkenzieher said:

Paid over 600 baht for street food someplace around soi 18. 

 

 

Please tell us you're jesting.

 

600 baht is just not possible for stall food.

 

Did you feed a battalion? 

 

[lamyai3]

12 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

Public roads in Thailand are named in Thai. The English translation is simply that - a convenience for those who cannot read Thai script.

 

Below is a screenshot from Google maps to help you with that.

 

The location is:

 

https://maps.google.com/?cid=4489475517897559654&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=gb

As with Wireless Road, Henri Dunant and others, the name of the soi isn't Thai in origin. It's named after St Joseph's Convent located in the soi. 

[5633572526]

On 8/3/2018 at 7:51 AM, BobbyL said:

They are building on Soi Convent where Malones was. Also, the same for where the Kiwi used to be located on Soi 8. I heard a rumour recently that Sukhumvit 33/1 will be next to go too. 

 

All of them are going due to some development or rent increase. A real shame as Bangkok has probably lost 5 - 10 great drinking spots in the last year or so on Silom and lower Sukhumvit.

 

I also heard last week that Hemingways is now opening at the old Zak's bar on Soi 11. 

I would love to know if the Hemingway’s reopening is true. That was my favorite watering hole before the land got sold out from under them to build a hotel.