Tawan's Bar & Bistro

[DerbyDan]

is this still open? the owner passed away when i lived near there and his thai gf took over. small joint down near the cemetary off chang klan rd.

 

does anyone know what happened to the guy or what he passed from? stories, rumors?

 

always bugged me as i never found out what happened. used to talk to the guy when he was alive. ???? and we lived in the same apartment complex together across the road.

Edited February 13, 2021 by DerbyDan

[ChakaKhan]

Go ask his GF???

[moe666]

unless it has reopened in the last week the bar has been closed for awhile

[LomSak27]

Tawans is on a back route to where I live. I have not seen anything resembling activity, for the last 6 months likely longer. Signs are still up, a bit of miscellaneous junk cluttered around the building. Sad to know a club/bar was at that location. Not many of note in this area of town.

[DerbyDan]

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

Tawans is on a back route to where I live. I have not seen anything resembling activity, for the last 6 months likely longer. Signs are still up, a bit of miscellaneous junk cluttered around the building. Sad to know a club/bar was at that location. Not many of note in this area of town.

Sad to hear. I was there years ago when things were normal.

 

Yep, living in that area always felt very forlorn and lonely, especially walking back at night. Never had the guts to go into those Karaoke's near there on Chang Klan but the girls who stand out there are extremely attractive, Chinese I think. Almost passed my number to one when walking home at night but I'm sure they are 'watched'. Not farang friendly places.

[PETDCAT]

Mark who used to own Pirates Bay worked there for awhile, he passed away a few years ago. At the time it was owned by a Brit and his wife. He had a son and I believe they moved back to England to raise the boy.

[DerbyDan]

19 hours ago, PETDCAT said:

Mark who used to own Pirates Bay worked there for awhile, he passed away a few years ago. At the time it was owned by a Brit and his wife. He had a son and I believe they moved back to England to raise the boy.

 

Maybe I got the employee and owner mixed up as to who had passed.

 

It was the tall quiet guy with glasses I wanted to know what happened to. Was that Tawan's husband or Mark?

Edited February 16, 2021 by DerbyDan

[PETDCAT]

3 hours ago, DerbyDan said:

 

Maybe I got the employee and owner mixed up as to who had passed.

 

It was the tall quiet guy with glasses I wanted to know what happened to. Was that Tawan's husband or Mark?

Mark weighed about 250+ pounds. The owners name was Rob. 

[DerbyDan]

1 hour ago, PETDCAT said:

Mark weighed about 250+ pounds. The owners name was Rob. 

 

I think the guy Who lived near me was Rob, and he's still alive. Sorry to hear about Mark.

Edited February 17, 2021 by DerbyDan

[BritManToo]

On 2/16/2021 at 7:57 AM, LomSak27 said:

Tawans is on a back route to where I live. I have not seen anything resembling activity, for the last 6 months likely longer. Signs are still up, a bit of miscellaneous junk cluttered around the building. Sad to know a club/bar was at that location. Not many of note in this area of town.

There's about 20 around the lake behind the museum/park/police station/shooting range about 200m further out. Live music in 3-4 of the places. 

Edited February 17, 2021 by BritManToo

[moe666]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

There's about 20 around the lake behind the museum/park/police station/shooting range about 200m further out. Live music in 3-4 of the places. 

Chang Phueak is on the North side of the moat the bar in the post is on the south side of the moat and east.toward Chang Klan

[DerbyDan]

On 2/16/2021 at 7:00 PM, BritManToo said:

There's about 20 around the lake behind the museum/park/police station/shooting range about 200m further out. Live music in 3-4 of the places. 

That's nowhere near the location of Tawan's. Tawan's is on the opposite side of the old city near the Empress Hotel. Very different neighborhood with not much going on. Chang Phueak is a great neighborhood with clubs all over. That's where the thai's I knew lived and partied.

 

If you go further down Chang Klan it gets even dicier. The karaoke's further down the police won't even go through there. It's like being in a sketchy area of China.

 

It's on the way to that Galare Thong expat condo building that rents out. It's WAY freakin down there if your walking, you need to take transpo. I walked to Galare Thong from night market one time when first looking for a place. It's in the middle of knowhere. I remember thinking fuk this. I remember walking down a dirt road to Galare and there was a small karaoke with a nasty dog out front and it was just sht, I don't think they were even thais.

Edited February 18, 2021 by DerbyDan

[Lizard2010]

Obviously most dont know the owners who i have know for over 5 years

Mark used to be the Bar manager

Rob and his wife Ice are still the owners

Rob is English  But lives in New Zealand

Ice was with him and will return soon to be with Rob

The Tawan has been closed for over 1 year

It will be closed for many years now

Hope this puts it strainght

 

[DerbyDan]

1 hour ago, Lizard2010 said:

Obviously most dont know the owners who i have know for over 5 years

Mark used to be the Bar manager

Rob and his wife Ice are still the owners

Rob is English  But lives in New Zealand

Ice was with him and will return soon to be with Rob

The Tawan has been closed for over 1 year

It will be closed for many years now

Hope this puts it strainght

 

Please describe Rob and Mark. Which one wore glasses? What did they look like?

 

The guy I talked to had metal rimmed glasses, I think gold. He was also very tall with a quiet demeanor. Not sure about weight, someone said 250, but I'm 200, so it could be either guy. I need to know if the guy I talked to was Rob or Mark and whether he passed away.

 

Thanks, man.

Edited February 21, 2021 by DerbyDan

[Jimbo53]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:49 PM, DerbyDan said:

 

Maybe I got the employee and owner mixed up as to who had passed.

 

It was the tall quiet guy with glasses I wanted to know what happened to. Was that Tawan's husband or Mark?

Tawan is a male Thai name.

[MMan]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:03 AM, DerbyDan said:

Never had the guts to go into those Karaoke's near there on Chang Klan but the girls who stand out there are extremely attractive, Chinese I think. Almost passed my number to one when walking home at night but I'm sure they are 'watched'. Not farang friendly places.

The Karaoke girls are Thai of ethnic Chinese descent & thus the whiter skin which Asian men prefer.  And yes the ones sitting out front are usually extremely attractive + well dressed.

If you go in you will be escorted to a Karaoke room where a parade of girls will come though with the manager pushing you to choose at least one to sit & drink with you (you also pay a modest fee for the Karaoke room, though that's the only 'modestly priced' thing you will be billed).  The girl will then ask you to also buy a drink for her 'friend' and her 'other friend who hasn't had a drink all night'.  Then someone will come in with a food menu and the girl will say "I'm hungry - let's order food". Then some even better looking girls will walk in and you will be invited to buy one or more of them a drink too.  And pushed to buy the server + the manager a drink.  After about 30 minutes you check the tab and see it is already running close to or above 10,000 THB and you've only just ordered your 2nd beer.  You might be able to negotiate that down a little, but for sure you will leave with your wallet empty and nothing more to show for it other than perhaps a 'joob joob' on the cheek IF you are lucky.

These places cater to Asian businessmen who have a generous expense account to entertain clients, government officials, etc.  Farang should avoid like the plague and stick to the darker skinned girls on Loi Kroh road.  ????

Edited March 2, 2021 by MMan

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, MMan said:

If you go in you will be escorted to a Karaoke room where a parade of girls will come though with the manager pushing you to choose at least one to sit & drink with you (you also pay a modest fee for the K ........

All nonsense, you roll up in your car, wave out the window, and one comes over to you, negotiates a price, then gets in your car as you drive to the short-time hotel.

[elektrified]

19 hours ago, MMan said:

The Karaoke girls are Thai of ethnic Chinese descent & thus the whiter skin which Asian men prefer.  And yes the ones sitting out front are usually extremely attractive + well dressed.

If you go in you will be escorted to a Karaoke room where a parade of girls will come though with the manager pushing you to choose at least one to sit & drink with you (you also pay a modest fee for the Karaoke room, though that's the only 'modestly priced' thing you will be billed).  The girl will then ask you to also buy a drink for her 'friend' and her 'other friend who hasn't had a drink all night'.  Then someone will come in with a food menu and the girl will say "I'm hungry - let's order food". Then some even better looking girls will walk in and you will be invited to buy one or more of them a drink too.  And pushed to buy the server + the manager a drink.  After about 30 minutes you check the tab and see it is already running close to or above 10,000 THB and you've only just ordered your 2nd beer.  You might be able to negotiate that down a little, but for sure you will leave with your wallet empty and nothing more to show for it other than perhaps a 'joob joob' on the cheek IF you are lucky.

These places cater to Asian businessmen who have a generous expense account to entertain clients, government officials, etc.  Farang should avoid like the plague and stick to the darker skinned girls on Loi Kroh road.  ????

In Hat Yai they are definitely Chinese, not Thai. They could be some ethnic group which descended from China perhaps. If you speak Thai to them, they don't have a clue what you are saying. Perhaps a couple of them here and there could be Thai - I don't know.

[elektrified]

On 2/18/2021 at 3:04 PM, DerbyDan said:

That's nowhere near the location of Tawan's. Tawan's is on the opposite side of the old city near the Empress Hotel. Very different neighborhood with not much going on. Chang Phueak is a great neighborhood with clubs all over. That's where the thai's I knew lived and partied.

 

If you go further down Chang Klan it gets even dicier. The karaoke's further down the police won't even go through there. It's like being in a sketchy area of China.

 

It's on the way to that Galare Thong expat condo building that rents out. It's WAY freakin down there if your walking, you need to take transpo. I walked to Galare Thong from night market one time when first looking for a place. It's in the middle of knowhere. I remember thinking fuk this. I remember walking down a dirt road to Galare and there was a small karaoke with a nasty dog out front and it was just sht, I don't think they were even thais.

I believe that you are referring to Thannon Wiang Ping. It used to be a dirt road. Now the area has been transformed and the government has put quite a bit of money into the area, paved the road, built a park, etc. Most of the sketchy karaoke's are gone but a couple of them remain. The girls are from ethnic hill-tribes mostly as well as Burmese. Most of the cheap rooms (where a number of farangs lived for 1,500 per month) have all been demolished.

[Andy from Kent]

19 hours ago, MMan said:

After about 30 minutes you check the tab and see it is already running close to or above 10,000 THB and you've only just ordered your 2nd beer. 

 

 

Man that's a fair warning if I've ever heard one.

 

Sounds like you and BritManToo have had massively different experiences there.

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

Man that's a fair warning if I've ever heard one.

Sounds like you and BritManToo have had massively different experiences there.

People who enter the karaoke deserve to get ripped because that's not how they work.

[DerbyDan]

 

23 hours ago, elektrified said:

I believe that you are referring to Thannon Wiang Ping. It used to be a dirt road. Now the area has been transformed and the government has put quite a bit of money into the area, paved the road, built a park, etc. Most of the sketchy karaoke's are gone but a couple of them remain. The girls are from ethnic hill-tribes mostly as well as Burmese. Most of the cheap rooms (where a number of farangs lived for 1,500 per month) have all been demolished.

The one I am referring to is right across kitty from the Empress Hotel on main Chang Klan Rd.

 

Anyone been in this particular one or heard any stories about it? How was it and how much was it? Was it a ripoff or a legit joint? Did you go in stag, or with a group?

 

I don't think any of the women are Thai. They don't look or act Thai. Is open really late with women out front, neon lighting. The women will say or do nothing, even if your walking by. Won't even make eye contact if your walking towards them. There is a long mirrored hallway with women waiting on either side. They appear to be watched and are prohibited from anything other then standing outside. They don't talk to each other either.

 

It appears to be always without customers but is a large building. Tuk Tuk will drop off drunk tourists late at night.

Edited March 4, 2021 by DerbyDan

[elektrified]

On 3/4/2021 at 10:41 AM, DerbyDan said:

 

The one I am referring to is right across kitty from the Empress Hotel on main Chang Klan Rd.

 

Anyone been in this particular one or heard any stories about it? How was it and how much was it? Was it a ripoff or a legit joint? Did you go in stag, or with a group?

 

I don't think any of the women are Thai. They don't look or act Thai. Is open really late with women out front, neon lighting. The women will say or do nothing, even if your walking by. Won't even make eye contact if your walking towards them. There is a long mirrored hallway with women waiting on either side. They appear to be watched and are prohibited from anything other then standing outside. They don't talk to each other either.

 

It appears to be always without customers but is a large building. Tuk Tuk will drop off drunk tourists late at night.

Better stick to Th. Wiang Ping.????