Hello there

 

Have any of you Jomtien regulars been frequenting Soi Welcome in Jomtien in the 00's? If so, would you care to share your thoughts/experiences?

 

At my first visit to the soi, in 2002, I remember an almost dead soi with a few cement floored and tile walled restaurants, a couple of massage places, an Indian tailor, the Swedish owned Avenue Inn, Sirikan's and Noi's (?) convenient stores and a German travel agent. Apart from that, most units had closed shutters.

 

 

At my subsequent visits in 2005-06 and onwards the soi had developed into a vibrant soi with plenty of bars and restaurants.

 

From memory:

 

Welai Beer Bar maybe 100 meters down the soi on the left hand side. Frequented by a bunch of Geordies (Robert (Lobert), John and Michael), (electrical pole cable workers?)

 

Further down the soi on the right hand side was a two unit bar: Popeye Bar/Popeye Inn owned by Khun John (a merry Liverpudlian chap) and his lovely wife, Thuk. They had run an upscale bar in Bangkok years before, and Khun John and Mae Thuk were so likeable that quite a few of their beautiful, former employees hung around the bar frequently.

 

Further down on the left was Boss Beer Bar, run by the sweetheart Khun Bpoo, who I believe, has now married well in Eastern Europe, and her great Irish boyfriend (his name eludes me at the moment).

 

There was a big Finnish bar at the right hand side further east. I never went there, but it was well visited - especially at F1 races.

 

Almost at the end on the left side of the soi was San Snack Bar. Khun San was the matron, and her very well English speaking husband, Andreas/Andy hailed from Köln (Cologne). They won the Jomtien pool league for a number of years. There was a very pleasant Buriram staff for many years.

 

The soi catered to Scandinavian guests at some point because the Welcome Jomtien Beach Hotel (from which the soi was named) was patroned by Scandinavian tourists back then. I remember restaurants such as: Ettan's, Sjöboa, No Name and Our Place.

 

There were many great massage places in the soi. The parallel/backside soi was next to empty if I recall correctly. Now at Soi Welcome 2 there are some very good massage places, guest houses etc. 

 

Kind Regards

A.

 

 

Edited July 24, 20223 yr by slight111
missspells ;-)

Noone?

Maybe it's just me but I almost never remember bar names. It's just one big cluster fk to me of drinking.

 

I don't usually remember people's names either, although I remember faces, stories and conversation.

 

Such is Thailand for me. Just a haze of people moving in and out. It's one of the things that seem odd about Thailand to me is there are a bunch of superficial places and people that just disappear the next morning.

 

 

39 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Maybe it's just me but I almost never remember bar names. It's just one big cluster fk to me of drinking.

 

I don't usually remember people's names either, although I remember faces, stories and conversation.

 

Such is Thailand for me. Just a haze of people moving in and out. It's one of the things that seem odd about Thailand to me is there are a bunch of superficial places and people that just disappear the next morning.

 

 

 

 

Do you think that alcohol could be a factor?

Im pretty sure if you looked up "sois that have not recovered from Covid" in the dictionary, it has a photo of Soi welcome.

34 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Do you think that alcohol could be a factor?

Drinking is a big part of it, but I'm sober probably half the time. It's more like I go into so many places and talk with so many different people that nothing really "sticks".

 

I think it has to do with traveling a lot and having that mindset, or just liking going into every different place on the block, rather then focusing on a few particular places each time. ????‍♂️

 

It happens in other situations too just traveling. Meeting people but the conversation is always the same, where are you from? want to get a beer? etc etc, but it's always like people or places just passing through and no genuine friendships or connections take place because we both know we are not going to be around long ????, if that makes sense. That's about the best way I can describe it.

Edited October 2, 20223 yr by JimTripper

Pardon

my ignorance, but Which soi is soi welcome?

Quite a bit south on Jomtien beach rd.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/SRVLRqcqhtZwRmc27

 

Do you know the T-section with Soi Bunkanchana (the traffic light)?

 

250 m further south.

 

Have not frequented bars there.

Only been there to see a member of the family clan working in the area selling coffee and things. Long given up, Covid killed the rest of the business. Very dependent on Russians. Lot of Cyrillic signs etc.

Edited October 2, 20223 yr by KhunBENQ