JOHN’s PLACE

[jonwilly]

I came passed John’s Place yesterday afternoon to see that it was now open and that the front bar has been done away with and both bars now one large area.

is it still owned by John and s anyone know the opening times ?

 John 

[Bill97]

You were there, why didn’t you ask?

[roo860]

https://themoathouse.info/#about      

 

Opens 2pm, according to website 

Edited October 2, 2022 by roo860

[jonwilly]

I was passing on opposite side of moat and it was not convenient to stop.

I though I would ask the Chiang Mai experts on this board.

 John 

[Mac Mickmanus]

5 hours ago, jonwilly said:

is it still owned by John and s anyone know the opening times ?

John retired a few years ago and the location has been up for rent for a few years , as the property was advertised for rent , John probably has nothing to do with it .

   Johns Daughter took over running Johns place just before it closed down and she was going to open JP in a different location 

[Sparktrader]

14 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

John retired a few years ago and the location has been up for rent for a few years , as the property was advertised for rent , John probably has nothing to do with it .

   Johns Daughter took over running Johns place just before it closed down and she was going to open JP in a different location 

What is special about the place?

[Mac Mickmanus]

7 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

What is special about the place?

It used to be a pub with strippers and they changed it to a roof top bar and restaurant and John the Thai guy was quite well known , sitting there wearing his hat watching everyone like he owned the place and bossing everyone about .

  

[Sparktrader]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

It used to be a pub with strippers and they changed it to a roof top bar and restaurant and John the Thai guy was quite well known , sitting there wearing his hat watching everyone like he owned the place and bossing everyone about .

  

So you went to look at women. Naughty boy.

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just now, Sparktrader said:

So you went to look at women. Naughty boy.

No, I first went there in 2010 and they had already changed to a restaurant/bar by that time

[Sparktrader]

2 hours ago, roo860 said:

https://themoathouse.info/#about      

 

Opens 2pm, according to website 

185 baht Massamun is a bit steep.

[roo860]

18 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

185 baht Massamun is a bit steep.

Not been since new ownership, loved the old place, had 20% discount card, food and drink.

[jonwilly]

I first used John s Place when I came to reside in

CM back in 2001.

Old hands assured me that in years gone by they had a brothel upstairs but that was long gone.

I used to take breakfast there and once again old hands had me join in  B20-30 and one of the staff (it was a 24 hr operation back then ) would go and purchase a large bag of fried chicken, rice and Thai veg for all to tuck into.

I got to know John and met his identical twin brother of who legend said was senior police officer for the Pat Pong district in BKK.

I found the staff friendly and certainly liked the place.

Several  friends who came out for holidays stayed in what became the M hotel and John s Place was our meeting point for a beer or two.

 John 

[Boksida]

2 hours ago, jonwilly said:

.

I got to know John and met his identical twin brother of who legend said was senior police officer for the Pat Pong district in BKK.

 

I met the Bangkok twin first. He had a well-run upstairs bar in Patpong (probably the best one of that type). It was called The Fire--- (-house, -place, -side; can't remember now, this was the seventies) and I think his name may have been Vinai. Never heard anything about him being a policeman although he was obviously well connected. I went to John's Place in the early 90s and mistakenly thought it was the guy from Bangkok. We had a mutually confusing conversation until we figured out what had happened.

[jonwilly]

In early 2001 most mornings of the week there was a “Meeting” in John’s Place of several  police officers. Their bodyguards/drivers would accompany them and sit at another table. 
On one such morning Johns twin brother was up visiting and that’s when I was told he was the senior police officer who’s area was Pat Pong.

This was before the crackdown on bars especially in Loi Khro which happened in August if I remember correctly.

 John 

 

 

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, jonwilly said:

In early 2001 most mornings of the week there was a “Meeting” in John’s Place of several  police officers. Their bodyguards/drivers would accompany them and sit at another table. 
On one such morning Johns twin brother was up visiting and that’s when I was told he was the senior police officer who’s area was Pat Pong.

This was before the crackdown on bars especially in Loi Khro which happened in August if I remember correctly.

 John 

 

 

 

The crackdown on bars started in about 2013

[jonwilly]

Mick

believe me CM was much wilder 20 odd years back.

There was a crackdown in August, a very senior Thai, had been driven down Loi Khro, in the evening, in her chueffer driven motor and had been disgusted by what was to be seen.

The police where told from on high to sort matters out, they did.

Most of the old hands I got to meet back in 2001 have now past on.

They could tell some tales from Fang and it’s B10 working girls (hill tribe) to the goings on in the Karen Hut.

John 

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

19 minutes ago, jonwilly said:

Mick

believe me CM was much wilder 20 odd years back.

There was a crackdown in August, a very senior Thai, had been driven down Loi Khro, in the evening, in her chueffer driven motor and had been disgusted by what was to be seen.

The police where told from on high to sort matters out, they did.

Most of the old hands I got to meet back in 2001 have now past on.

They could tell some tales from Fang and it’s B10 working girls (hill tribe) to the goings on in the Karen Hut.

John 

 

What did the police officers see ?

[roo860]

There was a Thai style agogo that John owned just across from his place on the small soi, they had a couple of sofas and arm chairs, couple of girls wearing shorts and t shirts on the poles. That was approximately 1997.

Edited October 2, 2022 by roo860

[jonwilly]

Mick

it wasn't police that was drove down Loi Khro, and saw young Thai girls in bikini tops, outside the bars. The person was of high influence became very angry and the tale was the senior police office CM ended up ‘tapping the boards’ (old military expression) the following morning, or so we heard at the time.

 John 

 

 

 

[Paul Catton]

The "Imperial Mae Ping" had Royal patrons whom traveled the route from the Palace beyond Wot Doi Suthep, back in the day for diversion.

"Black Cat" was the pub to go to.

Jungle Curry, was snake in sauce with local veggies.

Boat Noodles had "Thai Ganja" subsequently removed from the recipe as it was deemed illegal,

How I miss the past, yet look forward to the future.

[Bill97]

47 minutes ago, Paul Catton said:

The "Imperial Mae Ping" 

Or CM Orchid?

[Mac Mickmanus]

23 hours ago, jonwilly said:

Mick

it wasn't police that was drove down Loi Khro, and saw young Thai girls in bikini tops, outside the bars. The person was of high influence became very angry and the tale was the senior police office CM ended up ‘tapping the boards’ (old military expression) the following morning, or so we heard at the time.

 John 

I cannot believe that at all : Girls don't tend to wear "bikini" tops any where in C.M , girls don't generally hang around outside the bars down LK as the pavements are small and there's no "young girls" at all , typically older woman who have nowhere else to go .

   Loi Kroh is pretty much deserted these days and I cannot believe there were young girls in bikinis hanging around outside bars , and its rainy season at the moment as well 

[Bill97]

27 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

I cannot believe that at all : Girls don't tend to wear "bikini" tops any where in C.M , girls don't generally hang around outside the bars down LK as the pavements are small and there's no "young girls" at all , typically older woman who have nowhere else to go .

   Loi Kroh is pretty much deserted these days and I cannot believe there were young girls in bikinis hanging around outside bars , and its rainy season at the moment as well 

He talk about then, 20 years ago, and you reply about now.  Why you do that?

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, Bill97 said:

He talk about then, 20 years ago, and you reply about now.  Why you do that?

He did say that there was crack down in August , I did assume he was talking about the August just gone , August 2022 .

   If people are talking about 20 years ago, they would normally state the year and not the month 

[Bill97]

20 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

He did say that there was crack down in August , I did assume he was talking about the August just gone , August 2022 .

   If people are talking about 20 years ago, they would normally state the year and not the month 

Read what he wrote again and see the 20 years ago reference and the 2001, hard to believe it was missed. Twice.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, Bill97 said:

Read what he wrote again and see the 20 years ago reference and the 2001, hard to believe it was missed. Twice.

He put a full stop at the end of the sentence which contained "2001" and then began a new sentence which contained the word "August" , he should have use a comma to show both sentences were connected , rather than a full stop who denotes two different stand alone sentences .   

[Bill97]

7 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

He put a full stop at the end of the sentence which contained "2001" and then began a new sentence which contained the word "August" , he should have use a comma to show both sentences were connected , rather than a full stop who denotes two different stand alone sentences .   

He mentions 2001 twice and states 20 years ago. But if you think he was talking about this year you  got problems I hope you can find help with.

[Mac Mickmanus]

3 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

He mentions 2001 twice and states 20 years ago. But if you think he was talking about this year you  got problems I hope you can find help with.

Do stop over reacting . 

I misunderstood a post on ASEANNOW , that hardly requires seeking outside help .

   Like going to see a doctor or a psychiatrist and explaining "Help, I was reading a post on ASEAENNOW and I misunderstood the context because the year wasn't written after the month of August was written and I assumed they meant the previous month of August  , can you cure me "

????????

[Bill97]

Here’s hoping you get it someday Mac.

[jonwilly]

 

Looks like I have confused matters.

I was writing about when I came to CM back in April 2001.

I stayed in the old city inside the moat.

I was made welcome by the old hands who used John’s Place and it’s excellent staff.

John’s Place was a 24 hr open bar. Just a bar selling food.

I can’t remember if he employed 2 shifts or 3 shifts of girls to cover the operation, 2 most likely.

Across the 45 degree Soi next to the bar John owned a second bar which featured Go Go dancers of a night, no strippers that I saw or heard of.

After I had used the bar frequently a girl mentioned that if I asked John he would give me a 20% discount card for drinks and food.

I never did but I had taken several photos of John and his family including his new daughter. I bought a new printer for my computer and printed say half a dozen shots at A4 size on glossy paper which I gave to John. He spoke to his staff/cashier and I got the 20% discount from then onwards.

Two acts of kindness which helps explain my liking for the old bar.

It was August when a lady of very high status went down Loi Khro road early evening and the tale we picked up from the bar staff via the drivers/bodyguards was that the senior Thai Police chief ended up receiving a sever telling off by the Lady following morning.

There was a crack down on how girls behaved and dressed particularly down Loi Khro.

I apologies for my incompetence but I am getting old and doing my best.

Many old boozers would head for John’s Place when the other drinking dens closed early morning and John would get a rush from the serious drinkers.

The chief cashier was John’s eldest daughter, who had just finished getting her degree at CM Uni. Very nice girl early 20s I last heard that she had married and moved to BKK over ten years back.

She had at least two other sisters and memory says second sister became a police officer, Major if my memory is correct not in CM.

I know my English is very bad, blame the old Coal & Cotton town in N.West England where I learned Reading Ritting and Rithmatic (Add ups, Takeaways, Times and  Gussinta ) a rather basic education.

I used The Moat yesterday.

Clean tidy but no atmosphere.

Will use again if I get any old comrades out for a visit and staying in M hotel.

 John