Party until dawn in lower Sukhumvit?

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Can't you come up with a new metaphor, this one is bloody tiresome.

What a shame.

[n00dle]

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The Nana hotel disco and Thermae - the good old times.

I will never forget that back entrance from the old Thermae. Was it through the kitchen first and then the toilet or the other way around? What a f u place - and packed every night. 

Sure you mean the old thermae? sounds a lot like current one to me. 

[n00dle]

On 2/22/2024 at 2:23 PM, Seppius said:

I love the little bars that set up very late along the Sukhumvit road, met some characters at that time of night over the years

 

they were a whole scene back in the day (2000-2010++) we called them the plastic chairs, and occupied them on too many occasions watching folks head to work.

 

those were the days when you got lucky if you went home alone.

The queen of the plastic chairs, Khun Toi (Toy?) -- she could be seen cooking in rubber boots every night around soi 11/1 - Soi13 -- is the person who sublet the land the now gone "illegal bars" occupied over COVID.  It was her restaurant at the end. She moved to the building in front of the ambassador that used to be au bon pain.

[bamnutsak]

Sidewalk bars.

 

7/11 steps.

 

 

[LS24]

27 minutes ago, n00dle said:

 

they were a whole scene back in the day (2000-2010++) we called them the plastic chairs, and occupied them on too many occasions watching folks head to work.

 

those were the days when you got lucky if you went home alone.

 

Aye, they were good times. I often would never go to actual bars. I think around Soi 9 were some of my favs. I much prefer an early night and early rise these days but great memories.

 

In those misspent times, I ended up 2 or 3 times at a club I think was in north BKK that never seemed to close. On the occasions I remember going there it was in a taxi late at night early morning with others. Left mid morning and straight into taxi often telling the driver where to take us before sleeping for the trip. I always thought it was up near Saphan Kwai but may not have been. The place was a haze of smoke and seriously loud music with no windows and up one level. Can't even remember the name.

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

7/11 steps.

absolutely never. Not once.

[ABCDBKK]

3 hours ago, n00dle said:

Climax was in the underground parking of the Ambassador. 

Yes, and one called Insomnia at the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 12 was the other big one back in the day.  

[ABCDBKK]

3 hours ago, n00dle said:

Sure you mean the old thermae? sounds a lot like current one to me. 

Yes, he described the old (original) Thermae. Back door ground floor entrance in the parking lot and you went through the bathrooms first before actually entering into the main coffee shop area. The old one had opened in the sixties.
 

The original old Thermae was located next to the Miami Hotel, on Sukhumvit Road. It was closed in 1996 to make way for the Sofitel that now resides on the property. The new (current) Thermae opened 50 metres away in the basement of the Ruamchitt Hotel. 

 

The street entrance of the old one at the front of the building took you into what was a second floor area called "Thermae Barber Shop", which was a daytime knocking shop. It wasn't open after hours though. That's why people had to enter the ground floor coffee shop through the rear entrance at the parking lot. 

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, LS24 said:

Aye, they were good times. I often would never go to actual bars. I think around Soi 9 were some of my favs. I much prefer an early night and early rise these days but great memories.

 

In those misspent times, I ended up 2 or 3 times at a club I think was in north BKK that never seemed to close. On the occasions I remember going there it was in a taxi late at night early morning with others. Left mid morning and straight into taxi often telling the driver where to take us before sleeping for the trip. I always thought it was up near Saphan Kwai but may not have been. The place was a haze of smoke and seriously loud music with no windows and up one level. Can't even remember the name.

That reminds me, there used to be a place on soi 11, unmarked door, which led to stairs and once you got up to the second floor you opened a door to a small club. Always heaving, open all night, lots of freelancers, if I remember correctly there might have been two bars inside on two different floors. Does anyone remember it? I am going back maybe 18-20 years when I used to go there and I'd be there several nights a week until the early hours. @Liverpool Lou maybe? Not sure if it even had a name. Someone took me there the first time and then when I tried to go alone the next time I couldn't find the door. Great memories (even though I can't remember the name or exactly where it was).

Edited February 24 by josephbloggs

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, n00dle said:

Can't you come up with a new metaphor, this one is bloody tiresome.

I'm with you on that. So boring.

[ABCDBKK]

37 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

That reminds me, there used to be a place on soi 11, unmarked door, which led to stairs and once you got up to the second floor you opened a door to a small club. Always heaving, open all night, lots of freelancers, if I remember correctly there might have been two bars inside on two different floors. Does anyone remember it? I am going back maybe 18-20 years when I used to go there and I'd be there several nights a week until the early hours. @Liverpool Lou maybe? Not sure if it even had a name. Someone took me there the first time and then when I tried to go alone the next time I couldn't find the door. Great memories (even though I can't remember the name or exactly where it was).

Vaguely remember it. I had friends that went there often. I might have gone once. It was a heavy drug using scene from what I recall and that's why I wasn't interested. It was close to President Park hotel from what I recall. Don't think it had a real name because it was not a real bar and hidden from sight. 

[ABCDBKK]

Since we've moved onto old, late night "coffee shops" that stayed open until dawn around lower Sukhumvit, there was also one in the basement of the Grace Hotel in Soi 3 that had quite a scene. It was a lot like Thermae, with all the freelancers, but also quite different. Next door was a disco playing very loud music until dawn. I went there once or twice to the coffee shop. Bright lights and a depressing atmosphere if I recall correctly. The disco was big and often empty until some guys would bring girls in there to party. 
 

And there was the 24-hour Federal Hotel coffee shop on Soi 11. It was purely a restaurant, but at 3-4 AM there was quite a scene in there at times. 

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

That reminds me, there used to be a place on soi 11, unmarked door, which led to stairs and once you got up to the second floor you opened a door to a small club. Always heaving, open all night, lots of freelancers, if I remember correctly there might have been two bars inside on two different floors. Does anyone remember it? I am going back maybe 18-20 years when I used to go there and I'd be there several nights a week until the early hours. @Liverpool Lou maybe? Not sure if it even had a name. Someone took me there the first time and then when I tried to go alone the next time I couldn't find the door. Great memories (even though I can't remember the name or exactly where it was).

It was called Soho. On the ambassador side of the street maybe 200 meters up the soi. kind of where the fx booths and Cannabis Club are now.  Played mostly hip hop.  Used to drive David from Q bar absolutely crazy that the cops would close Q bar and everyone would move down the street. amusing rants ensued.      

[n00dle]

17 minutes ago, ABCDBKK said:

Since we've moved onto old, late night "coffee shops" that stayed open until dawn around lower Sukhumvit, there was also one in the basement of the Grace Hotel in Soi 3 that had quite a scene. It was a lot like Thermae, with all the freelancers, but also quite different. Next door was a disco playing very loud music until dawn. I went there once or twice to the coffee shop. Bright lights and a depressing atmosphere if I recall correctly. The disco was big and often empty until some guys would bring girls in there to party. 
 

And there was the 24-hour Federal Hotel coffee shop on Soi 11. It was purely a restaurant, but at 3-4 AM there was quite a scene in there at times. 

 

I have had a place on 11 for around 25 years, don't recall anything of note ever happening late night at the Federal beyond great food. The Grace Coffee shop, however, was madness a mix of arab, thai and farang, all up to no good.

Bowling at the Grace was a great way to get a few beers in before looking for trouble.

[n00dle]

41 minutes ago, ABCDBKK said:

Vaguely remember it. I had friends that went there often. I might have gone once. It was a heavy drug using scene from what I recall and that's why I wasn't interested. It was close to President Park hotel from what I recall. Don't think it had a real name because it was not a real bar and hidden from sight. 

 

It wasnt as far into the soi as the president park, it was much nearer the mouth. Drugs a plenty, you are correct.

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, ABCDBKK said:

Yes, he described the old (original) Thermae. Back door ground floor entrance in the parking lot and you went through the bathrooms first before actually entering into the main coffee shop area. The old one had opened in the sixties.
 

The original old Thermae was located next to the Miami Hotel, on Sukhumvit Road. It was closed in 1996 to make way for the Sofitel that now resides on the property. The new (current) Thermae opened 50 metres away in the basement of the Ruamchitt Hotel. 

 

The street entrance of the old one at the front of the building took you into what was a second floor area called "Thermae Barber Shop", which was a daytime knocking shop. It wasn't open after hours though. That's why people had to enter the ground floor coffee shop through the rear entrance at the parking lot. 

ah current thermae you went down the stairs but came up the stairs at the back through nd outdoor kitchen breezeway area to get to the toilets

[ABCDBKK]

1 minute ago, n00dle said:

 

I have had a place on 11 for around 25 years, don't recall anything of note ever happening late night at the Federal beyond great food. The Grace Coffee shop, however, was madness a mix of arab, thai and farang, all up to no good.

Bowling at the Grace was a great way to get a few beers in before looking for trouble.

Yes, correct on all. The Federal was purely a restaurant as I said. But at 3-4 am there were often some drunk characters in there and it could turn into a bit of a scene. 

[mokwit]

1 minute ago, n00dle said:

ah current thermae you went down the stairs but came up the stairs at the back through nd outdoor kitchen breezeway area to get to the toilets

Leaving with a girl via the back entrance and car park was known as 'the walk of shame' [apparently].

[ABCDBKK]

9 minutes ago, n00dle said:

It was called Soho. On the ambassador side of the street maybe 200 meters up the soi. kind of where the fx booths and Cannabis Club are now.  Played mostly hip hop.  Used to drive David from Q bar absolutely crazy that the cops would close Q bar and everyone would move down the street. amusing rants ensued.      

Q Bar was very overrated in my humble opinion. A bit pretentious in fact. It was basically just another freelancer pickup, but posing as a proper bar with high priced drinks. It didn't start that way, but once the high-so crowd moved on, shortly after it opened, he needed the working girls to draw in the punters to pay the high drink prices. 

[n00dle]

1 minute ago, mokwit said:

Leaving with a girl via the back entrance and car park was known as 'the walk of shame' [apparently].

 

More often i left with Thermae Chicken in a Basket. Fok did that hit the spot. 

[ABCDBKK]

2 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Leaving with a girl via the back entrance and car park was known as 'the walk of shame' [apparently].

Was no shame in that. Who was going to judge you in a dark parking lot with people passed out at 5AM?

 

 

[ABCDBKK]

1 minute ago, n00dle said:

 

More often i left with Thermae Chicken in a Basket. Fok did that hit the spot. 

Think I ate the Khao Pad there a few times. Suffice to say, most of us weren't going there for the food. The small bottles of Sangthip were the main soup du jour. 

[josephbloggs]

9 minutes ago, n00dle said:

 

It wasnt as far into the soi as the president park, it was much nearer the mouth. Drugs a plenty, you are correct.

Yeah, that's the one.

[n00dle]

Just now, ABCDBKK said:

Q Bar was very overrated in my humble opinion. A bit pretentious in fact. It was basically just another freelancer pickup, but posing as a proper bar with high priced drinks. It didn't start that way, but once the high-so crowd moved on, shortly after it opened, he needed the working girls to draw in the punters to pay the high drink prices. 

it started as a New york lounge style bar. The opening went off so hard they immediately upgraded the sound system and didn't look back. I was neighbors with a bunch of the staff a block away, and knew all the local DJs so it wasn't expensive at all.  Also they booked in some very very good international DJs.   

[josephbloggs]

16 minutes ago, n00dle said:

It was called Soho. On the ambassador side of the street maybe 200 meters up the soi. kind of where the fx booths and Cannabis Club are now.  Played mostly hip hop.  Used to drive David from Q bar absolutely crazy that the cops would close Q bar and everyone would move down the street. amusing rants ensued.      

Yeah, forgot to mention it was mostly hip hop (which was one of the reasons I liked it). Even though you say the name it still doesn't ring any bells so don't think I ever knew the name, but that was definitely the place.

I remember thinking it was an absolute death trap if ever there was a fire, but it didn't stop me going (young and stupid).

[josephbloggs]

6 minutes ago, ABCDBKK said:

Q Bar was very overrated in my humble opinion. A bit pretentious in fact. It was basically just another freelancer pickup, but posing as a proper bar with high priced drinks. It didn't start that way, but once the high-so crowd moved on, shortly after it opened, he needed the working girls to draw in the punters to pay the high drink prices. 

Q Bar was great - they had some excellent DJs there and some great acts. 

DJ Cash Money was one of the best nights ever, as was DJ Jazzy Jeff. They also had the Jungle Brothers perform there and they were incredible although I think there was something wrong with the sound system that night.  When you had big names like that the venue was very intimate and you were up close, much better than seeing them in a big club in somewhere like RCA (although saw some great acts down there too).

[ABCDBKK]

There was a woman selling cut fruit at night from a fruit cart which had 3 levels and was parked in front of the old Thermae on the street. She would often doze off, whilst standing up and leaning against her cart. I believe she still sells fruit there at night on the street, but in front of the small building to the left of the Sofitel now. She must be doing that for close to 40 years already in that spot. 

[n00dle]

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

Q Bar was great - they had some excellent DJs there and some great acts. 

DJ Cash Money was one of the best nights ever, as was DJ Jazzy Jeff. They also had the Jungle Brothers perform there and they were incredible although I think there was something wrong with the sound system that night.  When you had big names like that the venue was very intimate and you were up close, much better than seeing them in a big club in somewhere like RCA (although saw some great acts down there too).

agreed, Bed was good for that too. I remember Laurent Garnier playing the club side  then doing a late night after hours in the other. 

[ABCDBKK]

5 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Q Bar was great - they had some excellent DJs there and some great acts. 

DJ Cash Money was one of the best nights ever, as was DJ Jazzy Jeff. They also had the Jungle Brothers perform there and they were incredible although I think there was something wrong with the sound system that night.  When you had big names like that the venue was very intimate and you were up close, much better than seeing them in a big club in somewhere like RCA (although saw some great acts down there too).

Although a bit further up Sukhumvit, Mystique (run by Dirty Disco Daryl) was a much better venue than Q Bar for that kind of real club scene. Club music on the ground floor, DJs on the second floor, and a chillout lounge on the 3rd floor. It was kind of like how Peppermint Lounge in Manhattan was in the eighties with multiple floors and multiple vibes. 

[ABCDBKK]

10 minutes ago, n00dle said:

agreed, Bed was good for that too. I remember Laurent Garnier playing the club side  then doing a late night after hours in the other. 

Bed was a nice spot. Designed by the same person who designed Q Bar. More of a restaurant than a club though. I much preferred the restaurant experience in there. The bar side of it did going late night, but it was hit and miss and by that time of the night most of lower Soi 11 had already cleared out. There wasn't much else down there at that time.