Asoke Corner No More!

[chingy_]

i wonder if these business pay tax?

[daveh]

I remember going to this area for a drink back around September 2003. The word in the bars then was that the whole place would be demolished in January or February. I'm not so sure why everyone is so shocked that it finally happened. What I'm shocked at is that no one (bar girls and bar owners) seemed to make any plans for what was to be.

[poolcleaner]

I do not know BKK very well and not this place that was shut down in such a bar-baric fashion (scuse the pun.) But is should be a lesson to bar owners in Thailand to clean up thier acts. Also a lesson to would-be bar owners that are thinking of moving to Thailand and thinking of leasing one of these places.

It seems tho government is on a 'clean up' campaign, with shorter hours and closing down the real sleazy places. But thier methods are rather disturbing. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that the methods employed to secure the closure of the bars is disturbing but I can't accept that it's the govt's decision to operate this way. Ultimately it may well be someone in govt that will develop the land but I don't think you can say it's govt policy to clean up the nightlife scene by smashing down bars.

As for the 'sleazy places' I'm sorry but you know not of what you speak!

These somewhat pathetic bars are very much open affairs whilst not hiding the intentions of the employees the real 'sleazys' are well hidden and operating quite freely and more often than not away from prying farang eyes.

Never forget more than 80% of the 'bar' scene with prostitutes doesn't cater for farang.

[Axel]

I am a bit surprised not having seen anything in the local newspapers, yet.

As for the "eyesore", I daresay, better some bars like that than the ever so boring

glass/concrete jungle.

Some people call it sleazy, others romantic...

Never fight about taste.

[kreon]

just an update....it appears that the korean owners of jasmine city...won a court judgement to get the tenants out.

apparantly they were on a month by month lease basis and were told to vacate by the end of november or else.

they plan to build a shopping center there.

[Explorer]

they plan to build a shopping center there.

does that mean they gonna take away the big billboard as well? Man! i like the big billboard there, especially now.

Explorer

[Axel]

does that mean they gonna take away the big billboard as well? Man! i like the big billboard there, especially now. 

Explorer 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precisely my thoughts when I passed by this afternoon.

Might be difficult to knock down this one and what a shame.

Btw, think Jasmine got already rid of the nightly foodstalls in front of it's entrance.

More to the glass/concrete boring architecture.

[samran]

if indeed there were legal agreements that were in place, I feel sorry for the owners/workers.

But I am guessing not. The place was an eyesore anyway.

Sorry, but thats my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm astonished that you even looked ( from the outside of course ) at a place of ill repute like that Dr Samran

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh you jest Dr P! Was dragged there by a bunch of female teachers a couple of nights in a row a few moons ago

But mainly thought it was an eyesore as I had to walk past it often enough.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

if indeed there were legal agreements that were in place, I feel sorry for the owners/workers.

But I am guessing not. The place was an eyesore anyway.

Sorry, but thats my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm astonished that you even looked ( from the outside of course ) at a place of ill repute like that Dr Samran

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh you jest Dr P! Was dragged there by a bunch of female teachers a couple of nights in a row a few moons ago

But mainly thought it was an eyesore as I had to walk past it often enough.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What we do in the name of Science. Season's Greeting's old friend

[HarryHacker]

Explorer 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Might be difficult to knock down this one and what a shame.

Btw, think Jasmine got already rid of the nightly foodstalls in front of it's entrance.

More to the glass/concrete boring architecture.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, when the wind is in the wrong direction I'm also gonna miss getting an eyeful of sh*t from those stalls as you walk into 23 from the Shell garage... That must have happened to you also.

[HarryHacker]

Oh well, went out tonight to Cowboy and for sure what a sorry site, yeah a few girls hanging around, did feel sorry for a few mins!

I guess you can't have that billboard looking over a bunch of whores!

Som.....

[thai3]

Never thought they would stay long after the MRT opened, land became of more value than for scruffy bar beers. Not bad though as they lasted five years almost to the day. The wise owners got out last year. If they are shutting down eyesores can soi 4 be far behind? -peter

[cojones]

the place was a load of &lt;deleted&gt; , however the thais dont use the law do they ?

just send in the thugs and the owners lose their investment .....

this sort of thing used to happen in Nazi Germany did it not .

The SS used to wreck jewish owned shops ....

***********************************************************

More beer bars torn down

Published on December 15, 2004

Operators at Asoke Plaza upset at sudden demolition; 150 lose jobs

More than 150 people lost their jobs following the sudden demolition of about two dozen beer bars on Sukhumvit Road in the heart of Bangkok on Monday morning.

Managers of bars at Asoke Plaza, on the corner of Soi Asoke and Sukhumvit Road, voiced anger yesterday at the lack of warning that their premises would be knocked down.

They likened the demolition – carried out by officials from the Legal Execution Department and overseen by local police – to the Sukhumvit 10 raid adjacent to Nana Skytrain station in January 2003, allegedly ordered by tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit.

The bar owners said that while the threat of demolition had been mooted for months, they were recently led to believe the bars could operate for all of the coming year.

Unlike the Soi 10 episode, however, operators or employees of most bars appear to have been allowed to remove their belongings before the structures were torn down.

Several bar owners vowed yesterday to fight the landlord for damages, saying the demolition occurred despite a court appeal to stop them being evicted. Thong Lor police station commander Colonel Thongchai Wongsriwattanakul said the demolition was an old case

and that a court had ruled the bars were illegal and should be removed.

Thongchai said the demolition was carried out by officials from the Legal Execution Department under protection from local police.

Wattana district director Surakiat Limcharoen said he needed to take action because the bar owners were operating illegally.

“I demanded these bar owners demolish their bars two months ago and 60 per cent of them compiled, but 40 per cent remained stubborn so we filed complaints with police to take action against them,” Surakiat said.

He said that Srinakharinwirot University was not happy to have “illegal” bars open near its campus.

However, Thanaphat Sajjorn-jana, the brother of a bar owner, said he did not understand how police and court officials could demolish the bars when the bar owners were appealing against the court’s ruling.

He said about 50 officials came to demolish the bars at 10am on Monday.The operator of the Sawasdee Bar said about 200 people had lost their jobs. “Everybody’s very sad now – a number of us worked there for many years,” said the woman, who preferred to be known only as “Da”.

“I believe there was a problem between the land owner and the manager leasing the bars. It had been to court but was not resolved.”

One foreign bar boss, who asked not to be named, said the raid came out of the blue.

“There had been new contracts for every bar for next year,” he said. “It was another Soi 10 job – and Thaksin had said that would never be allowed to happen again.”

Jim Pollard

The Nation

[Dickie]

its hard to believe but never settle on land that does not belong to you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Americans did.

[udon]

its hard to believe but never settle on land that does not belong to you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Americans did.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So did the Poms!

[shemmy]

Hey what's that place half way down sio #8 with the big steer skull and all kind of weird decorations on it it's an outside bar.. I forget the name ,,is it still there?........................shemmy

[penelope]

Personally I dont give a rats whether those beer bars stayed there or not, however a more professional eviction might have been more appropriate.

[udon]

Hey what's that place half way down sio #8 with the big steer skull and all kind of weird decorations on it it's an outside bar.. I forget the name ,,is it still there?........................shemmy  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From that description it sounds like Cheap Charlies bar in soi 11..... a great spot in the wet season

[tezzainoz]

Can someone please put up a picture

For those of us that want to see and are overseas

[ProfessorFart]

While not to everyone's taste they still served a purpose and only the most stuck up tosser would think the place better for their going. Clinton Plaza, Soi 10, the bars near Clinton Plaza and Asoke all helped break the monotony of endless tourist tat shops, Hotels, and large stores.

If you wanted to pop in for a beer, fine. If not then it was the easiest thing in the world to walk past. Now we are faced with walking past more faceless hotels, carparks, stores, with no where on the main drag offering a beer and a bit of company.

[charles]

Now we are faced with walking past more faceless hotels, carparks, stores, with no where on the main drag offering a beer and a bit of company.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bloody 'ell, you only need to walk 50m off the main drag to find a "bit of company". And that is where it should be. A bit of discretion is good for all concerned, both for those who want such places and those that don't. I can imagine many respectable Thais felt pretty uncomfortable driving or walking past Asoke plaza. They know prostitution goes on, accept it, and may even partake in it, but discretion is the word.

Pre-97/98, you were hard pushed to find a single bar on the main drag. While nightlife in the "zones" was certainly much better and wilder than it has been recently.

Edited December 15, 2004 by charles

[aughie]

I was surprised to see the group of bars on the corner of sukhumvit and asoke rd. Right on the sidewalk. Nothing set back there. I figured they would be the first to go. Are they still operating?

[WISteve]

Dickie,

The fact that your decendents raped and pillaged the former "owners" a thousand years ago doesn't make it right. Yeah we done the Native Americans wrong. And your folk did what?

It may not have been to everyone's taste (mine included) but violence and destruction of property should never be the method of choice for urban renewal. This kind of sh# doesn't happen without the local politicos being well feathered first.

The Land of Smiles is rapidly becoming the Land of Sledge Hammers and Bulldozers. Why any non-Thai would ever consider investing in this country amazes me.....

~WISteve

[aughie]

I didn't get down to the Thermae last time either. Might as well ask...is it still operating?

[Bluffer]

HAHA!

Walked down Soi 23 last week and in the section that was completely fenced off by a corrugated steel barrier, someone had removed part of it and reopened the car park. Last night a couple of bars had reopened inside!!

Strangely I also noticed a few bars had tables and chairs outside the corner of 21. So it looks like they were back in business!!

The more things change, the more they stay the same!

Edited December 15, 2004 by Bluffer

[ProfessorFart]

I can imagine many respectable Thais felt pretty uncomfortable driving or walking past Asoke plaza. They know prostitution goes on, accept it, and may even partake in it, but discretion is the word.

Just because something may make a few 'respectable' uncomfortable is still no reason to hide it away. Were it the whole length of Sukhumwit then I could understand this feeling.

I'm sure many people who would stop for a beer in these places for a beer and nothing else. I know I used to quite regularly and used to like watching the world roll by and chatting to the staff and the other customers in the bar.

[charles]

I agree that many people would just stop for a beer. It was more the impression of the girls hanging outside, calling people in to these slummy looking places. I've nothing against them really, it just all looked a bit tawdry.

It's not a case of being "hidden away", just that showing a bit of discretion and consideration for local sensibilities is best for all concerned. Up-market brothels on Rachada are not exactly hidden away, but they look smart and don't have rough looking girls outside them trying to drag passers by in.

Point I'd really like to make is that places like Asoke Plaza and Sukhumvit Square, by being so bloody blatent and drawing the attention of "respectable" or "powerful" people, they could actually do a disservice to the main places like Nana and Cowboy, which were previously discreet enough not to attract too much attention.

Edited December 15, 2004 by charles

[poolcleaner]

I agree that many people would just stop for a beer.  It was more the impression of the girls hanging outside, calling people in to these slummy looking places.  I've nothing against them really, it just all looked a bit tawdry.

It's not a case of being "hidden away", just that showing a bit of discretion and consideration for local sensibilities is best for all concerned.  Up-market brothels on Rachada are not exactly hidden away, but they look smart and don't have rough looking girls outside them trying to drag passers by in.

Point I'd really like to make is that places like Asoke Plaza and Sukhumvit Square, by being so bloody blatent and drawing the attention of "respectable" or "powerful" people, they could actually do a disservice to the main places like Nana and Cowboy, which were previously discreet enough not to attract too much attention.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I totally agree. Soi Nana is not far away and Soi Cowboy operates as it does and like most places in the world it's accepted as a 'whore alley'. If you want it you know where it is and if you don't want it you still know where it is.

I feel that if the bar operators had run their bars a little more discreetly they'd have more sympathy.

And certainly I can understand the Professor's lament at the disappearance of a bar simply for the enjoyment of having a beer. Asoke corner could have been a fantastic 'beer plaza' if there had been a little planning. 50 crappy lilttle bars spread out like a shanty town is not my idea of an enticing place to have a brew.

[Axel]

Well, we cannot really discuss wether the place was fun or a dump, it's a matter of taste.

What disturbes me more, suddenly the men in brown arrive with sledgehammers

and make a total mess. Or was it previously announced? Was there any court order?

What I neither know, did these booths actually have an operating licence?

If not, why have they been able to operate for such a long time?

Another reason comes to my mind. Regularly, in daytime, the traffic police is flagging down motorists for all kind of offenses exactly at that corner in front of the 'bar beers'.

Usually, the drivers hand over some cash (I am sure this is absolutely within the law, asking the officer to settle the ticket upon return to his station)

or they just speed away, unchallenged.

Now would it be possible the MIB have been annoyed being watched and cheered on while doing their job?

[poolcleaner]

Well, we cannot really discuss wether the place was fun or a dump, it's a matter of taste.

What disturbes me more, suddenly the men in brown arrive with sledgehammers

and make a total mess. Or was it previously announced? Was there any court order?

What I neither know, did these booths actually have an operating licence?

If not, why have they been able to operate for such a long time?

Another reason comes to my mind. Regularly, in daytime, the traffic police is flagging down motorists for all kind of offenses exactly at that corner in front of the 'bar beers'.

Usually, the drivers hand over some cash (I am sure this is absolutely within the law, asking the officer to settle the ticket upon return to his station)

or they just speed away, unchallenged.

Now would it be possible the MIB have been annoyed being watched and cheered on while doing their job?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. The cops aren't concerned about details like that. The do the same on any street corner.

It appears (in a post further back) that the leases had run out and the tenants were served an eviction notice for the end of Nov. They decided to stay and payed the price. It's really that simple I guess! Considering the majority of bars behind them on Soi 23 had gone surely it was only a matter of time!