Shagwells Bar

[morphious]

Once of a time shagwells was always busy full of ex pats from the condos all around that area with the large bottles of Leo being consumed by the crate load especially in the extended happy hour, but now its completely dead where are all the expats etc, surely they all havent moved on to Cambodia or Vietnam?

[glanville63]

Could it be that the old breed have moved on and wouldn't be seen dead now in a bar with that name. "See you later mate. Yes I'll be down at Shagwells". Give me a break. I would think the joke wore thin a long time ago but the owners haven't twigged it and reinvented themselves yet. Rather like the prehistoric reptiles and look what happened to them. Pattaya is moving on hopefully and getting away from the blatant image it used to have.

[Jingthing]

They're at LOVEJOYS.

[flyingfox]

I'm a former multi month resident of Shagwells. I haven't set foot in there in a few years. I'm not sure why the place is a graveyard but I too have noticed it's awfully quiet in there. In their defense, there's a large bar complex right next door so one really isn't so reliant on the cobwebbed Shagwell bar anymore (rather than hoofing it down to WS).

The attached Boomerang bar, when I was last there, was a lot of fun with girls gyrating on poles (insert joke) and a great Filipino band doing some amazing Queen covers.

[britmaveric]

Bars come/go - people are what make them.

[Ulysses G.]

Pattaya is moving on hopefully and getting away from the blatant image it used to have.

Thats a good one!

I really doubt if the name of the place has anything to do with having less customers than before.

[melonf]

I really doubt if the name of the place has anything to do with having less customers than before.

Well the name of Cockwell Inn on Soi Pattayaland 1 has changed to CoCo Bar. Perhaps a sign of Glanville's times

[johninbkk]

I remember the owner's name was Bob and the bar manager named Darcy, are they both still there? Maybe they had a change of management and this is the reason for the vacant bar seats.

[barryofthailand]

I remember the owner's name was Bob and the bar manager named Darcy, are they both still there? Maybe they had a change of management and this is the reason for the vacant bar seats.

I 5think Bob owned the Outback bar, or is Shagwells the same place?

Barry

[hellyes2oo2]

bob owned the whole thing, and darcy was his friend and manager for many years.but at songkran this year they had a bust up, caused by bobs son.since darcy left the place has never been the same, and bob must now be sick as a parrot at his decision to let darcy go, all because of his son.i had many a good night down there and always stayed there whenever i visited pattaya, but i have not stayed there since darcy left.darcy was well liked by almost everyone, he is now working for another aussie guy, up near soi bukhaow and is doing really well.i was told a few weeks ago that they were thinking of changing the name from shagwell to the wombat hotel, but dont know if they did.one other thing as for all the customers being at lovejoys,i think not, look just how well lovejoy 2 id doing, empty rom opening to closing.Getting back to the shagwell i think bob needs to find someone with a whole lot of new ideas to get the bar back to what it was,someone with a lot of experience at running bars.

Edited October 23, 2010 by Rimmer
Flames taken out

[Mobi]

I have no real evidence but do have a gut feeling that maybe the mix of farangs living in Pattaya is slowly changing.

I believe the rising prices and in particular the continuing appreciation of the Thai Baht against western currencies is starting to make itself felt and many of the farangs at the 'bottom end' are finding it increasingly hard to survive on their meagre savings and income.

Some will still be here but have become ever more discriminating on where they choose to drink (at home or on benches outside their local mini mart, rather than bars), and many have no doubt left for pastures new.

I recently moved from my leased condo on Jomtien to a house out back on the Darkside.

Although I lived in Jomtien, I frequently used to go to my old haunts on the Darkside, which was one of the reasons I decided to move back.

Over here, there are clear indications that changes in the mix of expats is afoot. Whereas even a couple of months ago, nearly all the bars were dead for 90% of the time, I now find that with every day that passes there are more new faces in the bars and restaurants round Mabprachan lake. But the telling feature of all these newcomers is that very few ride motorbikes. They all have cars, pick-ups or SUV's and at some of the most popular bars, it is sometimes difficult to park due to the number of vehicles.

I have spoken to these some of these 'newcomers' and they seem to have more disposable income than their predecessors, and also many are a generation younger. Many are still working in high paying jobs, either in Thailand or overseas (using their homes on the Darkside for R & R).

For those of us who recall the halcyon days when we could get 70 Baht for our pounds or 42 Baht for our dollars, we are wailing and gnashing our teeth as all our financial projections go out of the window, but for the 'newcomers', they don't know any different and they have done their sums based on 45 Baht to the pound and can afford their new found paradise.

For as long as I can remember,(I first came to Thailand in 1973), Thailand will always attract westerners to it's shores. For every farang who leaves LOS due to lack of finances or is otherwise disenchanted with the country, there are always at least 2 new farangs to take their place.

That's my assessment anyway.

[rocky]

They're at LOVEJOYS.

Agreed, Lovejoys and the Fantasie bar, both very busy while bars around them appear to be empty.

Lovejoys have recently opened a second bar......

[morphious]

Wow didnt know Darcy had left, well that will explain a couple of things

[redwood13]

Competition from all the newly opened hotels in seemly better locations over the recent past has made it tough to keep Shagwells occupancy levels what they had been especially during the low season. Are they still advertising as they once did? Loss of Darcy has maybe made the place less Aussie friendly? Day shift at the bar needs to be managed. And nearby cheap beer bars have siphoned off customers.

There does appear to be a move to change the name to Wombat Hotel which is what you get if you google “Shagwell Pattaya” - however they still have a Shagwell Mansions website which pops up as well. Seems re-branding is a hard thing to do.

Post by hellyes2oo2 is correct as far as I've heard, except Bob is not sole owner of the hotel and bars, but rather has at least one partner.

Mixed reports on Lovejoy's success here and elsewhere. Number 3 in the works for Soi 6?

-redwood

[JimSiam]

Competition from all the newly opened hotels in seemly better locations over the recent past has made it tough to keep Shagwells occupancy levels what they had been especially during the low season. Are they still advertising as they once did? Loss of Darcy has maybe made the place less Aussie friendly? Day shift at the bar needs to be managed. And nearby cheap beer bars have siphoned off customers.

There does appear to be a move to change the name to Wombat Hotel which is what you get if you google "Shagwell Pattaya" - however they still have a Shagwell Mansions website which pops up as well. Seems re-branding is a hard thing to do.

Post by hellyes2oo2 is correct as far as I've heard, except Bob is not sole owner of the hotel and bars, but rather has at least one partner.

Mixed reports on Lovejoy's success here and elsewhere. Number 3 in the works for Soi 6?

-redwood

One of the other partners in Shagwell is Surat Mekawarakul.

[BB1950]

Change is the excitement and a fact of life... a requirement of evolution.

Unless an establishment changes, it becomes dead. Most business that are successful, are well aware of that. They are constantly reinventing themselves to rejuvenate.

There are some individuals who would prefer to live in the past... afraid of change or to attempt anything new.

I personally find them very boring after a while. Just as establishments or environments that don't change. They don't evolve and struggle to survive.

Edited October 24, 2010 by BB1950

[morphious]

I failed to mention that the rooms are empty too which is why i think too many expats have moved on, not only from the bar but from the land of smiles it self. Looks like xmas will be treble the price this year

[BB1950]

I failed to mention that the rooms are empty too which is why i think too many expats have moved on, not only from the bar but from the land of smiles it self. Looks like xmas will be treble the price this year

What? Were you looking for a rapid recovery and a return to the days of a few years back?

Keep dreaming! It will take some time.

Well, I imagine there are few 'old timers' who like it now. It probably reminds them of years ago, when there weren't so many tourists. Each one to his own opinion.

Worldwide, times are a changing. Go with the flow and adjust.

Edited October 25, 2010 by BB1950

[rott]

Sorry and surprised to hear this about the shagwell, I have been as a member of a visiting quiz team and it was always busy, well run and well priced. Apart from the stupid name it seemed a very professional operation.