Report On Loi Kroh Rd.

[heybruce]

Well, hello, "heybruce!" Sorry to hear you might only getting by with a cane, but you are certainly bang on that people should always be aware of how old they are when bar hopping, be it droopy boobs or big bellies regardless of gender. Language can be quite incidental.

Have you been to places in that neighborhood like the ones where the bargirls after work go to get their jollies and hire "short time" guys after having spent the evening unsatisfied humping one or more over-age, overweight, Viagra-stimulated farang has-beens ?! There is a lot of variety in that neighborhood. If you have the figure for it, maybe language is not an obstacle!

No, I've only been to a few of the bars in Santitham with Thai friends, none of them hooker bars. I agree that language is incidental in hooker bars, but in bars where you want to meet and talk to people who aren't sex workers language is kind of important.

In fact I don't know of any hooker bars in Santitham, though I'm sure there are a few. However I have no desire to find bargirls who have to pay men to have sex with them, they seem worse than the worst of the Loi Kroh women. How do you know of these women?

[Beetlejuice]

Maybe Chiangmai just doesn't want to copy Pattaya! Heaven forbid!

They would in a second, if the customers/money were there! Many would complain of course, but many complain in Pattaya too.

People complaining about Pattaya nightlife are stupid. Without the nightlife, Pattaya would be nothing except another dirty, boring, broken Thai town with a very average beach. Certainly wouldn't attract many. Doesn't even have any temples worth looking at ( other than Temple of Truth ).

I would have to agree with the OP on the topic. My one evening walking around Pattaya confirmed what the OP wrote. It's just a larger version of Loi Kroh road, but situated close to a beach. The only thing missing in Chiang Mai is the stripper bars behind closed doors. If that is your thing then go for it. I only have to look in a mirror to know what a naked female body looks like. If it's not your scene then why worry about what other people enjoy? There's far more to do in Thailand than sit on a bar stool every evening. I don't see anything wrong with a bunch of people enjoying themselves. When I wander through the few bars along Loi Kroh all I see are people laughing and enjoying themselves. I guess that is essentially what people are complaining about. THEY DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY THEMSELVES! The happy people here are out numbered by the grinches.

That has to be the understatement of the century.

Comparing the area of the Loi Kroh Road with Pattaya, is like making a comparison between a stone pebble and Mount Everest.

Pattaya is a city full of adult entertainments, bars and has a vibrate nightmare, although the odds are that long term residents or frequent visitors there will be murdered before they draw their pensions. The Loi Kroh road is just a grotty little soi with a handful of open bars not large enough to swing a cat around, and besides the Olde Bell restaurant, all the rest is totally nondescript, one blink of the eye and you’ve missed it. This is what I consider as an accurate comparison. When I have visited Pattaya, I can assure you that there is nothing further from my mind than the Loi Kroh Road. As a matter of fact, the further, the better.

The Loi Kroh Road is about as interesting and exciting as watching the paint dry on a plank of wood.

[rene123]

True, Beetlejuice. But more of the same thing does not make something better. A man shouldn't need 10 beautiful women if he has one good one. Likewise, you can only sit on one bar stool at a time, and a glass of Leo in one bar will taste just the same as a glass of Leo in another bar. The only difference is the sound of blaring music noise coming at you from all directions. What Pattaya has that Loi Kroh doesn't have is a beach and an ocean breeze. The shopping is pretty much comparable wherever you go in Thailand. Everyone sells exactly the same products. There is very little originality. Pattaya isn't my scene but I did like the variety of things to do and the reasonable accommodation nearby. Although I like to walk, and the beach walk in central Pattaya is quite nice, it is easy enough to jump on one of many songthaws passing by every minute or so.

Although the ocean in front of Pattaya is polluted, I enjoyed Koh Larn island and a few beaches down near Satahip for swimming. I thought a 200 baht a day scooter rental was reasonable. I found good places to eat that only cost about 30 to 50 baht which is about what I pay in Chiang Mai..It is easy enough to walk by anything that doesn't appeal to you. I have no interest in sticking my nose in other people's business.

[Beetlejuice]

True, Beetlejuice. But more of the same thing does not make something better. A man shouldn't need 10 beautiful women if he has one good one. Likewise, you can only sit on one bar stool at a time, and a glass of Leo in one bar will taste just the same as a glass of Leo in another bar. The only difference is the sound of blaring music noise coming at you from all directions. What Pattaya has that Loi Kroh doesn't have is a beach and an ocean breeze. The shopping is pretty much comparable wherever you go in Thailand. Everyone sells exactly the same products. There is very little originality. Pattaya isn't my scene but I did like the variety of things to do and the reasonable accommodation nearby. Although I like to walk, and the beach walk in central Pattaya is quite nice, it is easy enough to jump on one of many songthaws passing by every minute or so.

Although the ocean in front of Pattaya is polluted, I enjoyed Koh Larn island and a few beaches down near Satahip for swimming. I thought a 200 baht a day scooter rental was reasonable. I found good places to eat that only cost about 30 to 50 baht which is about what I pay in Chiang Mai..It is easy enough to walk by anything that doesn't appeal to you. I have no interest in sticking my nose in other people's business.

I totally agree with you and as a matter of fact, I also consider Pattaya as being a complete dump, and a dangerous one at that.

All I am saying is that the Loi Kroh Road is certainly no sin city and cannot be considered as any sort of red light district how the tourist guides describe the place,.unlike certain areas of Pattaya. I last heard that the only hookers still actively working in the Loi Kroh Road, is a girl called Lek, her mother, grandmother and her Auntie Nong.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[WinnieTheKhwai]

True, Beetlejuice. But more of the same thing does not make something better. A man shouldn't need 10 beautiful women if he has one good one. Likewise, you can only sit on one bar stool at a time, and a glass of Leo in one bar will taste just the same as a glass of Leo in another bar. The only difference is the sound of blaring music noise coming at you from all directions. What Pattaya has that Loi Kroh doesn't have is a beach and an ocean breeze.

Hmmm.. I partly agree and partly disagree. The part I agree with is that after spending time in Pattaya, I DO actually very much look forward to the stuff that passes for Farang naughty nightlife in Chiang Mai. A lot of that has to do with how easy going the place is. And knowing staff in many bars and them knowing me. Conversations are more often on topics that you expect among friends, not the more typical 'where you from - buy me cola' kind of BS. Of course if I spent even more time in Patters I would get to that level of familiarity for a couple 'home bars' too, of course.

Objectively Pattaya bars offer some things that you don't get in Chiang Mai; a vibrant daytime scene for example. I like having a drink during the day sometimes, and then take it easy at night. And then some of the goings on in certain bars aren't easily described on a family forum.

But it would also not be correct to define Pattaya just by the nightlife and having beaches nearby; there are many fun activities for kids that make it a very good destination for a family holiday, also considering overall cost and convenience of getting there from Chiang Mai / Bangkok. And that ocean breeze is 35 degrees C and 80% humidity: it's a lot more comfortable outside in Chiang Mai in any season other than the smokey one.

"A man shouldn't need 10 beautiful women if he has one good one." Another good point that's true and false at the same time.. Yes you can only realistically be with so many women at the same time. And I realize it's a newbie mistake to go to Pattaya and then try to visit every bar and talk with everyone; it's Mission Impossible. Over there too a good rule remains: if you're having a good time: STAY PUT; don't feel that just because there are 1000 bars and 10,000 women you need to make an attempt to see them all.

I'm happy with the way both places are.

[PoodMaiDai]

Loi Kroh looks like Little Isaan to me. Not much different than walking down Soi 7 or Soi 8 in Pattaya several years back.

[mascarakatze]

I was in pattaya a few months ago and I walked all the seafront, south to north, next day I packed my stuff and left.

Chiang Mai is a normal city, with normal people, but many ladies here are not saints hehehe men as well

what do you mean hehehe

[daoyai]

I was in pattaya a few months ago and I walked all the seafront, south to north, next day I packed my stuff and left.

Chiang Mai is a normal city, with normal people, but many ladies here are not saints hehehe men as well

what do you mean hehehe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ona-RhLfRfc

[thaibeachlovers]

Loi Kroh looks like Little Isaan to me. Not much different than walking down Soi 7 or Soi 8 in Pattaya several years back.

<Not much different than walking down Soi 7 or Soi 8 in Pattaya>

Which is exactly the point of my OP.

[Mekong Bob]

He's probably not far off actually. I've talked with many dozens over the years in the area and a CM native was not as common as you may think.

That depends on what it is that one might think.. There are plenty Northern girls in the bars (I'm including hilltribe girls in this) and enough from Chiang Mai proper for me to not ask people bluntly during small talk where they're from. I usually lead that with 'are you from Chiang Mai', or 'you're from Chiang Mai right'. Of course more often than not, they're not, but the minority is significant enough to acknowledge the possibility. (and then of course Northern people from surrounding provinces.. Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phrae, etc.) Depends also what you call Northern, like culturally I would not include places like Phitsanulok, Phetchabun and Sukhothai even though they're geographically sometimes included in the North.

Also there seem to be more Chiang Mai girls in Chiang Mai bars than there are Pattaya/Chonburi girls in Pattaya bars, relatively speaking. There it's really almost unheard of to meet someone from Chonburi province. (Met a couple from Rayong, etc though)

My personal estimates are based on the Loi Khro Street strip, dozens of small talk "interviews" each time I "survey" the area, and all my personal chats with the girls begin with small talk in kam mueang (Northern Thai). It is extremely rare to find a gal who can respond in fluent kam mueang, although they most certainly understand what is being spoken. The game changer is when they hear a farang speak Lao or Isan - without fail, the girls let out a scream and then talk about their Isan hometown, etc. It's fun!

I will be interested to learn where a pub crawler (like myself) can meet Khon Mueang (Northern Thai) bargirls here in Chiang Mai. What about the Chang Phueak area mentioned in an earlier post? Dou you have some names of bars?

Thanks!

[mjsansai]

In my opinion not enough Scots and too too many Englishman, Please give us the Americans, they will save us from the Minows