Last night in Loi Kroh ........

[mamborobert]

It's been a few months since I have been out in Loi Kroh and thought I would give a run down of my observations last night on a separate post as it covers a few things. Not a drinker myself but an avid people watcher.

Firstly Loi Kroh was pretty much a ghost town on a Friday night. I was there from about 9 till 1.30am and some bars more or less had young ladies eating or evidencing their fixation with Samsung phones, facebook, line messenger etc etc akk night not even attempting to lure customers in.

Secondly...there were heaps of Chinese in the early part of the evening walking back from the Night Market. You know they are having an impact when some girls were yelling (yes yelling) "ni hao ma" but getting no response, it was as if a standing joke for the girls (attitude might change in time I guess on both sides). Makes a difference to "hello, welcome, how are you". Girls are yet to perfect in Mandarin "whats your name" or "where you come from" but there is a start inviting Chinese but did not see any takers. All Chinese were neatly dressed clean cut folk and no problem.

Thirdly Groups of Arabs walking back elicited no approaches at all. In the later part of the night it was not uncommon to see groups of Indian sub continent folk approaching a single ladyboy, and then move on to the next, and then to the next (wash rinse repeat).

Fourthly there were heaps of police, walking in groups near the moat, driving motorcycles in pairs, sitting in the back of utes driving past, sitting in the back of vans driving past throughout the night. Never seen so many.....but there did not seem to be doing anything to upset any business operations. I guess they might of been involved in something else that night but it was pretty constant throughout the night to see them.

Some some unhealthy (to me) interactions. Very small young girl in one bar dressed in kids clothing due to her size I guess (Sesame street T shirt), try as I may I cannot see it but bordering on dangerous the attention she was getting (and clearly not used to).....One the other side of the coin (same bar) hostess rebuffed customer (clean cut sober lad drinking orange juice) when she found out that he was 18. Same same but different

Lastly...the trip home. Riding across the metal bridge at 1.30am, lots of youngsters as usual, sitting, eating, taking photos usually no problem at all. Anyhow, got across and parked at 7/11 and noticed people looking back at the bridge to see a small hatchback rolling off the bridge engine off, lights out and proceeding across the road to God knows where. Here comes foolish mistake number 1.....I ran towards the car as I really thought that there was a problem (maybe heart attack or something)....as I am running driver (a tall very well built adult Thai) jumps out of the rolling car....with a Glock in his hand. Starts back towards the bridge,kids are now running everywhere and this guy is doing a mental in the middle of the road waving the Glock around over his head and pointing it at kids on bridge. Myself went back to 7/11 quickly, grabbed what I wanted and made my way out. As I am getting back on the bike the hatchback cruises past with a very young boy (6 or7) in the passenger seat. I get on my bike to drive home past Rimping towards Kong Sai and catch up with the hatchback again...pulling into Kawilla (at this point I am not sure if I should be reassured that at least it was army folk with gun or concerned that army folk would use gun in such a manner). God knows what the kids on the bridge did...road across it hundreds of times at night and have never had a problem from them at all.

Other than that...its still a good night out people watching, temperature was real nice, lack of traffic (vehicles and people) made it nicer to sit at road side places and have an easy yack.....

ps. A lot of the Boxing bars were still very much open when I left and indicated they are closing at 2.00am plenty of police and no sight of a clamp down.

Edited April 26, 2014 by mamborobert

[Thighlander]

Yawn.

[HeavyDrinker]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chiang Mai sounds a thrill a minute

[quidnunc]

"...driver (a tall very well built adult Thai) jumps out of the rolling car....with a Glock in his hand."

It was nightime and you actually could discern what kind of pistol he was holding? This story seems dubious to me.

[mamborobert]

"...driver (a tall very well built adult Thai) jumps out of the rolling car....with a Glock in his hand."

It was nightime and you actually could discern what kind of pistol he was holding? This story seems dubious to me.

It is a well lit area at the end of the bridge (have a look some time...its a bright place away from your keyboard).....it was a Glock 17 no problems ...sorry did not get serial number and not sure what Gen .

You can fire one yourself at Mae Rim if you want to become more familiar with the handgun..

It was not a nightmare, it was not that scary (but certainly would have been had shots been fired), .....iy was more a mild shock than anything. One hears of prevalent gun ownership and reads of guns being produced in disputes but this is the first time I had seen this in Thailand close up. I actually found myself back at the7/11 looking back at the guy (with a few other bystanders) while he ranted. I went into 7/11 when it was clear that the guy was just ranting and waving and not really "doing" anything. As I presume it is owned by military I was (as stated) somewhat relieved that it was not any random Somchai with a Glock.

Anyhow....what I was trying to post is that Chiang Mai seems a bit dead after 9ish, and, there is no evident police crackdown despite presence (for an unknown reason to me), bars are open later with no lock in.

Edited April 26, 2014 by mamborobert

[Thighlander]

I finished my 4 for 210, Leo Yai promo at 9:15 last night, and there were about 100 customers at the Dayli, and the whole Nimman area was rockin'. Market with tables only had Leos that were more than two months old; so I gave that a miss, but did do a very good 6" ham at Subway for 49 thb on my way home. Nothing extra notable, but a French guy at the beer cooler had BO so bad it would have knocked the buzzards off a manure cart.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Thighlander

[slipperylobster]

nothing else?

[northernjohn]

I often walk across the bridge and for the most part there are kids sitting there. Generally they see me coming and make sure I can get by with out getting in the street. Crossed last night at shortly after midnight. Many kids there and the cops were still patrolling the street at the east end of the bridge.

Perhaps the fellow you saw was going slowly across the bridge looking for his son. Saw him and came back to scare every one and get his kid. 6 or 7 is to young to be out at that time of night.

Got to admit I have been walking across that bridge a lot after 10:00 at night and it seems to me the kids on it now are more respectful and a lot less drinking than before the cops started with the street block on the East end of the bridge. Maybe every now and then one walks across the bridge.

[eyecatcher]

I often walk across the bridge and for the most part there are kids sitting there. Generally they see me coming and make sure I can get by with out getting in the street. e.

"hey up guys Dollys here again....he's in his wheelchair tonight, best breathe in a bit and let him pass.

It would be funny though to see if he can swim"

Just hypothetical of course.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I kind of like the Iron Bridge / river scene at night. And it's an affordable way to spend an evening. Also the Bus Bar on the river bank next to the bridge can be okay.

Never saw any trouble. Those police checkpoints on the old Lamphun road are something to take note of though. Last time I took that road there were actually two, one more about half way to Nong Hoy / Riverside Condo.

[Awk]

I finished my 4 for 210, Leo Yai promo at 9:15 last night, and there were about 100 customers at the Dayli, and the whole Nimman area was rockin'. Market with tables only had Leos that were more than two months old; so I gave that a miss, but did do a very good 6" ham at Subway for 49 thb on my way home. Nothing extra notable, but a French guy at the beer cooler had BO so bad it would have knocked the buzzards off a manure cart.

Could you see if mamborobert might give you some hints on how to make a story slightly entertaining before you try again? Thanks.

[northernjohn]

I kind of like the Iron Bridge / river scene at night. And it's an affordable way to spend an evening. Also the Bus Bar on the river bank next to the bridge can be okay.

Never saw any trouble. Those police checkpoints on the old Lamphun road are something to take note of though. Last time I took that road there were actually two, one more about half way to Nong Hoy / Riverside Condo.

Last night the Bus Bar had a live band there just a belting them out at a little past midnight. As I said the kids were not drinking just hanging out.