Just over 3 weeks to go till my next trip and I was thinking of doing a short stint in Chiang Mai as there are a few day trips I'm yet to do.

Are the bars on Loi Kroh and in the boxing soi still open these days?

I think I'll make some popcorn for this one..

A good buddy told me that he went to Spotlight on Saturday night near midnight and he was one of very few customers. According to him, there were some very attractive girls working and they told him that business has been very slow and that they are "desperate". He was the only customer buying drinks and they were swarming all over him.
If Spotlight is slow, I would imagine that Loi Kroh Road is too, but it might be that 700 baht bar charge at Spotlight that scares customers off. It puts me off checking it out. I might fall in love and not be able to control myself.

Spotlight is not on Loy Kroh. And I haven't been there in ages, while visiting the LK bars quite frequently. Mostly because of the general atmosphere there, as well as drinks prices. And I'm not a huge fan of the format to begin with.

The Loy Kroh bars are mostly fine, both on the moat-end and the ones with the Boxing Ring near Kamphaeng Din.

I could post pictures if that was allowed, which it isn't. They're good pictures though, of the proverbial type that say more than all the words in this topic combined.. One of the most beautiful Thai women I have ever set eyes on hangs out there. (This to pre-empt the inevitable comments about only having grannies working there. )

Assuming this topic will be closed either before or after it goes off the rails, I'll send you some stuff via PM if I feel that the information provided pre-topic-closure was insufficient.

For what it's worth, there's a party again at Carnival Bar; their 15 year anniversary is tonight. In between the moat and the Raming Lodge Hotel, on the left when coming from the moat.

According to him, there were some very attractive girls working and they told him that business has been very slow and that they are "desperate". He was the only customer buying drinks and they were swarming all over him.

You know that's exactly what I would say; what you would say; in fact wouldn't every EGO say that.

cant go back to the mates and say you had a sh1t night on your own can you?

^ Sure you can. I spent a week in Pattaya and Bangkok and came back a virgin. No shame in saying what sucked and what didn't.

Also the difference between a great night and a crap night is often one's own state of mind, and how much effort you put in yourself. Sometimes you just get annoyed with something minor early on, or you're just tired or lazy, and then 'expect to be entertained', somehow. Which often doesn't happen especially in such a state of mind.

But going in positive and in love with the world and everyone in it yields much better results, almost no matter the location.

Compare to Yoda telling Luke going into the Dark Side Cave that he'll 'only find what you take with you'.

Like that, Chiang Mai nightlife is.

According to him, there were some very attractive girls working and they told him that business has been very slow and that they are "desperate". He was the only customer buying drinks and they were swarming all over him.

You know that's exactly what I would say; what you would say; in fact wouldn't every EGO say that.

cant go back to the mates and say you had a sh1t night on your own can you?

I have known him for 25 years and he has no problem reporting on a lousy night. He is British and enjoys whinging about them. I'm pretty sure what he said was accurate and he did pretty well at the end of the night.

He was not alone by the way, so there is confirmation, if I needed any.

bars still open but they all close at midnight now.yellow and spicy if you want some late night perusing????

Beetlejuice,our resident LK expert, will be along shortly to add his 2 bobs worth

All the bars are closing permanently any second now.

Thanks for the updates guys. Sounds like there should be enough to keep me busy for 4-5 nights max.

Beetlejuice,our resident LK expert, will be along shortly to add his 2 bobs worth

I was going to give this thread a miss, but it seems my fans are demanding I make an appearance.

It`s simply this, nothing has changed in the Loi Kroh road, Chiang Mai`s fading orange light district for around 10 years, maybe more.

It`s a handful of dirty grotty little open bars staffed by women that I think are the last remaining comfort women forced to work there during the Japanese occupation and stayed on.

My advice to our wellfred is, if he is considering going out of his way or making a detour to his planned trip just to visit that area, than he is going to be disappointed, there is nothing to see here folks.

Really, I am not making this up.

Thanks for the updates guys. Sounds like there should be enough to keep me busy for 4-5 nights max.

Beware the 6th night... and stay off your balcony if your room is in a hi-rise building.

I think that in general.. its a spot on the map that could well get "thar be dragons" labelled over it..

Couple of cuties in one bar.. Almost none in soi boxing zone.. Not really even one in spotlight last month.. Foxys has a good staff but its not a very hands on format for a an agogo..

So much higher quality with the beer girls in the thai joints (oxide fine thanks etc) or the asian centric karaokes.. If you spend early evening in nimanhaemin with that crowd, then come back over to LK, its pretty depressing IMO.

A good buddy told me that he went to Spotlight on Saturday night near midnight and he was one of very few customers. According to him, there were some very attractive girls working and they told him that business has been very slow and that they are "desperate". He was the only customer buying drinks and they were swarming all over him.

If Spotlight is slow, I would imagine that Loi Kroh Road is too, but it might be that 700 baht bar charge at Spotlight that scares customers off. It puts me off checking it out. I might fall in love and not be able to control myself.

Should have gone to specsavers

I walked up and down that street on successive nights for the first time in twenty years a few months ago. I won't bother a third time; I wish I hadn't bothered a second time but I thought I must have dreamed how bad it was the first night.

German food in the big Teak restsurant is pretty good. Have also met a couple of cute fun girls along the way but is hit and miss most of the time

FYI Check out the areas adjacent to Loi Kroh too. As the bar scene has slowed down on Loi Kroh and has moved to close surrounding areas.

Part of Loi Kroh is in a troubled time sinds the two tempels there complain about the noise and the scanty clothing of the ladys there. It seems that the city declared that bars within 100 meters from the tempels are only allowed to play music between 10 and 12 pm, amd not to loud. The ladys have to wear decent clothing

For these reasons Chang bought the old nichtbazaar to create a new bar area in the backside of it. Untill now only 30 % is open.

Beetlejuice,our resident LK expert, will be along shortly to add his 2 bobs worth

I was going to give this thread a miss, but it seems my fans are demanding I make an appearance.

It`s simply this, nothing has changed in the Loi Kroh road, Chiang Mai`s fading orange light district for around 10 years, maybe more.

It`s a handful of dirty grotty little open bars staffed by women that I think are the last remaining comfort women forced to work there during the Japanese occupation and stayed on.

My advice to our wellfred is, if he is considering going out of his way or making a detour to his planned trip just to visit that area, than he is going to be disappointed, there is nothing to see here folks.

Really, I am not making this up.

Thats sounds pretty accurate to me even if i only ride through CM a few times a year.

Typical scene in a CM bar-

"you want drink?"

"Hello! Yes, i would like a beer please"

"You buy me drink!"

"Eh? What about the...'whats your name, where you come from?' Bit first?...

(Beer bottle slams down on table, girl returns to front of bar to resume smoking and playing with phone)

A virgin in CM? yup. Last 15 trips already. Although a cute freelancer approached me near johns bar 1 night....as i was making an emergency dash to the toilet back at my room ...oh hum. Maybe next trip then?

If Spotlight is slow, I would imagine that Loi Kroh Road is too, but it might be that 700 baht bar charge at Spotlight that scares customers off. It puts me off checking it out.

whilst in town a couple months back, rode into the spotlight bar for look, as its been sometime

the prices rocked my socks off...130 baht a small bott beer.. 100 baht.. small bott of soda .etc etc

bar fines were.. (.from memory)..600 before midnite , and 500 baht after the stroke of twelve

for a roll in the hay..2000 baht for a sprint. or..2500, baht for a marathon

these prices are surely catering for the well heeled tourist, not the local expats

my first visit was in 2001, and the estabalisment has not changed one bit, a balantant rip off, and grotty dirty old place , just to have a drink ,and the music would send a sane man to the wall

a nice morning to all

Hookers are not on my menu, but if you like that, stay in Pattaya. You can enjoy fine clubs and good company in Chiang Mai, if you go to any number of nightspots...away from Loi Kroh. If you want a quickee, or an afternooner...(or all nighter), and do not mind the higher prices and lower selection..go for it. I go there twice a month just to get a taste of the wilder side....Loi Kroh never disappoints me. Fun gals...but I don't fiddle. Boxing on Friday..I think. Bars are pretty much just there ...nothing secret to discover. Dragon Fly seemed the best of the lot.

Chiang Mai is still a great place to be retired.

Chiang Mai is still a great place to be retired.

Depends. Not all ex-pats 50 and over want to retire into a fortress of solitude waiting for the grim reaper to visit. There are still many of us that enjoy a laugh and bit of wine, women and song on occasions, have a zest for life and to participate in activities that reminds there is more than just plodding about in the garden and sitting in front of a computer all day.

Personally I prefer the company of the younger crowds and having younger people or those young in mind around me, because the old saying; one is only as young as they feel is true. Once people begin to mentally submit into being old farty old, become anti social and deeply settled into their own little environments, then they soon mentally and physically begin to deteriorate and go downhill, because old and decrepit come as a pair, they go together.

One can be old in years and still have a youthfulness about them, the secret is keeping mentally and physically active and not to go into stagnation, because stagnation is the beginning of the end, as letting ourselves go to pot is very easy to do once we become gentlemen of leisure in Thailand.

I like to be lively, not irritated and have a young outlook. When I go out I make an effort to look presentable and as trendy as possible for my age, not because I am ashamed of growing old or fear old age, but because it`s the feel good factor and not wanting to progress into some boring old uncles I had as a kid that myself and cousins tried to avoid at all costs, or in other words, there is still life in the old dog yet.

I went there for an anniversary party at My Place Lounge last Friday night.

Before the festivities, I took a stroll from the boxing stadium to the moat and back.

Deathly.

I still love the down-market ambiance of the place, and will always check it out when I'm near, but it's not a place where I'd spend a lot of time or money looking for companionship.

Certainly not multiple days....

Posts discussing specifics of prostitution removed along with replies quoting same. see this forum rule...

17) You will not discuss the specifics of prostitution. Though Thailand has a visible sex industry, and acknowledgement of that fact is not forbidden, ThaiVisa is not the place to seek or give information on this topic, regardless of your sexual habits, preferences or orientation.

Entire post deleted by author.

I just read the restrictions on details re: certain topics.

Summary offered:

Don't waste your time in Loi Kroh - go where the students like to party. Better food and more fun

More gals have showed up in both the bars and massage shops in the last couple of week imho. I know business has been really slow this year, so it's a 'buyer's market'. Other than that, the scene looks pretty much the same as any other 'high-season', just fewer farang tourists. As far as the guest-houses though, they seem to be doing alright. So if you plan to stay in the local vicinity of Loi Kroh, you might want to check ahead for lodging.

Oh geesh! I can only assume its like any other bar scene, in every other city/country around the world. A whole lot of quality, educated, alcohol consuming, excessive baggage, depressed people who have zero purpose in life.

Of all the scenes, I'm so glad I never was in that one. I'll make my own scene.

There are plenty of fun, happy, successful people who do the bars in Thailand as well as degenerates. You can't really generalize.

What about successful degenerates?

They are people too

Some of them might even have feelings ;-)