"can Do" - The Bar Scene Reinvented As A Fair Place To Work

[chanchao]

Last Friday I was strolling around rather aimlessly in the area that passes for 'naughty nightlife' in Chiang Mai. One of the girls I often chat with wasn't there, and turned out she was at the opening party for a new bar run by, wait for it, The Empower Foundation! Empower is an NGO that helps sex workers in Thailand, and it's one of the few of those organizations that I really like. I like them for several reasons (strictly MY personal opinion/understanding, I'm not involved with Empower in any way):

* They don't attempt to force anything on to the girls; They don't start by assuming that all girls working in the sex industry need or want to be rescued, they don't try to convert people to a religion, they don't assume that men going with prostitutes are bad. They'd like sex work to be legal with the same type of protection and benefits as people working in other jobs.

* They want to higlight that life isn't fair for many working in the sex industry. By providing advice and education, girls can work smarter and safer and gain more opportunities, either in the sex industry, or outside. A (male) friend once jokingly described this as 'teaching hookers how to be better hookers', which in itself would be a good thing, but with more education they enable / empower girls to seek other careers if they want to.

* Absolutely all girls that I've talked to who go for courses to learn stuff absolutely love it, and love the teachers. They even have swimming lessons, Wednesdays.

* Empower is run by wonderful people, the lot of them. This applies to both the Thais and foreign people who work for Empower.

Plus, it was the opening night for a bar, and bar openings are by definition fun. I was not dissappointed. The bar is called "Can Do" (tham eng dai), located at Chiang Mai Land, roughly half way down the strip. It's interesting to note that this is an area rarely visited by Western tourists.. Sex tourists or otherwise. It IS very much a nightlife area, filled primarily with karaoke bars and some pubs/discos. So the area gets mostly local Thai visitors, and foreigners from those countries where people can stand karaoke.

The party was awesome, loads of people, many of whom I knew from the Chiang Mai bar scene. Even has gogo poles, and there were fun & games, "boxing" matches, etc.

I think this place clearly deserves support, but attracting Western customers is not going to happen from walk-in traffic. I can see it as a good place to visit for just about anyone, local residents, backpackers, (s)expats even. Or a ThaiVisa piss-up, for that matter.

I'm going back there this Friday. A good thing is that all Chiang Mai tuk tuk, taxi and red bus drivers know Chiang Mai Land. SO getting there should be easy.

Cheers,

Chanchao

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMPOWER

http://www.empowerfoundation.org/

[john b good]

Last Friday I was strolling around rather aimlessly in the area that passes for 'naughty nightlife' in Chiang Mai. One of the girls I often chat with wasn't there, and turned out she was at the opening party for a new bar run by, wait for it, The Empower Foundation! Empower is an NGO that helps sex workers in Thailand, and it's one of the few of those organizations that I really like. I like them for several reasons (strictly MY personal opinion/understanding, I'm not involved with Empower in any way):

* They don't attempt to force anything on to the girls; They don't start by assuming that all girls working in the sex industry need or want to be rescued, they don't try to convert people to a religion, they don't assume that men going with prostitutes are bad. They'd like sex work to be legal with the same type of protection and benefits as people working in other jobs.

* They want to higlight that life isn't fair for many working in the sex industry. By providing advice and education, girls can work smarter and safer and gain more opportunities, either in the sex industry, or outside. A (male) friend once jokingly described this as 'teaching hookers how to be better hookers', which in itself would be a good thing, but with more education they enable / empower girls to seek other careers if they want to.

* Absolutely all girls that I've talked to who go for courses to learn stuff absolutely love it, and love the teachers. They even have swimming lessons, Wednesdays.

* Empower is run by wonderful people, the lot of them. This applies to both the Thais and foreign people who work for Empower.

Plus, it was the opening night for a bar, and bar openings are by definition fun. I was not dissappointed. The bar is called "Can Do" (tham eng dai), located at Chiang Mai Land, roughly half way down the strip. It's interesting to note that this is an area rarely visited by Western tourists.. Sex tourists or otherwise. It IS very much a nightlife area, filled primarily with karaoke bars and some pubs/discos. So the area gets mostly local Thai visitors, and foreigners from those countries where people can stand karaoke.

The party was awesome, loads of people, many of whom I knew from the Chiang Mai bar scene. Even has gogo poles, and there were fun & games, "boxing" matches, etc.

I think this place clearly deserves support, but attracting Western customers is not going to happen from walk-in traffic. I can see it as a good place to visit for just about anyone, local residents, backpackers, (s)expats even. Or a ThaiVisa piss-up, for that matter.

I'm going back there this Friday. A good thing is that all Chiang Mai tuk tuk, taxi and red bus drivers know Chiang Mai Land. SO getting there should be easy.

Cheers,

Chanchao

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMPOWER

http://www.empowerfoundation.org/

Thanks for the "heads up" I will be sure to happen by in the not too distant days.

I also tend to agree on most of your comments regarding Empower. And, at least if any of the girls choose to get out of the business they have someone to support them.

Need more people like these (people who are essentially non-judgemental)

[likite]

Yeah I've heard a little about The Empower Foundation and some of the work they do with bar girls.

But what a cracking idea to actually open a bar!

I might take a trip in on friday chanchao (even though I'm not girlie bar frequenter) and have a few beers.

Good post!

[Ulysses G.]

What a great idea.

I will do my best to make these sweet young Florence Nightingale’s chosen profession as lucrative as possible without breaking the bank!

[SamSipEt]

What a great idea.

I will do my best to make these sweet young Florence Nightingale’s chosen profession as lucrative as possible without breaking the bank!

Me too - both lucrative and lubricated…..

[britmaveric]

chanchao - I have to ask this question. Are the ladies barfineable at the NGo bar???

[john b good]

What a great idea.

I will do my best to make these sweet young Florence Nightingale’s chosen profession as lucrative as possible without breaking the bank!

I beg to ask, just where (or how) does the comparison with Florence Nightingale and these "fallen angels" become relevant ??

[Ulysses G.]

What a great idea.

I will do my best to make these sweet young Florence Nightingale’s chosen profession as lucrative as possible without breaking the bank!

I beg to ask, just where (or how) does the comparison with Florence Nightingale and these "fallen angels" become relevant ??

They are all Angels of Mercy in my book.

[chanchao]

> I have to ask this question. Are the ladies barfineable at the NGo bar???

I haven't asked, actually... I discussed the business model though and in my opinion I wondered if there was perhaps more bread into not making it a bar but a restaurant, so it would be able to open late and become a more sane and more safe and more pleasant alternative to Spicey et al, and as an after hours place, bar girls would actually be off work so they could go there, bring friends/guys, etc.

Then they explained to me the shady things places like Spicey actually have to do to be able to stay open late.. So wasn't feasible.

Still I think they hoped that non-payroll staff (essentially freelancers) would manage to find the place. It seemed to me they only employ girls to serve drinks at the moment.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[john b good]

What a great idea.

I will do my best to make these sweet young Florence Nightingale’s chosen profession as lucrative as possible without breaking the bank!

I beg to ask, just where (or how) does the comparison with Florence Nightingale and these "fallen angels" become relevant ??

They are all Angels of Mercy in my book.

Fair enough. I cannot argue with that.

[chuchok]

Is this place still around?

[Ta22]

Let see. - soon there will start a Empower .. cos not everyone selling drug is bad .

and will not assume all drug user is bad . and what empower od is help . people with drug problem .. and try to make it legal .

no worry .

personally i got no connection with empower non am i in drug biz

[adjan jb]

Is this place still a round?

No now it's a square.

[tigerbeer]

Is this place still around?

yes it is. and its square in shape.

[chanchao]

> Is this place still around?

I believe so yes. It didn't take off in the sense that it's a popular bar that's visited a lot. I mean being in that area at all. However they DO have parties there, which are excellent times to visit.

> Let see. - soon there will start a Empower .. cos not everyone selling

> drug is bad. and will not assume all drug user is bad. and what empower

> od is help . people with drug problem .. and try to make it legal .

Too late, someone already did: www.ahrn.net Funded by.. . . .. . a European government that shall remain unnamed.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Puwa]

Let see. - soon there will start a Empower .. cos not everyone selling drug is bad .

and will not assume all drug user is bad . and what empower od is help . people with drug problem .. and try to make it legal .

no worry .

personally i got no connection with empower non am i in drug biz

translation?

[FTB]

> Is this place still around?

Yes. I was there a couple months ago to see what it was like. My friend and I were the only patrons. The two gals working were warm and friendly in a genuine sense.

Sadly it is not a destination spot and since its off the beaten track for most tourists, surrounded by Thai Karaokes, it sees little traffic I beleive.

[Maejo Man]

Let see. - soon there will start a Empower .. cos not everyone selling drug is bad .

and will not assume all drug user is bad . and what empower od is help . people with drug problem .. and try to make it legal .

no worry .

personally i got no connection with empower non am i in drug biz

translation?

I wasn't going to be that blatent Puwa!

[maipompui]

I realise that this is an old thread, but the name ''can do bar'' came up in conversation....any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

If anyone who has actually patronised it, and knows the ''ins and outs'' so to speak, i would like to hear from....:jap:

[dave2]

re ... any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

yes it does .!

but as far as i know they only try to teach burmese girls english two mornings a week for 2 hours coz

since the empower office moved to the back river road to fa ham , experitainment bar hasnt been opened day or night for at least three years that i know of ?

dave2

ps .. i got some of this info recently from a burmese girl who goes to school there .. three weeks ago ... and her english is improving : )

[elektrified]

I realise that this is an old thread, but the name ''can do bar'' came up in conversation....any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

If anyone who has actually patronised it, and knows the ''ins and outs'' so to speak, i would like to hear from....:jap:

5 posts and most of them are about finding a massage parlor with 'extras' and now digging up this what 5-6 year old thread about a bar with 'extras'...

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I realise that this is an old thread, but the name ''can do bar'' came up in conversation....any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

If anyone who has actually patronised it, and knows the ''ins and outs'' so to speak, i would like to hear from....:jap:

I believe there was a party there recently, so it was open for that.

But as a regular bar, it's a bit too far away from the usual Farang scene.

I'd love if if they opened a bar on Loy Kroh.

[Beetlejuice]

I think this empower sponsored bar ended up thrown into the dustbin of decency a couple of years back?

It was called the Can Do Bar.

[TantraMantra]

Last Friday I was strolling around rather aimlessly in the area that passes for 'naughty nightlife' in Chiang Mai. One of the girls I often chat with wasn't there, and turned out she was at the opening party for a new bar run by, wait for it, The Empower Foundation! Empower is an NGO that helps sex workers in Thailand, and it's one of the few of those organizations that I really like. I like them for several reasons (strictly MY personal opinion/understanding, I'm not involved with Empower in any way):

* They don't attempt to force anything on to the girls; They don't start by assuming that all girls working in the sex industry need or want to be rescued, they don't try to convert people to a religion, they don't assume that men going with prostitutes are bad. They'd like sex work to be legal with the same type of protection and benefits as people working in other jobs.

* They want to higlight that life isn't fair for many working in the sex industry. By providing advice and education, girls can work smarter and safer and gain more opportunities, either in the sex industry, or outside. A (male) friend once jokingly described this as 'teaching hookers how to be better hookers', which in itself would be a good thing, but with more education they enable / empower girls to seek other careers if they want to.

* Absolutely all girls that I've talked to who go for courses to learn stuff absolutely love it, and love the teachers. They even have swimming lessons, Wednesdays.

* Empower is run by wonderful people, the lot of them. This applies to both the Thais and foreign people who work for Empower.

Plus, it was the opening night for a bar, and bar openings are by definition fun. I was not dissappointed. The bar is called "Can Do" (tham eng dai), located at Chiang Mai Land, roughly half way down the strip. It's interesting to note that this is an area rarely visited by Western tourists.. Sex tourists or otherwise. It IS very much a nightlife area, filled primarily with karaoke bars and some pubs/discos. So the area gets mostly local Thai visitors, and foreigners from those countries where people can stand karaoke.

The party was awesome, loads of people, many of whom I knew from the Chiang Mai bar scene. Even has gogo poles, and there were fun & games, "boxing" matches, etc.

I think this place clearly deserves support, but attracting Western customers is not going to happen from walk-in traffic. I can see it as a good place to visit for just about anyone, local residents, backpackers, (s)expats even. Or a ThaiVisa piss-up, for that matter.

I'm going back there this Friday. A good thing is that all Chiang Mai tuk tuk, taxi and red bus drivers know Chiang Mai Land. SO getting there should be easy.

Cheers,

Chanchao

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMPOWER

http://www.empowerfoundation.org/

Thanks for the "heads up" I will be sure to happen by in the not too distant days.

I also tend to agree on most of your comments regarding Empower. And, at least if any of the girls choose to get out of the business they have someone to support them.

Need more people like these (people who are essentially non-judgemental)

So it's a good place to meet girls then?

[elektrified]

Last Friday I was strolling around rather aimlessly in the area that passes for 'naughty nightlife' in Chiang Mai. One of the girls I often chat with wasn't there, and turned out she was at the opening party for a new bar run by, wait for it, The Empower Foundation! Empower is an NGO that helps sex workers in Thailand, and it's one of the few of those organizations that I really like. I like them for several reasons (strictly MY personal opinion/understanding, I'm not involved with Empower in any way):

* They don't attempt to force anything on to the girls; They don't start by assuming that all girls working in the sex industry need or want to be rescued, they don't try to convert people to a religion, they don't assume that men going with prostitutes are bad. They'd like sex work to be legal with the same type of protection and benefits as people working in other jobs.

* They want to higlight that life isn't fair for many working in the sex industry. By providing advice and education, girls can work smarter and safer and gain more opportunities, either in the sex industry, or outside. A (male) friend once jokingly described this as 'teaching hookers how to be better hookers', which in itself would be a good thing, but with more education they enable / empower girls to seek other careers if they want to.

* Absolutely all girls that I've talked to who go for courses to learn stuff absolutely love it, and love the teachers. They even have swimming lessons, Wednesdays.

* Empower is run by wonderful people, the lot of them. This applies to both the Thais and foreign people who work for Empower.

Plus, it was the opening night for a bar, and bar openings are by definition fun. I was not dissappointed. The bar is called "Can Do" (tham eng dai), located at Chiang Mai Land, roughly half way down the strip. It's interesting to note that this is an area rarely visited by Western tourists.. Sex tourists or otherwise. It IS very much a nightlife area, filled primarily with karaoke bars and some pubs/discos. So the area gets mostly local Thai visitors, and foreigners from those countries where people can stand karaoke.

The party was awesome, loads of people, many of whom I knew from the Chiang Mai bar scene. Even has gogo poles, and there were fun & games, "boxing" matches, etc.

I think this place clearly deserves support, but attracting Western customers is not going to happen from walk-in traffic. I can see it as a good place to visit for just about anyone, local residents, backpackers, (s)expats even. Or a ThaiVisa piss-up, for that matter.

I'm going back there this Friday. A good thing is that all Chiang Mai tuk tuk, taxi and red bus drivers know Chiang Mai Land. SO getting there should be easy.

Cheers,

Chanchao

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMPOWER

http://www.empowerfoundation.org/

Thanks for the "heads up" I will be sure to happen by in the not too distant days.

I also tend to agree on most of your comments regarding Empower. And, at least if any of the girls choose to get out of the business they have someone to support them.

Need more people like these (people who are essentially non-judgemental)

So it's a good place to meet girls then?

LOL uhhh no it's closed according to the others. Look at the date...2006...

Edited November 18, 2011 by elektrified

[losworld]

Let me guess they are run by the Russian mafia or some expat criminal on the run under the guise of NGO? Seriously, is this just a marketing ploy? Who owns this bar?

Edited November 18, 2011 by losworld

[dave2]

wtk.

re .. I'd love if if they opened a bar on Loy Kroh

done ... ive renamed the file and changed the address to loi kroh road just for you : )

just joshin .. dave2

[maipompui]

I realise that this is an old thread, but the name ''can do bar'' came up in conversation....any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

If anyone who has actually patronised it, and knows the ''ins and outs'' so to speak, i would like to hear from....:jap:

5 posts and most of them are about finding a massage parlor with 'extras' and now digging up this what 5-6 year old thread about a bar with 'extras'...

So....if you've got nothing to say, why bother replying??

[maipompui]

re ... any new info on this place please? Does it still even exist??

yes it does .!

but as far as i know they only try to teach burmese girls english two mornings a week for 2 hours coz

since the empower office moved to the back river road to fa ham , experitainment bar hasnt been opened day or night for at least three years that i know of ?

dave2

ps .. i got some of this info recently from a burmese girl who goes to school there .. three weeks ago ... and her english is improving : )

OK dave2 ..so as far as you know...Can do is open, but not open as a bar, but is open as an english teaching school for burmese girls..Yes? Thanks... [ i think ]

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Let me guess they are run by the Russian mafia or some expat criminal on the run under the guise of NGO? Seriously, is this just a marketing ploy? Who owns this bar?

Empower Foundation does. It's very legitimate. Excellent interview in Citylife magazine too if you google for it.

ah heck, I Google better than 99% of the population so let me do my thing:

http://www.empowerfoundation.org/index_en.html

http://www.chiangmainews.com/indepth/details.php?id=596

http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=1637

http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=3330