Street Bars Shut Down

[dgoz]

They don't pay tax but they pay "rent" to the police. About 30,000 baht/month.

The illegal DVD vendors also pay this amount.

So that's a fair wack out of the local stations skim when you add up all those bars.

I don't think they will appreciate losing this money so they might look at ather ways to make up for it.

And since we are the ones with the dosh if I was a farang in Bangers I'd be keeping my wits about me for the next few months. I wouldn't be surprised to hear of a few scams in the not too distant future.

[VanZam]

The vendors knew that this would happen a couple of weeks ago.

I'm interested in the people who are upset that bars close now at 5am on sukhumvit... do you people work?

[GuestHouse]

Perhaps we can look forward to more of that other 'peculiar to Thailand sight', guys sitting drinking their beer out of tea cups, the bottle hidden under the table in a hope that nobody notices.

Lots of this behavior can be seen around the bars during election drink bans… Like going without a beer for one night hurts.

Oops, perhaps that explains the popularity of the coup among expats, not the getting rid of Thaksin, but the prospect of no elections interrupting the availability of the beers.

[Beavis and Butthead]

The vendors knew that this would happen a couple of weeks ago.

I'm interested in the people who are upset that bars close now at 5am on sukhumvit... do you people work?

Of course not. If I wanted to work I'd do it back in the US where I could make real cash.

[Beavis and Butthead]

I'll be back later, I gotta go to my regular pool bar with live band then off to the street when that bar closes at 2AM. I shall report back with tonite's findings. cheers

[Mobi]

These street bars are a relatively new phenomenon; they barely existed 4 years ago, before the crackdown on bar closing hours. Thailand is always so quick to adapt to new rules and situations to provide a "service" to those who are willing to pay for it.

In the far, far days - everything shut down at midnight, and Bangkok was literally full of "speakeasies" - illegal bars, jam packed with ladies, that stayed open all night. In those days I used to frequent a Massage parlour on the site of where the Landmark hotel now stands. Used to drink in the bar there, and take the occasional lady out for the night. When it closed - at midnight - I would adjourn to the illegal go-go bar next door that was staffed by the ladies from the parlour. (Guess what? same owner)

I know there are still illegal bars in Bangkok, but nothing like it used to be - and I have to say that although these street bars do indeed carry on the spirit of raunchy - anything will go - laissez faire Bangkok, the ambience of pollution and traffic noise does tend to detract from the romance of the occasion.

A far cry from the traditional kow tom shops that used be packed out in the wee hours with clubbers at the far end of Sukhumvit, in the days when the post midnight traffic was so much lighter, and there was actually room to walk down the sidewalks.

If the street bars are closed. It won’t long before the enterprising entrepreneurs of our favourite city come up with a new alternative – maybe drinking in the subway?

[Scaramanga]

I am a huge fan of the street bars, i will be absolutely gutted if news of their demise turns out to be true.

[Cigarette Burn]

Probably to do with avoiding large gatherings on the street, as per the new temporary ruling. On Khao San Road on Friday night they sent a police car down the road ordering everyone off the street, seems like they just want to keep the streets clear after dark.

I think it will take more than a police car on Wednesday.

[Michael W]

Just back from an early (1230-2am) latenight round and can largely confirm what's been said. Many fewer street bars set up on lower Sukhumvit -- a light, drizzly rain may've also played a factor -- and those that were seemed to have their trollies stocked exclusively with soft drinks. I did see a rare bottle of Heineken or Singha out on a table but that was about it.

Oh, and as a public service I also visited Soi Cowboy and can report that the usual bars are still, as Trink used to say, "showing."

[alexth]

I hope this is not a sign of things to come

I hope it is.

Biggest <deleted> eye sore slum; move the bars somewhere else and convert that area into a non slum business = much more pleasant on the eyes.

At least Nana Plaza is off the main street even if the pox spilling out from that area can still be seen as one drives past in one's hiso chariot, sipping champagne.

Totally agree. Those "things" are making Sukhumvit look like a big junkyard

Edited October 9, 2006 by alexth

[Scaramanga]

I feel certain that this will just be a temporary setback. Just a short period of cracking down on it and then everything will soon be back to its former glory.

[alexth]

I feel certain that this will just be a temporary setback. Just a short period of cracking down on it and then everything will soon be back to its former glory.

Unfortunately...yes

[markuk]

Markuk, the police arrived shortly before 5AM on sat to shut down street bars

looks like i must have just missed them then thank god!!

[Donz]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

[popshirt]

so let the bars and clubs open late and also the street stalls and let people vote with their feet.

I used to live in lower Sukhumvit area and I voted with my feet. Couldn't stand it anymore. I now live in Sathorn, much better, and I don't miss the touts, hos, drunks and noise. If I should become nostalgic for Sukhumvit, I can walk to Patpong. Yeah, right!

[meemiathai]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

[t.s]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

donz, the street bars in question opened only after the t-shirt and dvd vendors had torn down. perhaps it is time for another visit.

[Beavis and Butthead]

I saw that the infamous VW Bus bar has not been out in front of the Park Hotel on Soi 7 the past few nights. Perhaps he is out of biz due to this crackdown. He's been operating for 3 years there and a year outside the Ambassador. That bar had a huge following among young farang chicks for some reason. Those chicks were fascinated with it and had huge gatherings there almost nightly for quite some time

[Beavis and Butthead]

so let the bars and clubs open late and also the street stalls and let people vote with their feet.

I used to live in lower Sukhumvit area and I voted with my feet. Couldn't stand it anymore. I now live in Sathorn, much better, and I don't miss the touts, hos, drunks and noise. If I should become nostalgic for Sukhumvit, I can walk to Patpong. Yeah, right!

Sukhumvit till death do me part. I'm married to the place

[steveromagnino]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

Surely you jest MeemiaThai; compared to some of the trainwrecks on display of the female variety in central BKK, the beauties of the Thermae look positively devine!

I must be missing something. Pattaya, near the sea a few brews and TV sport with bearable beauty on hand. That I can sort of understand. But the dregs on the main drag surrounded by diesel fumes, unbearable noise and dandruff? Hmmmmm, I am afraid I just don't get it. Is the beer even very cheap? If it is, then I can understand some appeal to that, but wouldn't it just be more pleasant to buy a paperbagged bottle of spirits and walk up and down the main strip?

Even when I have to go to my hiso dinners and meetings with cavier and opera in Sukhumvit Soi 8 and Soi 20, there seems to be a considerably nicer atmosphere for the beer bars in the side streets. That's about where they should be located; not on display for a bunch of school kids, residents of the area about to go to church in Soi 6 and the like. Image is what it is about. Well, image and revenues. Well, not just that, perhaps image and revenues and long term property value. And zoning. And also crime reduction. And so that is, er, image, revenues, long term property value, zoning and crime reduction.

Anyway, I think it is a certainty that at some point the real estate in that area will end up pricing out the short term lease beer bars, and once it goes to anything longer, then people actually have to start investing a bit of coin.

[Donz]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

donz, the street bars in question opened only after the t-shirt and dvd vendors had torn down. perhaps it is time for another visit.

Well im talking about Khao san rd

[dgoz]

I saw that the infamous VW Bus bar has not been out in front of the Park Hotel on Soi 7 the past few nights. Perhaps he is out of biz due to this crackdown. He's been operating for 3 years there and a year outside the Ambassador. That bar had a huge following among young farang chicks for some reason. Those chicks were fascinated with it and had huge gatherings there almost nightly for quite some time

He's in Pattaya now out the front of the Metropole Hotel in Soi Dianna Inn off Soi Bukhao.

[Beavis and Butthead]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

Surely you jest MeemiaThai; compared to some of the trainwrecks on display of the female variety in central BKK, the beauties of the Thermae look positively devine!

I must be missing something. Pattaya, near the sea a few brews and TV sport with bearable beauty on hand. That I can sort of understand. But the dregs on the main drag surrounded by diesel fumes, unbearable noise and dandruff? Hmmmmm, I am afraid I just don't get it. Is the beer even very cheap? If it is, then I can understand some appeal to that, but wouldn't it just be more pleasant to buy a paperbagged bottle of spirits and walk up and down the main strip?

Even when I have to go to my hiso dinners and meetings with cavier and opera in Sukhumvit Soi 8 and Soi 20, there seems to be a considerably nicer atmosphere for the beer bars in the side streets. That's about where they should be located; not on display for a bunch of school kids, residents of the area about to go to church in Soi 6 and the like. Image is what it is about. Well, image and revenues. Well, not just that, perhaps image and revenues and long term property value. And zoning. And also crime reduction. And so that is, er, image, revenues, long term property value, zoning and crime reduction.

Anyway, I think it is a certainty that at some point the real estate in that area will end up pricing out the short term lease beer bars, and once it goes to anything longer, then people actually have to start investing a bit of coin.

There's no question that you are in the wrong country. I can recommend so many places in the west where you can have all that you adore and so very much more. My home town would be perfect for you but you'd need a few million dollars to buy a house. There are loads of zoning laws and zero scum on the street. No apts in town as multi family housing is zoned out and absolutely zero scum on the street. Perfect for you. New Canaan CT is the place for you or any surrounding towns. You'd be in heaven. As for me, I'll take Bangkok and all the scum it offers for me. No matter how hard you try, you'll never turn sukhumvit into New Canaan, Westport or Darien, sorry Jack

Edited October 10, 2006 by Beavis and Butthead

[Beavis and Butthead]

I saw that the infamous VW Bus bar has not been out in front of the Park Hotel on Soi 7 the past few nights. Perhaps he is out of biz due to this crackdown. He's been operating for 3 years there and a year outside the Ambassador. That bar had a huge following among young farang chicks for some reason. Those chicks were fascinated with it and had huge gatherings there almost nightly for quite some time

He's in Pattaya now out the front of the Metropole Hotel in Soi Dianna Inn off Soi Bukhao.

I'm pretty sure that's a different guy

[dgoz]

The street bars are only good if you want a drink while looking at the little stalls and buying a dvd or tshirt.

The street bars are only good if you are looking for a shag.

Surely you jest MeemiaThai; compared to some of the trainwrecks on display of the female variety in central BKK, the beauties of the Thermae look positively devine!

I must be missing something. Pattaya, near the sea a few brews and TV sport with bearable beauty on hand. That I can sort of understand. But the dregs on the main drag surrounded by diesel fumes, unbearable noise and dandruff? Hmmmmm, I am afraid I just don't get it. Is the beer even very cheap? If it is, then I can understand some appeal to that, but wouldn't it just be more pleasant to buy a paperbagged bottle of spirits and walk up and down the main strip?

Even when I have to go to my hiso dinners and meetings with cavier and opera in Sukhumvit Soi 8 and Soi 20, there seems to be a considerably nicer atmosphere for the beer bars in the side streets. That's about where they should be located; not on display for a bunch of school kids, residents of the area about to go to church in Soi 6 and the like. Image is what it is about. Well, image and revenues. Well, not just that, perhaps image and revenues and long term property value. And zoning. And also crime reduction. And so that is, er, image, revenues, long term property value, zoning and crime reduction.

Anyway, I think it is a certainty that at some point the real estate in that area will end up pricing out the short term lease beer bars, and once it goes to anything longer, then people actually have to start investing a bit of coin.

There's no question that you are in the wrong country. I can recommend so many places in the west where you can have all that you adore and so very much more. My home town would be perfect for you but you'd need a few million dollars to buy a house. There are loads of zoning laws and zero scum on the street. No apts in town as multi family housing is zoned out and absolutely zero scum on the street. Perfect for you. New Canaan CT is the place for you or any surrounding towns. You'd be in heaven. As for me, I'll take Bangkok and all the scum it offers for me. No matter how hard you try, you'll never turn sukhumvit into New Canaan, Westport or Darien, sorry Jack

You can put almost every city and town in Farangland on that list along with Singapore and KL from SEA

[Beavis and Butthead]

Bingo dgoz

[GuestHouse]

OK, it is obvious that million dollar homes in leafy suburbs might be out of the reach for many, I can quite understand why the regulated life of Singapore (or other place of you'd rather not choose) is not for everyone.

What I don't understand is the need to jump from one extreme to the other.

It's not as if the choice is homes at prices beyond reach/life controlled beyond bearing OR sitting on a sidewalk getting wafted with exhaust fumes.

There's a huge range of options in between, all in Thailand.

The option to sit drinking on the sidewalk is being removed, no great loss, drink somewhere else.

[dantilley]

There are many preferable options for sitting and drinking - those street bars are good for novelty value the first few times but who wouldn't rather be drinking in a pub instead? On the street you get fumes and noise from the street, the danger of being over-charged, hassle from kids selling flowers and other beggars, you're buggered if it rains and you have no toilet facilities.

If they're still going to be allowed to stay there and serve food that's a good thing though, some of the food they cook is surprisingly good.

Edited October 10, 2006 by dantilley

[Beavis and Butthead]

Why do Thais then insist on eating in the street amidst all the noise and exhaust fumes? Perhaps they should get rid of all outside eating and drinking then. Food prep out of doors without running water is hardly sanitary.

[dantilley]

Why do Thais then insist on eating in the street amidst all the noise and exhaust fumes?

Because it's cheaper maybe? And more convenient? And because some of the street food vendors serve some very good food, especially for the price.