Street Bars Shut Down

[Hermano Lobo]

As long as they don't close down Soi Cowboy I couldn't give a monkey's!

But IF ????

Edited October 10, 2006 by Hermano Lobo

[VanZam]

There is a rumor that nana is to be shut down mid 2007. Part of the new "reforms".

[Beavis and Butthead]

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.

Very well and with food goes drink. If you allow food sales then drink goes along with it

[Beavis and Butthead]

Cowboy will be shut before Nana. Perhaps they will both be gone

[VanZam]

I dont know... I think Cowboy has always been the more "tame" of the two, its also not as dirty looking or in your face.

If they get rid of anywhere it should be patpong... now that place is a #### hole.

Edited October 10, 2006 by VanZam

[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.

Very well and with food goes drink. If you allow food sales then drink goes along with it

There's a difference between a street-side vendor selling food who also happens to have beers in his cool-box and these street side after hours bars on Sukkhumvit Road. The former offer some very pleasant and good value eating experiences with sometimes very good food in an interesting, lively environment; the latter is bunch of rather seedy bars which for many people are only frequented because there's nowhere else to go for a drink at that time. Personally, I'd rather be drinking in a pub or bar wherever possible.

[steveromagnino]

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

we are just havin' a bit o' fun.

Unfortunately most of the places you of I do not know; CT I assume is Conneticut in USA? Unfortunately I don't have a green card, so I probably cannot easily live there. Being that I am part Thai means I kind of quite like living here for tons of reasons, but beer bars on major roads is for me, not one of them.

I am not saying anywhere to get rid of it completely. However the idea that parts of Thailand should remain a slum with poverty and lots of hos everywhere in full view seems to be not that good an idea.

I like a bit of disorganisation and mess as much as the next bloke, but for goodness sake, my boss's 5 year old kids had to drive past drunken whoring louts everyday. Can't we keep it at least a bit out of sight?

It is amazing that the idea of not having strip clubs and adult book stores next to schools and churches took so long to catch on. All I am suggesting is something equally sensible for here.

Given all the stupidity in urban planning and the neverending complaints about everything in Thailand, how ironic that I should find the one bad thing that some people actually like?!

Edited October 10, 2006 by steveromagnino

[Michael W]

you have no toilet facilities.

Soi 9 seems to be serving that function.

[alexth]

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.

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?

[Diablo Bob]

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.

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?[/b]

Now, how many hookers do you get to a ton? Are we talking a short ton, long ton or metric ton?

I guess it depends on where you are......

[alexth]

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.

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?[/b]

Now, how many hookers do you get to a ton? Are we talking a short ton, long ton or metric ton?

I guess it depends on where you are......

We're still talking about the street bars in Sukhumvit, right? I appreciate your humor, probably most of the farangs drinking beer at 3 am in the street bars in Sukhumvit are far too drunk to notice what's surrounding them

Edited October 10, 2006 by alexth

[dave111223]

I think , my 2 cents, it can be better if they get ride of those encrochers, and on the same time be more flexible for the legal bars. I wish, but it's a wish, they do the same for any encrochers who are on the streets (DVD, VCD , .... sex .....) you know what I mean I do suppose.

Whats wrong with the DVD sellers! We need them around until the internet here gets fast enough to download!

[meemiathai]

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.

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?

Are we talking about human beings here?

[Thaddeus]

I think , my 2 cents, it can be better if they get ride of those encrochers, and on the same time be more flexible for the legal bars. I wish, but it's a wish, they do the same for any encrochers who are on the streets (DVD, VCD , .... sex .....) you know what I mean I do suppose.

Whats wrong with the DVD sellers! We need them around until the internet here gets fast enough to download!

Another subject I would probably disagree with you with (with, bad word to end a phrase, ho hum)

As for drinking at 3am, I know what I would be surrounded by....... nurses. (and I really hate needles )

[alexth]

I think , my 2 cents, it can be better if they get ride of those encrochers, and on the same time be more flexible for the legal bars. I wish, but it's a wish, they do the same for any encrochers who are on the streets (DVD, VCD , .... sex .....) you know what I mean I do suppose.

Whats wrong with the DVD sellers! We need them around until the internet here gets fast enough to download!

Or maybe buy original movies?

[steveromagnino]

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?

Are we talking about human beings here?

ER... yes, but only in the loosest (literally) definition of the word :-)

Hey...it ain't no matter, skanks need lovin' too.

[PREM-R]

(steveromagnino) but for goodness sake, my boss's 5 year old kids had to drive past drunken whoring louts everyday. Can't we keep it at least a bit out of sight?

Isn't this thread about the after hours beer bars on Sukhumvit, why are your bosses 5 year old kids driving around in the early hours of the morning? Shouldn't they be at home with "Nanny"?

[steveromagnino]

(steveromagnino) but for goodness sake, my boss's 5 year old kids had to drive past drunken whoring louts everyday. Can't we keep it at least a bit out of sight?

Isn't this thread about the after hours beer bars on Sukhumvit, why are your bosses 5 year old kids driving around in the early hours of the morning? Shouldn't they be at home with "Nanny"?

good point, that's where they should be, but as a result of late night action at the Thermae, now they are up all night just like Talking Heads sang about.

Actually, the thread began about late night, then evolved into the relative merits of keeping those bars there at all.

The beer bars are well populated throughout the day, and a number of fairly influential people (including my boss) are not impressed by that, since as I pointed out they don't really want to have their kids looking at this stuff. Much the same as strip clubs in USA; while I know I would have been delighted to be looking at silicon knockers at the age of 12, sadly I suspect most parents would not support that. And the fact is that you can watch men (and the odd woman) reaching out and touching someone just like in the AT&T ads but in slightly more graphic detail on an hourly basis well before midnight.

With regards to Thailand, the influential people who don't like this sort of thing (e.g. a prominent senator in Soi 12), there are a number of other influential people making money out of it and some of them have been more powerful of late than the first lot. So at some point, someone will overrule the someone and we'll either see no change or some change or something in the middle. Controversial conclusion to make I know. But either way, it will be influential people, rather than us deciding what will happen to the beer bars, and hence we are probably better served to 'drink ourselves more bliss, forget about the last one, get ourselves anuffa'

Cheers

Edited October 11, 2006 by steveromagnino

[ovenman]

The beer bars are well populated throughout the day, and a number of fairly influential people (including my boss) are not impressed by that, since as I pointed out they don't really want to have their kids looking at this stuff. Much the same as strip clubs in USA; while I know I would have been delighted to be looking at silicon knockers at the age of 12, sadly I suspect most parents would not support that.

Much like with the strips clubs in many cities across the US, the powers-that-be can move all the BKK bars and such out to along a highway going to the airport. Problem solved, everybody wins.

Edited October 11, 2006 by ovenman

[alexth]

Spot on, and also, back home you get fined by the police if you drink any type of alcohol on a sidewalk. Why is there such a demand to have a beer on the sidewalk surrounded by tons of filthy hookers?

Are we talking about human beings here?

ER... yes, but only in the loosest (literally) definition of the word :-)

Hey...it ain't no matter, skanks need lovin' too.

That's a good one

[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.

Well im talking about Khao san rd

then why post?

[steveromagnino]

The beer bars are well populated throughout the day, and a number of fairly influential people (including my boss) are not impressed by that, since as I pointed out they don't really want to have their kids looking at this stuff. Much the same as strip clubs in USA; while I know I would have been delighted to be looking at silicon knockers at the age of 12, sadly I suspect most parents would not support that.

Much like with the strips clubs in many cities across the US, the powers-that-be can move all the BKK bars and such out to along a highway going to the airport. Problem solved, everybody wins.

Yes, I quite liked that aspect of America last trip. They do make a good job of ensuring that even a first time visitor can be aware that there are brothels and strip clubs in the area. It is even better than giving out those free maps at the airport. And advertising on almost every taxi in town (I went to Nevada) also helps generate good awareness.

Additionally, the ample supplies of fairly hard core pornography at almost every book store ensure that women are not going to be treated as objects. Next year, I might have to try for Spring Break Florida, for whatever reason Spring Break in Bishop California wasn't nearly as good as I had been led to believe from watching that great video series empowered women, Girls Gone Wild.

'Tis a great place indeed, the ol' Stars and Stripes.

Mind you, didn't see too many gutter level places right next to schools.

AlexTH: Thanks for the encouragement, will endeavour to amuse you further when I have the chance

[Hermano Lobo]

I know I keep banging on about it but this was a prediction I wrote two+ years ago.

Excerpts:-

A Thai Nightmare

I had a dream. In the dream I was visiting Thailand after a break of about three years. I walked down Soi 4 Nana tai past what was N.E.P, it had become a shopping centre.

The open bar in front of the Nana Hotel had become a fast pizza franchise. I then caught the Skytrain and Subway to Soi Cowboy. The bars and gogos had gone and except for a couple of restaurants it was a pedestrian street full of ladies clothes and shoe shops.

I travelled to Patpong in the evening to look for some designer copies and cheap CDs. Patpong had become a couple of streets with expensive shops and the market stalls had disappeared. A fading sign said 'Fight Piracy !' The shops had closed at 6pm and there was not a cheap CD or cheap anything in sight.

The next day I took a luxury aircon bus to Pattaya to look up an old friend. I walked through Soi Diamond to get to Walking Street. The gogos and bars that were left were closed and boarded up. A sign outside my friend's gogo had faded with age. It stated that he had gone back to 'NZ' and then gave a barely readable address. Walking Street had become a fashion shopping precinct rather like Bond Street in London.

Where the Thai Boxing ring and 'Dolls House' Go-go had been there was now a shopping mall. The escalator that led to the 'Peppermint A-Go go' now led to a designer shoe shop and a McDonalds. Stone faced security guards stood where once there were 'service girls'. The ladyboy disco now sold ice-cream.

If you have not heard of the term it is called -

Remote Viewing:-

http://www.davidmorehouse.com/

Edited October 11, 2006 by Hermano Lobo

[t.s]

I know I keep banging on about it but this was a prediction I wrote two+ years ago.

Excerpts:-

A Thai Nightmare

I had a dream. In the dream I was visiting Thailand after a break of about three years. I walked down Soi 4 Nana tai past what was N.E.P, it had become a shopping centre.

The open bar in front of the Nana Hotel had become a fast pizza franchise. I then caught the Skytrain and Subway to Soi Cowboy. The bars and gogos had gone and except for a couple of restaurants it was a pedestrian street full of ladies clothes and shoe shops.

I travelled to Patpong in the evening to look for some designer copies and cheap CDs. Patpong had become a couple of streets with expensive shops and the market stalls had disappeared. A fading sign said 'Fight Piracy !' The shops had closed at 6pm and there was not a cheap CD or cheap anything in sight.

The next day I took a luxury aircon bus to Pattaya to look up an old friend. I walked through Soi Diamond to get to Walking Street. The gogos and bars that were left were closed and boarded up. A sign outside my friend's gogo had faded with age. It stated that he had gone back to 'NZ' and then gave a barely readable address. Walking Street had become a fashion shopping precinct rather like Bond Street in London.

Where the Thai Boxing ring and 'Dolls House' Go-go had been there was now a shopping mall. The escalator that led to the 'Peppermint A-Go go' now led to a designer shoe shop and a McDonalds. Stone faced security guards stood where once there were 'service girls'. The ladyboy disco now sold ice-cream.

If you have not heard of the term it is called -

Remote Viewing:-

http://www.davidmorehouse.com/

love the bold text.

I have a nightmare too:

I wake up in thailand and spend days desparately travelling around the country searching for a rental, because i have never been able to get laid for free.

even nostradums could get some.

[Archie Bunker]

Hermano Lobo forgot something very important in his nightmare and that's the ghost town factor. who on earth would go to these places if that stuff was erradicated? This place would take a bee line to the stone age

[John K]

The thought of closing the bars rumors 2007 and so on. I would not think it will happen. This has been talked about before and if Thailand want to change its image pushing the nightlife onto the streets has a much more negative effect than having a few spots tucked away from sight. Don’t forget the sex trade exists to allow the people in Isaan to have some sort of life. The girls in the bar get checked for STD, the ones on the street it is up to them. The repercussions are endless if they close it down. I had the chance to view a non published Thesis that covers all of this. Even that it missed some elements like how corruption plays a part in keeping the nightlife going, it was an excellent thesis.

[t.s]

Hermano Lobo forgot something very important in his nightmare and that's the ghost town factor. who on earth would go to these places if that stuff was erradicated? This place would take a bee line to the stone age

getting way off topic here, but ...

i grant you sex tourism does contribute a fair amount to thailand's coffers, but i really do think the notion that the country will fade away into obscurity after a thoughtfully (and gradually) mounted clean up campaign is utter <deleted>.

the reasons people come to thailand cannot be summed up with the words nana, patpong, cowboy and diamond.

it is just a sad extension of the "where would thailand be if we all went home attitude". the simple answer is it would still be in thailand.

one market disappears and another one opens up. i think thailand is in far greater danger from ecological and environmental negligence that it will ever be from losing a few punters who save up their sex life for a two week holiday. i think the proliferation of sex drugs and guns in places like samui and pattaya are doing tourism here much more harm than closing the beer bars on chawaeng ever would.

i really could not give a toss if some oik in a footbal jersey goes home pissed off because he could not get any no matter how drunk and obnoxious he got or how much money he threw around.

i have visited countries all over the world where the scenery, shopping, clubs and other entertainment have been plenty satisfying without parking it in a beer bar for days on end.

i have engaged in more than my fair share of debauchery over the years and still do. i live on sukhumvit, and i have been waylaid by the plastic chairs on numerous occasions. they can serve some excellent seafood, and the people watching is extraordinary. There is something truly gritty, electric and exciting about the whole thing. i have also passed by them on my way to work at 9 am and seen through sober eyes how bad the detritus can be. if they should be closed, so be it, something else will fill the void.

thailand is a developing nation, and in my 10+ years here it has developed, though i think the culture will always allow bangkok to retain some if its edge, just as thai/buddhist tolerance will always allow us all many of the freedoms here we enjoy. these freedoms just need to be exercised on different terms.

everytime something is taken away, something else is given. the days of mainstream bars open to 7 am (think rainbow 2000 nana, thermae) are over, but the club/music scene has grown at leaps and bounds.

plastic chairs or soi 11 dj festival? i wont miss the chairs.

so for those of you coming back after a "3 year break" and finding out that your favourite barbeer has been replaced by villa supermarket, quit whingeing, because for those of us who live here, things here are getting better all the time.

i hear the bar beer scene in burkina fasso is brilliant, maybe check it out on your next "break".

whew!

Edited October 11, 2006 by t.s

[t.s]

The thought of closing the bars rumors 2007 and so on. I would not think it will happen. This has been talked about before and if Thailand want to change its image pushing the nightlife onto the streets has a much more negative effect than having a few spots tucked away from sight. Don’t forget the sex trade exists to allow the people in Isaan to have some sort of life. The girls in the bar get checked for STD, the ones on the street it is up to them. The repercussions are endless if they close it down. I had the chance to view a non published Thesis that covers all of this. Even that it missed some elements like how corruption plays a part in keeping the nightlife going, it was an excellent thesis.

bangkok myth.

should read:

The girls in the bar get checked for STD every 6-8 months if ever.

next time you buy a health certificate at some shoddy little clinic for 5oo baht of less, think about how hard it would be for a girl to get a clean bill of health

Edited October 11, 2006 by t.s

[atlastaname]

The fuss that people make about the bars , girls , etc etc in Thailand always amazes me . It should be like it was in years gone by, ..bars and sex everywhere if you want to find it , totally unregulated.

For the puritans (and they are many ) if you don't want to find it , then don't look. But why you have to try to impose your puritan views on everyone elses lives is , and always has been , beyond me . Whats wrong with a free-for-all ? If you had Bangkok as THE unregulated sex capital of the world , christ you wouldn't be able to get into the city cos the rest of the world would already be stampeding there. Talk about good for Thailands coffers.

For all those here , and some of those here can be the most boring, puritanical people you could ever hope not to meet, who don't approve , well nothings stopping you going to bed at 10pm with your Horlicks and a copy of the Bangkok Post . But stop expecting/demanding others do the same. Some of us are still alive.

[VanZam]

The thought of closing the bars rumors 2007 and so on. I would not think it will happen. This has been talked about before and if Thailand want to change its image pushing the nightlife onto the streets has a much more negative effect than having a few spots tucked away from sight. Don’t forget the sex trade exists to allow the people in Isaan to have some sort of life. The girls in the bar get checked for STD, the ones on the street it is up to them. The repercussions are endless if they close it down. I had the chance to view a non published Thesis that covers all of this. Even that it missed some elements like how corruption plays a part in keeping the nightlife going, it was an excellent thesis.

bangkok myth.

should read:

The girls in the bar get checked for STD every 6-8 months if ever.

next time you buy a health certificate at some shoddy little clinic for 5oo baht of less, think about how hard it would be for a girl to get a clean bill of health

I dissagree... Every bar owner I know on cowboy requires the girls to get checked at a hospital (not a clinic) every month before they get paid.

The ones to be carful of are the girls working at these "streetside" bars, as they are not getting regular STD checks, and come and go as they please.

Edited October 11, 2006 by VanZam