Quiet bar with local expats in Bangkok

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Denny's was. Pretty casual....you can ignore the girls....don't know how it has been doing on the ground level of ther holiday inn, but at least with the girls they can keep drink prices more reasonable.  SportsCorner but the owner is kind of a dick and the beer isn't cold enough.

[impulse]

18 hours ago, KDee said:

just so you know my agenda... I'm looking for interesting subjects for portrait photography. Specifically old farangs living in Thailand to which I have a passing resemblance,

 

In that case, my apologies for my cynicism.  But one of the first lessons I learned in Thailand is to never give out my business card at social events, or to anyone I don't know in a business context.  No LinkedIn, either.  Too many nuisance phone calls from persistent people trying to sell financial products.

[KDee]

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

In that case, my apologies for my cynicism.  But one of the first lessons I learned in Thailand is to never give out my business card at social events, or to anyone I don't know in a business context.  No LinkedIn, either.  Too many nuisance phone calls from persistent people trying to sell financial products.

no apologies needed. I get it, I've had those calls. 

[jed2002]

go to Crossbar, Sukhumvit 24, quiet all day but night atmosphere and prices are really cheap, and u can Watch anything you want on TV on demand live

[rott]

On 12/1/2016 at 2:20 PM, KDee said:

just so you know my agenda... I'm looking for interesting subjects for portrait photography. Specifically old farangs living in Thailand to which I have a passing resemblance, other than the fact that I am really quite handsome, or so I've been told :-)

I don't charge anything, I'm not looking for work or money, just my hobby, just for fun. So I figure it's best to go in during a quiet time of day, not too noisy or crowded and meet some of the regulars and see if anyone is game. 

Pity you didn't say that in the first place but there are plenty of attention seekers about. 

 

If you are looking for some "evocative" shots, there regularly seems to be one lone drinker in the mornings in the older bars in Patpong 1 in Bangkok. Don't look like sad gits, possibly just old hands having their morning straightener. Or just lost or bored tourists.

[likeke]

On 11/30/2016 at 9:09 PM, captnhoy said:

The crowd at The Tavern, A Small Slice of America, Soi 4, probably meets this spec. Friendly locals, great staff and all are welcomed. Also The Hangout Pub on Soi 6 is Kiwi owned and mostly local regulars of the British Empire. But they are nice to me too.

 

Ditto. Great bar. Staff friendly. Not just Americans, but all western countries. Opens at 6:30 am and closes 1 am. The American owner, Scott, passed away a few months ago, and is now owned/managed by Gai who had been with Scott since the opening nearly 10 years ago. Easy to start a conversation with the regulars and staff. Most beers around 105 baht. Food is good too! 4pm is the change of shift/staff so a good time to start your night. Enjoy.

[KDee]

14 hours ago, rott said:

Pity you didn't say that in the first place but there are plenty of attention seekers about. 

 

If you are looking for some "evocative" shots, there regularly seems to be one lone drinker in the mornings in the older bars in Patpong 1 in Bangkok. Don't look like sad gits, possibly just old hands having their morning straightener. Or just lost or bored tourists.

"evocative" exactly. Attention seekers welcome. Thanks for the good ideas.

 

Here are some examples. For these guys I'd do something a bit different. But portraits of real people. I do lots of Thai girls for practice because, well have you noticed that Thai girls like to have their photo taken?? I want subjects that are more interesting and reflect more of life. Nothing against cute Thai girls mind you. Just a looking for a different creative challenge. This is all just a hobby for me. I don't accept or want money. I have a business, I have customers, I have enough headaches. This is for fun. I hope for me and my subjects.

 

Thanks again to everyone for so many suggestions. Need to get my butt out on a bar stool soon. 

[FritsSikkink]

On ‎01‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 11:23 AM, rott said:

Try Chequers in Soi 4, the Royal Oak  soi 33 (or 33/1) or avoid the boys and girls and try the British pub at the far end of Soi 7/1. Forget the name. Naturally Sois referred to are off Sukhumvit.

 

Smokie will likely be along later with some useful hints.

 

In Pattaya try the Nervous Wreck in Soi Yamato (13/1) next to Soi Post. Get your drinking head on though.

pickled liver

[bangon04]

On 12/1/2016 at 1:06 PM, HooHaa said:

Desperately seeking like minded ale carts, to drink myself into oblivion with. 

 

Shame about washington square innit?

 

http://notthenation.com/2012/10/washington-square-demolition-leaves-bangkoks-elderly-sexpats-lost-confused/

Don't we miss dear old NTN......RIP

[piersbeckett]

Good post KDee, think you teased out some helpful info - good luck

[melvinmelvin]

On 1.12.2016 at 11:57 AM, KDee said:

Thanks so far, look forward to for more. These suggestions are right on track. 

 

couple of suggestions;

 

BKK - Sukh soi 4 actually sports some bars of your description

BKK - Sukh soi 7/1 halfway down, left hand side is an Aussie operated bar that fits your description

 

BKK - Lad Prao area has several bars fitting your description

 

I assume that a few places would be found in Sukh Soi 11

 

You limit yourself quite a lot if you absolutely have to see farang around you, if you skip the farang/expat element

then Bangers and surroundings have a LOT to offer

 

[RLAretired]

On 03/12/2016 at 1:37 PM, KDee said:

Here are some examples.

 

Very nice examples.

Thank you for posting here.

 

Already interested to see what you do with local expats.

Hope you will post some of those.

[Gary A]

On 12/1/2016 at 0:06 PM, HooHaa said:

Desperately seeking like minded ale carts, to drink myself into oblivion with. 

 

Shame about washington square innit?

 

http://notthenation.com/2012/10/washington-square-demolition-leaves-bangkoks-elderly-sexpats-lost-confused/

 

As far as I am concerned, when Washington Square died, Bangkok died as a place to enjoy myself. Some of us had hopes that a copycat area would spring up somewhere else. Unfortunately in the bar business, the only people who make money are the landlords with the outrageous rents. Us old farts don't spend enough money for business owners to take a chance. All we have left are pleasant memories of the past. You have to move far out of Bangkok to find 70 - 80 baht beers and places quiet enough to have  decent conversations. We simply don't enjoy overpriced drinks, ladies begging for super expensive drinks and ear splitting trash that now passes for music. Time moves on and so do we.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, Gary A said:

 

As far as I am concerned, when Washington Square died, Bangkok died as a place to enjoy myself. Some of us had hopes that a copycat area would spring up somewhere else. Unfortunately in the bar business, the only people who make money are the landlords with the outrageous rents. Us old farts don't spend enough money for business owners to take a chance. All we have left are pleasant memories of the past. You have to move far out of Bangkok to find 70 - 80 baht beers and places quiet enough to have  decent conversations. We simply don't enjoy overpriced drinks, ladies begging for super expensive drinks and ear splitting trash that now passes for music. Time moves on and so do we.

 

Meow Bradley who used to run the No Probl'm that  was renamed the Cat Meow is my next door neighbour in rural Khampaeng Phet. Still a nice lady.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

13 hours ago, Gary A said:

 

As far as I am concerned, when Washington Square died, Bangkok died as a place to enjoy myself. Some of us had hopes that a copycat area would spring up somewhere else. Unfortunately in the bar business, the only people who make money are the landlords with the outrageous rents. Us old farts don't spend enough money for business owners to take a chance. All we have left are pleasant memories of the past. You have to move far out of Bangkok to find 70 - 80 baht beers and places quiet enough to have  decent conversations. We simply don't enjoy overpriced drinks, ladies begging for super expensive drinks and ear splitting trash that now passes for music. Time moves on and so do we.

 

Bang on, GaryA. When Denny's at the (former) entrance to W Square closed and moved to the new Holiday Inn, it was another -- classic phrase coming -- nail in the coffin. Khun Som kept the price at 65 baht a beer for a while but now it's in line (out of line!) with all the other BKK bars.

 

Yes, you can pull up a plastic stool in the subsois behind, well, just about anywhere and get a big Chang for, I dunno, 75 baht. Or you could journey all the way out to Lat Phrao or Udom Suk for a cheap afternoon. But overall, not one single place that I and friends used to go to regularly remains open in BKK. That's a lot of places, not all of them cheap either. I don't mind paying more for a place that's entertaining -- I"m not talking go-go bars, which I haven't entered in 4 years. 

 

BKK is a sad place these days. BTW, gone are the days when I spent big money. It's never worth it anymore.

[buick]

what would you call 'big money' in bangkok ?  as an example, beer 90 baht and food 120 baht.  is that big ? 

[rott]

Most places in central BKK are about 120 for a small beer. Not small money to me. I am not talking about go-gos either, that is more than you would pay in central London. I would not really call 90 small money either, depends on your income and how many you get through every week.

[Thaiwrath]

2 minutes ago, rott said:

Most places in central BKK are about 120 for a small beer. Not small money to me. I am not talking about go-gos either, that is more than you would pay in central London. I would not really call 90 small money either, depends on your income and how many you get through every week.

 

We4U in Soi 8, 70 baht. Best value around there.

[billd766]

9 hours ago, buick said:

what would you call 'big money' in bangkok ?  as an example, beer 90 baht and food 120 baht.  is that big ? 

 

I used to regularly have bar bills of 4,xxx baht a night at the weekend in Washington Square back in the mid 1990s.

 

Is that big enough for you?

[buick]

39 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I used to regularly have bar bills of 4,xxx baht a night at the weekend in Washington Square back in the mid 1990s.

 

Is that big enough for you?

 

my question was more of a per item cost as noted in a couple of the posts previous to mine (beers 70-80 baht).  not asking about total bill but i'm glad you enjoyed yourself at WS before it was demolished.  if us local expats want to enjoy ourselves at a local bar, what price points would make us avoid the place.  i pay 90 to 120 for beer at the local bars.  i paid 225 at the octave rooftop bar and 400 at lebua rooftop bar (not what i consider 'local bars').  7-11 beers are about 40.  the 90-120 range seems reasonable to me and i woudn't classify it as 'big'.  i'd stick with 7-11 if the local bars charged 225. 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

It's not BIG money, 60-100 baht a small bottle of beer. Or 100-130 baht for a shot of Black Label. Pints of ordinary beer and whiskeys at 160 and up is big money in the sense that we are subsidizing the huge rents demanded by local landlords. I just refuse to pay for their Mercedes S-Class or Pattana School fees. The Bangkok bars can only take partial blame because they have no control as rents and "other payments" skyrocket.

 

Mostly though my big money phrase goes back to the past when I haunted the Cowboys and Nanas of the city. It's gotten even worse, with one bar I heard demanding 320 baht for a lady drink. Anyway, all water under the bridge for me. As I said, haven't been in a go-go in 4 years.

[billd766]

6 hours ago, buick said:

 

my question was more of a per item cost as noted in a couple of the posts previous to mine (beers 70-80 baht).  not asking about total bill but i'm glad you enjoyed yourself at WS before it was demolished.  if us local expats want to enjoy ourselves at a local bar, what price points would make us avoid the place.  i pay 90 to 120 for beer at the local bars.  i paid 225 at the octave rooftop bar and 400 at lebua rooftop bar (not what i consider 'local bars').  7-11 beers are about 40.  the 90-120 range seems reasonable to me and i woudn't classify it as 'big'.  i'd stick with 7-11 if the local bars charged 225. 

 

 I have no idea of the BKK bar scene any more as I moved up to deepest darkest rural Khampaeng Phet about 12 years ago and rarely go there anymore. Out here there are no "local bars" as such though there are a few places that sell beer and karaoke with a few ladies possibly past their prime but I can't be bothered with them either.

 

I either drink at home or at a friends house.

[rhodie]

Was looking here to find any bars outside of Nana/Cowboy area, but it looks like a no go. The only place I know of that is reasonable and has a few expats but only opens in the evening is Corner Bar 79 at On Nut. Big beers start at 100 and cheap food on offer. The 3 previous bars next door were removed last year to make way for a massive Mall/Condo I assume. 

 

Will try a few mentioned above that sound OK. 

[melvinmelvin]

On 1.12.2016 at 6:02 AM, Crossy said:

 

That would be the Pickled Liver, sufficiently secondary location that only "them 'as knows" find it, non-locals are sucked in by the lady (and ladyboy) bars you have to pass to get to it :)

 

 

 

Yes it would.

 

But just before you get there, on the other side of the soi there is an aussie bar,

laid back, grown ups, BLs I haven'y seen there.

 

You also have soi 8 sukhumvit, left hand side, called We4U, quiet cheap no hassle.

 

[melvinmelvin]

2 hours ago, rhodie said:

Was looking here to find any bars outside of Nana/Cowboy area, but it looks like a no go. The only place I know of that is reasonable and has a few expats but only opens in the evening is Corner Bar 79 at On Nut. Big beers start at 100 and cheap food on offer. The 3 previous bars next door were removed last year to make way for a massive Mall/Condo I assume. 

 

Will try a few mentioned above that sound OK. 

 

there are some places around in the Silom area

 

and there are some around in the Lad Phrao area

 

 

 

[smokie36]

8 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

there are some places around in the Silom area

 

and there are some around in the Lad Phrao area

 

 

 

Ratchada.

[rhodie]

13 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

there are some places around in the Silom area

 

and there are some around in the Lad Phrao area

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, RonniePickering22 said:

Ratchada.

Thanks guys. I suppose it requires some leg work. 

[Jim Turner Mad Punx]

Bang your cock (sausage) in bangkok

[JaiLai]

 
That would be the Pickled Liver, sufficiently secondary location that only "them 'as knows" find it, non-locals are sucked in by the lady (and ladyboy) bars you have to pass to get to it :)
 
 

This is the place that's kind of like a tribute bar to George Best, right?

I've been in there 2 or 3 times, always very quiet although the pies are good.

[Crossy]

43 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

This is the place that's kind of like a tribute bar to George Best, right?

That's the place, in a previous incarnation it was born of The Old Bell round the back of Cheap Charlies in soi 11.