Alternative to Cheap Charlie's?

[Chou Anou]

Might not be your cup of tea, and might not be in a part of town you frequent, but I've always liked Cosmo's, on Patpong Soi 2.  Like many places in Patpong, a throwback to an earlier era.  It's kind of a girlie bar, I guess...but not really.  Many of the girls will not "go", and if they do, it's often just for companionship.  But that's not why you go there.

 

It really is a social bar, and the interesting thing (for me) is that the clientele is about 70% Thai and 30% farang.  It's an older, laid back crowd, many "lower and mid-middle class professionals," I guess you'd say...and it's not friendly every night, but often is, especially if they've seen your face a few times before.  I dunno, something about the ambience in there I like.  A decent command of Thai helps, but is not required to enjoy it.

[bbi1]

4 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Det 5 on Suk Soi 8

I think you're confused. Det 5 on Suk 8 is a restaurant where the oldies go to hang out and have their "free" buffet on a Friday night. Just buy a drink.

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I think you're confused. Det 5 on Suk 8 is a restaurant where the oldies go to hang out and have their "free" buffet on a Friday night. Just buy a drink.

haha ... they are just the cheap charlies who visit all the free buffets and happy hours to live each week ....   real cheapo's ....   there's a lot of them in Bangkok. Old farang who look for all the free things ....

[bazza73]

This is wonderful - a thread where the OP and others discuss a new place to abuse their livers while rubbing shoulders with the cream of humanity. Almost better than watching Game of Thrones. Keep those posts coming please.

[bbi1]

8 minutes ago, bazza73 said:

This is wonderful - a thread where the OP and others discuss a new place to abuse their livers while rubbing shoulders with the cream of humanity. Almost better than watching Game of Thrones. Keep those posts coming please.

Only the crème de la crème hung out at Cheap Charlie's. That's why you had to stand inside the tiny roped up area if you wanted to be part of the "in crowd".

[Lobber]

SAD

[Lobber]

who would want to drink in the heat with a bunch of twatpackers

[bbi1]

18 minutes ago, Lobber said:

who would want to drink in the heat with a bunch of twatpackers

Apparently the OP does 

[bazza73]

3 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Only the crème de la crème hung out at Cheap Charlie's. That's why you had to stand inside the tiny roped up area if you wanted to be part of the "in crowd".

This thread just gets better and better. A bar where you are forced to stand while you are drinking?

[HooHaa]

1 hour ago, Lobber said:

who would want to drink in the heat with a bunch of twatpackers

i suspect you have never actually been, i had had a house on 11 since 2000, first visited charlies in 1996. 

 

it has gone through a few iterations, most notably the death of charlie, but that was before my time.

the chinese owners of suk 11 limited his crowd and gone were the girls loading up on cheap drinks before heading out to Siam hunting dates.

i had a brilliant night out with a luthansa air crew a few years back, the night actually went on well into the morning.

i negotiated my first high paying job in bkk at charlies.

 

I have not been there much of late, but it was hardly a place for <deleted> packers, last time i spoke to sathit, i knew the end was nigh and popped in to say goodbye. 

 

low and behold a japan airlines crew was relaxing and another great night ensued.

 

if you are against drinking with local expat professionals,  lawyers, international school teachers and flight crews as well as a smattering of FIFO workers,  and yes, esl teachers,cheap charlies may not have been your thing. 

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, HooHaa said:

i suspect you have never actually been, i had had a house on 11 since 2000, first visited charlies in 1996. 

 

if you are against drinking with local expat professionals,  lawyers, international school teachers and flight crews as well as a smattering of FIFO workers,  and yes, esl teachers,cheap charlies may not have been your thing. 

C'mon, seriously, there are no houses on Suk 11. Please point out to me where I can see a freestanding house on that soi?

 

Cheap Charlie's seem to be the place where all the higher class peeps hang out. I'm sure that's where the hi-so Thai peeps love to hang out too, a cheap standing only hole of a bar where you have to stand within the roped area of that small soi. I'm sure Swing nightclub is also where these high class peeps hang out.

 

 

[HooHaa]

58 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

C'mon, seriously, there are no houses on Suk 11. Please point out to me where I can see a freestanding house on that soi?

 

Cheap Charlie's seem to be the place where all the higher class peeps hang out. I'm sure that's where the hi-so Thai peeps love to hang out too, a cheap standing only hole of a bar where you have to stand within the roped area of that small soi. I'm sure Swing nightclub is also where these high class peeps hang out.

 

 

yeah, why dont i just send you a picture of my house on google earth perhaps provide you with the address. 

 

the fact that you say there are no free standing houses on the soi mean you have no real knowledge of the place.

there are a number of free standing houses, town homes and small sub sois on 11, but i have no interest in educating you further.

 

as for your remark about the higher class, i have made no claim to that effect,  however alot of regular local expats have enjoyed charlies over the years.

[seancbk]

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

C'mon, seriously, there are no houses on Suk 11. Please point out to me where I can see a freestanding house on that soi?

 

Cheap Charlie's seem to be the place where all the higher class peeps hang out. I'm sure that's where the hi-so Thai peeps love to hang out too, a cheap standing only hole of a bar where you have to stand within the roped area of that small soi. I'm sure Swing nightclub is also where these high class peeps hang out.

 

 

 

Sukhumvit Soi 11 isn't just the straight bit you are aware of.... there are some great houses down the ends of the Soi.

As for Hi-So peeps, I'm Hi-So and although Cheap Charlies was not somewhere I'd go regularly, it was definitely somewhere I'd take visitors to Bangkok to give them a taste of something different.

 

 

 

[smokie36]

In fact you can cross the khlong and on to Petchaburi road from there.

 

The poster just showed his ignorance of Bangkok there really.

[lamyai3]

On 6/13/2017 at 0:46 PM, bbi1 said:

The alternative is to buy a cheap beer from 7-11 and form a group of peeps standing on the sidewalk. Enjoy!

Sounds like Wanchai in Hong Kong. Works great there, largely due to the great imported beer selection and the vastly lower taxes on them. 

[kingkenny]

On Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 4:03 PM, JemJem said:

It wasn't among my favorite bars but I had gone there every now and then. It was just okay I guess.....had a nice chat with some people some of the times I had gone there.

 

I miss the bars in the seedy lane between Sukhumvit Sois 5 and 7 more.

Dog sh1t alley 

[smokie36]

2 hours ago, kingkenny said:

Dog sh1t alley 

 

Ignorant comment.

 

The seafood restauant down there was superb.

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Ignorant comment.

 

The seafood restauant down there was superb.

That shawarma place at the end of the alley on Soi 5 was decent too.

[DavidMavec]

Apparently the OP does 

 

 

Yes, I'm the OP and I cannot imagine doing anything else I enjoy more.

[7000gods]

Hi DavidMavec.

 

Some nice beers to be had in the W district.

https://w-district.com/

 

Gin and tonics are good at Cielo,around the corner from  W

https://www.cieloskybar.com/index.php

 

The CoCo Walk Plaza is a lot of fun Fridays.

 

And Soi Nana in Chinatown has a few new gems...ssshhhhh

Tep Bar is expensive,but great music there on Saturday..

 

Type of company you keep is entirely optional...

*uck the begrudgers.

 

Viva Bangkok.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bbi1]

8 minutes ago, 7000gods said:

Hi DavidMavec.

 

Some nice beers to be had in the W district.

https://w-district.com/

 

Gin and tonics are good at Cielo,around the corner from  W

https://www.cieloskybar.com/index.php

 

The CoCo Walk Plaza is a lot of fun Fridays.

 

And Soi Nana in Chinatown has a few new gems...ssshhhhh

Tep Bar is expensive,but great music there on Saturday..

 

Type of company you keep is entirely optional...

*uck the begrudgers.

 

Viva Bangkok.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The OP is looking for shitholes similar to Cheap Charlie's and a similar crowd. Why are you offering him higher end bars?

[7000gods]

Higher end.......not at all...well maybe Cielo...

Now ....go wash your Chang Vest and head out.Its a great city..really.

Forgot to mention Rod Fai 2..awesome night last night.

Peace ThaiGeezers.

 

[kingkenny]

6 hours ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Ignorant comment.

 

The seafood restauant down there was superb.

I didn't come up with the name. In all my 11 years here that is what it was known as. Personally I wouldn't eat down there although I did drink down there a handful of times. 

 

Horses for courses..

[Atlas Popovic]

5 hours ago, bbi1 said:

The OP is looking for shitholes similar to Cheap Charlie's and a similar crowd. Why are you offering him higher end bars?

At least he is trying to offer alternatives, contrary to 90% of the posts in this thread.

CoCo Walk is actually nice and could be a good alternative.

 

My suggestions are Wong´s Place and Jack´s Bar. I´m not claiming that they are spot on but the "rusty" feel is definitely there. Hua Chang near Hua Chang Pier or Sky Train Jazz Bar could be worth a try.

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Ignorant comment.

 

The seafood restauant down there was superb.

Kin hoi... 

[smokie36]

8 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

Kin hoi... 

 

No idea what you mean.