Patong - The Wake

[London Lowf]

Phuket is now in "high season" and I can only guess that these businesses opening up and girls arriving and hoping for work don't read the news?

 

Wish I could come there and help out for three months as usual, but I think my next visit will be the second half of next year. It's up to the generosity of you ex-pats (and the occassional Thai tourist) to keep the place ticking over.

 

 

[xylophone]

23 minutes ago, London Lowf said:

Phuket is now in "high season" and I can only guess that these businesses opening up and girls arriving and hoping for work don't read the news?

 

Wish I could come there and help out for three months as usual, but I think my next visit will be the second half of next year. It's up to the generosity of you ex-pats (and the occassional Thai tourist) to keep the place ticking over.

 

 

Didn't mean to mislead you old chap...........but the place is still pretty well deserted, just not quite as much as before!!

[zzzzz]

15 hours ago, London Lowf said:

Phuket is now in "high season" and I can only guess that these businesses opening up and girls arriving and hoping for work don't read the news?

 

Wish I could come there and help out for three months as usual, but I think my next visit will be the second half of next year. It's up to the generosity of you ex-pats (and the occassional Thai tourist) to keep the place ticking over.

 

 

phuket is in the cool season; there is NO HIGH season this year.....
kamala is lovely, we have 5 beach side restaurant open now + cafe del mar, if thats your thing.

 

IN fact, its much busier here than in Patong, Karon or Kata...:-)

 

[xylophone]

20 hours ago, schlog said:

Good luck for salute and great that they open again. Need to go also.

It was quite busy last night and the food, on a slightly reduced menu, was still very good.

 

Had a few drinks elsewhere afterwards, and there were a few more bars open, and more people around..........however on the downside a couple of the bars may be closing soon because of lack of business, and the slight increase on weekends is not enough to keep them profitable (as I said, "patchy").

 

Suzy Wong's has closed but the girls have been moved to what was "Harem" (same owner) so still good for some delightful eye candy.

[zzzzz]

Quote

....Suzy Wong's has closed but the girls have been moved to what was "Harem" (same owner) so still good for some delightful eye candy.

 

??? ur still going to go go bars??
I have not been in a go go in Phuket since the 90's.....lol

[xylophone]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

 

??? ur still going to go go bars??
I have not been in a go go in Phuket since the 90's.....lol

Only the best ones!!! 

[London Lowf]

10 hours ago, zzzzz said:

phuket is in the cool season; there is NO HIGH season this year.....
kamala is lovely, we have 5 beach side restaurant open now + cafe del mar, if thats your thing.

 

IN fact, its much busier here than in Patong, Karon or Kata...:-)

 

 

1: You clearly did not appreciate the significance of the inverted commas around “high season” in my post. Accordingly, to contradict my contribution in this way does not show you in a good light.

 

2: It is generally considered rude to write in capital letters on a forum – but perhaps you’re just compensating for the many instances when you should have used them, but didn’t. (that's an "lol", as you youngsters like to say!)

 

On a positive note, Kamala is also my resort of choice and the last two visits stayed on the rural road near to Bang Wan waterfall.

[Agusts]

I have seen government approved hotels for 50k or even 33k baht for 14 nights (some in Phuket), I think there was a web page with the full list and prices linked on visa section 9f this forum..., so those who "can" come better shop around, 120k is just daylight rubbery....! Add to that the cost of insurance and health certificate etc. and no wonder nobody 8s coming...????

[Old Croc]

6 hours ago, Agusts said:

I have seen government approved hotels for 50k or even 33k baht for 14 nights (some in Phuket), I think there was a web page with the full list and prices linked on visa section 9f this forum..., so those who "can" come better shop around, 120k is just daylight rubbery....! Add to that the cost of insurance and health certificate etc. and no wonder nobody 8s coming...????

Many bargains to be had with nighttime rubbery

[Agusts]

The jungceylon parking is only open to cars, not bikes...! You would have thought with so few visitors they would just open that whole space for people with a any vehicle to park there and make use of it..., maybe , maybe they get some more visitors and some trade , how they are going to make money from a parking lot when they're no customers....! - then again logic is not their strongest trait here...????

 

Susi Wong is open again by the way, I saw some of their staff on Bangla trying hard to drag people in there...

 

Illuzion wanted 300b for enterance on Saturday (I don't think it included any drinks), what a cheek...!? They deserve to be empty on other nights then...????

 

[xylophone]

On 12/14/2020 at 1:09 PM, Agusts said:

Susi Wong is open again by the way, I saw some of their staff on Bangla trying hard to drag people in there...

They didn't have to try very hard with me........I'm a sucker for a pretty face and a shapely form!

[xylophone]

On 12/14/2020 at 1:09 PM, Agusts said:

Illuzion wanted 300b for enterance on Saturday

Strong rumours abound that Taipan nightclub will be open on or around Christmas day, and they have certainly made good progress to the alterations since I last looked about a week ago, so maybe it's a possibility?

 

Maybe they are hoping for a bit much because many of the bar girls would frequent the place, if not only for a few drinks with mates and a bit of a party atmosphere, but to pick up the occasional farang......the problem being there are very few bar girls out there at the moment and even fewer farangs.

 

However having said that, I still do see a trickle of attractive-looking girls trundling down Sansabai around midnight, looking for a "good time", and perhaps Taipan would be a good option, especially if other venues are charging an entrance fee.

 

Time will tell.

[HighPriority]

One thing about Thai girls, they will be open to a venue without a covercharge... ????

[madmitch]

I took a trip to Jungceylon yesterday as the GF needed to go to AIS. I'm glad it was AIS and not True or DTAC as they were both closed, along with so many other shops.

 

I'd read on here how quiet it was but it had to be seen to be believed. There wasn't a single shop I saw with customers outnumbering staff, including the almost deserted Big C; what do they do with the obviously overstocked fresh food? Half the fruit and veg was on special offer and pre-cooked food looked unappetising and past its best. All I bought were a couple of bottles of McWilliams red wine!

 

And still you need to get the parking ticket verified. I understand they don't want non-shoppers but I've always disliked the system in there. No idea why thay can't just check the bill when you leave, just like they used to. Not exactly queues of cars to deal with.

 

The rents are so high in there that it's no surprise shops are just packing up when contracts expire. I'm not quite sure of the thinking of the landlords as no one is going to rent at the moment. They may as well offer free rent on a rolling basis until things pick up; I'm sure they will at some point but who knows when?

 

But, all in all, sad to see.

[xylophone]

On 12/22/2020 at 11:43 PM, madmitch said:

I'd read on here how quiet it was but it had to be seen to be believed.

I was planning to go out tonight with a friend for dinner and a drink or two, however he has informed me that "Phuket Walking Street" will be closed?

 

He wants to know whether that includes Bangla or not, and I would very much like to know as well – – anyone got any news on this?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

[schlog]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:56 AM, xylophone said:

Strong rumours abound that Taipan nightclub will be open on or around Christmas day, and they have certainly made good progress to the alterations since I last looked about a week ago, so maybe it's a possibility?

 

Maybe they are hoping for a bit much because many of the bar girls would frequent the place, if not only for a few drinks with mates and a bit of a party atmosphere, but to pick up the occasional farang......the problem being there are very few bar girls out there at the moment and even fewer farangs.

 

However having said that, I still do see a trickle of attractive-looking girls trundling down Sansabai around midnight, looking for a "good time", and perhaps Taipan would be a good option, especially if other venues are charging an entrance fee.

 

Time will tell.

Xylo Taipan will be back in game tomorrow with a opening party.

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, schlog said:

Xylo Taipan will be back in game tomorrow with a opening party.

Thanks Schlog......already planned to go out on NY Eve, so will have to weigh up the odds!

[xylophone]

Well I didn't go to Taipan on New Year's Eve, but then again there was plenty of other activity in Bangla to keep one occupied, in fact the queue outside of Illuzion stretched for around 50 m at one time, and I noticed other folks also queueing to get into a couple of other venues.

 

Bangla itself was fairly crowded and although a fair percentage of people were wearing masks, a fair percentage weren't!!

 

On that note some effort had been made by the BIB to trying get places to abide by the "rules and regulations" with regards to tracking, by asking people to sign a register and give them their telephone number, but it was a bit hit and miss.

 

One thing that was a sight for sore eyes, was the amount of very attractive young women who had decided to venture out and meander around, and there were some absolute stunners parading up and down, and I sometimes wished I was 30 years younger.....but then again!

 

I and a friend did eat at my favourite restaurant, Salute, which had about 18 people in it, and apparently it was absolutely packed the previous night, with a lot of these folks having come down from other areas, possibly Bangkok, for a "long holiday weekend" or so it was said?

 

Many of the bars that were open, were doing good custom, with Sweetie bar being packed out, spilling out onto the road, and I think it was because there was reasonably famous Thai band playing. No band in Kangaroo bar, but that was also packed, obviously with social distancing being a thing of the past!

 

I did meet up with some friends in Stereo 27 bar, which also has a live band, and which I had passed by previously, not realising that the female singer was good, and she was very good indeed. Obviously I couldn't resist the temptation as I hadn't been able to sing any of my songs in Red Hot, so I asked if I could sing a few numbers and I did, much to the delight of the patrons, which by that time were numbering quite a few. We also sang a duet to "Simply the Best" which went down extremely well.

 

After I had finished my songs and the clock ticked by 2:30 AM, and having had far too much to drink, and also mixing my drinks, I decided to head off home, which I did via my usual/regular motorbike taxi driver, who as usual took good care of me, so a tip was in order for that and for Christmas/New Year greetings.

 

It was good to see Bangla back to some semblance of normality, but it's quite probable that it was a "once off" and over the coming weeks it will be interesting to see if any of the other bars have stayed open.

[zzzzz]

compared to Kamala where the 4 restaurants on the beach sidewalk where full on packed and the fireworks out of the intercontinental were very nice.   10% masked.....

Heading home at 12:10, 99% of the bars on the main road were closed, ( Duck bar had like 5 customers) who wants to party in bar when u can party in the open air...  

Cafe del mar seemed about 60% occupied

[Agusts]

Taipan is totally transformed, all new decor and great finish, even in the toilets...lol, just need people now..., come with short and bikini for the pool...????, all beer incl. San Miguel Light 100b, what more do you want...!

 

I decided to turn back from illuzion two nights on a row, the guy just picks on me, I put mask, sanatize my hand , got temprature even attempt to scan the QR with my phone, but he still not satisfied and wanted to see the app on my phone....!!!!??? While others go in without any of that - it must say Covid19 on my forehead...????, plenty other places that welcome me...????

 

Happy New Year...????????????

 

[bloodyholly]

Bangla ...... 11.30 New Years Eve

[Agusts]

1 hour ago, bloodyholly said:

Bangla ...... 11.30 New Years Eve

 

Most people were on the beach at that time waiting for fireworks, it got a bit busier after midnight...

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, Agusts said:

Taipan is totally transformed, all new decor and great finish, even in the toilets...lol, just need people now..., come with short and bikini for the pool...????, all beer incl. San Miguel Light 100b, what more do you want...!

 

I decided to turn back from illuzion two nights on a row, the guy just picks on me, I put mask, sanatize my hand , got temprature even attempt to scan the QR with my phone, but he still not satisfied and wanted to see the app on my phone....!!!!??? While others go in without any of that - it must say Covid19 on my forehead...????, plenty other places that welcome me...????

 

Happy New Year...????????????

 

Nobody in the place Agusts........did it ever get busy??

[Agusts]

39 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Nobody in the place Agusts........did it ever get busy??

 

Not really, just a few people..., I think many people don't know about it, hopefully they get more customers in the coming weeks...

 

 

[xylophone]

Decided to venture out to Bangla last Friday as well as having something to eat in my favourite Italian restaurant, and as before, the evening was pretty much a non-event (apart from New Year's Eve, which had a few more folks out and about).

 

There were a few bars open, the usual suspects, and Kangaroo bar had the most punters in it, as it always seems to do, could be something to do with the music and/or the fact that there are about 8 to 10 girls working in the place!

 

There were a couple more bars open in Soi Sea Dragon and although I saw one or two farangs drinking in one of them, nothing much else was going on.

 

My mate decided to drag me into a recently opened bar on the corner of Sea Dragon, because it had three attractive girls sitting there beckoning us in. I wasn't keen because I knew exactly what the outcome would be, and sure enough, it was – – inasmuch as my friend decided to buy the girls a drink, and that turned out to be four drinks because we were joined by another girl who saw the action going on!

 

So with lady drinks at 220 baht for a small shot of tequila, plus my beer and his drink, I knew that if we weren't careful we would be in for an expensive evening.

 

Luckily enough we decided to move on after the first round, but not before I was harassed by a lady selling flowers. Now this lady I had seen around and about a few times and on a couple of occasions I have given her 100 baht for herself, without actually wanting any flowers, and here she was again pestering me and I said I didn't want any flowers, but she kept saying, "for me, for me" and although I had been kind-hearted earlier on in the piece, I felt my kindness was being taken advantage of, so I said no, but she hung on in there, pestering me, and this went on for about five minutes and I became a little angry and basically told her in a loud voice that I would give her the 100 baht but that would be the last and never again would I do that.

 

Thinking back on that evening, I must have given away 1500 baht or more just to the people like this who were basically "begging", and although I do feel sorry for their plight, it is not as if I am a millionaire and can afford to keep doing this, and more to the point, why should one act of kindness lead to constant begging?

 

To be honest it became tiring throughout the evening, and the final straw came when I was "picked up" by an attractive Thai girl and her auntie, who took me to Taipan for a drink, and the Thai girl wanted to come home with me! Not my scene and I couldn't get rid of them, so I paid them off and moved on!

 

I couldn't get to grips with Taipan because the dance area was extremely small and the place seemed to be built around several drinking areas, including the outside area next to the swimming pool, beyond which were the rooms in which used to be, "The Yorkshire Inn", and not sure that I would like to be in one of the rooms facing the swimming pool area when the disco/music was in full swing......but then what do I know?

 

Having just seen the announcement about bars closing at midnight, I wonder how the likes of Taipan and other places like it will fare, especially as a week or so ago there were queues of people waiting to get into "Illuzion" after midnight.

 

So, with bars and nightlife curtailed somewhat, very few restaurants open and very few farangs around the place, my "one night of the week forays" with my friend seem to be getting boring and stereotyped, but at least it's something to get me out of my apartment, so I should be thankful for that.

 

I did a good deed that evening I believe, because an older guy who had seen us (my friend/mate and I) walking down Bangla, popped out of his bar and in a quiet voice, asked if we were "a couple", to which I replied a stern "no", we were just friends from way back, but that didn't stop it from chattering away and he mentioned that he was getting a little worried because he had a house full of dogs, many of which were strays he was taking in and he was becoming overwhelmed by it all, so I said that I had a solution for him, and when he asked what it was, I suggested he send them all to Korea – – – I don't think he appreciated it much!

[DrDave]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

I couldn't get to grips with Taipan because the dance area was extremely small and the place seemed to be built around several drinking areas, including the outside area next to the swimming pool, beyond which were the rooms in which used to be, "The Yorkshire Inn", and not sure that I would like to be in one of the rooms facing the swimming pool area when the disco/music was in full swing......but then what do I know?

 

 

@xylophone Is the pool now shared between the Yorkshire Inn and Taipan?  Several years ago, my wife had a membership at the Yorkshire, which in addition to the gym included use of the pool, sauna and steam room ( which was a bargain for locals). At that time, I believe it was exclusive to the Yorkshire Inn and they still list it as an amenity on their website.

[xylophone]

11 hours ago, DrDave said:

@xylophone Is the pool now shared between the Yorkshire Inn and Taipan?  Several years ago, my wife had a membership at the Yorkshire, which in addition to the gym included use of the pool, sauna and steam room ( which was a bargain for locals). At that time, I believe it was exclusive to the Yorkshire Inn and they still list it as an amenity on their website.

Not sure about that DrDave, but as the pool is now an integral part of Taipan, I would think it unlikely, BUT I can try and find out for you.

[pagallim]

7 hours ago, xylophone said:

Not sure about that DrDave, but as the pool is now an integral part of Taipan, I would think it unlikely, BUT I can try and find out for you.

 

https://taipan-entertainment.com/?fbclid=IwAR2cdUSMbI_S2Z_P9pc5KSNlKR5RI-a-Z1foI_SADDPgeLiMJru_DX5najE

[DrDave]

9 hours ago, xylophone said:

Not sure about that DrDave, but as the pool is now an integral part of Taipan, I would think it unlikely, BUT I can try and find out for you.

Thanks xylophone, no need to check - I was just curious. I've found that the Yorkshire was recently bought by a new owner (possibly same owner as TaiPan?) and it appears the hotel's amenities will be shared with TaiPan. The pool area at the Yorkshire was a beautiful, quiet oasis - just steps off of Soi Sansabai, but well designed and landscaped to provide a peaceful and private setting.

[xylophone]

27 minutes ago, DrDave said:

Thanks xylophone, no need to check - I was just curious. I've found that the Yorkshire was recently bought by a new owner (possibly same owner as TaiPan?) and it appears the hotel's amenities will be shared with TaiPan. The pool area at the Yorkshire was a beautiful, quiet oasis - just steps off of Soi Sansabai, but well designed and landscaped to provide a peaceful and private setting.

Well DD, I very much doubt that it would be a "peaceful and private setting/beautiful quiet oasis" as it is just about in the middle of a nightclub (actually just one side but an integral part of it all the same)!

 

Wouldn't surprise me if the Yorkshire was bought by Taipan's owners, as they had plenty of money to go around because of the previous decades of good times for the club – – but now?