Patong - The Wake

[xylophone]

16 hours ago, London Lowf said:

95% of the current crop are not remotely tempting.

So you didn't come here for the beaches and the temples then LLF!!????

[London Lowf]

Beaches, yes. Weather, yes. Food, okay a couple of times a week. Temples, no- I'm neither Buddhist nor a culture vulture.

 

Girls, yes - if I'm honest it's the icing on the cake for me, but it entails many hours of online research and false starts. However, I found my first ever "10" back in November but mysterious problems at home and today she skedaddled back to Roi Et for the third time in three weeks. Damn!

Edited January 18, 2022 by London Lowf

[London Lowf]

This is getting ridiculous - Bangla must be the only place on Phuket where you can not openly get a drink after 9pm!!!!!!

 

It's common knowledge (I believe) that from Monday 24th the hours will be extended to 11pm and you would expect, in true Thai style, an anticipation of this relaxation. Oh no! Not on Bangla. The usual 9pm armada of traffic cops with nothing better to do put paid to that.

 

I rode back to Kamala and quite a few bars were still open, and not disguising the fact. I had a couple in my "local" and left at 10:30pm and they still hadn't pulled the blinds down.

 

Kamala - the new Patong!

 

[zzzzz]

8 hours ago, London Lowf said:

This is getting ridiculous - Bangla must be the only place on Phuket where you can not openly get a drink after 9pm!!!!!!

 

Kamala - the new Patong!

 

you will never ever see a go go in Kamala

[xylophone]

10 hours ago, London Lowf said:

This is getting ridiculous - Bangla must be the only place on Phuket where you can not openly get a drink after 9pm!!!!!!

 

It's common knowledge (I believe) that from Monday 24th the hours will be extended to 11pm and you would expect, in true Thai style, an anticipation of this relaxation. Oh no! Not on Bangla. The usual 9pm armada of traffic cops with nothing better to do put paid to that.

 

I rode back to Kamala and quite a few bars were still open, and not disguising the fact. I had a couple in my "local" and left at 10:30pm and they still hadn't pulled the blinds down.

 

Kamala - the new Patong!

 

Well old chap, you should know by now that things here don't always operate the way one thinks they should, or should I say with any semblance of normality or rationality.

 

Your post puts me in mind of a line in a song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range – – "That's just the way it is........... ".

 

I have long learnt to live with this, even though I still occasionally grumble about things which would seem to be easily fixed/remedied, but aren't – – that's just the way it is!

[London Lowf]

It's odd, but these types of bureaucratic failings back home in the UK really grind my gears because they really should know better there.

 

Here, I just consider that the country is run by children, particularly at a local level, and I find that helps me to accept it and not get too wound up! I find that a few beers also helps........

[London Lowf]

Apart from the relaxation of alcohol sales to 11pm, live music is also back.

 

Good news for Xylophone!

[schlog]

Heard Jungcylon will open 5th next month. Would be a good step back to old normal.Someone can confirm that rumor?

[xylophone]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:58 PM, London Lowf said:

Apart from the relaxation of alcohol sales to 11pm, live music is also back.

 

Good news for Xylophone!

What is also good news for me LLF is the fact that last night I went out and Bangla was buzzing, but the really fantastic news was an absolutely amazing new bar/venue which has opened up right on the beach.

 

It is HUGE, has a wonderful bar area, lots of seating and it faces out to the sea, in fact late last night the sea was only about 10 m away from where I was sitting, and being able to sit there in the peace and quiet listening to the waves breaking over the sand was pure magic.

 

It has a fully staffed large kitchen, a new menu and the place is just fantastic, and exactly what I've been longing for here, away from the earsplitting noise in most of the other small bars in Bangla – – it is heaven for those who want a bit of background music, great atmosphere, good food and a well-stocked bar, but you won't find any bar girls pestering you for a drink, and it is well run by a Thai lady and her Farang partner, both of whom I've known for a while, and they are determined to make it work; and why wouldn't it, because not only is it extremely well laid out/designed, it's the only one of its kind I have seen here – – and a talented chef heads up the kitchen.

 

Can't stop waxing lyrical about this venue, and if you want to know where it is, then head towards the bottom of Bangla where the beach is and cross over the road, then walk to the right about 50 m and on the left, almost opposite Savoey restaurant, there is an alleyway which leads to the beach, and you can't miss it because on the corner of that alleyway there is a massage shop which appears to be totally staffed by lady boys?

 

Venture down that alleyway and you are in heaven. It will be called Blue Beach when the sign work is done and the new owner is the same lady who owned Blue Lotus and the Black Horse, and has spent a small fortune on getting it "just right", and I believe she has succeeded in that. 

 

I intend to go and eat there and to sample the menu, although from what I could see from a party of about 26 people who were dining there, it seems pretty varied.

 

Anyway, back to Bangla, it was fairly crowded last night and almost seemed to be getting back to its best, but I do believe that is a long way off yet, however the music bars were pretty crowded and a few of the other bars were also the same, and although closing time was supposedly 11 PM, when I was wandering home up Bangla at about 11:15 PM, many bars were still "open" (I say that because some had half closed shutters and others had the lights off, but they were still entertaining punters) and the police were just starting their closing-down-the–bars routine although Bar Funk was still pretty full and had people queueing up to get in, so maybe the owners have "special treatment" and we all know what that entails.

 

I was envisaging going to the bar I have mentioned above with a friend and his girlfriend, before then heading up to Bangla and perhaps visiting Red Hot, however the ambience and beauty of the bar and its location made me want to stay, so I did, even after they shuffled off to noisy bars in Bangla.

 

Fabulous.
 

[KarenBravo]

Slightly off-topic, but related.

This thread shows the ups and downs of Patong in general and Soi Bangla specifically. This is a good indicator of the rough state of tourism in Phuket.

 

I have been looking at another "indicator" and it doesn't paint as rosy a picture as Patong.

Looking at all the peripheral businesses that have closed. The premises now have for rent signs on them. These closed businesses vary from 711s to small fabrication workshops. Clothe shops to car washes and restaurants.

These businesses are almost exclusively run by Thais and more of them are closing every month. Another high season failure with another long low season ahead. It's hard to see these businesses ever re-opening. Very sad.

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, schlog said:

Heard Jungcylon will open 5th next month. Would be a good step back to old normal.Someone can confirm that rumor?

I can't confirm that Schlog, but I heard the same rumour from someone who used to work for Wine Connection, and they said that along with Jungceylon opening, Wine Connection would also be back, which would be nice.

[London Lowf]

6 hours ago, schlog said:

Heard Jungcylon will open 5th next month. Would be a good step back to old normal.Someone can confirm that rumor?

....and then someone will test positive and they'll close it for three days!

 

Thursday night the entire food soi off Bangla was closed - I assume for that reason . No problem, I got my late-night grub just around the corner in RuT but what is the point of these silly closures - and why doesn't it apply to Big C's and Sevens?

 

But a little more seriously - I really don't understand why JungCeylon would open just as the season is winding down? I've been in Big C a few times lately and it's always dead.

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by London Lowf

[sallecc]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

I can't confirm that Schlog, but I heard the same rumour from someone who used to work for Wine Connection, and they said that along with Jungceylon opening, Wine Connection would also be back, which would be nice.

Miss JC, hope it will really open again.

[London Lowf]

I'm writing this from the Blue Beach and, apart from myself, there is one local/SEA couple having a meal. The ladyboys at the end of the alley were very disappointed as they thought I was a customer for them!

 

As Xylophone said,  this place has had a lot of money spent on it - the furniture is mainly solid wood, the decking is all brand new, the kitchen is large, modern and well equipped and the place is huge and in a fantastic location on the beach.

 

But, the season is over and, although Xylophone is always positive regarding these new ventures, I just do not understand the business plan. How is anyone apart from Black Horse/Blue Lotus customers and readers on here even going to know this place exists?

 

Looking around, this place is going to rot during the wet season and needs lot of maintenance - I wish them luck, bit I'm glad it's not my money.

 

One more and then I'm wandering over the road to Bangla...

[London Lowf]

..and the one more was a warm beer in a cold bottle - not been in the very expensive stainless steel fridge long enough. Doh!

[HighPriority]

9 hours ago, London Lowf said:

..and the one more was a warm beer in a cold bottle - not been in the very expensive stainless steel fridge long enough. Doh!

????????

[schlog]

10 hours ago, London Lowf said:

I'm writing this from the Blue Beach and, apart from myself, there is one local/SEA couple having a meal. The ladyboys at the end of the alley were very disappointed as they thought I was a customer for them!

 

As Xylophone said,  this place has had a lot of money spent on it - the furniture is mainly solid wood, the decking is all brand new, the kitchen is large, modern and well equipped and the place is huge and in a fantastic location on the beach.

 

But, the season is over and, although Xylophone is always positive regarding these new ventures, I just do not understand the business plan. How is anyone apart from Black Horse/Blue Lotus customers and readers on here even going to know this place exists?

 

Looking around, this place is going to rot during the wet season and needs lot of maintenance - I wish them luck, bit I'm glad it's not my money.

 

One more and then I'm wandering over the road to Bangla...

Had a look on my morning run. They invest serious money. Wish them luck which they will need.

 

At the same location was mid 90' the famous Bavarian Beergarden. Best beer with good food. Best beergarden in these days. But they failed. In high season it was booming and the place was too small. In low season death. For expat and thai guests this location is difficult...'too' far from bangla and no direct car parking.

 

Anyway will give them a try and check out the food.

[Patong2]

Just about to head up to Cherngtalay for dinner last night and read Xylophone's post so thought that we would see if we got parking on Beach Rd and if we did, we would try Blue Beach for dinner. Arrived at about 5pm or so.

Got the only free park on the beach side of Beach Rd and had a pleasant stroll  down there.

S's meal was an excellent Pad See Yew with squid. Lots of veges and the squid cooked just right so it stayed tender. She was delighted. Mine was fine and the service was very friendly. Music was very low, just how we like it.

The view of the sunset, the beach at your feet almost and the friendly staff makes this a very pleasant experience. But there is not enough customers as yet. How to get them?

What would you do? Printed flyers to the beach chair customers with a 1 for 1 free drink with a meal or starter between 4 and 6pm? Coffee and a dessert for B149? They need to be creative, they have all the ingredients for success but need more customers.

A very pleasant experience and the casual stroll back to the car past the Jazzercise girls was enjoyable.

[xylophone]

12 hours ago, London Lowf said:

How is anyone apart from Black Horse/Blue Lotus customers and readers on here even going to know this place exists?

I look at it from slightly different angle LLF, inasmuch as if some of the bars on Bangla can be full of punters crammed into small spaces, and no "girls for hire", then this place has to be a starter for some of these? Especially as just about every Bangla bar offers the same "business plan" – – crowd them in, blast their eardrums and ask for drinks.

 

This is something different, something classy and is peaceful and relaxing.

 

12 hours ago, London Lowf said:

Looking around, this place is going to rot during the wet season

I think the owners have thought this through, because the fabulous looking wood they have used throughout the bars and tables came from a Thai hardwood tree which was felled some years ago and has just been repurposed for the bar. Not only that the "wooden" decking is in fact a type of compound plastic, supported by stainless steel framework.

 

Hopefully they have got it right, but then again, there is always the opportunity to put a large sail–type cover over the open area, and this will provide shade and won't interfere with the view of the beach and the sea.

 

1 hour ago, Patong2 said:

But there is not enough customers as yet. How to get them?

What would you do? Printed flyers to the beach chair customers with a 1 for 1 free drink with a meal or starter between 4 and 6pm? Coffee and a dessert for B149? They need to be creative, they have all the ingredients for success but need more customers.

Well you have gotten right to the crux of the matter Patong2 and this is the challenge which faces just about any new "set-up" – – getting and keeping customers!

 

You mentioned the beach chair customers and to all intents and purposes this place has a potential customer base right on its doorstep, so that should be a start, and the coffee and dessert offer would go down very well, I believe, with these customers, and not only that would also encourage them to visit for dinner once they had seen what the place has to offer.

 

Other ideas could be; publishing the menu in the Phuket News and on Facebook (the area pertaining to Phuket); printing A5 size flyers which would be handed out on Bangla and surrounds by a small group of "pretties" and which would entice customers by an offer of some sort; organising a wine tasting which would be well publicised and at the same time offering these tasters the chance to purchase a meal with a discount or complimentary drink (for example).

 

When Jungceylon opens up again (hopefully) there are bound to be the usual property-selling stalls in the place, so give some flyers to the girls in these places to give out to people who enquire after property, as a gesture to show them a good place to relax and eat whilst they are thinking about their purchase.

 

I remember when the restaurant, "Higher" opened up and if you didn't know it was there, you'd have never visited it, because it wasn't visible and wasn't that highly publicised, but word of mouth and got round because it served very good food, and it did have a couple of girls who would stand outside with a flyer, suggesting to passers-by that it would be a good place to eat, and of course it was. And it would still have been there if it hadn't burnt down!!!!! 

 

I spoke about flyers, and there are many guesthouses and small hotels here who don't actually cater for their customers, food wise, so making sure that these places are stocked with flyers advertising the delights of Blue Beach is another avenue.......... and so on

[xylophone]

By now the followers of "Patong – The Wake" will be aware that I think this new place on the beach, the Blue Beach, is just fabulous, and I went down today, mid afternoon, to catch up with the owners, and although I'm not a daytime drinker, I did sample a lovely red wine whilst sitting talking to these friends and looking out across the beach to the sea, at the same time being cooled by light and lovely breeze.

 

Reminded me of a song by the Little River Band, called, "Cool Change" and I could see this being part of my regular routine during the daytime, especially as boredom is setting in, and just sitting and watching the world go by, along with the sea the sand and the people was therapeutic.

 

 

[DrDave]

15 hours ago, Patong2 said:

The view of the sunset, the beach at your feet almost and the friendly staff makes this a very pleasant experience. But there is not enough customers as yet. How to get them?

 

Perhaps a simple signboard listing food/drink promotions placed on the beach in front of the restaurant would draw in some tourists. Posts placed on Facebook in one or more groups like "Phuket Buy/Sell", etc would reach the expat community. Other area restaurants have been doing this. Both of these would be zero-to-low cost, and wouldn't create a trash issue potentially caused by handbills.

[Patong2]

What about sending a staff member down with a discount voucher for a drink or what have you to all those poor souls waiting at immigration?

Especially just before lunch when the hour break is announced. Most need to hang around till reopening and would probably appreciate a nice calm venue with good food before going back down to the queue.

And that is one of their target markets too.

[sallecc]

2 hours ago, Patong2 said:

What about sending a staff member down with a discount voucher for a drink or what have you to all those poor souls waiting at immigration?

Especially just before lunch when the hour break is announced. Most need to hang around till reopening and would probably appreciate a nice calm venue with good food before going back down to the queue.

And that is one of their target markets too.

Good idea, but unfortunately Patong IO is deserted since they stopped issuing extensions there (now exclusively in Phuket Town IO). Last couple of times I was there for 90 days report, it was mostly empty with 1-2 foreigners inside.

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, sallecc said:

Good idea, but unfortunately Patong IO is deserted since they stopped issuing extensions there (now exclusively in Phuket Town IO). Last couple of times I was there for 90 days report, it was mostly empty with 1-2 foreigners inside.

Great place for 90 day report for me is Bluetree in Cherng Talay, never busy and good parking.

[xylophone]

59 minutes ago, sallecc said:

Good idea, but unfortunately Patong IO is deserted since they stopped issuing extensions there (now exclusively in Phuket Town IO). Last couple of times I was there for 90 days report, it was mostly empty with 1-2 foreigners inside.

Oh, didn't know that, mainly because I was there exactly 2 weeks ago to do my 90 day report and the queue was from the front entrance, round the side and past the Motorbike Parking almost to the beach??

 

I did ask and they were queueing for extensions, and I think I was only one of two guys getting my 90 day report in amongst the mass!!

[LivinginKata]

3 hours ago, xylophone said:

Oh, didn't know that, mainly because I was there exactly 2 weeks ago to do my 90 day report and the queue was from the front entrance, round the side and past the Motorbike Parking almost to the beach??

 

I did ask and they were queueing for extensions, and I think I was only one of two guys getting my 90 day report in amongst the mass!!

 the 90 day online was working to me a couple of week ago

[xylophone]

This post is not about Patong per se, but it is related – – – and the connection is to do with the Wine Connection in Jungceylon, which is rumoured to be opening soon (hopefully).

 

I was in Central Phuket 3 days ago and the Wine Connection there was advertising a new menu on the electronic signboard outside of the restaurant, and the new menu looked fantastic, and included escargot cooked in their shells with garlic butter, a white bean stew with pork from south-west France and many other new dishes, and at very reasonable prices, and the restaurant was the busiest I have seen it for a long time, so if Wine Connection opens up in Patong, I will be scooting along to try the new dishes as soon as I am able/allowed!

[grumpyoldman]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

This post is not about Patong per se, but it is related – – – and the connection is to do with the Wine Connection in Jungceylon, which is rumoured to be opening soon (hopefully).

 

I was in Central Phuket 3 days ago and the Wine Connection there was advertising a new menu on the electronic signboard outside of the restaurant, and the new menu looked fantastic, and included escargot cooked in their shells with garlic butter, a white bean stew with pork from south-west France and many other new dishes, and at very reasonable prices, and the restaurant was the busiest I have seen it for a long time, so if Wine Connection opens up in Patong, I will be scooting along to try the new dishes as soon as I am able/allowed!

How about the one on the beach road, or has that whole plaza been shuttered?

[schlog]

9 hours ago, grumpyoldman said:

How about the one on the beach road, or has that whole plaza been shuttered?

Long gone.

[London Lowf]

On 11/11/2021 at 3:31 PM, xylophone said:

More shops are opening up, and as regards eateries, the same goes, and one particular brand-new eatery (opened today) seems to be very lively indeed.

 

It's in the area that used to house either a Family Mart or a 7-Eleven......can't remember which one as there was one of each either side of Soi Banzaan where it meets Nanai Road, and if first impressions are anything to go by, it looks like it will be a huge success.

 

It is called, "Ned's bar and restaurant" and has a pretty extensive menu of Thai food with the occasional farang burger/steak meal on the menu, and none of it seems expensive.

 

I spied a couple of girls I know who were eating there and they beckoned me in, so I popped in to have a look around really, and it does have a bar set up although the restaurant occupies the majority of the space, so it will be interesting to see how it progresses.

 

The girls were busily tucking into their bowl of brown slop with chili and glass noodles and it and it looked appetising enough to be able to feed it to a dog or to tip it down the drain, but it seems that the girls

A bit of an old post from Xylo, but I had reason to be in that area earlier this evening on one of my increasingly foolish errands.

 

These days, trying to find a decent pad Thai (sorry - I don't do real Thai food) in Patong after 11pm is a bit of a challenge - particularly as the food soi on Bangla has been shuttered for over a week now.

 

Anyway, I ended up here after the bars closed and a chicken pad Thai and San Miguel for B149 is pretty impressive - I didn't think the food was great, but 80% of the punters were Thai females, many of them in silk pajamas (!!!), so what do I know? According to the wall posters, they are open 24/7, so I think I might become a regular customer.

 

PS: It was the Family Mart - the Seven was on the opposite corner.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by London Lowf