The Changing Of The Guard On Lower Suk ....

[JaiRai]

Sorry about that - was a wee bit over the top in response to Jitagawn and he didn't deserve that. Just one of the things here that I don't accept and pisses me off to no end (seeing kids running around Cowboy and the Nana area late at night when the nightlife is in full swing). There was nothing in his post to suggest he supports that.

 

I'm not a prude and I do support the establishment of nightlife areas for adults. Nor do I look down my nose at patrons of the Nana hotel, just a bit cautious. (And cynical - about pretty much everything in this life).

 

Anyway, sorry for slagging off, was uncalled for. (And yes, did have a couple drinks).

[gobbledonk]

Nana Disco closed a few years back, changed hands and reopened as Nana Liquid but never managed to recapture the glory days. It closed again and recently reopened, rebranded as Nana Disco. Despite the owners' best efforts it continued to struggle. This week it changed hands and has been acquired by the owners of Insomnia, Q Bar and Bash. Will they be able to make it work? Late night bars tend to get a slightly younger crowd and my feeling is that the general seediness of Soi Nana may put that crowd off. It will be interesting to see what the new owners have planned for it.

[JaiRai]

Bash is hilarious. It's a bunch of wannabe posers aspiring to be jet setters but in realty are broke ass teahcers from On Nut trying to score. Same with the girls. Exact same girls I see at Climax/Insominia but they manage to convince themselves they're in some sort of hi-so society. See a lot of folks there going home alone and irritated.

 

Not to mention the fact that they have an elevator when you enter operated by a midget - and this guy gets berated constantly, I'm waiting for him to do something psycho and always work out an exit plan.

 

Was at Levels a few weeks ago and a French guy tried to sell me ya-ba. At first I thought he was joking but he wasn't - 300 baht a hit (pill). "Sabai sabai all night" according to him. Unfortunately I've seen what meth does to people stateside. I'd rather drink wather straight from the Chao Praya before putting that shit in my system. Seediness doesn't put people off as much as you think it goes GD. Yeah, early in the night they all have lofty asperations.

 

4am - there's a mass convergence on climax and the final dance to hook up with a companion for the night. Bash and Q-bar are for people who like to pretend to be cool on Facebook, but in reality are kinda dull amd come the end of the night when it counts... they congregate like a swarm in the lo-so places.

 

GD - if you're planning to stay here long term, do have a bit of advice, take it or leave it (I generally leave it when people give me advice so no hard feelings).

 

It's gonna be crucial for you to strike a balance here between doing something worthwhile and losing yourself in the nightlife. Because if it's just the latter - you could def end up like so many basket cases running the streets every night in the delusion that all Thai women want them and they have some sort of special mojo. The only mojo is they're getting played.

 

Not that I don't think Thai women are beautiful. I do. But it gets old. Think about what you want to do and be when you're here. Thinka bout it, then exectute that muthafucka. And no bullshit excuses about age please.

 

btw - went to the new Nana Liquid or whatever it's called a week ago, was pretty lame. Lasted about one drink at 2am and then had to vaminos.

[gobbledonk]

OK.

 

1. The quote is from Stickman Weekly, hence the italics. I dont nominate my source as several here have a serious problem with Stick and those who simply think his column is irrelevant - most will know exactly where it came from, as I'm pretty predictable - apologies for the misunderstanding.

 

2. I've posted several times that I'll be basing myself on Penang, and the 'Disneyland' aspect of Thailand that you refer to is one of the reasons for that. The other big one, and I believe it will only get worse, is the increasing trend on the part of Thai Immigration to want to question Farang with a visa re their intentions in Thailand. I'm told that the welcome mat is pulled on Bule in Malaysia after 10 years of back-to-back 'welcome back !' stamps, but that's a problem I'll have to deal with when the time comes. No shortage of dire predictions re Malaysia, but my attitude is that its all hot air until you've lived it.

 

I have a thread floating around here somewhere that I started because I have no idea of what the club scene is in other parts of central BKK, but I am aware of the bars Stick mentioned purely by reputation. Easily the worst reputation of any 'name' club in the region has to be Stadium in Jakarta, but again that's all hot air as I have no plans to find out for myself. I'll go back to Jakarta, but only once - happy to go back to Thailand every 3 months and be Joe Tourist for 2 weeks at a time.

[JaiRai]

You would hate the immigration office in Bangkok, even if you never had a problem there. Massive lines, massive wait. Out in the middle of nowhere. I dread that day every three months, not that it's traumatic, just ANNOYING as fuck and you worry some sort of problem will rear it's ugly head.

 

I like the Disneyland juxtaposition, not as far off as one might think (in that the nightlife, like Disneyland, is almost complete bullshit -- but as long as you recognize it as such can enjoy it a little also -- AND a little escape from the everyday tedium that sucks your soul is good every now and then, just don't take it for more than what it is).

 

Walked into Climax a little after 4am one early morning last week and saw someone I've known almost since the first week I arrived last year. She said P'xxxx, why are you a little mao (drunk) every time I see you here? To which I honestly replied - if I wasn't a little mao, I wouldn't come here.

 

Kinda the same with about half of my posts. But, fly back to the drudgery of responsibility in a handful of days and my activity here will diminish. I'm sure I'll be missed tremendously

 

Good luck on the journey, you have more stones than I in where you're setting up shop.

[gobbledonk]

A radical change is coming to the ground floor property in the Nana Hotel previously known as Nana Disco and Nana Liquid which changed hands 2 weeks ago. When I heard the new name was "May Peng", I thought it was going to take on a Chinese theme. I then realised that it was not Chinese at all and would in fact become one of the few foreigner-oriented bars with a Thai name - mai pang - Thai for inexpensive. There will be 99 baht beer, booze buckets and pricing that appeals to those on a budget. A new direction was needed so this seems like a good move.

 

Again, you all know where I got that, but I find it a very interesting strategy given the reports that virtually every bar in the Plaza has been forced to raise prices to pay rents which were raised post-renovation. The rear entrance to the old Nana Disco is almost cheek-by-jowl alongside Golden Bar, another holdout for reasonably priced drinks - interesting times ahead for the Cheap Charlies among us.

[Flashermac]

CC's just have to know which bars have happy hour prices. I was out Friday night at the Doll House. Happy hour 7 - 9 PM is still 85 baht for all drinks. Other bars with happy hour prices too.

[Pom Michael]

Correction - Crazy Hour is until 9:30 at The Doll House!

[Flashermac]

Yup, I know that. DH has one of the longest happy hours. Don't know why I was thinking 9 PM, since I had a couple after that.

[gobbledonk]

Couple of dozen, more like it

 

It's way too long since my last trip to Patts, but I recall sitting at a bar on Beach Road and expressing surprise that keg beers were still cheap at midnight. 'Happy Hour !' replied one of the bar staff - when I questioned how midnight was still 'Happy Hour', her response was simple 'Happy Hour all the time !'. Nice bar, but one of many at the 'wrong end' of Beach Road - hopefully things will turn around for them as the bars are ousted from Walking St, if and when that happens. Stick has been predicting it for at least 3 years by my count.