What’s going off out there?

[radioman 264]

Isn't the bottom half of soi 11 the new 33

 

[The_Munchmaster 195]

10 hours ago, checkbin said:

Goya Bar was still open in August, but struggling.  

Yes, heard from someone else that it's still open. Must be difficult though without other bars around to attract customers.

[YimSiam 181]

Of all the big artistes, it's the Goya name has the staying power?  Wouldn't have guessed. 

Maybe did a soi 33 bar two or three times, just to see what the MO was.  Didn't do it for me.  But did plenty of nights at the hotel there on the street, I think it was - maybe still is - a Novotel, but maybe was under another name as well.  Was a hotel where I first got my taste of the suite life, and never looked back, have been a suite man ever since.  If that's all soi 33 ever gave me, it's still enough.

[Coss 872]

Aaah Christies, that's the one, fond memories and looking at the googled map, there were about 30 others, I never visited

[checkbin 30]

5 hours ago, YimSiam said:

did plenty of nights at the hotel there on the street, I think it was - maybe still is - a Novotel, but maybe was under another name as well.  Was a hotel where I first got my taste of the suite life, and never looked back, have been a suite man ever since.  If that's all soi 33 ever gave me, it's still enough.

Still there and now called the Lotus.  Stayed there many times: great service.  Once left an external back-up drive with about 4 years work on it but the maid kept it for me (and I had great difficulty getting her to accept a decent tip on my next stay).

[checkbin 30]

First went to 33 (Renoir) in 1988.

33's problems began with the financial crash of 2007-2008: many expat regulars repatriated, leaving a slim customer base for the expanded number of bars.  Add in greedy landlords hiking up rents.  No marketing strategy to attract new punters and, especially,  short-term visitors to LOS.  Reputation for high prices - bar-fines were north of THB 1,500, though Happy Hour drinks in many 33 bars were cheaper than in Nana or Cowboy.   

And a less obvious reason: some of the older bars, all technically loss-making,  had washing machines in the back room connected to football gambling outfits.  Once a lot of that  cash-flow  went on-line, no call/input for the washing machines.

 

   

[Shibuya 9]

I just do not know what’s going off out there.