Evolution of Lower Sukhumvit

[StoneSoup]

I just thought I'd toss out a few observations about the continuing evolution of lower Sukhumvit.

 

I live on Soi 8, which had always been a sleepy soi. There has "always" been the Beer Garden (Siamese twin of the Soi 7 Beergarden, but without the freelancers), and when I originally moved in, there was just the "Beverly Hills Club" on the pass-through alley to Soi 6 (by Crown Hotel). This then became the "Alley Cats Club".

 

Then came the "We 4 U" bar - which started out as little more than a hovel.

 

Then came the "First Bar" - which has already gone through a couple of reincarnations.

 

Well, later this month, a new place will open in the spot that was formerly occupied by an Indian Restaurant - the new place will be called Corleone's - enclosed, air-conditoned, bandstand at one end - and rumoured to be planning to cook ribs out back.

 

As Corleone's has been taking shape, and promising to offer live music, the rest of the Soi 8 neighborhood has woken up, and decided that with high season coming, and a sharp new place opening up near the mouth of the Soi, it's time to get competitive.

 

So - Alley Cat's has a new sign up - it is now rechristened "Lolitas." The We 4 U bar has just completed a "molting" exercise, making its second rennovation so far this year. And even the Soi 8 Beergarden has gotten into the competition, completely rearranging their interior.

 

So, Soi 8 now has: Lolitas, First Bar, Coreleones, We 4 U, and the Beergarden, along with a couple of restuarants (Stable Lodge, and the Sizzling Rock place mech deeper into the soi).

 

Others have already discussed the similar activity that has transformed Sleepy Soi 7/1 (home of the Eden Club) into a little bar-hopping street. I understand that the folks who operate New Wave/Blue Wave/ Privilege/Mandarin/

SilverDragon have purchased a three-shopfront space on Soi 7/1, and will be developing that next year.

 

Meanwhile, I stopped in to have a drink at "Suzie" bar, on the little connecting soi between Sois 4 and 6. They have a neat new T-shirt. In talking to the owner, I came to realize that this is probably the only bar I know that is on its fourth life - first Suzie & Crazy Bar as one of the very first bars at Clinton Plaza (back when it and Flowers a Go-Go were the only things out back), then Suzie's at the Soi 10 Plaza, before it got flattened. Then Suzie's at Asoke Plaza, facing the parking area near the former Lolita's - and now Soi 4-6. I was kidding the owner about the arrival of her bar being the "kiss of death" for all her neighbors - she just shrugged - and we then got to talking about the pain of repeatedly outfitting bars, but never getting to sell one - they keep getting demolished. For anyone who likes grit and staying power - "never let the bastards grind you down" - it would be sporting for you to stick your head into Suzie's, and wish them good luck in this - their fourth go at it.

 

It never ceases to amzae me how more and more bars keep opening up - all within a pretty small area. I guess it's about time for someone to start working on Soi 9 (and most people can't even visualize this narrow little soi, next to City Lodge hotel.

 

Be alert. We all know what Bangkok needs more of!!!

StoneSoup

[rovineye]

Alley Cat's has a new sign up - it is now rechristened "Lolitas."

---

 

Lolitas at Asoke/Cowboy will be closed Jan 1. All staff moving to Alley Cats, which is changing its name. Same owner both places.

[bigal]

Know the owner of Alley cat and Lolitas, he told me at one time he owned 11 bars, and has has had a couple of heart attacts, guess the bar bis isn't easy. Everything always changes in Bkk and remains the same..

[short-time]

Bummer about the original Lolita's closing down. I liked to alternate between the two; the thing I don't like about Alley Cats is its location.

 

ST

 

[StoneSoup]

I had a couple of drinks alongside the owner of Lolitas/Alley Cats yeterday - at Hog's Breath,of all places. He had the former manager of the B-52 bars in tow. He sure didn't look like a heart attack victim - looked and spoke very energetic. From his name, presumably an Irish bloke (I couldn't pinpoint his accent). Muscular, tough-looking character, with lots of tattoos.

 

Friday morning, I also ending up talking to the lady who owns the land under eveything between Sukhumvit and Amari Blvd Hotel, and between Sois 5 and 7 - including the land underneath the Beer Garden. I always get a kick out of her - she's a whimsical older lady who looks more like a cleaning lady than a landlord type. She's always making the rounds of all the shops. I tried to pump her about whether there were plans to redevelop her holdings. She mumbled something about having some discussions in that direction, but nothing firm. Then she asked me if I wanted to buy her land (!). I said "No, I'm too poor to buy anything like that - I just want to marry you - because you own it" - which got a big laugh out of her and her companions.

 

SS

[jirve77]

Says StoneSoup:

---

I had a couple of drinks alongside the owner of Lolitas/Alley Cats yeterday - at Hog's Breath,of all places. He had the former manager of the B-52 bars in tow. He sure didn't look like a heart attack victim - looked and spoke very energetic. From his name, presumably an Irish bloke (I couldn't pinpoint his accent). Muscular, tough-looking character, with lots of tattoos.

 

 

Actually I believe he is Australian. And yes he says that he has had heart surgery and told us the cost. J

 

[StoneSoup]

Hmmm, I guess maybe I better go get a heart check-up. I have been "thriving" on stress my entire adult life, it seems.

 

I remember looking at one of those charts once , wherein stressful "life events" were assigned a point value, and a table was provided that told you if you had so-and-so number of points within 12 months, or 24 months, or four years, or whatever - then you had a 50% or 70% or whatever likelihood of having a heart attack within "x" months.

 

I remember standing there - recently fired, then hired by another company, working for a jerk, divorced, relocated across the country, now attending my father's funeral, Thai girlfriend pregnant, took a financial bath in the divorce ('so long, house), etc. - and - well, the number of items that had happened to me within 90 days was off the charts for the longest (five year) table. And a few minutes before reading the article, I'd been standing there thinking - hey, suffering a bit of a run of bad luck lately, but - life's not so bad - I've been through much worse - and I've still got some "dry powder" - now, when's that next vacation flight to Bangkok?????

 

But - I did later learn how to deal with stress - as in the way that I finally left the US for good - sold my house with everything in it - at a loss - sold my eight month old Honda Accord at a miserable loss, but .... hey, I escaped to Bangkok to stay!!!!

 

Be alert. Bangkok needs many, many more lerts!

 

StoneSoup

[jitagawn]

 

I used to live on Soi 8 as well for several years-the corner of the last sub soi on the left- I really enjoyed it during that periodof my life-The lady across the street has the open air eatery duign the day with great food-friendly neighbors and very "Thai" once you are deep into the soi- but the pollution drove me out- I was alwasy getting colds-

HOWEVER he easy proximity to naughtiness was amazing... :: ::

[japio1]

As far as I remember the owner of Alley Cats/ Lolitas etc. is Finnish. He used to fly as a L1011/ Tristar cockpit technician for Orient Thai/ Kampuchea Airlines. This airline sacked all foreigners that were employed at that time( 2-3 years ago) and he decided to invest some money in the area around the parking lot/ Asok Plaza.

 

[StoneSoup]

They say "Success has many fathers, but failure dies a bastard...."

 

Having not seen the Chanot for any land holdings, nor the company registration papers for any holding companies, I suppose I should back off from discussions of "owners" of anything.

 

Cheers!

SS