BKK's nightlife is dead - exagerated?

[short-time]

Don?t think the BKK nightlife scene has bottomed out just yet, I?d say that?ll probably happen sometime after they tear down Cowboy and Nana. The future of Patpong appears to be secure for the time being though.

 

Sadly, I?m very skeptical there will be new go-go bar areas springing up to replace the ones lost. What I do see is an increase in streetwalkers and seedy nightlife for BKK with the open farang sanuk scene pretty much limited to Pattaya.

[gomez]

So valuable why? What's going to go there?

 

I don't know about Nana, but you have to think that the Suk/Asok intersection will change dramatically with both the skytrain and subway stopping there. You have to think that folks with money are looking at cowboy corner. It would be perfect for an MBK or something along those lines.

 

I hope it doesn't happen, because I like Soi Cowboy and live so close to that corner, but I can't imagine it staying the way it is.

[bibblies]

Finsbury Park and Stratford station have always been convenient intersections of the London rail and tube networks for years, yet there have been relatively few takers. No one wants to live, work or shop there because those places are boring dumps!

 

Asoke corner's always been busy yet how long has that huge office block on the even side corner remained empty?! Just because somewhere's a travel intersection doesn't mean everyone flocks there to live, work or shop. A few stops on the skytrain/subway is a few minutes difference yet gets you to a place where you might rather do any of those.

 

Alike businesses tend to seek each other out. Another MBK would seek to locate itself near to MBK (we see that already in the vicinity!) New ornament sellers set up in Chatuchak. London tailors set up in Saville Row. New girlie bars set up next to others and that's what Sukhumvit 1-33 is for. Witness the explosion in the number of bars (even allowing for the demolition of Clinton and Soi 10) in this area over the past 10 years.

[Guest]

Tales of the inevitability of Cowboy, Asoke Plaza, and Nana being torn down soon have been bandied about for years and years. Ad so what if they are? New venues will spring up elsewhere.

[gomez]

New girlie bars set up next to others and that's what Sukhumvit 1-33 is for.

 

You might be right. I haven't seen the city plan.

 

I don't know what ownership issues are at play at Asok corner, and maybe another MBK was a bad example. Better that than a Tesco-Lotus, turning Cowboy into a parking lot.

 

I agree with BK that no matter what happens bars will find a new home. Which brings us back to the issue of whether or not the government will permit it to continue and in what form.

[Guest]

Witness the explosion in the number of bars (even allowing for the demolition of Clinton and Soi 10) in this area over the past 10 years.

You raise an excellent point. If you look at the trend over the last several years, it is more bars and more nightlife options in the lower Sukhumvit - not less.

 

I came here in 1994, and at that time Thailand was in an economic boom. Most of the Thai businesspeople and many of the foreignors I knew thought it would never end.

 

About a year so after I arrived, some of my male Thai co-workers took me out for drinks, and I recall them telling me that the Farang go go bars were "history". Thailand was going places, and it wasn't taking the go go bars with it. I didn't argue, but just bit my tongue and listened, pretending I really didn't know much about "those places". Incidentally, this conversation took place in the lounge of a very upscale massage parlour that catered exclusively to Asian men. I don't think it was an accident that this lecture was delivered in precisely that place.

 

As they went upstairs with their new found companions, I made it less awkward for everyone by feigning fatigue and saying that I needed to make it an early night. After leaving the parlour, I caught the first cab I could find to NEP.

 

The Thai economy abruptly crashed in July of 1997, losing over a years GDP. (It was certainly abrupt for me; I didn't expect it.) I heard alot of nonsense about how the crash was engineered by George Soros and other foreignors, but I didn't hear much more about how the go go bars were history. Lately, however, I am starting to hear that same story line again. I wonder what will really happen?

 

I am not going to make any predictions since I have a lousy track record. If you had asked me in early 1997: "Is the Thai economy about to experience a horrific economic crisis?", I would confidentally have said "no." Now I don't say anything with confidence about Thailand's future.

[Guest]

I should have saved it, but recent article said Thailand is striving towards a 100% increase (double) in tourists, by 2008, and are working very actively towards that goal, in terms of acccceptance in the world community:

 

New airport online.

 

Recent seemingly arbitrary crackdowns on 'Visable' prostitution.

 

Recent desire of alignment of 'falang entertainment venue designations'.

 

Recent area's 'touched', and other's semingly 'immune'.

------------------

 

Change is coming, without a doubt. 4 years from now, things will be very diferent from what they are now. Mark my words, by 2008, farang sanuk will be directed to very specific area's, out of the limelight of BKK, as it is now known. Thailand is coming to a point of cleaning up their act, in terms of acceptance.

 

Their reputation as 'whorehouse to the world", is something that they will not tolerate much longer, in trying to become a 'world player'. The writing is on the wall. Just my opinion, but I'll bet money on this.

 

HT

[Zorro]

It seems like Nana and Cowboy are in dire straits but can we really blame the Thais for wanting to clean up their tawdry international image as the sex capital of the world

It would be interesting to see how many posters here would frequent areas like Nana and Soi Cowboy if these existed in their own countries.

It is very convenient if you are a tourist or an expat to go to these places in another country where noone knows you or cares what you do.

But would you be so carefree about strolling around the main part of town with a hooker in tow if your boss or work colleagues or perhaps mother in law might see you?

It is really amazing that these sort of places have lasted so long considering the negative image they portraty to the rest of the world.

A more discrete freelancer scene would probably be acceptable to the powers that be but the in your face sex scene that has pervaded for the past decade or two is now seriously under threat.

[jxxxl]

"but I'll bet money on this. "

 

If I was as sure as you are about tourists doubling in the next four years, I would open a resort. How much did you plan on betting and in what capacity?

[Straycat]

Change is coming, without a doubt. 4 years from now, things will be very diferent from what they are now. Mark my words, by 2008, farang sanuk will be directed to very specific area's, out of the limelight of BKK, as it is now known. Thailand is coming to a point of cleaning up their act, in terms of acceptance.

 

Their reputation as 'whorehouse to the world", is something that they will not tolerate much longer, in trying to become a 'world player'. The writing is on the wall. Just my opinion, but I'll bet money on this.

 

HT

 

In four years? Forget it. There is simply not an economic structure in place for such a thing. We'll wait out the years and then we'll see....