Loy Kratong at NEP

[BrownFox77]

During an entire month's stay, only went to NEP a total of 3 times, one of which was Loy Kratong. At pretty much every bar I went to the wait staff were wearing those Loy Kratong costumes, the bars had "Loy Kratong" banners and decorations, and there were fireworks off-n-on everywhere it seemed.

 

I recall thinking to myself that they must've hired all these older women, dressed in their Loy Kratong costumes, to work as Dek serves that night - until I finally realized these were the same ladies I normally see, only between the makeup, hair pulled back in a bun, and the costumes they all looked many years older to me. One Dek Serve in Mandarin I've known since she used to work at 'Cowboy kept saying "its me" several times before I realized who she was.

 

I found most places had plenty of girls working (I thought many would take the night off one way or another) and surprisingly not many punters in the bars - several mamasan's made comments at how slow it was [i later learned that 'Cowboy was slow on Loy Kratong too].

 

Unfortunately, at least in the Rainbow bars, they had 1000 baht barfines - because of the Loy Kratong holiday (although I think they'd have done better to have normal barfines that night as I didn't see all that many girls getting barfined).

 

Me, I had barfined a Chiang Mai fox in one of the Rainbow GoGos whom I feared was going to turn out to be one of those mercenary, quick-time artists judging by the speed with which she immediately jumped into the shower upon arrival. However, turns out she was just "hot to trot" as it were and she turned out to be one of those rare gems at NEP.

[Nasiadai]

BrownFox77,

 

again a great report about Loy Kratong at NEP.

 

Many thanks for your interesting, extensive and detailed reports.

We guys who are at home in farlang land working only for the increase of the national product, are always happy to hear a status report about that location where we all want to be. I hand over a rose to you and please take my compliments as a token of thanks.

? and please give us more of these reports and informations soon.

 

You report that NEP and even SC were slow and that there were not many customers but therefore many beautiful girls waiting for us and especially for me; yes, of course! Oh, my heart gets sick thinking of those pretty charming smiling creatures ?

 

Well, in general I think that the high prices make NEP kaputt or broken.

The prices for beverages between 90 to 110 Baht are very high and the barfines are 600 Baht. In my opinion that is daylight robbery. And the girls want 2000, 3000, 4000 Baht for LT. Crazy! And there are many punters who pay these ridiculous prices!

In recent years the Bangkok venues (NEP, Soi Cowboy etc?) have become relatively expensive and commercialized in comparison with Pattaya. Pattaya is still comparatively cheap.

Thank Buddha!

 

I am dreaming and counting the days ?

[BrownFox77]

Nasiadai said:

BrownFox77,

 

I hand over a rose to you and please take my compliments as a token of thanks.

? and please give us more of these reports and informations soon.

 

Well, in general I think that the high prices make NEP kaputt or broken.

The prices for beverages between 90 to 110 Baht are very high and the barfines are 600 Baht. In my opinion that is daylight robbery. And the girls want 2000, 3000, 4000 Baht for LT. Crazy! And there are many punters who pay these ridiculous prices!

 

I am dreaming and counting the days ?

 

Nasiadai,

 

Thanks very much for the Rose, as I have just now sadly returned back to the US and to work, that virtual Rose is all the more appreciated. Plan to post more of what I found while it is all still fresh in my mind.

 

Regrettably the drink prices in NEP are a bit higher than what you've quoted: believe it or not many (most?) places in NEP now charge 125 baht for a beer! There's a few places that are fun to visit in NEP but I had more than enough fun in 'Cowboy, Patpong, and Pattaya and saved baht at the same time (over NEP costs).

 

This was my 1st Loy Kratong in Thailand and several of my regulars wanted to spend Loy Kratong with me, one even wanted to goto Pattaya just for the Loy Kratong night - Loy Kratong seemed important to the girls. However, I opted for another night of drinking and debauchery where I ended the night with a delightful Chaing Mai fox.

[Nasiadai]

Some comments about prices for beverages and barfines in NEP gogo bars.

Why did they go up in the last years?

About three years ago I had the chance to talk to the boss of the Hollywood group (the boss, not the manager or another agent or guy!). Our chat lasted about 45 minutes. I remember it very well, because he spoke excellent English (he is English from London) like it is spoken in Oxford and Cambridge. So I could understand him without any difficulties. It was a nice chat.

I cut it short: He told me that the area around the Landmark hotel belongs to ?Indian people?, as he called them. NEP belongs to that area. He said with a dolorous smile on his face that the lease for the bars is marked-up nearly every year. These landlords seem to be greedy people.

That means that every year a bigger part of the money the bars earn goes to these landlords.

We all think that the bars make big profit. But that is not true, I think. Sometimes they are forced for economical reasons to raise prices; although every business economist would say that a rice of prices would be counterproductive.

The Nana Plaza has been my favourite place in this world for many years! It was my centre of the universe. Many beautiful girls, friendly, smiling, ready for everything. But now I spend more and more time in SC instead. There you can sometimes find unpolished gems and diamonds in some of the smaller and darker bars.

BrownFox77, hope that you write some reports for this board, as long as your memories are fresh!

[Guest]

Not exactly true. He is from Australia, not England. the rents do not go up every year. They are increased every three years and the increases are minimal, generally reflecting cost of living. These increases then trickle down to subtenants and sub-subtenants like me. The owners are not Indians. It is a mixed bag partnership, Thai and Indian, of land investors who own a large number of hotel related properties around Bangkok.

 

The reason the prices are so high is that a couple years ago a couple bar owners got GREEDY and jacked the prices up when business was good. Customers started going to less expensive places elsewhere. Sars, Bali bombing, chicken flu and Social Order campaigns scared away others. So, what did the bar owners do to counteract this drop in customers? Raise prices again! And we complain about Thai logic.

 

My beer is still 70 - 90 Baht at night and my bar fines are still 500 Baht. Happy hour beers start at 30 Baht and all you can drink for 100 Baht for Chang and all the Tiger you can drink for 200 Baht. Tequila shots 25 Baht. House mixed drinks 35 Baht. Free food this Saturday afternoon.......Sorry, had to beat my own drumb a bit.

[jack_schist]

Hey TC, how much longer will your 200BHT tiger deal be running? I much prefer drinking tiger than Heineken. I will drop by in about 3 weeks time to sink a few.

[bibblies]

He was talking about that Australian guy who's appeared on adverts?! Speaking like an Oxford or Cambridge man?! What was he saying and doing to convince you of this, Nasaidai?

 

Dyed-hair tattoed young Aussie with a monocle and top hat: "Yes, I talked with papa and we pronounced it the jape of the season". Something like that? lol.

[shygye]

No. The prices increased dramatically when the Crown group started buying the other gogos. This cartel then increased prices. Of course what owner would admit he wanted to soak his customers.

[BrownFox77]

jack_schist said:

Hey TC, how much longer will your 200BHT tiger deal be running? I much prefer drinking tiger than Heineken. I will drop by in about 3 weeks time to sink a few.

 

Drank those Tigers for the 1st time this trip and must say they were pretty nice - very smooth and no after taste. Sadly not many clubs in Bangkok overall have Tiger - as compared to Pattaya, wish I knew about TC's deal while I was still in country. I could (and did) drink those Tigers all night...

[farangman]

>>Of course what owner would admit he wanted to soak his customers<<

 

Knowing David Walls, I somehow don't think he would be backward in coming forward!! He is the first to admit that he doesn't really care what the customers think and that they can like it or lump it! Of course his bars are not reaching their potential, but he still claims he makes a lot of money.

 

I personally think that Nana is crap and this is largely due to the Crown Group influence and their "McDonalds" type of gogos...no atmosphere or personality in the bars.

 

But DW is at least open and upfront about the fact he is there to make money and he doesn't lose too much sleep over raising his prices or what some customers think. He basically gets most of his customers from those who are less well versed, maybe one time tourists or those that don't know about cartels of bars.

 

Cheers

Farangman