Guest Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 ...at least in terms of showing and closing times, two of the major complaints about Bangkok's nightlife in recent times. Over the last month and half, I spent time in Koh Samui, Pattaya and Phuket. Briefly, and without mentioning specific bars, this is what I saw. Koh Samui The standard closing time is 2 am compared to 1 am in Bangkok. No showing (but that is now essentially true of Bangkok), but easy to find venues that stay open well past 2 am. Indeed, as you leave Soi Mango in the evening there are girls handing out flyers - in English - with maps showing where the after hour places are. These places are very easy to find and you can walk to them in, say, one minute. Pattaya Even more relaxed than it was in November. If you want shows and showing, this is the place to visit. I am not a ping pong show fan myself, but I do enjoy the more erotic shows you see at places such as AngelWitch. In Pattaya, some bars are now adopting the AngelWitch format, but with the advantage of more relaxed standards. I read somewhere that AngelWitch may open a bar down here, which makes sense since they are probably the most creative bar owners in Thailand, and the more relaxed standards in Pattaya will give them more room to display their talents. Phuket: The discos and most beer bars stay open until at least 3:30 am. As if proof was needed that a good nightlife needs venues that can stay open late, some of these places only start getting packed after 2 am. And there are other places that stay open even later. Very high sanook factor here. Is Q Bar about to open here? If you look to the left of the main entrance of Q Bar, you will see a company sign - in Thai - for the company HQ of some company called Phuket Q Bar (or something like that). Makes sense for Q Bar to set up operations in Phuket given the current sorry state in Bangkok. Bangkok: There are signs and reports (Stickman) that it is getting more relaxed, and I have seen some evidence of that, but it is still early days. In the area of showing, for example, the bar owners have finally become more imaginative in attire. None of the main, more upscale venues can stay open past 2 am like they can in Phuket (and, to a lesser extent, in Pattaya and Koh Samui), but more evidence of not-so-underground afterhour places. I know there are worries that the MiB look to this site for hints on where to raid, but the fact is that there are posters - in Thai - in NEP advertising an afterhour venue. If they can read Thai, they won't have any problems finding the place. Still, Bangkok remains much more uptight than Koh Samui, Phuket or Pattaya. Not sure why? But then I have never quite understood how the new social order policies were supposed to acheive their stated policy objectives - they certainly haven't in practice. All they have done is pushed everything out onto the streets of lower Sukhumvit where things are even harder to control. Perhaps the reality will begin to sink in that these new rules are acheiving little while creating new problems. One can only hope...or spend more time in Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 Out of all those you list, I;d rate on the fun and ease of fun 1 Phuket 2 Patayya 3 Hua Hin (Ok - you didn't list it but I like it) 4 Bangkok - can;t comment on Ko Samui. In bangkok for fun I'd rate 1 Cowboy 2 Saphn Kuay 3 Nana 4 anywhere else LAST Patpong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straycat Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 If the main factors for fun in BKK is a) closing times and shows, Patpong will win hands down. It also has that certain X-factor of "what-ever-can-happen" -- which I think Cowboy most often does not have. However when it comes to "ease of fun", you're prolly right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 Out of all those you list, I;d rate on the fun and ease of fun 1 Phuket 2 Patayya 3 Hua Hin (Ok - you didn't list it but I like it) 4 Bangkok - can;t comment on Ko Samui. Uh Oh....We are in agreement again. Actually I haven't been to Hua Hin in such a long time that I couldn't rate it. I would therefore put Koh Samui in number 3 position. But, like you, I would put Bangkok in position number 4. It's shame that Bangkok comes in last. Everyone has different tastes; I like nice big city venues: places like Club Mystique, Q Bar, the old MOS and some of the places on Soi Thonglor. But those type of places work best if they can stay open late, and they can't. It's ironic that the very places that could add a little polish to Bangkok's nightlife are the places that suffer most from the new social order policies. Speaking of polish, I had a large group of friends in from the US, and they all agreed one thing: NEP needs a bath. A good scrubbing down. A good nightlife goes beyond bars and girls; that is why some places can charge a premium on both. I personally would like to see NEP cleaned up (literally) and go a bit upscale; not another Soi 33 style, but go go bars without the filth and rats in the stairwells. Maybe if they gave the place a good cleaning and spruced it up a bit the authorities would be more forgiving - or maybe I am just dreaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 Nervous_Dog said: 3 Hua Hin (Ok - you didn't list it but I like it) ------ i can agree with you, after 2.00 a.m., the bar live going on behind the closed rolling shuts. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangman Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 Have to agree with you in that Patpong is by far my favourite area. Just the diversity of the place makes it my number 1. It gets a lot of unnecessary bad press from people who go there maybe once or twice every 2 years and don't know the fun places to hang out. Cowboy would come in number 2 as it can be a fun place at times, followed by (non P4P areas) Ratchada soi 4 and Thonglor. Nana Plaza wouldn't even make my list - I simply detest the place. Cheers farangman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 It's true I rarely go there, and don't like it when I do. Ive had friends ty to show me how much fun it is, I dont buy it, but then, they dont buy it when they come to cowboy! I guess each to their own, but I am surprised that Patpong is open late and showing more than Cowboy and other places. DOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 It's getting to the point that Patpong feels like a continuous happy hour compared to Nana/Cowboy. A 100 baht note comfortably handles your drink AND tip plus you have the option of going to actual happy hours or finding 50 baht drink specials. The other districts you feel cheap having to scrape 15 baht coins back off the tray for your often 125 baht drink; not my idea of fun. At patpong you don't have to know any secret handshakes or have luck because there is showing going on all night, every night at well known bars. The variety of things to do is a major plus; NEP is getting so one dimensional with even woodstock folding to become another cookie cutter gogo. In patpong, gogos ran until 2am the last time I was there with other places staying open even later. All of that contributes to make it a winner to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith doug Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 hiya .. there are 2 places in bangkok ( i better not name them ) that actually open till 5 am!! and i have been to them so can confirm its true .,... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 Umm, there are lots of "places" open late so I don't know what you are getting at; maybe you mean farang oriented places? I was at a Thai oriented place last night in Bangkok that stays open till 8:30am. I was actually having a great time when sometime after 5am the 3 patpong BG's I was with wanted to call it a night. One of those karaoke rooms with no windows where you have a bunch of tables of Thai's singing, eating, dancing the night away. I love those places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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