Post Coup Nightlife Report

[Gadfly]

This is touched on elsewhere, but I thought it deserved a thread of its own since this will presumably be of interest to anyone not in Thailand and planning a trip in the near term. The short version: not much seems to have changed.

 

My plan was to make this an all nighter, but like many plans in Thailand, it went askew for unexpected reasons. More about that later.

 

Soi 33 is always good place to start. It seemed quiet, although Monet had a group of Japanese guys partying strong early in the evening and running up what appeared to be a pretty big tab. I also noticed that a number of bars in Soi 33 have either moved, closed or consolidated with other bars. None of this has anything to do with the coup, but I got the sense that Soi 33 is changing into more of Japanese bar zone with fewer Farang oriented bars. Not sure if others share this opinion.

 

I went into three bars in Soi Cowboy, and didn't notice any changes. The bars that typically show were showing. The crowds might have been a bit lighter, but this is low season (September) and what I saw might simply reflect the fact that it is low season.

 

Nana also seemed to be the same. No showing (at least in the four bars I visited), but this is not a change from before the coup. Again, the crowds seemed a bit, but not dramatically, lighter. The BGs I know here were complaining about Farangs skipping Thailand because of the recent events, but a BG that hasn't yet been bar fined always complains that there aren't enough customers. Purely out of charity :smirk: I took one with me to Q Bar.

 

Q Bar was packed, but by this time it is later in the evening. If Q Bar is desparate for customers, it isn't reflected in the pricing. No special DJ last night, and the cover was 700 Baht. I recall it being 600 Baht, but I haven't been there on a Saturday for awhile.

 

The biggest change seemed to be in a Thai venue; to be precise, escudo on Thonglor. The girl I was with got a call from one for her friends who wanted to go there. She would meet us there (she was either paying her own bar fine or had already been bar fined and didn't want to go back to work). On the way from Q Bar to escudo my friend explained that her girlfriend just had a big fight with her Thai boyfriend and wanted to get drunk. She'd buy her own drinks.

 

Thonglor was packed; it was like one big parking lot. I could hear escudo blocks away. Again, it has been ages since I have been to this place on a Saturday, but I don't recall the music being that loud.

 

Her friend was already in front waiting for us. escudo was packed and they were willing to let the girls in, but there was question about me, the older Farang guy. Perhaps my imagination or fatigue, but it didn't seem Farang friendly or at least not Gadfly friendly. In any event, athough I intended to make this a late party night, I was now tired (it was well after midnight) and ready to call it a night, which I did.

 

I returned to my second place with the girl I took to Q Bar. When she was getting ready to leave and I was getting ready to go home, she got a call from her friend we had left at escudo. It was now well after 2 am, and she wanted to know if wanted to go to some disco. If I had more energy, I would have, but I didn't, so I went home.

[Encore]

"I returned to my second place"

 

is that the apartment you keep exclusively for ST engagements?

[MaiLuk]

Closing times closing times closing times. When are they going to stop abiding by the old closing times from the toxin days and simply stay open?

 

OK so i'm a one issue guy.

[shygye]

I thought the closing time was from a decree of a previous coup.

[Torneyboy]

Sounds like the hours are "up to them"

[asiafun]

No Thaksin was the one who pushed for the earlier closing times...Something about the rich kids staying out late and getting in trouble.

 

[color:red]Johnny shits his pants so everyone has to wear diapers.[/color]

[keith doug]

the bars in the uk stay open longer now .. so as mr thaskin is here in uk hope he wont change the rules!!!!!!

[Gadfly]

My plan on Saturday night was to see what closing times are, find out if there are more after-hours places and find out if those after-hours places are more relaxed. Fortunately, no one here read between the lines of my post and realized I wimped out and went home instead.

 

Has anyone here had a real post-coup late night out (and not just aspired to have one) and care to hijack this thread with some useful information? Be my guest.

 

One observation from last night on Soi Cowboy (I wasn't out late - I was in bed before 11). Business did seem a bit slower, but almost every BG I spoke with was convinced that Farang tourists have fled the Kingdom - even in bars where there seemed to plenty of customers - and it is only going to get bleaker for them. Irrespective of whether they are right or wrong, this makes it a great time to be in Thailand for the nightlife (except for the weather).

 

The BGs believe there is and will be an extreme shortage of customers, which puts you, the customer, in a very good position.

[bibblies]

The BGs believe there is and will be an extreme shortage of customers, which puts you, the customer, in a very good position.

The BGs believe there is and will be an extreme shortage of customers, which puts you, the customer, in a very good position.

In theory! I suspect, however, that usual crazy bargirl economics will apply - the same kind that make an uglier customerless girl demand the same price as an in-demand hottie.

 

My first impressions of nightlife:

Thai - loosened up. My first ever visit to RCA and, though I don't wear a watch, it was open until very late. Both there and at Zantika they had signs up but didn't insist on seeing any ID from me to enter.

 

Nana and Patpong - tame. It's very disappointing to me how timid most of the bars are in trying to push the 'showing' boundaries. I think this stems from the Rainbow and Crown Groups simply being lazy. (Have Rainbow even changed their bikini format in five years? ) I suspect that, if they really wanted to, they could show with little police hassle. They're just too lazy. It makes for very tame 'entertainment'.

 

Angelwitch is better and sexier with the costumes and I saw one bar upstairs that was really good and doing something different. Less clothing, better-looking friendlier girls and yet... hardly any customers! Go figure...

 

 

[Gadfly]

Thai - loosened up. My first ever visit to RCA and, though I don't wear a watch, it was open until very late.

 

This is consistent with my escudo experience on Thonglor (although I am not sure because I kind of wimped out). I don't know why Nana is not more relaxed about showing (I still haven't made it down to Patpong), but Soi Cowboy has been and continues to be relaxed. I am told that the usual after-hours places are not havig any problems, but this is BG hearsay and I cannot verify. It will be interesting to see what happens in the weeks to come.