MIDNITE HOUR - October 2004

         MIDNITE HOUR's first report this month is from down South in the resort of Koh Samui.   The face of this island is changing so rapidly, we felt it was worthy of a note to the 'archives' -a point-in-time snapshot- in the remote chance some future Historian-Of-Trivial-Things might happen upon this.

         Historically, Koh Samui with it's several splendid white sand beaches has not had a Night Entertainment Scene, let alone specific Night Entertainment Areas.   However over the last two decades, growth of tourism has been so rapid, and the infrastructure has been modernized on such a grand scale, it was inevitable that the world of Night Entertainment would become a major tourist offering.

         In the '70's and early 80's travellers to Koh Samui would (at a minimum) bring a roll of cord to hang out their laundry in front of their 60-baht-per-night a-frame hooches, candles for lighting after the generators were turned off at 9:00 PM, and, most importantly, a flashlight.   (The bungalow-style hotels with quaint names like "Joy", "Coconut Bangalow" (sic), "Magic", and "Bungalow Bill's" usually provided the mosquito nets.)   Before sunset, a walk up and down either the Lamai or Chaweng beach front was necessary to determine at which bungalow's restaurant you would be having dinner.   But food had nothing to do with it, the bungalow restaurants that did the best business were the ones with the best movies on the BetaMax or the VCR - and each day, they would update their signs or blackboards with the evening's movie fare and put them out on the beach front in hopes of attracting a good crowd later that evening.   And that was it, as far as "nightlife" in Koh Samui.   After the video ended, the flashlights were, of course, most useful in finding your way down the wet sand and surf and through the dark coconut suan and eventually back to your own thatched hooch, sometimes half a mile away.

         If you needed supplies such as laundry detergent or batteries, you could rent a motorcycle or jump on a song thaew and be across the island to the main town of Na Thon in about a half an hour.   But even in Na Thon, the biggest town on the island, there was no Nightlife.   While Na Thon was, and is, the administrative center, it was -at least for the tourist- only a transit point. The Song Serm ferry landed there and offloaded locals and farang alike, and took an equal number back to Surat Thani on the mainland.   Those just arriving were barraged by song thaew drivers calling, 'ChawengChawengChaweng,' or 'LamaiLamaiLamai,' and the bulk of new arrivals were trundled off to one or the other destination to begin their beach front bungalow search.   This was long before the vehicle ferry and the airport - and it was virtually the only way on , off, or around the island.

         But as the 1970's wore on into the '80's and the developers began to see the potential for an island 'Riviera'-style resort, the old-style thatched bungalows began to disappear, the beach front coconut plantations were bought up, and even many of the local fishing villages were pushed aside.   As our stringer, Duke d'Yenakat said in his posting from Lamai last month, "There were two kinds of people that went to Koh Samui; those that went to enjoy it and those that went to make money off of it."    The island of Koh Samui went from a "best-kept-secret" to a backpacker "must-see" to an internationally known resort in less than two decades.   Not that it could have been otherwise, but they -we- have completely and complacently traded 'adventure' for 'comfort'.

         And one of the 'comforts' that began appearing in increasing numbers in the 1980's was the 'bar beer'.   Greatly facilitated by newly available provincial electricity, colored lights and refrigerated beer were suddenly available after sunset - and even after the last bungalow video-movies were over.   Nevertheless, the bar beer phenomenon was slow to catch on - the bungalows that had restaurants were also now 'electrified' and they too were offering at least cold Singh beer, if not 'after hours activities'.   "Nightlife" had arrived, even if it only had it's toe in the door.

         As Koh Samui's construction boom became a construction explosion, Chaweng Beach, more so than Lamai Beach, was transmogrified.   Contributing factors to the Chaweng Phenomenon are it's size, and proximity to both the new airport and the vehicle ferry terminal.   Today's Chaweng is a solid mile of construction - from it's northern tip to it's southern cove, there is no undeveloped property.   If you want to walk out on the sand, or go swimming, you will have to walk through the grounds of someone's development.   There are no more coconut trees, let alone coconut plantations - it has become a monolithic manmade strip-mall running the full length of it's beach front.   But these new structures are not all bungalow-style hotels as in days of old, they are pharmacies, hospitals, bodybuilding gyms, clinics, 7-Eleven's, bookstores, restaurants, coffeeshops, bar beers, souvenir shops, Internet cafes - you name it.   There are even two A-Go-Go Bars, a blues bar, several Discos and a Tesco-Lotus superstore.

         But as happens with haphazard, explosive development, there is no single area of Chaweng that could be called a Night Entertainment Area - the various Night Entertainment Venues being spread out the full length of the beach front road.   It is also worthy of mention that being farther from the flagpole, there is much less evidence of the self-righteous mental midgets that believe they can micro-manage 'sin' in general, and the Nightlife Scene in particular, by telling everyone what time his or her bedtime is...   This tends to confirm, along with our other visits to outlying provinces that the aura of the current Autocracy's pinch-witted zeal casts it's tedious shadow almost exclusively over the Bangkok area.

         With nearly a million people a year now visiting Koh Samui, the demographics of the island have changed - at any given time, the population of Koh Samui is predominantly foreign - and it's center of gravity is at Chaweng Beach -- the town of Na Thon having become a comparative backwater.   Having taken advantage of every square inch, and every available minute, Chaweng is unquestionably the Nightlife Capital of Koh Samui.

         Lamai Beach's development has, thank the Heavens, come at a much slower pace   And it is at Lamai that we established our beachhead - in hopes of at least being able to savor the remaining nostalgic glimpse of coconut trees, or perhaps an old, familiar sign or two, or drink a smoothie at one of the 'pioneer' bungalow restaurants.   And as it works out, all this is still possible, but just.

         Being relatively frequent return visitors over the years, we have made our own predictions as to what the future would bring re: the development of Lamai Beach.   Our predictions were replete with what could, and could not possibly come to pass.   But once again our sage, all-knowing views of the future were rudely contradicted by the reality of Economic Darwinism.   To wit - there ARE concrete & brick 'bungalows' on the water's edge with air-conditioning, and they ARE charging 4,700 baht per night.   There ARE Taxi-Meters, and they WILL take you where you want to go using the meter (unless of course it is raining, or it is very late at night and you want to go to a disco across the island).   There IS satellite television and it DOES have CNN and the Beeb.   And so it goes, but it was in the area of Night Entertainment that we saw the biggest surprises.

         Lamai's slower pace of development has mimicked Chaweng in most respects, differing mostly in degree, but the Night Scene has progressed along more orderly lines.   While there are bar beers and other Night Entertainment Venues scattered the length of Lamai, the bulk of the bars has distilled into three distinct Night Entertainment Areas.   The three bar beer areas didn't pop up overnight, or even over the last 3 years, but the surprising aspect is that they have lasted this long, and that they have continued to grow to 'critical mass' and qualify as stand-alone Night Entertainment Areas on their own.   And as such, MIDNITE HOUR feels it is appropriate to take note and to make a permanent entry into the archives.

         The adjoining Lamai Beach Area Map shows the three Night Entertainment Areas (A, B, & C), which correspond to :-
Bar Beer Central    Night Entertainment Area,
Variety Bars       Night Entertainment Area,        and
Soi MacDonalds    Night Entertainment Area.
These circular areas are represented just below as clickable 'thumbnails'.   You can view the individual Night Entertainment Areas by clicking on these.

Lamai Beach Area Map

Lamai Beach Area Map

CLICK* On 'Thumbnails' to VIEW MAPS

MAP A
''BAR BEER CENTRAL''

MAP B
''VARIETY BARS''

MAP C
''Soi MacDONALDS''

Lamai Beach being a brand new bar area for MIDNITE HOUR, we were once again on the lookout for some original bar names - names that have aspired to something more than 'Lek Bar' or 'Sweetheart Bar'. We were not disappointed - we found three completely original bar names - interesting, if not completely comprehensible. Top on the list was Gow Badger International Bar. (Huh?) Second on the list was Mellowheads, with the bronze going to Fubar. Runners-up were Huggies and Backstage Rockbar.

Perhaps more apropos the Stickman Weekly column (faithfully read by yours truly), we saw several signs posted at the tour offices in Lamai offering, "Visa Renewal - 24 hours. Ranong". (Ranong being a large town north of Phukhet at the point where Thailand, Burma and the Andaman Sea come together.) Who would'a thunk...?

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...HARD FOR THE MONEY
         Jacob answered a knock at the door.    The young girl's face was vaguely familiar, so he was only half surprised when she knew his name.   Caught left-footed, he could only say, "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."
         "I am Nong - you don't remember?    I was your maid before."
         Prompted with her name, he recalled instantly, and they both said 'hello' once again.
         Nong, coming right to the point, asked, "How about now, do you have a maid working for you?   If you don't have a maid I would like to come back to work again."
         "Yes, Nong, I have a maid - she has been here for almost three years now.   But didn't you say you were going to work at Nana Plaza?"
         "Yes, but now I stop work.   Your maid, is she here now? ...I should go home..."
         "No, she doesn't work on Sunday," Jacob replied, knowing she knew the answer to her question before she asked.
         There was a moment's lull in the conversation, so Jacob, still standing in the doorway, searched for something to say to bring the conversation to a quick but polite conclusion.
         Nong, guessing his thoughts, said quickly, "Oh, maybe you have any friends who need a maid, then? "
         "Well, I don't think so, I think they all have maids now.   But why did you quit working at Nana?"
         "The mama-sang made us leave - I'm not old enough.   She said we all have to be twenty years old, and have our I.D. cards."
         "Well you must be at least twenty by now?"
         "No, before I didn't tell you my real age.   I'm now only eighteen and a half; so now I have to work for another year as a maid before I can go back to the bar."
         "I see, well I'm sorry I can't help. Nong," Jacob said sympathetically, and hoped he could bring the conversation to a close with, "Oh, and I hope you have good luck finding a new job."
         "Can I come in?"

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Nightlife Newsfront:

Chuwit Selling Brothels -SEEKS TO POLISH PUBLIC IMAGE
         In a further attempt to divorce himself from his tarnished image of "papasan', Chuwit Kamolvisit, recent second runner-up in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, is quietly selling off his brothel-massage parlors on Rachadapisek Road.
         In a recent exclusive interview, the MIDNITE HOUR spoke with an employee of the Emmanuel massage parlor.   According to our source, the Emmanuel, already sold, has a new boss whose first act as head honcho was to fire all the masseuses under the age of 20 years - this in keeping with the current edict (not a law).   The Copacabana is next on the chopping block, to be followed by Victoria's Secret.
         Each of these three brothel-massage parlors will undergo renovations before being reopened, and each has fired all employees under 20 years of age.   Our source indicates that this has put a large number of girls -"more than a hundred"- out of work, all between the ages of 18 and 20.   This source feels certain that these young women will take up prostitution on the roadside if they can't find further employment immediately.
         It is not currently known what Chuwit will do with his remaining brothel-massage parlors, however our source says the word is out that he will be selling them off in the near future, as well.

Chuwit "Papasan" Kamolwisit

         Only last month Khun Chuwit announced that he was converting the now-defunct Sukhumvit Square shopping and entertainment complex into a park, an orphan day-care center and a library.   These premises are, of course, the very premises he and Mafia associates arranged to have destroyed in the middle of the night in January of last year.   (To date, there has been no progress on the park/library/daycare center, but we will continue our monitoring.)   His announcement of this "500 million baht" project was met with the appropriately derisive response it so richly deserved - it was seen by all as a transparent and fatuous attempt at self-rehabilitation in the public eye.   One wag we have known for many years suggested, "Khun Chuwit should just start pasting little squares of gold leaf on his own forehead..."
         Recently Khun Chuwit has become the darling of the Media, a c�l�brit� terrible of the talk-show circuit, and the subject of several interviews.   It appears his self-rehabilitation project is right on track.
         It is only a matter of time before Chuwit Kamolvisit decides to "go public" with the sell-off of his brothel-massage parlors -by then it will be fait-accompli, and will have been done for the same desired effect....

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Borderline Sex -OLD WINE IN SENSATIONAL BOTTLE
The Bangkok Post's co-headliner on 20 September was an 'expose' of those groping Malaysians who succumb to that border-crossing feeling and flood north to Sadao each evening. Sex-on-the-border ......or is it?
On closer reading, the Bangkok Post report was all about groping - or, lap dancing comes to Southern Thailand, but with a more traditional Thai twist. The old 'fishbowls' from the steam-and-cream massage parlors are still employed, and the local A-Go-Go style dancing has been retained -albeit the girls are fully clothed. So then, it's not quite sex on the border, but one could call it borderline sex on the border and still remain accurate.

The dancing and the A-Go-Go format just might put you
in the mood for a Border-Style Lapdance.

The same old 'fishbowl' - what you see is what you grope.

Photos excerpted from The Bangkok Post

        We confess we were a little confused as to why the Bangkok Post decided to run this story at all, let alone run it on page one.   Was it meant to be a telling expose on border Nightlife?   Was the Post trying it's hand at titillating yellow journalism?   Or were they trying to misdirect the authorities into thinking that there are no real brothels along the border, and that this is the only way those horny Malaysians can get their kicks? (As one of our staff has sarcastically suggested).
        One acquaintance suggested the Post story was actually a plant by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to bolster tourism in the South in it's hour of need, while another too-long-in-country farang suggested that the reason the Post decided to get rid of Trink (Bernard Trink's Night Owl column) was so they could start afresh publishing photos of bargirls on the front page.   But these acquaintances have been known to speak with tongue-in-cheek, and may not have been that serious.   Nevertheless, the consensus, in-house and out-and-about, was this was just about the sleaziest bit of reporting we have seen in a long time.
        And it seems the word got back quickly enough to the Bangkok Post on this one.   Their follow-up story (where Sadao's Finest swept in, and ...sort of cracked down) was published on Page 3 as a one-paragraph filler story.
        One only hopes the Bangkok Post doesn't learn of what is going on around the rest of this great land, or we could be subjected to a One Tambon, One Sleazy Story (OTOSS) campaign.   Or better yet, just switch to The Nation and put it all behind us...

'Soi 1 Plaza' Update -01 NOVEMBER OPENING ON TRACK
        MIDNITE HOUR's 01 August column first announced the impending opening of "Sukhumvit Soi 1 Entertainment & Plaza", and at that time we noted that the owner had given assurances it would be opening on 05 October - five days from now.   Our visit yesterday confirms the more recent rumors that the official opening day will be 01 November 2004, however there will be some earlier 'soft openings' this month (October).
        As can be seen from the photo below, the building is a flurry of activity as building construction crews compete for space with craftsmen brought in to make modifications on the several bars.
        The confirmed lineup to date -those bars nearly completed- is as follows (all ground floor) :-
         Chemo 04 - front left.
         Lady Godiva - front right.
         Su Bar - middle right.
The owners of these three bars are experienced mama-sans, and each owns, or has owned bars in the past.   They are signing leases with the owner for from four to twelve years.
        It appears that rentals have gone well for the owner - the first level (ground level) has been leased by the several shop owners, leaving some space on the 2nd and 3rd floors as-yet unleased.

        But all is not well in Paradise - the lessees are concerned, perhaps a little too late, that there will not be enough foot traffic to provide a customer base, at least until the large shopping complex at the top of Soi 3 Sukhumvit is completed sometime next year.   Only time will tell.
        MIDNITE HOUR will be dropping by to see how things will be materializing over the next month.   Of particular interest is a large area immediately in front of the building - which at this juncture looks entirely wasted.   Parking?   We certainly hope not.

Email me at bangkokeyes@bigfoot.com - - Click Here

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"Rumor Of The Month"

Where there's

"Rumor" is defined as "no-fault confabulation, chain-reaction speculation...." Nevertheless M IDNITE HOUR again presents the most outrageous / prevalent rumor to cross our desks this past month:

"Much as Microsoft issues regular "patches" to repair it's plague-ridden Operating System, the Benevolent Autocracy will re-implement 'Night Entertainment Zones' sometime in the month of October".

MIDNITE H OUR includes as part of our Rumor Of The Month an ongoing evaluation as to the accuracy of said rumors since the inception of the award.

As of 01 October 2004, the Rumor Accuracy Quotient remains at - 0%
See our Archived Rumors at their worst : click HERE.

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October's

Follies
begin here
MIDNITE HOUR presents the NEWS on the Bangkok Night Scene; - the 'history-in-the-making' for all major Night Entertainment Areas - for the month ending 1 OCTOBER, 2004 :

� PATPONG I � .
MAP

The King's Lounge Disco, second floor, Soi Bookstore (Soi Bat Boat), is once again closed for renovations. It may hold the world record for renovations - it's last one being completed in March of this year. It's a rhetorical question, but one wonders how many times a place - one that hasn't changed owners - needs to renovate before they get it right? The neon has been torn down, so we can anticipate a name-change as well. All being equal, they should be reopening on the 9th of this month (October 04). � PATPONG I �

The entire ground level of the building at the Suriwong Road end of Patpongs 1 & 2 has been gutted by construction crews (Immediately below the Red Parrot). We heard three rumors :- it would be all bars, there would be no bars, and some of the area would be bars. Take your pick - but we will be keeping a close eye on this and let you know. � PATPONG I �

� PATPONG II � .
MAP

The P.P. Thai Massage, 4th Floor, Cosmo's Stairwell, has opened after a several month hiatus. We have no idea how they do any business at all - it is nearly impossible to find - it is one of those places you would need to have already been to, or you couldn't go there. Welcome back to the sharkpool. � PATPONG II �

On The Ramp, the Matador Cocktail Lounge, closed last month for renovations, has reopened. Welcome them back to partytown. � PATPONG II �

� NANA PLAZA � .
MAP

Things are stirring in the old Titty Twister on the second floor. A rap samak sign has been posted -and they appear to be hiring- the only point of contact is the phone number on the sign. No indication of who they are, when they might open, or what they might be called this time around. � NANA PLAZA �

We guessed correctly last month - the New Rainbow Bar (Rainbow 1) was in fact in the process of putting up new neon - the makeshift sign now gone, the new, official one reads just plain "Rainbow Bar". History buffs will be saying, "What goes around, comes around," - this is exactly what they were calling themselves 22 years ago, when they first moved into Nana Plaza from Sukhumvit Road near Soi 14.

  Carnival on the 3rd floor has their new mural completed and the new neon is all aglow - now if they could only get it to work like it's supposed to...   � NANA PLAZA �

  � SOI COWBOY � .
   MAP

With no time off for good behavior, Cowboy 2 jumped back into the game in the middle of September, and it's been A-Go-Go and Rock 'N Roll ever since. Welcome back to the Soi of Joy. � SOI COWBOY �

Not-So-Little Shebas

The MIDNITE HOUR "prize" for Best Door Art for this month goes to Sheba's on Soi Cowboy. It would be hard to miss these statuesque statues bracketing each side of the now popular Egyptian-motif A-Go-Go bar.
� SOI COWBOY � October 2004

� SOI COWBOY �

� COWBOY ANNEX � .
MAP

The Popeye Bar bar beer has had a 'For Sale' sign on it for some time now. No takers. Can't really figure this one, they always seem to have custom - both afternoons and evenings. They could do worse - maybe they just need a new cashier... � COWBOY ANNEX �

� SOI DEAD ARTISTS (Soi 33) � .
MAP

Bar-Za-Bar has reopened yet again. If they are trying to build a customer base, they need to stay open until midnight, or so, and cease with the temporary closures. We're making the assumption here that they are intending to make a profit... Nevertheless, we welcome them back to the big uphill. � SOI DEAD ARTISTS (Soi 33) �

The Ton Thong Cocktail Bar located in the Thai restaurant of the same name, is not a Night Entertainment Venue per-se, while it is a comfortable place to sit for a drink, it does not offer any separate entertainment. � SOI DEAD ARTISTS (Soi 33) �

� EASY SQUARE � .
MAP

It appears that the uncontrolled collapse of Easy Square is nearly complete.   After last month's news that the 'owners' weren't the real owners, and that the real owners were planning to construct their mega-structure after all, each of the bar owners' leases was taken back for review.   It was eventually decided that the real, real owners weren't going to build any time soon, and that the best way to handle the situation would be to allow all existing bars, and any new bars, to rent on a month-to-month basis.   But it was too little, too late - little folk were spooked and the stampede began.   Easy Square is down to a handful of bar beers, and there just aren't any customers.   MIDNITE HOUR finds it more than a little difficult to be optimistic at this juncture, but we will continue to monitor the venues for historical reasons, if no other.     � EASY SQUARE �

          Cheers Bar, after attempting "part time" opening, has failed to answer the bell for the next round.   They were comparative 'old timers' at Easy Square, coming in only a month after the trail-blazer, Nice Bar.   Greener pastures, guys.     � EASY SQUARE �

Likewise, Dao Bar Beer has taken down it's Christmas light sets and packed away the karaoke machine. Only darkness shines out from within. � EASY SQUARE �

Apisara, only one lok wide, has packed it in. Their old premises residing in abiding darkness. � EASY SQUARE �

The Basement, which never got around to putting up their sign, don't need to take it down again. They saw their last check-bin sometime in the middle of September. � EASY SQUARE �

Also falling on it's sword this month is the 4 U Bar bar beer - a long, cold steel barrier of roller-shutters hides what was the biggest bar in the Square. � EASY SQUARE �

This last September, The Grim Reaper pulled the shroud over the D & D Bar bar beer - leaving only leaves and dust to sworl at the base of their roller-shutters. � EASY SQUARE �

Mam & Mam Bar Beer shoved their last chit in the cup this last month -and it looks like they got a good head start- the place has already been stripped clean of anything of use. Hope they find things more to their liking a little further down the road a piece... � EASY SQUARE �

� " SOI KATOEY " � .
MAP

A new branch of the Orchid Massage has opened on the second floor next door to XantriX. The price for a Thai Traditional Massage (nuat pan boran) is 550 baht for two hours. I mentioned to the manageress that this was more expensive than elsewhere, whereupon she explained that it must be my faulty memory, because that is the normal price. I shrugged and told her that she must be right, and went around the corner to Soi Wall Street and got a 2 hour massage for 300 baht. I wouldn't expect they will last too long, what with the competition being what it is. Nevertheless, we welcome them to the night games. � SOI KATOEY �

The Roxy Bar & Club, who do most of their business curbside, where customers sit on large pillows, are now doing next to no business at all now that the rains are virtually a daily (nightly) occurrence. � SOI KATOEY �

A "For Sale" sign has been put up on the door next to Speed (the old g-4 Club, which closed for the last time in July 2003). � SOI KATOEY �

The Balcony measures success by the square foot. One of the earlier bars to put tables and chairs outside, they found it worked so well, they put more of the same across the soi in front of the unused section of the old Rome Club. And that worked so well, they expanded out the other way and have their tables and chairs alongside the curb in front of Helene's Place (by agreement, of course). Keep on keeping on. � SOI KATOEY �

� QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA�
MAP

Buddy Bar bar beer went up in a puff of smoke, and when the smoke cleared, no bar had taken it's place.   That is to say, the No Bar had taken it's place.   Welcome to the vicissitudes.     � QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA �

          Paddy's Irish Bar has hung it's colors (literally) over the door that used to read "Happiness".   This is not so much a 'goodbye' to Happiness and 'hello' to Paddy's, as it is some incomprehensible game of musical chairs, which also involves the aforementioned Buddy Bar and the below-mentioned Sweethearts, who for the month of June were calling themselves Paddy's Irish Bar.   As outsiders looking in, we'll happily call them whatever they have nailed over the door.   Keep on rocking...     � QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA �

Just next door, Sweethearts have battened down the hatches and boarded up the windows. But they don't look like they have gone anyplace - we'll check back later and see if they haven't reappeared. � QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA �

Gone but not gone is the Banana Bar. Just when it looked like they had gone down for the third time, they threw their roller shutters up to the ceiling and rolled their red carpet out onto the bricks. Welcome back to the longest mile. � QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA �

The Sugar Shak, presumably having found a buyer after her three-month search, has boogied off to Phu Khet - all things being equal. But we don't know yet who the new folk are, or what they will be doing in the old Sugar Shak digs. � QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA �

� WASHINGTON SQUARE � .
MAP

Not much ever happens in Washington Square - it is probably the most stable Night Entertainment Area in Bangkok.   But this September a new venue appeared on the scene - the Angel 22 Massage.   It is your typical "traditional - foot - oil massage" massage parlor with adequate ambiguity to qualify it as a Night Entertainment Venue.     � WASHINGTON SQUARE �

  � OTHER NIGHT VENUES OF NOTE �

Bully's Pub has, as was advertised, opened just around the corner from Soi 4 (Nana) on Sukhumvit Road in the old Blue Wave digs. We wish them all aces as they throw their hat in the ring.

Another relatively new pub on the scene is the Black Swan, located -somewhat unfortunately- under the Asoke Skytrain stairs, near Soi 14, Sukhumvit Road. Nevertheless, it is a well-appointed pub, so if pub life is yours, it would be well worth a visit.

         It might be of interest to history buffs that this is the first Night Entertainment Venue to open in this location since the famous(?) , infamous(?) , notorious(?) "Soi 16 Bars" moved into Soi 4 (Nana) and started what is now known as Nana Plaza.

  � The No-News-Is- Good-News Department �
  � THERM� & "13 NIGHT MARKET" � .
MAP

� TOBACCO ROAD � .
MAP

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--- Datzit Fernow

William R. Morledge

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