MIDNITE HOUR - March 2008 - bangkokeyes.com

Inasmuch as our greedhead slumlord has thrown us out into the street by the scruff of our necks and the seat of our pants, we have had to search for new digs. Nevertheless, while we were blooded, we are not beaten. We are also more than fashionably late with our "01 March 2008" edition, so in order to get something up this month, we will jump straight to the 'bars in transition'....

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Let the March 2008 Follies begin...
BANKOK EYES' Expat Night Scene.

PATPONG I
MAP

The Muzzik Cafe has stuffed it's last chit in the last plastic cup. Meanwhile, hammers and saws are working overtime to redo both the interior and exterior. Look for it to reopen with a new name as early as the end of the month.

PATPONG I

PATPONG II
MAP

After a long run at it, the Cozy Club (on The Ramp) has thrown it's cards on the table and got out of Dodge. We understand a new lounge bar will be opening soon....

PATPONG II

The 501 Studio Bar has burst upon the scene from out of nowhere. They have moved into the old The Naturals - on The Ramp. Wish them luck as they cast their dice against the pitted wall of Fate.

PATPONG II

That which, once upon a time, was Mike's Place became (after several other tries) Lolitas. A couple months back, Lolitas ceased to exist - and we assumed there was just not enough oral services business to go 'round. And now this month we have Mike's Place reopening again. But take a closer look - just inside the door, the Lolitas sign is shining brightly. In other words, this was just a change back to the original name - at the insistence of our local Sign Gestapos. Mike's Place have spruced up a bit while they were closed down however; adding a couple of S/T rooms in the back. Welcome them back to the sharkpool.

PATPONGII

SOI COWBOY
MAP

Electing to stay open

SOI COWBOY

NANA PLAZA
MAP

The Erotica, more or less sticking to their original plan, have opened Erotica Pool House in the old Mercury A Go-Go Club digs, and have brought Suzie in to run it for them. Suzie, being a veteran honcho of 6 bars (that we know of) will be able to make a success of the place if anyone can. Wish them luck as they get themselves more and more heavily invested in the NEP....

NANA PLAZA

SOI KATOEY
MAP

The old Zygosis has a couple of "new" tenants. The Bar Bar (that closed down the month before) is the new ground floor occupant, while the Hip Hop has resurrected itself on the 2nd floor - after a many-monthed deep sleep. (Both bars were located in Soi Katoey in their earlier incarnations.) Let's see how they fare against the inexorable night-winds this time around.

SOI KATOEY

SOI DEAD ARTISTS
MAP

The brand new The Great Pub has opened up on Sub-soi 3. Their "format" is an interesting combination: it's a Pub (with hostesses for the men custom), and 'hosts' (for the young ladies). But that's not all - they also have two chrome poles set up for the Coyote Dancers. We wish them great fortunes, but let's just see how this unusual combo works out in the real nightworld.

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

The Oshare (a Japanese club) has spruced up it's neon - a substantial improvement..... Keep on keeping on.

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

Door Art Of The Month
Award

The Big Shots was going to garner the Door Art Award a couple of months ago, however the owner asked us to hold off for a while. Notice the 'graffiti motif' carries on to the inside as well. A job well done.

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

Last month we noted the impending opening of the Chip In Club - well, it opened on schedule, and has a bevy of long-dressed hostesses awaiting their Japanese customers. Let 'er rip, then, gentlemen....

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

Opening this month is the Sawatdee Massage - and if you don't count what happens when you go for an 'oil massage', it is one of the few 'legitimate' Thai massage parlors on Soi Dead Artists.

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

In case you hadn't noticed, the Bacchus has been entirely made over. Now a double-shophouse inside-outside affair, it is looking very good indeed. Let the rock continue to rock.

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

Last month we noted that the Akane Fashion Massage was closed and was to reopen after a few days. Well, all the above came true; business as usual (and unusual, if that's your shtick).

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

Closed since 2 February, at least as far as Soi Dead Artists is concerned, is the Nirvana Massage Centre. They have moved their massage girls over to the Soi 23 branch until such time as they open their new shop (location to be revealed). We'll check back and give you a come-back on their new location.

- Photo excerpt from Nirvana website <link>

SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33

WASHINGTON SQUARE
MAP

Last month we noted that Minogue's had closed for renovations (they had only been open a month). Renovations are now complete, and things are back to normal. Let the good times roll.

WASHINGTON SQUARE

No free Freelancing

The sign in front of the Rolling Stone is, for the most part, a typical rap samak duan notice, however down at the bottom they are advertising for "Part time - work any hours". Recently, we've noticed a couple of other bars which are employing the same part-time policy. Let's see if it works for them. Rock on.

WASHINGTON SQUARE

QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA
MAP

Tequila Bar has quickly and silently taken over from one of the two Maew Maew bars within QPP (the one up front). This location has already changed hands several times in the few months it has been open; let's hope this latest incarnation fares better.

QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA - SOI 22

SOI EDEN
MAP

All quiet on the Southern Front this month. In this instance, no news is good news.

SOI TWILIGHT
MAP

The brand-new bar in the old Bar Lover digs -the one with the blue lights and no sign- is tentatively called 'Hotmale Two'. (The original Hotmale being just next door....) We'll have to wait to see what the actual name will be, but in the meantime, wish them luck as they wade into dark waters....

OTHER NITESPOTS OF INTEREST

The third bar to open in Trendy Plaza is less than a week away from their soft opening. We still don't have a handle on the name, so we will definitely be going back to check the place out at the end of this month.

SUKHUMVIT @ ASOKE

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- In the LAND OF SMILES -

This month's "Thai Smile" goes to the lovely young lady on the left, but what the hey, nice smiles on both.

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William R Morledge

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Historical Minutiae Dept.

ASK US (ALMOST) ANYTHING

A Gentleman's Way

THERE AIN'T NO EASY WAY OUT

Hi Boge,

My question is not historical or geographical but more about the code of conduct.

I visit Bangkok a dozen times a year for work, and on my nights off I often find myself exploring the A Go-Go bars of Soi Cowboy. Once I ended up bar fining a lady there, and now, whenever I visit the same bar, the lady in question is automatically directed to my table by a certain mamasan. Now, as nice as she is (and the mamasan too), I wouldn't mind meeting some of the other nice ladies there, but I every time I end up chatting with the same person. Is there a gentleman's way out of this?

Thanks,
R.J.

Hello R.J.

Your's is a common complaint - it's called "getting treed", as hound dogs would tree a coon.

As pleasant as the mamasan is, and as pleasant as the lady is, and regardless of how much the lady says (or shows you) she likes you, we nightcrawlers tend to forget that the ladies are, in the final analysis, following the money.   Often the girls you regularly buy drinks for, or barfine, will appear quite 'jealous' if you talk with another girl.    However the girl is not 'jealous' in the true sense of the word; she is displeased that another girl is cutting into her customer stream (cutting into her income).   There can also be a 'loss of face' to the girl when another girl gets the attentions of "her" regular customer, and this can cause friction amongst the staff of a bar.

Nevertheless, you would be perfectly within your rights, and it wouldn't be a breach of etiquette if you just explained your revised/ expanded intentions to the girl outright.    Business is, after all, business.   I know a lot of guys who avoid being treed by this method.

But usually people take other ways out of the predicament.   One (to start the process in motion) might go into the bar and not buy anyone a drink - just stay a minute, and leave, saying you have to meet someone in another bar.   And/ or buy a drink for her and her girlfriend the first visit, and just for her girlfriend next time.   Or if she's on stage when you come in, buy a drink for another girl that interests you, and perhaps one for her when she finishes her 'floor' and comes to join you.   Or any similar variation on the theme.   Some guys have gone to the other extreme, and brought another girl to the bar with them, (that they have barfined from another bar) - not too subtle.

However, in the final analysis, you would be the best person to decide how to wean the 'regular' girl out of your equation - based on how the relationship has developed (or not developed) to date.   It seems that there is always a way to accomplish this in a gentlemanly fashion (to best allow her to save face).   ---Nevertheless, regardless of how 'gentlemanly' you handle it, there will -rarely- be an unladylike response.   -Comes with the territory.

In your case, you also have the mamasan in the equation. And mamasans in the equation can be good at first - they can expedite an intro to the lady you are interested in, and save you from being treed by the real dogs.   However it is not usually a good idea to keep the mamasan in the equation past that point, unless you happen to like her as a person anyway.   To be sure, the mamasan is quite happy to remain in the equation - as she will get the occasional drink from you (for example), and the bargirl is almost always obliged to her for acting as the original intermediary, and will take care of the mamasan with a tip (especially if the intro leads to a buy-out).

Lastly, on a related topic, a large percentage of nightcrawlers just are not good at saying 'no'.   It serves one well to have a large reserve of different ways to politely, or jokingly, say 'no' during an evening's outings.

Best,
M.H.

(Note: this is a 'composite' answer to several similar questions.)

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	We can answer virtually any (reasonable) question on the Expat Night Entertainment Scene in Bangkok - be it Historical or very recent. Send us an e-mail and we will do our best to answer you soonest.
'Boge' Hartman Historical Research

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VICARIOUS ART CRIMES # 29

MIDNITE HOUR's

Graffiti ARCHIVES <

link> Graffiti's HISTORY<

link>

- And now to Bangkok's own brand of Graffiti....

Graffiti #204
Worry This
5 ft high x 6 ft

Graffiti #205
Two On Two
5 ft. high x 9 ft.

Graffiti #206
Goalkeeper
5 ft. high x 9 ft.

Graffiti #207
Dicey Stick
5 ft high x 9 ft

Graffiti #208
Macrolith Freebase
15 ft high x 25 ft.

Graffiti #209
Peace A Chance
6 ft high x 13ft

Graffiti #210
Dark Side Of The Moon
8 ft high x 19 ft

GRAFFITI ARCHIVES :

Graffiti, Graffiti , and more Graffiti - Bangkok's original and ONLY graffiti Site !

Graffiti ARCHIVES <

link>

Graffiti's HISTORY<

link>

The MIDNITE HOUR Graffiti Page is prepared by Staff Contributor "Boge" Hartman.

(Boge's photo, above, is not a graffiti per-se, although there are those who have insinuated.... - Ed)

Email me- Click Here

--- Datzit Fernow

William R. Morledge

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Special thanks to Eric Bosrup for special code (His own overLIB js)