hirteen years, almost to the day, after Chuwit Kamolwisit orchestrated the 04:00 a.m. Mafia-style demolition of the Sukhumvit Square commercial area, the Supreme Court, on 28 January, sentenced 60 of the 131 defendents to 5 years in jail, and 6 defendents to 3 years in jail. Chuwit was among those sentenced to 5 years. However the Supreme Court reduced Chuwit's sentence to 2 years for compensating the victims (only very partially true), and for turning the Sukhumvit Square area into a public park.
The "Stickman photo"<Iink> taken the morning following Chuwit's devastating raid on Sukhumvit Square.
Prior to it's demolition, Sukhumvit Square was occupied by approximately 112 separate lease holders and sub-lease holders, all believing the leases on their establishments were legal and binding. Exactly 60 of those leases/ sub-leases were Night Entertainment Venues, the others were restaurants, a laundry, gift shops, a beauty parlor/ barber, an internet cafe, a tattoo parlor, as well as others (see Nitespot map below).
In spite of the Supreme Court's proclamation that Chuwit compensated the victims of this now-infamous Mafia raid, only very few of the injured parties (42 of the primary lease-holders) had enough financial reserves to file the original charges against Chuwit and his web of intentionally obfuscating military cronies and shell companiesTisco PLC, BTR Holdings, Silver Star Co (also known as Sukhumvit Silver Stars Co), Nickel Co, General Guard Co (also known as Ideal Service Corp) and the likes of then-Army Ltc Himalai (just to name the most prominent).
Chuwit states clearly that he is not running from prosecution like those other criminals.... His last news conference?
Only those 42 lease holders received any compensation, and they received from 5 cents to 10 cents on the dollar, or about one month's rent. Hardly worth mentioning - hardly worth 3 years' leniency to Chuwit by the courts..... The rest of the lease-holders (and those many who were sub-leasing) that were bankrupted by the Mafia blitzkrieg received no compensation whatsoever, and were allowed to go suck wind.
Another view of the carnage that was, only hours before, Sukhumvit Square. This pic taken from the SkyTrain.
Nevertheless, in spite of the courts' taking 13 years to clear this case against Chuwit and minions, and in spite of the local jurisprudence, or lack thereof, a semblance of justice was in fact carried out. Chuwit appeared at the court with his wife and son, hoping to be given leniency, however he was led away to the Bangkok Remand Prison in handcuffs - protesting loudly that he should not be handcuffed, that he didn't run to another country to avoid incarceration like the others. His loud protestations were not ignored by the Press or the public. Fom all we have seen in print, and from our sources on the avenue - virtually all have expressed gratification that this pompous, 'influential person', this super-wealthy former massage parlor Godfather, this wanna-be puu-yai, got what what was coming to him.
Another view of the decimation at Sukhumvit Square - showing the gulag wall that was thrown up during the night by the marauders. This pic taken from the Sukhumvit Road side looking towards Soi 10. Many thanks to contributor "J.C.".
Click Here to read our original 2003 reportage and background on the "Sukhumvit Square Story".
First of all, I really enjoy reading your site. Stickman refered me to talk to you, as he said you had very good knowledge on these kind of things.
Is it, or has been, some girly bar in BKK called the -The Good Club- or GOD Club or anything like that? I was there a few years back and I meet a girl there, but I don't remember where it was located. I know we took a short short ride from Bed Supperclub and then took an off street on the main road (Sukhumvit).
I think its located on an off street to Sukhumvit Road, quite close to 26 Soi Sukhumvit 11, Sukhumvit Road.
Is this anything you know something about?
Would be more than happy if you had the time to help me.
Regards,
L.
Greetings, L,
I have just combed through my old maps and was unable to come up with either 'God Club' or 'Good Club' in the general area you described. Is it possible that you can remember the time frame (year) ? This would help me in further searching.
I have GoogledGod and Good clubs, and the only thing I could find was GOD Club on Soi 2 Silom Road. It is not anywhere near the area of Bangkok you describe. They do not have a website, however you may want to Google it yourself or try this link for more information:
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.
The upstairs Pussy Magic, the pay-for-show bar previously squatting in the old Lipstick digs, has moved a couple of doors down to the old Super Girls. Their modus operandi unchanged.
PATPONG I
The Thigh Bar, noted in our column last month for new neon, is closed for renovations -and a good scrub-down. They should open afresh in a few days (but nevertheless, we will check back to verify.....)
Glamour Girls (Glamour on Silom) is closed once again ; "Under Repair" - their third closure. It remains to be seen when they might reopen..... if at all.......
When we passed by last night we noted that Club Rio was closed down again. If the past is any window to the future, they will likely reopen soon - it is likely their contracted team of Coyote Dancers didn't show up for work - again. A heck of a way to run a railroad. We'll keep an ear to the ground and get back atcha.
The massage parlor named simply Thai Traditional Massage has reopened (after a brief closure) in it's original location. May they continue to slip and slide.
SOI NANA
Capping off a brief spate of renovations, the G-Terminal has put out some new neon. Looking good. Located upstairs in the front outbuilding in the Rajah Hotel compound.
SOI NANA
Remaining almost invisible to passing foot traffic for several months, the OK. D. Massage has, at last, put up some very visible neon. May they keep on keeping on.
The 4 Sports / Lounge 4 have been operating as a combined single unit for a very long while. However, we note this month that the Lounge 4 has been leased to another business entity not engaged in the Night Entertainment Game. We should note that 4 Sports is still going strong, so don't go away....
A brand new 2-shophouse-wide bar, the Bar I'on has opened in what, up until two months ago, were the Aloha Bar and the Top Secret 22 Bar. Not much in the way of signage, but don't judge a book by it's cover - the interior is very well appointed - quite comfortable. And yes, some slightly-more-professional neon is reported to be on the way.... Welcome them to the machine.
SOI 22 - (Sukhumvit)
The Po Thai Massage was closed down the other night when we passed by - or did they just forget to put out the signage? They have done this before - we'll check back next round and shall duly advise of change(s).
Not long after the Lookie Lookie closed behind the Wall Street there was a rumor going around that it's real estate would be absorbed by the Wall Street. That didn't happen, and instead, a couple of months ago, the Wall Street closed. The next round of rumors claimed it, the Wall Street, was going to open as a massage parlor. This rumor, however, appears to be true. The sign out front reads:
Receiving Applications
For Masseuses
Many openings
Very Good Pay
Ages 19 - 35 years
Interested parties contact :
(For those who hadn't noticed, the "Massage Parlor" has become one of the most prominent, if low-key "Signs of the Times" over the last decade.)
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33
What was originally the Top Up 33 Lounge & Bar, then the Baan Isarn Muong Yoke 2 will soon be the Captain 33 Seafood & Lounge Bar. They should be opening later this month (February). We'll look in on them next time around.
What used to be the Elite Music Theater became the Escape Club (which lasted all of one month). Now just closed (RIP), it will soon be home to the currently-renovating Vegas Exclusive Club. Expectations are it will be rolling out the red carpet at the end of the month. Located across from Fire House, near the old Q Bar.
Last month, while we weren't looking, Five Star Bar did a quick 'change-of-clothes' from a lounge bar to a pool bar. New operant descriptor, same friendly service.
The Bangkok Beat continues to be unique on Soi Eden with live music and disco. It remains the most popular 'till-late Nitespot in that part of Sukhumvit Road.
Bangkok Eyes goes back in time to
see
Who was new - And who was through
in the Expat Night Entertainment world.
How many of these old 'oases'
do you remember ?
Patpong I
* That which was Chics became Chick. Located above today's King's Castle II, that real estate is currently the Club 66.
Patpong 2
*Patpong Snooker, 3rd floor (stairwell across from Foodland) was closed for more than one month. It would eventually reopen; it is still there today.
* Up on The Ramp, Club Abaniko closed it's doors. Located in the real estate currently occupied by King Corner Net.
* Also up on The Ramp, Lanna Thai closed it's doors. No Nitespot currently occupies that loc.
* And yet again, on The Ramp, Classic Cocktail Lounge closed it's doors. No Nitespot currently occupies that real estate.
Soi Cowboy
* No changes that month / year.
Nana Plaza
* A third 3rd floorNitespot was under renovation - it was intended become the Kinky, however, plans died on the vine. It would be several months, and several name changes on the 3rd floor before there would be three bars at that upper level.
*XTC opened up in it's old digs after renovations were completed. It was located in the corner which is now occupied by Rainbow 2.
Soi Katoey(Silom Soi 4)
*Tapas Cafe closed it's doors, but it was to be a temporary closure. They are still at that location today.
*Hyper The Un Pub opened above The Hype Restaurant & Bar. Hyper was located in what is now the Bearbie Bar. Neither Hype nor Hyper exists today.
*Helene's Place closed. It would reopen the following month as a Vietnamese Restaurant (same name).
*Spago Party House closed it's doors. Today that real estate is occupied by The Balcony.
*Divine, the upstairs half of Sphinx closed it's doors. Today that real estate is occupied by Fork & Cork (a Sphinx-owned establishment).
Buckskin Joe Village(~ October 1988 to
October 2006)
(Also known -originally- as Tobacco Road or Soi Rot Fai or,
'The Tracks', and later as Machim [Thai] and Soi Zero)
*Moon Bar newly opened in Bee Jay's digs, the Bee Jay's having gone out of business that month.
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
Cale Waddacor wrote an illustrated book on graffiti ( available on Amazon (link) ). Simply and straightforwardly named 'Graffiti South Africa'. It created a limited amount of 'buzz' - perhaps just enough to be picked up by, and featured on BBC. This has caused even more 'buzz'; the book is recently experiencing brisk sales. It has also caused South Africa, Johannesburg in particular, to become a 'destination' for the ever-growing international 'street artist' set.
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
This, in turn, has caught the eye of the public. The now-substantial amount of graffiti in Joburg has, in itself, become one of the city's more popular 'tourist attractions' (see
BBC coverage HERE). Joburg's tour companies were quick to pick up on this, and are now arranging bus tours to Joburg's 'walking galleries'. Street artists interviewed on-site in Joburg are more than willing to give glowing justifications for the worth and value of such art - to the extent that they are now in lock-step with the rest of the 'world art community' - or to say the same thing another way - the "artsy-fartsy" crowd.
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
Nevertheless, this fairly recent phenomenon has put the Joburg authorities between a rock and a hard place. Graffiti is not legal, however in that it has recently become such a boon to tourism, the Powers-That-Be are reluctant to mount a campaign to remove it, or to detain and prosecute the spraycan wunderkinder responsible. For the time being, the 'street art' stays put - as long as it is not overly obtrusive in the downtown area.
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
PATPONG I 
TOP
February's Nightlife News 
hirteen years, almost to the day, after Chuwit Kamolwisit orchestrated the 04:00 a.m. Mafia-style demolition of the Sukhumvit Square commercial area, the Supreme Court, on 28 January, sentenced 60 of the 131 defendents to 5 years in jail, and 6 defendents to 3 years in jail. Chuwit was among those sentenced to 5 years. However the Supreme Court reduced Chuwit's sentence to 2 years for compensating the victims (only very partially true), and for turning the Sukhumvit Square area into a public park.
Iink>
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