BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -
1927 - 2016
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BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -
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1927 - 2016
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It's been just over three years since MIDNITE HOUR has done a complete MAPS update, and we have just about run out of excuses. Below are Bangkok's twelve major Expat Night Entertainment Area maps - as of 01 October 2016. Note : Maps are provided for the major Expat Entertainment Areas only (those areas that have reached 'critical mass'), and do not cover the many smaller areas in and around Bangkok.
Soi Ho Karn Kha. Never heard of it? Neither did we until the stories began trickling in. How could we have been so remiss (?) - a Night Entertainment Area in our own back yard, as yet unvisited. This was something that had to be investigated at the first opportunity.
This last weekend, armed with notepad and camera, we made our way down to Soi Ho Karn Kha (Soi Chamber of Commerce), hoping to discover the next big break-out of Night Entertainment in Bangkok. Well, as is almost always the case, unbridled optimism goes hand-in-hand with unrealistic expectations. While it was indeed an active Soi, there were very few active Nitespots (see map above).
Having no historical perspective, we took a trip up and down Soi Ho Karn Kha in Google Street View, and we noticed a number of Nitespots that are no longer there. This is an indication that the Nightscene there is contracting. Unless and until we hear of something positive, we will not be making a return visit.
We note that the Soi has a number of small restaurants, to include Japanese, which might be of interest to the intrepid Bangkok explorer. And if you do have the urge to have a look at what there is of a Nightscene, we would suggest you try the In Love - very popular, and very Thai-Thai.
Let the October 2016 Follies begin...
BANGKOK EYES' Expat Night Scene.
The upstairs Club 66 started out with a bang back in October of 2007 when they took over from the totally lame Thai Food Restaurant & Pool Bar. But then, they started making changes - selling tickets downstairs for the first drinks (another name for 'Cover Charge'), even before the customer has seen the Venue.... Soon they had rightfully earned the tainted reputation of a 'typical upstairs bar'. The premises now stripped and empty, it was only a matter of time before the grim reaper took them down....
 PATPONG 1
Any more, if a bar on the Patpongs is closed by extra-judicial police action, the street-justice meted out is usually a 2 month closure, regardless of the infringement. And, what with the Patpong family renewing leases for only a year at a time, a two month closure is, economically, the kiss of death. As it has just happened with Kiss, so it happened with Pussy Connection before it.... How painful it is for the old-timers to see Patpong die this slow death....
PATPONG 1
PATPONG 2
The original Spanky's, born many years ago in Sukhumvit Corner (Corner of Asoke & Sukhumvit Road) made the move to Patpong 2 when Sukhumvit Corner was closed down by the landowners. They at first tried to get the old Mike's Place up and running, but when that didn't work, they opened up a small beer bar in the just-closed Sidewalk Cafe Bar in July of 2005. All of that is just a single bit of historical minutiae now, however, as those digs are currently being renovated for use by others. May they find that proverbial greener grass...
PATPONG 2
The Triple 888 Massage is just a month old, and located in a spot that you wouldn't be able to find unless you had one of the streetside masseuses guide you up. Located up on The Ramp, but then, up another unmarked, poorly lit flight of stairs. A viable selection of healthy-looking masseuses. Welcome them to the slippery slope.
PATPONG 2
A quick pic For the Archives of the Country Road music bar. One of the Soi's older Venues.
SOI COWBOY
NANA PLAZA
A sneak preview of Rainbow Four's new neon. It's 'Rainbow Four', unless you want it to be 'Rainbow 5'; you get to choose. A novel idea, no?
NANA PLAZA
Temptations also have some new neon up. This time advising quite clearly that they are a 'ladyboy bar'. On the superfluous side, however, as I don't know anyone who didn't know, or who wouldn't know this, should they walk past.
NANA PLAZA
Jools had been talking about pulling the pin for some months now, however this last month they stuffed the last chit in the last plastic cup. One of the 'Old Timers' on the Soi, they were talking about how rising rents (leases) were killing them. The obverse of that coin is they just weren't doing any business to speak of. May they find things more to their liking a little further on down the road a piece.
SOI NANA
Last month the Rajah Hotel began massive renovations of the Soi Nana side of their premises. This caused the closing of 10 Nitespots (Strikers and G Terminal having previously moved out). Below are pics of those bars closed this last month, some of which have, or, are relocating (Strikers, Chaos 9, Rest Hub), and others which will go out of business. Three remaining venues on the Soi 2 side of the hotel are Annies Massage, The Mexican and the Sabaidee Massage.
SOI NANA
A for-the-archives pic of G's Bangkok and their signage on Soi Katoey.
SOI KATOEY (Silom Soi 4)
The small soi running down just to the right of Titanium Ice Bar (which we call Soi Titanium) has a few Nitespots worthy of exploration.
SOI 22 (Sukhumvit)
The Happy Pub Bar in Soi Starlight has reopened (again). We shall hereby cease to report their frequent closings and reopenings, and get back atcha should it go down for the count....
SOI 22 (Sukhumvit)
The Bear Hug Momiya Massage is either open, or it is not. However, when we pass by at night on monthly surveys it is often not. If it is open just in the daytime, then it is not a 'Nitespot', and if this the case, we will be dropping it from the listings. We'll drop back for one final look....
SOI 22 (Sukhumvit)
In the 'We Don't Make Mistrakes Department', we previously listed this Nitespot as the 'Telephono' (it was the only sign we saw). However, those in-the-know have advised that the correct name is Havana Social. The dearth of signage is silent testament to it's 'word-of-mouth' reputation. And 'word-of-mouth' works just fine - extremely busy on weekends. As mentioned before, this club is unique - if you haven't visited yet, you are the loser. It has an upstairs that is ostensibly for cigar smokers, however we saw no one smoking the other evening. The Havana Social is reportedly the stepchild of the Above Eleven, just across the street.
SOI AMBASSADOR (Sukhumvit 11)
Gone, but not gone, the Check Inn 99 has found it's second new home in less than a year. Their initial effort to relocate to Soi 24 almost worked, but didn't - the devil being in the details of the share-agreement with the Admiral's Pub & Restaurant. Chris C. Smith says -after just a little over two weeks in the new digs - "Now we are finally home." 'Home', by the way, is the upstairs of Zaks, just across the street from the Ambassador Hotel. New signage is coming soon, as is the sprucing up of the extensive balcony areas. Nothing else has changed, the Philippine singers are still on board, jazz evenings are still on the slate.... Welcome them back to the nightcircus.
SOI AMBASSADOR (Sukhumvit 11)
Bundy's Bar has a make-over, signage-wise. They are now including Chaos 9 on their marquee. You may have noticed that the Chaos 9 was just closed down in the Rajah Hotel complex due to extensive renovations to the hotel - this appears to be a consolidation. May they keep on keeping on.
QUEEN's PARK PLAZA (Sukhumvit 22)
Mojos mojo ain't workin'. Nor will it be ever again - if the signs posted on the outer door are accurate. They state plainly that this is a PERMANENT closure. Perhaps they have found a way out from under it all....
SOI DEAD ARTISTS (Sukhumvit 33)
The bar beer Shots Bar was closed down for some reason last month, but they are back at it, full steam, this time around. Welcome back to the sharkpool.
SOI EDEN (Sukhumvit 7/1)
Great shades of Nana Plaza's long-defunct Mermaidium, only this time around, it will all be happening on Bangkok's gay soi.
SOI TWILIGHT
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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) 
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October's Nightlife News 
