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BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -
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  itting the rewind button, back in early 1986, a person wandering down Sukhumvit Soi 33 after dark would have needed a flashlight. No Nitespots, no restaurants, the Novotel was soon to be in the throes of opening... But then, out of the blue (or is it the black?) a lounge bar by the name of Renoir Club 1841 opened right in the middle of the Soi.. And true to its name, the motif was of that French Impressionist painter. Little did we know... By the time Soi 33 had reached 'Critical Mass' as a Night Entertainment Area in 1999, and MIDNITE HOUR -somewhat tardily- 'took up the task', Soi 33 had a total of 16 Nitespots stretched out over its long expanses : -
Christies Club Napoleon Club 'Our Lounge' Blue Sky
'Entertainment Club' Blue Power Shaft Phoenix Lounge Vincent Van Gogh Mai 33 Massage Renoir Club 1841 Degas Luciano's Club Monet Chelsea Bar 33 Center Leo Club Bangkok 1994  SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
As the Soi grew over the years, so did the number of 'Impressionist Artist' lounges & clubs. As a result, the Soi found itself having several similar-sounding nicknames - the one most popular was "Soi Dead Artists". Alas, nothing lasts forever, and as new construction changed the very face of the Soi these last few years, the numer of Nitespots began to drop off rapidly. This included several of the favorite Impressionist Artist clubs. The last of these themed lounges, the Goya Club closed down January 2020; the remaining Venues on Soi 33 being now almost exclusively Japanese. Follows is a review of those Impressionist-themed bars - now to be found only in a dark corner of the historical archives...
- The Impressionist Artist Bars -
The Monet Club 
The Monet Club in its various iterations, neon signage, and locations within the Soi over the years . The top pic also shows the Dali-esque Club Dali signage (after the Monet moved in next door). Often mistaken for the "Manet" (also an Impressionist painter), the proof of the pudding was from the Thai language spelling.
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
The Renoir Club
The Renoir Club 1841 was the 'seminal venue' on the Soi - and for a number of years, the most successful. It paved the way for the follow-on Impressionist bars... After a brief close-down, it rebooted as Renoir 2015, however it did not survive for long...
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
The Vincent Van Gogh
The Vincent Van Gogh was the second of the Impressionist bars, arriving also in 1987, just after the Renoir...
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
< The Degas
The Degas, popular for a number of years, finally sold out to the Japanese...
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
The Dali Club
The Dali Club operated downstairs for the duration, later ceding part of their space to the again-relocating Monet. Upstairs they tried a Dali Pool, and then the Dali Coyote Club, neither of which lasted long.
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
The Gauguin Club
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
The Goya Club
The Goya Club was the last remaining Impressionist bar, having closed December 2019 to make way for yet another Japanese Nitespot.
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
 
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Let the February 2020 Follies
begin-
A for-the-archives pic of the Thigh Bar, a long-time survivor on Patpong 1.
PATPONG 1 The Patpong Museum continues to grow in popularity and numbers of visitors, yet there are still the several who ask of us, 'Where is it?' This month we feature their new, bolder signage - and a map showing the Museum's exact location. Also, last month, we noted the closure of the Candle Light Studio located on the 3rd level above the Bar Bar fetish bar, and noted it would become "something". Well, it has - it has become the Patpong Museum (an annex) - a multi-purposed studio-gallery-function venue (this month - a photo exhibitgion by Mauro D'Agati). See both Patpong Museum locations on the map below.
Follow The Yellow Brick Road
(Your personal map to the Patpong Museum)
PATPONG 2
Due to a crackdown by the Sign Ges tapos some time ago, the Bada Bing turned off, or removed, its neon, going under the name of its parent Venue, Twilo. (After that crackdown, the only evidence of 'Bada Bing' was the placards the door girls were holding up to lure customers). But, as time passed, 'sign-creep' saw the Bada Bing name becoming more and more prevalent. Today, the 'transformation' seems to be complete - they are now turning on the old neon (that which was not removed in the original crackdown)... Gotta' let the train roll on...
PATPONG 2
Having been around for more than 20 years, the Sam's 2000 is finally getting some signage up that is 'out there' where people can see it. May they keep on keeping on...
SOI COWBOY
The @ Corner also has nailed up some new neon. Lookin' good...
SOI COWBOY
NANA PLAZA The Rajah Hotel compound has a new Nitespot - the Goody Massage. But if it weren't for the masseuses working the signs and buttonholing passersby kerbside, no one would know it was there. One needs to walk in and around behind the giant tattoo parlor (which is always empty) to find it. May they continue to slip 'n slide....
SOI NANA - (SOI 4 SUKHUMVIT)
Some months back, Banana Bar on 4 found a place upstairs for the then-homeless Banana Room Club (an orphan from the Soi Twilight closure). Now the Banana Room Club has taken over both the 2nd level and the ground floor. All is status quo ante...
SOI KATOEY
The Exotic Bangkok massage moved from Soi Lemongrass over to the adjoining subsoi Hana. It moved into the Liola massage digs, which is now closed. It remains to be seen what will become of the previous Soi Lemongrass shophouse, if anything....
SOI 22
The Thai Candy massage has reopened, again in subsoi Lemongrass, this time all the way at the back of the soi. So, it's back to full-rub-a-dub-dub...
SOI 22
The chain-massage parlor Footjoy House lasted only one month before giving up the ghost. Soon to open in its place is the Iyashi Barber & Massage, unless of course, there are more massage parlor musical chairs that we are not privy to...
SOI 22
The Bar Black Pinky is just that - dark. Last month we promised a better photo, (below) but it is hardly 'better'. A dark place. Located deep in the Soi, may they somehow beat the 'location-location-location' odds...
SOI 22
The B52 Bar opened newly in subsoi Starlight, taking over the recently closed The Flower Club digs (we wonder where the two Flower Club cats went - the ones that were always asleep on the front table....). Note: this is the relocated B52 from the now nearly extinct Queen's Park Plaza. (Before that, the B52 relocated from Washington Square..... and before that, Cowboy Annex [Asoke Plaza]). ...Talk about a 'survivor'...
SOI 22
Last month we covered the opening of the One For The Road. We noted it was a single-shophouse... well, that has changed - they have claimed some additional streetside table space, and are offering a 'happy hour' special (but who isn't?). The times we have been past, they have always been busy. May their candle continue to burn...
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11)
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11)  SOI 7 PLAZA
(AKA "Nana Plaza @ 7")
The Soi 7 Plaza continues to expand rapidly - pushed to a great extent by the closing of Queen's Park Plaza (in progress for the last 3 months). The map immediately below shows the current status (21 Night Enertainment Venues) as per our 31 January 2020 survey. The map does not show where several of the lots are currently occupied by non Night Entertainment Venues, such as restaurants or other shops.
 Below are photos of the Nitespots opening since our last report. Their names are evidenced by their neon. The only Venue not shown is the Nice 'N Easy, which has had a soft opening a couple of days ago, but does not yet have any neon nailed up... See their location on the map.
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
SOI 7 PLAZA
Nitespots currently having closed during January 2020 :
* Crazy Cats - CLOSED. Never got past a 'soft opening' - its real estate was immediately absorbed by the new Players.
SOI 7 PLAZA
What had been happening by drips and drops (the closure of Queen's Park Plaza) has turned into a torrent. Our current survey showed only Monkey Business, Rumours, Lek Massage and Popeye2 still open (with Rumours and Lek Massage having electricity, the other two operating by candle-light). We note that the rest of the Night Entertainment Area is in various stages of demolition, and we anticipate that closure will be 100% complete within days (see report next month).
QUEEN's PARK PLAZA
We noted last month the closure of the last Impressionist Painter Bar, Goya, and that the Tokyo would be opening in its place. And that is what now has happened. And as also mentioned last month, we can now refer to Soi 33 as just another Japanese Night Entertainment Soi...
SOI DEAD
ARTISTS (Sukhumvit 33) Closed last month, the Club Kitty has reopened. Our surmisings that it was just having a long New Year's holiday were borne out... May they continue to continue...
SOI DEAD
ARTISTS (Sukhumvit 33) 
MAP
One of the unsung survivors on Soi Eden is Mikes Corner Bar (and Mike's Sport Bar add-on) - on the ground floor of Maxim's Inn, all the way at the end of the Soi. May they survive the vicissitudes...
SOI EDEN (Sukhumvit 7 / 1)
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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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William R. Morledge |
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February's Nightlife News 
