MIDNITE HOUR - 01 July 2023

In the last half of the approximately 2 1/2 years of the Pandemic there were some partial, short-lived reopenings of the Night Entertainment Areas in Bangkok (outside serving only, no dancing, masks, etc). There were also several bars surreptitiously opening � la 'speakeasy', which could be found city-wide, to include at the Soi 7 Plaza / 7 Center Point, so there were the telltale signs that it was far from 'dead'. But the Soi 7 Nitespot Area's woes were not over - even after Thailand had allowed the other Bangkok Night Entertainment Areas to reopen. Jiggery-pokery of the highest order at the Soi 7 Plaza / 7 Center Point was rampant - by either the land owner or the Men-In-Too-Tight-Uniforms, or "Those with Military Connections", or all three, - as they continued to keep it in lockdown (see photo below). During this period, the Venues at the back of the Soi 7 Plaza / 7 Center Point compound on the South side were demolished, ostensibly for a 'carpark' (the carpark never materialized). Recently, what remained of the Soi 7 Plaza / 7 Center Point (after the partial demolition) has fully reopened, and it is once again one of the busier Nitespot Areas in Bangkok.

Traces of Bangkok's Early Years

On the opening of two all-night Venues, (the coffee shops at the Grace Hotel and the Thermae Turkish Bath), the pre-Soi Cowboy Sukhumvit Road era was born. Together with the then-recently opened Coffee Shop at the Nana Hotel, ladies-of-the-evening and expat nightcrawlers were within walking distance of what would become three notorious freelancer havens of Nighttime entertainment. From this point onward in Bangkok's Nightlife history, ever more bars would be opening in the 'lower Sukhumvit area'. Meanwhile, Bangkok's 'more respectable' Venues continued to bring in top-name Entertainment from abroad....

The above photo advertisement puts to rest the often mooted and regularly debated question of when the Thermae Coffee Shop actually opened. Completely by chance we found this clipping announcing their opening day in the 30 October 1966 edition of the Bangkok World newspaper. The Thermae was, like many such Venues, primarily a turkish bath massage parlor with add-on Coffee Shop and barber shop. It was the basement Coffee Shop, however, that became the notorious all-night 'underground' freelancer Venue of infamy. Touted as both the best and worst of Bangkok's Night Entertainment Venues, the Coffee Shop outlived (by a decade) the upstairs turkish bath and barbershop, finally closing down, and relocating two doors down to Ruamchit Mansion on 18 July 1996, where it continues to thrive. 30 October 1966

Opening just two days before the (aforementioned) Thermae Coffee Shop was the Grace Hotel. It's Coffee Shop (captured in the above historic photo) would become yet another notorious freelancer bar - taking advantage of its 'in-hotel' status to remain open 24 /7.
The Coffee Shops of the Grace Hotel, Nana Hotel and the Thermae Turkish Bath would regularly bear witness to streams of freelancers as well as farangs coursing on foot, taxi or samlor from one of the three venues to another, in an attempt to maximize their dusk-till-dawn 'opportunities'. Not uncommon was the sight of a farang sharing a samlor ride with freelancers going from the Grace to the Thermae. October 1966

The Keynote Club / Restaurant continued to be one of the more popular venues in the growing Patpong Road scene. .

October 1966

The Sani Chateau in the Gaysorn Night Entertainment Area continued to outshine other Bangkok Nitespot Venues bringing in a number of first class international entertainers. American singing star Johnny Mathis was in town for a one-night gig in October of 1966. October 1966

The Cafe De Paris. located on Surawong Road immediately opposite Patpong 1 (and in front of the Montien Hotel) was popular, not only for its live entertainment, but its friendly hostesses. October 1966

The Honey Night Club had a very popular run in the late 1960's but it wasn't to last. Located on Suriwong Road between the New Road and Patpong Entertainment Areas, it relied heavily on the Manhora and Trokadero hotels. With the later rise of the Patpongs and the eventual downsizing of the New Road Night Entertainment Area, the Honey Night Club could not continue to stay in business.

October 1966

The Heaven Turkish Bath on Surawong Rd. was close enough to New Road to be considered to be within the then-central business district of Bangkok. At that juncture, the nightlife in that part of town was it's own considerable, and quite popular 'Night Entertainment Area'. But the handwriting was already on the wall, what with the growing interest in the Patpong Road area, it was only a matter of time before New Road would lose its glamor and its status as "Business District"...

October 1966

It wouldn't seem that a massage parlor on Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Soi Asoke) in the mid-1960's would be an advantageous location, but the Nikko Onsen was in fact near JUSMAGTHAI facilities on that soi, to include a youth center and a bowling alley.

October 1966

Patpong 2's Plaza Hotel (today's Pavillion Hotel) was home to two Nitespots : the Thai Room and the Other Office (see clipping above). The Other Office survives today as the Old Other Office Bar and is the longest standing Nitespot on the Patpongs.

October 1966

Located on Silom Road about half way from Patpong Road to Deja Road, the Nancy was outside of the mainstream Night Entertainment areas.

October 1966