Thailand Night Fever

June 14, 2007

NIGHT FEVER NEWSFLASH

It’s official, the party is on! In a remarkable turnaround the powers that be in Bangkok have lifted the early closing restrictions. Hooray! Cheers of joy and sheer relief echo throughout Thailand. Initially this will not make a big difference to some nightlife entertainment areas in Thailand, but for the bars that were suffering 1:00am closing this is of paramount importance. Just recently Thailand’s nightlife areas have suffered such a drought of customers that it will take time for the word to spread, and for consumer confidence to return. That aside, this means that Night Fever fans can once again enjoy themselves and (hopefully) party until their hearts content.

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Currently all of the go-go bars in Bangkok are open until at least 2:00am. Down in Pattaya the go-go bars can remain open until at least 3:00am, but there is talk of allowing the Pattaya bars and clubs to stay open until possibly 5:00am. At this point in time it has not been confirmed and will still depend to some degree upon local police policy. For those that are planning to hit the town they can be (almost) assured of these later closing times. Many of us are all too aware of how unpredictable this land of many contrasts can be, so we can never take our eyes off the ball. However, the initial outlook is promising and these recent decisions appear to be very positive. So, have the authorities seen the light? Well, there is no guaranteeing that but I think it is essential for a country that relies on tourism to rethink its strategies. I do not want to seem ungrateful but it is about time Thailand got its act together regarding these matters. Come on Thailand, open up don’t close up!

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT

I find that no matter what nightlife establishments do they cannot alter certain trends. Many party people in the Land Of Sanuk have the tendency to start their evenings late. I know that there are some guys in Pattaya who do not go out until at least midnight. No matter how cheap the booze is, no matter how great the free food is, no matter how fantastic the entertainment is — for some guys it remains an unalterable human habit. My friend Khun Leigh and I were discussing this and we both agreed that it is close to impossible to change this nocturnal nature in some people. Similar to other creatures of the night these guys rarely ever see daylight. This is why the later closing hours are so essential to Thailand’s nightlife scene. The party people out there want to immerse themselves in the pulsating atmosphere that to some degree is like nowhere else on the planet. If you go out too early Pattaya appears to be devoid of any action or atmosphere. But, the fact is the party has not even started in the go-go bars and clubs until later on. Remember that most go-go bars in Pattaya do not even open their doors until 8:00pm. During the afternoon and early evening you can visit the multitudes of beer bars and pubs. Some of my friends laugh at me when I say that Pattaya is a late night party place. I am trying to advise them not go to Walking Street too early, because the night is still young. A typical sarcastic comment is something like, “Thanks Mum, I never realized that.” What I am endeavoring to reveal to them is that the Walking Street area does not start to get going until later than the other areas. Whatever time you decide to visit the go-go bars and clubs in Bangkok, you should add on an hour or two. One other reason for not hitting the go-go bars too early is that you have to allow time for the superstars to arrive. By “superstars” I do not mean Hollywood movie stars, but those elite pole performers that embellish the pleasure palaces in Pleasure Playground.

NANA PLAZA – NEON JUNGLE NEWS

A small fire broke out in an air-conditioning unit near Erotica Bars stairway. Thais from surrounding bars responded immediately and in a joint effort they managed to extinguish the fire. When the Thais have a common goal they are a strong team. The Rescue Services arrived shortly after and assessed that the fire was extinguished. Thick black smoke drifted right into Morning Night Bar and some people ran for safety. Because the fire was contained so quickly Nana Plaza was only slightly disturbed. However, Morning Night Bar was not back to normal for two hours. A few other surrounding bars were slightly affected by the smoke.

It feels like Nana Plaza has been in a time warp, because we have been jolted right back to where we were not so long ago. While it is great to see the later closing times reinstated, it will take a bit of time for everybody to readjust. This includes the Thais too. When it was first announced I did not exactly see too many smiling faces. Some Thais undoubtedly fell into a cozy little comfort zone and got used to the shorter working hours. Hey guys, why wouldn’t they? The lack of customers after 1:00am also shows that the customers need to readjust too. This is very good news for everybody involved with Nana Plaza and of course all of Thailand’s numerous nightspots. Some of the go-go in Nana Plaza have remained open until after 2:00am on some nights, so these are indeed encouraging signs. Enjoy!

SHOOTING STAR

One go-go bar that has risen like a shooting star in Nana Plaza is Mandarin. Squashed right into the corner of floor 2 next to Silver Dragon, inside the entrance is a narrow flight of stairs that leads you into a small, square-shaped pleasure palace. WARNING! Be careful when descending the narrow staircase, especially if you are more than just a bit tipsy. Mandarin will probably never ever be the pulsating place it once was, but they are giving it a good try. I give them top marks for at least making an effort to provide good entertainment. There are some hot babes among the strengthened line-up of pole performers. The music has improved because DJ Gong, who was formerly a DJ at Hollywood 2 has joined the team. After the restrictions came into action Mandarin lost the use of the glass ceiling, because “showing” in Nana Plaza became forbidden. At one time Mandarin was full of young dolly birds who were flashing their wares underneath skimpy skirts. When all of that was outlawed Mandarin really struggled, but she has bounced back in style. Check it out!

SHAKERZ COYOTE CLUB

There is some very exciting news for Soi Nana because the areas first ever coyote club/go-go bar will open in approximately two weeks time. This will be the first coyote club and go-go bar outside of Nana Plaza. There will also be more go-go bars due to open around the Soi 6 and Soi 4 area, but Shakerz is the first. The snazzy Shakerz Coyote Club will be located above Swan Pool Bar, which is situated right on the corner of Soi 6. The owners are confident that Shakerz will make an impact upon the Bangkok nightlife scene. Shakerz will not just be another coyote bar because they will also incorporate go-go dancing to compliment the coyote dancers. The concept is in place and the opening is in the final stages. So far the biggest challenge has proved to be recruitment, but the owners tell me that they are getting the right girls to shake it. Coyote dolly birds will perform on a nightly basis from 10:00pm until 2:00am for 3-5 songs with go-go dancers’ pole performing in rotation with the coyote dolly birds. With special shows planned too this sounds like a very interesting concept. I will keep you informed about the opening night. Get ready Night Fever fans because Shakerz is coming soon!

MEXICAN SUNRISE

Sunrise Tacos is a recently established authentic Mexican grill, that serves delicious burritos and tacos. There are a range of other mouthwatering Mexican delights on the reasonably priced menu. This long awaited Mexican haven is located on the left as you enter the Leader Price complex between Sukhumvit, Soi 12 and Soi 14. (This section of Sukhumvit Road is right next to the Times Square building). My American friends and other Mexican cuisine admirers, know how rare good Mexican food is in Thailand. Conveniently situated Sunrise Tacos has facilities to enjoy your meal on the premises, or if you prefer they will wrap it to go. The owners would like to let you all know that Sunrise Tacos are OPEN 24 HOURS.