Backed-up sewers caused more Soi Cowboy flooding Wednesday, with bar owners pointing fingers and blaming the smelly effuse for slumping business.
Soi Cowboy flooding first was reported Feb. 1, with the Neon Alley wet from Stumble Inn to Cowboy 2. There was no obvious outlet for the water, but itβs clear the Soi Cowboy flooding started on the south side of the alley, either Stumble Inn, Cowboy 2 or the bars between them: Suzie Wong, Jungle Jimβs or Moonshine Joint.
Those In the Know Silent About Soi Cowboy Flooding
No one with any knowledge of the source or the reason was talking about the Soi Cowboy flooding, but others were.
One north-side bar owner, with more than 20 years on the Neon Alley, looked around his half-full go-go bar and complained that business was slow because of the Soi Cowboy flooding. People clearly were put off by the suspect water and faint smell of urine and feces. Better to just walk off the Soi than walk through the Soi Cowboy flooding, he reasoned.
But he also pointed the finger at the Soi Cowboy bar community at large.
Soi Cowboy flooded with sewer backup again. pic.twitter.com/DL4c5sUEPR
— DAVE THE RAVE (@DaveRaveBangkok) February 5, 2025
βThis would never happen at Nana Plaza,β said the owner, who also has had interests in the Soi 4 complex.
Nana Plaza Better Prepared
Nana, in fact, has its share of sewer problems. Sewage lines have backed up numerous times inside ground-floor bars including Lollipop and Obsession, washing out of the toilets into the main bar. But the problems were quickly addressed.
And, as the Soi Cowboy bar boss said, such things would never happen in Nana Plazaβs common areas.
In his view, itβs yet one more reason Soi Cowboy continues to lag behind Nana Plaza in terms of customer volume and experience. If bar owners could get together β let alone actually agree on something β the entire Soi Cowboy experience would be better.
A couple of Cowboy βold handsβ on Wednesday recalled that there used to be semi-regular meetings of all the alleyβs bar owners. Policies and plans were voted on and agreed to. But, in the end, the meetings stopped because bar owners would βdo what they wantedβ as soon as the meeting was over.
Cowboy Bosses Canβt Even Agree to Disagree
One bar owner recalled that, in the past, all the bar owners agreed to stop nudity in the bars to lower the police pressure. It was voted on and agreed to. And that night, the same bars went back to βshowingβ again.
If the Neon Alleyβs bar bosses could actually work together, the street would be repaved and leveled. Sewer and flood-draining pipes could be improved. And, the biggest item, a roof could be built over the entire alley, nullifying one onf Nana Plazaβs biggest advantages over Soi Cowboy.
Oh, and things like the current Soi Cowboy flooding wouldnβt happen.
If only β¦
