Thailand Night Fever

March 12, 2008

SOI COWBOY — WALK ON THE WILD WEST SIDE (PART 2)

After a few minutes of deliberation, the first go-go bar that we visited was Shark Go-Go Bar. For such a good go-go bar, Shark was quiet, and this was a Friday night. One positive thing about Shark Bar is that the drink prices are very reasonable. Most of the regular house beers are 125 Baht, which is very good by today’s prices. Shark Bar never feature any shows, but some guys might argue that the dancing dolls on stage is a show in itself. I think that Shark has a high level of attractive go-go dancers, but this does come at some price. Most of the dolly birds know that they are HOT and they will play on this. The hot babes here will not always approach guys (especially strangers) and therefore, they can appear standoffish. Furthermore, effort on your part is necessary if you want to meet and get to know the go-go dancers.

We finished our drinks and decided to move on to another go-go bar. Next stop was Coyote Bar, which was previously Apache Bar. We ventured inside… There was only one customer and a handful of go-go dancers were working the poles. Coyote is a small but a comfortable enough bar. A bar counter runs the entire length down one side, with a row of stools ringside, and a line of seating on the opposite side. The special counter serves as a go-go stage/coyote tabletop and a bar counter. Previously, I had enjoyed several fairly recent visits to Coyote Bar.

Many bars in Soi Cowboy are offering very cheap Happy Hours, so I was surprised why it was so quiet. Normally Soi Cowboy does well on Fridays and Saturdays, but not this particular Friday night for some reason. The girls are always friendly, but unfortunately, Coyote have recently lost some of their best go-go dancers. The problem at Coyote is that a number of its top dolly birds all stopped working around the same time. Some were deemed so HOT that they were bought out by customers who were eager to make them keepers. Although Coyote Bar is a fun and friendly place, they do need to replenish their line-up as soon as possible.

An alternative facility that is not immediately noticed in Coyote Bar is a special upstairs area. On the second level, Coyote provides private cubicles that are furbished with circular mirror tables and sofa seating. These private cubicles are closed off by a curtain on a rail. If you pay 500 Baht to the bar, you can acquire your very own “Private Dancer.” It is your decision if you want a lap dance, or a more “hands-on” experience. Your personal arrangement with the girl will have to be agreed upon, because that is extra. I like the concept of the private cubicles; it adds another dimension to Coyote Bar.

We were on the move again. Another one of my favourite go-go bars in Soi Cowboy is Rawhide. Again, it was very quiet. There were only a few go-go dancers on stage and just a scattering of customers. A friend and I commented that it was the quietest we had ever seen Rawhide on a Friday night, since we could remember. One of the Rawhide Showgirls came over to say hello to me. Well, that certainly brought a smile to my face, as the lovely Miss Kan politely said, “Sawatdee Ka.” We chatted for a while, but Kan had to go because she was due on stage. The Go-Go Guru of all people knows that you should never hold a showgirl up, especially when she is due to perform. Reluctantly I released the dolly bird and she fluttered off.

Tonight in Rawhide, the line-up was not at its best. But, apparently, there had been a big party for the Mamasan the night previously. One of the go-go girls said that some of the girls got, “Vely, vely dunk.” In fact, I heard that several girls were not just drunk, but completely smashed. Rawhide was generally low energy overall for a Friday night. Nothing against Rawhide, we just caught them on a bad night. Will I return to Rawhide? Yes, of course I will, it was just an off night.

When we walked into Long Gun, it was really starting to rock. Long Gun has recently taken on some new go-go dancers and the line-up has improved recently. They were not packed, but Long Gun had considerably more customers than Rawhide did. Just as I sat down, Ralf The Hat walked in, so I chatted to him for a while. I usually prefer Rawhide, but tonight Long Gun was the better of the two sisters. The Rock Show was well underway and as I settled in, I adjusted swiftly to the atmosphere. For the first time in the evening, we could feel the energy from both the showgirls on stage, and the pulsating rock music. The volume of customers added to the atmosphere. Rawhide Long Gun was the busiest go-go bar we had visited so far.

The strict “NO SMOKING” policy in Soi Cowboy made a pleasant change for us non-smokers. That is until something quite bizarre happened. Two Long Gun showgirls proceeded to smoke several cigarettes each. It was a special show, so you know the cigarettes were not in their mouths. Personally, I would have used the “NO SMOKING” law as the perfect excuse to axe this show. It’s remarkable! “NO SMOKING” off stage, but “SMOKING SHOW” is OK on stage. Only in Amazing Thailand could this happen! It was time to leave Long Gun.

After visiting Long Gun, I discovered that the most popular go-go bar that night was Tilac Bar. Even though Tilac is a large go-go bar, it had customers sat in every area of the bar, and outside as well. Tilac really has transformed itself into a modern hangout, carving out its own chunk of the go-go bar market. The extravagant remodel is obviously paying dividends! The elaborate use of ultraviolet lighting gives it an almost futuristic design, which complements the tabletop theme. One eccentric design feature can be found in the men’s toilet, because it has a window. Unfortunately, you can see inside the toilet, as well as out of it. Tilac has unsuccessfully attempted to copy the one-way mirror concept from Angelwitch Go-Go Bar in Pattaya. Who wants to look at blokes while they go to the toilet? Perhaps the practical aspects of the one-way mirror concept evaded them. So, when you use the little boy’s room in Tilac Bar, remember to stick to the job in hand. Because, not only Big Brother maybe watching!

NANA PLAZA — NEON JUNGLE NEWS

Due to maintenance work, the escalator in Nana Plaza has been closed. The entire stairway has been blocked off. This time the Nana Plaza management are doing a serious job on it. Also, the entrance to Nana Plaza remains completely void of motorbikes and other obstacles. Visitors to Nana Plaza can move in and out with no problem. More importantly, it keeps this space clear as an emergency exit. It is good to see that the Thais are sticking to the “NO PARKING” rule inside Nana Plaza.

The empty unit previously occupied by Farang Connection Bar has been taken over by the Rainbow Group. The old Farang Connection located next to Cathouse Bar on the middle level has been completely gutted. It is not certain what the new owners want to do with it at this stage, but at least this is positive news.

THE RETURN OF THE BIG MANGO BAR

There is good news on the horizon for followers of the Big Mango Bar. Some time has passed since the Big Mango Bar closed its doors in Nana Plaza, but Team Mango has secured a new location. Now that they have signed a new lease, the building of the new Big Mango can go ahead. Some of you will be pleased to know that the new bar located on lower Sukhumvit Road will open in approximately 8-12 weeks. Further reports indicate that the new Big Mango will be bigger and better than the previous establishment.

Incidentally, the former location of Big Mango Bar remains empty. (The Big Mango was formerly located above Lucky Lukes Bar in Nana Plaza). Things do not look likely to change any time soon, because the Indian lease landlord is demanding far too much rent and key money. Since it has remained empty for over four months, you would have thought that he would realise his asking price is too much.

PATTAYA — PLEASURE PLAYGROUND

Down in Pattaya there is an almighty battle for babes, as many go-go bars struggle to keep enough go-go dancers. With the number of go-go bars in Pattaya now exceeding 80, the competition between the go-go bars is fierce. Trade in many of the Pattaya bars has taken a nosedive. Only the most popular go-go bars maintain a high level of business on a nightly basis. Some might say that there is nothing too usual happening here, it is just the low season blues. However, some bar owners are already indicating that trade is very bad this year. In addition, it does not look like it is going to happen, but a restriction needs to be placed on the number of go-go bars. New go-go bars continue to be built and this creates a vicious circle. The Pattaya go-go bar scene is at total saturation point.

Furthermore, some of the salaries paid to go-go dancers and showgirls are considerably higher than in Bangkok. There are a few go-go bars in Pattaya that are paying DOUBLE the salaries of the go-go bars in Bangkok.

Pattaya continues to attract families, couples and increasing numbers of Eastern Europeans, but not so many go-go bar hoppers. Surprisingly, it would appear that cheap package holidays, continue to draw families to Pleasure Playground. This may come as a bit of a shock to some people, but this is what is happening. Ever since Russian citizens were granted a 30 day visa upon arrival, there are HUGE numbers of Russians coming to Pattaya. With the steady increase in couples and families, this will only raise prices even further. Therefore, Pattaya could well become even more of a tourist trap than it is now. There seems no end in sight to Pattaya’s constant expansion. For instance, who will live in the abundance of apartments and condominiums?

MISTYS MYTHS

Currently, Mistys Go-Go Bar will remain open for business in Soi Pattayaland 2 until approximately the middle of April. Building is underway for the new Mistys Go-Go Bar, which will hopefully be open just after the Songkran festival. Mistys will relocate opposite Angelwitch Go-Go Bar in Soi 15 just off Walking Street. The bigger and better Mistys promises to be stylishly designed. To guarantee this, a considerably large amount of money is being pumped into the project. This information has come directly from the owner to dispel any Mistys myths. Check the latest updates about Mistys Go-Go Bar by clicking on the banner below…

MOONSHINE PUB DARTS COMPETITION

The Moonshine Pub located on Sukhumvit, Soi 22 are hosting a darts competition. Contestants will battle away at a 501 Double Elimination Knockout. The event is this Saturday, March 15th and it starts at 8:00pm. The entrance fee is 300 Baht, which goes towards the players bar bill. Moonshine Pub will be handing out trophies, prizes and free food. The pub grub includes Wassana’s famous fried chicken wings! An event NOT TO MISS for all darts enthusiasts!

XXX FILES — LIFE’S A FUNNY OLD GAME

“I told my wife the truth. I told her I was seeing a psychiatrist. Then she told me the truth: that she was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers and a bartender.” (Rodney Dangerfield).