Thailand Night Fever

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Chinese New Year Dragon - Bangkok - ThailandOK, it is a day early, but I want to wish all of you the very best of luck for the Year Of The Rat.Β  Chinese New Year’s falls on February 7th β€” 9th this year.Β  Hey guys, not sure if you are into Chinese, but you could treat yourself to a takeaway.Β  Just pay bar for a little sweet and sour, or a spicy chick!Β  You will instantly know that it is the Chinese New Year festival known as β€œTrut Chin” in Thailand, because the noise of cymbals clashing, drums bashing and firecrackers exploding permeates the atmosphere. This very distinctive sound echoes throughout Thailand and nowhere more prevalent than in Chinatown in Bangkok. Tomorrow evening in Chinatown the procession of lion and dragon dancers will entertain the onlookers.Β  The Chinese do not do things in half measures and this delightful festival is by far one of the most colourful and exciting events in Thailand.

Chinese-Thai Babe - Bangkok - ThailandThis year will see the 116th anniversary of the founding of Chinatown on Yaowarat Road.Β  Traditionally it is not only a joyful celebration, but a time for the Chinese and β€œJeen-Thai” or Chinese-Thais of mixed descent to pay homage to their ancestors.Β  Amid a sea of red and gold (the traditional colours), this lively and vivid festival will pack Chinatown out with spectators. To draw a Western comparison, this very special festival is like the equivalent of Christmas and New Year’s Eve mixed together.

Ever since the Chinese migrated to Siam towards the end of the Ayutthaya Period (1350-1767 A.D.), they have become integrated deeply into the City of Angels.Β  It is estimated that as much as one third of Bangkokian blood is from Chinese descent.

Bangkok Properties Thailand

A SOJOURN TO SOI COWBOY β€” PART TWO

After leaving Long Gun, I immediately discovered that Raw Hide was the busier of the two sister bars.Β  There were clearly more customers and more action.Β  By this time, the Rock Show in Raw Hide was an explosion of acrobatics.Β  WHAM!Β  One of the showgirls lands heavily after performing a 360% back flip.Β  With just the poles for leverage, the timing has to be spot on.Β  The showgirls have to fly into it and go beyond the point of no return.Β  It is always fascinating to see several Raw Hide showgirls all performing go-go acrobatics upon the oblong stage at the same time.Β  I guess that has to be HOT work, because various items of clothing were being stripped off throughout the routine.Β  The Rock Show in Raw Hide is far more than your stereotypical striptease.Β  The showgirls were lovely and no doubt getting a buzz from a good-sized audience.Β  For bargirls, the Raw Hide showgirls are very talented young dolly birds.Β  In this particular field, namely the awe-inspiring acrobatics,Β Dave The RaveΒ remains impressed and I truly admire their stage skills.

LONG GUN VS RAW HIDE β€” BATTLE OF THE BABESΒ 

From my assessment about Long Gun VS Raw Hide, most people agree that Raw Hide is currently the more popular of the two go-go bars.Β  This may come as a shock to die hard Long Gun fans, but it is true.Β  The shows in Raw Hide are more stylish overall.Β  Although, some people might say that there is not much difference between them.Β  We know that there is no accounting for taste, but I think some of the shows in Long Gun are crude and degrading.Β  Therefore, the Patpong style β€œmagic pussy shows” in Long Gun do let the place down.Β  Combined with the fact that the owner Khun Min, bases herself in Raw Hide, this is the deciding factor for me.Β  Watching a showgirl use her private parts to do unsightly and unnatural acts with bizarre stage props is certainly not to my liking.Β  The tourists might get off on it, but the vast majority of decent people that I know, clearly do not like it.Β  However, I can see the reason behind it though.Β  Khun Min is trying to differentiate between her two show bars, rather than be merely mirrors of each other.Β  In my opinion Raw Hide wins the contest and is therefore my favourite of the pair.

WHY WAI?Β 

GO-GO DANCING PRAYING WITH HER CLOCK CARD - BANGKOK - THAILANDI finished my 65 Baht bottle of water, and then I smiled to the service girl on the way out.Β  I think a smile, a nod, a verbal thank you, and even a polite hug, are all usually acceptable within the boundaries of the β€œThai Way Code.”  But we should remember that regarding any physical contact with a Thai person (OK, bargirls can be an exception), discretion should be utilised, even if you think you know the person well.Β  But, in my opinion, we should not initiate a β€œwai” with the service girls.Β  I’m not sure if you agree, but unless you clean the toilets in their go-go bar, you are on a higher social standing.Β  Also, do not forget that it is not cool for a 50-year-old farang man to wai a 20-year-old service girl.Β  It looks absolutely absurd!Β  Age is of paramount importance in Thai society.Β  Traditional Thais believe that proper respect must be given to elders.Β  You can lose that respect if you β€œwai” a service girl who is less than half your age!Β  That would be like a Japanese man β€œbowing” to his daughter.Β  If you don’t want to β€œlose face” and misuse an ancient Thai custom, please heed this advice.Β 

Moving on, I briefly peered into Black & White Go-Go Bar, which is next door to Sam 2000 Bar.Β  Nothing caught my eyes or ears, so I decided to visit another bar.Β  I managed to dodge Jumbo and the hard sell mahout, and escaped into Cactus Bar.Β  It was approaching 9:30pm, but there were only two dancers on stage.Β  Not surprisingly, there were no customers inside Cactus Bar.Β  Do not give up on Cactus though, because I suspect that they were just having an off night… Remember the song; β€œTell me why I don’t like Mondays?”  An off night can happen to the best of establishments.Β  Then, I looked in through the doorway of Jungle Jim’s, but all I saw was a scattering of bored bargirls lounging around… humming the Monday blues.

Hypnotherapy - Bangkok - Thailand

SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKSΒ 

With Sanook Shaun and Nath in tow, it was time to visit Shark Bar.Β  By a wide margin, Shark Go-Go Bar had the most attractive line-up out of all the bars we visited that night.Β  Shark was also the busiest go-go bar that we had visited so far.Β  We were certainly not swimming with the sharks, because these were playful dolphins.Β 

SOI COWBOY - BANGKOk - THAILANDI acknowledged the friendly French owner Frankie and settled into my seat.Β  The place was almost full and it was a Monday night.Β  Shark Bar were obviously doing a lot right to attract such a lot of customers.Β  I noticed a sign on the wall stating that Shark’s Sunday Special is tequila shots at only 70 Baht.Β  A daily Happy Hour runs from 4:30 β€” 8:30pm, where domestic drinks are only 70 Baht each.Β  Sounds like a great drinks deal to me!Β  The music was a mixture of pop and dance music, which was playing at a comfortable sound level.Β  The go-go dancers filled the stage, as they elegantly moved to the beat.Β  The dolly birds in Shark Bar wear translucent tops and mini skirts.Β  One difference to the norm is that the go-go dancers wear high-heeled shoes.Β  The straps from the shoes crisscross around their ankles and shins, which gives a stylish look.Β  Almost every single go-go dancer had a firm figure.Β  It was a pleasant change to see unmarked bodies with no visible scars, or tattoos.Β  Thankfully, the go-go dancers’ stomachs had no hideous maps of the world.Β  Shark is a great eye candy store!Β  (Part Three of β€œA Sojourn To Soi Cowboy” continues next week.Β  Stay tuned folks!).

SHAKERZ COYOTE CLUB - SOI NANA - BANGKOK - THAILAND

NANA PLAZA β€” NEON JUNGLE NEWS

Mercury Go-Go Bar on the middle level in Nana Plaza has temporarily closed.Β  I discovered that mercury Bar has been taken over by the owner of Erotica Go-Go Bar.Β  The interior has been gutted and it is currently being renovated.Β  Thai staff told me last night that the new look Mercury Bar is due to open in a few weeks.Β  Hopefully, with a full renovation Mercury Bar will be able to make an impact on the go-go bar scene in Nana Plaza.

On Monday night, there was an electrical fire inside the DJ box in Obsession Go-Go Bar (ground level next to Rainbow 2).Β  It caused a black out in Nana Plaza for a few minutes.Β  It was around 8:30pm and most of Nana Plaza was in darkness, except the bars at the very front, which work on a different electrical circuit.Β  Nana Plaza management and Thai men from nearby bars ran in and extinguished the fire.Β  Thick black smoke filled Obsession Bar, but luckily, Obsession has a lot of firefighters with hoses!Β 

DEAN BARRETT THAILANDΒ Β 

BAR CODE β€” MEMORY SPAN OF A GOLD FISH

No matter how many times we remind our staff to follow instructions, they often forget.Β  This is regrettably one of those irritating Thai traits, but you have to learn to live with it.Β  At times, some Thais have the memory span of a gold fish.Β  They tend to drift off into a little world of their own.Β  I am sure a lot of you have noticed this from time to time.Β  These β€œdaydream believers” will conveniently forget what you told them a few seconds ago.Β  Bless β€˜em!Β  Er… sorry, where was I?Β  Oops!Β  I forgot for a moment.Β  I guess I am turning into a Thai…Β 

The reason for this forgetfulness relates to the general laid-back style of the Thai people.Β  I always joke that if the Thais were any more laid-back they would be horizontal.Β  Of course, we like the Thais when they are calm, cool and collected, but it does come with some side effects.Β  Let me explain…

From my close working relationship with the Thais, I have observed some of their characteristics.Β  Because the Thais usually tend to be patient and passive people, their minds linger precariously on autopilot.Β  If you are aware of this Thai characteristic, you will have a greater understanding of Thai mentality.Β  When the Thai style is so relaxed, naturally so is their brain and that’s when the fun starts!Β  Miss Forgetfulness rears her dizzy head at the most inconvenient of times, but just remain jai yen (cool hearted), and see the funny side of it.Β  OK, the service girl brings you the wrong drink.Β  Just smile and order again.Β  Play the memory lottery game and you might just get lucky… β€œWe have a winner!”  The cute, young service girl ambles over with a bottle of San Mig Lite, instead of a packet of Marlboro Lights!Β  A common error when ordering drinks is getting β€œBlack” mixed up with β€œJack.”  A simple solution is to say, β€œJack Daniels.”  And likewise say, β€œJohnnie Walker Black” or β€œBlack Label.” 

ANGELWITCH GO-GO BARS - BANGKOK & PATTAYA - THAILANDΒ 

Another important point to remember is that the service girls hear hundreds of different accents, so make sure that you speak slowly and clearly.Β  Unless you can order in perfectly clear Thai with perfect β€œsiang wanayook” (sounds of the Thai language), then please understand that mistakes will happen.Β  Regarding the English language, Bangkok Barry was telling me about the time he worked with a fellow Englishman from Newcastle.Β Β  Although they were both native Englishmen, Bangkok Barry had a hard time understanding his co-workers version of English.Β 

Being a service girl in a busy go-go bar is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination.Β  In fact, the service girls are the foot soldiers, and they often have the hardest job of all in the popular go-go bars.Β  Some Westerners can be VERY impatient, but just remember what it is like being a service girl.Β  Try putting yourself in her shoes.Β  Would you like to be shouted at in full view of others?Β  This section contains my suggestions, so have a think about it.

BLUE BARTENDER - BAR & RESTAURANT SOFTWARE - BANGKOK - THAILAND

KEEP YOUR COOL AND YOU WILL KEEP YOUR DIGNITYΒ 

TIP TRAY - ANGELWITCH GO-GO BAR - NANA PLAZA - BANGKOK - THAILANDFurthermore, regarding getting orders mixed up and sometimes forgotten, I find that losing your temper will get you nowhere.Β  Most Thais believe that if you lose your temper in public, you will β€œlose face.”  In very busy go-go bars, the service girls are often rushed off their feet, and the Thais do not like to be pushed to uncomfortable levels.Β  Just say you receive the wrong drink and you have to wait for the service girl to return.Β  Is that so bad?Β  Back in the β€œDog & Duck” in Farangland, you have to fight your way to the bar and serve yourself.Β  Some old battleaxe behind the bar hurls your change at you, and the bloke next to you spills your beer with a clumsy elbow.Β  Sometimes it is no wonder that Brits suffer from β€œpub rage.”  Mr Clumsy might say, β€œSorry mate,” (if you are lucky), but he walks off with a full pint and you do not.Β  I don’t know about you, but I much prefer being waited on by a sexy, young service girl.Β  Here in Thailand, bar and restaurant service is normally hassle free and often a lot of fun too.Β  Even the β€œJaded Johns” have to admit that the go-go bars in Thailand are a lot more fun than the mundane rat race in the β€œDog & Duck” in Farangland.

BAR CODE SUMMARY

I always find that if you enter the go-go bars in a positive frame of mind, you might be surprised at just how much fun it can be.Β  Leave your headaches and worries behind.Β  Chill right out and set out to have a great time.Β  Follow these suggestions and you will most probably have the time of your life.

JOKEBOX JIVE β€” LIFE’S A FUNNY OLD GAME

I walked into the Dog & Duck in England to have a pint.Β  Suddenly, I realised that I was the only person in the pub who still had his own teeth!Β  (Dave The Rave 2008).

MISTYS GO-GO BAR TO RELOCATE ON WALKING STREET

Mistys Go-Go Bar currently located on Soi Pattayaland 2 is closing down.Β  But, the good news is that Mistys will relocate on Walking Street.Β  This breaking news is very exciting, because the new Mistys Go-Go Bar will be bigger and better.Β  The reason for the move is to build a larger go-go bar on Walking Street, which is unquestionably the best location in Pattaya.Β  Hopefully, the building project will take 8-10 weeks, but we will have to wait and see what happens.Β  Don’t worry Mistys fans, because all of the staff and the manager will be moving to the new venue.Β  The ambitious project promises to impress visitors with a stylish design.Β  The new location is directly opposite Angelwitch Go-Go Bar in Soi 15, which is a small lane just off Walking Street.Β  I will keep you informed of progress.

DOLLY BIRD WATCH

Talking of service girls, Hollywood Carousel on the top level in Nana Plaza has some VERY attractive service girls.Β  They have to be among the sexiest severs in the whole of Bangkok.Β  Check β€˜em out!

DAVE’S DEAL OF THE DAY

Recently I bought the movie β€œAliens VS Predator 2” from the 7 ELEVEN on the corner of Soi Nana.Β  (It is an excellent sequel by the way).Β  The DVD is ONLY 199 Baht and that has to qualify as β€œDave’s Deal Of The Day.”  The VCD versions are even cheaper.Β  I dread to think how much that DVD would have cost me in London!Β  Here’s the scenario – β€œHow much for DVD?Β  I only want to buy the DVD not buy shares in the company!”

Β WINE, WOMEN & PATPONG

TIGER BEER IN BANGKOK - THAILANDClub Electric Blue in Patpong is now open from 4:00pm every day.Β  If you fancy an early start to your booze cruise Club Electric Blue has introduced an incredible Happy Hour.Β  From 4:00pm until 9:00pm, it is 2-4-1 on domestic drinks.Β  If you fancy a change and you are in the Silom area, consider taking advantage of this special drinks deal.

DING DONG PING PONG

Angelwitch Go-Go Bar in Pattaya is located in Soi 15, which is just off Walking Street.Β  This week a farang headed upstairs and proceeded to drop a basket FULL of ping-pong balls from the catwalk on the top level.Β  There were boobs and bums flying all over the place, as the go-go dancers darted and dived for the evasive bouncing balls.Β  A series of girly squeals added to the excitement.Β  Gary the Gig looked on in amazement, whilst all this mayhem was happening.Β  Meanwhile, it was just another party night in Pattaya.

*The photo of Soi Cowboy was taken by Stickman.*

STICKMAN'S GUIDE TO BANGKOKΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 

JOKEBOX JIVE β€” LIFE’S A FUNNY OLD GAME

A young man’s grandfather has recently passed away.Β  The thoughtful grandson decided to buy a parrot and gave it to his granny to keep her company.Β  He went to visit her and he said, β€œHow’s the parrot?”  She said, β€œOh it was delicious.Β  The flesh just fell away.”

β€œZsa Zsa Gabor is an expert housekeeper.Β Β  Every time she gets divorced, she keeps the house.”  (Henny Youngman).

BANNER ADVERTISING

Some of you may want to place your banner on this popular website.Β  My rates are very competitive and interested parties are welcome to view my website statistics.Β  I look forward to hearing from you.Β  Below is my email address…

EMAIL ENQUIRIES β€” davetheravebangkok@gmail.com

DON’T BE A FOOL PROTECT YOUR TOOL

In the meantime, if you cannot be good be careful… Safe sex saves lives!

The Prisoner In Paradise wishes to thank you for visiting…

Dave The Rave β€” Go-Go Guru.