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 Those following this column will have read of Peter Ducane's passing in our April edition. Six years ago, in May 2019, Peter asked if he could publish in written form some parts of his in-progress 'Mississippi Twins' documentary. I was surprised but readily agreed. He further confided he had had a premonition that the documentary would never be completed. This, regretfully, may be the case. Although his written article covers only a small part of the film documentary, it does give some insights into that Golden Age of Patpong. We have some early runs of the film documentary, which, if published, would greatly expand upon that wilder, unrestrained age. Regretfully we will not be able to show them. However, this month we will reprint his May 2019 offering for those who are new to this site.
May 2019 Reprint
MIDNITE HOUR has, in the past, celebrated some of the Patpongs' seminal venues and their colorful owners, but heretofore we have not featured the real key to the success of the Patpongs - the young ladies who graced those venues and brought the clamoring crowds from the four corners of our planet. This month, all will change - with a 'thumbnail-documentary' from professional producer Peter Du Cane who was on the scene in the Patpongs' golden years.
In light of the recent news that the surviving twin of Mississippi Queen fame had also passed away, the following reminiscence is reprinted - with kind permission of the author. Bunkham 'Joy' Intarasuwan 22 Nov 1957 - 3 Apr 2019
Joy in March 2018 with a photo of her twin sister June
I'm Peter Du Cane from Australia and I first met Joy at the Mississippi Queen in 1979 on my birthday the 14th Feb. Yes, Valentine's day! I was working for Pan Am Reservations in London at the time and used cheap or free tickets to take short trips to Bangkok. That night I was on my own and decided to listen to some good music so headed for the MQ. I usually liked to hide in the small recessed section upstairs at the back, but it was full, so I was in one of the benches facing the bar. I had stuff on my mind and hadn't really been paying attention to the dancing and other goings on as I normally would have. Joy told me that it was that quiet distraction that intrigued her. When she got my attention I was astounded by her lovely personality and stunning looks. For the next couple of years we would hook up when I managed to get tickets for another visit. But from 1981 onwards I had left Pan Am and England for Australia (via a year and a half in India). In the process I lost track of Joy, and soon afterwards the MQ was sold and its name changed. 
'When I was young! working at mississipy bar patpong 1rd. how is wow!....Am I ?look like a seinsitive or not ? Sorry my english not so good because l'm a Thai..100% ha ha...'
Joy Facebook Post 12 Aug 2018
Joy at the Nana Hotel in 2004
I know that many have similar fond memories of time spent with Bangkok's lovely ladies and often wonder what happened to them later. Finding them can be very hard, or impossible, partly due to the complex naming system - many would only be known by their nicknames such as Noi, Joy, Lek, etc., and there can be thousands with the same one. It wasn't until 2004 that I managed to find her again. This I managed by asking some older girls around the rails at the Beer Garden on Soi 7. One called Toi realized who I was talking about. She had worked with the twins at the Butterfly Bar in Patpong. Even better she still knew Joy and was able to get in touch with her. Joy was a bit confused as she knew a Peter from England but not Australia (I had failed to explain this to Toi)! Fortunately she showed up at the Nana Hotel where I was staying and we caught up and later visited her family for the first time. I am a documentary film maker and over the succeeding time, especially since 2015, I have been interviewing Joy (and others who knew the twins and their times) about her life through conversation, correspondence and on video as well as collecting photos and other items from the 1970s Patpong era. Gradually I have been able to piece together much of the essential Joy & June story. Although the work is incomplete this seems the right moment to share some of what I have learned. The twins were born in Saraburi, north east of Bangkok on 22nd Nov 1957 (Thai year 2500). Joy was proud to point out they were Scorpios from the Chinese year of the Fire Rooster. June arrived first followed by Joy 55 minutes later. Their father, Narong Intarasuwan, was a policeman who later moved to Udorn Thani in the Isan Region of North Eastern Thailand, and they went to Junior High School there. At that time Udorn was the site of a large Thai/US base for the Vietnam war effort. The family was neither poor nor well off and Joy & June led relatively normal lives, their ambition to finish school and go on to University. Joy wanted to emulate an elder sister by becoming a nurse or doctor. 
Father Narong, June (Left) & Joy (Right) at school aged 16, at school in Udorn, Joy's first ID Card photo at 17.
For the twins everything changed when their father died whilst they were still at Junior High School. Their mother, Tongmak Intarasuwan, moved the family to Bangkok. Overnight they were suddenly poor because there were 7 children (the twins were the two youngest), with all but two still needing education. Somehow they managed and Joy & June went to High School in Bangkok, from the age of 17, for a year and a half before they both (deliberately according to Joy) became pregnant at the same time aged 18 and a half. Their baby girls, Poupée and Lu Ket were born 12 days apart in March and April 1977. Joy put the events down to 'puppy love' and they both chose not to ask help from the young Thai fathers involved. Instead they taught themselves English from a large conversation book and, in search of badly needed extra money, eventually found their first work in a bar in Patpong. 
The Mississppi Queen exterior in 1970s Patpong and twins' mother Tongmak babysitting her granddaughters Poupée and Lu Ket
The bar that hired them was already quite famous for a number of reasons, including having just been used to represent a Saigon bar in the Oscar-winning film The Deer Hunter. It was the now-legendary Mississippi Queen Soul Music Bar at number 60 Patpong 1. 
The MQ's iconic Sign & the matchbox Joy gave me the day we met in Feb 1979
The MQ had a unique history. Until sold in late 1972 it had been the Patpong Café, a hangout known for high stakes gambling and also for hosting the Foreign Correspondents Club. Australian Tony Douglas, the new owner, completely re-designed the interior to have the look and feel of a Louisiana paddle wheel riverboat. But that wasn't all as Tony once explained: "Mississippi Queen was the first to introduce great music - in our case, American soul music. We were also the first to place Go-Go dance stands over the bar. In our case, we had no other room. I believe we were also first with the brass bars for the dancers to hang on to. And we had fabulous dancers who seemed born to dance." Joy said she reckons they got the job partly because of their extreme innocence. But they were also beautiful identical twins, and turned out to be arguably the most fabulous of all the MQ's exceptional dancers. 
The dance platform arrangement at the Mississippi Queen
Joy explained their routine to me. In the day they might sleep in, then do some shopping, maybe get their hair done, before resting again in the afternoon. As Go-Go dancers at the Mississippi Queen they would arrive for work at 5pm. They'd change into bikinis or similar and would notionally work through until 2am, for a salary. Their primary work was as dancers. This they would do on the MQ's elevated platforms, dancing to Soul, Blues and Rock & Roll - usually not together, only doing a double act on special occasions. Their personal music favourites included Santana, Bad Company, Jimi Hendrix & Tina Turner. 
The twins on the stairs at the back of the Mississippi Queen - can you pick Joy from June?
Bob F from Pattaya sums up the impact they had: "They were dynamic, especially when they both danced together. They'd feed off each other and they were little balls of energy, so tiny and so cute and so dangerous ...they had a certain glow about them...and being two of them it was squared, it was four times special because there were two of them.... They were like princesses and they acted the part and looked the part and it was just so much fun to be around them when they were around. And they were having a lot of fun with it as well, and it was infectious you know - they really were superstars of their time. There were a lot of beautiful women in Bangkok at that time but wherever they went they'd shine." Because of the energy they were expected to put into their dancing (a far cry from the desultory shuffling now the norm), each girl would dance for only 3 songs. They'd come down, usually dripping with sweat, towel off, and then normally talk to the bar's customers. The MQ didn't feature sex shows or similar like many other Patpong establishments of the time. It had paid staff running the bar and music and paid the dancers salaries. However, the girls were still very much a part of the main bar girl economy. The twins were popular enough to pick and choose, but nevertheless relied on the extra income gained from going with male customers. Their income was also augmented by a share of the bar's take on 'lady drinks' bought for them by those they interacted with. Joy says that the split was a straight 50/50 at the MQ. Unlike many girls their strategy was not to ask to be bought a drink but rather just to initiate conversation. They found the drink offers eventuated naturally from there. If they wanted to go out with a man prior to closing at 2.00am he'd have to pay a bar fine in the usual way to compensate the place. They didn't encounter too many problems with the clients but did have a minder to offer them some protection. Joy said they also learned to be adept at turning potentially nasty situations into something harmless. Many consider the 1970s & early 1980s the 'Golden Age' of the Thai bar scene and Patpong in particular, coming as it did before the sobering advent of HIV in 1984. Of course they had to deal with a common male fantasy - to take them both out at the same time. This Joy assured me, they never agreed to, despite being offered some significant rewards. "Never get same guy on bed. Never!" In her exact words. In fact she said they never even knowingly had the same boyfriend, however long apart. It was just a no-no between them. 
June & Joy (Right) with author Dean Barrett in the MQ
Author Dean Barrett featured photos of Joy and June in the 'Night Moves' section of his classic photobook 'The Girls of Thailand'. He was a regular at the Mississippi Queen at that time and knew the twins better than most: "I remember them well because I was there practically every night. I got to the point where I could tell them apart. They had good attitudes and were a lot of fun and I'd buy them drinks and stuff like that but they knew we were local so weren't going to spend a fortune on them. The Mississippi Queen had soul music and these girls were really good at it and they had their own shelves along the wall, which I think was unique in those days...and there was one girl per shelf and they just danced, wow did they dance, they'd come back down in a mass of sweat, unlike today..., they were really good at what they did and they enjoyed it as well, they loved dancing. I vaguely remember some of the other girls there but they were really the stars of the show, the twins. Because they were twins it was unusual but also they really danced, they had talent - soul music dancing, wow, they were fantastic! You don't see much like that now in any of these bars." 
Joy & June with babies Poupée & Lu Ket outside the Mississippi Queen (from Dean Barrett's The Girls of Thailand)
They did, of course, make the most of their appeal as cute identical twins. If a boyfriend wanted to buy one twin a present, they'd find they'd also have to buy an extra one of the same item 'for my sister'. The bond between the two was incredibly strong, even for twins. They didn't just live together, they did virtually everything else together as well. In the process they were making a lot of money by Thai standards at that time, but it went quickly enough on supporting the large extended family (this was normal and expected) and buying nice clothes, makeup and so on. One larger outlay was when they became amongst the very first in Patpong to have breast enlargement work done. They both had passports and occasionally would travel to boyfriends' homes overseas in places like Europe & Australia. Joy had 5 passports in all and spent two 6 month stays in Switzerland ('f...ing cold' as she recalled), the first time with sister June along as well. They both had numerous 'fiancés', most or all farangs, but in the end always decided not to marry because they didn't want more children (though June did have another baby, a son, on her own by an American boyfriend in about 1993). From their start at the Mississippi Queen, which was sold around 1983 or 84, they also worked at the King's Castle, the Butterfly and the Pink Panther. Occasionally the two would decide to go to dance together at a large bar like the Super Star - they'd ask first but were, not surprisingly, always more than welcome! And drugs? Joy told me that to kick back they'd often smoke ganga and occasionally eat small balls of opium. Fortunately they never got sucked into using smack - the heroin scene that started to devastate many of the bar scene's finest, including several of the top dancers at the MQ. 
The twins were inseparable to the last
As the years finally took their toll and the twins' dancing days drew to a close, they considered the possibility of remaining in the Patpong bar business, probably as respected mamasans. Many of the high profile dancers went on to this calling, but Joy & June both decided to 'kick themselves out' (as Joy put it) and move on to more traditional pursuits. They did try a Bar Beer (maybe on a soi off Sukhumvit) but despite the loyal patronage of the Dutch Ambassador it wasn't a success. They bought a small land property together at Prachuap near Hua Hin (possibly with a view to fish farming). They even tried working a Laundry, but this was difficult work for the two women. They remained incredibly close, living together as always. Around this time, in the late 1990s, June started to have trouble with a kidney complaint. Even before she got sick June had told Joy that she couldn't live if Joy died first, but told her that she knew Joy could manage to go on if it was her that died first. After June died in 2000 (Thai Year 2543) Joy realized she did indeed have to live on to look after their three children and many other family members. 
Tongkoon 'June'
Intarasuwan (22 Nov 1957 - 19 Apr 2000) in her early days at the Mississippi Queen
Three Generations - Lu Ket (June's Daughter), Poupée (Joy's Daughter), Joy, Tongmak
(Joy & June's mother, 90 years old), P'Dang (Twins' elder Sister by 4 years) 20 Feb 2015 
Joy as a Grandma with daughter Poupée and granddaughter Sprite (SP) March 2018
More recently the extended family had started to pay Joy back for all the years of support and, in turn, to look after her. She enjoyed the advent of Facebook, but her 'friends' were family and friends rather than ex-bar scene colleagues. She liked to drink (Hong Thong in particular) and smoked heavily but chose to accept the growing damage to her health with a defiant good humour. In one of her last messages on Facebook she posted a photo of herself I had recently scanned for her. It was one she had given me the very first time we had met at the Mississippi Queen. The bright eyes and amazing smile capture her perfectly. Her accompanying comment with the post said much about the attitude and spirit of this wonderful lady. "Hello friends of the earth, all lovely people. Here is a photo of Joy not yet drunk on Hong Thong for you all to enjoy....I love all you lovely people of the world." I'll miss her a lot. 
Joy at the Mississippi Queen 1979
Postscript
Celebrating my birthday with Joy in 2015 & Joy with the draft Photobook of her story
Joy's trust in me with her story and photos meant a lot to me and as I progressed with my work on them I decided to put together a present for her. It was a somewhat 'instant coffee' photobook of pictures of her and June's story with brief linking text. The cover was titled JOY & JUNE - Bangkok's Dancing Twins and I put it together through an online system and ordered 2 copies (one for each of us) as I was about to leave Australia for Thailand. As it happened, the draft turned out much better quality than I had expected and Joy loved it. As I went around seeing as many people as I could find who knew the twins and their times, I showed each the photobook and asked if they wanted to write something to Joy in a couple of blank pages at the end. I am glad to say that the last time I was with Joy I was able to show her my copy of the photobook and the list of messages and comments from what amount to a veritable Who's Who selection from the era. Those that know the ex-pat history of early Patpong days will no doubt appreciate the list and understand how much it meant to Joy, who was deeply moved by it. Joy also added a comment, as did I. I attach the handwritten text as is. 
Writings in the back of Peter's copy of the Joy & June draft Photobook
Joy enjoying a quieter moment at the MQ
May your song always be sung. And may you stay forever young. -Bob Dylan
The author of the above 'Mississippi Twins' retrospective is Peter Du Cane. The text and photos in this work are Copyrighted by the author, Tony Douglas of the former Mississippi Queen bar, and author Dean Barrett. Prior permission for use having been obtained by author Peter Du Cane. Materials may not be reused without the permission of the owners. Bangkok Eyes republishes this narrative with permission.
 
BOOKS ...worth a read !
( Click on book covers or links for details & to order. )
MIDNITE HOUR
MAIL BOX
Let the Follies begin-
The early monsoon rains have chased away the outdoor dining on Patpong 1 Road, however many of the stalls selling copy goods and t-shirts, etc. remain open...
 PATPONG 1
What nefarious rituals, what Voodoo rites and cult activities have been taking place in the stairwell at the old Black Pagoda / Patpong Museum ?! We immediately noticed a suspicious, totally out-of-place large gold chandelier at the Black Pagoda elevator where last month that space was empty. (And, mysteriously, a sign saying not to use the elevator - but the elevator is working just fine !) Then we noticed strange occult markings on the doors of the former Patpong Museum, where last month there were none !! The markings are on the INSIDE of the locked doors of the long-vacated museum !!
But to get serious for a moment, undeniably, there has been recent activity in that old stairwell - and we weren't invited...
PATPONG 2
Last month we noted that Virgin was closed down like Alcatraz. This month, it is not closed down, but it is not open, either. The lights are on, but there's nobody home. Sources on the street whisper that the actual reopening is 'any day now', or words to that effect. A wait-and-see item...
PATPONG 2
Kazy Kozy, sister bar to the Crazy House, has quite suddenly closed its doors. We'll need to wait and see whether the closure is temporary, or permanent... We'll get back atcha next month.
SOI COWBOY
It looks like the short-lived Vicky's Secret has fallen into the Abyss. They were never noticeably busy - so it appears this is another Death-by-Darwin...
SOI COWBOY
The Kana Pure cannabis shop is the second (of two) such venues to go out of business on Soi Cowboy. We suspect prospective bars would be willing to pay substantially higher rentals than cannabis shops...
SOI COWBOY
The heavy rains blacked out Nana Plaza's main entrance signage, but it didn't slow things down within. In fact, quite the opposite - when the monsoon shower hit, folks out on the Soi were crowding to get inside under the Plaza's giant awning/ roofing...
NANA PLAZA
A For-The-Archives pic of the Soi Nana - Soi 6 junction showing (left to right) the Kicking Donkey, the Bangkockney Pub and Champs Bar.
SOI NANA - (SOI 4 SUKHUMVIT) The much-publicised periodic crackdown by the Men-In-Too-Tight-Uniforms on ladies-of-the-evening in the lower Sukhumvit-Soi Nana area very clearly noted that most of the lawbreakers were foreigners - Vietnamese, African.... Apparently they forgot to crack down on the ladies from the Middle East, who were on-station at their usual spots...
SOI NANA - (SOI 4 SUKHUMVIT) The long-standing bar beer that used to call itself Heaven@4 now appears to prefer Moxy Bar. If it works for them, then it works...
SOI NANA - (SOI 4 SUKHUMVIT) 
We noticed no changes in the bar inventory on Soi Katoey. However we noted a distinct drop-off in activity, most likely due to the rains. (As with most other Nitespot Areas, we might add...)
SOI KATOEY (Silom Soi 4)
The Immortal Bar has moved over to Trok Mayom from its previous location on the sub-soi across from Khao San Road. And they are continuing to rock on out front - with a decent crowd (in spite of the drizzling monsoon rains). May they persevere.
Dancing in the streets - Part 1
VIDEO CLIP KHAO SAN ROAD
The Brick Bar isn't new, appearing on our earlier surveys, however it was 'lost' for some time, as they have no streetside advertising or touts. Nevertheless, it is well-known amongst locals and tourists. Located at ground level in the Buddy Lodge building (Buddy Group). Rock the night...
KHAO SAN ROAD
The One is an open-air club-disco built on a series of terraces going back. Unique in Bangkok, and perhaps Thailand. Note the plastic sheet awnings to keep the rain off the customers.
Dancing in the streets - Part 2
VIDEO CLIP KHAO SAN ROAD
The Charlie Khao San Thai Massage & Spa is the largest Thai massage parlor on Khao San, doing most of their business outdoors on recliners in the roadway. -In case you were wondering...
KHAO SAN ROAD
The long-running Chart Bar's neon is only in Thai language ('Country', 'Nation'). May they continue their long run... A pic for the Archives.
KHAO SAN ROAD
The Khaosan Comedy Club apparently also has an entrance on Trok Mayom. Signage-wise, they are much under-represented on Khao San Road - perhaps they should move this signage around to the front - where the people are... Jus' sayin'...
KHAO SAN ROAD
If you can find the narrow pathway leading just off Khao San Road to the Bar Next Door, it is to be found on the second level. A pic for the Archives...
KHAO SAN ROAD
Open the previous month, also down that dark pathway off Khao San, the Fat Rabbit now has a revolving laser sign to light up the pathway at their front entrance ...
KHAO SAN ROAD
We caught sight of the On Top signage and terrace about four levels above Khao San, however as we could find no stairway or lift to get there, we are assuming they are amid preparations to open newly in the near future. We'll get back atcha next month with an update...
KHAO SAN ROAD
The Back is back. After a two-month hiatus, we see they have rolled out the red carpet once again. As they were working on getting their neon back in working order when we passed by, we have used a pic from our archives. Welcome them back to the same old, same old... (-File photo)
KHAO SAN ROAD
Last month we noted the Bar Roam ('Barom' in Thai) had closed. We assumed it was it was never to reopen. Wrong yet again... Open once more, it can be found down that same darkened lane that hosts the Bar Next Door and Fat Rabbit.
KHAO SAN ROAD
Say Hi ! has been at that location for some time (on Trok Mayom), however we have never caught it when it was open (and assumed it had closed for good). Nope, it's still open. Note: we also see signage for The Comedy Joint... but could not confirm it was open. 'More of this when we hear of it' next month...
KHAO SAN ROAD
We noted three changes on Subsoi Hana. Bangkok Bunny massage has moved over from Subsoi Lemongrass. The Classy Nuru Massage has taken over the reins from the Maxim Massage and the Private Bar has reopened after several months' laying fallow... -Don't you know what the night can do?
SOI 22 Sukhumvit Rd
The Anong Massage has taken over lock, stock and KY from the Golden Hand Massage (Thong Kam). Rub-A-Dub-Dub...
SOI 22 Sukhumvit Rd
We noticed no changes to Soi 8's inventory this month - all is running smoothly... Below, is a For-The-Archives pic of the long-running inVite...
SOI 8 Sukhumvit 
Among the oldest Nitespots on Soi Ambassador (Sukhumvit Soi 11), the mostly-open-air Zanzibar has been slowed by the rains, but continues to keep on keeping on with food and live music.
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11) 
The We For You (Part two on the Island) has done the ashes-to-ashes thing, and the Sugar Baby has moved in and rolled out the red carpet. Welcome them to the machine...
7 CENTER POINT (Sukhumvit Soi 7)
Will the mysteries never cease... The KKL Bar has moved out of the old area and into the area formerly occupied by the Soi 7 Bier Garten. They have shortened their neon, which now reads KK Bar. One wonders why a bar would move INTO an area that is supposedly being prepared for redevelopment... Another change of plans afoot ?
7 CENTER POINT (Sukhumvit Soi 7) The on-again-off-again Long Time No See is on again - this time, full bore... (This is the first time we have seen them with customers...) May their candle continue to burn...
SOI DEAD ARTIST (Sukhumvit Soi 33)
Soi Eden, also suffering from the rains, continues to struggle along. A pic for the Archives...
SOI EDEN (Sukhumvit 7 / 1)
The brand new Fork & Knife Restaurant - Bar - Cafe appears to be mostly 'bar'. We'll keep an eye on it and see if it ends up functioning as a Night Entertainment Venue, or just a corner cafe...
SOI EDEN (Sukhumvit 7 / 1)
This month Midnite Hour continues to review Bangkok's Nightlife Scene offering live entertainment, both foreign and local, as found in the bigger hotels, expat Night Entertainment Areas, and other Venues within the City.
Those who followed Bernard Trink's Nite Owl back in the '60's for the latest goings-on in the Night Entertainment sphere knew he would often hide other photo-updates (not in the Nite Owl column) as filler-material in the 'Film' section.
January 1969
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Bangkok Eyes is an historically based news outlet, and as such, all graphic excerpts herein are considered, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations, 'Fair Use' under Copyright Law. Copyright of any original artwork resides exclusively with the creators.
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