our months ago a Night Entertainment Area did not exist within the Railway Bazaar. Currently there are over 30 Nitespots, and still growing. Not since the ill-fated Sukhumvit Square exploded onto the scene in January 2002 has there been a Night Entertainment Area to rise this quickly - from 'scratch' to 'critical mass', and then some...
The entrance to Labor Bar, perhaps the longest, skinniest bar in Thailand.
Railway Bazaar is more than 90% Thai-oriented, only now beginning to attract farang. It remains to be seen if this will become an area-of-interest to foriegn nightcrawlers. It is this writer's opinion that it will be only of moderate interest to expats, but then, we have been wrong before....
To keep our terminology straight, the name 'Railway Bazaar' translates as 'Talat Nat Rot Fai', which is what most currently call it. To further complicate matters , the original 'Talat Nat Rot Fai' relocated out of its original digs to the area behind Paradise Park on Sri Nakarin Road around 2 years ago. This new Railway Bazaar (as reported herein) is going on one year old and is located behind the Esplanade Shopping Complex on Rachadapisek Road. (Note: The 'Talat Nat Rot Fai' behind Paradise Park is still in operation, however is not discussed herein.)
Railway Bazaar Night Entertainment Area, generally 'vehicle-themed', is unique in some ways; firstly almost every bar has an outside area, and more than half of the Venues have converted their rooftops to open-air seating. -As well they might - in that the rains have gone, and it looks like we are not going to have a 'cool-season' this year.... Secondly, in addition to the few permanent structures, there are a number of innovative Nitespots, made from Volkswagen vans, shipping containers, school busses - or whatever materials come to hand.
A couple of Volkswagen vans, an awning frame, barstools, booze - and.... walla ! ...a full-scale bar-beer on wheels.... (Pardon our Internet French....)
The Railway Bazaarmodus operandi ranges from quiet hideaway bar to live rock music to mega-karaoke to restaurant bar. (We suspect the latter, the 'restaurant bar' is because of licensing restrictions - while food is usually available on premises, virtually all the Nitespots advertising as restaurants are, functionally, drinking-bars.)
One aspect of the Thai 'bazaar' in general is that it's opening hours / days are 'by appointment only', which translates as : it only opens on certain days of the week. Railway Bazaar is no different in that respect - originally it was open only Friday through Sunday. Currently, the Night Entertainment Area has a waiver, in that they are closed only on Mondays.
'Survival', of course, is in question - the Railway Bazaar now sits upon land that will soon be of high real estate value, and therefore subject to redevelopment. We have referred to other similar Nitespot Areas in the past as "opportunistic" - the businesses within are semi-permanent at best, and are doing all they can to make a profit before the land is redeveloped. Nevertheless, for as long as it lasts, the Railway Bazaar Night Entertainment Area is, in itself, an interesting and unique 'exploration' for the curious expat, and combined with the rest of the market, it can provide for an entertaining evening out on the town.
Bus Bangkok was originally just that - a bus. Now it has grown outward and upward.... Busy on weekends.
Below are a few of the other pics we snapped on our last visit.
The Apache is located next door to the.... Apache. Two identically named bars, one having taken over it's next door neighbor.
The always-popular Retro Cafe located in the end slot. They manage to maintain that essential 'festive mood'.
The indoor-outdoor Rod's Bar, one of the biggest bars (in total square feet) we know of, has a good rocking band most nights.
Last month you had a Q & A on that dark little pathway from Soi 5 to Soi 7 which had a few low class bars, the shortcut to the Beer Garden. You referred to it as The Tunnel, but actually it was just that shortcut path, it didn't actually have a name.
We can answer virtually any (reasonable) question on
the Expat Night Entertainment Scene in Bangkok - be it Historical or
very recent. Send us an e-mail and we will do our best to answer you soonest.
G's (in the old Bobby's Hotdog location next to Foodland) is being renovated - but when renovations are completed, they will not be moving back in - they have moved lock stock and beer barrel to Soi Katoey.
A for-the-archives pic of Spice Girls (Cowboy 2 in the background) from one of our semi-regular contributors. Good shootin', Pard.
SOI COWBOY
Cowboy 2 has added yet even more new neon - now we know how to write 'Cowboy 2' in Japanese.... All else unchanged. Let 'er rip, then, gents and ladies.
There was no shortage of Santa-ettes at Nana Plaza on Christmas.
NANA PLAZA
In the "We Don't Make Mistrakes" department, the sign "Bangkok Milfs" is not the name of the bar behind Bangkok Bunnies, rather it is part of that name (see our last-month's entry). Bangkok Bunnies now runs all the way back, utilizing (almost) all the area of the old Voodoo.
- File photo
NANA PLAZA
The Monster Ink (nee Spirit House) has tanked, and the slack has been taken up by the new Short Time. Ostensibly a restaurant, it's modus operandi is that of a bar beer. May the force be with them....
NANA PLAZA
Technically, it is Lucky Luke's Tiki Bar, but from the visible neon, most will know it as just Tiki Bar. May they keep on keeping on. Another pic for the archives.
The Hooters at the Nana Hotel opened softly on 22 December, and by the time you read this, it will have had it's "Grand Opening". In spite of the myriad Prophets of Doom, the new Hooters is doing just fine, thank you very much. They pulled off a surprise : the layout is that of an open bar beer, much as was it's predecessor Golden, except that it is now very much larger. The big differences between Hooters and 'just-another-bar-beer' are - they serve food, and don't allow 'freelancers'. And check the layout (pics above) - our first choice for Door Art of the Month. Welcome them to Darwin's trials of attrition.....
SOI NANA
Starting out years back as the Nana Disco, it has gone through several iterations, to include Angels Disco, then later, Nana Liquid, then back to Nana Disco, then to Mai Peng, and now brand new out of the starting blocks; the Equality Nightclub. Katoey disco is the prime agendum. Each iteration, each time there has been a name-change, the new Nitespot has lasted a shorter time than it's predecessor.... (personally, we wish it was still Angels). Nevertheless, welcome them to the machine.
SOI NANA
After missing their original opening date of 31 October, The Mexican has opened it's large pintal doors to everyone. If you appreciate good Mexican food, we think you're going to like it. If you're an aficionado of tequila, we think you're going to like it even more - they have their own tequila bar within - all blue agave - all major brands. Five-Star all the way, at reasonable prices. Wish them all aces and faces in this sudden-death game of Night Entertainment.
SOI NANA
The Night of the Dragon ...THE CYMBALS ...THE DRUMS
Come the festive Christmas / New Year's Season, so come the dragon dancers. You want your Nitespot to have good luck, just give them money, and they will do their thing. Very colorful.
For you regular customers who haven't got the word, G's Bangkok has relocated from Patpong II to Soi Katoey - in the old One Night Only digs (after extensive renovations). Bigger and, business-wise, better. May they continue to beat the wolves at their own game.....
The Asia Health Massage, a highly successful, and highly ambiguous massage parlor has expanded into the unoccupied next door loc (the second of three loc of the now extinct May Massage). The beat goes on....
SOI 22 - (Sukhumvit)
The Baan Sabai Thai Massage has taken over, lock, stock and Tiger Balm, from the Wild Orchid Massage 2.
SOI 22 - (Sukhumvit)
Ah, the moon is a harsh mistress, as is the Night Entertainment game. Just ask the long-standing Aloha Bar. They have cashed it in, lock, stock and chrome barstool. Wishing them a soft landing, wherever, whenever....
- File photo
SOI 22 - (Sukhumvit)
The never-very-popular Dreamz 22 Discotheque in the Soi 22 Holiday Inn has seen it's end of days. And nights. We suspect there was too much in-house competition, what with the ground floor Bangkok Betty continuing to jump -as it tends to do - picking up passing foot traffic as it goes along.....
- File photo
SOI 22 - (Sukhumvit)
The Top Secret 22 has stuffed the last chit in the last plastic cup, and wheezed it's last. All that remains is an historical footnote. Greener pastures, ladies.
Christie's Club was originally replaced by Velvet (May of 2013), however, it went out of business after a moderate run. Then, at the end of last August it reopened as Velvet / Christie's Club. But this month the Velvet neon has disappeared, to be replaced by 100% Christie's Club signage. What goes around, comes around. Welcome back.... if you were ever really gone....
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33
The My Theraphy (sic) Spa & Massage has added some digital scrolling neon, which can be seen from a thousand yards... May they keep on slippin' and a slidin'.
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33
The i-Bar (Bar Krus), which took over from the Degas in July of 2012, has plummeted headlong into the abyss. However, if current signage is any indication, it looks like the Degas will soon be returning from the crypt. What goes around comes around.... We will follow up and get back atcha.
SOI DEAD ARTISTS - SOI 33
The Yumeji Club in Soi Pan Pan, opened in November of 2010, has said it's last sayonara - only windblown leaves decorate its darkened doorway. A decent 5-year run, nonetheless.
Escape Club - at the end of Soi Ambassador (across from Fire House ) has replaced, ostensibly, the Elite, which earlier replaced the St Moritz. Welcome to the neon jungle.
SOI AMBASSADOR - SOI 11
Play 'Taps' for the Champions Sports Bar, for they have fallen on their sword. Perhaps they have found a way out from under it all....
- File photo
SOI AMBASSADOR - SOI 11
Zaks Dining & Lounge, a low-key Night Entertainment Venue, tends to emphasize the 'Lounge' in the later hours. May they persevere. A file-photo for our archives.
The grande dame of Queen's Park Plaza, the Baan Beer Restaurant & Bar was not dead, it was just playing 'possum. This last month, it has reopened - de-emphasizing the restaurant, and emphasizing the pool bar. Welcome back to the night-follies.
Last month we noted that the B & A Bistro Bar had more than doubled in size, and we put up a photo to prove it (see again below). Little did we know that the right-hand side was primed to be a brand new bar : "Shots Bar". Welcome them to the slippery slope.
The X Size has put out new signage. For the life of us, we can't figure out why - it is much harder to read than the previous sign - almost unreadable at any distance greater than 25 feet. The show must go on....
Bangkok Eyes goes back in time to
see
Who was new - And who was through
in the Expat Night Entertainment world.
How many of these old 'oases'
do you remember ?
Patpong I
* No changes that month / year.
Patpong 2
*King's Love Boat opened newly in what is now The Club Kings.
*Princess Castle closed it's doors. Located next door to the Pink Panther in what is now Screw Boy.
Soi Cowboy
* No changes that month / year.
Nana Plaza
*Shooters Wild West A-Go-Go opened up as Nana Plaza's second 3rd floor bar, next to Slitz ! A Gogo. There is no Nitespot at that location today.
Soi Katoey(Silom Soi 4)
*The Blue Castle Pub closed it's doors for good. It was located next door to Tapas, nearer Silom Road (Tapas is still there today).
* The Redwood 23 reclosed, yet again, after having reopened for only one month. There is no Nitespot at that location today.
Buckskin Joe Village(~ October 1988 to
October 2006)
(Also known -originally- as Tobacco Road or Soi Rot Fai or,
'The Tracks', and later as Machim [Thai] and Soi Zero)
Migrant plight in French murals BANKSY IN COMMON-CAUSE
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
The one and only 'Banksy', whose identity is known only to his spraycan dealer, who is from, presumably, England, has thrown up three pieces in France recently.
The first (pic above) is just outside the migrant camp in Calais. A second 'Banksy' mural, at Calais beach, depicts a child peering at England through a telescope - a vulture making itself at home atop the telescope. A third 'Banksy', this time in Calais city (close to the French Immigration Office by design) reproduces, in black-and-white, Theodore Gericault's painting, "The Raft of the Medusa", which depicts the plight of ship-wreck survivors. Gericault was a 19th Century French painter.
This graphic excerpt from Internet is, under current legal precedents and prevailing interpretations considered 'Fair Use' under copyright law.
Syrian migrants hold Banksy's "Steve Jobs" mural
for ransom. They will remove the blanket for only 13 Pounds Sterling (per peek).
As journalists found out about the Banksy murals, they flocked down to Calais to get their pics and their story. --The 'story' being Banksy's empathy for the hoard of draft-age illegal migrants who have now inundated Europe - as illustrated most blatently in his "Steve Jobs" mural (-who just happened to be the son of Syrian migrants to the US.)-- However, by mid-day, a raft of male migrants from the Calais Refugee Center had covered the 'Steve Jobs' mural (pic immediately above) with a blanket, demanding that journalists pay a fee to see it. Saaaaay, it didn't take them long to get the Capitalist Entrepreneurial Spirit, did it?
Never mind, the Calais city officials to the rescue. They are gearing up to put protective covers over the murals to keep them from the weather, and other destructive elements. One might be tempted to compliment the Calais City Council for their concern for "The Arts", however this is not, repeat not, about art - this is about money. Banksy murals on display will bring in the tourists and their Euros and their Dollars.... Imagine that... migrant camps as tourist destinations. "Look out, here comes another tour bus !"
PATPONG I 
TOP
January's Nightlife News 
our months ago a Night Entertainment Area did not exist within the Railway Bazaar. Currently there are over 30 Nitespots, and still growing. Not since the ill-fated Sukhumvit Square exploded onto the scene in January 2002 has there been a Night Entertainment Area to rise this quickly - from 'scratch' to 'critical mass', and then some...
2002 - 2016, BANGKOK EYES /
bangkokeyes.com