It is a fact that growing numbers of foreigners are booking flights to Thailand. However, just how many of these people choose to visit Pattaya is another matter. The jury is still out regarding any predictions for a sensational season in the seaside resort of Pattaya. Unfortunately, the high season in Pattaya is shorter than it used to be. Nowadays, the high season might not arrive until December and then finish before the end of January. Let’s hope for all concerned that it is a lengthy and prosperous high season down in Pleasure Playground. (more…)
Recently, there is a noticeable increase in visitors to Nana Plaza and this past weekend saw some go-go bars packed to capacity with customers. One reason is due to a five-day national holiday in Japan. The three main Rainbow Bars, or ‘Jap Traps’ in Nana Plaza namely; Rainbow 1, Rainbow 2 and Rainbow 4 were brimming with Japanese customers. I know I have a laugh at their expense, but the Japanese are usually no trouble at all as paying punters. They never seem to complain, never get aggressive and rarely cause trouble. In terms of behaviour and generosity, the Japanese are ideal customers for the go-go bars and not surprisingly, very popular with Thai bar girls. (more…)
As I am typing this, the heavens have opened up and it is hammering it down with silvery bullets. Us Bangkokians are under heavy fire! Currently, here in Bangkok there is frequent heavy rainfall, whereas Pattaya has been very fortunate in terms of the weather. If you compare the climate in Bangkok to Pattaya, you might think you are in another country. This is a blessing in disguise for a seaside town, which has suffered a significant drop in foreign visitors. So far so good, Pattaya is high and dry! (more…)
Following on from the video of insect vendours in Soi Nana, here is video footage of Thai bar girls eating fried insects. This was taken outside Tilac Go-Go Bar in Soi Cowboy.
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VIDEO OF THE DAY - Here is a video showing street vendours in Soi Nana selling fried insects. Thai bar girls eat these ghastly looking creatures like they are going out of fashion!
They say that all good things come to an end. And so, following a period of 13 years, Angels Disco situated in Nana Hotel, is hosting a fond farewell bash. This is the end of an era in Bangkok’s nightlife history. For the sake of nostalgia, I have labelled it, “Nana Disco Grand Finale Party.” There will certainly be some surprises on the night. The owner of Nana Disco namely Rick, is retiring from the nightclub business. Rick started out in Nana Plaza, when he took over the ownership of Hollywood Stars (now Angelwitch Go-Go Bar) in the early 1990’s. After Rick opened Angels, or Nana Disco as it is more commonly known, it rapidly became an icon and therefore, popular from the very start. Business has dropped off as other discos and nightclubs have emerged in recent years. Also, the Thai authorities with their increasingly idiosyncratic ways have not helped matters at all. Hey guys, think ‘tea time’ and you know what I’m saying here!
I have had some terrific times in Nana Disco, in which my frequent visits have spanned over a decade. Let’s just say, I have met some ‘very interesting’ Thai girls during that period. Personally speaking, I recall many entertaining nights and fond memories will remain forever. I would often finish a shift in Nana Plaza and hit Nana Disco on an almost nightly basis. In the late 1990’s and early part of the millennium, the late night hot spots were Nana Disco and Thermae Coffee Shop. These venues were brimming with notorious ‘ladies of the night,’ but I was prepared to take my chances. I can only describe this exciting era as ‘the good old bad days.’ Long gone are those times, when it was 500 baht to ‘love you short time’ and 1,000 baht to ‘love you long time.’ Nowadays, some Bangkok bar girls and freelancers are coming up with some scary figures. Anyway guys, where were we? Oh, about the party…
On Friday, July 31st, the Grand Finale Party, will offer FREE entrance and FREE drinks to everybody. In case that completely stunned you I repeat; all the drinks are FREE until all the booze has gone. Similar to a bar girl from Lolitas, the motto is ‘drink ‘em dry!’ Doors open at 10:00pm. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Rick and Paul the best of luck for the future. Rick visited me in Angelwitch Go-Go Bar to let me know the news. Rick said, “I want you to be the first to know and that you heard it from the horse’s mouth.” Regarding his plans, Rick said he enjoys travelling and will continue to be based in Southeast Asia.
NOTE THE QUOTE - In the words of William Shakespeare, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT - A final thought for us all to ponder. Will anybody take over the ownership of Nana Disco?
The go-go bars in Nana Plaza are currently closing at 1:00am on a nightly basis. Thai authorities say that this period of early closing will last one to two weeks. Recently, Patpong went through the same thing. No particular reason was given, except for typical Thai politics. I want to inform you, so that you can plan your nights accordingly. Meanwhile, nearby unlicensed ‘pavement pubs’ were still serving booze after 2:00am. No further comments!
SINGING THE LOW SEASON BLUES
Bangkok’s low season blues is being made worse by frequent heavy rainfall. This year a lot of bar owners are singing the low season blues. Whenever the rain comes, a considerable amount of bar girls and foreigners, decide to stay in the confines of their rooms. With this low season already emerging as a harsh one, the constant rainfall just makes the situation worse. Perhaps it might be best to have all the problems at the same time and then, afterwards we can all enjoy ourselves again.
BREW REVIEW - A NEW BEER ARRIVES IN BANGKOK’S BARS
To end on a brighter note, a new beer has arrived in Thailand this month. Tiger Crystal Light Beer is now available in some bars across Bangkok. Initially, Tiger Light is available in Angelwitch Go-Go Bar, among other bars in Nana Plaza. I did have a bottle of Tiger Light in After Skool Bar in Soi Cowboy the other night, but it is not widely available just yet. Given a bit of time, I hope you will see Tiger Light on sale in most of Bangkok’s bars. Plans are in place to make Tiger Light Beer available in Pattaya’s bars as we speak. Cheers and more beers!
The special party night in Club 66 in Patpong on Thursday night, went so well that the enthusiastic owners want to do it all over again. Tonight (Friday, May 15) and tomorrow night (Saturday, May 16) will be special party nights. Entrance is FREE and a Heineken Beer costs just 100 baht per bottle. In addition, it will cost you 150 baht to buy any Thai girl a drink, but there will be plenty of HOT Thai girls to give you good reason to party until the wee hours. The majority of the Thai girls have an arrangement with Club 66, whereby they are effectively ‘freelance’ operators. Each Thai woman will receive a 50 baht commission per drink, which is why there will be 60-100 sexy and available Thai girls in attendance. Note that there is no cash required if you fancy a Thai takeaway!
GET YOUR KICKS IN CLUB 66
A refreshing mixture of Thai bar girls, freelancers, university students and office girls, will be waiting to be entertained from 9:00pm onwards. You can expect to be partying until 4:00-5:00am. Don’t be shy give it a try!
This year the weather in Thailand has been very changeable during April and May. The week can start with sweltering hot days, which turn into humid, sticky nights. And then, without warning the heavens can suddenly open up and pour down with heavy rain. Last Saturday night it rained so hard that it caused flooding across Bangkok. Thai bar girls from Nana Plaza go-go bars were in dismay, wondering how they would get home. I brought a smile to their faces, when I suggested, “Do you know a friend who has a boat?”
Here is a video clip that I made. But note that this was by no means as heavy as the rainfall last Saturday…
The video below is Sukhumvit Soi 3during heavy rain. For the next 5-6 months this is what to expect…
“Westerners eat with their eyes, Thais eat with their hearts.”
I don’t class myself as squeamish at all, but the sight of fried insects being devoured by Thai bar girls is rather off-putting. Have you seen those creepy creatures? Today, I dedicate ‘Photo Of The Day’ to a close-up of a grasshopper. It looks crispy and shiny, but has obviously seen better days. I spotted a Thai bar girl sitting outside a go-go bar in Nana Plaza, she was chomping away at something. The young, petite go-go dancer was munching and crunching away on a plastic bag full of grasshoppers. I cannot possibly imagine a deep, long kiss with her at that moment. Can you envisage that?
THAI BAR GIRLS EAT GRASSHOPPERS BEFORE THEY EAT YOU!
I was pleased with this image taken with my Canon 450D SLR camera. I was experimenting with ‘depth of field’ and I got the result that I wanted. I’m satisfied with the clarity and detail of the grasshopper.
I would photograph an insect, but eat one, no way!
Approaching the end of February and the Bangkok bars rollercoaster ride is starting to get very scary. Overall, Bar trade right across this vast, sprawling metropolis is affected right now. Only the minority of exceptional bars continue to do a roaring trade. The Thais pray with more intensity and Buddhist offerings are increasing. In some go-go bars in Nana Plaza Thai bar girls sit patiently, but few farangs walk through the door. The neon jungle environment has become, as Charles Darwin said, “Survival of the fittest.”
Comparing the Bangkok bar trade with a rollercoaster ride, the steep drop makes the head spin, as you cling on for your life. Foreign currencies are not at all favourable against an unbelievably strong Thai baht. The global economic crisis takes its toll and even multimillion dollar companies are falling into a deep, dark abyss. It was predicted to be a very tough financial year and so far, the economic experts are being proved right. Let’s hope it is part of a cycle and the global economy will eventually recover.
To end on a much more positive note, this leaves the beer bars and go-go bars less crowded with guys and therefore, more available Thai girls for you. Happy babe hunting!
BUDDHIST OFFERINGS IN NANA PLAZA (DAVE THE RAVE 2009)
*Photo taken by Dave The Rave with a Canon EOS 450D*
Time flies… Hey guys, there’s never a truer saying, especially when you are eating into the decades in your life. Another year has almost ended and I wonder where the past 12 months has gone. Furthermore, what an eventful year it has been for Thailand. We look on and wonder what 2009 will have in store for us all. I fear that it will be a slow start for Thailand’s tourism industry. But, ever the optimist, I think things will work out. It will take time, but people will get on with there lives and foreigners will return to Thailand. Just how many decide to visit Thailand throughout 2009 is unknown. Some people predict that Thailand might only receive 7 million foreign visitors in 2009, rather than 14 million. I cannot say how many of course, but I expect there will be more than the predicted 7 million visitors in 2009. Some people tend to underestimate how resilient Thailand is. Bangkok is the gateway to Asia and therefore receives the most visitors in the whole continent. To review the past year, you could call it a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly… (more…)
They certainly don’t call it “Amazing Thailand” for nothing, because Thailand never ceases to amaze. Thailand’s ongoing political problems recently came to a head, when PAD anti-government protesters seized Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Coupled with violent clashes and bomb attacks, Bangkok became the City Of Fallen Angels. Incredibly, everybody stood back and watched. The PAD (People’s Alliance for Democracy) protesters were allowed to occupy Southeast Asia’s main artery for 8 days. Pad guards took over the control tower and blocked the entrances to Suvarnabhumi Airport. PAD guards easily forced an inadequate number riot police back. Bangkok Riot Police were under strict orders not to remove the PAD protesters by force. Although occupying Bangkok’s two main airports was a major inconvenience for many travellers, Thai Police caused no bloodshed. The Thai authorities did not want a slaughterhouse, like the Mumbai massacre in India. (more…)
Any visitor to Thailand will soon realise how beautiful many Thai women are. But, they are even more beautiful on November 12th. Today is Loy Krathong, known in English as the “festival of lights.” This traditional Thai festival celebrates the end of the monsoon season. Loy Krathong is celebrated annually to honour the “water spirits” and therefore, to show appreciation to Mae Khong Kha, the “Goddess Of Water.” In order to demonstrate proper respect, one should dress to impress for the occasion. Thai women wear decorative silk dresses and many style their hair beautifully with orchids. It is one of Thailand’s most beautiful and romantic celebrations. The romantic part is when lovers accompany each other in order to float their boat. During a brief prayer the Thai women will say, “Kor Kamar Mae Khong Kha.” This is to honour the Goddess Of Water, and to ask forgiveness for any wrongdoing to the water spirits. I find it fascinating, when we delve into the traditions behind these Thai festivals. (more…)
The special party night in Club 66 in Patpong on Thursday night, went so well that the enthusiastic owners want to do it all over again. Tonight (Friday, May 15) and tomorrow night (Saturday, May 16) will be special party nights. Entrance is FREE and a Heineken Beer costs just 100 baht per bottle. In addition, it will cost you 150 baht to buy any Thai girl a drink, but there will be plenty of HOT Thai girls to give you good reason to party until the wee hours. The majority of the Thai girls have an arrangement with Club 66, whereby they are effectively ‘freelance’ operators. Each Thai woman will receive a 50 baht commission per drink, which is why there will be 60-100 sexy and available Thai girls in attendance. Note that there is no cash required if you fancy a Thai takeaway! 
Approaching the end of February and the Bangkok bars rollercoaster ride is starting to get very scary. Overall, Bar trade right across this vast, sprawling metropolis is affected right now. Only the minority of exceptional bars continue to do a roaring trade. The Thais pray with more intensity and Buddhist offerings are increasing. In some 
