By way of Nana Journals I saw this write-up on how Nana Plaza came into being. Interesting story and I must say I never knew about the Soi 14 or Soi 16 bars. Here is the link to the page on Bangkok Eyes but if it was not for Nana Journals I don’t think I would have found it given the UI morass at BE but the history info they have their is pretty cool.
The Thumbnail History of Nana Plaza
So Lucky Lukes being the oldest entrant and I guess from a naming perspective, Big Mango the newest?
The tidbits about the Soi 16 and Soi 14 bars closing overnight just shows you how volatile the biz really is. Also shows how spread out it used to be meaning the game is getting smaller and smaller as time goes on. Kind of depressing really given the beauty of Bangkok is the fact that it is all here in one big city. What I find so boring about places like Angeles City, yes I know some people love it, is that other than the scene there is nothing else worth going for at all. With Bangkok you get it all in one big metropolis. Sure maybe it is cheaper there and some say the girls are nicer but I have converted many an AC goer to Bangkok when they realize the food, the clubbing, and the variety is much greater in Bkk than in AC.
It is also interesting that Nana followed Patpong with shows and something more than the 2 step shuffle but as of late Nana has been pretty dull. I say this with great pain being a bar owner in Nana and all but the truth hurts sometimes. I am not sure if it is due to the police and not letting much go on in the plaza compared to the good ole times or if too few owners with too many bars could care less about whether they have good bars or not as long as they pay the bills. Think Crown group as one example but there are others.
Overtime this will all be interesting to watch how it plays out. Thaksin kicked of the era of - form-over-substance ‘moral cleansing’ and nightlife as a whole has suffered ever since along with the growth of tourism. Places like Nana could be seen as not needed anymore but given the growth of Soi 4 in general my guess is Nana probably has a longer shelf-life than Soi Cowboy has given the location to mass transit, expressways and the growth of the Asoke area in general. Overtime though will be Bangkok be the same if they choose to cleanse the city of the go-gos? In theory the city will bring other things in but probably nothing to match the current scene given the proclivity to put a mall on every other city block.
I for one hope these remnants of Bkk’s naughty nightlife live on, evolve and offer an experience unmatched in any city otherwise Bangkok is not the same place and I think the tourism numbers will reflect that as well. However with the return to power of the military government, the very team that helped to invent and promote the go-go scene, I have hope that maybe things might get a little better on this front but one can never tell.
go forth and barfine while u still can…
p.s. the no paying for it era is working. Getting some game back. 1 member club girl, 1 freebird and one ex bargirl. Life ain’t too bad.
I suspect the proprietor of “Mandarin Table Dance” would beg to differ…
Bangkok Eyes has some great info, but so much of it is years out of date. Wish they’d spend more time on updating the older info, instead of photographing grafitti. They could get rid of the Java applet that makes my computer grind to a halt every time I go to their front page, too.
If we’re only talking about gogo bars, then yeah it’s kind of sad that we only have four distinct areas in Bangkok. But once you bring in the beer bars, the coyote joints, the Thai discos, the members’ clubs, the freelancer hangouts, massage parlours and everywhere else, it’s sprawling.
I actually think that if Nana were to start hurting even more than it is, perhaps the cops would relax the rules on not “showing”. They need their cut from the bars, after all. A particularly barren spell could be a good thing, in the long term. Unless you own a bar there. So not quite sure what to think about that one…
How much money have you spent on the girls you’ve been “not paying for”?
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Live mermaids!!! holy smokes…that would be fun to see.
View all comments by bkk22
bbb - you got me on that one but I it just does not really seem new but anyway my bad.
True there is sprawl but overall I think it is smaller than it used to be from an official venue perspective but given after-hours, freelance and online stuff maybe the numbers are bigger.
I think the nana issue is more about lame owners than police at this point. If all the owners got together than the police could be persuaded but the owners won’t. Some of the owners never even are seen in their own bars these days.
Honestly have spent less money. Been drinking less and the one girl takes me out. he he.
I am sure the good times won’t last.
bkk22 - how about just girls actually dancing?
more nudity!
updated music!
Some paint!
less pushy mamasans.
I could build a huge list that does not require a big change of direction but just some good old-fashioned bar management.
View all comments by smitty
bbb - correct on BE. I just wish they would focus on dominating the history and organizing it well. The history info is their strength but organization, UI and so on is not.
View all comments by smitty
I remember Nana Plaza as a low key, FUN place to hang out.
That was a long time ago. Then, the atmosphere changed, got too professional. Just another version of Phat Pong and most locals abandoned it and started hanging out at Soi Cowboy.
The “attitude” is there now so I stay home.
View all comments by Umdan
yeah… the mermaid were cool. and the body painting in the old hollywood royale.
View all comments by joebkk
Fun to throw coins in the mermaid tank and the body painting live on stage was hot.
View all comments by Khun j
Hey, that’s for the mention.
Nice photos from the anniversary party.
Everyone loves a party, and this looks like it was a good one.
Does anyone have any photos of the early days of Nana Plaza?
Or any stories of earlier times?
View all comments by ArtTv