Hit the Pent the other night to introduce a good buddy to the world of member clubs. I think he loved it - some either love it or hate it. If you need to pay the bar and go then u will probably hate the place. However if u like good service, ogling gorgeous ladies and just all around partying then member clubs are fun. The Pent’s disco room is growing on me. Once it gets kicking, right along with my buzz, there are always ladies to either watch dance or ladies to chat with. The Shakira look-a-like shaking her ass next to our faces as a way of thanking of us for drinking out of our bottle was awesome. Phoenix - I think we were the other Farangs hanging out at the time you were there.
Over time I think the member clubs provide a nice change of pace and a new group of girls to hang with. I am finding it interesting though talking to some of them and finding out where they are going to school and where they are learning their English. A lot of the Forte girls I know tend to go to Uni and some of them to a Uni that teaches English. Nothing better than watching them put on their uni outfit in the morning. Sopranos girls that I know - many of them have finished uni already so they tend to take English classes at AUA. The Pent girls I know are both in uni and taking English classes at Wall Street. I guess they make too much money at the Pent. Okay English teachers - how many of you recognize the member club girls in your classes? Get in there.
Continuing in our role as budding political analysts I thought I would share with you some of the latest gossip and tell u what we know about bar closures. For today I think most places will be open and serving. For sure the normal bar scene will be open and Nana as well. Not sure on Patpong or Cowboy. Dec. 10 is constitution day and I think things will be open and functioning normally. After that though things may get funky.
For those not keeping track it appears the PPP party is getting the upper hand and is looking to win things. This is not exactly what the inner circle had hoped for post coup. Given this, out of respect for the big birthday, things have been pretty quiet around town but rumor is past the 10th that could all change. How might it change? For starters they have already told the bars that there will be no alcohol from the 14th @ 6pm until 16th @ 12:00am. Why? 2 schools of thought. It is the last weekend before the elections and therefore all the parties will be having mass demonstrations that some fear could turn into protests. If people are sober there would be less chance of violence. The second school of thought is there may be some announcements related to trying to take some of the wind of the PPP’s sails and there is some fear of bigger protests and once again they want protesters sober. Either way something is brewing for them to pre-announce that many sober days.
Then come the 22 @ 6pm until the 23 @ 12:00am there will be no alcohol due to the actual voting time. So far it does not sound like there will be any forced closures but time will time.
In keeping with trying to further my Thai skills I have taken to making a few index cards each day with new words so I can increase my vocabulary and work on reading/writing. I also watch the Thai karaoke videos as well since it helps learn some of the slang. Problem is I keep running into words that I either can’t find in the dictionary or the meaning in the dictionary does not seem to make sense given the context in the song. So when I was out having some coffee the other day I was reviewing my index cards and a girl in the coffee shop asked what I was doing. So I showed her. The one index card was this line from a song, Bodyslam, that I did not get. Turns out it was quite a powerful line and the girl loved it explaining it to me. Bagged another number.
love this town!
I think the alcohol prohibition in the weekend before may be less conspiratorial than you make it sound. Isn’t that the weekend for people to vote if they can’t vote on the 23rd? I think it runs for 2 days 15-16 which would explain the extra day of prohibition
View all comments by nic
nic - u could be right but in past elections that has never been the case nor do they usually have more days set aside prior to the election versus the election days themselves.
Having run the bars for 2+ years - we have never got this alcohol ban that was greater than the election days.
I was not trying to be sensationalist - I was recounting what I have heard from a few people. I hear you on the absentee voting but when I asked around no one is aware of it working like that.
I guess we shall see or someone may comment who knows.
View all comments by smitty
Learning in Wall street??!! Bloody nora. And people complain about being english teachers?!
View all comments by m
nic - my bad. u r right. it is the time needed for the rural people to vote. It was less days last time and I don’t recall an alcohol ban with those days. My newspaper contact just called to correct me and to say that the Bkk inner circle is planning to use this time to see by how much the PPP is winning to figure out what they need to do to manipulate the BKK numbers to keep PPP from winning by a landslide.
They figure there may be some street protests over this so they don’t want people drinking.
View all comments by smitty
Pent Club….
By far the most beautiful girls I’ve seen in BKK.
I do however find it frustrating as I could of happily married 3 of them on my visit. o.k, maybe not marry, but at least think about giving her 50% of my assets.
For someone who doesn’t speak Thai, I was a little shy/intimidated by the girls, as I was worried I’d not be able to have a good chat with them and look like an idiot. I stumbled through. Had a good chat with a girl.. a bit of laughing and on her way she went.
I did manage to have sex with 3 of the girls I fell in love with that night… They were not there of course, but they can’t escape my imagination.
I do feel an urge to get off my lazy arse now and learn some Thai…
The problem is, I am dumb and need to start with some of that ‘talk and learn’ stuff….. any ideas/suggestions?
Bangkok….. just keeps getting better.
View all comments by day walker
Never been to a ‘gents’ club, conjures up the images of smokey rooms with old men puffing cigars and drinking bitter in some grotty working mens club in the north of england.
would i be refused entry based on the fact im not a gentleman?
View all comments by Penfold
Penfold… Don’t tell them you are from the N.E and you’ll be fine
- seriously.. the places are sooo cool and it’s good to get away from the sleeze bar scene. (well…1 night out of two years?)
Everyone is smart(ish) dressed… there were a couple of guys which looked a bit scruffy, which didn’t help their chances when calling over a hot dancer. Being drunk and acting like you own the place doesn’t work either. They may have been filthy rich, who knows.. but as they say… “you can’t buy class”!
View all comments by day walker
agreed. I think the bad boy that dresses well and can chat with them goes over well really. They seem to like my tats as well. get in there. it is not an everyday thing but a great change of pace and the girls are smokin.
View all comments by smitty
im covered in tatts and have a thai tatt with my late grandads name and DOB in thai on my inside forearm which the girls seem to go mad for wherever i go
I agree with daywalker I just fancy a change of scenery from RCA/Ratchada/Cowboy/Nana and so on - like so many have said before some people love these places others hate them, guess ill have to find out.
Is there a ‘best’ night of the week to go? And i hate drinking spirits
View all comments by Penfold
I think the weeknights are better. most girls work wed/thurs anyway so u still get the girls.
U can drink whatever but for the member card I think they only give spirits but u can try asking for bottles of beer.
View all comments by smitty
I always describe the ‘disco’ area in Pent as having the feel of a high energy go go bar. That said, on my last visit in, there were two Thai fellows rather ostentatiosly smoking cigars in there, so maybe it does have a bit of the North England thing going on…. I’ve been going there about once a week and enjoying it.
View all comments by werewolf
I was in the Pent last night, it was fun.
dw - were you the tall guy with the big beer belly and the blue baseball cap?
View all comments by Orion
no
View all comments by day walker
Smoking cigars is the height of camp
Wednesdays night it is for me i guess
do i get to try before i buy? The thought of a salegirl following me round with a clipboard trying to get me to sign up all night would drive me nuts?
View all comments by Penfold
p - it is not that pushy. just open a bottle and try it out.
tough to explain it all. Best to just give it a whirl.
View all comments by smitty
Ok which of you was wearing the blue baseball cap, I wanna know!
View all comments by Orion
o - we were there on monday night. anyone going to a g club with a baseball should be shot.
View all comments by smitty
Not just a baseball cap… uneven unkempt hair growing out about 10″ sideways underneath it. Girls were pointing him out from across the club with giant EWWW looks on their cute faces
Baseball cap guy, if you’re reading this, no offense but you need to watch a few episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or something
View all comments by Orion
o - my hair is getting seriously out of control - its curly though and the chicks don’t seem to mind too much but I would not wear a hat to Pent.
View all comments by smitty
smitty - admit it, it was you wasn’t it? Love the mullet
View all comments by Orion
@Orion: Even in Thailand I doubt anyone would ever describe Daywalker as “tall”.
@Penfold: As I was travelling out to Pent with a mate last week he made the comment that he expected to be pushed by sales girls while we were there… I told him that he defintely wouldn’t be, and sure enough, no pushy sales girl approached.
When I joined, I went looking for a sales girl, found one who spoke fair English, and after answering my questions she gave me her card and told me to think about it and call her if I wanted to buy a membership. Definitely not pushy, though that may not be the normal sales technique.
The “TRY BEFORE YOU BUY” program is simple. When you go in you can pay either:
660 baht cover and receive two drink vouchers (beer or cocktails); or
3,000 baht cover and receive a bottle of Chivas.
(I think if you buy a membership in the night, you can probably get the cover credited towards your membership fee, but I’m only guessing.)
The salesladies (mamasans) are on a commission system and have a quota for sales, so if you decide to join you can help out my saleslady/mamasan who I like, and who does a good job. Her name is Joy. Feel free to ask for her when you go in and she should take good care of you.
View all comments by werewolf
PENFOLD
Dec 5th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
“…Smoking cigars is the height of camp.”
What the fuck?
A guy who claims to be ‘covered in tatts’ and gloats that ‘makes the girls go wild,’ feels the need to label one of the truly sublime, peaceful, and gentlemanly pass times of life as ‘camp?’ Now I think I’ve heard darn near everything……
View all comments by Old Asia Hand
@OAH: but if his comments on 3B’s blog are anything to go by, Mr Penfold enjoys camp. Or at least ladyboys. And you don’t get much camper than that.
View all comments by Combover
Index cards are the way. I love them. I always take a nice stack with me on the Visa run bus or run through when I wake up or go to sleep or eating. Even I can learn Thai with index cards! The nice thing about them is its relatively painless learning. Just do enough laps through the stack and it eventually starts sinking in. Of course my pronunciation and use of tones is all wrong, but gotta start somewhere.
View all comments by Homey
One can also download .mp3 lessons (say Pimsleur or Linguaphone) via the internet and practice on the move.
Nice way to seek attention if you’re preared to make a tit outta yourself speaking out loud with headphones in.
View all comments by Combover
I concur with werewolf, Joy takes good care of her customers
I use blank business cards for Thai words… When I want to say something in Thai and I don’t know the word I write it down in English, then find out the Thai translation and write it down. I carry the cards in my pocket and read the words during idle time until I memorized them.
Another thing I haven’t tried yet but thought of recently is watching Hollywood DVDs with the Thai soundtrack and English subtitles. I think this is a good way to learn words in their proper context and get the pronunciation right.
View all comments by Orion
better yet get a dvd of a movie you’ve already seen and turn on the thai subtitles but with the english soundtrack on. it’s pretty difficult to keep up unless you’re really on top of the language, however, i found it to be a great way to improve vocabulary. aim to read the first three words of each subtitle, then four, etc.
View all comments by go go groupie
Penfold, I was in the Pent last Sunday, my service lady from the entrance only accompanied me to the disco area and got me a drink. After that she only appeared when I called her over. No other service girls pushed me. I was just wearing a black jeans and a black billabong t-shirt. Didn’t seem to bother anybody. I had a great time. Just give it a try, nothing to worry about!
View all comments by Phoenix
@OAH - did i say there was anything wrong with being camp? I didnt think so - Have a cigar and relax oldman
@Wolf, can i ask for Joy by name at the desk or something? Im not a spirit drinker at all, as last time i drank Chivas i woke up with green knees and a profelactic hanging out of my backside. Can they put beer on my card or not?
View all comments by Penfold
ggg - if you’re really hardcore you play the Laotian soundtrack and read the subtitles in Khmer
View all comments by Orion
o - mullet is business in front and party in the back. I am all party. Have not cut the hair in months but I have curly hair so the chicks think I am half thai and half spanish or italian. so far it is not repelling them. I am on the way to dreads but will take time.
on the movie thing make sure u get real copies - the bootleg copies on the street usually have bad thai.
I say go to thai school. the schools are full of japanese and korean girls. bonus points.
View all comments by smitty
japanese and korean girls?? Which school? I am SO going there!!
View all comments by Orion
Penfold: “can i ask for Joy by name at the desk or something? Im not a spirit drinker at all, as last time i drank Chivas i woke up with green knees and a profelactic hanging out of my backside. Can they put beer on my card or not?”
Yes, you can ask for Joy by name, or even call ahead to her cell phone (081 616 1548). I am not a spirit drinker, but went for the Chivas package so that I can share easily with the dancing girls. The alternative is 100 bottles of heineken; they’re happy to set up your card that way (prices out to 200 baht per bottle).
Combover:“…One can also download .mp3 lessons (say Pimsleur or Linguaphone) via the internet and practice on the move. ”
Combover, I said “Pimsleur” and “Linguaphone” to my computer several times but no .mp3 lessons downloaded. Are you sure this is the way it works?!
View all comments by werewolf
it’s generally true in most of the thai language schools. when i first came here five years ago i tried out most of the better known ones but settled at a school called Nisa Thai Language School on Yen Akart (south of sathorn) primarily because it was loaded with japanese/korean wifes or girlfriends with nothing better to do with their time.
schools are good for maybe a year or so in teaching the basics or if you want to prepare for the Bor Hok exam, but once you get somewhat proficient I think they’re a waste of money. It’s so hard to find a competent Thai teacher here (by that, i mean one who can pick up on your weaknesses and work on them while keeping the whole process interesting). Men are supposedly much better at this, but it seems that 99% of Thai language teachers are women.
View all comments by go go groupie
ggg - this is what has stopped me from taking Thai classes. Worried about wasting time on being taught stuff that I already know.
I think I know about 50% of Thai, not sure how a teacher would figure out what the other missing 50% is that I still need to learn.
View all comments by Orion
true to some extent but given it is a only a few hours a day I can’t imagine going through all 6 levels at a plce like unity Thai could ever really be a waste of time. especially at only 7000 baht a month. to me unless u can read a newspaper in thai then there is still stuff to learn. I found school to get me going in a few months versus many previous months on my own.
View all comments by smitty
orion - so you’ve never taken any sort of Thai class? i think you’d get some benefit out of it, unless you’re one of those who’s been disciplined enough to teach yourself (along with the help of a gf or two). the thai newspaper point is a good one - it’s like a completely different language from what you learn in the books. just sitting down with a teacher and the newspaper was useful in picking up tons of slang and informal thai (not that you’ll gain any great insight by reading the thai press -it’s lousy).
View all comments by go go groupie
Right, I’ve never taken a class, but I’ve been here 10 years and picked up quite a bit of the language along the way.
When I first got here I self studied very fanatically until I got to the point where I got good enough to hit on chicks, make appointments and get through lunch without running out of jokes and small talk. Once I reached this point I got lazy and didn’t study very hard.
I can jabber away for hours with a girl but I get stuck in unfamiliar situations like, for example, when I need to explain to a carpenter how I want a custom piece of furniture built.
I know I need to get my ass to a school to get really good but I’m lazy so let me have my 50% excuse
View all comments by Orion
Keep the pre-election predictions coming…..arrive Bangkok
13 Dec and Udon Thani the 16th.
View all comments by Matt