Yo folks. Crazy busy these days. Quick reminder on Dance Anthems 3 in Pattaya tomorrow. Still planning on making it down but have not firmed up the party plans yet. Looks to be a big bash.
Stay tuned for another trip report from Khlongwater on a place I have never heard of.
Here is someone pretending to be like me and sounding almost too technical for his own good.
On my continuing quest to speak Thai I have been astonished by how many real Thai dialects there are. Even just picking up the differences between some of the Chiang Mai and Bangkok speak can be interesting. One of the girls in my posse speaks Khmer and I have been trying to pick up a few things. At first it seems easier because there are no tones but I am learning it is a more complex language than Thai. This is also quite fascinating about the Khmer spoken in Surin:
Northern Khmer, the dialect spoken in Thailand, is referred to in Khmer as Khmer Surin and, although it only began divergence from standard Khmer within the last 200 years, is considered by some linguists to be a separate language. This is due to its distinct accent influenced by the surrounding tonal language, Thai, lexical differences and its phonemic differences in both vowels and distribution of consonants. Final “r”, which has become silent in other dialects of Khmer, is pronounced in Northern Khmer.
We always get asked a lot about doing business in Thailand and the subject will revolve around buying businesses, business brokers and how to value businesses. I am no expert on it but I do have some real world experience. I thought I would share the example below as the type of things that get sold in Thailand and how suspect they are.
A relatively new Bilingual Website devoted to Bangkok events and information has become available for acquisition due to a partnership dispute. The Japanese and English language site was launched around seven months ago, and is currently getting about 300 unique hits each day. No advertising has been undertaken to date, but the infrastructure to make sales is in place. The site contains a wealth of information detailing restaurants, bars, properties, shopping, schools and health and beauty centres throughout the city, and contains links to prestigious Bangkok outlets. Total Investment To Own: 600,000
So let’s dissect this a bit. 300 hits a day? First off no one in the web world is measuring websites with hits. Page views, unique users, time spent looking at content and many other metrics are valid but hits is pretty old school. Further to the point - 300 hits is nothing. Especially considering one can buy hits or use bogus link exchanges to get hits.
Dissecting further. No advertising has been undertaken to date. Okay, so how is a site worth anything at all with no ads? Oh wait - the infrastructure to make sales is in place. Great. Meaning there is room on the page to put a banner ad? Wow. I smell real opportunity here. Or is this saying that one could go out and sell ads? Please. With 300 hits per day I don’t see much revenue potential. But the site does contain links to prestigious Bangkok outlets. Wow. That must have been some real technical wizardy there. A link to a prestigious outlet. 600,000 baht folks. Get in there. While you are at it I got this bridge over here…
I don’t have a party update for people. I have had very little time to party but hopefully soon.
What I did want to discuss is the smoking law and how inept it really is. Let me disclose that I am a non-smoker and I would love nothing more than to have all the venues in Thailand non-smoking. Would be awesome. Do I think it will ever happen? No. Why? This is a country fueled by corruption which means for most basic laws, the rules are never enforced equally. For something like the smoking law to work the rules would have to be enforced equally. Every single venue in every part of Thailand at any hour would have to enforce the rule. Hell will freeze over first. Did u know there is a Thai law that cars are suppose to stop at crosswalks if there are pedestrians waiting? Last time I checked usually the buses, run by the government, speed up when they see someone waiting at the crosswalk. Point is Thailand does not have a great reputation when it comes to enforcing basic laws, especially if there is an opportunity for the men in brown to make a market. All the smoking law has done is created another market and one that has the chance to bring in some serious coin.
So if one wanted to put a law like this in place it would seem there would be some basic principles to follow to ensure the law is successful. You would give a long notice. You would create some sort of bi-lingual material to give to all the venues who must enforce the law. You would make sure that someone like the police could not profit from it. Meaning you might have to create a separate agency to handle the education and enforcement knowing that this might be the only way to ensure success. None of this happened with the new no-smoking law.
A simple letter was sent out telling venues not to allow smoking. Which said that by Feb 11 all venues were to be no-smoking. There was no other supporting material sent out. Then the letter said that by Feb 18 enforcement would begin. There was no agency to call to get further details. There was no website. No one dealing with restaurant or bar licenses knew anything either. A complete lack of any real information whatsoever.
Then this leaked out from the press:
“Although the ban takes effect on Feb 11, we will focus more on educating people and issuing warnings rather than fining wrongdoers until May 31,” said Seri Hongyok, deputy director-general of the Disease Control Office.
The ministry is prepared to advise businesses on how to comply with the new rules, and will distribute copies of the regulations by the end of February, Mr Seri said.
Okay. February came and went and as a Pub/Bar owner I have received no material. No education and in fact calls to the Disease Control Office have fallen on deaf ears. Point being - the Agency in charge of this whole thing has no idea what they are doing.
If that were not enough let’s play back those first few days in February. We stopped the smoking on the 18. What happened? Business dropped by such a huge percentage that we allowed smoking after just 2 days of compliance. Why? Well. All the 2 story pubs allowed smoking on the second floor and most of Patpong went on smoking like nothing happened. This law will NEVER work if it is not equally enforced and if the pubs around me allow smoking than I have to allow smoking. The idea that a bunch of non-smokers will suddenly rush into the non-smoking pubs and make up for the smokers is just not true. Especially if the law is not equally applied. It is just that simple.
So where does that leave us today? In limbo. No one really knows what will happen but the cops are sure loving it. Back of the napkin math says that many venues are paying between 2-5k baht per month for a smoking waiver. U do the math but take Silom area alone with approx 300 venues and one gets a sense how these things work.
Keep on puffing I say…
As a smoker I was disappointed to learn about the no smoking ban - selfish I know - but what you describe is worse. I could be in a bar puffing away with other people and a gentleman in a too-tight-uniform could breeze in and relieve me of some of my cash. I know “This is Thailand” and you have to get used to this sort of thing but….. arse!
View all comments by doctorbond
dr bond - the money I mention is the cops taking money from bar owners. It remains to be seen if the actual law will go through and how enforcement will happen.
I was in Spicy one night and the waitress told my friend to stop smoking. I said no because across the way was a group of Thais smoking. She said they were important people and they could smoke. I said when they stop my buddy would stop. She went away to get another waitress and I told her the same thing. They tried to tell me they could get 2000 baht from us if we did not stop. I said try it.
Point is the lack of education within the Thai community for this law is appalling. The venues do not collect the fine money from the customers - actually no one knows who does collect the fine money but the funny thins is the venue is to be fined 20k baht as well.
how can u be a dr if u smoke?
View all comments by smitty
Sure - I understood your point Smitty - but I believe there is potentially a fine for the ‘individual’ as well - as you suggest above… 2k. So in theory I could be tapped up by one of our guardians of morality.
…and, I’m not necessarily a ‘good’ doctor. In the UK I prescribe an asprin for every ailment. In BKK I would probably recommend a pint or two at your place followed by a stagger across the road to SOL. Actually, on reflection, that makes me a GREAT doctor.
View all comments by doctorbond
I suspect that the enforcement of the laws against smoking will be as rigorously enforced as the laws against prostitution, in the long term.
The only place taking the smoking ban seriously at the moment seems to be Soi Cowboy - and I’m told that this is only because the smoking ban was the bright idea of some big cheese from their police district.
That said, I was told I couldn’t smoke in the big beer garden at Suan Lum last week, which is *outside*. Serves me right for asking - loads of other people were smoking with no apparent attempt being made to stop them.
Smitty: I’m sure that the organisation of the “exemption subscription scheme” will be finalised by the time June rolls around.
Speaking of excemptions, these guys deserve a prize of some sort:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/MN9BVF0CE.DTL
View all comments by TAFKABBB
dr - aspirin is your friend but I am all about the tylenol.
My guess is that if you were smoking in a place in which u might be fined you would not be allowed to smoke since the owner would be on the hook for 20k as well and probably would not have let u smoke.
t - how is mom?
yeah - the outdoor ban makes no sense.
I am sure nana is loving the cowboy no smoking thing.
minnesota. the state that elects ex WWF wrestlers as govenors.
View all comments by smitty
i was night in rainbow1 i saw something pretty unique, even in thailand. a guy wearing a suede waistcoat on a night out….. yeh….. looking good
anyway despite his crimes against fashion, he was smoking away and his smoke kept breezing in my direction. i told the server girl and she just shrugged her shoulders and was unwilling to help as he was willingly plying 2 girls with thimbles of cola.
before i leaned over to say something to him, he had just barfined his 2 cuties, so he, his girls and his snazzy outfit were history. no doubt if he was nursing 1 beer something might of been said to him by the staff although i doubt it
View all comments by Young Penfold
yp - nana is not enforcing the law and I don’t blame them since they need all the help they can get versus cowboy and with cowboy enforcing it nana has been busier than normal.
u should have used his lighter to burn the coat.
View all comments by smitty
News is down in Pattaya, that if the boys in very tight uniforms come in and fine a customer the 2000b, the bar in a very typical Thai fashion will make the said customer also pay their 20,000b fine at city hall!
View all comments by winn
I think with the onset of time and when May 30 becomes May 31, we might get some more direction on where all this will lead and “how” the law will be enforced.
I think it will be similar to the motorbike “helmet law” enforced in Phuket. Kinda like a dragnet/checkpoint fashion. OR, if the police might legitmately fine ENOUGH venue owners, and perhaps ALL establishments will enforce. OR, the legislators might repeal the law altogether. Thailand can be the Land of U-turns at times…
Yeah, limbo is the right word.
View all comments by John Brown
There is no way that site is worth 600k, but hey if people are stupid enough to buy it, send them my way.
If you put a big banner add on the top of the site to cash in on the advertising, even with a 20% ctr based on the “massive” 300unqs a day. That’s only 60 click throughs. At 1:200 as an average product conversion that would be 1 sale every 4 days or 7 sales a month. I hope the buyer has 20 years to make a roi on the site (assuming the current traffic isn’t Chinese or hitbot).
View all comments by Aussie Tom
w - sounds funny on paper but I don’t see it happening like that. Word is that it won’t be the police who deal with the fine but the police assume they will have greater power hence the ability for them to currently allow the smoking. Imagine a bar’s rep if they are found out to be making customers pay the fine. Can u say no customers?
jb - u are correct. I figure may 30 at midnight there may be a big scramble but still if there is no even enforcement it will fail. The problem is limbo makes for a perfect corruption opportunity.
at - wow. someone read the tech stuff. I feel so proud. Thanks for all the math verifying how ridiculous the deal is. What appalls me is that some so-called reputable business broker who sidelines in the overpriced taco business is pushing this. I bet someone actually bought it which gave me some thought to making a website just to see how quickly and for how much I could sell it to some sucker in Thailand.
View all comments by smitty
Smitty…the YouTube vid is priceless. Don’t worry. We, as regular readers, will come and visit you every day. With Marlboros. I hear they’re good for trading purposes.
Good luck on the re-opening.
View all comments by The Asian Badger
ab - maybe poker chips so I can teach them how the casino world works since this will be the next big police earner. the video is pretty amazing.
are u going to make the grand opening this time?
View all comments by smitty
There are some smoking bars on cowboy. If you have a dude out the front looking for police already you can get the ash trays of the tables as fast as the girls get their cloths back on (although getting customers to stub out might take longer).
I love the ban even if it is not equally enforced. There will at least be some bars that are non smoking that I will go to when not with smoking friends and the non smoking girls will gravitate there too. I know I’m in the minority, but I really believe the non smoking bars will end up more popular, maybe even with smokers, as the overall environment will be more pleasant with prettier girls and generally cleaner and more upmarket. The smoking bars will remain down market with the older and bad skin girls and possibly less nudity because the nudity money is being spent on smoking money.
What *really* surprised me was bars like Lone Staar enforcing the law - bars with the old timers as established customers with new comers a rarity. So they will lose customers because the hardcore smoking majority will go elsewhere much of the time and there is nobody to replace them. I think the more dynamic bars will do fine if they take the non smoking route after an initial hiccup.
It seems to becoming the pattern for the Tonglor bars to allow smoking outside - I suspect this is the compromise that has been reached.
View all comments by cabby
c - as a customer - sure you should go where u like the environment but if the law does not equal enforcement then most if not all bars will just revert to being smoking, I have not heard of one place getting increased business over this.
For the comment u make about the girls I am confused.Do u mean from a go-go bar angle or just normal bars? U think girls will go work in non smoking go-go bars if given the choice? I highly doubt that. Or do u mean freelancers will go to bars that don’t smoke. Not sure what u are getting at here but would like to follow it.
I do not think there will be any correlation at all with the nudity and smoking, Cowboy is naked because the top guy allows it. Nana is not because the top guy there does not. I don’t think any bar will do a calculation on this.
View all comments by smitty
I actually took a little more time and thought about this a bit.
It seems to me that the Thais are pretty serious about smoking as a problematic social issue and legislatively: 1st: they pixellated people taking a drag in TV/movies, 2nd: they starting putting graphic images on the cig boxes, and when that caused a “good” drop in the number of Thai smokers, they put even MORE graphic pictures on the packaging, and now 3rd: the banning of smoking in public establishments. Maybe, there are others, but these are the three major moves that I am aware of.
So, with the fines being set at 2,000/20,000, it seems to me they are targeting Thai places and customers. Otherwise, why not make the fines SAY at 200,000/2,000,000. That way, you would certainly get “self-enforcement” EVERYWHERE (maybe), which is generally the purpose of a law anyway if ALL citizens/people in the country behaved of course.
I think maybe the fine levels were set so that Thais would self-enforce in their venues, and the farang venues would just be a palm greasing garden for the BIB and whoever else takes a cut. Just a guess… or maybe this is what everyone here already has been implying yet my light bulb just went off.
I haven’t been to a Thai place since the new law so I have no idea what the protocol has been for them.
I guess I am just trying to say AND re-iterate (from a comment I made ages ago that no-one will actually remember)that Thailand makes laws to benefit it’s own citizens (as it should be), and any changes in those laws that affect foreigners always gets a moan or grumble out of them (not pointing fingers here as I am guilty at times too). Hey, at least it gives us a topic to talk about
Having said all that, May 31 and beyond just seems even more interesting to me to see what happens.
View all comments by John Brown
Infastructure for sales? Is that a telephone and a local phone directory?
View all comments by Young Penfold
smitty - I doubt there will be increased business *yet*. There will be a downturn followed by a correction at least in the farang bars where there are lots of non smokers and people who prefer a smoke free environment. I don’t know how the Japanese, Korean or Thai bars will fare but in the western bars things should follow the same patterns that happened in the west where smoking was banned.
I mainly talk to the young pretty girls in the gogos and a lot don’t smoke or just picked up the habit from the workplace. I’ve had girls bitching about the smell of smoke in their hair and bitching at managers and smokers about cigars. I do think the quality of girls will end up better in the non smoking bars. For starters, smoking prematurely ages faces and messes up complexions. For seconds, where do you think a pretty non-smoking farm girl is going to choose to work when arriving on the scene? The pretty ones have a choice, and whilst their first choice will be where their friends work their second is the more pleasant environment. And the cleaner non-smoking bars with the on average younger customers will win out over the dirtier bars with the on average older smokers and it will snowball from there.
I think this will happen even if just one of the police districts remains strict about a few of the bars in their district. Business will hurt at first in the bars affected. Some won’t survive. The others will adapt and end up stronger for it in the end. Then the other districts might like what they see and try and follow.
The nudity thing is just speculation on sin tax and how bars will choose to spend their police good will - partial nudity, full nudity, dancers without a gogo license, late night opening, flashy neon, young girls, and now smoking. The more laws you break the hotter the potato and the higher the costs, which hurts if you don’t have an unlimited budget.
View all comments by cabby
There is no way that site is worth 600k, but hey if people are stupid enough to buy it, send them my way.
If you put a big banner add on the top of the site to cash in on the advertising, even with a 20% ctr based on the “massive” 300unqs a day….
Hey, if websites are selling, I’ve got one that gets 900 unique visitors daily, averaging 4,000 hits per day. It also has “not yet started advertising but all the infrastructure is in place”. If my math is correct, the price structure is 200K per 100 uniques. Anyone who has the 1.8 million cash laying around looking for a technology investment can have my website COD.
View all comments by werewolf
I just got this from a source ‘in the know:’
It wasn’t supposed to be Smoking ban;
they meant to pass a law against Smokin’ Bands…
Seems some musicians with actual talent have been turning up at popular night spots and taking gigs away from well-established (and well connected) talentless acts…
View all comments by khlongwater
Wow: ban smoking or smokin’ bands or whatever, BUT then LGALIZE Gambling? Can you picture people gambling without smoking? Especially if someone is on a losing streak? Gunshots will follow (hell a guy shot 7 people over late night karaoke)… I got a funny feeling casinos will be only allowed to be built on rachada land that just happens to be owned by someone’s wifes…
View all comments by gripper
Smitty..I’m going to try like hell to make it.
I was in Singapore a few weeks back but had no time to get to The Duke to buy you guys a dinner. The U.S. recession is not necessarily a bad thing if you know how to play it but it requires more time and attention than the bull markets.
I mean, why the hell am I up at 3:40am looking at a blog instead of being warm and happy with a female??
View all comments by The Asian Badger
jb - it looks that way as well and I had thought they were serious about it all but the very fact that one can pay to get out of it makes me believe it will not all work out but only time will tell.
yp - its a commission only sales girl actually.
c - I just don’t think girls will migrate over the smoking thing. I have never found any of them to be that calculated over their decisions as to where they work. I could be wrong but I don’t think the smoking thing will affect ying migrations.
fyi - on the police thing. U pay per item. Almost like a menu. So the smoking thing is added to the bill. It is not in lieu of other things. So I don’t feel it will have anything to do with nudity or whatever. Over time if they are serious about the smoking thing they will have to enforce with people other than the men in brown or it won’t work.
ww - sounds about right. U should call sunbelt and put it up for sale.
g - yeah it is amazing that they can do a smoking ban - hardly enforce it and then hope to control Thais with legalized gambling. right…
ab - nice. don’t worry. Once u show up we will let u bar the entire bar a round.
View all comments by smitty
I worked behind the bar in a US state that a few years back banned smoking. Everyone was really upset about it (except me, I don’t smoke) but because in the end it didn’t matter precisely because it was enforced fairly and uniformly. I think in the four quarters it was in force bar/restaurant revenue with up.
But, as you say, it has to be enforced. My place was owned by a half-wit who loved his Kools more than anything else and openly defied the ban at first, telling customers ‘My family has known the police chief of this town for 50 years and he said it’s fine.’ That lasted about three weeks until he said something to the wrong person, who the called the state liquor commission. US liquor commissions are freaking Courts of Star Chamber. There is no appeal. If the suspend your license for ten days and you complain they might do nothing of they might double it for causing trouble. The head of the liquor commission called the bar owner and the police chief and said he had bigger things on his plate and if he heard of us again, ‘Well, someone is going to be made an example on this law, if you’d like to be that someone that’s fine with me.’ So, we set up some ashtrays out side the bar
But you’re right, you need that kind of enforcement or everyone will cheat a little bit, and then a little more, and then it’s all over.
Good luck, and the Strongbow at the Duke is a welcome addition to my vacation,
Tosh
View all comments by tosh
funny thing - Legalized Gambling. In my ‘hood there has been an ‘underground’ casino operating for years… about 5 years ago (when police chiefs/commanders were rotated, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) It is extremely well known and patronized by wealth chinese-thais… the hosts and hostesses are all young - 12-16yrs. of age, and when the raid happened that was the only point that ‘upset’ the local gendarme… i mean seriously - how underground can it be if i - roundeye know about it? all you have to go down the soi any time after midnight to see the all the Benz going into the high walled, gated parking are - very ’20s speakeasy style… EVERYONE in my ‘hood knows about it and most know someone working there… everytime i mention where i live to my upper-echelon thai friends, someone always chuckles and asks if i gamble… does dating young thai women count as gambling? i think yes. (but that’s a different post ;-))
View all comments by khlongwater
I happened to be chatting to the manager at Afterskool. He estimates about 20% of his girls smoke and most are in favor, and that it hasn’t really affected business. He seemed quite happy to have gone cold turkey from day one of the ban.
On the other side, there is a small bar allowing smoking that I’m fairly sure is getting more walk ins (look for the blackboard out the front - obvious to anyone who reads English which bar).
Hard to tell for sure of course with so many variables in play - there are always so many variables in play. If customers are up this time next year, it will be because of increased tourism and the new gov. If down, it will be because of the smoking ban and closing times
View all comments by cabby
What the Thais need to do to get the enforcement on track is 1. Get an English speaking cop on the 24 hour enforcement number, which is 02-590-3342 btw. The people who answer it now don’t speak English very well, and, lets face it, not many Thais are going to call at first. 2. Get English and Thai SMS set up on that number. It would be far easier for a patron of a bar to simply send an text message stating where the smoking was than to try to make a call from a noisy bar in front of potentially angry smokers. 3. Get somebody other than the police to answer the calls and enforce the law. Rumor is the cops are getting 100,000 baht a month from the Nana Plaza bars alone.
View all comments by Carguy
I think this law will be enforced, simply because it will make money. The issue here IMOHO is what comes next? As per usual the law goes over the top in banning in open air places but where are these little erosions of individual freedom going to end… as far as the puritanical Toxin government was concerned that was a long way - now they’re back in I can see a steady degradtion of all we consider fun.
View all comments by psi100th
Hey Smitty - I’m from MN - Gov Ventura (ex wrestler) actually had some terrific ideas. Unfortunately, when you live in the states, any ideas that differ from the norm are not accepted. That being said, he was for legalizing prostitution (yippee) and held our taxes in check. I, for one, liked the guy, though I’m not sure how he could stand the taste of his foot in his mouth.
View all comments by calvin
car - u make some valid points but what u are saying is there needs to be some way to rat on people? the problem is not really with the thais but with overall knowledge and equal enforcement of the law.
so granted there needs to be steps taken to make this happen but I think creating a system for turning people in is not really the issue. I think most bars would be happy to enforce the law if they knew the pub down the street was also enforcing the law.
As a bar owner it really as as simple as that.
psi - I agree with u. crazy to ban open air spaces at the same time as a pub. makes no sense. but your first sentence confuses me. the law will be enforced because the police can make money on it? isn’t that what is wrong to begin with?
I think this will have to be taken away from the police for it to work.
c - he did have good ideas but woefully executed them…
View all comments by smitty
@ smitty, rereading I realize I could have been a trifle more expansive on what I meant. Not saying that this is right or wrong - it’s just the way it is. the example to use here is the “reward” based system at work in the police force. Any arrest for any “decent” crime involving money involves a reward for the cops. without the reward the cops simply wouldn’t arrest anyone or tip them off and get rewarded.
So … the reason it will be enforced is because the cops can make money out of it, get rewarded - anyone willing to front up bigger “reward” money for not being arrested will probably be ok for a while, ensuring a blind eye. The blind eye stuff will be more difficult as time goes on but I expect that open air places will fair better in the long run.
View all comments by psi100th
Last weekend the “Baryan Tree” club on Ratchadapisek Road (behind Esplanade) was strictly non-smoking. We were told that all the Rachada places like Hollywood and Dance Fever were non-smoking too.
The Beer Garden on Suk Soi 7 has a policy that customers can smoke but the girls have to go upstairs to an air conditioned room to smoke.
View all comments by ArthurToo
Correction: as of Monday night Hollywood was allowing smoking. But they don’t put out ashtrays so people use the floor.
They had a good team of 18 (I counted) coyote dancers who were good dancers and friendly when they weren’t dancing.
View all comments by ArthurToo
Hollywood on Ratchada? If so I think it just shows how they are letting it go in some places and not in others. The unequal enforcement thing once again being the major issue.
View all comments by smitty
Last night I did a long overdue Multi-location night out ( I mostly stay around soi 4 ) First was a quick run in Nana, No problem smoking in there as normal. next to cowboy, i forgot about the smoking thing and lit up in cowboy 2, the service girl brought me an ashtray so no problem there either, Last stop in cowboy was Tilac bar (I haven’t really seen the remodel till now) Ok well I walked in with a cigarette in hand and the service girl saw it ,brought me my drink then I asked for a ashtray and was told ‘You cant smoke in here” ok what do I do with this ? use the floor was the answer. ( the dancer also said “Not worry I smoke you” to cheer things up a bit
Last stop for the night was over to 25 club in thong lo , Well the band was playing and the guitarist had a Cig in his mouth so I gave them my bottle card and ordered 2 mixers, Lit up my smoke and one of the service girls came over to me straight away with a look on her face like I just insulted budda!! then she says very politely,please hide your smoking from other people..Not allowed but is ok if you keep it hide..:)
On another note 10 mins later the lights went on and I still had 2 half full mixers. Damm Early closing is All over the place, even in a hidden away 99% Thai club on the end of a quiet soi..
So All is normal in Bangkok standards….Nothing is ever the same from one day to the next.
View all comments by Jboy.bkk
j - seems this smoking thing is just a mess all the way around.
WHere is the 25 club?
So it would appear the thai places are also feeling the pinch as well which was different than in times past.
fun fun
View all comments by smitty
Hmm - I’m not familiar with 25 Club either (I’d guess it’s on Thong Lo 25?), but Thong Lo has never really been a place for a late night.
Conversely, RCA has been staying open til 2-3am consistently, and there were plenty of folks breaking the smoking ban in Forte on Monday night.
I’d still say 90-99% of the Thai places are getting away with it.
Don’t confuse the issue by looking at the bar and clubs with cop connections - instead, look at the bars and clubs where the cops drink. Big difference.
View all comments by TAFKABBB
t - sorry meant more the late night. smoking this is just a mess.
but so far I am not hearing of anything open late. RCA is legal until 2 anyway. they pay extra for 3 but they never go later than 3 anyway.
Renovate - very thai. closing at 3 as well.
So my inference is that the current crackdown is affecting thai joints when it comes to staying open. WHich in the past had not been the case.
Sure u can find some watering hole or street thing but that is always the case.
View all comments by smitty
Thats what we love about Thailand though right? the always a challenge,keeps us on our toes
Sorry wasn’t sure if i should say the location, its called Club 25/The Room, its on thong lo 25 all the way down on the left before the road turns to the right. Its not a real big place but good bottle prices and music was good.
View all comments by Jboy.bkk