Well folks. Thanks to all who came out to celebrate with the Ghost last night. It was a rocking party and I recall drunk people, happy people, drunk people, people passed out and more drunk people. Mission accomplished.
Ghost - props to sponsoring a great party!
As for tonight. For those in the SIlom area the Duke of Wellington is having a NYE Party. There will be some free snacks and shots. Live music and a lucky draw.
For those in the Sukhumvit area the Big Mango will have happy hour all night, some snacks and some shots put forth as we see fit to get people drunk.
My guess is many a people who visited the Mango last night are recovering. I know I am.
I will leave you with this - seems the police are putting on a smile campaign. Props - this one is almost as good as the new banners on KS Road that show the men in brown and proclaim - ask the men in brown because they know there way around town.
Respect.
That ill surely counter all the neg attention generated by the airport invasions and months of protests, nice to see the powers that be are looking out for you business people!
View all comments by nurseRon
Happy New Year….hope no one got caught in the fire at Santika Bay.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28451806
View all comments by The Asian Badger
Thoughts are with anyone at Santika tonight, friends, and families. Very, very sad, and a timely reminder of what is important in this life. Peace all.
View all comments by jim
Just saw the news…. Sad affair indeed.
View all comments by Daywalker
Oh man, what a nightmare. Nearly 60 people killed at a Santika fire. Yikes. Story is here.
View all comments by pmmp
It was great to hear the 2009 pre-game pep talk by Al Davis last night.
Couldn’t hear a word due to the rampant celebration going on at the Mango. Whatever it was, he didn’t seem too excited about the subject he was talking about.
Maybe lamenting about the lack of fans coming watch his team or possibly the high cost of the free agency market.
Uncochino, can you say, please move the team back to Anaheim?
View all comments by Bangkok
Years ago I was in one of those quick erupting fires. The flames were bouncing off the walls toward me and there was no way out but I was about 5 meters from an exit and after that first fire ball I was able to run out. In 10 to 15 minutes time the building was destroyed.
Since that horrific experience I ALWAYS look for the exits when i enter a place and go over to them to check them out. Oin Hotels I make it a point to count the numbe of “doors” between my room and the fire exit. I then walk the fire exit to check out there is no obstruction..
I am not paranoid or phobic just that 5 seonds of absolute terror instilled this precaution ritual into me whenever I am in a large or crowned building .
Reading this story in THE NATION brings back that horror.
Happy New Year to all
View all comments by 8 Ball
how sad is that…awful ending to an awful year..here’s hoping for a better 2009.
good luck to all
View all comments by bobonzo
Just heard from a friend that her friend who was at Santika last night is currently in the ICU. What an awful thing to happen. Was in the Mango Bar last night enjoying the countdown - good times were had by all. When I left to wander around the lower Sukhumvit, I saw/heard sirens wailing and police/firefighter/emergency rescue cars rushing across Sukhumvit… I’m guessing it was about Santika?
View all comments by Julian
I saw two red-colored vehicles with lights and sirens racing east on Sukhumvit Road last night, but that was around 11:30, which seems too early. It’s tragic news. Difficult to reconcile with the idea that I was a few kilometers away enjoying the party while people were dying in that fire.
View all comments by Werewolf
terrible news and footage on thai visa,commiserations to all families involved,may 2009 be a year wherepeople are nicer to eachother and have more tolerance towards eathother.count your lucky stars that you are alive and love your partner.
View all comments by zepplin
Horrible way to start the new year. How many clubs have we been in with dreadful fire escape plans?
View all comments by Pattaya Ghost
Evening started very well in the Big Mango. Lots of folks, good vibes, atmosphere, drinks and (Isaan)music. Had a great time!
Sad and horrifying news about the nightclub. Several messages on my mobile phone once I was back in my hotelroom. Immediately responded to family and friends at home that I am oke. They, of course, started to get worried after a few hours.
@8 ball - I also do the same when arriving at hotel. Few seconds of time and knowing your way out could be life saving. And on New Year I deliberately avoid big crowded places, like nightclubs.
View all comments by DrSchnauzert
Shocking news about Santika. Caught some of it on CNN and BBC news last night.
I know a few girls that are regulars there, but yet to hear back from them
On the news they were harping on about how this is gonna further hurt tourism this year, but does anyone really think it will?
View all comments by Young Penfold
yp - it sure cannot help especially if they will keep flashing images of wrapped bodies laying in the parking lot while harping about safety issues.
So I think u can add this to yet another ding against thailand at a time when the wave of negativity is already pretty high.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
SSB - What makes things worse about them showing the corpses, is the shoddy way they are handled. White potato sacks and ropes n pulleys? What the fuck is that all about?
Anyone know where there’ll be a list of all the injured/dead so people can check up on them?
View all comments by Young Penfold
yp - I saw this announcement but nothing else yet
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=7952
View all comments by sideshowBOB
YP: I’m guessing the list is gonna be tough to compile given the circumstances. There was a TG sleeping in my bed this morning and she got an SMS asking if she was alright and NOT at Santika last night. She replied immediately. I’m guessing that SMS messages are flashing around the world right now with queries and reassurances.
View all comments by Werewolf
I guess the had part will be waiting for a response that isn’t immediate, not knowing whether your friend is sleeping off the night’s revelries or charcoaled and wrapped in a potato sack. Difficult times.
View all comments by Werewolf
Read on some forum that it was a ‘Goodbye Santika’ party as they were closing the place down to move….
Botched insurance job perhaps?
View all comments by Young Penfold
yp -the goodbye party was planned. it has been known sometime that the land is earmarked for another not needed retail/condo project
however let’s not use this blog for conspiracy theories.
Many, many clubs in bkk probably do not have enough exits. you can blame this on lack of regulatory climate in thailand.
it is being talked about here:
http://absolutelybangkok.com/tragedy-overdue-dozens-killed-in-bangkok-nightclub-fire/
i am sure now there will be a bar or club witch hunt to make everyone feel safer which will probably not result in anything meaningful.
how about come common sense? fireworks maybe should not be used indoors?
View all comments by sideshowBOB
YP - partial list of deceased can be found here:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/01/headlines/headlines_30092285.php
View all comments by anonzo
Bp is covering it and points to a longer list of the deceased.
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/pub-fire.html
seems the owner was among those injured.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
“not knowing whether your friend is sleeping off the night’s revelries or charcoaled and wrapped in a potato sack”
- Is that meant to be funny? Or did you fully intend to sound like a cunt?
Show some respect.
View all comments by Daywalker
Caught the BP list, but cant read thai. perghaps smitty can intervene?
On a serious note though, Id say I only know the full thai names of maye 2-3 out of a possible 10 or so of my friends that are likely to of been there. Some scary scary shit
Life is so fucking short people. One minute your partying without a care in the world, then next thing……
View all comments by Young Penfold
Fireworks INSIDE the venue - seriously fucking irresponsible if its true.
With there being only six degrees of separation you can bet somebody who visits this blog knows someone hurt or killed in that fire. Very sad.
YP, SSBob, tragic as this is I don’t think its really going to put people off going to Thailand.
People didn’t stop visiting New York and London because they got bombed.
And unless there are more airport protests I can’t see many people in the West remembering those in six months either - while it was a big story internationally, it was hardly watercooler chat in the UK.
I think people recognise that outside of tourism countries have a life and sometimes bad things happen.
Far more damaging for Thailand were the Bangkok Hilton tales from back in the day and the story about the two Brit backpackers murdered by a Thai cop at Kanachanaburi.
That was four years ago and while no doubt the families will never forget it, its not something most tourists think about much, I’ll bet. Thailand’s tourism will be hit most by the economic downturn, just like everywhere else.
View all comments by milo
SSB & PMMP- great to see you guys last night although the hours after 9pm were hazy at best. i do remember drinking quite a bit but i am having trouble remembering if i paid my bin at the end of the night. since i have absolutely no memory of leaving the mango or getting home for that matter i’m having trouble recalling anything aside from the scrapped knee i received courtesy of the sidewalks at nana.
did i or did i not pay? what fucking time did i leave and who was that girl that dickpunched me for no apparent reason?
View all comments by UnCochinoWetback
@UCW: Then I guess you don’t remember our “Which Mafia is cooler, the Mexican or Italian Mafia?” discussion. It went on for about 30 minutes and I clearly won.
You were pretty wasted and joined the proud members of the “I fell asleep on the Mango bar” club. You were out for about 20 minutes.
You did pay your bill. I think you gave me a 2000 baht tip too…kidding. You left at 5am, about when we shut down. I don’t know about the dickpunching but I’m sure you deserved it.
Thanks for hanging though seriously. You were in top form for a New Year’s Eve Party.
View all comments by pmmp
PMMP- you’re shitting me about falling asleep on the bar? no way in hell would i do that. however, if it’s true i would like give you a million thank yous for not drawing dicks and swastikas on my face or playing drunk guy jenga with my lifeless alcoholic body.
i also find it funny you would engage me in the age old battle of mafias whilst drunk and incapable of holding my own. how convenient for you, i hope you feel satisfied.
i do remember having assistance getting a cab from two girls from the bar. whoever they were i owe them a thank you and a bowl of somtam next time i’m in. i woke up this morning trying to piece together what happened and figuring out the text messages i got this morning as i don’t remember drunk dialing anyone.
exactly how many people are in the “i fell asleep on the mango bar” club? do i have to pay any dues and wear a funny little Moroccan hat? what are the perks of this club?
View all comments by UnCochinoWetback
@UCW: You’ll have to talk to the founder, Werewolf. He actually yelled at me during the Ghost bday party for not taking a snap of a guy who fell asleep on the bar during the bday party since I always take a snap when WW does it. That one was kind of funny as he woke up when we brought out the birthday cake.
View all comments by pmmp
Daywalker:
Definitely not intended to be funny; intended to communicate how difficult it would be to be worried about a friend and not hearing anything, then seeing the photos on the internet. I’m sure you saw the photos that showed how the bodies were handled on the scene.
I didn’t then think it sounded funny or disrespectful, and I don’t think so now… however if it offended you or anyone else then I apologize. It was a sincere and serious remark and I feel the tragedy for all those affected as keenly as anyone.
View all comments by Werewolf