Howdy folks. I am finally cleaning out the cobwebs from my head that seemed to have collected over the CH/NY time. Doing my best to get back to normal - at least my version of it. There are some serious headwinds coming at the whole world and Thailand can’t dodge them but I am hoping for the best - I really am.
Here is an interesting article from a guy who was in the Santika fire. Another view of it all indeed. I never even thought about the dangers of alcohol bottles at the table during a fire. Kind of scary really. I also think he view of the media and all the citizen videographers is spot on. He is also gentler on the emergency services than I would be but not sure you can blame them although the government needs to own up to the pathetic state of emergency care and response in Thailand.
As I mentioned before that a witchhunt for the owner of the club may result in some unintentional consequences. This is Thailand and all the rules are not quite fair or well known. The whole notion of licensing and construction permits is a black art in Thailand. I won’t go into here but let’s assume for simplicity that it all has to do with who you know and who you pay. So if an owner was allowed to operate and the ability to operate was due to some payoffs then one can imagine that the owner, upon going down, will expose the under the table payment system as well. Makes complete sense. This is now what is happening in my opinion.
The clubbing world will go on and life will get back to normal but my heart goes out to anyone and everyone who was affected by this tragedy.
Need a gig? Can speak more than one language? Can use a keyboard? The FBI is hiring. I think I qualify:
The FBI routinely advertises openings for individuals with critical skills in computer science and language fluency. But John Raucci, assistant director of the FBI’s Human Resources Division, says current needs are much more wide-ranging.
The iPhone is coming to bkk soon, the official iPhone, and True looks to have some interesting packages. I agree that the key for them will be the bundled wi-fi. The price looks interesting. However I want a Thai version of this app.
I happened to get some time this past weekend to check out the new Narcissus club. For about a year they have been remodeling the entire complex which houses both Pegasus and Narcissus. Pmmp has written about Pegasus before and I have not seen anyone write anything newer since. Pegasus seems to have been worked on during this overhaul and there is some rumor of on-site “short time” rooms. Anyone who can write up a solid update on Pegasus would be welcome to post it here.
The whole complex now seems to be referred to as Narz. Within the club side there are actually 2 separate clubs. One with techno/trance and another one with hip hop and live bands. I only went to the techno side. That club is remodeled with some remnants of the old one left. The layout is cool, small dance floor, a couple of bars and some places for the Narz dancers. The music was great but some people only like this type of joint when they under the “influence” and from looking around the room plenty of Thais were. This has always been the case at Narc. Old rumors used to boast that the son of Al Davis had some business interest in this place and therefore the club was given a lot of freedom. I can recall years ago when I went to Narc whilst I was living in Hong Kong of a big night I had spent in the old VIP area. Lights came on and we were told there was a police raid but before I could get too alarmed about it everyone in the VIP area was escorted to waiting taxis before the police came in. Respect.
There was no cover for the club and it was a weekend so I am not sure if this is a temporary thing or not. The prices were not bad either. We opened a bottle of vodka for 2000 baht plus mixers. The other thing I love about Thai style places is the service is excellent. They attended to our table and bottle service to the bitter end. The crowds were light but this is mostly due to the place being new and the timing. I think this place will start to attract the masses again.
I can’t comment on the Hip Hop side or the live band area but this place is huge now and there is a big outdoor area and some lounge areas. It needs exploring.
The other new part of the complex is S23. I gather it is a coyote club but not sure then what is the difference between S23 and Pegasus - anyone know? Would love some solid reviews of these joints. I also wonder if they have some joint type of membership since if they have a complex they should offer some way to have your bottles and member card work across all venues. That would be something new and different.
I plan on going back to check the overall place more since I live pretty close. I am still not understanding what all the rooms entail since they built up(5 or 6 stories) and out with still some development still going on but my guess is they are not done yet. I was actually walking around during the day last week with my camera and i was chased out by security. Fun Fun.
it’s not a motorcycle baby, it’s a chopper
View all comments by bobonzo
b - did I miss something?
View all comments by sideshowBOB
Excellent..I cant wait to check out the remodeled club. Friends have been there before and raved and the quality and quantity of the ladies there. Look forward to a more in-depth review.
View all comments by Indu WangZi
in - not sure how good a pulling place narz is or ever was. I always bring my own and party down but I guess it all depends. The music is great and the place looks very cool. The bathrooms are a trip.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
SSB - No entrance fee..any idea on how long this will continue? Previously, friends went with a guy who had a membership, but I also know they charged an entrance fee.
View all comments by Indu WangZi
Hi!
I would like to get in touch with you and discuss business relationship.
How can i reach you ?
I’m based in bangkok.
Best Regards,
Patrick
View all comments by Patrick R
Most of these corruption ‘investigations’ go the same way, no matter what country they are in. Some mid-level hack who either a) pissed of the wrong person or b) agrees to take a hit in exchange for some other pre-arranged deal gets thrown under the bus. It’s awfully rare to get an Eliot Ness type who will really take on the big boys. Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen in this case.
View all comments by tosh
tosh - correct but my guess is they don’t do much at all since that district santika is in is quite rich for the police and I don’t see them sinking the owner and then expecting that the other owners in the area will continue to pay up like normal. The whole notion of police payments here is way deep and no one is going to try and clean it up over the santika incident is my guess. If they do try to sink the owner my guess is he starts naming names and amounts as a way to bring others down. This is what mr massage dude did.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
@ SSB - so you don’t even think they’ll do much at all? Damn, that’s brazen. I always liked the MP guy who started to squawk. I wonder what the rake is on the Ratchadaphisek section of town?
View all comments by tosh
Got an SMS from a friend around 9:30 tonight that fire inspectors were taking photos in the Soi Cowboy bars.
View all comments by dj
@dj: Ah - I was told Monday that a lot of the underage girls had been told to stay out of the gogos until this had happened. The effects of that ban are of course rather more noticeable in some bars than others…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Eying the headline with a tingly mixture of suspicion, fear and trepidation, I clicked the ‘continue reading blah, blah, FBI, blah, blah link…
And was much relieved it was a job posting as opposed to a summons, subpoena or wanted poster of a possible passing acquaintance, next ex-girlfriend, current ex-girlfriend or myself…
Now I can go pee without fear.
View all comments by khlongwater
I’m not sure if it has been mentioned elsewhere (haven’t spotted it if it has) but there was a further fire in Bangkok on New Years Day at Rawhide in Soi Cowboy. I was in Five Star at the time and it was quite unnerving to see how quickly the place filled with smoke. Could see why that is such a killer in fires, as, after we were evacuated past the MRT station, the fumes coming out of the back of the building were really unpleasant.
There were some girls on the upper floors and their only way of escape was through a window, along a ledge and then down a fixed ladder before clambering into the balcony of the st hotel next door. I am still amazed that none of them fell. Clearly no real thought was given to fire escapes, but I guess they cost more than expendable staff.
Fortunately (asssuming you believe it) the Bangkok Post said no one was injured and it has to be said there were fire appliances on the scene in numbers pretty quickly, but one wonders what would have happened if it had happened earlier in the evening. While it was a minor incident compared to that at the Santika, I think that the lack of injuries was pure luck. When I left on Sunday there was no sign of Rawhide reopening, which I guess shows the level of damage inside.
View all comments by Sarf Essex Taff
Slept through chemistry at school…Jonny Walker explode??? Maybe the bottle would burst due to boiling,cap screwed down, etc but I wouldnt rate it as a highly flammable substance??????? Enlighten me you chemistry buffs..
Also, amazing how he states he was outside when it all started yet managed to see all of this! Good on him for helping - seems like he was the only one not holding a camera.
View all comments by Livin' the Dream
My understanding is that Pegasus (which I visited once with a friend) is not a G-Club. Not in the sense of the Resort, the Pent or others.
They have private rooms, drinks and girls to entertain you, but when I visited it was clearly mentioned that all girls were available for ST/LT and at a fixed price. There is no show and no dancing.
I guess S23 is the G-Club of the complex.
View all comments by SukPsycho
tosh - who do what? the system for paying police here is massive. cheifs of police actually put up a bond to secure their job and then pay it back overtime from their takings. so this is a money game - not a civil service.
will they expose this whole system over santika - hell no. so my point is the owner will squeal enough to keep alive is what I think will happen.
dj - bbb - yup they were doing the rounds last night. as noted in the kk this may go on city wide.
s - it was mentioned it but go-go bar fires tend not to get a lot of public press. I think the problem rh will have is the smoke damage and the smell. u can smell it when u walk by.
suk - seems to be the case. actually I think pegasus is more of what a g-club really is. a gentlemen’s club and the resprt, pent and I guess s 23 is more of what people think of as a coyote bar/club.
will be interesting to see what the difference is between the 2. heard that some friends dropped by s 23 and said it was not busy and looked rather boring. maybe too early?
View all comments by sideshowBOB
@Livin’ not a chemistry buff but used to do a bit of bar tending in my younger years. whisky and spirits in general are very flammable if u heat them up a little first.
View all comments by Phuket&C
Went to S23 to check the place out. To say it was not busy is an understatement. As ssb mentiones, S23 is a coyote bar/club. If you want to purchase a membership it is 20.000 bht incl 11 bottles. Later that night I asked the manager what was on the second floor and she duly showed and escorted me around the whole complex. Upstairs S23 are 2 big private rooms with huge plasma screens and karaoke sets, as well as bathrooms incl shower. On the 3rd floor they are constructing a spa.
The manager escorted me through ’secret’ doors that got me straight into Narz, Ripper and Narcissus; all venues are interconnected (for staff/bouncers). The whole complex is owned by one person and has invested a tremendous amount of money. You could even buy a membership for all 4 clubs for the amount of 100.000 bht; manager did not know exactly how many bottles came with it.
Unfortunately these places are only worth a visit during weekends I guess, as for the number of visitors.
View all comments by DrSchnauzert
dr - they are a pretty arrogant bunch the narc team.
they have not really started pushing these places yet but I bet they will.
a vip card that got me in to all but not at 100k would be cool. will check s23 sometime but if it does not have a ton of women then no coyote joint is worth it.
pegasus was getting tired so it needed a refresh.
I think this place may develop but they need to tell people what is there and what the bennies are. for sure they dumped some serious money on it.
View all comments by sideshowBOB
Timing could be very bad for such a new development. If things tank a bit this place could become a very expensive ghost-town. However, I hope not.
Huge fan of the old Narcissus. Many fond memories. When your rolling with tons of disposable income places like this can be your Adult Disneyland. The new upgrades will add to this as well.
This owner has pushed Narcissus to top levels before and hopefully he can do it again. Paul Oakenfold and many other top talents have performed at Narcissus in the past. It was and probably still is a top venue. The techno club will be fine and I think he has a good chance successfully mixing in Coyote/GoGo and G-Club. Pretty kick-ass offering.
View all comments by pmmp
Greetings I’m new here
And it looks like a interesting forum, so just wanted to say hello! :):):)
And looking forward to participating.
View all comments by Wayprorkatt
ssb - it was said that the owner spend 1 billion bht for the renovation of the whole complex (Narz, Ripper, Narcissus, S23). Everything looks brand new. It’s awesome. Also in S23 the men’s bathroom is a trip.
http://www.pegasus-grand-sukhumvit23.com
pmmp - Tiesto also seems to be performing at Narcissus. Great!
View all comments by DrSchnauzert
Sorry, for S23 club it is this link: http://s23bangkok.com
View all comments by DrSchnauzert
You know we’re in serious economic trouble when the #1 company on the list of “Companies Hiring this year” is 7-Eleven
View all comments by bobonzo
Pegasus is basically you high end Thai style, one stop knock shop. Ground floor is a lounge where you can sit with hostess, watch the dancing shows and listen to the singer, the entertainment however is not continuous like at G club. Or you can go straight to the upper floors which have private Karaoke rooms and then onto the short time rooms.
If you want a Karaoke room it is best to book with Mumasung before. Likewise with the short time rooms. The setup is geared to entertaining business clients where they can play up without being seen by the half the world.
Basically same pricing models as G clubs, with memberships, girl drinks on a time basis etc but with bar fines being 10 ladies drinks.
You need to make it clear to the Mumasung want sort of girl you want, apart from having different grades of girls up to model level (ask to see the photo album), not all girls are good for short / long time. Of course you have to pay extra / over charge for actually shagging the girl which are similar to massage parlors rates such as Poseidon for short time and are doubled for long time.
View all comments by Moo Uan
Hello I’m new here
And it looks like a great forum, so just wanted to say hello! :):):)
And looking forward to participating.
View all comments by Wayprorkatt
MU- can you please expand a little on the “photo album” at Pegasus? Were the pics current and were many of the girls actually available for booking? I look thru the books at Poseidon every time with the hopes of booking a Penthouse/Maxim-type girl and usually find dated pictures and most, if not all of my top choices “not working tonight”. Not that the girls on the couch are bad, it’s just that a girl with a centerfold pedigree, for just a few measly baht more, is icing on the cake-though I don’t go to BKK on a budget.
View all comments by cruiserPimp