Bye-bye Red-Bar & Tina Bar..

[richard]

It was a set of bars and go-go's on Sukhumvit between Soi 13 and 15 about half way between Nana and Cowboy. Think there is a hotel now, but who cares.

Yes

Remember it well. Hotel it is.
Also area next to cowboy on Sukhumvit now condos. (Used to have some unique facilities)
Also Washington square off 22 ............going going gone
Also big area on the left going from Cowboy to Nana was a set of bars and vendors. Now a park

Progress I guess and as you said, who cares. They all eventually spring up somewhere else

[usual suspect]

The bars down Bintabaat IMO are kept afloat by Skandi-sponsorship... So many bars now have to pay extortionate rents each month, with crippling 'Key-money' fees to be paid annually also, yet many bars have only a few customers in each night..Like I've said before on here...my theory is this... *Bar Girl meets rich Farang,..*B/G wants to own a bar...*Oo look, bar she works in is for sale.. *B/G presents BIG 'puppy-eyes' to her Farang B/F..*soon deal done, *B/G becomes a Mamasan , *no need to make any money because HE pays the Key-Money, Monthly rent, electric, Police, Liquor-licence, and even funds the girls to enjoy a bottle of Sangsom (or 3) each night!
So then..WHEN the Land-lady increases the rent annually by an ever-increasing amount thus reducing the chances of making ANY profit from beer-sales etc..for a growing number of the establishments on the 'Binta-Block' this action simply means the 'lady' who 'owns' the bar simply has to get out her laptop out and Skype the mug (sorry..boyfriend), & with those same 'Puppy-Eyes' the monthly/annual financial increase is taken care of..simple.
(Each square metre of bar now makes the land-owners a healthy sum each year).
THIS is my take on how the bars here will keep open for a few more years to come... or at least till the land-owner gets a big carrot dangled from a developer willing to buy the freehold on land covering 2,3,4 bars in one hit.. (Hello 24hr,neon-lit, 8-storey Tailor's shop..5-5-5!)
But I'm just a humble tractor-driver...what would I know..??

[hhfarang]

^ Yeah, not quite overnight like Clinton Plaza but Washington Square will soon be gone to high rise development. It's been dying a slow death for the last 8 or so years. Being a sentimentalist, I miss those places.

[johnnyk]

That end of Binta is fast evolving into a one drink and sit for an hour golden ager area.

Because the other end has evolved into one ************(1) who doesn't know how bad a DJ he is but compensates for it with volume and the neighboring bars that think cacophony is better than their customers listening to someone else's music.


(1) Hint: Samuel L. Jackson's favorite word.

Agree. I avoid that idiot place. I carouse now down the far end of Selekam in the El Murph area.

[kendo]

You can only enjoy any establishment if you can hear your self chat with fellow patrons and the staff.
Kendo.

[Pleng]

The worst thing is that he just can't seem to manage to play a song the whole way through. OK if you're gonna play s**t music, at least let the song finish and don't change it for another one a quater to half the way through. And don't tease us with the occasional decent song, just to change to another sh** one wihin 30 seconds (which, of course will be itself replaced after a further minute). What a douche!

[Dr Michael]

When I first came to Thai I was talking to Jake Needham an author (Big Mango, Killing Plato) and long time BKK resident
I was asking him about some change proposed. He said, "you want to get a reputation for being wise about Thailand. When any change is discussed, go quiet, look very thoughtful, then say---You know in the end I dont think anything will change.

[johnnyk]

You can only enjoy any establishment if you can hear your self chat with fellow patrons and the staff.
Kendo.

[advocate]

The bars down Bintabaat IMO are kept afloat by Skandi-sponsorship... So many bars now have to pay extortionate rents each month, with crippling 'Key-money' fees to be paid annually also, yet many bars have only a few customers in each night..Like I've said before on here...my theory is this... *Bar Girl meets rich Farang,..*B/G wants to own a bar...*Oo look, bar she works in is for sale.. *B/G presents BIG 'puppy-eyes' to her Farang B/F..*soon deal done, *B/G becomes a Mamasan , *no need to make any money because HE pays the Key-Money, Monthly rent, electric, Police, Liquor-licence, and even funds the girls to enjoy a bottle of Sangsom (or 3) each night!
So then..WHEN the Land-lady increases the rent annually by an ever-increasing amount thus reducing the chances of making ANY profit from beer-sales etc..for a growing number of the establishments on the 'Binta-Block' this action simply means the 'lady' who 'owns' the bar simply has to get out her laptop out and Skype the mug (sorry..boyfriend), & with those same 'Puppy-Eyes' the monthly/annual financial increase is taken care of..simple.
(Each square metre of bar now makes the land-owners a healthy sum each year).
THIS is my take on how the bars here will keep open for a few more years to come... or at least till the land-owner gets a big carrot dangled from a developer willing to buy the freehold on land covering 2,3,4 bars in one hit.. (Hello 24hr,neon-lit, 8-storey Tailor's shop..5-5-5!)
But I'm just a humble tractor-driver...what would I know..??

I think Usual Suspect has nailed it spot on. After the sponser has been drained of all funds the landlord takes back the keys until another sucker is found willing to part with the tea money and drain his retirement fund.

[cookmanchef]

Don't know if true or not but I was told that both will reopen as refitted bars with better quality rooms upstairs suitable for "guests' rather than 8 staff to one room.

[margaretcarnes]

Don't know if true or not but I was told that both will reopen as refitted bars with better quality rooms upstairs suitable for "guests' rather than 8 staff to one room.

In other words either short time rooms or another hotel - either which not a lot of difference depending on demand!
Time will tell but the land in that area must be worth a packet now, particularly at the Hilton end, so I think my money is still on JW's info.

[elem]

...duno, but Usual S, thanks for your insights anyway - it made me smile ( a bit

[uncle tom]

Our Usual Suspect is pretty much on the money - but in a strange way it's quite fun to marvel at the complete lack of business sense that many farangs show when bank-rolling a bar.

So many get a crude lick of paint, some uncomfortable furniture and a few sullen superannuated 'girls' - accompanied by needlessly loud music.. - and nothing else to attract passing customers..

..and then, a year or so down the line, the good old 'bar for sale' sign pops up..

[richard]

New RED BAR appearing on soi 80, LINDA rental I have been told (by Linda).

Binta and Poonsuk are losing it methinks

Heard that last night there were a really noisy and boisterous bunch of farangs trawling the bars until the early hours and some were forum users. Got to be the soi to go to

[johnnyk]

Our Usual Suspect is pretty much on the money - but in a strange way it's quite fun to marvel at the complete lack of business sense that many farangs show when bank-rolling a bar.

So many get a crude lick of paint, some uncomfortable furniture and a few sullen superannuated 'girls' - accompanied by needlessly loud music.. - and nothing else to attract passing customers..

..and then, a year or so down the line, the good old 'bar for sale' sign pops up..

Running a bar isn't easy at the best of times. Even harder in Thailand but ....
1) Hope springs eternal
2) see: "Barnum, P.T."