Most eloquently paraphrased Michael Palin genius Khun Wanderlust that sums it up admirably.
Would shakin boxcar be a synonym for Tuk Tuk by any chance.
New Bar district?
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The understudy
- Ace
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- Location: Hua Hin, Bangkok, Berlin, L. A. rotating
soi bintahbant
as I was a hua hin resident for four alomost five years to see an anchient bar district go to make room for some lofty boutiques seems to be very odd. And I can tell you know what will happen a couple of years after those boutiques open. Some of the boutiques will convert themselves into cheaper shops as the expected high clientel that suppose to come to shop fall short of expectations. some of the shops will inevitably turn into Bars again to attract visitors to the adjacent Hilton, if it still exsicts by that time.
I was in that street before a couple of times and my Friend a fellow Senior Stamford Grad had opened A Bar once right opposite the Temple a couple of years back (Remember "Chill" on soi Poolsuk Road?) It was run fairly good until it had to be closed down. A second succesfull attempt to open "Chill" on the grounds of the now Hau Hin Market Village now, has been very good accepted by Webster and studnet allike.
Why don't leave everything as is, as it's the real Hua Hin BUt for many things that will go it will either come back again or go into the cities history Books.
Ahh That new Bar district is allready in planniing phase. I heard tthat a bangkok develloper had bought off 50 Rai plot of Land from various owners to put a new "Entertainment District" I say lets wait and see how this will play out.
I hate to see soi Binthabant go! I never drank in those Bars there but my fellow friends had played snooker there beforre. I like to stroll down that road in the early evenings!!!
I was in that street before a couple of times and my Friend a fellow Senior Stamford Grad had opened A Bar once right opposite the Temple a couple of years back (Remember "Chill" on soi Poolsuk Road?) It was run fairly good until it had to be closed down. A second succesfull attempt to open "Chill" on the grounds of the now Hau Hin Market Village now, has been very good accepted by Webster and studnet allike.
Why don't leave everything as is, as it's the real Hua Hin BUt for many things that will go it will either come back again or go into the cities history Books.
Ahh That new Bar district is allready in planniing phase. I heard tthat a bangkok develloper had bought off 50 Rai plot of Land from various owners to put a new "Entertainment District" I say lets wait and see how this will play out.
I hate to see soi Binthabant go! I never drank in those Bars there but my fellow friends had played snooker there beforre. I like to stroll down that road in the early evenings!!!
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tuktukmike
- Guru
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- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:02 am
I like the bintabaht and always have.
But i also look at Poolsuk road by Crawfords and there are some real old wooden houses that the owners will not lease.
When they go god help us.
Guess,
Cant understand your post, please elaborate.
I know Wonderlust, Michael Palin he is not, More Benny Hill.
Mike.
But i also look at Poolsuk road by Crawfords and there are some real old wooden houses that the owners will not lease.
When they go god help us.
Guess,
Cant understand your post, please elaborate.
I know Wonderlust, Michael Palin he is not, More Benny Hill.
Mike.
If there was ever any street level 'character' inherent in the buildings on Soi Bintabaht it is long gone. There are no buildings there of any architectural merit whatsoever - it is all ten-a-penny infill that you can find in any backstreet in any town in Thailand.
The 'character' that one might experience there is solely down to the mix, activity and interraction of people using the bars.
It is a small and illusory taste of life on the edge - drinking and sweating with hostesses and being part of the strange diversity of refugees escaping the grinding pressure of capitalism. Almost all life is there and, just as everywhere in Thailand, it is the people rather than the buildings that make this 'ugly, lovely town' what it is.
My apologies to Dylan Thomas!
The 'character' that one might experience there is solely down to the mix, activity and interraction of people using the bars.
It is a small and illusory taste of life on the edge - drinking and sweating with hostesses and being part of the strange diversity of refugees escaping the grinding pressure of capitalism. Almost all life is there and, just as everywhere in Thailand, it is the people rather than the buildings that make this 'ugly, lovely town' what it is.
My apologies to Dylan Thomas!
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tuktukmike
- Guru
- Posts: 728
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:02 am
I always thought that the old wooden guest house had a charm of its own.
They used to have hanging baskets draped outside and while it may have been old and in need of a paint job it was a sad day when they tore it down.
I suppose if the landlords can get multiple rents from these plots then we can expect even more to come down.
Mike.
They used to have hanging baskets draped outside and while it may have been old and in need of a paint job it was a sad day when they tore it down.
I suppose if the landlords can get multiple rents from these plots then we can expect even more to come down.
Mike.
I first heard the rumours about the closure of bars in Soi Binthabaht about 5 years ago. The proximity to the temple is a genuine problem and that is why Rockestra had to relocate. The rumours gained momentum when the owner of the Sukwilai Guesthouse who owns several properties on the strip was killed in a car crash but his heirs in the end didn't seem keen to change anything. I suspect that eventually it will happen but it is too lucrative for the municipal authorities, land owners, police etc to push all that hard. The bazaar is probably easier to shut down as it is owned by the State Railways of Thailand. In Bangkok Patpong, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy continue despite many rumours that their days are numbers. Patpong got a new lease of life from the night market and hardly even rates as a red light district today. I remember when there were only two bars with not very attractive hostesses in Soi Binthabaht. The number has proliferated but the bars have preserved their tawdry character. I can imagine that Thais from the "moral majority", if there is such as a thing as morality here, don't like the soi as it is today, specially with the name of "Soi Almsgiving" near the temple. What is more amazing is that the amoral majority ever allowed it to develop in the first place. Personally, since parking has become such a problem in town, I think it might be better to relocate it somewhere on the outskirts but I don't expect people to agree with this idea.
I think the law is that you cannot have a bar, massage parlour or otherwise "subversive" business within 200 meters of a temple or school. Could be 300 meters. That's it legally as far as I'm aware.
A 7-11 recently opened near my house and it dosn't sell alcohol as it's right next to a school. I really don't like walking in there around 4pm as all the schoolkids buy their teeth rotting, gut-destroying junk food, soft drinks and chocolate. I do miss being able to buy a beer there though as I would assume the outlet would be responsible enough not to sell alcohol to a child in school uniform (or cigarettes for that matter).
Close to a temple, I can just about understand, although I refer to my post ages ago on this thread regarding the monks' attitude when walking down Bintabart to collect their alms when I had a bar there.
Incidentally, I believe a new law is being passed outlawing the sale or consumption of alcohol on temple grounds now. My wife's mother is a Mai Chee (Buddhist Nun) at a temple in the hills behind HH and she always allows me to take a beer or two round to her house there when we visit. I wonder what she'll do if this new law is passed? Go with the flow and still allow it, I should think.
As far as the "moral minority" are concerned, I really don't think you have to look much further than the big hotels etc that are farang run in the vicinity. They would definitely push for laws to be enforced as it only benefits their businesses in the end.
The Thais? Well, I've always believed they had a good, relaxed attitude towards this kind of situation, although I appreciate that there are certain elements in BKK who feel that "the people" can't and most importantly shouldn't be able to think for themselves.
A 7-11 recently opened near my house and it dosn't sell alcohol as it's right next to a school. I really don't like walking in there around 4pm as all the schoolkids buy their teeth rotting, gut-destroying junk food, soft drinks and chocolate. I do miss being able to buy a beer there though as I would assume the outlet would be responsible enough not to sell alcohol to a child in school uniform (or cigarettes for that matter).
Close to a temple, I can just about understand, although I refer to my post ages ago on this thread regarding the monks' attitude when walking down Bintabart to collect their alms when I had a bar there.
Incidentally, I believe a new law is being passed outlawing the sale or consumption of alcohol on temple grounds now. My wife's mother is a Mai Chee (Buddhist Nun) at a temple in the hills behind HH and she always allows me to take a beer or two round to her house there when we visit. I wonder what she'll do if this new law is passed? Go with the flow and still allow it, I should think.
As far as the "moral minority" are concerned, I really don't think you have to look much further than the big hotels etc that are farang run in the vicinity. They would definitely push for laws to be enforced as it only benefits their businesses in the end.
The Thais? Well, I've always believed they had a good, relaxed attitude towards this kind of situation, although I appreciate that there are certain elements in BKK who feel that "the people" can't and most importantly shouldn't be able to think for themselves.
I'd certainly be sorry to see the Bazaar area go. There always seems to be a good mix of Thais and Farangs, and I"ve had some good times there, although it can get a bit violent late on Fridays and Saturdays, with a few too many misunderstandings between Thais and Farangs fueled up on booze. I once had to rescue my brother from the boys in brown, who were actually quite good after polite apologies. Hi to Fred.
santabanjo
Don't think so, but wouldn't be surprised. Sometimes the doors have to come down pretty fast. I think I've seen violence about one fifth of the time, last year. But I've had a lot of fun, and not hit or been hit myself - just threatened a bit, but talked my way out. Be polite and back away -just like at home. Well, not in my home.
santabanjo
Seem to remember it made the papers. He and some Thais were all very drunk in a karaoke about 3 in the morning. The Thais starting hitting on and/or insulting his renta girlfriend. He objected and got beaten up and stabbed to death. The police punished the karaoke with the standard 30 day closure. I am not sure if they got around to arresting the murderers.
I was in one of those karaokes in the small hours not long before the Swede's murder when some pie eyed Thai men started trying to engage me in annoying, incoherent conversation in pidgin English. Knowing that these drunken conversations at best can lead to the farang being dumped with the Thais' bill and at worst being dead in the gutter I quickly paid my bill and left with a polite sawaddi krap to the Thais. When paralytic it doesn't take much for these fragile egos to conclude that they have lost face and need to brutally murder some one to set things right but only so long as the odds are massively on their side.
I will not miss the bazaar myself due to the potential for violence there but I accept that many people like it and that a late night drinking venue is needed for tourists. Before Toxin's social order campaign Soi Bintabaht bars were able to stay open as long as they liked. They were pretty safe even in the small hours as they are so open and Thai men don't like to drink there. The biggest risk I faced was not being too legless to get home!
I was in one of those karaokes in the small hours not long before the Swede's murder when some pie eyed Thai men started trying to engage me in annoying, incoherent conversation in pidgin English. Knowing that these drunken conversations at best can lead to the farang being dumped with the Thais' bill and at worst being dead in the gutter I quickly paid my bill and left with a polite sawaddi krap to the Thais. When paralytic it doesn't take much for these fragile egos to conclude that they have lost face and need to brutally murder some one to set things right but only so long as the odds are massively on their side.
I will not miss the bazaar myself due to the potential for violence there but I accept that many people like it and that a late night drinking venue is needed for tourists. Before Toxin's social order campaign Soi Bintabaht bars were able to stay open as long as they liked. They were pretty safe even in the small hours as they are so open and Thai men don't like to drink there. The biggest risk I faced was not being too legless to get home!