Asia Bugle Patong Report

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Patong Gogos again as PC thoughts fade

Although it is low season, several bars and clubs have given themselves a change in direction to attract what punters there are around. Soi Sea Pearl is closing down for a long term redevelopment and so some bars have already moved to pastures new. The transition of Soi Bangla into a walking street each night has been generally hailed as a success. It is interesting to note that several new A Go Go establishments have opened, so the PC Thought Nazis are not having it all their own way. Down in Sea Dragon there are several places where "Tiger Shows" happen each night.
One snippet of good news is that the Tuk Tuks in Patong Beach have agreed to change their working practices and do a similar pick up/drop off system as is the fashion in Pattaya. The scheme will hopefully come in to effect in November and the passenger fee will be 20 Baht per trip. There will be several circuits set up and the Tuk Tuks will be painted up to denote their route.

Sukhumvit Road - Patong!!

It was the Horror Show. Then it was Soi Moodies with its Elvis impersonator. Now after extensive renovations this Soi has reopened with the grand title of "Sukhumvit Road" and twenty new bars and a pizza shop have moved in. This area is on Rat U Tit Road only 200 metres from the Rock Hard end of Soi Bangla. Several of the bars have moved up from Soi Sea Pearl.The street is wide and has a high roof. Only the ground floor has been used thus far, but there is a walkway around the second level awaiting more bars. A large disco has been built at the bottom end. The street's music is centrally controlled by a pair of Thai DJs who some times get carried away with the sound of their own voices. They sounded like some demented railway announcer shrieking out train departures. I think this street will become more popular and if the second level comes online, it will give the Tiger complex and Soi Eric a run for their money. They will need to recruit a lot more girls to fill the place and get it going.

G Spot A Go Go:

Steve has converted his G Spot Bar on Soi Sea Dragon into a Go Go bar. The inside has been gutted and more use made of the space. The long bar has gone and been replaced with dancing stations and many mirrors. There are several waitresses who ensure that your glass is never empty and the music is at a pleasant low volume so that you can actually have a conversation without resorting to using semaphore.

Faulty Towers Inn

Same, same, but different. Arnt, the Norwegian partner of four years, has decided to move from the bar trade. His replacement is Simon who originates from the land of seal clubbers and maple leafs (but was lucky enough to move to England where he got a proper education). The handover happened on the June 1 with a big party to say goodbye to Arnt. There are no big changes expected as Simon is another of those Hash House Harrier people who believe that the art of drinking is the only reason to go jogging in the woods. Both he and Scud will not to ruin the place by installing a pool table or dart board and no sports are shown on the telly. They still sell the cheapest pint of Kilkenny in town - only 160 Baht a pint, and they have a great menu.

Dragon A Go Go

This used to be a disco playing very loud Techno music on Soi Bangla adjacent to the Blue Note Bar. Now the owners have converted the rear disco area to a large Go Go. The dancing runway is in the centre, and the seating circles it at various levels. I was told that the owner has employed a dance instructor of the third sex to make the girls move and not just hang on the poles like lethargic gibbons. The shim (she/him) must have done the job because the girls went through some lively moves. The highlight was when seven of them came on stage clad only in very brief black PVC bikinis complete with matching studded dog collars (nice touch) and went through a long dance routine. Drinks were not over priced, but be warned, the music is the loudest in Patong. The beat of the base rattles your lungs and after a while I left for a quite beer elsewhere.

Blue Note Bar

Blue Note on Soi Bangla opposite the Kangaroo Bar has recently installed a band doing live music five nights a week. For a small bar this works quite well as Blue Note is an upstairs open air bar and things don't get too noisy. The band is made up of four Thai guys who play blues and old time classic rock to a reasonable standard. They also interact with the customers which gives the place a friendly atmosphere.


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