It’s not everyday I get spam that I actually find enjoyable but today is just one of those days. I had to open the email with the subject line: Flashing Ice Bucket!
Then buried in the excel price list was the photo - the glow in the dark flashing ice bucket. My guess is that it will revolutionize bottle service in Thailand. Get them while they are hot! In other news the after hours night life scene is like watching Wayne’s World. Game on - Game off, seems to be the order of the day when it comes to the Tunnel on Long Suan Soi 5. As of late the Game is on.
The other night I was rung up by a bartender friend, female, who asked me if I wanted to meet her and her friends out after work for some drinks at the Tunnel. We have written about the Tunnel before and we continue to have a love/hate relationship with the place. When it is good it is great but knowing when it is open, when it is closed and when it is about to get shutdown can make the avid club goer a little bit nuts. However the Tunnel is back on and gaining an audience.
I joined up with the girls on Tuesday night around 2:00 AM. The place was medium full, the music was pumping and the service was good. It seems, for the weekdays that is, that they are only charging a cover to the men while the ladies get in free. Great idea! Seems to be attracting the girls that go clubbing after they get off of work as bartenders, waitresses and so on. There are freelancers lurking about but nothing compared to the concentration of Spicy Club. However I like the mix better since there were some Farang models, normal Thai girls, some freelancers and so on. Maybe not fresh produce but for sure fresh meat. Makes for happy hunting. I left the place at 4 AM and it was still going. The music is also some of the best when compared to the other after hours venues.
Slight predicament though in how the evening played out. I was invited by a girl and her 2 friends. We joined a group of 4 girls. So 1 guy and 6 girls. I was not even asked or expected to buy any drinks. I did buy one round for the team and there were all very stoked. Kind of a nice change really. However the girl who invited me had a family emergency and needed to jet. She left me in the care of her 2 friends who were hot and drunk. I figured I better not hit on them or my chances would be ruined so I trolled the floor and checked out some of the offerings. I must admit - there were plenty of girls and the quality was pretty high. Saw some of the normal after work go go crowd but mixed in with a lot of variety. Realizing I was being watched I had to be a good boy and when I had finished my drink I went home. Damn it.
This all brings me to another topic which is the somewhat loosening of the night life reins by the police/military. As I have stated before I think the underlying basic Thai economy is suffering a bit due to the strong baht, the lack of tourism growth and the cost of oil. Yes I know the stock market is on a tear but that has little to do with the economy and the government keeps talking rosy projections but yet is spending tons of money to boost infrastructure projects. Point being is the police are saying their take is down, the under the table stuff, and they know it has a lot to do with the nightlife.
For example. Many after hours joints do a deal with the police that allows them to stay open late. The typically deal is called the door take. The police get the door and the owners get the rest. Many times you might even see a cop watching the door with a clicker to make sure they get what they think is coming to them. So imagine if a club is closed at 2 in the morning versus 5 in the morning. The police are going to make a lot less money. If they are making less money then so are the rest of the Thais which will lead to more petty crime and more work for the police. So by loosening things up a bit the police will make more money and work less. So my guess is they are feeling the pinch and are stating to let things get back to normal a bit. Let’s hope it keeps coming.
The Forte Club on RCA is remodeling. Looks like a total re do of the inside. I checked in on my lost membership card last night and got introduced to some new girls. Damn they are hot. Enuff.
Back to the grind…
Enjoy the website - I am visiting Bkk for the first time in over a year in about a month and reading the blogs is making me even more looking forward to it than I otherwise would be. Great stuff.
Never been to the Tunnel so can’t comment on that, but love the description of the way the police door take works to keep down petty crime. I always thought what is called “corruption” by many holier than thou westerners is really only a very direct form of taxation - I’d much rather pay directly for the services than more tax to stoke the beaurocracy.
View all comments by Martin
If you want to see the “flashing” ice bucket in action, go to BARSU in the groundfloor of Sheraton Sukumvit.
High price bar but a wonderful decor and some decent music.
No freelancers there (april trip) but some very flirty staff.
View all comments by DAH
Martin - good stuff. read up and ask if u have any questions. In principle the direct form of taxation is cool but unfortunately bar owners are still paying less direct form of taxes, licenses and so on. I am happy to pay as long as I get something above the norm - late hours, showing, extra privileges and so on.
DAH - Yeah I will skip BARSU hoping I can catch the magical ice bucket somewhere soon. They opened BARSU with a no working girls policy. I heard it failed miserably being in a hotel on Suk and have since softened that stance considerably cause they were dead all the time. no girls. no customers. oh well.
View all comments by smitty
Glowing ice buckets?
No wonder why we are always told to avoid having ice in our drinks when in Thailand.
View all comments by Mike Phillips
To avoid having ice in drinks when in Thailand is about as easy as to avoid pulling when in Marine II…
View all comments by farangsay
Ug, Ice in drinks. When I was there last I drank some disgusting vodka and ice based liquid (I cannot in good faith call it a drink) at Angels disco. You know it might have been glowing.
It looked gross, I knew it would be bad for me, but the damn waitress was taking too long with my beer, so one of the Mangobar girls poured me one. I could not refuse.
Spent the rest of the trip in bed. Well the two days at least were due to the drink I think.
View all comments by Rob
First went to Barsu when it was called … something else. Forgot the name. Anyway it was teeming with freelancers and it was my introduction to the pleasures of BKK nightlife.
Last I was there in February and, while the working girl presence seemed subdued, it *did* appear to have some approachable ladies. At the very least, some customers were clearly entertaining paid for dates on the premises, maybe imports from other places.
View all comments by Julian
Just to be clear I don’t think people are getting sick from the ICE. Almost all venues have ice machines working off filtered water or they buy from the local “ice guy” with a big filtered water ice factory. I think people get sick from the overindulgence, the cheap booze, the lack of sleep, sticking their face in every nook and cranny, and so on. I think just having ice in your drinks is not the culprit IMHO.
View all comments by smitty
Having been employed in the health and sanitation industry in my previous incarnation, I can offer this word of advice about ice (the stuff you drink as opposed to the stuff you snort).
If it’s industrial ice (tube down the middle and all) and it lacks noticeable air bubbles, it’s generally safe; as long as you’re willing to trust somebody or something in Thailand. The homemade ice is what you have to watch out for (the kind that does have miniscule air bubbles…that’s where the nasty critters live).
View all comments by The Heckler
I thought you smoked the other kind, rather than snorting it.
I must be doing it wrong.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Nevermind, as long as it f***s you up…
View all comments by farangsay
That’s where I draw the line BBB. No needles and no meth pipes, crack pipes, freebase pipes of any sort. I lay pipe, I don’t smoke it
View all comments by The Heckler
OK Heckler, just draw the line and BBB will snort it!
View all comments by farangsay