We mentioned before the small fire that was in Nana Plaza. It took place in one of the upstairs rooms of the Mandarin go-go , which used to rule but sucks now, and fortunately no one was hurt and there was no widespread panic. Having owned a bar in NEP we thought many times about what would happen if a fire broke out and how we would make sure we and our customers got out. Hell - pmmp had it all mapped out:
TIP: If you are in the plaza and a fire breaks out don’t run to the first floor. Take the second floor over to the old Mango Bar location. You can climb around the gate, follow the balconies along the bar, jump onto Lucky Lukes and then the Exchange Money place’s roof, and then climb down there onto soi 4. If soi 4 is a mess you can continue along a bit on the roof along soi 4 and then jump down. Not that I’ve thought about this or anything.
Anyway. Today I ran into a good friend who was at the grand opening party of the new Mercury go-go, which he said was not too good but had free food, but the point being that was he was in the new Mercury when the fire broke. The new Mercury is next to Mandarin Table Dance which is next to Mandarin. This is all right next to the now defunct big mango.
So when he heard the ruckus - his immediate goal was to get out of Nana Plaza. That should be everyone’s goal. His first surprise was seeing that no one else seemed to be trying to get out except for the people in those 3 bars. Maybe people did not seem to know anything was going on but he felt the sirens and commotion were quite noticeable.
Second shock he said was coming down the back stairwell to try to get out of the front of Nana to find Bangkok’s biggest ladder truck pulled into the opening of the plaza. The space between Lucky Lukes and Big Dogs. To put it bluntly - the fire truck blocked the only unobstructed exit/entrance to the plaza. Nuts.
He said the second comical thing was watching the so called rescue team - these are the guys wearing the big yellow jackets, oxygen masks and sporting tools for getting into burning buildings. However he was stunned to see that they all had shorts and flip flops on. Not sure what building they can run into that is engulfed in flames wearing that kind of kit.
I love the Thais and I am not bashing here, but this is where a bad situation can turn into one much worse by making dumb decisions. I missed the whole affair but I wish I had some photos of it all.
For the techheads in the audience - here is an interesting article that explains the difficulty in measuring the traffic to websites, the different options and how Mozilla might be getting into the game. Pretty cool.
Next time it could be a truck bomb blocking that opening.
I won’t go near that Plaza.
It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Is there a more juicy terrorist target in the entire Kingdom?
View all comments by ATM
I’ve thought about that ATM, but I’m confident that once happily cocooned in a dark moist Nana interior, that I would be safe from the efects of any blast.
View all comments by Combover
ATM- sounds a little paranoid to me, can’t let these things deter you from everyday life. Of course, I haven’t made my way out to BKK yet, so maybe I’ll commit those directions through the old mango bar to memory- just in case…
View all comments by X-tian
Paranoid? Yes, a bit..and for good reason. There is no security around there. A truck can pull right in during peak hours.
In 2003, a terrorist group was arrested and was found with a target list… Nana Plaza on that list.
I was in those bars in Bali prior to that bombing.
The good news is the Big Mango Bar will be far enough away that I feel comfortable.
View all comments by ATM
Invariably anytime one talks about Nana in this light the talk always turns to Nana as a terrorist target. Frankly I have never understood why Nana is a target over any other place? What does someone stand to gain by wiping it out? The would knock off as many locals as they would tourists or expats given the ratios of Thais to customers. There are places with a much bigger tourist footprint than Nep with many less Thais. So not really sure why it makes such a good target.
As a friend of mine in the CIA would say - the type of people who do this type of thing generally don’t bomb one of their playgrounds.
moving on…
View all comments by smitty
Terr’ists could also drive a truck bomb down Soi Cowboy, or if they fitted a snowplough to the front, perhaps doing the work in an abandoned barn like on The A Team, they could even drive it straight up Patpong 1, market stalls be damned.
Or they could drive it into the Landmark Hotel.
Or Soi Mango.
Or the Dysentry Inn.
Or the airport.
Or your apartment building.
Back to reality, there are far more likely targets in Bangkok alone, and far better reasons to avoid Nana Plaza.
View all comments by TAFKABBB
Off-topic. but would be so grateful if someone can help:
“The single entry tourist visa allows you to stay in Thailand for 60 days and it can then be extended in-country at any Immigration office at a cost of 1,900 baht. The extension given is entirely up to the Immigration officer and can be anywhere from 7 to 30 days. 30 days used to be the norm but I hear these days that the extension given may only be for 7 days”.
Has anyone tried this recently?
What was the amount of days given?
1,900 for 30 days is ok. 1,900 for 7 days is not!
View all comments by random
t - totally agreee
random - best to post that stuff here:
http://www.2thebigmango.com/sf-forum?forum=2&page=1
thanks
View all comments by smitty
I recall that list had about 5 places on it.
Nana Plaza, an Israeli Restaurant on Khao San Rd., an Embassy and a couple more I can’t remember.
Connected to the Bali group.
It’s iresponsible of the Thai Police to not barricade that opening during business hours in light of that threat.
I’m glad the Mango moved since they would be vaporized at that old location.
View all comments by ATM
The “list” was found in 2003, and included several targets (which were never attacked, obviously), including Nana Plaza.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/17/1061059718798.html
The organisation to which our inept would-be “bomber” belonged was Jemaah Islamiyah, who haven’t blown anything up since 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jemaah_Islamiyah
Should the Thai Police also barricade both ends of Soi Cowboy during business hours? How about hotel entrances? Should they close Sukhumvit Road to traffic in case someone sets off a truck bomb next to a skytrain support?
You have to draw the line somewhere, and there’s another argument that says if you start planning your life around the terrorists, they’ve already won.
View all comments by TAFKABBB
atm - it is interesting you bring up the bali thing. talking to a big thai military guy here one time a few years back he hinted that no one tries that type of stuff in bangkok because they know they will be put to death and not able to get off or sit in prison for a long time like they do in Indonesia. I always thought that was a telling statement given the lack of enforcement and proper sentences around the Bali thing. Also on top of that I found it funny the harsh sentences for foreigners with drugs offenses in Indonesia typically suffer more than terrorists.
I see you point to all this but don’t see why Nana is such a target over any other place in bkk.
View all comments by smitty
@ TAFKABBB I already plan my life around terrorists by NOT flying into Falluja ambling over to the nearest marketplace and going around shaking peoples hands saying “Hello, pleased to meet you. I’m British”
Similar foresight prevents me from holidaying in northen Pakistan wearing my Union Flag beach shorts
View all comments by doctorbond
T was there while this ‘fire” happened. No big deal but the instructions about leaving the area are good. If we worried about terroists we wouldn’t travel all over the world to Sth America, USA, Asia and Spain from Australia as we have.
We still get back to Bangkok, stay in the Suk area and feel as safe as if we were walking the streets of Adelaide.
Most of the bloggers probably don’t even know where our city of 1.2 mill is anyway. Terrorists certainly don’t.
But we choose to go to Bangkok around 3 times a year. No fear when you are in fantasy land for aging males.
Cheers
View all comments by 3amigos
Draw the line somewhere.
Dont eat street food you could get poisoned. Dont cross the road you might get run over. Dont have sex you could get aids. Dont go to nana because it could get blown up.
Id of thought something along he lines of TAFKABBB saying about the airport or a skytrain station would be more effective
View all comments by Young Penfold
I tought that, many years ago, the police found a truck with explosives near to some embassy in Bangkok.
Or did Sang Som wipe out my last braincells?
View all comments by hanuman
Eh eh eh. beware of the bombing pussy: don’t fuck without your full metal jacket
View all comments by Suk Psycho
“I tought that, many years ago, the police found a truck with explosives near to some embassy in Bangkok.
Or did Sang Som wipe out my last braincells?”
Your remaing brain cells are correct.
A huge truckbomb(tanker) headed for the Israeli Embassy, got involved in a traffic accident. The driver fled.
The truck was towed to the Lumpini Police Station and parked. The kids in the neighborhood were playing in this truck untill someone discovered the bomb in the back(along with a dead body of the truck owner).
Those kids were lucky they didn’t trip the toggle switch on the dashboard.
As far as juicy targets go, Nana Plaza has a bullseye painted on it.
A lage entertinmment venue packed with tourists and hookers. A Muslim Fanatics wetdream.
View all comments by ATM
WOW.
The Fire Department blocking the only reasonable exit?
Almost as silly as the Theatre operators padlocking the fire exits.
Somthings wrong.
View all comments by Khun J
Damn…glad you guys aren’t there anymore. I had “fire thoughts” at the old Mango. Ugh.
BTW…Smitty….still thinking “cement”. It’s not getting me anywhere.
View all comments by The Asian Badger
ab - have to keep a chinese wall going on twitter given the circumstances. Lots of pouring of cement going on at soi mango.
View all comments by smitty
Editors: we are editing these comments out because they are just too off topic from what we are talking about and we are not trying to create controversy or fear around the plaza. I do not think that benefits anyone.
Sorry Random - but this is just taking it a bit too far. Hope u can understand.
thanks!
View all comments by random
i understand. no probs.
View all comments by random
random - thanks!
View all comments by smitty
Can you edit out my comment too?
editor: sure - why not?
View all comments by Pants Elk
Love the idea of the fire resuce squad wearing shorts and thongs - pretty much sums up Thailand - they have obviously watched western tv with firemen charging into blazing buildings in their yellow coats, wielding axes etc. but have never actually practiced on anything even remotely aflame.
On the surface all is “normal’ but underneath - chaos. TIT after all!
Nana would be a target for terrorists because fanatics not only want to kill those they despise but also those who traternise with those they despise. However, no-one with a truck bomb could possibly put up with the traffic on a wet Friday night so clearly that is the safest time to go to NEP.
View all comments by Not in Paradise
I’ve been a bit puzzled by the exit arrangements in the building where I live. You go down the elevator (or stairs in case of emergency) but to exit you need to swipe your security card.
That’s right… to EXIT, not just to enter.
So, in an emergency, if I don’t have my card, or if I’m a visitor in the building, I can’t get out.
No amount of discussion with the building manager seems to make him see the problem.
View all comments by werewolf
ww: one positive of the no-exit is that if a visitor steals from you and leaves while you are sleeping, they won’t be able to get out. Similar to staying at Hotel where you inform the Hotel to ring your room when your visitor leaves to make sure you are okay with them leaving. Seems to be worth it since the odds of being ripped off or killed are probably better than a fire. Glass half full.
View all comments by pmmp
Unless she steals your security card, too.
View all comments by TAFKABBB
WW: I now have to swipe my keycard to exit my condo building also. They implemented the exit swipe a few months ago when 2 Thai men followed a resident in, found an empty room, and stole laptops and other electronics. Condo security cameras caught their movements on tape (after the fact of course), and posted still images of their actions in the lobby.
The only disadvantage for me is having to walk the girl out after. I guess that’s the gentlemanly thing to do anyway.
View all comments by dj
3Amigos
Adelaide streets safe? See you in Gouger St tonight. Don’t forget the bullet proof vest.
View all comments by Wombat