What Historic Bangkok Bars Do We Have Left?

[Hanuman2547]

Loved the whole Clinton Plaza area.  Good little bars and also places to eat.  I liked Tivoli.  It later moved to Silom Soi 4 and under a new name was called Noriega's.  

Other places I enjoyed were Crown Royal, Delaney's, Wong's, Bobby's Arms, and Woodstock.  

Drank many a Kloster and Amarit beer back them.  

[luckyluke]

There was a place, not that far from Robinson, right side heading to NaNa. 

No name, cheap beer, rather filthy, 1 or 2 freelance, owners Thai-Chinese brothers. 

I believe it is a pharmacy now. 

[bangkok19]

More Bar interiors keep popping up in my brain but the actual names escape me!

NEW COWBOY BAR in Soi 22 was opposite HANKS BAR (owned by the Air America chopper pilot)...  both (back in the 80's) were frequented by many residents of the LIBERTY PLACE apartments.  Many great expat Darts players resided at the Liberty.

 

The 80's saw the Bangkok Building Boom -  cranes everywhere on the horizon the eyes could see. One of the new landmarks to the city at this time was THE QUEENS PARK HOTEL in Soi 22 (now The Marriott)...   Soi 22 was once a fairly quiet Soi however since the construction of The QP Hotel the Soi is busy as...

I remember the opening of the QP Hotel..  half price beers, the place was packed.  I was there one night when (after a George Benson Concert in BKK) his entourage returned to the Hotel and it was free beers all night!

 

In more recent times the QUEENS PARK PLAZA was an enjoyable diversion with a WIDE VARIETY of bars.

Mitch's MOONSHINE was a favourite late afternoon stop, nice food and good company.  They always had great Christmas dinners with a huge buffet spread on the pool table.  POPEYE and BUNDY BAR were good but in small doses as everybody seemed to smoke.

Many a great evening has been spent in the B52 however I won't go into detail here.

The SIN BIN was a great name for a bar.  I met the lovely Nuna sitting outside this bar.  She lived in 22 and was known around QPP. Sadly she passed away about 7 or 8 years ago.

 

Down the road from QPP heading towards Sukhumvit and a left turn..  the small Soi...  back in the 80's there was a great little restaurant/bar own by a Norwegian fellow (I think his name was Myna).. good food.  Later on, nearby was THE PELICAN. I remember their free dinners once a month...  you had to get there really early to get a seat. Word obviously got around about the freebie and it was always full of "one time" new faces.  Just down a bit from THE PELICAN was TINA BAR.  It was a cocktail lounge, dimly lit with all the trimmings that go with low light.  T'was great for an afternoon session albeit a bit expensive..  always enjoyed walking out (with my wallet a little lighter) into the 6.00pm daylight thinking.. "I've still got all night!"   At the end of each afternoon I'd spend there I'd always remind myself to "check bin" after each round of drinks to keep track!  Never did.  You'd buy the girls a bottle of beer which they gladly drank...  their glasses were always filled to the top with ice!

 

The Dead Artist's Soi (Soi 33) was enjoyable, especially during Happy Hours.  My favourite was the Renior. I spent many of an evening upstairs there with a private group.  I remember finding a pair of ladies panties (used) wedged between the leather cushions of one of the lounges.  I also enjoyed afternoons at WALL STREET.  They either moved down a couple doors (or refurbished) however i stopped going there after I asked how much the bar-fine was. There was a really nice friendly girl there by by the name of Bok. She would never stop laughing.

 

Last but not least, a bar that undertook a change for the worse in recent years...  The CACTUS in Cowboy. My very favourite bar until one of the shareholders was shafted...  the food went, the music turned to sh_t and some of the girls left.  It's still there in body, but not in spirit!

And speaking of Cowboy... back in the day when the Soi was much wider, there was Crazy Jack's SHADOW BAR and his infamous raffles. Each time you bought a beer you'd get a raffle ticket. They'd have the draw at midnight. First prize was a "short time" upstairs. I remember winning a terry towelling bar mat.

Other old bars long gone,  The  VALENTINE Bar, MISS TEASE which was earlier called The DANDY BAR,  SHUFFS BAR, MY LADY, JOE'S BAR, TONY'S BAR,  BAMBOO BAR,  OUR PLACE and another bar who's name escapes me but under his sign it read "Home of the Bangkok Hash House Harriers".  

[bangkok19]

I remember (when worldwide Hard Rock Cafes were in vogue) there was a HARD ROCK CAFE (a real one) down on Ploenchit (or Rama I?) possibly where the Intercontinental is now (??).

In Patpong, the BUTTERFLY bar, the BLUE SKY bar.

And a correction to my naming of HANKS BAR in Soi 22...   It was actually called THE DRAGON'S DEN.  I had to look up my old 1990 diary!

[Hope 2021]

12 hours ago, Nout said:

Jools same owner? The big fella? I doubt it very much. Didn't know they had relocated just thought they closed down

The 'big fella' sold it a while back, maybe 8, 10 years?

[elgenon]

Check-Inn moved. Are they permanently closed now?

On 1/3/2021 at 5:13 AM, moe666 said:

I guess what you would call old bars are all gone, Cheap Charlies, Check-In, And the old favorite Golden Beer Bar at Nana Hotel. Hilaries is still around but new and not improved. The string of Bars under the express way have been gone for a while and the Saxophone Bar Victory Monument. O well the beat goes on.

 

[elgenon]

Thermae

[elgenon]

What's that old bar on Soi 5?  ____Bar Beer

[GrandPapillon]

Did anyone mentioned "Woodstock" back in the late 90s in Nana? great place for drinks and food

[H1w4yR1da]

On 1/4/2021 at 12:05 PM, Disparate Dan said:

how about Wongs, on Ngam Dupli? Was still there and very unchanged a couple of months ago when I passed it. Very "old Bangkok".

Apparently an 'after-hours joint. Opens at midnight.

[Hanuman2547]

3 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

Did anyone mentioned "Woodstock" back in the late 90s in Nana? great place for drinks and food

Yep, it sure was mentioned.  They moved from Nana to Thong Lor but closed 7-8 years ago.

[Hanuman2547]

4 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Apparently an 'after-hours joint. Opens at midnight.

The original Wong passed away quite a few years ago now.  I believe it is his brother that now runs the place.

[blackcab]

Just a thank you to all the contributors to this topic. It's a great read.

[OneMoreFarang]

25 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

Did anyone mentioned "Woodstock" back in the late 90s in Nana? great place for drinks and food

I have to admit I remember more the reflexions dance floor next door in G-Sport. ???? 

[H1w4yR1da]

11 hours ago, bangkok19 said:

More Bar interiors keep popping up in my brain but the actual names escape me!

NEW COWBOY BAR in Soi 22 was opposite HANKS BAR (owned by the Air America chopper pilot)...  both (back in the 80's) were frequented by many residents of the LIBERTY PLACE apartments.  Many great expat Darts players resided at the Liberty.

Stayed at Liberty Aoartments in the early 2000's and liked the cheeseburgers at the New Cowboys bar, which is still going it appears.

 

Pop quiz for Old Bangkok Hands.

 

What was Soi Zero originally called?

 

What was there name of the restaurant on Soi 4 where Morning-Night now is?

 

And the most difficult..

In which movie, set in the Vietnam War era, had the band from the long-gone Cock and Bull pub in it?

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by H1w4yR1da

[joecoolfrog]

On 1/5/2021 at 5:33 AM, 2009 said:

 

Was Easy Bar the one right on the corner of Soi 22 beside Taffy's?

If standing outside Taffys , Easy bar was next door to the left , owner was Jah.

[GrandPapillon]

11 hours ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Stayed at Liberty Aoartments in the early 2000's and liked the cheeseburgers at the New Cowboys bar, which is still going it appears.

 

Pop quiz for Old Bangkok Hands.

 

What was Soi Zero originally called?

 

What was there name of the restaurant on Soi 4 where Morning-Night now is?

 

And the most difficult..

In which movie, set in the Vietnam War era, had the band from the long-gone Cock and Bull pub in it?

 

good times there,

[adammike]

Winter 79-80, patpong, coffee shop Grace hotel and staying at the Malaysia hotel.brilliant time.

[Damrongsak]

14 hours ago, H1w4yR1da said:

... And the most difficult..

In which movie, set in the Vietnam War era, had the band from the long-gone Cock and Bull pub in it?

 

Was it The Deer Hunter?  I don't remember a band, but I do remember them filming in Patpong.  My buddy was in the film as an extra, chatting up bar girls as he liked to do.  I was late to the party by a few days.  I think he got paid $20 a day.

[josephbloggs]

17 hours ago, H1w4yR1da said:

 

 

What was Soi Zero originally called?

 

Buckskin Joe's Village.

[RAZZELL]

On 1/5/2021 at 4:34 PM, Red Forever said:

Dunno what's keeping Safari going. Last time there I went in, no girls, no music, nobody to serve beer. Walked out to go over the soi to Radio City...oops forgot that closed.

What about Crystal Palace or Cosmos?

Cosmos is now closed (I think for good)

 

Crystal Palace is being refurbished (?) when I walked past in the day time yesterday.

 

RAZZ

Edited January 7, 2021 by RAZZELL

[Kalorymetr]

Do you know any good bars, where locals go? This is what I usually do, when in foreign country, but here it seems you are posting bars that were specifically set up to serve tourists and expats.

[bangkok19]

On 1/6/2021 at 6:47 PM, H1w4yR1da said:

Stayed at Liberty Aoartments in the early 2000's and liked the cheeseburgers at the New Cowboys bar, which is still going it appears.

 

Pop quiz for Old Bangkok Hands.

 

What was Soi Zero originally called?

 

What was there name of the restaurant on Soi 4 where Morning-Night now is?

 

And the most difficult..

In which movie, set in the Vietnam War era, had the band from the long-gone Cock and Bull pub in it?

 

Was Soi Zero's first Bar called BUCKSKIN JOE'S? 

[bangkok19]

21 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Was it The Deer Hunter?  I don't remember a band, but I do remember them filming in Patpong.  My buddy was in the film as an extra, chatting up bar girls as he liked to do.  I was late to the party by a few days.  I think he got paid $20 a day.

I remember the scene in the Mississippi Queen Bar in PP1.  I don't remember a band though....  just Christopher Walkens' character, the girl and her screaming baby.

My mate was in the scene at the Military Hospital, you could just see the back of him walking with another doctor.

 

Back in the 80's I had a mate (Richard F) who was living on Sukhumvit Soi 23. He was an ex oil worker with Schlumberger. He was hitting the grog too hard so he went into a self imposed rehab programme.

There was an advertisement in the local paper for an 'Assistant' required by Disney Productions.

My mate applied for the job and got it.

He had to report to the lobby of the Oriental where he met up with the head honcho..  he was to be Robin Williams personal assistant during the making of the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam".

They'd hired out a whole floor of the Oriental where Williams was staying..  converted part of it to a gym. Robin Williams (apparently) was just recovering from a stint in Rehab for drugs..  he and my mate (Richard F) formed a bond as they were both recovering from an addiction of sorts. 

He was telling me that a lot of the filming was done at the Malaysia Hotel (used for the radio station) however filming scenes were constantly interrupted by Thai Police raids on the hotel for drugs as there were still guests staying there.

In one scene where you see Robin Williams (in the city) handing out money to the Vietnamese girls family,  they use Richard's arms/hands in the close-up of handling the money.

They used a small regional airport out of town for the Saigon Airport scenes...  it was constantly raining and all the "extras" were getting bored and restless standing around doing nothing...   in an attempt to stop the extras walking off, Robin Williams decided to gather all of them together and proceeded to tell them jokes for over an hour until the rain stopped.  I would've loved a videotape of that!

In contrast, when filming at the Malaysia Hotel they WANTED rain...  they had to use hoses/sprinklers outside the windows to make it look like rain.

What has all this got to do with Bangkok's old bars you may well ask?

I used to drink with Richard F at the OFFSHORE BAR in (Sukhumvit) Soi 23, there was a big SCHLUMBERGER sticker on the back wall behind the bar....   and did I mention those great bar stools in the Offshore that swivelled and had armrests?

 

Another old bar that I have previously mentioned in my posts was THE BAARN BEER BAR in Patpong. The owner Connie, sold it to new people in about 1990 and it was renamed COSY COMFORT BAR. 

The HARE 'N HOUND was the Soi Cowboy Bar that was the meeting place for the H.H.H.

American Ted owned the MY LADY bar for years... after he got out of it, he became a regular at WASHINGTON SQ then later, the MOONSHINE in QPP. 

Josh was the name of the cook at the TEXAN LONE STAAR...  he was a regular at the MOONSHINE until his passing.

On Sukhumvit Rd, between Soi 22 and the (Cinema) entrance to Washington there was a TIP TOP bar with pool tables. Their sign resembled the TIP TOP sign in Patpong 1...  I never went in there,  but I always wondered.

COUNTRY ROAD BAR on the corner of Cowboy (years ago) bought out the bar next door and extended. For a while it was a separate room with snooker tables. The stage over the years has been moved around from the corner to the back to the corner to the back.

I remember OOT, he used to be one of the Thai singers...  singing many classics as I WALK THE LINE ,  STAND BY YOUR MAN and (who could forget) aCHy, braCHy HEART!

He was a fixture there...  sadly, several years ago he had a fall in the men's room, hit his head and died.

 

I can remember departing the old Thermae one morning and having a uniformed Thai policeman salute me as I left the premises.

It was strange walking out of the place during daylight with all the city workers on there way to work!

The old Thermae was an 'institution'...  you gained entry by accessing the toilets at the rear of the building. I would always hang around the jukebox with some of the 'hearing impaired' girls. If you reached around the back of the jukebox there was a volume knob, you'd turn it way up so the girls could 'feel' the bass!

When they demolished the old Thermae, a mate of mine, who is an author of Bangkok based crime novels, wandered through the ruins and took some of the vinyl from the cubicle's bench seats..  he used that vinyl as an insert in his "collectors editions" of his first book, which happened to mention Thermae as HQ.   I suggested that he should have bound the hard copies of his book in the Thermae vinyl...   how many bums sat on that!

 

I hope somebody here starts a thread on the old bars of Chiang Mai....  some history there brothers!

[Laughing Gravy]

On 1/5/2021 at 11:00 AM, charmonman said:

Also Bobby’s Arms Pub up in the car park.

Great pub and had many a good day/night there.

 

The Barbican around the corner of Oriellys was a decent place.

[LomSak27]

On 1/7/2021 at 5:12 AM, Damrongsak said:

On 1/6/2021 at 2:47 PM, H1w4yR1da said:

... And the most difficult..

In which movie, set in the Vietnam War era, had the band from the long-gone Cock and Bull pub in it?

 

Was it The Deer Hunter?  I don't remember a band, but I do remember them filming in Patpong.  My buddy was in the film as an extra, chatting up bar girls as he liked to do.  I was late to the party by a few days.  I think he got paid $20 a day.

 

Might be a later date and different band. Didn't Cock and Bull have the 'Joker Club' above or next to it? In the mid 80's had a house band, lead singer/guitarist was a former Thai TV Lakhon star. That BTW was a GREAT place. In house service sector workers pretty good too.

 

Was told Deer Hunter was filmed at Mississippi Queen also. The Sugar Shack, Patpong, not mentioned yet, was a lot of fun early mid 80's.

 

I have a Lucy's Tiger Den baseball cap buried in storage. I heard he moved to the PI, end of the 80's. His wife was Filipino. Re opened club, but health problems or worse. The bar, or something using the name was going in the 90's, in the PI. Lucy's Tiger Den had an internet site, early internet days. I wonder what happened to the pictures covering the walls of the Bangkok place. They were a real historical record of Vietnam era people. 


 

Edited January 8, 2021 by LomSak27

[dddave]

On 1/5/2021 at 7:28 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I also remember the bars before it became Chuvit Park. I live in a high rise building from where I could see that area. One day I look out of the window and I think: Something is different today. Search, look, Oh!, no bars anymore.

That was about 7am and I know the bars were still there at 1am. What I learned from that is that Thais can be very efficient if they want to be. The demolition team flattened that whole area within hours. And they erected a big concrete wall around it, and they posted security (I think I remember soldiers) around it. All done in a few hours in the middle of the night. Now that was impressive.

I happened to be spending that night with a girl who had a room on the roof of the Miami Hotel.  We heard a commotion about 3AM and watched the demolition from below the big rooftop "Miami Hotel" sign.  It was an unbelievable scene, about 150 "irregulars": some troops in uniform, forestry police and whoever else Chewit could hire acted like Genghis Khan sacking a city.  Not a single chair, table, countertop or partition survived, virtually everything was smashed.  Nobody was killed AFAIK but several business owners who came and tried to protect their businesses were beaten up pretty badly. It took a day or so for the site to be walled off and it looked just like a town hit by a tornado.

Chewit did one year of a two year sentence: not for the demolition but for some fraudulent transactions acquiring the property.  Not long after release he ran for governor of Bangkok, plastering the city with posters of himself, Colt 45 in hand. Chewit was known then as the massage parlor king as he owned most of the large "Soapies" along Petchabury Rd and Ratchada.  He paid for the soi 10 plot to be made into Chewit Park and dedicated to the King as a way to buy some respectability.   He was forbidden to ever personally participate in developing that parcel of land though I'm sure he's got a workaround in mind. 

[Salerno]

39 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

Lucy's Tiger Den

 

  

40 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

I have a Lucy's Tiger Den baseball cap buried in storage.

 

Could be worth a few Bht now:

Edited January 8, 2021 by Salerno

[dddave]

19 hours ago, Kalorymetr said:

Do you know any good bars, where locals go? This is what I usually do, when in foreign country, but here it seems you are posting bars that were specifically set up to serve tourists and expats.

Local bars aren't much fun for Westerners.  Most are Karaoke and only fun if you enjoy drunks singing Thai songs off-key or larger "pubs" blasting music at ear splitting levels.

Unless you like drinking large beers, drinks tend not to be by the glass, you are expected to buy a bottle and mixers and ice and snacks.  Most of the attendant ladies are compensated by the hour and they don't usually go off with a customer unless he's pretty regular.

Most important: it's very easy to get into serious trouble with drunk Thai guy's. You can insult them without even realizing it and the results can be very unpleasant.  Don't do it without a Thai wingman. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by dddave

[dddave]

On 1/6/2021 at 10:46 PM, joecoolfrog said:

If standing outside Taffys , Easy bar was next door to the left , owner was Jah.

Jah; the bionic bar girl.  She had more surgeries than Evil Knevil, most paid for by the oil workers who used to hang in WS.  

 

I was in Silver Dollar one day (anyone remember their free Sunday dinner?).  A bunch of oil workers were partying with the girls, a girl named Mint among them.  She was sweet with a beautiful face but flat as Kansas. They started joking about buying her implants and next thing, they took-up a collection among themselves and handed Mint about 40K...told her to get implants.  She did.   She ended up at Wild Country after S$ closed.