RhinoTusk

Nana Plaza: Billboard, Twister BKk, Rainbow 4, Rainbow 5, Rainbow 69, Spankys, Mandarin Patpong: The Strip, XXX Lounge, King’s Castle Soi Cowboy: Baccara, Crazy House

They never allowed licking pussy in Bangkok GoGos. But there’s one where the mamasan will pull the curtain on your booth so a girl can give you a bbbj.

Things are different in Bangkok. Some GoGos are already operating at pre-covid levels. I was in Billboard at Nana Plaza last night and there were bare titties in the jacuzzi tub.

There are no knickers at Baccara ?

They have a good lineup at Baccara

Made the rounds again this weekend. Patpong was very quiet, but I was there early, 7 PM Bada Bing had the stage draped off, but there were about eight girls hanging around. I ordered a Jack Coke for 180. Not only was it real Jack Daniels but a good measure. Went down good so I ordered another. The DJ was spinning rap music and they have an excellent sound system. Patpong I was almost deserted but there were 60 girls in Kings Castle, with 5 customers. I've been a customer of Kings Castle I for 30 years, they consistently have one of the best GoGo lineups. After that I went over to Pink Panther for a Long Island Iced Tea. They make them strong, and for 200 baht you get economies of scale. Although they'd been closed for two years, the waitresses still remember what I drink. The Strip, just reopened a month ago, they had 20 girls with 4 customers. Soi 7: I don't know what's going on here because it was open Friday night but closed Saturday. Here is Friday. I went to the bar to watch the band play but the band was absent. Then this was the scene on Saturday Nana Plaza: Rainbow 5 (formerly Rainbow 4) has a great vibe and with 120 baht Heineken, it's like turning the clock back 7 years, you wouldn't know there had ever been a pandemic. It was just like old times! Soi Cowboy is making a rebound, not as lively as Nana and drink prices higher, but worth a stop. That's it for this week, I'll pay another visit next weekend. Cheers!

I doubt most tourists know the anthem.

Sadly yes. This is Asia.

They open at 9 AM

So what did you buy? I thought about an aquarium ?, plants and cacti ? , but decided I’ll get get some picture frames and decorate my walls with some prints of my photos from Koh Kood. ?️

This place has everything, more than 15,000 stalls divided into 30 sections. Since 1942, Chatuchak Weekend Market sells many different kinds of goods, including plants, antiques, electronics, cosmetics, pets, ceramics, furniture, clothing, and books. Pre-covid typically saw 200,000 visitors each weekend. Plan to spend a half a day here, it's the worlds largest and most diverse market. I usually arrive around 9 AM, not so much to beat the crowds as to beat the heat, which can be stifling. You can wander hours in this maze of shops. Fortunately, it's organized into categories and a free map is available at the entrance. I took along my Nikon Zfc camera, just 15.7 ounces including battery, plus 4.8 ounces for the lens, which was easy to carry around all day. This is my personal favorite Sections 5 and 6 have used clothing There's a new air conditioned mall next door that's a great retreat from the heat and a good place to stop for lunch. It's amazing how much you feel energized spending an hour in air conditioned comfort, then prepared for a few more hours browsing in the market. The food court in on the third floor. Here are some crispy noodles with chicken (60 baht) and a glass of Roselle juice (20 baht). Roselle is a herbal drink found in many Thai restaurants, a better alternative to coke and pepsi which have no nutritional value. Roselle juice tastes good too! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roselle_juice There's also a flower garden on the third floor of the mall Although it was distressing to observe some of the conditions the live animals were caged in, fortunately I didn't observe any pangolins or horseshoe bats. Section 7 is for the arts Around mid-afternoon the crowds pick up. I spent 6 hours there and only bought a personalized camera strap, but it was a lot of fun. According to my Google Fit app, I walked 16 km that day but awoke with a calf strain the next morning that's been nagging me since. You definitely need to drink lots of liquids.

Was at Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy this weekend, enjoying unseasonably cool weather. April is usually the hottest month. Nana Plaza in particular was buzzing, with more bars featuring dancers than last week, and bottled beer is going for 120 baht in all the bars. There's a new Rainbow 3 on the third level, next to Billboard. Soi Cowboy and Patpong are less busy, maybe they should drop their prices in trying to capture what's primarily an expat market? One place that's not happening is the beer bar area around Soi 7. It was shut down a few weeks ago. This was the place to go while the other bars were closed and had declined a bit when Nana started to open up. This photo from March 11th. Now all the bars are closed except the makeshift curbside bars and Soi 7 Beer Garden. There was a band playing rock classics, reggae, Clapton, Santana, Hendrix. They were pretty good and even played some of my requests ("Foxy Lady" and "Voodoo Chile"). Bottled beers were just 100. The lead guitarist, in particular, was quite good and it was obvious he's a huge Hendrix fan. The next day I read in the news they were raided by the police and all the bars were shut down. Don't know what's in store for this area. I also visited Thermae for the first time in a couple years. It was early and seemed strange with the lights on. There were about 20 girls and 10 customers, I was the only farang so most girls ignored me, but nothing caught my eye anyway. Another farang entered while I was having my Jack Coke. I saw in the news the next day that a Japanese tourist was stabbed on the corner at Soi 13, with the assailant captured on Soi 19. I always seem to miss these incidents, hope my luck holds up. We hear of scams in bars but there are honest people too. I was in Baccara paying for my Heineken, 190 baht. I left what I thought were two hundreds and a twenty, i.e. thirty baht tip, and the waitress brought to my attention that one of the bills was a thousand. I told her to keep it as a tip, impressed by her honesty. The same happened to me in Sharks a few years ago. I always check my bin for padding by the bar but need to make a more conscious effort about doing it myself! Makes me wonder how many times they just kept the money ? I usually only carry a few thousand so that's generally not a problem.

For my most recent trip to Bangkok, I stayed at Lebua at State Tower, the "Hangover 2" hotel. Rooms were huge, 60 square meters. Nice views from the balcony The hotel lobby had a classic feel. I went up to the Sky Bar on the 63rd floor. They feature a special Hangover Cocktail, made with 18 year old Chivas, but at $40 who can afford a hangover? There are also some Michelin rated restaurants up there, like Sirocco But for dinner, I went to a more reasonably priced hole-in-the-wall restaurant 5 minutes away called Andre. There are only 6 tables, so you need a reservation unless you arrive in the afternoon. They open at 3 PM and there's no air-conditioning. I like to start with a dozen oysters, because they remind me of something I like Oysters are only available on weekends, if you're lucky, so a seafood salad or a goat cheese plate also makes for a good starter. I usually follow with either some pan seared scallops or a salmon steak. If you prefer red wine with your meal, the New Zealand tenderloin is a good choice For desert, either the chocolate mousse or creme brulee And top it all off with a shot of espresso I did a few photoshoots with Thai Playboy bunnies, see my camera thread for more Visited some full-service massage shops This girl is becoming a regular, gives a great balls massage and pussy is a nice fit too. Bars are open, mainly catering to the expat crowd, so lively on weekends but quiet during the week. Some bars, at Nana, Cowboy, and Patpong each have girls dancing on stage. Since it's not officially allowed, I won't name them, I've been paying a lot of bar fines, trying to support local businesses The reason I came was to look for a condo. With bars reopening, it's time to relocate back to Bangkok, and I found one I like. Not as high as the Sky Bar at Lebua, but close. I like all the pools on the roof and swim for 40 minutes every morning. It's great to be back in the Big Mango

There's Something About Mary

Yeah, it's open. I'm sure there's a photo somewhere in this thread, although I've never been in there. I've never been in Oskar Bistro either, I think they have a dress code and I like to wear cut offs and flip flops.

FYI, there's a beer bar area across the street from Wine Connection. I didn't show it because not open in the afternoon but it comes alive at night.

I stated it closed for two years, actually it’s only one year. Their website shows the last time.

I took a walk through my old neighborhood yesterday. I took these with my new Nikon ZfC camera ? which I specifically bought for street photography since it's half the weight of my Nikon Z6 (half the cost too), with an inconspicuous retro-look. Some people may even think I'm shooting film. Heading north, Zanzibar has been closed for two years now. The food wasn't that good but I sometimes liked the band. The Ambassador Hotel is popular with Indian tourists. I'd frequently have a bagel for breakfast at Au Bon Pain but they've vacated, as has Pomodoro upstairs. You can see earlier photos in the thread on how it used to look. There's a lunch special at Wine Connection, which moved in two years ago. Salad ? pasta, iced tea, and a glass of house wine ? (French) for 394, including tax and service charge. The Old German Beerhouse has reopened on Soi 11, the one on Soi 13 had been open throughout the pandemic. Yet another Bawarchi restaurant has opened in lower Sukhumvit, this one looks more upscale. The chain was started by an Indonesian woman doing Indian food she's has been very successful. I've eaten at a few and the food is pretty good. Meanwhile, the signage has been removed at El Gaucho Argentinian steak house, ? I guess they're moving out. Fortunately, still have Soi 19 and Thong Lo branches. I seriously considered moving into the Hyde Condo but decided to try a different neighborhood. Something there starts around 20,000/month. The Loft looked very quiet but was open, I think. Cali-Mex I sometimes went for a burrito ? they were open but empty. There's a small alley that leads to more businesses, I don't see how they can attract customers. A look to the right.➡️ A look to the left.⬅️ I felt bad for the massage girls, you can't see their shop from Soi 11. Stop in for a massage if you're in the vicinity. I've never tried the pizza at Soho, it's fairly expensive. Up to 700 baht for the 18 inch, surely more than I can eat.? Next door is Craft Burgers, I've eaten there twice, and liked the burger with the Vermont cheddar.? And next to that is Bam Bam Burger, where I usually go, as much for the craft beers they serve. Across the street is Hillary 11, as in Soi 11, there aren't eleven of them yet. At the T, and to the left, Chilli Culture has been closed for two years. Quite good but fairly expensive Thai food, and they add 17% to the check. Insanity nightclub has been closed two years, I believe they're facing a 5 year closure for violating covid rules.?‍♂️ Apokeka has been closed two years, I used to go there for live music.? I did most of my grocery shopping at Villa Market, but that was when it was next to the Ambassador Hotel. The new location was previously occupied by Q Bar. A view back to the east from in front of Le Finix hotel, which is beginning to show signs of age. Heading that direction to Soi 13 is CitiChic hotel, where I frequently stayed 12-15 years ago. It was operated by the same management team as Majestic Suites and Majestic Grande. CitiChic is about a 12 minute walk to Sukhumvit. There's not too much interesting along the way ? on Soi 13, so we finally come to the Trendy Condo, where I lived for 7 years. My destination is the Sportsman Pub, on the ground floor. They gave me a 10% discount card while I was a resident at the Trendy. The Old German Beer House on Soi 13, also in the ground floor of the Trendy, has been open through the pandemic. Advertising the Ali-Patterson bout. LOL On the south side of the Trendy, Breakers Pool bar has expanded, moving next to the Red Lion Pub. I guess the Trendy Condo is the place to go if you wish to shoot some pool ? there are also tables in the Sportsman's Pub. Time to cool my heels with an ice cold one. ? After that, back to Bam Bam Burger for some dinner. ? The Duke Cheeseburger with fries and a bottle of Duvel Belgian Ale (8.5%), 280 for each. They have a new item on the menu, the Bruce Lee pork burger with special 'fury' sauce. This concludes my afternoon in the old neighborhood. Hope you enjoyed walking along with me. Cheers!

Tim Roth

There's a new burger joint in town called Bang Bang Burger, at the location of the previous Daniel Thaiger burger before 'the T' on Soi 11, across from Hillary 11. They serve the same craft beers as before but the restaurant now has a boxing theme. They serve a Cassius burger, an Iron Mike burger, a Raging Bull (with jalapenos), and a Duke. Burgers go for 320, including fries. This is the Cassius, a bacon burger. Here is The Duke, which is without the bacon. I had to research "Duke" in boxing lore and it turns out to be Tommy Morrison, who defeated George Foreman for the WBO Heavyweight championship in 1993. I remember watching the fight with friends, Foreman was 20 years older. Morrison had one successful title defense before losing the title to Michael Bentt later that year. He then won the vacant IBC heavyweight title in 1995 before losing it to Lennox Lewis. Morrison was called 'The Duke' because he claimed to be a distant relative of John Wayne. He was married to two different women at the same time and had an acting role as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn in Rocky V. Morrison had his boxing license suspended in 1996 after testing positive to HIV, which he succumbed to in 2013 at the age of 44. He finished his boxing career with a record of 48-3-1.

Cameo by Cassius Clay

Boogie Nights

Requiem for a Heavyweight

After 12 weeks I returned for my second AstraZeneca jab. The vibe was much different this time, much more upbeat, and more people in the hotels. I booked the Sofitel and they gave me a corner room on the 25th floor with lots of windows. The governor of my province had outlawed the sale of alcohol until the end of the month in an effort to reduce the covid spread, even in the 7-11s, so I came a few weeks early. The lobby was a nice place to hang out for afternoon tea I tried the 24-hour room service for Khao Soi, actually a Lanna dish, but listed as a specialty of the house. Usually it comes with a chicken drumstick, their version had Boston Lobster. I also dined in with a carry out 350 g Rib Eye from El Gaucho Steakhouse on Soi 19. Alcohol was still forbidden in restaurants and I wanted some wine with my steak. I also tried the Belgian rooftop restaurant, which was expensive. I ordered baked cod and enjoyed the views from the 34th floor. I was grateful for the direct access to the BTS since I could get to Terminal 21 in the rain using the skywalk and not get wet. A few freelancers hanging around Thermae next door but mostly ladyboys. Room included breakfast buffet, here smoked salmon eggs benedict with bacon, mushrooms, mixed nuts, imported cheese, dark rye, passion fruit, dried fruits, fresh juice, and coffee. What a way to start the day! I went over to the Sportsman's Pub for a change of pace for breakfast, in the Trendy Condo where I lived seven years. They had baseball, basketball, and football all on concurrently. Another change of pace was a visit to Bourbon Street on Soi Ekkamai for crab cake eggs benedict for breakfast. Since I was in town three weeks, I visited many places I like to hang out, like IconSiam. Caught the free river shuttle from the Sathorn Pier, which only runs on the weekend now during covid. I paused for some Pad Thai on the 6th floor pavilion overlooking the river. Another place I visited was Lumphini Park. These two didn't get along well, I didn't realize monitors fight amongst themselves to show who's boss. There were a few beer bar areas open. I spent some time in them until the cops started raiding places, like Crazy House (2nd floor) where 61 were arrested, and another place on Soi 12. These were indoor places where the risk is greater but since they were arresting customers as well as staff I didn't wish to chance it. I sat around Soi Nana awhile, out in the open, where I thought less likely to be arrested drinking 'coffee'. I don't know what happened to the huge crushed coke cans at the entrance to Nana Plaza. They were gone the next week. Soi Cowboy has food vendors in the afternoon But it was eerily quiet at night. I stopped at the Shell station on Soi 23 to fill up my McLaren. ? I went over to Rachada to check out the soapies but were all closed as I expected. Supposedly, Poseidon will be converted into a hotel. ? I opted for the full service massage shops. I participated in a few photo shoots to pass some time. Another place I spent an afternoon was Benchasiri Park The view through the dirty window at Emporium food court. I went over to the EmQuartier mall across the street The food court had a place called the Smoked Joint. I haven't done that in years. ? I tried the brisket, smoked 14 hours, the meat was so tender you could cut it with a plastic fork and the smokiness was overwhelming. It was expensive for what you got, only 120 g, but very tasty. Definitely a cut above what you find in most food courts. I went over to El Gaucho for lunch when I could get wine in a glass. The lunch special includes a complimentary starter and potato, here is the beef soup, which was really good. Followed by a 250 g USDA Prime NY strip loin and a nice glass of red. Bill came to just over 2000. Finally, November brought the return of fully vaccinated alien tourists and alcohol was legally available in restaurants until 9 PM There was a changing of the guard Soi Nana was a-buzz again At 9 PM, they changed your drinking receptacle Happy Days are back. Hopefully, GoGo Bars open December 1st. Cheers!

Beverly Hills Cop