Bangkok Trip Report, 21 Years Ago, w/ Photos

[RhinoTusk]

Flashback: October 1992. Arrive from SFO, first time in Thailand, freshen up at the Tower Inn on Silom Road and I'm ready for action. A 15 minute walk to Patpong, I have no problem finding it, but there's nothing happening. It's too early!

 

 

 

Here's how the scene looks like today

 

 

Order some dinner and a few margaritas at Patty's Fiesta and snapped this one standing in front of the restaurant at the mouth of Patpong 1.

 

 

The food was awful, but Patty's is still around, and so is the MacDonalds across the street

 

 

When beer bars opened I ordered a bottle of Kloster, which I preferred over Singha, the only other option. There were a couple girls sitting at the bar, so thought I'd 'test the water' and buy one a drink. Anxious about what would happen, her English skills left much to be desired so conversation was difficult, but I was truly amazed when she reached down, grabbed by crotch and started rubbing my dick. "You like?", she asked. I had heard the stories but I couldn't believe it, this never happened at home.

 

I visited some GoGos and eventually King's Castle I. It looked exactly as it does today, less some cigarette burns in the upholstery. There were some very attractive girls and I was ready for my first bar fine. One of the best lookers just happened to sit next to me, maybe not so coincidently, so I bought her a drink. Her name was Yu, she was 24, from up north "near Lao".

 

The bar fine was 335 baht. I'd done research and knew I had to pay the girl separately, but had no idea how much to offer. There were no online forums like this in 1992, I was in the dark. Frommes and Lonely Planet didn't have this kind of information. "How much you gib me?", she asked. I thought I would start with a low initial offer and let her bargain me up, so I said 500 baht, less than I'd offer a crack whore in The Mission. She was so pretty, I feared she might slap my face for insulting her, but all she said was "OK", and we were off in a taxi. Fare had to be negotiated because there were no meters.

 

 

The next day I did some touristy stuff, visited the Royal Palace, Chinatown, and took a boat up River City. With no roads, suddenly I could breathe again. It's difficult to describe just how bad the air quality was back then.

 

 

 

In the evening, I went back to Patpong and met Nuen.

 

 

The next day I visited Wat Sasket since I'd read about it in some guide book. Climbing to the top was quite exhausting, and suddenly I realized there weren't other farangs around. On the way back down, I encountered a twelve year old kid. I looked down at him through my Jake & Elwood sunglasses and I'll never forget how his eyes lit up. He turned to his friends and said "Arnold Swartzenag", and they were all very excited. My Tuk-Tuk driver laughed, "He think you movie star."

 

I had the driver drop me at Soi Cowboy. Nana Plaza was just restaurants then, but I had read about how Soi Cowboy was named after a black ex-serviceman from Wyoming, the late T.G. "Cowboy" Edwards. Bars weren't open in the late afternoon, and as I was walking through the soi, I noticed a sign on one of the bars that read:

 

WARNING

Crazy Perverts Party Here

If you're easily shocked or offended

KEEP THE FUCK OUT!!!

 

 

Took this shot near soi 23. Note Moonshine Joint and Suzy Wongs (girl in red dress).

 

 

 

This is today.

 

 

 

I had dinner at a fast food restaurant called Tikkiburger, an extremely spicy potato patty, like nothing I'd ever tasted, and I was blowing fire like a dragon.

 

I took this snap of the Asoke Intersection, down Sukhumvit towards Nana. You can see Times Square of the left and the Westin on the right. The Sheraton Grade would be built 4 years later and the Seafood Market ("If it swims we have it") has since moved to soi 24.

 

 

 

 

Can't see much from that same pedestrian overpass today.

 

 

I hadn't expected Halloween would be observed, the King's Group was having a big shindig back on Patpong.

 

 

I returned to Kings Castle I. Yu had called my hotel just a half-hour after she left, inviting me back to her bar. Guess I overpaid, ruining it for all punters henceforth. But Yu wasn't there and I met another girl that had lived in Germany a year and could speak very good English. She asked me where I was from. "San Francisco", I said. "Aren't there a lot of faggots there?", she asked. You travel half way around the world just to discover The City isn't famous for Rice A-Roni.

 

 

The next day I picked up the silk suits I'd ordered from the tailor at the Siam Shopping Center and wore one to Patpong. I had girls crawling all over me, just as I wanted. There were more girls but I've lost the film, was lucky to find this. I bought a cheap film scanner last week and this is the first time I've had these in digital form.

 

Here are some shots from Silom Road, and from the roof of the Tower Inn.

 

 

 

And that's the way it was, 21 years ago. Hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed reminiscing. Cheers.

[Dungheap]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Rhino!

[MM]

Thanks so much for all the old pics and reminiscences of that time.

 

 

From mobile phone.

 

 

[bigmick]

Outstanding

[papillon]

I've run out of green votes for the day. I'll be back!

 

Edit: Done.

Edited October 24, 2013 by papillon

[js007]

21 years ago! The funny thing is, 1992 seems like just yesterday for me. Anyway, nice report. Perhaps in another 20 years, in 2033, someone will post a trip report about the "good old days" in 2013.

[oddball]

Thanks for posting it was great to look at Bangkok 20 years ago

[Fireman Sam]

Great Stuff, thanks.

 

 

 

Regards

[Tilacno1]

Great pics Rhino brings back memories Thanks a lot for those

[RhinoTusk]

Thanks for the comments gents, much appreciated

 

Here's an interesting discussion of the Patpong of the 1970's and 1980's

 

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Patpong-Bangkok-history.htm

[The Mook]

Nice bit of recent history; love those photos

[marleyboy]

Thanks for posting.

I love pics from yesteryear........as I hardly took any pics over the years Ive been going to Thailand. Its great to see the places and scenes!

[lanzalad]

great pic's thanks for posting them.

 

good to compare the old ones with the new ones

[yogi100]

Great pics RT especially the ones depicting 'then and now'. Never seen them before in a TR. I first visited BKK in 1984 and did not return till 1999. What struck me was the skyline with all the new skyscrapers and all the corregated iron, timber and plywood hovels that stretched for acres all over BKK in '84 had disappeared by '99. We did not realise at first that these structures that looked like dilapidated garden sheds were actually peoples' homes, it was my first experience of real poverty.

[nkped]

Thanks for the comments gents, much appreciated

 

Here's an interesting discussion of the Patpong of the 1970's and 1980's

 

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Patpong-Bangkok-history.htm

Thanks for that link as I don't follow Stickman with any regularity. It was novel watching the Deer Hunter and when they got to the bar scene thinking, "Hell, I've been there."

[RhinoTusk]

Ten years ago I met an old timer who claimed he bar fined Noi, the Mississippi Queen dancer in the movie. He said she was one crazy fuck.

 

Her bio on imdb is rather incomplete

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0863813/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t33

Edited October 28, 2013 by RhinoTusk

[Esco]

Excellent report, thanks.

[Fatboyfat]

Ten years ago I met an old timer who claimed he bar fined Noi, the Mississippi Queen dancer in the movie. He said she was one crazy fuck.

 

Her bio on imdb is rather incomplete

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0863813/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t33

To be honest I don't recollect Noi; however I did have a very pleasant 3 nights with Eat, pictured in the Stickman article, in the 70s!

[grityorteef]

I was living in Bangkok in those years. It was fantastic to see your pictures and read your commentary. Made me feel homesick. Wish I could take 25 years off and be back there.

 

grit

[redctt]

Thanks, was good to look at some places before the sky train,, longest i go back to would be year 2000

Cheers

Colin

[Guest King_Midas]

Brilliant Post......Just one monrh before my first trip. Although only 22 years ago the photos could easily be mistaken for early 70's

Edited February 8, 2014 by King_Midas

[trapperjohn]

Great report,just loved the old photo's,was 1st there in 1988 but lost all my photo's,thanks again ,that was cool.

[Chris100UK]

To be honest I don't recollect Noi; however I did have a very pleasant 3 nights with Eat, pictured in the Stickman article, in the 70s!

 

Be interested to see any old pics you have from the 70's

[Chris100UK]

+1 from me for this great post.

[Angora]

Hi everyone,

this is Dirk and I am a German photo journalist who has lived in Bangkok for some years. I am working on a historical video documentary about Patpong from the 1960 until today. I just saw all these great photos here and was wondering if anyone

would be interested in allowing me to use their footage for the film. I have interviewed some very interesting characters from

the old times but it is difficult to get photos and much more videos from that time.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested. I think, Patpong is very interesting and the history has to be told.

Thanks,

Dirk