This place was the closest thing I had to a regular pub. It was The Old China Hand of Bangkok, and now sadly it has been shut down due to some dispute with the landlord - and by landlord I don't mean Billy the pub landlord, but the land owner.
A huge send off party was planned for the last day (last Thursday) and a Lee Shamrock pub quiz special for last Wednesday but alas, the police and bailiffs turned up unannounced Monday and started gutting the place, so there was no send off party after 17 years.
It was arguably the best pub in Bangkok. There was a bit of a clique ton that long outside table but the staff always remembered your name, the manager was always in house when it was busy and it had a very good atmosphere inside and out, and the location was perfect.
Just days after hearing about this I hear the same thing has already happened to The Pickled Liver, which I'd only been to a couple of times. I'd only just discovered the beans, cheese on toast which was a third of the price of what it is at The Black Swan, which is a nice pub and could not be closer to the BTS if it tried yet lacks a family atmosphere.
Is it just pubs with atmosphere and character that are being targeted?
Is this just another step towards a uniform plastic, glass and concrete Bangkok that is so desperate to keep up with the Jonse's that anything with soul is getting the boot?
Now what have we left with? A handful of shitty faux Irish pubs photocopying newspapers and undercooking eggs and toast to an endless loop of tired Pogues classics.
I'll miss The Bulls Head, it was a genuine home from home which is what a public house should be but these days so very rarely is.