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Asia Bugle 15-3-2006
Scuttlebut
They say a week in politics is a long time. But despite all the turmoil in Thai politics at the moment, not a lot has changed since our last mailing. The election is still on for April 2 nd , the protests go on and the main opposition parties are planning to boycott the election. A small bomb went off outside General Prem's (Head of the Privy Council) house that did little except injure a couple of unfortunate farangs who were walking past. It was certainly not the start of a Muslim bomb campaign against the capital.
The only thing about this election that is different is that in the past, villagers in the boondocks have got rich my accepting money to vote a certain way. Now they are receiving money NOT to vote. And for once the person paying can make certain that does happen - to get paid for not voting you have to give up your ID card for election day!
Well it has finally happened, after much too-ing and fro-ing, and 2 am closing is back in both Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy. Maybe that will be only until another police force steps in and ask for money as well as the local nick. In Nana Plaza the price is 5k per unit and with most of the main bars being two units, that equates to about 10 beers in that final hour to pay the new stipend. Or a bar fine or whatever. Since full showing is not back in the Plaza we can not say it is quite back to pre-Purachai days, but it is going that way. Although it is costing the bar owners much more!!! (a collective sigh of ahhhhhhhhh!)
Long time Thai manageress of Chequers (Soi 4) Harry has left to set up her own operation. Before Chequers, Harry worked at Jools just down the road. Her own bar will be a few doors down from Jools in the shop-house now housing LT Travel. Harry has always been a larger, or should I say louder, than life character and it will be interesting to see how she gets on. She has always been popular with customers and has never baulked at trying to out drink them. The name of the new bar has not yet been named, but I am told the obvious Harry's Bar, has been ruled out.
Soi 4 is undergoing various changes with a big new Irish style bar under construction next door to the Bus Stop. It should have been open by now but there were various delays and then the foundations were laid - in the wrong place! The owners are the same people who own O'Reilly's (Silom) and the Robin Hood (Sukhumvit Soi 33/1). I was told it was due for completion in June, but looking at the site, the autumn looks more likely!
The Bus Stop has been totally rebuilt and is now on 2 levels with the upper level providing a breezy spot to watch the myriad comings and goings on Soi 4.
Further down the soi, Brunswick has been closed after a rental dispute that went on for over a year. It seems the landlords thought the rent should be paid and the operator disagreed!
The original Hilary Bar has been put back in it's box, so to speak. All the bits that encroached onto the Raja Hotel car park have now gone. But there is still a sizable bar there.
Hillary lost their bits in the Raja car park because that end of the Raja Hotel has been renovated and that bit is now called Raja Suites . The refurbished rooms and suites are available at a very reasonable rate on a monthly basis only. I believe 9K is the figure. Not a bad spot to install the Mia Noi, or as a bolthole from she who must be circumvented. Or a cheap to stay option for those staying over 9 days. I have not seen the rooms but I am told they are up to standard which is more that I can say about the main Raja hotel.
It seems a 60-day closure of the top floor Hollywood gogo in Nana Plaza is inevitable. It always was from the day they were busted back when Eric the Clock was in charge. Once a place is busted and it is in the book at the nick then closure (punishment) is inevitable. All experienced operators know that, and whatever you pay all it will do is delay the inevitable. Now it seems Hollywood is getting a monthly visit from the Old Bill and Peter, the new owner, is having to pay out a substantial sum to get the paperwork back to the bottom of the pile. But sooner, or later, it will emerge at the top. For the sums that are apparently passing hands, it might be better to take the medicine as the low season approaches than keep the expensive delays ongoing!
St Paddy's Day is on Friday.
Bully's ( Between Soi 2 & 4 on Sukhumvit Road) is arranging a full set of Paddy's Day celebrations. There will be four bands starting at 4 pm and going on ‘till late. I am told Unicorn, the all girl band from Titanium will kick the musical proceedings off with Celtic Colours covering the cocktail hour and old favourites Dr Blues (he who has retired more times than Sinatra) at 9.30 and Cannonball is closing the party down from Midnight onwards. There will also be various drink promotions with Guinness at a special price among other things.
Lucky Luke's ( Entrance Nana Plaza )is holding a party with a barbie at about 9 pm as well with the inevitable balloons and a special cocktail. PJ has bought a green shirt for the occasion and is looking for a green top hat. The jig dancing lessons are going well!
Tokyo Joes ( Soi 24 in Sivaporn Plaza bar soi opposite Ariston Hotel) hosts the three day Bangkok Blues Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There is a number of bands playing including, on Thursday, the excellent Blues Machine, from the Blues Factory in Pattaya. See http://www.bangkokbluesfestival.com/
Bangkok Wine Society March tasting of Thai wine will be at The Indus Restaurant , ( Sukhumvit Soi 26) on Tuesday March 21st at 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm. Price per head, wine tasting and finger food, will be 400 Baht, payable at the door.
The Indus is an Indian and Thai restaurant in a delightful old house with a pleasant garden. The tasting will be in the bar area. You can see more details on their web site which includes a map. Please reserve your places via BWS website
We sent you Thailand Business Informer last week. It will not be sent to you again unless you subscribe . And we apologise that the link was missing. The place to subscribe is http://thailandbusinessinformer.com/
Sam Worthington went to Spasso to eat rather than find expensive company, and visited a gentleman's home when he tried out the newest French restaurant: Villa Bangkok
From an email I received about credit card fraud. If you use credit cards this is well worth reading
This might be helpful!
Be sure to read 'Scene 3'
SCENE 1:
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker.
After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker. He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whopping bill of $14,000!
He called the credit card company Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.
"No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made.
An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet.
Verdict: since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them
SCENE 2:
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet at yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something
SCENE 3:
I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.
I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture.
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless.
Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these days.
The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.
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From the Baron www.BaronBonk.com
How To Lose Dodgy Money!
It is time once again to have a rant about those who buy bars, or invest in them, without doing their homework. That in many cases is simply checking out exactly who you are doing business with. Normally he is that nice smiling person who promises you a stake in a gogo that includes undefined owners 'rights,' and a monthly payment that will make you think working for a living is a fool's game. Sadly owners rights is what he will get too, as well as management rights, which means for every free beer you get, he gets ten and those dividends never get anywhere near expectations - probably because the management fees include a first class trip home to see Mum for her birthday, as well the not insignificant stipend of several mea nois and other hangers on. And just as probably the fifty percent that was purchased was also bought by another investor, or several. There are more than a few situations I have heard about where there appears to be well over 10 0% investment in a given business.
The reason for this my most recent tirade is because I met two gentlemen who had invested a decent sum in a bar only to get the total run around when questions were asked. At the same time, I received an email from a man asking if I knew somebody who would like to buy 50% of his gogo.
The gogo deal was of interest to a friend of mine, so I thought I would follow it up. Firstly I know the guy making the offer and as far as I aware he is an okay person. I have been around the block a few times and after running pubs for a while you get a good idea of who to trust and who not to. However my first move was to ask questions of other bar owners to see what they knew. And, of course, they knew something and I was told the lease was a nightmare with a host of problems. With this knowledge I met with the seller and asked him questions which I thought I already knew the answers too. He came up with a different scenario which suggested the lease might be okay after all. So I now asked to see the lease and said I would get it translated. The seller was confused. Why, he wondered, did I not want to see the figures? The answer is I know enough about the business to know that gogo should make money, but without a lease it is worthless. So having g ot the lease I employed a Thai investigative type to fully research all aspects of the lease - from the freeholder up, check the licences with the police, and find out anything he can by talking to local Thais and even the staff. Only then was I prepared to call my friend in the UK and say this maybe a deal for you. But even then he will still need to form a new company, transfer the lease to that company's name and set up a proper shareholders' agreement with the other shareholders. And, of course, I know he will refund the 30/40K I have spent checking out the deal.
Now I return to the sad case of my acquaintances who had unwisely invested a sizeable sum in a bar. I never really got to the bottom of how and why the deal was done but I have an idea. They were in a bar chatting to the owner and they rather unwisely said they had some money and would like to invest in a bar. Then as they say, the rest is inevitable. An agreement was drawn up in English and the money transferred. The investors never asked around, no doubt warned off with cautions about keeping it secret or others would want the deal. They never employed a lawyer or even checked the lease. The nice man selling the investment has popped up on my radar screen before when I had a similar conversation with another one of his unhappy investors. Needless to say things did not go well and when they asked to see the accounts they were told it was none of their business. Now the attitude of the main man was: Oh dear, this is not going to well - but there are di vidends. Unfortunately they came to only about 20% of what was promised. When the duo referred to the agreement they were told that as it was in English it was invalid in Thailand . He might as well have said: "I have conned you." I will end this sad tale here so as not to get myself sued for defamation by identifying the parties. In fact this story is part true and part fiction, but is not untypical. In fact the unwise men ended up by agreeing to another percentage deal elsewhere that may, or may not, get them some of their money back.
Thereby hangs another tale. The reason that many of these dubious dealings do not come out is because the person who has been "had" is too embarrassed to admit they have been "had:" That and all too often the money involved is slightly tainted. (cash earnings etc.). So most people having been conned go away quietly - but poorer. For those who remember the case of Santos in Warblers, his real problems came when he took the legitimate life savings of a man in a wheelchair. If he had stuck to people with a bit of dodgy money to invest, he may never have lost out.
So please please do not make an investment in a bar without fully checking out all the individuals involved. If they are frightened of you asking, ask yourself why? In the case of the gogo I was offered, the seller was keen that I check everything - and why not?
It is a jungle out there in the urban barscape so do not get devoured by a charming beast. Or as the old adage goes "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." But these days it is just as likely be any other member of the EU!
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Night March from Pattaya
The Mathematics of Business: Has Fun Town been busy during this latest high season? There are plenty of long-timers who say no. Is this because there are fewer visitors to Pattaya? No. The reason is really quite simple: there has been a massive increase in the number of entertainment outlets in Pattaya in the last three years and, despite the zoning ‘plans' of City Hall, the damn things are literally everywhere you look. Take Soi Buakhow as one example. At the turn of the century this was still, in essence, a neat back road between Central Pattaya Road and South Pattaya Road; now it is an increasingly busy thoroughfare with some kind of bar or restaurant within a Heineken bottle's throw of each other, especially in the stretch of tarmac between Soi Diana and the flea market 500 metres or so down the road.
Walking Street, as I've mentioned many times, has seen an incredible surge in the number of chrome pole establishments along its length and in the sois appending it. Even if the number of single men visiting Pattaya has grown by, say, 10 percent in the last couple of years, the number of boozers catering to them has jumped by around 40 or more percent. Look around you at the bars with just two or three customers warming a bar stool and then think about where these customers would have been drinking just a few years ago. If a complex or an area has grown, like Soi 7 as an example, from about 40 bars to more than 60 in the past three or so years, then it stands to reason the numbers of people required to maintain the status quo of three or so years ago must increase by around 50 percent. Anything less, and the good joints will endure and survive while the rip-off places and poor quality establishments will wither on the vine.
Wasting Away Again In Margaritaville: A couple of issues ago I made mention of a prediction by one ogling den manager who suggested draught amber would no longer be available in the bars of Pattaya within six months. By way of introduction to the piece -as a comparison from the ridiculous to the sublime- I noted the introduction of frozen margarita machines, suggesting they were failing as an expensive libation for dancing damsels. I suggested the experiment had failed and many places had dispensed with the machines.
As I wrote, ‘the drinks were pricey and there are a lot of ex-pats and regulars who refuse to part with what they consider silly sums for glasses full of coloured alcoholic liquid just to satisfy the whims of a few avaricious dancing damsels.' While this remains true, the reality is a little more involved and complicated than my few throwaways lines would suggest.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame, but I know it's my own damn fault, so let me correct my mistakes. The company involved in producing the margaritas uses only fresh juice. They install and maintain, for free, the expensive Italian-made machinery necessary to make the drinks. The only places they supply are those they believe are capable of doing a solid turnover per month. All they ask is the bar purchase the margarita mix direct from the company. According to the operators of the company, they wholesale a litre of the juice at just 300 baht, or around 24 baht a glass, and give each outlet a recommended price for each drink.
It seems as though many bar owners decided if it looked like a cocktail, smelled like a cocktail, tasted like a cocktail, then they should charge like a wounded cocktail. So instead of a realistic and still profitable 90-100 baht for a margarita lady drink, some joints decided to really ramp up the impost. In other words, it is not the fault of the suppliers if the stocking boozer decides to snip an unwary walking wallet of a few extra satang.
The company is currently operational in Pattaya and Bangkok and plans are under way to move into Phuket.
Now that's off my chest, I'll have a frozen prune and chilli juice with two shots of vodka and rum…and where's my lost shaker of salt?
Nothing to do With a Bratwurst: I have to admit to not being overly impressed with the Club Boesche go-go (Soi 16, off Walking Street) when I first wandered in not long after it opened. However, I recently went in for another look and the entire atmosphere of the chrome pole palace was sensational. It's very hard for any management to achieve a sense of that ethereal quality called ‘atmosphere', but this is certainly what I felt during the couple of hours I spent perving at some rather attractive examples of the art of chrome pole molestation.
The den is not named after some kind of German sausage, the Club Boesche (pronounced Boo-shay) cognomen is a form of homage to an American radio announcer much admired by one of the partners in the den.
The features of the place include the ground floor Jacuzzi -usually occupied by a pair of well-lathered damsels- and a second floor see-through dance stage where a bevy of good sorts tend to frolic about in their birthday suits. There's plenty of opportunity for the amateur gynaecologist to study the shaving habits of the Greater Issan Dancing Damsel.
A New Way to Spell ‘Pussy': After a pretty ordinary night of wandering around some of the poorer quality ogling dens of Walking Street, I wanted to at least end the night in a place I've enjoyed previously, the Catz chrome pole palace in the Covent Garden complex (next door to Club Boesche ).
I wasn't disappointed. It may be the smallest of the four dens in this complex, but it has a nice atmosphere with plenty of mostly friendly dancing maidens of sizes, shapes, and ages to suit, it would think, the most curmudgeonly of tastes. The music is good and the management don't gouge imbibers, with most libations a reasonable 95 baht.
Another Year Older: Congratulations to Captain Picard -owner of the Living Dolls Showcase revolving show den (Walking Street)- who celebrated his half century plus half a decade birthday on 21 February. There were those who suggested the appearance of the much vaunted Angelwitch show palace (Soi 15) would impact adversely on Showcase, but empirical evidence suggests nothing of the sort.
The resurgence of Walking Street as the premier centre for dens of the chrome pole commenced a few years ago with the opening of The Dollhouse, where Captain Picard performed the meeting and greeting duties. Since then, dens such as New Living Dolls 1, Living Dolls Showcase (on the site of the old Blackout ), Coyotee's (Soi Marina Plaza), and Heaven Above (Soi Diamond), to name just a few, have helped change the concept of the chrome pole palace. No longer can someone with a two-watt bulb for a brain and a couple of million spare baht simply open a den and watch as the punters roll in. The above examples are places where the owners/managers are consistently and constantly overseeing their ‘product' and thinking of ways to keep punters coming back for more.
There are operators in Bangkok who still see Pattaya as a swampy backwater town with the go-gos run by inbred first cousins. This attitude may have been a fair comment five or six years ago; nowadays, many Fun Town owners could show the Bangkokians a thing or two about running a successful den.
Was it all a Dream? I'm not sure how true it is, but according to one of my more sober sources, the Dream go go (Soi 8) lasted all of three days. Apparently, the owners spent a small fortune putting the place together but then didn't have enough of the folding stuff to pay the rent. Perhaps they failed Economics 101.
Two More Bite the Dust: The shake-out of Walking Street ogling dens continues with the recent closures of Marilyn (actually Beach Road, a few metres before the Walking Street entrance) and Highway Star.
Marilyn, if I'm not mistaken, has been the long-running Beach Road go go up for sale for much of the past year or so. Whether someone has now purchased the property or the lease has finally run out I don't know. In nearly 13 years of visiting and living in Pattaya I can say I spent a total of around two minutes in the place. Funnily enough, the night I wandered in, and left just as quickly, I was accompanied by a German friend whose been coming to Thailand far longer than me, and he too had never ventured into the place. I don't think he's been back there since either. There are many others who both live here or visit regularly who've never had a good word to say about the joint; my only surprise is that Marilyn's lasted as long as it did.
Highway Star had its moments, but it fell into the trap of being just another tired and worn out joint with an ogling den shingle hanging out the front. As a Thai-operated den the music was dreadful most of the time and most of the dancers could be classified as being in the ‘veteran' class. So, as of mid-March, the score of open dens on Walking Street reads 39.
iece of Pith: Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
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