The Rise & Fall

   

I’m not a Bangkok “insider”.  I’m just a bloke who lives here.

Everything I know about Bangkok is based on my limited first-hand experience, or from reading the newspaper or internet, the same as most other people.

The “insiders” are the people that other people tell when they find out something.  The insiders always know the score. 

I do occasionally act as an informant, which is where the insiders get most of their information.  For instance, if I find out exactly how much a mamasan earns at a certain bar, or a good friend tips me off that there’s a new government policy that will affect foriegn visa rules then I’ll call the insiders that I know and tell them.  As insiders, it’s their job to tell everybody else.

One of the well-know Ferang insiders in Bangkok is Stickman, who has been operating on the internet for about a decade now.  In the wake of the Big Mango Bar closing this weekend, Stickman wrote an excellent article about the Big Mango in particular, and Nana Plaza in general.

Most of the information about Nana Plaza was unknown to me before reading the article, but one thing was common knowledge to punters on the street like me.  Nana has been noticeably in decline for a year or more, while Soi Cowboy has been improving.  Two or three years ago Soi Cowboy was being declared DOA by most commenters on the Bangkok scene. 

But the bar owners in Soi Cowboy have been investing heavily in the soi.  Notably there have been remodels inside, and changes outside, with new signs, a distinct ‘patio’ addition to the front of several of the bars, and a general ’sprucing up’ of the soi.

Nudity is on the rise in Soi Cowboy, with naked dancing girls, lesbian shows, hand jobs and blow jobs all part of a normal night out on the soi these days.  Nana plaza has become almost prudish by contrast.

And Cowboy has shown that it’s more than just go go bars.  There are two venues featuring live bands, and at least a half dozen places to eat a decent meal at a good price.  There are at least 6 venues that don’t feature dancing girls at all, and even a couple of small shops where you (or at least the girls who work on the street) can buy their toiletries and other needs.

You don’t need to be an insider to see and feel the difference.  Soi Cowboy is coming back, while Nana is withering.  Nana suffers from too many ladyboys, too little food, declining service and physical surroundings that look unsafe.  Stickman mentioned the price of fixing the escalator in Nana — the sort of information that insiders know.  But even as a simple punter I already knew it was broken; my last dozen trips to Nana I’ve climbed up the frozen escalator.  When you run a venue that is famous around the world, you don’t let that sort of thing happen unless you’ve started to lose the plot.

As I said, I’m no insider, so I’m not prognosticating the demise of Nana Plaza.  I’ll leave that to the experts.  I can say that over the last 24 months there has been a noticeable reversal of roles as Soi Cowboy has been closing the gap on NEP.  With this weekend’s departure of the Big Mango, I reckon that it’s no longer a contest.  Soi Cowboy is now the venue for Ferang naughty nightlife in Bangkok.