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Yes, this Soi deserves its own page
I do my
best to keep this up to date, but some places seem to change name faster
than staff, so I may be a week or so behind!
Soi 33
on Sukhumvit Road,
Bangkok, has long been an expatriates hang out.
Since the early '90s
it has been popular, especially in Happy Hour,
but the last few years have seen an explosion of new bars and restaurants. You will
find a more laid-back atmosphere, polite well-dressed girls usually with a fair command
of English, altogether a more
up-market area where you can either start your night,
or just drift from bar to bar.
The
theme here is usually that of a hostess bar, some have waiters,
Christie's has doormen in bizarre uniforms! You will be ushered in and
given either a hot or cold towel. The first bar here was Renoir, then
followed Christie's, Napoleon, Van Gogh, Degas, Manet (now Monet due to
a sign writing error!) Leo Club (now Santana), then a few more appeared.
Recently, in 2004 the "painter" theme has been continued with Gauguin.
If you have had enough of go-go bars etc. and want a different
start to your night, then Soi 33 is the place to go. All the bars keep menus
from the local restaurants, and the girls will go and order your
food for you, wait while it's prepared, then bring it back on a tray into the bar for you,
brilliant if you are a lazy sod like me! The pizza from Bella Pizza is
particularly good.
Although they call themselves
"clubs", no membership is required, see the brass plaque by the door of Big Shot's. These are mostly hostess bars, and offer a more refined and laid back
ambiance. The girls are basically the same as those you find in other places, just enjoy
the illusion, they play the part quite well.
Most, if not all, have danced
round a chromium plated pole at some time, and may well do again in the future!
If you have visited Hong Kong, Japan, or Taiwan, you will know how much it costs
to frequent these types of bars, so you will really appreciate the service
and especially the prices in Soi 33.
Most places charge 80 Baht during
happy hour and 130-150 afterwards. Van Gogh, happy hour prices all night on Sundays. With
Nana Plaza going crazy on prices, and Soi Cowboy creeping upwards, Soi
33, once considered expensive, can actually be a cheap night out if all
you want to do is have a drink in a decent bar.
In some bars,
Monet for example, buy a Lady's
Drink and get personal service for a maximum of 45 mins. per drink. (And they DO
notice the time!)
When I first did this page there
were a mere handful of bars/clubs. Since 1999, with the building of the 33
Complex and the conversion of other buildings, the number has more than tripled.
I have received a certain amount of criticism from some quarters
for making Soi 33 known to a wider audience and "spoiling"
it.
Now in late 2006, many bars and clubs have come and gone, and
several old favourites are closed.
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The Bars & Clubs
The term "club" is pretty loose in
Bangkok, I don't know of anywhere you need anything other than money to
gain admission, apart from The British Club.
Buy A
Bottle
You may have wondered why these bars
have hoards of partially used spirit bottles on their shelves, the idea
is that you buy a bottle and have your name on it. After the initial
purchase, you can go back as many times as you like with free ice and
mixers, and drink with no more bills, until the bottle is finished. This
offers a discount on normal prices and on party nights these bottles are
offered at special prices. A
whole bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin is about 1800 Baht (or 10
drinks out of happy hour) so it does make sense unlike many other
things in "virtual reality"!
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Bacchus
Larger bar in
a double unit of the 33 Complex
building. The decor is a bit sparse,
format is the same as the others. Sadly there seems to be a complete lack of
atmosphere here and the addition of a few plastic
plants has not done much to alter this.
Usually a few girls outside trying to temp you in with the offer of
cheap "daft beer".
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Big Shot's
Not really a "Hostess" bar as
most others in Soi 33.
On 2 floors with a Pool table upstairs. A few girls
from Buri Ram, say no more squire!
I like the brass plaque
by the door
"Non
Members Only", nice touch!
Happy hour until 22.00 [like Lucky Luciano's] 2 for 1 rather than reduced
prices.
Worth a look, but bars with pool tables are not my personal choice
as drunks should not be encouraged to wave pointed sticks about in
bars.
If you like to play pool, this seems to be the
place to go in Soi 33.
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Blue Heaven
Set behind Bacchus and visible from
the car park entrance. A reincarnation into a sports bar.
Several others have "done their money" here, it's about time someone
made a go of it.
Same same but different sums it up best, quite well made website
HERE
Formerly Madame
Claude's
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Brick CLOSED
After being closed for many months
in 2005, this has now been merged with Papa's by knocking down the
dividing wall and bricking up the doorway.
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Demonia
Formerly a proper bar called
Chelsea, then the oft raided
Cave, now newly named as
Demonia.
It would seem that there are enough
weirdoes about to keep this place going.
Thai style S&M is the
format, or so I am told, but after seeing how a "sexy show" can be
interpreted Thai style, I can only imagine what slant they put on
S&M.
I don't want to be seen going in, and I certainly don't want to be
seen coming out!
I
have had several emails from people about this place,
all similar, here is an extract from just one:-
At the door I was told that the entrance fee was 900
Baht which included a drink and
shows. There was a spanking show and I drank half my
drink, bought the spanked girl a drink for 250 Baht,
when I wasn't amused anymore I went to the bar and
paid the entrance and drink.
Then the girl in the show wants 2000 Baht off me, I
refuse and all hell breaks loose, The girl tries to
wrestle me down, I push her aside and go for the
door, she runs and blocks the door and I decide that
it is high time to leave before more people is
involved in this mess.
I push her aside again and force the door open, the
Thai guy outside tries to intimidate me by wanting
to fight, but backs off when i place
my body in Thai boxing defensive position, I have
trained Thai boxing for many years.
So please give people a hint of that this is a
rip-off place. (T****s
L****berg)
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Christie's Club
One of the larger clubs,
redecoration July 2002.
When they have a party, the free food is usually quite
good which is not normally the case in Soi 33.
One of the original bars, plenty of
girls and a few waiters in odd uniforms. There is an 6ft wooden
penis out the back, on the way to the toilets, and I think I saw a
horse as well!
Thailand gets worrying when you see something normal though, so
stuff like this is quite reassuring really.
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formerly Richmond
CK's Sports Bar (formerly
Shamrock, Richmond)
Single unit bar, nothing special to comment on, quite a few girls
who were very attentive on my last few visits. Draft beer at sensible
prices, and free pool table.
4 owners/management teams to my
knowledge, in as many years. There is nothing really wrong with this
place, but for some reason, it doesn't work.
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Dali
Club
Named after Salvador Dali and the ceiling has a few
"Thai" renditions of his odd painting style!
Well laid out, good service with
girls and waiters, but the Mamasan, Miss Joy, is a bit of a dragon.
An excellent opening party with free drinks & food was
held on 19.01.2001.
The
"Sexy Show" at 23.00 on Friday nights seems to have been
cancelled, but it was almost always not worth looking up for.
No "hands on
service" here as the girls stay behind the bar until you splash out on a
lady's drink, and even then it seems hard for them to be attentive.
Same management as Monet but not as friendly due to the design of the bar
etc.
This
picture is NOT distorted, it looks like this before you get drunk, and
straightens up a bit afterwards.
The karaoke bar
upstairs is run as a separate business but still under the same
management. Stairs up are found on the right of the main entrance before
you go in.
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Degas Club
A small and intimate club with attentive
hostesses. I can't think of any suitable sarcastic comment to make so it must be
OK! The girls usually are wearing hats. You can tell if it's quiet as
some of them sit outside at a table until a fresh wallet comes
along.
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Gauguin
Opened late February 2004. Nice to see the "artist" theme being
continued.
Fairly well laid out bar but poor sound system and for some
reason they have 2 gaudy lights on the ceiling that ought to be on top
of an ambulance!
Nothing to set this apart from the other bars really.
There is nothing wrong with Gauguin, but there are much better
choices on Soi 33.
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Green Parrot
Opened December
2003, continuing the development of the small Soi where Blu Bar B Q was
the pioneer, and right opposite Lookie Lookie.
Same theme as most other bars, worth a visit.
Good TV projector for sporting events. The "Parrot Burger" dosen't
sound too appetising though......and
the parrot is missing from his perch!
New management in late 2006, and a
good selection of imported bottled beers, something that is sadly
missing from most places.
Nice place for a few beers.
Website
HERE
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Goya
(Formerly Martini Club)
Same old theme, but I find it a bit cramped inside due to the design of
the bar, it's also bloody cold with fierce
air-con and not really much room for the customers due to the odd design of the
bar.
The girls seem constantly glued to the TV! There are better options.
If you go in, look for the giant martini glass made specially for the
bar in it's former incarnation.
Good grief there is still at least one
member of staff left from when it was called Martini (March 2007).
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Hang Out
No
expense spent on decoration, basically a painted concrete box, but
plenty of staff,
Last time I was there, the DJ was playing the audio track from a Bee
Gees concert DVD, a novel idea, but not to my taste.
This place is among a group of
bars that seem to change ownership rapidly, as foolish people
mistakenly think they can turn a profit.
Good luck to them, not the worst place on the street by a long way.
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Formerly:- 
Harry's Bar & Grill
Formerly the Blu Bar BQ, and the
place that opened up this small side soi.
A few owners on now, and a change of name. A good place for a few
beers and freshly barbequed food at sensible prices.
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Jina Club
You'll find this opposite The Office
and next to Mojos. I originally thought this was a Japanese club, but
the girls outside assured me it was "International". I took a look
inside but didn't stay as I would have been the only customer in this
cavernous area of upholstered seating. I am not sure what this is all
about really, it looks like a money pit to me.
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Livingstone's
Originally opened May 2004 as
Timbervati,
the smallish entrance hides a vast
enterprise with seating for 100+, bars, restaurants, rooms for rent, and a garden
with a swimming pool. Possibly the greatest
investment in Soi 33 after the Novotel Lotus!
Here you will
find
a steak house, a
Thai restaurant (Ton Thong), a sports lounge, a boutique lodge and a
beer garden.
Customers are a bit thin
on the ground, but it is early days....................
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Website
HERE
Lookie Lookie
(Your
guess is as good as mine on this name!) Originally opened in July 2001
as The Mondrian (apparently he was another painter) and under New Management
as of November 2003, the new manager
is Brad who did such a good job with The Blu
Bar BQ.
On Mondays the girls wear men's shirts
& ties and not a
lot else as far as I can see. Currently featuring 60's & 70's music on
Mondays.
Happy hours feature Free Bundaberg rum
with every Coke or Ginger Beer ordered. A happy crowd with good service
and sensible prices.
Projector TV for sporting events.
Visited by Sir
Bobby Robson and the team of sports presenters from ESPN in February
2005, if that's any recommendation.
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CLOSED
Lucky
Luciano's
Sadly closed in January 2006.
Luciano's (where Take Care is now) and later Lucky Luciano's were
both good bars, standing apart from the others insofar as interior decoration
and the sound quality of the music (Yamaha amplifier and Bose
speakers).
Add to this the excellent service and lowest
drink prices on the street, these 2 bars were my favourites.
Sad to see the end of an era. Things have continued downhill.
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Mojos
Opened in November 2003, seems to have a Jazz
theme, but this is based only on the pictures on the wall and not on
what the DJ was playing when I last visited.
Large airy space opposite The Office
Bar, in this secondary position time will tell if is successful or not.
I find the massive wooden doors, which are always firmly closed, off
putting. Definitely bad Feng Shui.
Late 2006 finds the heavy doors opened all night, so you can
actually get in now, and live music with a half decent band,
although last time I was there, the musicians on the stage
outnumbered the customers, and when you added the staff, we were in
a minority of !:3.
I can't see how this place can survive without attracting more
customers.
Nice and spacious, well worth a look, Mojo's deserves to suceed.
Website
HERE
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Monet Club
A good bar with a second bar
& Pool table upstairs. Plenty of pretty girls in long evening dresses, but don't worry, a couple
of thousand Baht will soon put that right! [Monet consistently seems to
have the best girls and service] One of the
original players, and still a hard act to beat.
Good service with doormen and waiters
as well, the DJ will play just about anything if he has it, and if he
doesn't, just take a CD with you.
The old glass etched
window has now been replaced, but it used to say "Manet", a
quite different painter. (Same management as Dali.)
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Napoleon Club
Gone is the Jazz band and the fat sod playing the
piano (that was the last century now!), in are a couple of 8 ball pool tables and a full size snooker
table. Back on track with other bars in the street now.
I
find the girls a bit pushy here, too much hassle for my liking. I like to
be able to sit and have a beer and talk with my friends without constantly
having women thrust at me, but if that is your thing, this is the place
for you.
A bit overstaffed as this is where
the girls from Santana have gone, now that it has closed.
Website
HERE
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Office Bar
Formerly the Pinnacle, it has been
taken over and a bit of money injected into it, and it seems to be
working.
Lots of girls and good service, some nights have your lucky bill numbers spun on the wheel of fortune
and win a prize.
There is a fair menu chalked up on the wall, but I thought there was
a smoking ban if you served food, it doesn't seem to extend as far
as the office, so a no go area for a meal if you are a non smoker.
Look for the Office Bar sign over the car park entrance and
walk off Soi 33 about 75 Mtrs.
There are usually a couple of
girls vying for customers on Soi 33.
Draught Beer is 59 Baht all night, this was the cheapest on the Soi by a long way,
until Bacchus copied them.
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CLOSED
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Papa's
Opened 21.03.2004, first impression here
was that not much was spent on the internal decoration.
Now merged with the former "Brick"
to form a double unit bar/club. Nothing special, but if you are with
a few friends the chances are you can have the whole place to
yourself.
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Renoir Club
This is the original
bar on Soi 33 that started the "painter" theme.
Slightly larger than most, although they could do with clearing out some of
the old dragons and getting in a few younger girls!
Food
available here. Usually a higher class of customer in here, or at
least a few of them were wearing ties on my last visit (probably
disreputable "financial
advisors")!
Double unit so more space, not
really comparable with other bars on the street, Renoir has an
indescribable quality of its own. You'll have to go in and find out.
I am not happy at the way their
happy hour is based on the incorrect time on the clock, it is always over
10 minutes fast and when you go in at 20:50 expecting to get a
sensibly priced drink with 10 minutes of happy hour still to go, you
get charged the full rate! When I pointed this out, it seemed that
everyone knew the clock was wrong and it was bar policy. Not sure why this is, the only
outcome is to alienate customers as far as I can see, if you were to
go in at 20:50, "Happy Hour" would already be over.
I have had a
few of people email me reasons for this, sadly none made the
slightest sense whatsoever. However, if you are already in, they
will ask you if you want to order any more drinks at happy hour
prices, then serve them when you are ready.
Still, I am a regular customer, and
I like the atmosphere.
Proper imported Paulaner beer available in both
bottles and cans, as well as all the usual brands.
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Santana Club
Formerly the Leo Club, then
refurbished into the Santana Club with the same hostess theme.
Now in September 2007
it has reopened as Santana Club again, but with go-go dancing and
different internal decor. I have looked in a few times but there
were ZERO customers, probably put off by the lurid blue LED lighting
and flashing name sign that wouldn't be out of place on a Hollywood
film set, but certainly so in Soi 33.
A sign outside suggests there is no
hassle, but their over eagerness to grab me and hold on to me as a
customer doesn't really comply!
It might be your thing, but it is
certainly out of place on the street and probably hasn't got a
licence for dancing anyway.
Formerly
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Vincent Van Gogh Club
Small and intimate club, plenty of
girls. Would benefit from redecoration.
Happy hour prices all night on Sundays.
(Pity about the gay waiter, harmless though).
High throughput of staff means any
review here would be out of date in weeks. Usually not busy, so if you
are out with friends, there is a good chance that you can have this
place to yourself.
Recently (Jan2007) offered for sale in the
Bangkok Post classifieds.
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Wall
Street
The
old stock exchange ticker board showing varying drink prices, has gone now, but it was a novel idea
while it lasted.
Good service when the boss is about, a bit variable
when he's not though.
Nice, happy girls, and cold beer.
Happy Hour prices all Sunday
night. Pool and Karaoke upstairs. A new player in Soi 33 but
now firmly established.
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33 Centre
Not strictly a beer bar, but they have put a bar in, so who knows. Beer is 80 Baht
all night here!
This is really a barber and massage shop, not sure what
kind of massage, probably it's only a matter of cost and you
can
decide
I would imagine!
Judging by the state of the girls when I visited, I
would recommend a pair of "beer goggles" first! I'm
not actually sure any of them should be allowed
to play with anything sharp.
Spot the brain cell, on my FIRST visit, they INSISTED they had
given me a haircut the day before, complete bollocks as I had never
set foot in the place before and I was only in there as
it was December 5th, the King's birthday, and all the other bars in
the street were
shut.
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Nearby and worth a
mention:- Londoner Brew Pub
Basement UBC 2 Building on the junction of
Soi 33 and Sukhumvit.
The Bull's Head
Behind Villa Market in Soi 33/1, the next
Soi down Sukhumvit towards The Emporium & just past Villa Market.
Robin Hood Pub
Past Villa Market, 2 Sois down towards The Emporium,
right on
Sukhumvit.
See Bars & Pubs page
HERE Locations shown on
the map at the top of the page.
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Ritz Apartments Cheap rooms by the month from around
18,000 Baht.
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The Restaurants
*Remember* Every bar will send a girl to the restaurant
of your choice, and bring your meal back to the bar for you. You
can enjoy your food without moving, just give the girl a small tip for the
trip up the road. Possibly, the most enjoyable way to have a meal? |
Novotel Lotus Hotel
 Check out the buffet here from 6.30
pm, especially if you like Indian food, as they always have an Indian section. They also have Sizzling Hot Plate
food included in the buffet price, as many as you like! 900 Baht including tax and service
for two persons, not bad. Beware of the dancing cooks & waiters! If you have
American Express they give you a 30% discount
[My last two visits here, mid 2002, showed a marked fall in the variety
and quality of the food, although still quite
reasonable.]
TIP!
Pay by American Express and get a
30% DISCOUNT
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Pan Pan
Italian restaurant, usually quite
busy. Friends have been there, it's said to be quite good. Established in
the same location for many years.
Brisk trade at lunchtime.
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In the area vacated by Restorante Fino
is this new venture called Basilico and opened late 2004.
Judging by the number of customers it
is already a great success.
Good reports of the food here by a local
discerning, well nourished food taster.
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Oam Tong
Vacated the site now occupied by Basilico in April 2001
to new air-conditioned premises
almost directly opposite, good
quality Thai food, well presented and although a little more expensive
than some, I can recommend it.
Pity the music from Dali can be heard
through the wall though.
I regularly eat here as it stays open until
midnight and you can sit in the widow, or just outside and watch the antics in the street.
Oam Tong is one of the
few restaurants offering genuine Thai food but NOT at tourist prices,
well worth a visit. Good portions, lots of choice, economical prices.
If
you order crispy duck (kippy duck), you get a whole one!
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Tenderloins
On the site of Bella
Pizza is now a new barbeque steak house/bar. Huge portions and what
seems to me to be the cheapest pints of draft Heineken 69 Baht a pint
between 5 & 7pm.
Large portions and
modest prices for eating in, or get the bar of your choice to send out
for a meal to be delivered to you anywhere in the street. A bit over
staffed, so expect good service.
Always something
going on, check the website
HERE.
Happy hours daily between 5 & 8pm. Draft beer very cheap in happy
hour!
A good vantage point
for sitting in the relaxing air conditioned calm whilst watching the
street outside. Usually quite entertaining.
Free wireless Internet,
ask the staff for the password.
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Updates and suggestions? - Email me here
