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"The Rounds" Tuesday, August
13, 2002
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * A belated Happy
Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen! * * * * * * * * * * Want to report on a couple of places I visited Sunday the 11th with a dear friend, the first for "brunch" -- the quotation marks because the spread wasn't actually available until about noontime -- and the second a bar-cum-restaurant to which we repaired after a grand lunch for drinks. The Hotel Plaza Athénée is located on Wireless Road [Thanon Witthayu] immediately south of Ploenchit, less than a 5-minute walk from the Ploenchit Skytrain Station. [Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: +66 2650 8800 Fax: +66 2650 8500-1] My friend bought a restaurant membership card at the hotel awhile ago, a card that entitles two diners to 50% off each, three diners to 1/3 off each, and so on; the card, valid for a year, cost her THB5,500 and is good in any of the several restaurants in the hotel. The ground-floor restaurant offers a midday buffet that is quite extensive. In fact, it is one of the largest buffets I've visited in Bangkok, notable especially for its wide selection of meat and fish as well as the reasonably comprehensive dessert offerings. To note shortcomings right up front, there was not a selection of regular Western-style salads (though there were several Thai ones), and there weren't all that many vegetables. But hey, with at least 4 kinds of salmon, shrimp cocktails, various other fish, roast, ham -- well, you get the idea -- I wasn't about to complain. And the food was simply delicious. Some might argue that a non-discounted price of THB941 per person (a price which includes a service charge and VAT) isn't so reasonable, but I beg to differ. Find me a buffet in a developed industrialized country offering me such a wide assortment of foods for south of US$20 and I'll head there next time I find myself in the neighborhood. I want to mention the salmon again (including smoked salmon, a personal favorite of both me and my friend), which was available in apparently unlimited quantities -- there was at least one re-supply of the salmon offerings during the three hours we sat there dawdling over our excellent meal. In addition to scrumptuous food, the restuarant overs a skilled musical trio -- bass fiddle, piano, and guitar -- playing lovely "piano-bar" music (if a trifle loudly -- we had to speak a bit more loudly to hear each other than should have been necessary), the restaurant offers very good service, especially in the sense that I had no trouble whatsoever communicating with any of the several staff members with whom I spoke -- and I don't speak Thai. [My companion is a Thai lady, so of course she had no trouble -- but I never once needed her assistance in speaking with the staff.] As my lady friend does have a membership card, we paid the THB941 for the two of us; I was impressed enough to give a THB1,000 note and then to leave the change as an additional tip. My only other negative observation is a minor one, and an odd one is such a hot climate: I got downright COLD -- and I'm an overweight guy who despises the heat! [Don't ask me why I have moved from Beijing to Macau to Bangkok -- reckon my NEXT stop will be the Sahara!] The management would be well-advised to reduce the fan speed and raise the temperature a bit. But I'll go back, even if this doesn't change. Is this the only good buffet in town? -- of course not. After all, Bangkok is an eater's delight, on par with Hong Kong and Singapore. But you won't go wrong going there, THAT'S for SURE! Reservations aren't necessary, but helpful if you want to arrive a bit late; the buffet officially runs 1100-1500. From there, we went to The Huntsman Pub in the basement of the Landmark Hotel [138 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66 (2) 6823300, 682 3300 (0100-1200 UTC)/Fax +66 (2) 2945885], one stop east of the Ploenchit Skytrain Station. It so happens it also offers a Sunday buffet, though of course we didn't try it -- though it looked appetizing, stuffed though we were. The bar also has a Sunday all-day Happy Hour during which drinks are 2-for-1. The Huntsman is an elegant pub echoing the British tradition, and is extremely comfortable. The service is excellent, and the prices reasonable, especially for a hotel bar in the Sukhumvit area. It is so confortable that despite our agreed intention of dropping by for one drink before returning to my friend's home on Sukhumvit Soi 22 we stayed FOUR hours, chatting away and just generally having a grand time of it. And that set me back a reasonable THB1,000. In short, for nearly eight hours of excellent food and good drinks, superior service and a comfortable atmosphere, I spent a bit under US$50 for the 2 of us. More than one might wish to spend on a daily basis, sure -- but entirely reasonable for an occasional afternoon of frolicking! Do give both places a visit. And no, no one in either has the faintest idea I'm writing this. * * * * * * * * * * Monday the 12th was a rather different matter. As is obvious from the birthday wishes at the top of this column, the 12th was Her Majesty the Queen's birthday, her 70th. I guess I have to admit the Thonglor Police Headquarters personnel are getting better in that they informed bars in their jurisdiction the bars would have to close, informing them in a timely fashion for a change. But advised early in the evening that the Nana Plaza area was wide open, I decided to check it out. And that indeed was the case. I visited several places on Soi 4 and inside Nana Plaza itself, in the latter of which I noticed only a single place closed -- and I don't know why it wasn't open; certainly every OTHER place in the plaza was open, lights blazing, music blaring, and, in the case of the two a-go-go's I visited, the ladies showing. En route to the Nana Plaza/Soi 4 area from my base in the Sukhumvit Soi 22 area I noticed that at least some places in the vicinity of Clinton Plaza also were open. The question arises yet again why it seems that the Thonglor Police District is so stringent in comparison to some other stations, especially in comparison to the Lumpini Police District -- the latter of which includes Nana Plaza and Clinton Plaza, etc. Further, even within the boundaries of the Thonglor Police District I went to two different restaurants this afternoon [one a well-known one catering to foreigners, the other a tiny open-air Thai-style one] that had alcohol openly available. So alcohol isn't the problem, obviously. Yet if any station "requests" the bars within its jurisdiction to close for any particular day, it is the Thonglor station. One might suppose this is to stop, for instance, immoral showing of flesh in a-go-go's -- but two questions spring immediately to mind: why is it tolerated most OTHER days of the year within Thonglor -- and why was it tolerated on the 12th in station jurisdictions other than Thonglor's? The only significant effect I can see is that bar owners unfortunate enough to have their premises within the Thonglor Police District lose money more often than their competitors in other police districts. All that said, to be fair to the folks at the Thonglor Police Station, it may be that they are the most vigilant of all police district officials in enforcing the laws of the Kingdom. If so, and if their vigilance is correct, then other stations should note and imitate the Thonglor Police Station. Further, if this is the case, it certainly would be nice were the government to formalize that certain days are days that designated establishments must close, and were the government to establish a regular set calendar of those days so affected owners could know year in and year out on which days they would have to close their establishments -- across the Kingdom. Further, were the government to set a calendar of closures, the police would be taken off the hook entirely, which would *have* to be a boon for the police department's public relations. Which is an important point. On the back-to-back closings in July, I happened to overhear one gentleman (clearly a tourist, from what he said) comment to his friend, "We sure made a mistake flying down last night and having our return flight for the morning of the day after tomorrow," to which his companion replied, "Yes, since we came to check out the bars in Bangkok but they're closed the two days we're here, we wasted our time and money." I have no idea from where they flew nor to where they were returning, but it obviously was outside Bangkok and, presumably, outside Thailand. And that wasn't the first time I had heard such comments from visitors. * * * * * * * * * * A word to the wise: a former colleague of mine returned late this past Sunday from a two-week visit to America, where he exchanged his baht for American dollars -- and was charged an astonishing *50* baht to buy one single greenback! If you have baht and are America-bound, be advised to change your baht HERE -- you'll get a FAR better (and fairer) exchange rate. From personal experience I can tell you the same principal holds true going anywhere in Greater China -- the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan -- and I presume this may be true at other international destinations. Check before you go; even if you're filthy rich, why lose out 15-20% simply because of greed at the other end? And this isn't a farang ["foreigner"] worry only -- the same applies to my Thai friends traveling abroad. The only foreign destinations I know you will get a fair shake are Cambodia and Laos. * * * * * * * * * * Don't forget that I've added a place for you to sign up to be notified via e-mail whenever we add something to the site -- that way, you don't even have to visit the Updates Page to see if there's anything new -- we'll let you know by e-mail. If you want to sign up, just go to the sign-up page. * * * * * * * * * * On the 12th a friend called while I was exploring [wide-open] Nana Plaza, from the Swan Bar, which is coincidentally on Sukhumvit Soi 4 perhaps 150 meters beyond Nana Plaza relative to Sukhumvit Road. I had never been there, and joined him and his date in the bar, which has an outside area for punters wishing only to drink and a large inside area filled with numerous pool tables. It's another place I'll visit again. While it's nothing special in terms of decor, service, or price, it's comfortable enough, the service low-key and the prices in line with the area -- and the pool tables are well spaced, something of a rarity in places sporting two or more pool tables. I paid THB80 for bottles of Carlsberg and Heinekin, not at all unreasonable, and THB20/game of pool -- again, very reasonable. Well worth a visit. * * * * * * * * * * The Starlite Bar in Queen's Park Plaza on SUkhumvit Soi 22 is offering daily food specials. While the price can range as high as THB120 for the weekday specials, most are 80 baht. The manager who also is responsible for another bar in the venue (Happiness Bar) and the B-52 bar in Regency Park Hotel just up the way is an excellent chef. This past Thursday the bar offered stuffed bell peppers with a sweet tomato sauce and a side order of rice that were outstanding. I personally prefer more spice than the stuffed peppers had, but that was easily addressed by adding salt and pepper. The bar is small but extremely comfortable, and the waitresses are very friendly, as is the manager "Roland." Located on Queen's Park Plaza Soi 3 -- yes! the landlord has put up signs indicating the "sois"! -- on the right the second door before the back, Starlite has a pool table, available at no charge. It also has an exceptionally nice and friendly bartendee, a wonderful lady named "Khun On" whom I have known for several years, first at the Texas Lone Staar in Bangkok's [in]famous Washington Square, then at the aforementioned B-52 bar, and, now, the Starlite. Stop by, tell her "Hello!" -- and that I sent you. And no, she's NOT my girlfriend!!! * * * * * * * * * * The Doll House in Soi Cowboy indeed was closed for 30 days this month, the rumor being that it had under-aged a-go-go dancers, though I haven't been able to confirm this. * * * * * * * * * * If anyone reading this has a website and would like to place a link there for BangkokAtoZ.com, you can just copy-and-paste the banner below into your site; it's a live link to this site's homepage --
-- or, if you prefer a simple text link, use this hyperlink: BangkokAtoZ.com. I'll appreciate an e-mail telling me the URL of where you placed it. If you want me to put a link on BangkokAtoZ.com for your site, do tell me where you have placed our link, and I'll give you a link in a comparable position, of the same nature (i.e., banner-for-banner, text-for-text). * * * * * * * * * * I want to plug another place I frequent, a place in Queen's Park Plaza owned by my old friend Ott, a Thai lady. Her place is The Moonshine; the name should ring a bell with Soi Cowboy and Jomtien habitués, as she owned three places with similar names in those two venues a few years ago. Located in Queen's Park Plaza Soi 3, The Moonshine is the second place on the right entering from Sukhumvit Soi 22. It has a bar with maybe 8-10 stools, 3 booths, a pool table, and a dart board. Notably, for Queen's Park Plaza, it is one of the very few places also to have its own "en suite" toilets, a consideration given the approaching rainy season. The Moonshine also offers food, most notably some of the best Tex-Mex around. And the staff is very friendly. Drop by, meet Ott, tell her I sent you -- and that she owes me a drink! ;-) * * * * * * * * * * Folks in the market for a bar: the bar I mentioned that's up for sale remains unsold; direct any serious enquiries to me at MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com. It's worth adding that the landlord of the venue is finally doing something to actually promote it, so this could be an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in going into a nice, enclosed, air-conditioned bar-restaurant. The owners are also in the process of setting up their own stand-alone web site, as I hear it (not from the owners themselves yet, however). Drop me a line. * * * * * * * * * * Okay, I'm about to give up, but SURELY there's SOMEONE out there with a Traveler's Tale worth sharing!!! You don't have to tell your Significant Other about it, either!!! ;-) MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com * * * * * * * * * * For selfish reasons I am delighted the baht continues to edge lower; according to a currency-exchange newsletter I take, it was trading in America at an average of about THB42.38 to the American dollar on the 11th. I'm no economist, but with the global economy in such an obvious mess (obvious even to the untutored), my guess is the baht is more likely to continue to weaken against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies than it is to strengthen against them. * * * * * * * * * * The wise among my friends and acquaintances owning businesses dependent on tourists for a significant portion of their incomes are NOT holding their breaths waiting for fame and fortune come September, instead presuming that the expected media onslaught covering the first anniversary of last September 11th's despicable terrorist attacks will remind people they don't *want* to travel *anywhere.* I pray they're wrong -- but fear they're right. Which is too bad. I have traveled, regionally, a few times these past 11 months without letting considerations of potential terrorist attacks deter me, which is something I wish EVERYONE would do. I don't mean to suggest I'm any better, braver, or stronger than the next person -- I'm not -- but I'll be holy DAMNED if I'm going to submit, surrender, roll over, and show my belly. It was inspiring to read that a small, no-frills carrier in the United States, Spirit Airline, is offering all its seats on all its flights for FREE on September 11th -- and it was a brilliant public relations move, as even the airline's direct competitors are freely agreeing. * * * * * * * * * * Did you read about the lady who committed suicide in Samut Phrakan by throwing herself into a pool holding about *300* crocodiles at the Crocodile Farm? Talk about going out with a splash -- SHE sure as heck did so. And if press reports are correct, when the crocodiles showed no interest in her at first she swam towards them until they did -- one witness claimed she "hugged" a crocodile, though that stretches credibility. But no matter how one chooses to commit suicide, it is always a terribly sad act, one leaving a trail of broken hearts behind. . . . May the poor lady rest in the peace she was apparently unable to find on this side of the veil. * * * * * * * * * * Blah-blah-blah -- I was always in trouble at school for that, so I'll take a hint and shut it down for this time -- * * * * * * * * * * Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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