Hua Hin bars of old

[lomuamart]

There was a "Suzie's Bar" opposite Willos, next to Caddyshack. Thing is, it didn't have a sign up, but was run by a Thai girl - Suzie - hence it got that name.

[Guess]

I remember an argument I had in about 2002 about Suzy (or is it Suzie). I was adamant that she had the bar in Poolsuk next to Too's Hairdressers (Wij & Hank's later office) and I was told it was not and it was next to Caddyshack. Looks like we were both right.

Possibly the same girl. (Was she a stripper?)

I only remember Willo's or was it Willow's as a GH with pool table and then it was taken over by Gay Phil and made into Lazy Daisy GH, (not to be confused with Lazy Daze (ex the Rock, Hogs Breath?) in Poolsuk. It was Phil that joined what must have been the Bull's eye with the main lounge and made it into a largr bar/lounge which Ozzy Rod took over and changed the name to Goanna's before going right up market and creating Lolita's Hua Hin.

We are a bit weak on all the bars that are now between Too's Family Bar (ex hairdresser, wanderlust and JW know him). These are London GH (opened 2001/02), Nervana, (2003), Spark Bar, Flamingo, Siam, Sawan Steakhouse, Lazy Daze, Lucky Luke's, Lips. Those are the bars then there are Casa Roma (Mauro???), Heidi's, Willy's and La Villa Restaurants and maybe more. And what about Khun Chop's boxing garden?

On the other side I know about The Ship, P&P, Crawford's/O'Reilly's but what was the place that is now 2nd Homes and the Thai Tourist place (Anton). It was a Pizza place at some time.

The other road that needs some info is Damnoen Kasem (Soi Post Office). Gees & Buffalo Bill's and what else?

OnlyMe, many thanks for your contribution. I will be doing Cha Am next. It's quite easy, The Chicken Coup, FK Car rental, a Buffalo grazing ground and 73 pedal cycle rental shops. All I need from you is the names of all the owners, (and the buffaloes).

BTW has anybody ever eaten a fajita in the Chicken Coup or is that the equivalent of "French Lessons" in a London phone box.

[Bamboo Grove]

What now is 2nd Home, used to be a boxing garden a long, long time ago. Then it became Lady Boy Cabaret and after that, I think there were one or two Thai run bars before it became Pizza Corner in 2002.

[richard]

Spark bar is now run by a Frenchman called Peter. Prior to that it was run by Sueanne who now runs Flamingo. Flamingo was originally run by Allan (canadian) jointly with Sueanne Allan now runs Phoenix bar

Before Allan and Sueanne, Flamingo was run by 'F****ng Fred' RIP. The original cockney rebel moved up past the Phoenix bar to run a small bar just short of the Luknam disco. Cqn't remember the name.

Everybody must have at some stage run into 'f*****g Fred'?

[margaretcarnes]

First - I hadn't realised that Fred had passed on - bless him and I hope he's not getting too many red cards for the f...g up there!!!! Bless you Fred.
The Lady Boy cabaret on that corner down Poolsuk was there in 2000. The boxing place was off Poolsuk - behind the Hare and Hounds site - also in 2000, but moved slightly to it's new location as part of the Kanjanomai hotel development thing.
Suzy Bar - with the French guy, was there on the corner of Poolsuk/Selakem in 2000. But I seem to think it had a different name at first and we've been racking our brain cells all day about it. Something to do with an old nursery rhyme maybe?
Next door to Suzy Bar was the hairdresser - Elna - complete nutcase! She had a Scandinavian boyfriend, and shaved all her hair off one night to spite him. (Or it may have had something to do with the Macon.) Then it was just houses/offices up to the hotel, followed by Road Hole, a tailor and one or two other shops, Freds place, and the rest.
Chaam - take no notice of all the Chaam heathens Onlyme! What about Chaam Avenue? George at the Lodge? Micks pies?

[Guess]

..............take no notice of all the Chaam heathens Onlyme! What about Chaam Avenue? George at the Lodge? Micks pies?

And not forgetting the little Thai noodle bar on the beach that you had to tiptoe through the dog turds to get to. If you gave them the money in advance they go and get you a beer from somewhere, already opened with a straw.

This one answers a question regarding Willo's

http://www.observergroup.net/ob74back/regulars.htm

Unfotunately the back issues only go back to issue 72 (Feb 2002). Maybe WL can get access to earlier issues. The 100th issue had a replica of the first edition.

Does anybody recognize any of the guys at Taxi Jacks and is that a slimmer P&P Porn in the front at American Richard's Party. When did JJ open?

Flamingo Fred. He moved to the bar past Phoenix about 2002 but Phoenix hadn't been built yet. It had Dolphin Bar on a sign at the top (still there I think and not to be confused with the current Dolphin Bar across the road). Everybody knew it as Fred's Bar and that's what is had written over the door. When he sold it (just before all the landlord muggings), Don and Melissa took it over and renamed it but I don't know the name.

Does anybody have any more on the Thai Boxing Garden, two Thai bars and the Pizza Corner that is now 2nd homes.

I know about Khun Chop's Thai Boxing Garden off Poolsuk at the back of Kanjanomai. I am sure it was there in 2002 . He also had a snake and monkey training school in the little soi opposite the Lucky Shot/Octopussy end of Selakam.

What was Luck Shot in 2000. It had been a Thai disco until Penni took it over as a bar. I heard the MIB shut it down after a fatal shooting.

PS Anybody know Luciano's and Ole

[JW]

Taxi jacks xmas do - on the left hand side is Paul (back in UK driving taxis now - comes back occasionally) and partner Mark (who had a share in taxi jacks at some point) 3rd dont know then Paul (teacher i think absolutely fluent in Thai and can do the Thai puppetry thing). Recognise a few of the oerths but cant get the names.

[JW]

Richards birthday - is Pond, Pim (noisy/lazy went to Finland i think), Richard and Sue on the end.

Peter and On - Peter did well to get out alive... boy did she beat the bejesus out of him many times.

I remember playing pool in willos one night and this huge Dutch guy came in looking for a fight - we all had pool cues at the ready.... On to the rescue - she needed no pool cue - her screaming at him, full volume, got rid of the big bugger!

[Guess]

Richards birthday - is Pond, Pim (noisy/lazy went to Finland i think), Richard and Sue on the end.

Peter and On - Peter did well to get out alive... boy did she beat the bejesus out of him many times.

I remember playing pool in willos one night and this huge Dutch guy came in looking for a fight - we all had pool cues at the ready.... On to the rescue - she needed no pool cue - her screaming at him, full volume, got rid of the big bugger!

Many thanks, I was hoping you would get on here at some point. I suspected it may have been Paul. And I meant Pond not Porn. A few kilos gone on both of those two.

Peter I know but never had the pleasure of meeting On although I heard the whole story. Where is she now?

Also you must know as nobody else seems to, when did Jungle Juice open and what was it before. Was Dick the only owner?

[lomuamart]

Jungle Juice was opened around 2000 I think. It was started from scratch by Tim (Bernie's ex and Friendly Bar owner) together with a Dutch chap. I think he put money in, but didn't last long.

[richard]

Think Dick had a partner at some stage called Cameron at JJ's Jw will confirm all this no doubt

Peter has run Lord Nelsons for 3 years now. What/who had it before?

What about Valentines bar? Used to be run by a girl called Som who I still bump into as she married a Dutch friend of mine but has left the bar scene.

She was followed by a 'lady' who seemed to spend more time at Luknam than in the bar. She was being funded by a British guy hailing from Portsmouth.

Got a feeling the new 'owner' is from the middle east and lives (some of the time) down my soi

Slightly off thread but an interesting question. How many of posters have/do/want to run a bar? Always fascinated me but I've never taken the plunge as it means (to me) that you almost have to be there every night all night. I know there are some exceptions (business partners/good cashiers).

[STEVE G]

Slightly off thread but an interesting question. How many of posters have/do/want to run a bar? Always fascinated me but I've never taken the plunge as it means (to me) that you almost have to be there every night all night. I know there are some exceptions (business partners/good cashiers).

I’ve spent half my life in bars but like you I’ve never been involved in the trade; don’t mix business with pleasure!
Actually I think I know enough about nightlife to open a successful bar in Europe, but you would need to invest far more than I have available to me.
I would only have a bar in Thailand if I was flush enough to not care if it made money.

[margaretcarnes]

Crikey, I remember reading that Observer issue Guess! The 4th on the left at Taxi Jacks Chrissy Do is in fact Jack if I'm not mistook.

Richard - running a bar in LOS is a book in itself, but yes - they run away with the dosh! You do need a good cashier/mam-san, preferably an older lady. You need a constant eye on the till, bins and stock, and almost full time attendance!

[Guess]

Think Dick had a partner at some stage called Cameron at JJ's Jw will confirm all this no doubt

Peter has run Lord Nelsons for 3 years now. What/who had it before?

...............

It (Nelson's) was a guest house before Pete had it and a private house before that. I don't know the dates though.

Cameron was with JJ until Dick sold it I think. I don't know when the partnership started. I am waiting for JW on that. he may have a way of working it out.

Valentines?? Sabai?? Valhalla??

There are at least 10 bar owners or ex bar owners who have posted on a regular basis on this site over the last two years. There have been at least three others who have made a few posts.

I can't think of anybody who wants to own a bar in these conditions. The rents in town are crazy and tourism virtually non-existent. Ex pats are spending less in bars.

[keestha]

I'll also dig into my memory a bit. From 1992 till 1994 I lived in Bangkok and spent most weekends in Hua Hin, and from 1994 till 2000 I lived in Hua Hin, where I ran the Amsterdam Bar/Usaah Guesthouse in Soi Kanjanomai. In 2000 I moved to Khao Lak where I built a resort that I am still running.
I was told the very first farang ever to start a bar in Hua Hin was a Dutch guy, who had what later would be Gee's cuisine. He died in a motorcycle accident, rumours were it wasn't really an accident.
Two other very early bar owners were Swiss Willy and German Frank. Willy opened and sold a succession of places, and maybe he is still part owner of Willy's Station in Poolsuk road. He moved back to Switzerland a few years ago, but possibly he is still a few months a year in Hua Hin. German Frank first had the Crocodile Bar at Naresdamri Road (the present Old Germany), which he later sold to Juergen. For a while he also owned what is now Maitai at Naresdamri Road. Maitai used to be Fast Eddy. His last few years in Hua Hin Frank had the Berlin Bar in Soi Bintabhat, which later became Checkpoint Charlie, and after that Old Germany. Frank is the manager of a large beergarden in Bangkok now, at Sukhumwit Soi 11.
Bars that operated in Soi Bintabhat in 1994 were: Two Ladies Bar (later became Universal Joynt run by Philip who still might have a place in the soi running alongside the Sofitel), Rolf’s Alpli Bar (used to be Ladda Bar), TS Bar run by Terry,
Rose Bar which might still exist, Happy Bar where a lot of backgammon was played, Three Ladies Bar, Joy Guesthouse first run by Dutch Jack and then by Billy, Berlin Bar, and Berny’s Inn which later became Friendly Bar run by a highly respectable English gentleman. In what is now the Hua Hin Bazar there was Suzie Wong run by Colin who heads the Observer Group.
Linda Bar has operated at two locations in the soi running alongside the Sofitel, it was only for men with a strong character who can resist temptation.
At my nightly rounds Gee Cuisine was always the last stop. I can still smell the toilet. Back in the wild days when closing time was not enforced, for quite a few expats it was not unusual to wake up there at 8 in the morining, head on the table besides a beer that had gone stale.
Around 1996 there was a lively expat scene in Hua Hin. For the German speakers it centered around the Minigolf Club, and for the English speakers around the Bullshitters meetings Sunday morning in front of a small shop at Nebkehat Road. Rounds were given at a crazy pace, it was not unusual to have 1 open and 2 unopened beers in front of you. For using bad language you had to pay a fine.
Oh well, that’s it for now. I’ll be following this thread, it might bring back even more memories.