New from Bangkok

[graceinbangkok]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

I used to love that bar at RCA - it was great fun and, if I recall correctly, it was open most or all nights of the week. I met some great friends there back in the mid 2000s but haven't been back to it since 2007.

There was another bar / club that opened in 2006 or so and, at the time, it was owned by the same woman who owned the RCA one. Forgot the name but it began with S and had a slightly older crowd. It was good fun too.

I'd like to go back to Bangkok and also to some of the lesser known Thai islands (I loved Phuket until it got incredibly busy and touristy) but am not sure if I will get the opportunity as, although I still travel to Asia, I now travel to the Philippines. Metro Manila has some strong similarities, and differences, with Bangkok.

There were two clubs on RCA, EFun (with a double female symbol and the slogan "Extreme Fun for Ladies") which closed a couple of years ago, and Zeta which is still open but IMHO been ruined by the new management, which in opinion is very sexist. There is a new club called Diva where EFun used to be but when i went it was not very exciting. The new owner of Zeta is modeling it more along a gay club. Before the staff was all-female, and no men allowed - last time I went they had men working the door and as deejays (Diva did as well, though) and I saw one guy inside at a table. so changing. I complained about the the increased number of men working there and was old "women cannot manage" and "women steal" - after that they are on my crap-list and if my friend quits working there I won't go any more...

There is a club called Lick too, but a bit hard to find. The tom-dee group Lesla will have a party next month at a bar on Phaholyothin, hope it will continue. And there was a farang oriented party on Sukhumvit but I think the organizers are a bit burnt out...

The woman you mentioned, was it Dee Lesla (I'm sure not her real name)? She is behind the current Lesla group, and maybe was before... I believe she has ran some clubs in the past but not sure which ones. Given that there is such a huge gay male scene here in Bangkok, I don't know why so few lesbian ones.

Hopefully my pub/cafe idea will see fruition after my financial obligations are all taken care of. I got the idea after watching the South Korean drama "Daughters of Club Bilitis" - want a place for all ages, Thai, Farang and others, but women only ... maybe have some speakers (Allison Bechtel would be my dream LOL), TVs showing LGBT movies, a small bookshop, and maybe try to put out a newsletter. I am thinking I can do it in about 4 years if I can break even or lose only a minimal amount...

Or maybe I am just a dreamer LOL...