Thaniya Paza

Thaniya Plaza, water color on paper, 5x7 inch

On Patpong’s fringe, Thaniya Plaza is for the Japanese executive crowd in Bangkok.  They are Thailand’s largest group of Expats, owning and running most of the automobile and electronics factories.  Thaniya’s set-up to look like Tokyo’s Ginza with a vertical array of clubs, KTV’s, bars and cozy hang-outs, over a hundred, all with colorful Japanese signs. The Thai girls are dressed in kimonos and gowns and speak a little Japanese.  Hello, How are you, Handsome man, Do you want whiskey, Thank you so much, Nice to see you, Please come back.  They bow from the waist with heads tilted down.

If a western guy approaches, they turn and look the other way, sometimes pointing towards the little sign on the door that says, For Japanese Only.

Beer Bar Soi 22

Beer Bar Soi 22, water color on paper, 18x24 inch

The beer bars and KTV’s opposite Queens Park on Soi 22 are pretty low-key, only one stop above Soi Zero.  The girls are either straight off the farm and barely dressed for the city or in shabby retirement from a ten year stint at Nana or Soi Cowboy.  The guys are nothing special, staying in the hotels or cheap apartments nearby.  They’re usually there for the beer, a little chat, and to fill out their day.  No one has any expectations and it is impossible to be let down.

KTV Girls

KTV Girls, water color on paper, 18x24 inch

There must be more than ten thousand Karaoke Bars in Bangkok.  The songs are stored on hard drives and delivered digitally.  The whiskey and cola mixer comes on a stainless steel tray with a fresh bucket of ice.  Tasty Thai snacks are cooked to order.  Some KTV’s are hi-end, others tucked in corrugated sheet metal sheds.  There are usually some girls, to laugh, drink and sing with you or for you, smiling, flirting, mixing the drinks and ice.  It’s an instant party, so long as you have the cash to pay.