Outstanding video, Pat. You are the only guy that combines the history of BKK, with architecture, current stuff, and cats! Most other channels focus on bar girls and massages. Please never stop what you are doing... kap khun krap.
Thanks a lot for the compliments. I know no other way to present an area. Bit of everything that almost nobody else covered! And throw a few cats in, can't go wrong!
Stayed at the Dusit Thani for Songkran many years ago and Labua as well. I think they shot the Hangover 2 up on the rooftop bar there! Both very nice hotels. Another great video! I finally know where Patong is at! Lol
My memories of Silom go back to 1982, when I spent my first night in the old Victory Hotel. My late cousin owned the still-thriving Lambert Gems on Soi 17, and I look forward to spending more time in Silom whenever I visit the kingdom. Thanks for revealing so much history.
there was a very nice hotel called Lido Millennium betwen Soi 6 and 8 very affordable, a week's stay cost 9000 baht I stayed there a couple of times in 2014 but it went out of business in 2015 it was a shame, very good location and interiors were pretty fresh, not old from 1980s like in other cheap hotels
Another good informed video that hold the attention of the viewer. I first visited the Silom area in 1976 while living in Singapore and used to visit Bangkok almost monthly till 1992 when I moved full time to Nonthaburi. Your videos bring back good memories. Keep up the good work.
@@mrmartin2079 Many thanks for the information Mr. Martin, it was a great hotel, I stayed there years ago. Lets hope the new hotel will be iconic also.
Wonderful video of Silom area Bangkok Pad. I love all your videos, cause you give so much information about the history of my beloved Krungthep Mahanakorn. You and Jeoren from Global Travel Mate are my best Bangkok RU-vidrs. I looked all your videos. Great channel Bangkok Pad👏👏👏👍!
Perfect timing since I just arrived in Silom yesterday and it’s always interesting to hear about the history and future of any city. Looking forward to spending my trip dropping by a few of these. Many thanks for the video
Thanks, glad it came at the right time for you! Nice area down towards Bangrak, many walking routes from there to the river or towards the creative district (Charoen Krung soi 30) or further to Talat Noi as in my video.
An interesting one this one..... I seem to recall a 7-11 appearing at Barking in the mid 1980s, that was the first one i ever saw..... And i recall the Dusit Thani was the hotel of choice for BA flights crews when on long haul flights, i saw that on an old BBC documentary from back in the days when they made quality programmes...... So you like the Equaliser.... i have many episodes from when it was broadcast on ITV, now safely on DVD. Funny how his name was McCall, bit similar to Callan, the spy show that made Edward Woodward a hosehold name. And as a possible future vid, i recall looking for a railway museum in Bkk back in 2014 when on a visit with my Thai girlfriend of the time. We found it but it had been closed, has it re-opened anywhere else? Or are Thai's not so keen on their railways history?.....
7-11 opened in Archway in the late 80s. Lasted until the mid 90s. That railway museum used to be in Chatuchak Park, the Railway Hall of Fame. I featured it in an early video ''out and about'' It closed in 2012 and the locos are still in there. The SRT own the warehouse and had lent it to the museum founders. I am occasionally in touch with Jan Ford who helped to start the museum in 1990 and gave me permission to use some pics: Here's the photo album and she has plenty of other rail related albums: www.flickr.com/photos/janfordsworld/albums/72157626797835147 The museum will most likely be merged with the one they had planned when Hua Lamphong was gonna close, but that's not happening now, they are keeping it open for a few more years for commuter trains. Long distance trains will move to Bang Sue at the end of 2022.
Wow some very interesting facts. Especially about the British club just watched The Serpent just Wondered is the apartment block of the the serpent still standing or as fall victim to the modernisation of Bangkok. I knew to love Silom but last time I was in Bangkok back 2018 it had become very pompous westised capitalist materialistic haven. It did even feel like I was in Bangkok it Was more like London on a hot day, I purpose this the future and Thailand as continue to move with the times.
Thanks! The Serpent apartment block was up for demolition when they were filming it and it was razed soon after, down Sukhumvit soi 4. new condo going up of course, what else? Bangkok will always retain a bit of chracter despite the singaporisation it's getting. Developers are just ruthless.
4:32 - a streetcar? Tram? Or just a bus? Do I see rails? Interesting. 12:03 - Oh wow. Yeah, streetcars. And rails. Wonder how long that lasted, and how extensive the network was.
Pat, me and the family are coming to Bangkok in November.. Can you recommend a good tour company to do a data or night walk around Bangkok please? Thanks
@@BangkokPat lol… maybe I should of said…my boy is 27 lol… don’t worry I’m not in a Zimmer frame we were young parents LOL… do you have a site that I can check out what tours you do please?..
Great review as always but you missed two of the most historically famous sois on Silom, Soi 4 and Soi 2, a centre of gay nightlife activities for decades.
Pat - whatever you do, please don't stop making these kind of videos. They are excellent in terms of content and production quality. These are not the regular vlogs, these are mini documentaries and I learn so much about my favourite city in the world! So thousand thanks to you Pat and keep up the great work!
Silom the place where the unexpected delivers like no other place on earth. First found Silom in 1995 happy · happy days · lunch and afternoon bar chat in the Madrid Bar · anybody who was anybody in Bangkok frequented this great bar · great music · excellent food · barroom banter and much much more... Many an afternoon progressed into drinking in both Patpong 1 and Patpong 2 late into the night at the many night clubs and agogo bars... I still visit Silom because I just love Silom!!! Thanks Pat live your insight into all things Bangkok...
Once again, another great video! I have too many stories from the Silom area to know where to begin from many fights, getting shot at by the Thai military back in 1992, to meeting my wife on Patpong Road. I grew up in that area. It's sad how quiet it has become over the years. I love the way that you include the old pictures, comparing Silom then to Silom now. Keep up the great work!
I have been to Bangkok many times. From the 80s until now It is fascinating and at the same time sad how quickly the city is changing so fast. Unfortunately, much of the rough charm disappears more and more😥
Perfect timing on video. I was looking for something to do this afternoon. Now I'm going to walk down Silom to the river then maybe towards Chinatown. Silom/Patpong area was always my favorite area along with Siam. I miss the old Patpong. The museum is awesome, everyone needs to go and say hi to Sucky. I have always stayed at the Asia Hotel from the early 90's. I try not to, but always end up there. I did not know about the ghosts until your last video. I don't if it's because of the video or what but I have heard strange sounds this time. Safety... I can't tell you how many times in my younger days (the 90's) that I walked back to the Asia Hotel from Patpong in wee early morning hours stumbling, I'm sure. I never felt unsafe. Love all the vlogs Pat. I have done a lot of cool stuff in BKK since watching them. Chinatown has become one of my new favorite places. The bars around "Soi" Nana are cool but pricey. Thanks again.
@@BangkokPat Again thanks for the Vlogs. I had a awesome walk down Silom . I ran into Thairish Pete, I saw a lady at Silom Village I use to buy antiques from that I haven't seen in years. Had a drink at the old theater turned hotel and then a beer and dinner at Jack's on the river. Damn it I just sat all the way to Sala Dang while typing on BTS. I was going Asoke.
Haha, same with me. I was working out and checked my phone and then RU-vid. I saw it at the top of the list and hurried back to my room to watch on laptop.
Lovely Pat! I'm loving the ghost which you made appear... I mean, I hope it was you who did it?! 👻 I'm not surprised the evenings are your favorite part of the day 🐈 Thanks again!
Cheers mate, I do enjoy being out on the city streets at night! But, which ghost? I haven't watched the actual video since uploading so maybe you must be mistaken mate.......
Safari bar was one of the best places in the late 80´s, 90´s, Ting & Mark the Dj´s that played 60-80´s rock & could sing a couple of Swedish songs! and then Goldfinger bar with equally good taste in music managed by Randy who had a handsign for every drink to his bartenders, a "dangerous" place if the right crowd was there - to many free drinks & stupid drunk before crawling out from the place 5555 many americans there, retirees, embassy staff, good old days
Silom was the district the first time I went to Thailand 10 years ago. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza just opposite Lumpini Park. This was the first time that the receptionist actually took me to my room and showed me around. There are some great bars in the area as well :-)
I never saw any guns in Robinson's but maybe I missed it as I never roamed the entire store. One side soi was known for Japanese bars. Thaniya? Then, another soi was specializing in the gay bars. Wish they had "frozen" Silom in 1994 or so, before any BTS/MRT, and just kept it as it was, including the magnificent Dusit Thani. The Bobby's Arms Hot Dog Stand (outdoor drinking) on Patpong Soi 2 is one of my all-time favorite places in world. Long gone, I suppose.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched this exceptional video. This is the video equivalent of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the richness of its detail and relevance to world culture…plus cats!
Nice video Pat - I used to love staying in the Swiss Lodge , daily breakfast in MM's and dragging my various victims across silom road trying to beat the traffic day or night 5555 great memories
Silom is one of my favourite places. I normally go to an outside Gym in Lumpini each morning. I use to go to the government gym (B20 per year) but they have a very strict dress code including bringing an additional pair of shoes to exercise in and shorts are not permitted. I use to have a few friends that I would drop in and see in Patpong. Great sign there outside of one of the clubs ' Fifty gorgeous girls and maybe one or two ugly ones'. I've noticed that a few small bars have tried to reopen. There was always rumours of closing down Patpong and redeveloping the site. I think this may now be highly likely. I use to like having a beer in Molly Malones and they had a great Sunday roast. Fortunately Shenanigans and the Paddy Field are just down the road. Have seen some great videos filmed in the Ghost Tower and understand that you can pay off the security guard to get in.
Patpong is rumoured to be in its final days, there's no way it could survive in its present form, unless there was a huge influx of tourists within the next 2 months, but the other issue is that the days of sex tourists filling the area tipping and spending big are long gone, the demographic has changed and maybe patpong hasn't realised that. The Ghost Tower no longer has security, there were too many issues. The current keepers are under strict orders I was told but I've been a few times and have no interest in going up all those crumbling stairs.
Hi Pat another good informative video, I must ask you said you was from the Andover estate originally in north London not far from where I grew up in your interview with the Irish times. Just interested if you was into you London pirate radio stations at that time as you said you were DJing also when coming Bangkok?
I had no idea that the BTS was brand new when we first visited Bangkok. I was taken aback by how clean it was...little did I know it had just been opened.
Great research Pat. Always annoying that the BTS/MRT companies don't integrate a little better. I still get confused at that Silom MRT station lol. I used to enjoy the Equaliser. Karate Kid baddy was his son. Saw a few episodes of Callan also - a different pace then. I used to also enjoy Mike Hammer. Stacy Keach & the ample bosomed secretaries. Saw Depeche at the NEC long time back - great live act, and still going strong. Did they ever come to BKK? Did you hear that Dennis Waterman had died?
Cheers Justin, I read that Dennis Waterman dies of lung cancer, passing of another favourite of mine from my favourite TV show Minder. Depeche Mode played in 1982 twice, in the Napalai Ballroom which is at the....Dusit Thani!! They were scheduled to play in 1994 but Dave's drug habit messed up a few dates I heard.
Watching this video at 2.30am back in Australia. The ghost story of the woman and little girl in the Holiday Inn has guaranteed I won't be getting back to sleep tonight. Shattered the Narai is coming down. Was the first hotel we ever stayed at in BKK. Awesome buffet as mentioned. Once again a great video Pat. So well put together with beautiful images, thoughtful angles and top notch editing and music.
Pat - I love your videos. What an amazing city. I was there last year and can't wait to visit again. Probably sometime this year. I have always been fascinated by history. And I am just so impressed by Bangkok's embracement of the past while moving ahead to the future. I have learned so much about Bangkok and Thailand from your videos. It's almost like being able to travel back in time!
I lived in Bkk for 8 years. Not one of my fav cities. Some of the areas.in Patpong and Silom I avoided. Im more of a beach tropical fauna person. However I do find these videos interesting for historical purposes. Thanks Pat.
Wow so much to catch up on . Love you pat . I find now I have to reduce my content further because I am not getting to the good stuff. Already gave up commercial TV. But you carnt get Netflix . Ha ha .
Noriegas Bar brings back memories … a friend of mine Peter Driscoll, had a band called the Cruisers, and they played in many venues in Bangkok during the 2000’s including doing a regular gig at Noriegas 😂
Remember the British Club well. My friend was a member and invited me for lunch and a game of tennis every week in the late 90's. It was a welcome oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
Hi Pat! first-time caller long-time listener. Always love to listen and see about the history of Bangkok, its present time, it's street life rhythms, street food and best of all - what is a Bangkok video without it's night scenes :) No one else out there is doing this kind of storytelling - It's so refreshing. I have a request for a video, could you cover some of the canals? What is left of them? Life along them, how they are now and were used in transport; before the BTS? Would be really cool! - Cheers!
Hi Robert, thanks! I've been getting around many canals lately and choosing which ones to feature. Some were always there but others were dug for a particular purpose.
finally my favorite area of Bangkok! I can't imagine a better place to stay BTS and MRT are right there, Siam square shopping malls two stops away, great nightlife options I like night clubs around Soi 2
My memories of Silom go back to 1982, when I spent my first night in the old Victory Hotel. My late cousin owned the still-thriving Lambert Gems on Soi 17, and I look forward to spending more time in Silom whenever I visit the kingdom. Thanks for revealing so much history.
Thanks Robin, I've noticed many Depeche Mode fans outside of the UK. If I tried that question in the UK I'd be met with confusion and trolls as they aren't that well recieved there, the British public don't ''get'' them I think.
@@BangkokPat It is a stange thing, Depeche Mode will sell out a stadium in minutes in places like Spain or Mexico or Brazil. Or an open air concert in an airfield somewhere like Poland or Sweden or Argentina but they don't seem to have as much love in the UK. I'm Australian, for some reason they refuse to tour here, the last tour being 1994!! I was very pleased to see them inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame (R&RHF) in 2020. I'm glad that whole genre is being excepted for the greatness of what it is. Not sure if you heard how it happened, The Cure (another legendry band) were accepted in 2019. Apparently the (R&RHF) wanted to induct Trent Rezner of Nine Inch Nails but he refused to except it until the Cure were inducted. So after appearently alot of deliberation, with Trent himself used to assist, they convinced Robert Smith of the benefits. Since then the R&RHF have admitted The Cure in 2019, Depeche Mode and Radiohead in 2020 with Duran Duran going in this year. I'm waiting for the year New Order get admitted, I expecting to see an all in brawl between Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner, who now hate each other. I went and saw Peter Hook a few years back playing with his new band Peter Hook and the light. After every song he had something negitive to say about Bernard.
@@robinmasters2530 The electronic sound was popular in Japan & Thailand in 1981 and DM played the Napalai Ballroom in the Dusit Thani twice in 1982. They were supposed to come in 94 but didn't happen.
@@BangkokPat Wow,that's hard to imagine, I suppose it was a little more grimy in 82. That's like a nice function venue now isn't it? A few years ago I discovered that The Cure played a gig in a pub not far from where I live in 1981. The room they played in, was about the size of a tennis court and is now full of poker/slot machines
We always stay in the Silom area when we come to BKK. But there are so many places you introduced in this video that we didn't even know about!! And such depth of information.... Well done again, Pat!! Love those alley cats.
Before western influences of shoddy shit sports wear Thai and South East Asian folk were really cool and dapper cheers for all the old images Pat,,fantastic viewing again 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The youtube channel and teaching have not crossed paths so I've not really given it much thought, but I'd love the chance to make up a 20hr crash course on everything Bangkok for newbies......
Very Good Introduction 😍👍♥️ Yes, I dine at the Labua State Tower restaurant and it's very expensive, and also the service is rather poorly presented. Not worth dining as the food was in small finely portion and the taste don't take me away in this sky high expectations. Once experience is enough. One glass of Jack Daniel Coke costing 300 Baht + service charges apply. I never knew Holiday Inn was so haunted. Thanks for your good research. Cheers ♥️
