Phuket's infamous Tequila Bar to close.

[farangbah]

Last night the owner of Tequila Bar, Phuket's surreal ladyboy bar on Soi Crocodile, apparently told his staff that the bar will close at the end of this month. Money problems, has to sell.

Some girls plan to go home, some plan to go to Singapore, and some will be paying a visit to Ning-Nong at Cocktails and Dreams.

Though this may be good for CnDs in the short term, I think we all really lose on this one. Love it or hate it, Tequila Bar was high entertainment, and, imho, unique. Watching the worlds of ladyboys and random tourists so collide was a spectacle. And I bet a lot of those tourists walked away with a changed perception. That podium should be enshrined.

It'll be interesting to see what unfolds in Phuket over the next several months . . .

[Steff]

I agree. Phuket needs variety and options and even Jimbo (IMO) acknowledges and supports this. I hope what you are saying does not come to pass and if it does I hope someone picks up the option to renew and revamp the Croc venue. As much as I enjoyed C&D's, Phuket needs other choices. I think it is in everyone's best interest. However it may be a sign of the times and we will have to ride it out.

[rxpharm]

Sorry to hear the bad news - I won't be surprised to hear more bar closings both gg and lb as yet another extremely low season comes around. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is predicting a recovery in 6 months, but I think it will be closer to a year or two. The fighting in Bangkok won't be quickly forgotten. It took Bali about 2 years to recover from their bombing.

[deepthroat]

End of an era.

I didn't actually realize Tequila Bar was Tequila Bar! I marveled at the crazy ladyboys gyrating on the podium as the German tourists and their children all goggled them, like they were enraptured. It was something I passed every night on my way to C&D. But somehow I thought it was some sort of public forum that freelancers were making use of - I never stopped to think that it was part of a particular bar and that those ladyboys actually worked there.

Oh well.

[azza33]

I called this a while back - within a few years there will be no bars left on bangla road, except maybe a few upscale places.
The economics are no longer viable as the demographics of the Phuket tourist market has changed too much in the past decade.

But don't worry, there will be bars (pardon the pun) - they are just getting pushed between 2nd and 3rd road.
And of course there is the complex in sawatdirak road. (good place for a discreet ladyboy bar actually)

[jadeite]

According to the tourism authority of Thailand, the tourist arrivals for 2008, 2009, and 2010 are 12.7M, 14.1, 15M respectively. The 2010 number is a forecast made this month; before the red incident they had forecast 16M. But the trend shows tourism growth year over year. If Phuket really is having hard times, that may say more about the bad reputation the island is getting rather than a tourist slump in general. It's something of a broken record though, "Thailand is really quiet this year, way worse than last year". I hear that one every single year.

[rxpharm]

The TAT is known to inflate their tourism numbers - and the demographics of the tourists who do arrive have changed. The high spending western tourists have declined significantly, while lower spending tourists are now a greater percentage of the arrivals.

It's not just the Phuket Bars that are suffering from lack of business, my friend has a computer shop in Pantip Plaza and is contemplating closing down after almost 30 years of operations due to lack of business. Several recent trip reports commented on the lack of numbers in normally bustling tourist areas like Walking Street and Sukhumvit Road.

[spare wheel]

Give Phuket back to the families and beach bums, monger town is sin city  
More for your coin and more to choose from.

But personally if this is true that there selling T,bar then poss scam, I'm not 100% but don't the owners own soi croc ?
Maybe Jimbo will know more.

SW

[TTChang]

(rxpharm @ Jul. 21 2010,07:42) - and the demographics of the tourists who do arrive have changed. The high spending western tourists have declined significantly, while lower spending tourists are now a greater percentage of the arrivals.

I can't move in Soi 4 BKK for families from UAE.  School holidays time, I believe.  Getting some travelling in before Ramadan (Aug 12).   Don't think they are off to Phuket, or the LB bars any time soon!    

Not many farangs around, quite a few Japanese in Cascades & Obsessions this month.

[Road Runner]

(TTChang @ Jul. 21 2010,08:52) Getting some travelling in before Ramadan......

I thought part of it was walking 7 times round the go-go bars in Nana.

RR.

[Tomcat]

(rxpharm @ Jul. 21 2010,06:57) The Tourism Authority of Thailand is predicting a recovery in 6 months, but I think it will be closer to a year or two.

If you read some financial pages they will tell you that its not coming back any time soon. For most westerners it will never be the same as pre 2008
. Them days have long gone and may never come back.

The Economic misery for the common man in Western Europe has hardly started yet let alone ended.

You will see flights zoom up way past inflation now that EU Govts know that they can/have to tax to the limit.

[Snick]

but TAT will make up for it with additional tourists from Trinidad

[Torurot]

With the location and the amount of foot traffic this is hard to believe.

[bangkoksins]

The whole of Soi Bangla needs to be moved to an entertainment area away from the beach so that restaurants, cafes etc can open and make Phuket a better destination.

Not all visitors want to see the stuff that goes on at Bangla.

Understand I am not saying close anything, I am just saying move it from such a prime location.

BTW which bar is Tequila? Sounds like it is the one at the front of Soi Croc?

[farangbah]

(bangkoksins @ Jul. 23 2010,11:08) BTW which bar is Tequila? Sounds like it is the one at the front of Soi Croc?

Correct.