I don't think Bangkok will ever lose its character but it has changed like every other City around the world over the past 30 years. Good video as always, well done.
Pat, you’re the least guilty of lording anything over anyone. I believe you’re sensitive, nuanced and very kind in the way you deal with issues of the past, the present and the future of the city you so obviously love. Ignore the haters, they aren’t worth considering.
For me as a Thai, the changes are quality of life changes for me and I think it's for the better. But I can also see how it can feel like the "charm" has been lost in a way slowly over time. Personally, the people and the society dictates how a city feels for me more than the landscape, so I don't feel like Bangkok has lost its charm
I guess we should consider that it's their city. Consider what Sydney looks like now. And London? Those of us who saw it when it was wilder can treasure the memories, but life moves on.
Thanks Tim, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why, must be a bug of some kind so I read anyway. Cheers for the kind comments.
Pat, its easy to slip into nostalgia, but some of the infrastructural improvements have been astounding. The Skytrain! Getting out to Chutachuk on the MRT! Rail link to the airport! Yeah, baby! I also like how Siam Station serves as a nexus, turning its surrounding area into a consolidated pedestrian-friendly center in a city that has long been a tariff-choked sprawl. Still, the locals have changed quite a bit, not necessarily for the better. I hope the canals and river taxies stay the same. And that the Miami Hotel remains in its original state for all eternity.
None of those improvements are exciting for the adventurous traveller though. Malaysia has incredible infrastructure but it's as boring as hell, for example.
I have an old friend who moved to Bkk in 1972. Just like many old timers say now, he told me the old timers told him, “son, you should have seen Bkk after the War (WWII), it’s nothing like that now.” So there you have it. And BKK will never lose its character.
So glad i found your channel. I feel the same way about my city. It used to be full of character and charm that were absolutely unique on earth...now its nothing but the same gigantic shopping malls with Starbucks and H&M. If i bring it up, my friends all ask me.."why dont you want to be rich and shop at Uniqlo?" It makes me want to cry. Im glad im not alone.
I really like the raw approach in all your uploads. Stray cats, back alleys, garbage, filthy canals, abandoned lots etc. Just showing us Bangkok as it is. Keep going Pat…l just love it.
“Mile after mile of mall after mall. Many, many malls. Major malls and mini malls. They put the mini malls in between the major malls.” I think eventually every train stop in the city will look the same surrounded by condos, hotels and shopping malls. You will just hop around the city from one air conditioned nightmare to the next.
It seems this is what many people want. And should we blame those people? I.e. many want to live near the BTS or MRT so that they don't have to use a car. And how is that possible? It's only possible if lots of new high-rise building are built along the mass transit lines. What's the alternative? Nice villages with a couple of free standing houses and the car in the garage? How many people can afford that one?
It's natural really. I'm not 30 yet and i already misses old places and old things about my town (Muang Surin). It has seen quite a lot of changes throughout my life. It's simply nostalgia. Kids that born today will feel nostalgic 20-30 years later too as they've seen their city evolved throughout their lives. It's the cycle of city life.
So glad you showed this longer vlog than Edited one on the Thaiger. Things do change Unfortunately like London is so different to what it was 30 years ago . Now most high street are coffee and mobile phone shops. I hope they do some of the things you spoke about of like if the scala cinema is torn down 🥺 then a tribute to it in the new complex and the train station hall would make stunning lobby. Please keep reminiscing about the old days Pat it’s great. I’m still in shock you showed the Safeway in the kings road I worked at in the 80s where I met my wife. That store had a lot of Thai people there it too is gone now 🥺and is a coffee shop !!!!. Keep the great vlogs comming stay safe
Thanks Jimmy, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why, must be a bug of some kind so I read anyway. Is too much nostalgia and moaning about the past a bad thing? Some may think so but I'll always be like that, it's a big part of the channel. Scala is now demolished completely, predictably of course. Sad. Hua Lamphong may not go the same way but a fitting tribute to it would be great, the grand roof being used for something scenic and not some mall. A heritage hotel maybe. I used to love Safeways as a kid, in Holloway where I grew up, I think it went downmarket a bit with Morrisons but I'm not there any more...
Very very good content for the Tube Mr Pat. Thank you. I found you few days ago by watching the new Thaiger's episodes. I've been lucky🐈 New subscriber 4u! Ciao🙂
Hi Pat…. As with many probably, have stumbled across your Channel, but living and working around Bangkok in the 00s it sure brings back memories !!! Fingers crossed 🤞 will be there early Feb, and if you fancy a coffee/beer somewhere would love to share some good ( and not so good) memories!! Have subscribed….. keep up the great work, and let us all hope the “new normal”arrives sooner rather than later.
Nice video and like you, I'm also a nostalgic person. I really miss the old Bangkok. I think we arrived here around the same time (early 2000's) and it was just a very different city. The people were so much more in the moment instead of their phone all the time. Now Bangkok has become just another big city with many generic shopping malls and loud music blasting in public areas. How I miss those small shops that used to be in the spot of EmQuartier, because there wasn't a constant noise pollution as there is now.
A very important video, Pat. It made me think about my feelings about BKK. The places I gravitate to and the places I avoid. I like the things that are different from the West. That usually means old things. I still rely on modern malls and modern transit but they never impress me. And they are never the reason why I spend the money on an air ticket to come to Thailand. Thai people are still Thai thank heavens so that will always be a plus. But as the malls replace the old uniquely Thai cityscape something will be lost. Of course the past is all relative. We tend to experience life more fully when we are young. A city that gives its gifts to us in our 20s and 30s can't be expected to stand still. Unless it's Florence of Venice. Travellers today in their 20s will no doubt become nostalgic for the Bangkok of the 2020s when they're getting on too. Thanks for the Clash tip. I had no idea they did that shoot in Makkasan.
Thanks Chris, The Clash had to stay on a bit longer becuase one of them caught an infection so they got out and about in Bangkok, including Patpong of course. Malls don't really attract western tourists who have seen it all before, it's more of a novelty for developing countries I suppose which must be why they are so crazy about them here. The Scala Cinema was demolished today, not a scrap left standing and it's sad because I think they missed a chance to impress by preserving a bit of heritage that made Siam square famous back in the day. I'm not suggesting keeping it all, but surely just a bit of the architecture, mixed into the new development on the ground floor, shows more class than razing the whole lot, says a lot about the mentality, shame.
Bangkok is changing constantly. I have seen many changes since I started visiting in 1989 ( I am still young at heart). The thing I miss most is sitting on the corner of Sukhumvit and soi 13 having a beer watching the world go by. Many fun evenings before the Hyatt/Hyde was built. So simple, but so much fun! I am returning next month and I know I will see a lot of changes in my beloved Bkk.
Thanks Coleen, I remember around 2004/5 we used to drink at a ramshackle ''beer garden'' on that wasteland between Soi 13 and 15, long before the Sofitel was even thought of, watching the sidewalk of Sukhumvit as people were walking along, the trains above them. Those are memories to get nostalgic about but I don't really wish Bangkok was back to being like that, many soi dogs about and elephants would be there resting from being led around the tourist areas.
I wonder what you think about laws. The corner of Soi 13 and that stretch of the road was full of illegal bars until sunrise. I am sure it was fun for some people. And at the same time bars with licenses had to close at 2am (or whatever time it changed to from time to time). If a bar with all the documents ignored the law then that bar was shut and they had to pay a fine. But how about those illegal street bars? When they opened until 3am and 4am that was no problem - the police obviously collected money. And nobody shut down those illegal bars. Result: A proper regulated business lost business because the police allowed all those illegal businesses. And nobody could take a license away from the illegal businesses because they never had any license. Is that fair? Personally I would like to see that nightclubs are allowed to open until morning again - within the laws. And illegal bars should be converted to legal bars or closed. Is having illegal dirty corner bars really a good thing?
Another good video. That music that starts in at 21:30 or so, and also in many other places, quite nice. It leaves you with a good feeling every time it's on. The Siam Intercontinental, I was there a couple times, once with a girl I'd met online. Spectactualar lobby, as I remember. Amazingly high ceiling in there. We hung out chatting by the swimming pool late into the night, very romantic. Only us. The grounds went right up to the canal, separated by a fence. I think there were some wild animals on the grounds? Peacocks? Can't remember.
That's a track by Lance Conrad, a pop artist who doesn't have hits but makes tracks for video creators, the site where I get the music, you pay a subscription and the copyright is yours. He's probably the most consistent on there.
Another great video, Pat. I totally empathise with you. However, everywhere in the world changes more and more the older you get. Ain’t nothing you can do about. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Keith, that's nice of you to say so. If I made it a bit lighter and more mainstream it just wouldn't be the same, the hard work may not be appreciated as much. Would kill for those numbers though!
Time stands still in some parts of BKK, but how long? I hope that most of its iconic places are gonna stay for a while. We've lost the Siam Intercontinental already, and we could not afford to lose Hua Lamphong anymore. Hua Lamphong is like Don Mueang: love me or hate me but don't try to change me, kinda place. Great to see my fellows furballs in your video again. Thanks Pat.
Thanks, I like to think I'm not the only one who gets nostalgic about these old buildings. There should be heritage laws in place but you never know in this city.
Yes I agree, it started with Taksin and his war on nightlife 20yrs ago. It never was the same since then. Then all the attempts to try and make Thailand a family destination have destroyed many sectors that were doing just fine.
Great video I have 40 years worth of memories of Thailand and BKK has changed so much.... The only thing that has stayed the same is Lumpini park. One thing I miss is The Rex hotel on Sukumvite, had a great coffee shop.... Have you ever wondered why the BKK buses were so high up and you have to climb up 3 or 4 steps to get on board them?..... It was because of the floods, the water would be waist high and the buses would just plough through the floods along sukumvite but inside the bus stayed dry. I remember sitting on a bus during the rainy season going along sukumvite and a women was wading through the water. As the bus passed her there was a bow wave created by the bus and she had to start swimming as it hit her
Hi John, I do know the Rex, or rather did know it. I stayed once in 2008. I mention it in the video for Washington Square, with it's chequered past. I knew the buses were a little high but just assumed it was the way they were anyway, so thanks for the info about flooding! MRT station entrances are also built raised off the ground for the same reason.
I know exactly what you mean about 'character' Pat. I was there like you in 2001 20 something, before the internet benefiting from awesome rate of exchange. Everything was new and such a contrast from home.
Loved the video. Thanks. Still remember my first visit to Bangkok in 1992 and i've witnessed the many changes over the years - few of them for the better - apart from the transport system :-)
Another great video Bangkok Pat. Bangkok will always be humid with traffic chaos and a certain energy - they can't take that away! Two things are always certain, times change and we can never get back that time! Looks like I am definitely coming to Bangkok now but have to quarantine for my first night. I will be buying some cold ones from the 14th of December if you are about and thirsty! Best wishes, Ashley
You sure are stirring up my old memories from way back in 1974, stayed at the very dodgy Station Hotel (one of your shots), and was at Siam Intercontinental couple of times. How utterly bland and boring almost all the new buildings are. But as you say, the design of the modern mass transit stations is remarkably exciting and fun to look at! Thanks for a great video…
Cheers Pat, top quality video as always. The character and more importantly the characters are long, long gone from Bangkok. Used to love starting the night in the Londoner, the evening had so many possibilities and great places to go- sadly mostly long gone. Had some great times though😇
Thanks Bob, times are changing and so have the habits of those who go out in Bangkok nowadays. It's quite shocking to think back to the huge number of choices we had back in the day, but those were different times. Things change socially and the generation now would probably not be able to live in those days without their phones.
@@BangkokPat true ,but I'm pretty sure we would all wish that we have these memories than not 555 You would almost feel sorry for today's newbies to Thailand
A story of real quality. You portray the changes that have turned Bangkok into the international city it is now with a dry humour. I am so looking forward to the next one.
Seeing your video makes me missed Bangkok. I am a newbie to Bangkok my first time going to Bangkok was back in 2011 and another in 2019 in that 8 years I can’t help but noticed that Pratunam’s famously crowded street scene has somewhat diminished when I went 8 yrs later. In 2011. I never once used the Skytrain till my 2nd trip 2 yrs ago where I get to know the downtown area better. Was planning of going to Singapore or Kuala Lampur but then COVID came and I haven’t traveled anywhere abroad since.
Another great video. I suppose everywhere changes. When I go back to the uk I see change but from when I first come to Bangkok it's seems to have accelerated too much. The one thing I thought was sad was the Scala cinema. Such a beautiful building such a waste.
All around the world, as you age and change happens you realize “it’s all going to hell”, if you are young “change is just the future you clamor for”, hang with the young and its a better world. That said some places do a better job of maintaining historical landmarks and it’s to bad when they all are gone. Bangkok is still one of the great cities in the world, just have to hunt for the little places that time forgot. Great video!
Thanks Jeffrey, At least the older parts of Bangkok are safe for now, although Chinatown will get a glossy mall to sour the skyline soon, where Thieves Market used to be.
Enjoyed your videos as (usual) Pat. Unfortunately, in any international city that tourists will want to visit, there are always greedy real estate developers and land owners who want to gentrify (and kick out the old tenants and businesses) the area. This is how Bangkok will steadily lose its charms in the oncoming years due to the influx of new condos, and businesses that only want to cater to the hi so or hi society crowd and those tourists with money to burn. There's already several areas in Bangkok pre-pandemic that ousted local Thai street food vendors in order to "clean up" their neighborhoods. Unbeknownst to Thai government officials, it's the small business and neighborhoods that tourists interact with that make their visits to Thailand memorable. Unless you are the type of person who wants Macdonald's and Starbucks in every city of the world. Ha ha.
I agree mate, the redevelopment and commercialisation of Bangkok will only cater for about 10% of the city, those who can afford to use those places. It's not really being well thought out but, who knows what'll happen with the next bonafide elected government, whenever that is....
It was always part of the fun to squeeze down Suk Rd from Nana BTS to my hotel in Soi 5. Full of street vendors including those from the deaf community. Sadly it's been sanitized and in doing so has lost its character.
@@raidermanuk Was is sanitized? Or are there currently just very few tourists in Bangkok and there are simply not enough people there who would visit all those shops and buy there. I live near Soi 5 since 20 years, I know the area. Now even Foodland is often empty. It obviously still exist but maybe with 10% of the customers of pre-Covid times. The huge Foodland concern can probably afford to run that place without making money. Owners of individual businesses often can't afford it. But I am sure when lots of tourists return then many of those shops will return. Maybe with the same owners or with new owners who bought the business for cheap.
@@edgar9651 I was talking about the street vendors that lined the streets rather than the small shops. They had mostly been cleared when I last visited which was January 2020, before the first lockdown. I'm pretty sure they were not there the previous year. I hope it gets busier even for Foodland - was always a great place to visit for a snack in the early hours if I couldn't sleep!
Hi Keith, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why. After they build this new development in Makkasan, apparently there will be a museum and railway centre to remember its railway history, but will believe it when it happens...
Excellent Pat. I've not the experience of Bkk like you & others have, though at my last & quite limited visit of Feb 2019 I thought it had everything within it's character. It certainly felt that way too me & the diversity in all was evident to see. I'm looking forward to my next visit & getting to know it much better. Thanks for sharing Pat, very interesting.
Thanks T Man, Bangkok is a big unfriendly city when you don't really know it, even worse if you're not a city person. Like you say it's a diverse city, and nowadays much easier to get around!
I'm almost afraid to watch this, as I don't want to feel the disappointment. It's certainly changed over the years. My first trips there almost 30 years were eye-opening. It got into my blood. Every time I had to return to the US, I thought of nothing but how I was going to return. I always thought I would eventually end up living there permanently. But, now I'm not so sure. If it becomes more like Singapore, it won't have nearly the same appeal to me. I might have to start looking at other spots. Laos? Vietnam? Cambodia?
You're right. It's a common sense we all have and feel within us, since we arrive in Thailand. And It's probably because it's Thailand.. and Bangkok in particular.. That feeling that you describe cannot be changed by new architectures. It will always remain attached to our first impressions and, probably, that's why we all love that place so much.
I always wondered about the nearby countries and how they'd been shaping up. Didn't really enjoy either Laos or Cambodia at the time I visited in the mid 2000s but I was firmly settled in Bangkok, a city that had a fair bit of character at the time.
@@BangkokPat may i ask you where are you from? Because of your accent I'd say you're from the UK. But I could be wrong. If so.. What brought you in Thailand na ka ?
Bangkok has kind of a double edged sword situation. Some people say it’s a typical dirty, seedy SA city, and that’s all it has to offer. That’s clearly not the case for anyone that has experienced it firsthand. But when it does modernize to rival the top cities in Asia, it’s criticized for losing it’s soul. I guess that will always be the nature of BKK. Preservation vs Progress. Love your videos! It’s rare that I can consistently learn new things with a UA-cam channel.
Bangkok changed dramatically since my first visit in ´93. Like many other cities. I remember lost places like Washington Sq. with the wonderful Bourbon Street. But time goes on. Important is only that besides all the new buildings there are areas or places that not will be destroyed because they tell a story and are important for the Thai history. And because they are old neighbourhoods with people who live there for generations. They deserve too to be protected.
I think the public are becoming more aware of what's being wiped out and in the last year a couple of high profile cases, Scala Theatre and Hua Lamphong have hit home. Not everyone really gets the significance of retaining heritage and parts of the past but this city has changed its appearance with all this glass and concrete.
Another interesting video to watch on a cold damp morning in Lancashire. I can just picture Joe Stummer tearing it up somewhere in Nana Plaza. What camera are you using for these videos Pat
Hi mate,, hope you're all good where you are. I use a Sony A5100 from 2014. It's still holds up to their later models for usability and picture settings which is why I like it, more cinematic. Other cameras have too rich colours, but that's just me being a fussy so-and-so
The Dusit Thani was where BA used to put it's flight crews on long haul, from what i've seen in an old documentary about the airline. Plus when the TAT talk about upgrading things to attract more tourists, i'm sure they really mean upmarket, wealthy ones rather than the majority of toursists, back-packers, night life seekers or family package holidays......
I love to watch your videos Until the end of the video. Right now my battery is running out of Times I really love the Kitty cats Their are every were Love how you explaining Of each locations .
4-5 years ago, Dusit Thani had a great promotion price, like $100 per night, I should have taken it. I remembering going to their night club in the late 80s or 90s. I think it was call “Bubble” if I remember correctly. I have to hurry up and get back so I can visit all of these “oldie but goodie”sites before they disappear. Especially Patpong!! Another fine video, Pat. The music is phenomenal, by the way :-)
Those rates went even lower in its final 3 years 😁( I stayed there ) I paid about 2200 to 2600 thb An absolute bargain even tho the hotel was starting to show it's age a bit ( as they ran the maintenance down )
Another great video Pat. I moved to Bangkok in 2005 as a 16 year old but had to leave in 2012 for Chiang Mai. I think 2008 was the cut off year for Bangkok being the Bangkok I fell in love with. Perhaps that coincided with the collapse of Western currencies, especially the pound. I still love the city for a week every now and then but when 90% of the places you loved most have gone, it can get a bit jading seeing what they were replaced with! What happened to Soi 7 is a point in question, greed has ruined Bangkok.
Im with you Pat. Iv been around since 1996 and have seen the changes . First for the better when like the skytrain was completed and made life a lot easier , but i think it does come to a point where the city does lose its caracter. With al the old night spots gone, washington, soi 33 soi 22 and now soi 8 being far from what it was before, there wont be anything but malls and coffee shops. Im am just really glad i had the privilege to have known the old bangkok , and lots of it.
I agree with you Tommy, it's all going down the pan slowly. It's not that I'm against progress, but I wish it was thought out a bit better, it mostly just stinks of the elite sweeping things away without a care in the world for heritage or history. It's all gonna look great, but Blandcock here we come.
@@BangkokPat it is defenitely going to be a complete different experience , coming to Bangkok compared to what it was. Gives us something to moan about
Since my visits in 2011, 2012 and 2019 Bangkok changed alot. It still has his own charm but I've got the feel that the Bangkok Government plan to establish a "Singapore 2". Really modern and clean. Within the next 10 years I'm sure the center of Bangkok will be modernized more and more and the "old Bangkok" will disappear step by step.
Many places I lived and visited when younger I have fond memories sadly most everywhere I knew of even twenty years ago has lost its charm for various reasons. I never spent much time in Bangkok over the years or other huge cities anywhere in the world I have never really have been attracted to them. I love watching your shows as I always learn something new and get to see parts of Bangkok I have never been to. But not a day goes by I do not think of Thailand and will never take it for granted again. Hopefully home soon once all this nonsense is over with.
Thanks mate, sorry it's taken a while to reply, YT stopped giving me notifications for a while, dunno why. As it turned out they demolished the Scala cinema without preserving anything at all, which was a bit cynical I think but hey, another shopping mall on the way.
I'm glad I did finished watching you video from This morning your video very interesting to me And make lots of scenes I'am an older woman. As old as I am I still learning in my own country In the 60th not too many Thai people are educational including me. There's for I'm learning in My golden age.alover again You are an awesome . Person and don't leave Bangkok so soon . england It's not going to go aways.
Interesting video Pat. But yes times move on. All I see is shopping malls , new stations. Destruction of old buildings. Shame really. When I visit In September I hope to try seek some old parts of the city . I hope you are well ..
Siam square.. such a joy going to see a movie at the Scala .. I saw Pulp fiction there 1990's Best laugh.. if it was full of young Thai's student types ..there reaction.. was great fun.. and going home or to a restaurant after a movie.. late at night in Bangkok. Siam square Special very very special..
Like many other big cities, Bangkok couldn't resist the change of time. It has surely lost of the old charm of the low-rise shop houses and restaurants in Siam square. It's really sad to see the delightful Siam Intercontinental and Dusit Thani disappear. Say what you will, the need to accommodate more people, to beat the unbearable traffic, etc, it's impossible not to miss the Bangkok of yesteryear. The shining shopping malls and the efficient transit definitely have destroyed what's unique about Bangkok 😭
It's all about balance and I'm against the city losing what made it cool and attractive. Glass and concrete can be had anywhere and one of the reasons why the city was great was because it wasn't like just anywhere. But of course things have to modernise and move on, and I like to moan about it.
Finally I watched the whole video. Thanks Pat. I remember many of those old streets and buildings. I didn't have the feeling that they had to be replaced, but in real life many of those places were old and little used or unused or decaying. I.e. Scala is a great example: I watched movies in that place in the 90th - there weren't too many cinemas around at that time. And later with more and newer cinemas people didn't go to Scala anymore. I wonder how many people who now moan about the situation actually visited Scala regularly over the last decades. I guess very few people did that. And that is the same with other places. They were old and few people went there and spend money. So what happens? Something new will replace the old place. That's life and I am pretty sure it happens all over the world. And to be fair: Many of those old places and streets were dirty and unsafe. With the new developments lots of areas are a lot cleaner than in the old days. So at least for me I remember the old places and I see how life and places and Bangkok changes. I wouldn't want it back like it was. Life changes, like Bangkok.
Very good and quality video congratulations. Bangkok is my favorite city. It has definitely changed for the better since 2010 when I first visited it. Then it was a vast .... now it is a city that depending on what one wants finds and takes responsibility. The downside is that the people of Bangkok have become arrogant and look down on everything. The downside is that European and Chinese companies have entered into businesses that marry Thai fake weddings and raise prices exorbitantly. Bangkok is a city that has nothing to envy from other big cities that envy it.Order and safety everywhere.
Thanks Dimitris, I agree about the downside for sure, one of a few that don't make the city look too great but to the locals it's all progress and the future so they think it's all they need. A lot of development needed in other areas too.
Since 2010 been coming to Thailand, while Bangkok has not been my favorite place l do agree with your views Thailand it self is changing and not for the best, keep up the good work.
Hi mate. I was with Pete today (thairish times) and he told me to check you out. No sure how I never discovered you! 🤣 Anyway just wanted to say hi! Watched a couple so far, really good stuff.
Thanks Ryan for checking out the videos, I like Pete, he's a good bloke Maybe we can do an interview or join my next stream and can do a few shout outs. I subbed to yours mate.
Shopping malls add nothing I totally agree. Why does Bkk need so many - is there really the demand - they can’t all be profitable surely? Why is online shopping not a bigger thing in Thailand? Hard to fathom
I have never plucked up the courage to actually live there in all these years although I spent 6 months at the other end, in Nasa Vegas, in 2002. It wasn't that bad considering the budget I was on.
@@BangkokPat I remember NASA Vegas well. I used to go past it on those mad little green buses on the way to Ramkamhaeng where I worked at Inter-L in The Mall as a language teacher. Opposite NV I saw a guy on the floor one day who'd just been murdered during Thaksin's war on drugs.
There's that site which attempts to document their time in Thailand and because one of them got a foot infection they stayed a lot longer than planned.
An interesting question: in spring 2006 me and my wife have visited quite impressive show - Siam Niramit and there also was interesting wooden houses museum within the complex. In 2020 we were thinking to visit it again. We have spent whole year in Chiang Mai. However thanks to COVID it was no chances. And now I am seen some construction on the spot. Do you have any idea what happens? With Dusit Thani that’s a shame, my mother in law use to work as a manager in there.
Arrived in Bangkok in 1975. To me Bangkok hasn't lost it's character it's lost it's charm. It's now a huge western style city so I don't bother stopping these days.
Hualamphong was the starting point of many adventures that usually started with an overnight train ride. Leave in the evening, end up in Chiang Mai or Trang or some place in the morning. Upstairs was "Coffeebucks", which I think is the franchise that arrived before the better known one. ;-) The canteen on the right side for a last (cheap!) meal prior to leaving. The 10 toilets (where you had to pay!) on the right side just near the platforms.
oops, meant to say just "the toilets". Originally wrote that they were "10 baht" toilets but I actually don't remember how much they charged, so I deleted that... uh partly.
Those toilets are free, I know the ones. Now we here it's ceasing operations completely as of 23rd december, without much of a thought for the locals who rely on it. Bang Sue is hardly a central station, and it's a good 30 minutes on the MRT. Hopefully no shopping mall, but don't rule it out.
@@BangkokPat I remember having to pay to go in around 2003. Maybe it wss a policy that didn't last long. About it leaving, yeah I don't get what the impetus was for it to be replaced. European cities with big grand stations, they just never even consider wrecking them.
Another great video, kind of a different perspective comparing now and then. Still. almost all videos here on youtube are made mainly from a tourist point of view, big majority made by Western incl Aus(add Indian) tourists. Almost only men, a lot of them describing the red light district. Kind of strange and also so sad to see. For most locals here, things going on are not life here on youtube. Time´s been very hard and still is because of Covid, of course. But maybe the big problem is not if a tourist find his bar closed in Pattaya, Soi Cowboy or Nana Soi4 not what they´re used to be.... Therefore: Keep up the good work, here you often give a little different approach to the city!
Thanks Bo, I'm trying to cater to those who know the city a bit better than the same tourist places or nightlife areas, yes they exist but what about the other 90% of the city? Someone's gotta explore it and there's only a handful of channels doing that!
Lived in the big mango in the 90s, some of the best memories of my life, a great city nowadays when visiting Thailand I don't even go there, it's a place to avoid.
@@BangkokPatI lived in BKK from early the 90s. Back when there were 2 types of foriegners, Expats and Natives (they hated each other). Expats had foriegn salaries, live in expensive houses, had Thai servants, ate European food, shopped at Foodland, saw Thais as an inferior race. derogged everyhting Thai as inferior, and frequented the local British pub. Natives lived in small Thai villages with no English, learnt to read and write Thai, studied the local culture and history, and had Thai friends...... I as a Native lived in an area, common throughout BKK. a lord's wooden mansion witth huge garden, surrounded by terrraced wooden housing (orginally in the past for the servants and rice farmers) but by the 90s dwelling for snakes, spiders and slum dwellers...... For me BKK has lost its history. Ratchatdanmnoen road was rice fields. Khao san road was warehouses where they stored the harvested rice, (some shops from that time survive now) . The processed grain was then sold in Chinatown.. I can point out thes places and the history today , 99.99% of Thais are cluless to this lost pass...... So to answer your critiscism I'm not fed up with the place, just lived and studied the history being concreted over with aparment blocks and shopping malls,
I haven’t been back since 2017. I first went to Bangkok in 2009, and even I’ve seen some big changes. Every couple of years I noticed a KFC had closed! I daren’t go back as it seems me returning is the cause…
KFC went ''viral'' in the early 2000s and now there are a few less, I never eat the stuff, it's not the oroginal recipe here anyway. The skyline grew from about 2008 onwards, and it keeps on growing!
could tell you many stories about pattaya for 1988, and my mate had been in pattaya since 1972 , but like every thing I hated the change. so used to get a girl and go to her home for a week she could see her family and kids, and I could see more of thailand mostly villages but i like that thing. thx Pat
mind you . you pointing to cars going past quite fast is hilarious. back in the day it was just one big traffic jam. andthe polution ofc. omg what was nasty. i would go running all around there but the only time you could really do that was at about 2.45-4.45am when it was cleaner and more quiet
I stayed at the Dusit and it was five star accommodations and walking distance to JUSMAG. They had nice shops on the ground floor. I also went to the Siam Cinema on my first business trip in 1985, saw The Killing Fields. I remember sitting in an aisle seat and seeing rats crossing the aisle against the light of the screen. Now that is nostalgic &;7)
Real estate wealth controls everything. Much of Nana now white elephant mini Plaza that is lifeless. BKK still my hearts home.. and the BTS is wonderful.
Spot on, it sure does. Nana is gonna become a more commercial district and the powers that be don't give a damn about it's origins, some of the nightlife will remain but the days of it being a free-for-all are gone I suspect.
i really enjoyed going to the Lido and the Scala--designed so wonderfully inside as if going to the movies was an event. it was! i do agree about the loss of charm. and this mad embrace for more and more shopping malls is absurd. but if i think about it, some of the places i liked to go back in the day that are no longer around (a couple you mentioned) only catered to foreigners. thais didn't bemoan those losses.
Great update :-) and well deserved 5000 subscribers … I hope numbers grow exponentially for you going forward as it would be well deserved. Ignore the nutters and their comments :/( Those bridges over Phra Khanong haha. Is the metal floored one near W District still there making the horrendous noise with each footstep as the warped metal bounces ?
Thanks a lot mate, actually it's now almost 5.7 which is great. I don't take the comments seriously, that person needs help. And...yes, that bridge still makes that noise, and I almost set up the camera on it when I was there last year,!
Bangkok is changing. It’s transport infrastructure is fantastic, fast and commendable. Bangkok will never lose its charm, it just gets better and better. Sadly, while Bangkok gets itself dressed up, there currently are not the numbers of its regulars tourists visiting because of all the bureaucratic restrictions, hoops and hurdles to jump through just to get there. Until this bureaucratic anomaly has been removed, there just won’t be the numbers as in the past visiting the Land of Smiles. 😢
Yes back in the 70’s Bangkok was ssso much more and the Intercontinental hotel was so beautiful to believe they bulldozed it is unimaginable, it’d be like taking down the Chrysler blding in New York for a new cement slab high rise.
I don't think Bangkok will ever lose its character but it has changed like every other City around the world over the past 30 years. Good video as always, well done.
I sure hope they don't start driving like we do. The way they drive is the best.
Pat, you’re the least guilty of lording anything over anyone. I believe you’re sensitive, nuanced and very kind in the way you deal with issues of the past, the present and the future of the city you so obviously love. Ignore the haters, they aren’t worth considering.
Haters gonna do what they gotta do. People make up stuff they think will piss you off. It amused me a lot and is typical of such idiots.
For me as a Thai, the changes are quality of life changes for me and I think it's for the better. But I can also see how it can feel like the "charm" has been lost in a way slowly over time. Personally, the people and the society dictates how a city feels for me more than the landscape, so I don't feel like Bangkok has lost its charm
I guess we should consider that it's their city.
Consider what Sydney looks like now. And London?
Those of us who saw it when it was wilder can treasure the memories, but life moves on.
I really enjoy this guys videos..easily the best Bangkok videos on UA-cam...hope you keep them coming, really appreciate them.
Thanks Tim, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why, must be a bug of some kind so I read anyway. Cheers for the kind comments.
Pat, its easy to slip into nostalgia, but some of the infrastructural improvements have been astounding. The Skytrain! Getting out to Chutachuk on the MRT! Rail link to the airport! Yeah, baby!
I also like how Siam Station serves as a nexus, turning its surrounding area into a consolidated pedestrian-friendly center in a city that has long been a tariff-choked sprawl.
Still, the locals have changed quite a bit, not necessarily for the better. I hope the canals and river taxies stay the same. And that the Miami Hotel remains in its original state for all eternity.
None of those improvements are exciting for the adventurous traveller though. Malaysia has incredible infrastructure but it's as boring as hell, for example.
I have an old friend who moved to Bkk in 1972. Just like many old timers say now, he told me the old timers told him, “son, you should have seen Bkk after the War (WWII), it’s nothing like that now.” So there you have it. And BKK will never lose its character.
So glad i found your channel. I feel the same way about my city. It used to be full of character and charm that were absolutely unique on earth...now its nothing but the same gigantic shopping malls with Starbucks and H&M.
If i bring it up, my friends all ask me.."why dont you want to be rich and shop at Uniqlo?"
It makes me want to cry. Im glad im not alone.
I really like the raw approach in all your uploads. Stray cats, back alleys, garbage, filthy canals, abandoned lots etc. Just showing us Bangkok as it is. Keep going Pat…l just love it.
“Mile after mile of mall after mall. Many, many malls. Major malls and mini malls. They put the mini malls in between the major malls.”
I think eventually every train stop in the city will look the same surrounded by condos, hotels and shopping malls. You will just hop around the city from one air conditioned nightmare to the next.
I'm so glad you see what I'm getting at in this video, thi sis the way Bangkok is headed at this rate. Thanks!
It seems this is what many people want. And should we blame those people? I.e. many want to live near the BTS or MRT so that they don't have to use a car. And how is that possible? It's only possible if lots of new high-rise building are built along the mass transit lines. What's the alternative? Nice villages with a couple of free standing houses and the car in the garage? How many people can afford that one?
It's natural really. I'm not 30 yet and i already misses old places and old things about my town (Muang Surin). It has seen quite a lot of changes throughout my life. It's simply nostalgia. Kids that born today will feel nostalgic 20-30 years later too as they've seen their city evolved throughout their lives. It's the cycle of city life.
That's very true, I suppose the difference here is that I have the chance to moan about it and put it on YT!!
Unfortunately I have to agree. Already live here since 2001 and I really feel the city has lost it's magic.
So glad you showed this longer vlog than Edited one on the Thaiger. Things do change Unfortunately like London is so different to what it was 30 years ago . Now most high street are coffee and mobile phone shops. I hope they do some of the things you spoke about of like if the scala cinema is torn down 🥺 then a tribute to it in the new complex and the train station hall would make stunning lobby.
Please keep reminiscing about the old days Pat it’s great. I’m still in shock you showed the Safeway in the kings road I worked at in the 80s where I met my wife. That store had a lot of Thai people there it too is gone now 🥺and is a coffee shop !!!!. Keep the great vlogs comming stay safe
Thanks Jimmy, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why, must be a bug of some kind so I read anyway. Is too much nostalgia and moaning about the past a bad thing? Some may think so but I'll always be like that, it's a big part of the channel. Scala is now demolished completely, predictably of course. Sad. Hua Lamphong may not go the same way but a fitting tribute to it would be great, the grand roof being used for something scenic and not some mall. A heritage hotel maybe. I used to love Safeways as a kid, in Holloway where I grew up, I think it went downmarket a bit with Morrisons but I'm not there any more...
Very very good content for the Tube Mr Pat. Thank you. I found you few days ago by watching the new Thaiger's episodes.
I've been lucky🐈
New subscriber 4u!
Ciao🙂
Thank you so much for the kind words, glad you crossed over from Thaiger!
Hi Pat….
As with many probably, have stumbled across your Channel, but living and working around Bangkok in the 00s it sure brings back memories !!!
Fingers crossed 🤞 will be there early Feb, and if you fancy a coffee/beer somewhere would love to share some good ( and not so good) memories!!
Have subscribed….. keep up the great work, and let us all hope the “new normal”arrives sooner rather than later.
Cheers Dave, appreciate the kind words. When you land, get in touch and we can definitely have a good chat and a beverage.
@@BangkokPat
As mentioned Pat, plan to be there at the beginning of February…… best way to contact you ?
Nice video and like you, I'm also a nostalgic person. I really miss the old Bangkok. I think we arrived here around the same time (early 2000's) and it was just a very different city. The people were so much more in the moment instead of their phone all the time. Now Bangkok has become just another big city with many generic shopping malls and loud music blasting in public areas. How I miss those small shops that used to be in the spot of EmQuartier, because there wasn't a constant noise pollution as there is now.
"After a certain age, you can only look back" - very very true. Great video as always.
Nothing in Bangkok for people of a certain age, is moving forward any more. Everything was better before, especially going out and nightlife.
A very important video, Pat. It made me think about my feelings about BKK. The places I gravitate to and the places I avoid. I like the things that are different from the West. That usually means old things. I still rely on modern malls and modern transit but they never impress me. And they are never the reason why I spend the money on an air ticket to come to Thailand. Thai people are still Thai thank heavens so that will always be a plus. But as the malls replace the old uniquely Thai cityscape something will be lost. Of course the past is all relative. We tend to experience life more fully when we are young. A city that gives its gifts to us in our 20s and 30s can't be expected to stand still. Unless it's Florence of Venice. Travellers today in their 20s will no doubt become nostalgic for the Bangkok of the 2020s when they're getting on too. Thanks for the Clash tip. I had no idea they did that shoot in Makkasan.
Thanks Chris, The Clash had to stay on a bit longer becuase one of them caught an infection so they got out and about in Bangkok, including Patpong of course.
Malls don't really attract western tourists who have seen it all before, it's more of a novelty for developing countries I suppose which must be why they are so crazy about them here. The Scala Cinema was demolished today, not a scrap left standing and it's sad because I think they missed a chance to impress by preserving a bit of heritage that made Siam square famous back in the day. I'm not suggesting keeping it all, but surely just a bit of the architecture, mixed into the new development on the ground floor, shows more class than razing the whole lot, says a lot about the mentality, shame.
Yes I think Bangkok wants to compete with Singapore. But the Marina Bay Plaza in Singapore is hard to beat.
Great Content .Thank you for the video Pat.
Thanks Paul mate. Glad you're enjoying the channel.
@@BangkokPatShiba Inu.
Bangkok is changing constantly. I have seen many changes since I started visiting in 1989 ( I am still young at heart). The thing I miss most is sitting on the corner of Sukhumvit and soi 13 having a beer watching the world go by. Many fun evenings before the Hyatt/Hyde was built. So simple, but so much fun!
I am returning next month and I know I will see a lot of changes in my beloved Bkk.
Thanks Coleen, I remember around 2004/5 we used to drink at a ramshackle ''beer garden'' on that wasteland between Soi 13 and 15, long before the Sofitel was even thought of, watching the sidewalk of Sukhumvit as people were walking along, the trains above them. Those are memories to get nostalgic about but I don't really wish Bangkok was back to being like that, many soi dogs about and elephants would be there resting from being led around the tourist areas.
I wonder what you think about laws. The corner of Soi 13 and that stretch of the road was full of illegal bars until sunrise. I am sure it was fun for some people. And at the same time bars with licenses had to close at 2am (or whatever time it changed to from time to time). If a bar with all the documents ignored the law then that bar was shut and they had to pay a fine. But how about those illegal street bars? When they opened until 3am and 4am that was no problem - the police obviously collected money. And nobody shut down those illegal bars. Result: A proper regulated business lost business because the police allowed all those illegal businesses. And nobody could take a license away from the illegal businesses because they never had any license. Is that fair? Personally I would like to see that nightclubs are allowed to open until morning again - within the laws. And illegal bars should be converted to legal bars or closed. Is having illegal dirty corner bars really a good thing?
Another good video. That music that starts in at 21:30 or so, and also in many other places, quite nice. It leaves you with a good feeling every time it's on. The Siam Intercontinental, I was there a couple times, once with a girl I'd met online. Spectactualar lobby, as I remember. Amazingly high ceiling in there. We hung out chatting by the swimming pool late into the night, very romantic. Only us. The grounds went right up to the canal, separated by a fence. I think there were some wild animals on the grounds? Peacocks? Can't remember.
That's a track by Lance Conrad, a pop artist who doesn't have hits but makes tracks for video creators, the site where I get the music, you pay a subscription and the copyright is yours. He's probably the most consistent on there.
@@BangkokPat Thanks. I won't go buy it or anything, I just enjoy hearing it during your videos.
Another great video, Pat. I totally empathise with you. However, everywhere in the world changes more and more the older you get. Ain’t nothing you can do about. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Dale, I now know how that old man feels when I was a kid and all I heard him talk about was the old days....
@@BangkokPat Remember, these days will be the Good Old Days for another generation.
This channel should have at least several hundred thousand subscribers already
@Keith Murphy thanks for ur kind words (:
Thanks Keith, that's nice of you to say so. If I made it a bit lighter and more mainstream it just wouldn't be the same, the hard work may not be appreciated as much. Would kill for those numbers though!
Im a newbie to BKK. Only came over in 2009 & what I saw I liked but things change but not always for the better.
2009 was when it starting going crazy, all this construction everywhere, skyline changing rapidly.
Top content, Pat!! your channel deserves 1 million subs!
Thanks Zam Zam, I would kill for a million subs but I could also buy then for about 80 dollars (so I read)
@@BangkokPat lol its worth a pop 😄
Time stands still in some parts of BKK, but how long? I hope that most of its iconic places are gonna stay for a while. We've lost the Siam Intercontinental already, and we could not afford to lose Hua Lamphong anymore. Hua Lamphong is like Don Mueang: love me or hate me but don't try to change me, kinda place. Great to see my fellows furballs in your video again. Thanks Pat.
Thanks, I like to think I'm not the only one who gets nostalgic about these old buildings. There should be heritage laws in place but you never know in this city.
Bangkok didn't loose it character but the Thai government killed a desire to visit it
Yes I agree, it started with Taksin and his war on nightlife 20yrs ago. It never was the same since then. Then all the attempts to try and make Thailand a family destination have destroyed many sectors that were doing just fine.
i like the changing
Great video I have 40 years worth of memories of Thailand and BKK has changed so much.... The only thing that has stayed the same is Lumpini park. One thing I miss is The Rex hotel on Sukumvite, had a great coffee shop.... Have you ever wondered why the BKK buses were so high up and you have to climb up 3 or 4 steps to get on board them?..... It was because of the floods, the water would be waist high and the buses would just plough through the floods along sukumvite but inside the bus stayed dry. I remember sitting on a bus during the rainy season going along sukumvite and a women was wading through the water. As the bus passed her there was a bow wave created by the bus and she had to start swimming as it hit her
Hi John, I do know the Rex, or rather did know it. I stayed once in 2008. I mention it in the video for Washington Square, with it's chequered past. I knew the buses were a little high but just assumed it was the way they were anyway, so thanks for the info about flooding! MRT station entrances are also built raised off the ground for the same reason.
I know exactly what you mean about 'character' Pat. I was there like you in 2001 20 something, before the internet benefiting from awesome rate of exchange. Everything was new and such a contrast from home.
I really enjoyed this video. Cheers
Thanks Trevor, may do a part 2 with a few other locations. Considered Pattaya for a similar theme but the place is unrecognizable.
Loved the video. Thanks. Still remember my first visit to Bangkok in 1992 and i've witnessed the many changes over the years - few of them for the better - apart from the transport system :-)
Thanks Glenn, I definitely agree about the transportation improvements, although it's hard to believe it was much worse than it is now.
Another great video Bangkok Pat. Bangkok will always be humid with traffic chaos and a certain energy - they can't take that away! Two things are always certain, times change and we can never get back that time! Looks like I am definitely coming to Bangkok now but have to quarantine for my first night. I will be buying some cold ones from the 14th of December if you are about and thirsty! Best wishes, Ashley
You sure are stirring up my old memories from way back in 1974, stayed at the very dodgy Station Hotel (one of your shots), and was at Siam Intercontinental couple of times. How utterly bland and boring almost all the new buildings are. But as you say, the design of the modern mass transit stations is remarkably exciting and fun to look at! Thanks for a great video…
You're a sensitive and conscientious historian and journalist , Pat - keep it up !
Thank very much for your great filmimg and nice music !!!
Cheers Pat, top quality video as always. The character and more importantly the characters are long, long gone from Bangkok. Used to love starting the night in the Londoner, the evening had so many possibilities and great places to go- sadly mostly long gone. Had some great times though😇
Thanks Bob, times are changing and so have the habits of those who go out in Bangkok nowadays. It's quite shocking to think back to the huge number of choices we had back in the day, but those were different times. Things change socially and the generation now would probably not be able to live in those days without their phones.
Been going there for the last 40 years. And YES it has changed. Boy what memories I have.
Well as I said, memories are all we've got sometimes, for the aging ones, it won't ever get much better than the good old days.
@@BangkokPat true ,but I'm pretty sure we would all wish that we have these memories than not 555
You would almost feel sorry for today's newbies to Thailand
A story of real quality. You portray the changes that have turned Bangkok into the international city it is now with a dry humour. I am so looking forward to the next one.
Thanks David, appreciate the kind words mate. I felt it needed saying and I know I'm not just talking for myself, ok maybe a bit biased at times!
Awesome VLOG. I learn so much about Thailand from you.
Seeing your video makes me missed Bangkok. I am a newbie to Bangkok my first time going to Bangkok was back in 2011 and another in 2019 in that 8 years I can’t help but noticed that Pratunam’s famously crowded street scene has somewhat diminished when I went 8 yrs later. In 2011. I never once used the Skytrain till my 2nd trip 2 yrs ago where I get to know the downtown area better. Was planning of going to Singapore or Kuala Lampur but then COVID came and I haven’t traveled anywhere abroad since.
The time will come again, don't worry. It's been a bad 18 months for many. Kuala Lumpur might not be a good idea just yet.
Another great video.
I suppose everywhere changes.
When I go back to the uk I see change but from when I first come to Bangkok it's seems to have accelerated too much.
The one thing I thought was sad was the Scala cinema.
Such a beautiful building such a waste.
All around the world, as you age and change happens you realize “it’s all going to hell”, if you are young “change is just the future you clamor for”, hang with the young and its a better world. That said some places do a better job of maintaining historical landmarks and it’s to bad when they all are gone. Bangkok is still one of the great cities in the world, just have to hunt for the little places that time forgot. Great video!
Thanks Jeffrey, At least the older parts of Bangkok are safe for now, although Chinatown will get a glossy mall to sour the skyline soon, where Thieves Market used to be.
I love your videos. I been going to Thailand since 89. I'm totally reminiscing with you. Proper gives me the Thailand blues :)
Glad to hear that K S. Thanks mate.
Enjoyed your videos as (usual) Pat. Unfortunately, in any international city that tourists will want to visit, there are always greedy real estate developers and land owners who want to gentrify (and kick out the old tenants and businesses) the area. This is how Bangkok will steadily lose its charms in the oncoming years due to the influx of new condos, and businesses that only want to cater to the hi so or hi society crowd and those tourists with money to burn. There's already several areas in Bangkok pre-pandemic that ousted local Thai street food vendors in order to "clean up" their neighborhoods. Unbeknownst to Thai government officials, it's the small business and neighborhoods that tourists interact with that make their visits to Thailand memorable. Unless you are the type of person who wants Macdonald's and Starbucks in every city of the world. Ha ha.
I agree mate, the redevelopment and commercialisation of Bangkok will only cater for about 10% of the city, those who can afford to use those places. It's not really being well thought out but, who knows what'll happen with the next bonafide elected government, whenever that is....
It was always part of the fun to squeeze down Suk Rd from Nana BTS to my hotel in Soi 5. Full of street vendors including those from the deaf community. Sadly it's been sanitized and in doing so has lost its character.
@@BangkokPat The sad reality is that there is only one source of the huge capital injection into BKK and it's not from Thailand.
@@raidermanuk Was is sanitized? Or are there currently just very few tourists in Bangkok and there are simply not enough people there who would visit all those shops and buy there. I live near Soi 5 since 20 years, I know the area. Now even Foodland is often empty. It obviously still exist but maybe with 10% of the customers of pre-Covid times. The huge Foodland concern can probably afford to run that place without making money. Owners of individual businesses often can't afford it. But I am sure when lots of tourists return then many of those shops will return. Maybe with the same owners or with new owners who bought the business for cheap.
@@edgar9651 I was talking about the street vendors that lined the streets rather than the small shops. They had mostly been cleared when I last visited which was January 2020, before the first lockdown. I'm pretty sure they were not there the previous year. I hope it gets busier even for Foodland - was always a great place to visit for a snack in the early hours if I couldn't sleep!
So where will this be about the heritage of Makkasan? We can see it next time we come over. Thanks.
Hi Keith, sorry for late response, YT haven't given me any notifications for about 2wks, dunno why. After they build this new development in Makkasan, apparently there will be a museum and railway centre to remember its railway history, but will believe it when it happens...
Excellent Pat.
I've not the experience of Bkk like you & others have, though at my last & quite limited visit of Feb 2019 I thought it had everything within it's character.
It certainly felt that way too me & the diversity in all was evident to see.
I'm looking forward to my next visit & getting to know it much better.
Thanks for sharing Pat, very interesting.
Thanks T Man, Bangkok is a big unfriendly city when you don't really know it, even worse if you're not a city person. Like you say it's a diverse city, and nowadays much easier to get around!
I'm almost afraid to watch this, as I don't want to feel the disappointment. It's certainly changed over the years. My first trips there almost 30 years were eye-opening. It got into my blood. Every time I had to return to the US, I thought of nothing but how I was going to return. I always thought I would eventually end up living there permanently. But, now I'm not so sure. If it becomes more like Singapore, it won't have nearly the same appeal to me. I might have to start looking at other spots. Laos? Vietnam? Cambodia?
You're right. It's a common sense we all have and feel within us, since we arrive in Thailand. And It's probably because it's Thailand.. and Bangkok in particular.. That feeling that you describe cannot be changed by new architectures. It will always remain attached to our first impressions and, probably, that's why we all love that place so much.
I always wondered about the nearby countries and how they'd been shaping up. Didn't really enjoy either Laos or Cambodia at the time I visited in the mid 2000s but I was firmly settled in Bangkok, a city that had a fair bit of character at the time.
@@BangkokPat may i ask you where are you from? Because of your accent I'd say you're from the UK. But I could be wrong. If so.. What brought you in Thailand na ka ?
@@nickross4307 Or Myanmar
Cambo is being hit with waves of Chinese hot money too.
Bangkok has kind of a double edged sword situation. Some people say it’s a typical dirty, seedy SA city, and that’s all it has to offer. That’s clearly not the case for anyone that has experienced it firsthand. But when it does modernize to rival the top cities in Asia, it’s criticized for losing it’s soul. I guess that will always be the nature of BKK. Preservation vs Progress.
Love your videos! It’s rare that I can consistently learn new things with a UA-cam channel.
Bangkok changed dramatically since my first visit in ´93. Like many other cities. I remember lost places like Washington Sq. with the wonderful Bourbon Street. But time goes on. Important is only that besides all the new buildings there are areas or places that not will be destroyed because they tell a story and are important for the Thai history. And because they are old neighbourhoods with people who live there for generations. They deserve too to be protected.
I think the public are becoming more aware of what's being wiped out and in the last year a couple of high profile cases, Scala Theatre and Hua Lamphong have hit home. Not everyone really gets the significance of retaining heritage and parts of the past but this city has changed its appearance with all this glass and concrete.
23:00 Why do those shoes in the rain make me feel so sad?
They were left there on the pavement, neatly. I thought maybe ghost shoes that only I could see.....
Another interesting video to watch on a cold damp morning in Lancashire. I can just picture Joe Stummer tearing it up somewhere in Nana Plaza. What camera are you using for these videos Pat
Hi mate,, hope you're all good where you are. I use a Sony A5100 from 2014. It's still holds up to their later models for usability and picture settings which is why I like it, more cinematic. Other cameras have too rich colours, but that's just me being a fussy so-and-so
The Dusit Thani was where BA used to put it's flight crews on long haul, from what i've seen in an old documentary about the airline. Plus when the TAT talk about upgrading things to attract more tourists, i'm sure they really mean upmarket, wealthy ones rather than the majority of toursists, back-packers, night life seekers or family package holidays......
I love to watch your videos
Until the end of the video.
Right now my battery is running out of Times
I really love the Kitty cats
Their are every were
Love how you explaining
Of each locations .
Thank you for the kind comments and I am glad you get to see parts of the city you remember.
4-5 years ago, Dusit Thani had a great promotion price, like $100 per night, I should have taken it. I remembering going to their night club in the late 80s or 90s. I think it was call “Bubble” if I remember correctly. I have to hurry up and get back so I can visit all of these “oldie but goodie”sites before they disappear. Especially Patpong!! Another fine video, Pat. The music is phenomenal, by the way :-)
Those rates went even lower in its final 3 years 😁( I stayed there ) I paid about 2200 to 2600 thb
An absolute bargain even tho the hotel was starting to show it's age a bit ( as they ran the maintenance down )
Thanks Jim, I only ever had english tea in the lobby of the Dusit Thani in 2002. There was a rooftop bar with views over the city, looked quite cool.
Another great video Pat. I moved to Bangkok in 2005 as a 16 year old but had to leave in 2012 for Chiang Mai. I think 2008 was the cut off year for Bangkok being the Bangkok I fell in love with. Perhaps that coincided with the collapse of Western currencies, especially the pound. I still love the city for a week every now and then but when 90% of the places you loved most have gone, it can get a bit jading seeing what they were replaced with! What happened to Soi 7 is a point in question, greed has ruined Bangkok.
Im with you Pat. Iv been around since 1996 and have seen the changes . First for the better when like the skytrain was completed and made life a lot easier , but i think it does come to a point where the city does lose its caracter. With al the old night spots gone, washington, soi 33 soi 22 and now soi 8 being far from what it was before, there wont be anything but malls and coffee shops.
Im am just really glad i had the privilege to have known the old bangkok , and lots of it.
I agree with you Tommy, it's all going down the pan slowly. It's not that I'm against progress, but I wish it was thought out a bit better, it mostly just stinks of the elite sweeping things away without a care in the world for heritage or history. It's all gonna look great, but Blandcock here we come.
@@BangkokPat it is defenitely going to be a complete different experience , coming to Bangkok compared to what it was. Gives us something to moan about
Since my visits in 2011, 2012 and 2019 Bangkok changed alot. It still has his own charm but I've got the feel that the Bangkok Government plan to establish a "Singapore 2". Really modern and clean. Within the next 10 years I'm sure the center of Bangkok will be modernized more and more and the "old Bangkok" will disappear step by step.
I doubt that will happen - simply for the reason Bangkok is So huge ,So vast they will be unable to change it all , thankfully
Many places I lived and visited when younger I have fond memories sadly most everywhere I knew of even twenty years ago has lost its charm for various reasons. I never spent much time in Bangkok over the years or other huge cities anywhere in the world I have never really have been attracted to them. I love watching your shows as I always learn something new and get to see parts of Bangkok I have never been to. But not a day goes by I do not think of Thailand and will never take it for granted again. Hopefully home soon once all this nonsense is over with.
Thanks mate, sorry it's taken a while to reply, YT stopped giving me notifications for a while, dunno why. As it turned out they demolished the Scala cinema without preserving anything at all, which was a bit cynical I think but hey, another shopping mall on the way.
I'm glad I did finished watching you video from
This morning your video
very interesting to me
And make lots of scenes
I'am an older woman.
As old as I am I still learning in my own country
In the 60th not too many
Thai people are educational including me.
There's for I'm learning in
My golden age.alover again
You are an awesome .
Person and don't leave Bangkok so soon . england
It's not going to go aways.
Thanks very much. Never too old to learn something new!
Interesting video Pat. But yes times move on. All I see is shopping malls , new stations. Destruction of old buildings. Shame really. When I visit In September I hope to try seek some old parts of the city . I hope you are well ..
Nicely done keep it up
Thanks very much Ashan, glad you enjoyed it!
Siam square.. such a joy going to see a movie at the Scala .. I saw Pulp fiction there 1990's
Best laugh.. if it was full of young Thai's student types ..there reaction.. was great fun.. and going home or to a restaurant after a movie.. late at night in Bangkok. Siam square Special very very special..
Another great video Pat. Thanks.
Cheers Rob. Glad you're keeping up to date!
awesome love this channel so unique. What about Hemingways? that wasn't so old but still a tragedy for this beautiful eatery to be raised
We like your reminiscing and moaning !! - don't stop 😁
Wow the Siam Intercontinental looked fabulous - I had never heard of it before
Thanks Martin, I feel like one of those old guys I'd hear moaning when I was a kid, I wished he's shut up, because I couldn't relate, but now....
@@BangkokPat 555 I know the feeling
Like many other big cities, Bangkok couldn't resist the change of time. It has surely lost of the old charm of the low-rise shop houses and restaurants in Siam square. It's really sad to see the delightful Siam Intercontinental and Dusit Thani disappear. Say what you will, the need to accommodate more people, to beat the unbearable traffic, etc, it's impossible not to miss the Bangkok of yesteryear. The shining shopping malls and the efficient transit definitely have destroyed what's unique about Bangkok 😭
It's all about balance and I'm against the city losing what made it cool and attractive. Glass and concrete can be had anywhere and one of the reasons why the city was great was because it wasn't like just anywhere.
But of course things have to modernise and move on, and I like to moan about it.
Finally I watched the whole video. Thanks Pat. I remember many of those old streets and buildings. I didn't have the feeling that they had to be replaced, but in real life many of those places were old and little used or unused or decaying. I.e. Scala is a great example: I watched movies in that place in the 90th - there weren't too many cinemas around at that time. And later with more and newer cinemas people didn't go to Scala anymore. I wonder how many people who now moan about the situation actually visited Scala regularly over the last decades. I guess very few people did that. And that is the same with other places. They were old and few people went there and spend money. So what happens? Something new will replace the old place. That's life and I am pretty sure it happens all over the world. And to be fair: Many of those old places and streets were dirty and unsafe. With the new developments lots of areas are a lot cleaner than in the old days. So at least for me I remember the old places and I see how life and places and Bangkok changes. I wouldn't want it back like it was. Life changes, like Bangkok.
Very good and quality video congratulations. Bangkok is my favorite city. It has definitely changed for the better since 2010 when I first visited it. Then it was a vast .... now it is a city that depending on what one wants finds and takes responsibility.
The downside is that the people of Bangkok have become arrogant and look down on everything. The downside is that European and Chinese companies have entered into businesses that marry Thai fake weddings and raise prices exorbitantly. Bangkok is a city that has nothing to envy from other big cities that envy it.Order and safety everywhere.
Thanks Dimitris, I agree about the downside for sure, one of a few that don't make the city look too great but to the locals it's all progress and the future so they think it's all they need. A lot of development needed in other areas too.
I need to know now Pat, what railway footbridge in South London?........
The one I referred to was near to Streatham Common station in 2007
Since 2010 been coming to Thailand, while Bangkok has not been my favorite place l do agree with your views Thailand it self is changing and not for the best, keep up the good work.
Hi mate. I was with Pete today (thairish times) and he told me to check you out. No sure how I never discovered you! 🤣 Anyway just wanted to say hi! Watched a couple so far, really good stuff.
Thanks Ryan for checking out the videos, I like Pete, he's a good bloke Maybe we can do an interview or join my next stream and can do a few shout outs. I subbed to yours mate.
@@BangkokPat Would be good to meet at some point mate yes 100%.
Youve got incredible content incredibly presented
Thanks Tony, hope you take a look through the older vids!
Shopping malls add nothing I totally agree. Why does Bkk need so many - is there really the demand - they can’t all be profitable surely? Why is online shopping not a bigger thing in Thailand? Hard to fathom
Some people say it helps with laundering money but I'm not sure I really believe that nonsense. Read that on thaivisa a few years ago.
I used to live in Phra Khanong around 2003 /4 at the old Asia Court apartments on soi 3. Cheap and cheerful 🙂.
I have never plucked up the courage to actually live there in all these years although I spent 6 months at the other end, in Nasa Vegas, in 2002. It wasn't that bad considering the budget I was on.
@@BangkokPat I remember NASA Vegas well. I used to go past it on those mad little green buses on the way to Ramkamhaeng where I worked at Inter-L in The Mall as a language teacher.
Opposite NV I saw a guy on the floor one day who'd just been murdered during Thaksin's war on drugs.
The Clash my all time favourite band who I saw live 3 times in London. Didn't know that album cover was taken in BKK .
There's that site which attempts to document their time in Thailand and because one of them got a foot infection they stayed a lot longer than planned.
An interesting question: in spring 2006 me and my wife have visited quite impressive show - Siam Niramit and there also was interesting wooden houses museum within the complex. In 2020 we were thinking to visit it again. We have spent whole year in Chiang Mai. However thanks to COVID it was no chances. And now I am seen some construction on the spot. Do you have any idea what happens? With Dusit Thani that’s a shame, my mother in law use to work as a manager in there.
great video Pat 👍
Thank you @Chelsea Paul
Thanks mate, hope all good with you mate.
Arrived in Bangkok in 1975. To me Bangkok hasn't lost it's character it's lost it's charm. It's now a huge western style city so I don't bother stopping these days.
And you aren't missing very much at all, especially as you've actually seen it in a totally different era.
Great video Pat.
Not yet, is my answer.
Glad to hear that mate!
Hualamphong was the starting point of many adventures that usually started with an overnight train ride. Leave in the evening, end up in Chiang Mai or Trang or some place in the morning. Upstairs was "Coffeebucks", which I think is the franchise that arrived before the better known one. ;-) The canteen on the right side for a last (cheap!) meal prior to leaving. The 10 toilets (where you had to pay!) on the right side just near the platforms.
oops, meant to say just "the toilets". Originally wrote that they were "10 baht" toilets but I actually don't remember how much they charged, so I deleted that... uh partly.
Those toilets are free, I know the ones. Now we here it's ceasing operations completely as of 23rd december, without much of a thought for the locals who rely on it. Bang Sue is hardly a central station, and it's a good 30 minutes on the MRT. Hopefully no shopping mall, but don't rule it out.
@@BangkokPat I remember having to pay to go in around 2003. Maybe it wss a policy that didn't last long. About it leaving, yeah I don't get what the impetus was for it to be replaced. European cities with big grand stations, they just never even consider wrecking them.
Do you remember the large outdoor restaurant that was torn down to build the Sofitel hotel?
Yes I do, spent a few evenings there in the early 2000s, used to drink at the last remaining beer garden that was there.
Another great video, kind of a different perspective comparing now and then.
Still. almost all videos here on youtube are made mainly from a tourist point of view,
big majority made by Western incl Aus(add Indian) tourists.
Almost only men, a lot of them describing the red light district.
Kind of strange and also so sad to see.
For most locals here, things going on are not life here on youtube. Time´s been very hard and still is because of Covid, of course. But maybe the big problem is not if a tourist find his bar closed in Pattaya, Soi Cowboy or Nana Soi4 not what they´re used to be....
Therefore: Keep up the good work, here you often give a little different approach to the city!
Thanks Bo, I'm trying to cater to those who know the city a bit better than the same tourist places or nightlife areas, yes they exist but what about the other 90% of the city? Someone's gotta explore it and there's only a handful of channels doing that!
Lived in the big mango in the 90s, some of the best memories of my life, a great city nowadays when visiting Thailand I don't even go there, it's a place to avoid.
Why?
Maybe you are so fed up of the place, especially if you don't need to visit any more.
@@BangkokPatI lived in BKK from early the 90s. Back when there were 2 types of foriegners, Expats and Natives (they hated each other). Expats had foriegn salaries, live in expensive houses, had Thai servants, ate European food, shopped at Foodland, saw Thais as an inferior race. derogged everyhting Thai as inferior, and frequented the local British pub. Natives lived in small Thai villages with no English, learnt to read and write Thai, studied the local culture and history, and had Thai friends...... I as a Native lived in an area, common throughout BKK. a lord's wooden mansion witth huge garden, surrounded by terrraced wooden housing (orginally in the past for the servants and rice farmers) but by the 90s dwelling for snakes, spiders and slum dwellers...... For me BKK has lost its history. Ratchatdanmnoen road was rice fields. Khao san road was warehouses where they stored the harvested rice, (some shops from that time survive now) . The processed grain was then sold in Chinatown.. I can point out thes places and the history today , 99.99% of Thais are cluless to this lost pass...... So to answer your critiscism I'm not fed up with the place, just lived and studied the history being concreted over with aparment blocks and shopping malls,
I haven’t been back since 2017.
I first went to Bangkok in 2009, and even I’ve seen some big changes.
Every couple of years I noticed a KFC had closed!
I daren’t go back as it seems me returning is the cause…
KFC went ''viral'' in the early 2000s and now there are a few less, I never eat the stuff, it's not the oroginal recipe here anyway. The skyline grew from about 2008 onwards, and it keeps on growing!
could tell you many stories about pattaya for 1988, and my mate had been in pattaya since 1972 , but like every thing I hated the change. so used to get a girl and go to her home for a week she could see her family and kids, and I could see more of thailand mostly villages but i like that thing. thx Pat
Great video. Shopping Malls = Personal Debt.
Bully Bar has closed used to go there all the time when in BKK 😭😭
I wasn't a regular but I had eaten a few times over the years, it shows how close the corporate threat to our familiar environment is.
off the bat. talking 1993 . i loved it. that Lumpini indeed. went back there 10 years ago. i was gutted tbh. not the same. sad
mind you . you pointing to cars going past quite fast is hilarious. back in the day it was just one big traffic jam. andthe polution ofc. omg what was nasty. i would go running all around there but the only time you could really do that was at about 2.45-4.45am when it was cleaner and more quiet
Love the video's
Thanks, I'm gonna get them out more often now that I've decided to go full time....
I stayed at the Dusit and it was five star accommodations and walking distance to JUSMAG. They had nice shops on the ground floor. I also went to the Siam Cinema on my first business trip in 1985, saw The Killing Fields. I remember sitting in an aisle seat and seeing rats crossing the aisle against the light of the screen. Now that is nostalgic &;7)
But what a memory to have 555 ( and the Dusit Thani was a very special hotel 😁)
That's not the kind of positive nostalgia I'm into, I'd have run a mile if I saw that!
Pat, it’s very nice to see the old and new situation, but sometimes it’s to fast for me to see, because the movie goes very fast unfortunately. 🙏
@Gert Drok thanks for your comment. I'll tell him to slow down or u can watch with 0.75X speed? ^^
@@jurimay6579 Thank You for this advise. 🙏
@Gert Drok Yin Dee kaa 🙏
Sorry about that.....Had comments about this a few times, and I did increase scene times, and they average about 3.5sec. I read that this is average.
quality cheers
Real estate wealth controls everything. Much of Nana now white elephant mini Plaza that is lifeless. BKK still my hearts home.. and the BTS is wonderful.
Spot on, it sure does. Nana is gonna become a more commercial district and the powers that be don't give a damn about it's origins, some of the nightlife will remain but the days of it being a free-for-all are gone I suspect.
i really enjoyed going to the Lido and the Scala--designed so wonderfully inside as if going to the movies was an event. it was! i do agree about the loss of charm. and this mad embrace for more and more shopping malls is absurd. but if i think about it, some of the places i liked to go back in the day that are no longer around (a couple you mentioned) only catered to foreigners. thais didn't bemoan those losses.
Great update :-) and well deserved 5000 subscribers … I hope numbers grow exponentially for you going forward as it would be well deserved.
Ignore the nutters and their comments :/(
Those bridges over Phra Khanong haha. Is the metal floored one near W District still there making the horrendous noise with each footstep as the warped metal bounces ?
Thanks a lot mate, actually it's now almost 5.7 which is great. I don't take the comments seriously, that person needs help.
And...yes, that bridge still makes that noise, and I almost set up the camera on it when I was there last year,!
Bangkok is changing.
It’s transport infrastructure is fantastic, fast and commendable.
Bangkok will never lose its charm, it just gets better and better.
Sadly, while Bangkok gets itself dressed up, there currently are not the numbers of its regulars tourists visiting because of all the bureaucratic restrictions, hoops and hurdles to jump through just to get there.
Until this bureaucratic anomaly has been removed, there just won’t be the numbers as in the past visiting the Land of Smiles. 😢
Yes back in the 70’s Bangkok was ssso much more and the Intercontinental hotel was so beautiful to believe they bulldozed it is unimaginable, it’d be like taking down the Chrysler blding in New York for a new cement slab high rise.
I would have liked to be around back in '69'70, as my dad was, just see the buildings that are crumbling now when they were all new..
With everything happening with covid. Bangkok was undoubtedly going to feel the effects. Hopefully only temporary.
I was talking about in general over the last 25yrs, not just recent times, which have been incredibly depressing for most!
waaaaaa I've just recognized the waitress of Bullys at 12:08 🤠
8:14 Face facts Pat. Bangkok needs more shopping center's mate.
Cheers Bill, sorry for late response...I take it that's a jibe at my nostalgic obsession. Shame on you Bill, I'm deeply offended mate.
@@BangkokPat Hahaha,, Just me being a sarcastic wanker mate..... LOL