VIVA BANGKOK

After Trader Vic's, Greg decided that I need to experience some Thai nightlife and suggested a trip to a place called Radio City in a notorious section of Bangkok known as Patpong. It sounded like a plan to me.

Patpong is one of the infamous touristy places in the city. It is very small and features a night market (selling faux DVDs, watches, purses, etc., as well as a variety of t-shirts printed with every phrase imaginable) surrounded by two sois (lanes) of bars that cater to those seeking seedy entertainment and activities (use your imagination here folks). Fortunately, Radio City is NOT one of those places. Like a beacon of sunshine admidst a sea of sin, this place was a blast.

The drawing card here is two Thai singers: the first one impersonating Elvis Presley and the second one running through the greatest hits of Tom Jones.





I admit that I was skeptical about this, but I was pretty impressed by the show. They lacked the charisma and stage moves that the originals were famous for, but both were up to the challenge vocally. I was expecting to hear these songs butchered by singers with Thai accents, but that was not the case.

The guys lack of stage presence was compensated for by four female dancers whose vivacious stage moves were certainly designed to boost the energy level on stage.









They would come out for a few songs, take a break for a few songs, and then come back. They looked like they were having fun and the small crowd ate it up. They saw me taking pictures for the blog a few times and were only too happy to strike a pose.





The girls and their enthusiasm only added to the cheesiness of the performance. The backup band was also very good, but they included a horn section. I don't know that much about Tom Jones, but a trombone doesn't exactly say "The King of Rock and Roll" to me. Still it all worked like a charm for some reason.

One great thing about this show is that it was free. There was no cover charge, no hidden drink charges (and the beers were cheap too) and no added pressure to keep buying cocktails. In short - no rip offs - which is the other thing the other bars in Patpong are known for. If one wanted to, they could walk in, check out the show and not spend a single baht and no one would care. To me, that's an amazing deal.

Despite all this, the evening's most surreal moment was provided by a trip to the bathroom. When I informed Greg that naturing was calling, the only thing he said was "OK, but don't be freaked out. Just enjoy it." When I asked what he was talking about he just gave a look that said "no comment" slipped me a 20 baht bill (worth about 50 cents) and dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

I really didn't know what to expect. Greg didn't seem like the type of guy to set me up for some bizarre encounter, but still, I made the trip upstairs to the men's room with extreme caution.

Upon arrival, the place seemed fairly normal to me. I walked up to a urinal and started do my business. Suddenly I felt a warm washcloth on my neck and the next thing I know the washroom attendant was giving me a shoulder, neck and back massage. Still in the middle of the task at hand, I had to stand there and let the man do his work. When I finished, I zipped up, washed my hands and gave the guy his 20 baht. He gave me a polite wai and that was the end of it.

When I got back downstairs I asked Greg what the heck that was all about. "I have no idea," he replied. "It's just a service that they provide. You know, when in Bangkok..."