These are young stockbrokers and property agents, who are very open to Western attitudes, and Patpong is now part of their party circuit. The changes began seven years ago when a night bazaar, tightly wedged rows of covered stalls, started invading the street between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Then live-music clubs as well as discos, boutiques and drugstores followed. Chew's new Eden bar has subdued, neoclassic decor and a pool table that fills up in the early hours. We're seeing trendier people and a better quality of entertainment.
People come for the raunchy nightlife, but there's now more of a mix.
That's why places like my own different kind of entertainment can work. A U.S.-educated executive in a computer company on nearby Surawong Road, he drops by a small bar a couple of times every week, usually with his girlfriend. Chew sees Patpong evolving toward a fusion of its old risque self and the trendy style of Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong or Singapore's Boat Quay. The two streams converge at Muzzik Cafe, one of the big recent successes. Run by its French founders, the club and bar features live bands and impromptu dancing by customers.