“Nana” is synonymous with scum, slime and just plain ol’ sad. Like the black sheep in a successful extended family, the Nana area has lagged behind the rest of the ever-more upscale Sukhumvit, with its plethora of luxury malls, restaurants and condos. In particular the area closest to the expressway is, well, a dump, but there are also plenty of examples of dumpiness as it spreads toward Soi 5: short-skirted working girls, aging sex tourists, shifty mafia types, drug dealers, dirty sidewalks with uneven cement and a disturbing number of dark corners. How this came to be is history, some of it already (thankfully) bulldozed into oblivion (see Soi Zero).
Sex industry as barometer (hey, it’s not just us: look at what’s happening in Amsterdam), some say the death of the strip of beer bars under the expressway and, more recently, the ongoing transformation of the One Building on the corner of Soi 1 is proof that Nana’s fortune is set to follow the rest of Sukhumvit. With the dearth of undeveloped areas from Siam to Ekkamai, this seems inevitable. The question is, of course, when?
In the meantime, our resident good girl thought she’d take a stroll around to see if there is anything redeeming about the area now. Here’s what she found.
IT'S NOT THAT BAD
If you look closely, the seeds of the Nana area’s rebirth are already all around you. Parallel to soi zero, next to the road that acts as a sort of escape route for drivers trying to break out of Sukhumvit by zipping to Rama 4, is Soi 2. In it lies the Majestic Grande Hotel (12 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-262-2999, www.majesticgrande.com), a handsome building with over 250 rooms and suites to choose from. Yes, it’s a respectable hotel and it has quality dining outlets as well. The restaurant Sacz offers Italian food blended with inspirations from other Latin cuisines while a live jazz band entertains you at dinnertime. If not Sacz, then there’s always Dine@7 which offers both Thai and international dishes. According to managing directors, Aman Kunkudatharn and Thavatchai Sachdev, Sukhumvit Soi 2 is in for fast and big developments, “The Majestic Grande itself has plans for further expansion, coupled with other properties in the soi which are renovating: from residential buildings to serviced apartment. Despite commercial projects, Soi 2 is set to become a very residential street.”
A stroll on Soi 2 confirms... construction—lots of it! One look at these elegant highrises can tell you the residents will be paying top baht to live here. The same goes for Soi 1. Currently, it’s a pretty familial laid-back area. Affordable apartments, convenience stores and daycare centers paint a portrait of the residents as working middle-class families. But with the upscale housing properties rolling into the area, it’s soon going to be a completely different picture. Of course, proximity to the 5-star Bumrungrad Hospital will certainly be appreciated by the newcomers.
In Sukhumvit Soi 3, decorated in a modern palette of white, black and purple, the Grand Inn Hotel (2/7-8 Sukhumvit Soi 3, Nana Nua, 02-254-9021, www.grandinnthailand.com) offers 24 rooms. On the ground floor, a café serving both Thai and international food lets you connect to the internet through its wifi and fire back some emails while sipping a latte.
On Sukhumvit itself, within the Nana vicinity, there are a few more architectural landmarks. The TOTO Building certainly stands out. A glass-encased structure reflects the company’s commitment to design. Next door, the Krungthai Bank is another flashy tower.
Speaking of odd verses even, lots of hotels line Sukhumvit between sois 2 and 6, like The Majestic Suites (110-110/1 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-656-8220, www.majesticsuites.com) and The Landmark Bangkok (138 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-254-0404, www.landmarkbangkok.com). The Majestic Suites is a sister property of the Majestic Grande. Closer to BTS Nana, The Landmark Hotel is a 31-floor luxury hotel launched in the late 80s and recently promoted to five stars after a complete renovation. Another sign of rocketing standards within the property is the Rendezvous Bar, an elegant hotel bar playing jazz to businesspersons and a mature crowd of music aficionados. The 31st floor hosts the hotel’s highlight: The RR&B (Rib Room & Bar) offers what they publicize as “probably the best steaks in town” (they are very good). Prices are horrific, unfortunately, but that’s also a good sign for the neighborhood. Our Good Girl would certainly approve if her boyfriend took her there: “That’s right honey bunches, tonight we’re going to Nana!”
ETHNIC SENSATIONS
Compared to New York, Bangkok may seem a tad bland when it comes to ethnic diversity. But not in this part of town! Nana Nua (Soi 3) is home to a large Muslim community, its members hailing from Arabia to Central Asia. Some are just tourists, others are long-time residents catering to the former or doing business. With them comes a wealth of exotic costumes, languages and food (see Tastes of Nana, below)—authentic, fragrant and mouth-watering all at once. Work up an appetite by walking the soi as whiffs of herbs and aromas escape Omani, Uzbeki, Pakistani and Indian kitchens. Start with the recently opened Gulf Beach Restaurant owned and operated by Chef Navin Singh. A few doors down, is Alif Laila, brought to you by the same guys who own the renowned Bawarchi restaurant in Sukhumvit Soi 11. Across from it, old-timers Mehmaan and Akbar, specialize in Pakistani and Indian cuisines respectively.
Besides food, there are lots of other things to ensnare the senses within the Nana vicinity…for instance, shopping! (Earth to ladies!) After all that walking in the heat and humidity, the best thing to do would be to rest those heels inside Nana Square (corner of Nana and Sukhumvit), a few floors of indoor shopping much like the Ploenchit Center (once a hit) across the street. Whether you’re looking for great deals on the latest international best-sellers at Megabooks (see Marketplace, below) or are simply aching for your daily caramel macchiato at Starbucks, The Square is the place to be. For something a bit more alternative, explore the myriad of little shops lined up on the street side, selling every little thing a tourist could possibly need: from luggage tags to women’s lingerie. This could be fun, especially if you’re a fan of shopping at good ole Pratunam or MBK where price tags never exceed B199.
HEAVEN AND HELL
The Nana Entertainment Plaza is home to the seedier sides of Nana. Our Good Girl wouldn’t really like to be lumped together with the girls working here. And yet, practically next door, in Soi 2, lies the nemesis of Nana Plaza: The Atlanta Hotel (78 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-252-6069, www.theatlantahotelbangkok.com). The Atlanta, with its strict policies on illegal drugs and sex is like a lone preacher standing in the midst of a brothel. A big signboard by the reception desk in their beautiful 1930s art deco foyer will tell you that they “run on conservative principles and foster traditional values.” Outside, by the front door, more literature, on a sign: “Sex tourists not welcome.” Definitely, a place for good girls. The only catch: Here you’re guilty until proven innocent. If a Thai girl shows up with a man who’s not her husband (or without the ID to prove it), she might be thrown out as some vulgar whore. (“The Atlanta also does not apologise for any mistakes it may be accused of having made with regard to the identification of sex tourists.”) Oops.
The Atlanta, however, bears much more than just its strict policies. The hotel, an obvious pioneer in the area, very rightly boasts about its untouched and traditionally decorated premise, be it the rooms, the foyer (designed by Dr. Max Henn and his wife in the 1950s) or the poolside. Speaking of pools, the Atlanta was the first in Thailand to have a swimming and diving pool installed. Even today, as you walk through the front door, you find that the hotel retains its beautiful “classic golden age” look from the past.
If you leave the holy grounds of the Atlanta, you can acquire some more family values and honest principles at the Calvary Baptist Church (88 Sukhumvit Soi 2, end of Nana Tai, 02-251-8278).
There would be no virtue without sin. Walk deep enough into Soi 4, past the working girls, and you’ll hit a dividing line past which housing becomes very high end. But just before that, still in amid the go-go bars, you have the Sin Club (18 Sukhumvit Soi 4, Raja Complex, above seven-11, 02-), a semi-innocent (depending on the hour) three-story structure dedicated to the game of pool. Up on the topmost floor is their open-air restaurant and fully equipped bar.
BRAVE NEW SOI
“I think this strip has amazing potential,” says Benjamin Baskins, one of the owners of Gazebo (Sukhumvit Soi 1, 02-655-2471, open daily 6pm-late), a new Moroccan flavored bar at the corner of Sukumvit Soi 1. “This could be the new area for people with taste,” he prophesizes. Baskins is betting on much more than his new bar. End of March (or so claims Baskins), One Building at the top of which sits Gazebo will open to the public. One Building will welcome boutiques, possibly a spa and restaurants. “I priced the rent so high, the franchises can’t afford it. I don’t want Starbucks. You can get Starbucks anywhere,” Baskins boasts. There are also some 20 rooms in the building whose fate Baskins is still pondering: Moroccan guesthouse or Japanese love motel?
Alan Platt, a longtime resident of Soi 4, is iffy about the upscale trend. “In the late 70s and early 80s, New York was the place to be. You didn’t need money. Creative minds, most of them broke, could be found everywhere,” reminisces Platt. He believes that the Nana area is in for a depressing Rudy Giuliani-style cleanup. “The fun and excitement, what people long and look for, basically what brings them here, will no longer be there,” he says. Aman and Thavatchai, of the Majestic Grande, also admits that going up-market will have its winners and its losers: “A lot of inter-related economical businesses rely on the travelers who currently come to Nana, so, if it changes and goes up market—the business loss for many people would be huge.”
For Baskins, there is no hesitation. Raising the standard of living and cleaning up the area is the right way to go. “I’m so excited to see people coming back to Soi 1 and introducing them to the future of Bangkok,” he says of his customers, BTS-commuting professionals who want a chill evening in the city center. “To change this area, you don’t have to have a lot of money. You can be a small business owner who has the ability to think creatively enough to want to make a change for the better.” His trick is to “recycle”—converting old buildings into brand new venues to save resources. “If people in the area do this kind of renovation with good taste, I really believe we can make this part of the city look great.”n
Less Than Zero
The dump that is no more
In June of 2006, a nameless soi that never officially existed disappeared as the city went through a clean and green phase in honor of HM the King’s 60th year on the throne. According to our old-hand sources, the small alley began life as a “crappy little tourist market built on wooden planks that used to rattle around when the trains passed” in the 80s; with the open-air hostess beer bars it became known as Buckskin Joe’s or Soi Buckskin, and then Soi Zero until it was shut down and cordoned off with the little white fence you can still see today. Bare, dingy, stuck between an expressway and a railway, without air-con, it was a cheap dirty place to get B50 beers without the “you buy me cola?” kind of pressure exerted further down on Sukhumvit. There was a bit of “market” action at the mouth of the soi, but nothing much. It attracted a fair number of US servicemen and other US government employees, as well as, later, a sizeable Aussie and Kiwi contingent. Bars were raised to avoid flooding, which happened anyway, and the wooden floorboards would creak and bow under the weight of the punters walking them or even skipping about to avoid the treacherous waters below. As a kind of pitch-black underbelly of Bangkok’s dark underbelly, some now credit Soi Zero with a kind of lost trashy appeal.
bk asks: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear “Soi Nana”?
Maliwan Wittig, 34, housekeeper
Clubs and go-go bars. Not many places for us Thai folk to hang out!
Nittiya Kumjing, 22, account executive
The place is very crowded with foreigners, especially Indian and Middle Eastern guys.
Boonsaeng Sirirapchuwong, 41, business owner
Loads of foreigners and traffic! Should be avoided at all costs.
Chawalit Voonbumrung, 50, municipal police officer
A place for people who fancy a night of heavy drinking.
Chalerm Namsao, 30, accountant
Many pubs and bars along the way, even on the sidewalk!
Nopparat Jindanil, 40, English teacher
A lot of culture and diversity. Oh, and the sweet “next station Nana” voice you hear while traveling on the BTS.
Tastes of Nana
Spice up the senses with treats in Sukhumvit Soi 3 & 4
Alif Laila
2/9 Sukhumvit Soi 3, 08-6835-9537, 08-7413-2933. Open daily 10am-late.
Owned by the same guys manning the renowned Indian restaurant Bawarchi in Sukhumvit Soi 11, Alif Laila a.k.a. “The Arabian Nights” specializes in Arabic and Indian food: hummus, kebabs and specialties off the tandoor, just to name a few. Its long patio area sets it apart from the other restaurants around Nana. An open space fitted with vapor fans to shield you from Bangkok’s heat—perfect for a quick bite, a beer and a smooth apple sheesha.
Gulf Beach Restaurant
3/F, 2/1 Sukhumvit Soi 3, 02-655-7778. Open daily 11:30-1:30am.
The newest kid on the block, the Gulf Beach restaurant, opened in late Feb, is one of the few in the area that specializes in a number of different cuisines: Omani, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Arabic, all under one roof. No alcohol served on this third floor diner yet, but plans for a fully equipped bar are in the pipes.
Akbar
1/4 Sukhumvit Soi 3, Nana Nua, 02-650-3347. Open daily 10:30-midnight.
Akbar, named after the great Mughal ruler, has been serving Indian cuisine for 29 years. This three-story restaurant is perfect for those who are looking for an afternoon of cricket and some authentic north Indian food, like the tandoori mixed grill (B240, lamb and chicken kebab as well as chicken, mutton and fish tikka all on one big silver platter.) If you’re looking to dine with your hands in true Indian style, then the butter chicken (B180) accompanied with the cheese naan (B80), is a mouth-watering combination. Too lazy? Call for delivery!
Bollywood
20/11, Nana-tai, Sukhumvit Soi 4, 02-656-9982/3. Open daily 11am-midnight. www.bollywoodbangkok.com.
Decked out in patriotic white, orange and green, with a big round Tandoor oven outside, Bollywood, as the name suggests, specializes in all kinds of Indian cuisine. From the stuff you get off of the streets of Mumbai (paneer pakoda B89) to dishes fit for a king (mutton handi biryani B219), Bollywood, opened now for four years, is the only one of its kind in Nana Tai. The restaurant comfortably fits about 50 and has a mini banquet hall, perfect for a small private party. It also specializes in tiffin services and delivery within the Sukhumvit area.
Roadside Shwarma
All along Sukhumvit Soi 3 (neighboring Grace Hotel, next to Nana Square)
Don’t really care for a sit-down lunch and are simply looking for a quick taste of the Middle East? Take your pick from a selection of either lamb or chicken, grilled right before your eyes, served with yummy fries or (for the more health conscious) in a neatly rolled pita!
Greenhouse
The Landmark Hotel, 138 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-254-0404, www.landmarkbangkok.com. Open daily 24 hrs.
Located on the ground floor, Greenhouse specializes in everything from sandwiches to Chinese breakfast (pork congee, B130). Fans of “fresh” air can choose to sit along their terrace section opened everyday till midnight.
RR&B
The Landmark Hotel, 138 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-254-0404 ext. 3100, www.landmarkbangkok.com. Open Sun-Thu, 6-11pm, Fri-Sat, 6pm-midnight.
Steaks, wine and a view of Bangkok at this 31st floor attraction could cost you a fortune but are surely worth a try. The bar located on the outside just as you walk out the elevator is opened daily from 5pm-2am.
Tsunami
JW Marriott Hotel, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-656-7709. Open daily for lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner 6-10pm.
Japanese and Teppanyaki cuisine plus a bar with cocktails and a selection of wines. A separate section called Nami, is made for you to sit around as the chef prepares your dinner in front of you.
Bully’s
Sukhumvit Rd., between soi 2 & 4 (next to JW Marriott), 02-656-4609.
Be it for breakfast or just snackies at lunch, Bully’s is great for a game of pool and a Guinness on a warm Bangkok afternoon.
Took Lae Dee
Foodland, 87 Sukhumvoi Soi 5., 02-254-2367.
If you shop at Foodland, you know Took Lae Dee (Cheap and good). Spend no more than B100 on a lunch or dinner and walk it off along the aisles of the grocery store.
