Out, About, and Around: Suhkumvit Road Soi 3

I often have occasion to go to the Sukhumvit Road Soi 3 area in Bangkok. My visits to the area are almost always made in response to mundane matters arising, and tedious, tiresome chores that need attention, in my everyday life. But a visit to Soi 3 is never tedious or tiresome. It’s always interesting, and usually fun too.

The Sukhumvit Road Soi 3 area is often referred to locally as Soi Arab. “Soi” is the Thai word for “side-road” or “side-turning”, but is also often used to describe large areas in the vicinity of a particular side-turning from a main road. Soi Arab is so nicknamed because of the very distinctive Middle Eastern influence on the area. A disproportionately large number of Middle Eastern visitors to Bangkok favour the area.

The first photo on today’s entry on Doodee’s Thailand shows Soi 3. It was taken from close to the Sukhumvit Road junction with Soi 3. You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

As you can see, Soi 3 is a very big and very busy side-road. And the Middle Eastern influence is very obvious too. The presence of the Meh Maan and Akbar restaurants on the opposite side of the road are good examples of this influence. Incidentally the Meh Maan and Akbar restaurants are just two of a huge assortment of excellent restaurants in the area. The quality of Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern restaurants in and around Soi 3 is second to none.

Soi 3/1 runs behind and parallel to Soi 3 and is within the area known colloquially as Soi Arab. Soi 3/1 is a side road as I understand a side road to be. It’s narrow, often busy and always cluttered. The following photograph shows Soi 3/1.

The items on the shelves in the left foreground of the photo, ahead of the salad cabinet, are Hookahs. A Hookah is a distinctly Asian, water filled smoking contraption (If you’d like to read more about Hookahs please click on this link to the Wikipedia entry). Hookahs are provided as an after dinner luxury for diners at outside restaurants in Soi 3/1. If you order a smoke on a Hookah, someone will light it for you and then bring it and place it beside your table. A long tube which links to your Hookah is provided for you in order that you may sit comfortably at your table and puff and blow to your heart’s content.

Being a dowdy old Englishman I find the whole Hookah thing a bit quirky. It’s never really appealed to me. But it does fascinate me to watch others partake.

The next photo on Doodee’s Thailand shows my favourite restaurant in Soi 3/1. Hookah Pipes are available for diners.

The final picture on today’s entry to Doodee’s Thailand shows the Grace Hotel. The Grace Hotel is situated in Soi 3 approximately one hundred and fifty metres from the Sukhumvit Road junction. It lists amongst its many attractions an Arabian Nights Cabaret, a Disco Club, a Bowling Room, a Snooker Room, a fine restaurant, and a swimming pool. I know people who’ve stayed at the Grace, and they tell me that it’s very pleasant, and competitively priced too. But that’s not the reason that I’m showing it to you here today.

The reason that I’m showing you the Grace Hotel today is because it is one of the best known hotels in Bangkok. One of the many reasons for its fame is the clientele who frequent the coffee shop beneath the hotel. The Grace Coffee Shop is a popular venue where ladies who seek to offer entertainment and companionship services, and gentlemen seeking such services often congregate.

I used to enjoy visiting the Grace Coffee Shop during the heat of the Bangkok afternoon. I used to enjoy drinking delightfully refreshing iced coffee there. And I used to enjoy practising my Thai language skills with the ladies. Over a period of several years I came to know one of these ladies very well. She told me much about her life, her situation, and her motivations. I plan to share the insights that she gave me into her life with you. And I shall do so in the next entry on Doodee’s Thailand.

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COMING NEXT on Doodee’s Thailand: Learning a little about the life of a fascinating lady.
COMING SOON on Doodee’s Thailand: More photos, more information, and more observations about Thailand, and the places that I’ve visited, and the people that I’ve met. And the occasional anecdote too.

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