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View Full Version : Mint Bar, Ko Samui, Thailand



samui
08-12-2003, 11:20 AM
I want to tell you all a bit about the bar i'm opening, in the hope that if any of you travel out this way, you'll consider bringing along your records too.

It's on an Island called Ko Samui in the gulf of Thailand, the Island next to Ko Pang ngan which is famous for it's full moon parties etc. Samui is a great island, and has some good bars, and great parties of it's own, but what it's lacking is somewhere that plays good house music. I'm hoping to change that.


The bar is two floors, downstairs aircon, upstairs will be open with fans. The frontage is 12m, and it is 14m deep, thats over 150sqm per floor, so it's a fairly decent size, not massive, but big enough.

The whole of the 12m frontage on the ground floor will be glass, 12mm like a trendy shopfront, this is because the street is pedestrianised, and anyone who knows Thailand, knows it's a great place to people watch.

Inside the floor will be teak, and the bar tops will be black marble/granite. I'm having all the furniture custom designed too. The dj box will be at the opposite end to the entrance, and the bar on the right had side. There will be no pillars inside, as the roof is being reinfored with steal to hold the wieght of the second floor. That way it'll one nice open space..

The toilets are upstairs, and are also made out of black marble, sinks, urinals etc. Theres a second bar upstairs, and a terrace which overlooks the street below. The street below is a crazy street called soi green mango, anyone who's been to chaweng in samui will know it, this bar is at the top of that street, next to a few other disco's, but all the rest are open air, so sitting upstairs will be a great place to watch whats going on around you in this crazy place.

I have a few people who live here who have good vinyl, and they will dj. But what i'm looking for is people to come over for maybe a month or two at a time and be residents while they're here. That way we can keep it fresh, and have more varied music, unfortunatley good vinyl is impossible to get here! Basically anyone with good vinyl who can mix is welcome, those who've been to Thailand are probobally already packing their record bags, but for those who havn't been there, I kid you not, I will show you the time of your lives.

Also any big name dj's who are traveling out this way to work in singapore, malaysia, hong kong etc. if you fancy coming down here to Samui to relax for a few days on the beach, and spin a few tunes, let me know, it'd be great to get a few of you over here. A few have already expressed an interest, if you fancy checking out Samui, let us know, so we can sort something out.

If anyone has any questions please ask away.

ruse
08-12-2003, 11:52 AM
i first went to samui in '96 and have many great memories of the island, green mango pub and reggae pub, it is a great little island and i would encourage any DJs on this board not to pass up this opportunity!!!
samui, could you tell us more about your background, also do you think people on samui will be receptive to deep house music and which people in particular (the local/thai population or the farangs)? peace and good luck,
Ruse

p.s.- i plan on being there in december, would love to check it out

samui
08-12-2003, 12:33 PM
I've lived on the Island for three years, and the one thing this place is missing is decent house music. We have techno and trance and drum and bass at the beach parties, but mostly of the clubs play a mixture of everything, house isn't catered for at all here.

So many of my friends who live on the Island have comented, that the one thing this place really needs is somewhere that plays house. It's the music I'm into, and I share their opinion. The Thai's are always up for a party, and although they arn't that clued up musically, they do know how to enjoy themselves. I also know lots of people who come here regulary, and i'm sure they'd love somewhere to party that plays good music. Lots of people are put off coming here because they think all the music is trance etc, now theres gonna be something extra so they too can come here and enjoy themselves.

ruse
08-12-2003, 02:23 PM
i commend you for having a musical vision for your venue. i was certainly searching for good house music when i went to samui and i had to settle for euro-pop at green mango or goa trance at a beach rave instead. actually i would have just loved some live music on the beach, but maybe i am asking too much.
i am interested to know what sort of obstacles you had to overcome; was there a lot of red tape, etc. I've had some friends that owned a nightclub (more geared to jazz and live music) in bangkok which ultimately went broke because they failed to find a niche in the market (on that part of sukhumvit road, there's a bar every 2 meters...and most of them have....um....friendly female hostesses, whereas his didnt).
again, congrats, and best of luck to you.
Ruse

samui
08-13-2003, 03:33 AM
Something I forgot to mention was the sound equipment. This stuff is hard to get in Thailand, so it's all had to be imported.

2 x 12/10 mk5
2 x cdj 1000
rane mp 44 mixer
JBL SRX series speakers, about 5k
crown macrotech amps

You wouldn't believe the hassle it is to get this stuff over here. But if anyone wants the cdj's come to Thailand cos they're only about $700, I think it's the cheapest place in the world for them. And the Mk 2 come out here in the next couple of weeks apparently.

Martin Red
08-22-2003, 05:46 AM
Originally posted by samui:
Something I forgot to mention was the sound equipment. This stuff is hard to get in Thailand, so it's all had to be imported.

2 x 12/10 mk5
2 x cdj 1000
rane mp 44 mixer
JBL SRX series speakers, about 5k
crown macrotech amps

You wouldn't believe the hassle it is to get this stuff over here. But if anyone wants the cdj's come to Thailand cos they're only about $700, I think it's the cheapest place in the world for them. And the Mk 2 come out here in the next couple of weeks apparently. Check PM