UPDATE: Information has just emerged that the new Cheap Charlie’s will be on Sukhumvit Soi 50, opposite Tesco Lotus near BTS On Nut. The new bar will be an outdoor venue and should be finished in approximately three weeks. Look for information about an opening event on Coconuts or on the bar’s Facebook page.
A Facebook post made late last night on the page for Cheap Charlie’s Bar, the beloved alleyway watering hole frequented by Bangkok expats for over 30 years, indicates that the much-missed nightlife spot will re-open soon, after it sadly closed in April.
The exciting post elicited a long string of people tagging their friends with the good news, as well as questions asking where and when the spot will reopen. Bar owner Ekkachai Budkajang is being tight-lipped with details so far, but the photo that accompanies the post shows that they are already rebuilding the actual bar, which indicates that the opening should not be too far off.
It also appears that they are building the bar in a shipping container, which elicits all sorts of guesses. Could the new bar be inside one of Bangkok’s night markets, where many food and drink establishments are housed in the re-purposed containers? Or are they just building it in the container for transport to a new location? Another guess is that the new bar will also be an outdoor establishment since a shipping container can’t house an entire indoor bar.
Formerly located on Sukhumvit Soi 11, Cheap Charlie’s closed seven months ago because the one-rai parcel of land it sat on was allegedly sold to hotel developers for THB2 billion. However, the land has sat empty and without construction starting ever since, much to the chagrin of former customers.
We spoke to Ekkachai last month when we heard whispers that the bar would re-open in the same place since perhaps the land deal had fallen through. At that time, he said, “I heard a rumor too. I did ask them to return to the same place and have been waiting for their answer. I’m hoping for good news.”
When Coconuts interviewed Ekkachai for the first time back in June of last year, he said that they would only reopen if they could find an outdoor location in Bangkok’s central district. So, hopefully, that means they won’t be reopening in some location far off the beaten expat path.
Coconuts has reached out to Cheap Charlie’s for comment and will update this post as details emerge.
