8 Bar is almost as good a name as Soi 8 Pub (that became The Kiwi) but 8 Bar it is and it opened on Friday night funnily enough on… Soi 8.

I mistakenly thought it was called “Crown” when I shared a photo on social media but that’s the tailor’s shop next door. My apologies for the mistake.

No matter who you talk to on the soi everyone says it is a Hillary bar. Even the staff working on opening night were telling customers it’s a Hillary bar despite the owners telling me umpteen times it’s not.

What it’s not is the new Mulli’s as I thought it was going to be. Money down the drain there for me.

As for 8 Bar, I didn’t venture up that far as I was having myself a good old time of it in Today Soi 8 Bar – another mind-blowing name choice.

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It’s been a long six months for everyone in the bar business in Bangkok and beyond with no sign of anything changing anytime soon I’m sad to say but it’s not all doom and gloom.

Traditional pubs and bars by all accounts seem to be fairing not too badly with only expats and anyone claiming to be “stuck” here to keep things turning over as the country waits to reopen the borders and allow tourists back.

The owners of The Oasis on Soi Cowboy have dusted the place down and are opening back up for business on Wednesday 16th September giving punters another option if they are getting bored of the usual.

It’s also a decent people-watching spot on the Neon Alley where you can sit back and sup without bargirls bugging you for a drink.

Some special offers have been lined up including 89 baht pints of Heineken, Tiger, Chang, Asahi and Federbrau plus Guinness at 190b and Magners only 160b a pint for BKK Funcard holders.

BKK Funcards are FREE, just ask a member of staff to sort you out with one.

The kitchen will be open throughout serving up all the usual pub grub favourites from opening at 3pm until “late”.

When Mulli’s on Soi 11 shut up shop it left everyone thinking it was curtains for this once popular Bangkok bar but a recent Facebook post says it’s making a return in a new location.

No details of where and when were given, only we’ll be back soon.

My money is going on the location on Soi 8 opposite and up a little from Viva that everyone keeps telling me is going to be a new Hillary bar despite me telling them otherwise.

If it turns out to be true that Mulli’s do open on Soi 8 that will be interesting in that their former manager has just taken over at Viva where they plan to become sports focused.