They say the older you get the more nutty you become. Nutty Park in Udon Thani would seem as good a place as any to test the theory. Surely it had to be full of old nutters.
Nutty Park is a collection of 20 or so bars based near Udon Thani train station and is literally the nut sat next to the fruit of the Centrepoint Night Market. During daylight the Park is quiet to steady with most of the punters a little past their prime. With my advancing years and rapidly spreading holiday girth I guess I kind of fitted in swell. Most of the old timers had a younger Thai lady in their company and daytime in the bars appeared a lot more fruity than nutty to me, I needed to check it out after dark.
I was a touch apprehensive as I approached Nutty Park after dark, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had visions of deranged old men duelling over fair maidens with an overly aggressive slap of a pension book winning the day as Diana Ross belted out a number in the background. I wondered if cortisone injections made elbows squeak and what bouquet would dance uninvited across my nostrils. Sticky rice and Old Spice would be a potent mix.
The Isaan night air had a slight chill to it and with my heavy cold showing no real signs of improvement I wrapped myself up in a hoodie. Those samlor rides can be a little chilly at times. Santa Claus may have been in town a couple of nights back but tonight a 50 year old hoodie was about to hit Nutty Park.
I dropped Wonderful Wi off at the Centrepoint Night Market and paid the samlor driver. I decided to leave my sardonic and wry thoughts in the back carriage, what the hell, I took one last one with me. On the short walk to the Park I pondered as to whether samlor manufacturers deliberately made the brakes screech whenever they stopped at traffic lights. I decided they did. I took a deep breath and entered Nutty Park.
Nutty Park wasn’t exactly bursting at the seams but there was a far heavier presence of clientele about than there had been during the day. I’d expected loud booming music but was pleasantly surprised to hear the modern tunes were played at a reasonable range of decibels. Either the bar owners were going for a more gentler softer kind of ambiance, or Udon Thani hearing aids were super sensitive.
The age groups of those sat around the tables of the assorted bars varied much more from my lunchtime lark in the park. A few twenty something males and a larger dose of revellers in their thirties and forties just about outweighed us older ones who wince at the thought of being weighed.
The youth stake winners were definitely the Thai bar girls some of whom were real cute and as always they delivered it with the Thai Two Finger Salute. Cute, I was soon wondering if Beer Leo was starting to reach my parts that other beers had failed to breach. Mmmm.
The Up to You Bar and Black and White were just a couple of the bar names which bore evidence that William Shakespeare hadn’t been reborn as a Buddhist bar owner. This was Udon Thani’s small slice of Pattaya served on a barbecue stick and it had started to taste real good.
The Up to You Bar did a steady trade in Western and Thai meals some of which were ordered from the adjoining bars. The bar girls picked at snacks which were available in a stockpile of spices at the Centrepoint market just a papaya’s throw away. Nobody was gonna go hungry in Nutty Park.
I overstayed my time in Nutty Park, I was enjoying it too much. I phoned Wilai and rearranged our meet. A call to a shopaholic in a market full of counterfeit wares, maybe she understood my misplacement of real time. I was enjoying my night listening to modern music and…. screeching brakes, I couldn’t place the artist, but could picture the traffic lights very well.
The evening I spent in Nutty Park left me with the feeling it was a big boys kind of venue with a heavy accent on booze and laughter. As for the bar girls, well….zoom… my heart went boom, I was in a winter wonderland. Nutty Park after dark was simple clean fun, enjoyed in an atmosphere where you could sit back and relax without harassment from any of its revellers. Perhaps I just struck lucky that night.
I was quite impressed with Nutty Park, there were a few western couples dotted about and the feel around the bars was one of laughter and not loud raucous louts. I never once felt ill at ease by anyone’s actions or behaviour. Even the bar girls were knowledgeable enough to know who was no, and who was whoa. Thai bar girls know you never approach a hoodie, you wait for the invite.
If you ever find yourself in Udon Thani then head for Nutty Park after dark. If you’re old enough you never know you might enjoy it. I certainly did.
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Martyn, I was surprised to read that Wi left you to your own devices among a bevy of bars and Thai girls…but then I remembered you had said she was shopping…a girl has to have her priorities.
Nutty Park looks to be a nice place to while a way some hours while having some fun. I hope to make it to Udon in the next year so hopefully I can find out for myself.
.-= Talen´s last blog ..The Bangkok International Tattoo Convention 2010 =-.
Nice post Martyn, the nearest we have to Nutty Park in Prachuap is when MTF goes to the local park to exercise on the machines that are provided to help you sweat even more.
I notice one of the charming young ladies appears to be giving someone the finger
.-= Mike´s last blog ..Ayutthaya Floating Market =-.
I wonder where the closest Nutty Park is to Ari… Perhaps Victory Monument… not sure. So, what does one do in a Nutty Park? Did you play pool? Or chat with the locals? Or both? I haven’t played pool in awhile but it sounds great to me.
(Btw – drinking beer… I got
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..My 30 Day Thai Language Trial: Week Two =-.
Well, never heard of Nutty Park in Udon but then I hadn’t been there for three years. That is, until this past Thursday when I jetted through town, from Nong Khai to UT bus terminal to airport. Sounds like I missed a good place to visit, Martyn.
Query: how long have meter taxis operated in Udon? Don’t remember them. A misnomer anyway. A friend and I raced out of the downtown terminal, spied a real meter taxi. Piled the gear in the trunk and took off, then I told the guy to punch the meter. No way, would he do it. 200 baht to airport he said. WHAT!?!? We complained strenously and threatened to get out. He dropped it to 150. This is still a rip. I was ready to get out pronto but my friend seemed comfortable with the swindle. Gah!
.-= Siam.Rick´s last blog ..Vientiane a peaceful retreat from chaos of Bangkok =-.
dont worry Martyn you can bet your girl was still keeping a eye on you even in nutty park
those jungle drums would have been beating for sure
if you had stepped out of line
nutty park as been a good addition to udon thani for sure there are many bars and restaurants in other complex.s like the cow shed that seem to do very little business
the up-to-you and the black and white bar where two places i liked to hang out down there the the turn in the street and the open bar at the top with pool table makes the place feel like somewhere in the Mediterranean
nutty park as a good feel about it and not far to stager home to the irish clock for the last beer and bed like i did a time our two last time in town
.-= john´s last blog ..money and new year expat udon thani issan =-.
Talen – Wilai knows me well enough by now to know I was chasing a post and not a girl and like you say, a girl shopping….that says it all. Make sure you check out Nutty Park and also the big market next to it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Mike you would have to be nutty to exercise away from the air con in Thailand. I don’t think she’s actually giving the finger because the thumb is also raised, it looks like the gun sign or another form of the two finger salute. Surely she wouldn’t raise the finger to a hoodie.
Catherine I just basically had a few beers in Nutty Park, took some photos and clocked the action. I’m not really one for chatting to strangers as I really prefer to slowly get to know someone first. If someone starts a conversation then no problem but I kind of put a defensive wall around myself and over time I let it slowly get broken down.
Rick Nutty Park is relatively new and so are the taxis. When the cabs started I’m not really sure but I noticed them for the first time on my recent visit. The 150 baht in a cab to the airport is in my opinion not far off a reasonable price, perhaps the cheaper delights of Laos have spoiled you a little.
John the girls grapevine is a very powerful source indeed but I had no intentions of making them beat the drums. The Up to You Bar seemed to do a good steady trade both day and night and overall I was real impressed with Nutty Park. Rick has asked a question about the taxis perhaps you know the rough date they were introduced.
Just the name Nutty Bar conjures up many pictures before I even got reading your post Martyn. I often wonder what the word fun actually means and came to the conclusion that it means something different to every individual. ‘Fun’ in a Bar sounds rather naughty and a bit like living a bit on the edge. You put myh mind to rest though with your own idea of fun there. I like the fingers up from the ladies,I just hope they weren’t giving you a marks out of ten!
.-= martin in bulgaria´s last blog ..Work – That’s How It Is In Bulgaria For Bulgarians =-.
hoo don i guess the metered taxi.s are there in udon thani and many other new places around Thailand but the whole system is pointless unless they turn them on
but to be fair i would not mind paying 200 baht i could soon round up a few more bums on seats
regards john
.-= john´s last blog ..ban dung issan Thailand my favourite videos =-.
Martin the name Nutty Park conjured up all sorts of thoughts in my mind too. In fact it may put off a few of the more fainthearted type people from going there. If the fingers were marking me then I’m sure they would have just used the middle one. Thanks.
John if they turned them on they wouldn’t make as much money. I believe they have only been in operation since sometime last year according to a Udon Thani forum I was on last night.