Best wine bar I have seen in Asia, in Siem Reap and its gay

[lonelywombat]

Over 120 different labels for sale and a large number by the glass, why is something like not available in Pattaya. yes I know there is no sales tax on wine in Cambodia and in Thailand it is a prohibitive 300%

Siem Reap seemed like an extension of Sunee last week with so many faces in Pub Street and the lane. This was certainly one of the highlights of my trip to Cambodia. Wine lovers I commend this bar to you.

http://thestationwinebarsiemreap.com/

The top prices for his top of the range wines were just under $US100 and if available in Thailand would cost more than 3 times that. maybe more.

There is a small drag show now on friday as well as saturday. I am not a fan of drag but I did enjoy this. First the "boys" really enjoyed what they were doing, did not take themselves seriously and laughed with us if they tripped of misssed a step.

The owner was in the wine industry for 13 years but I doubt his qualifications after he tried to persuade me to drink some Napa chardonnay. Wine is served with free cheese and olives, a nice touch.

I wish I wish I wish there was something similar in Pattaya

Several people I have discussed this with since returning have mused--- it might be worth driving the car for a visit and to bring back a bottle or three.

[Brisboy82]

It is a very nice bar but when I was there it was empty.

[francois]

The owner was in the wine industry for 13 years but I doubt his qualifications after he tried to persuade me to drink some Napa chardonnay.
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I wish Thailand would be more enlightened and stop the high taxes on imported wine.

But Napa/California Chardonnay is some of the finest in the world. One of the worst chardonnays I tasted was from NZ. It all depends on the particular vintner.

[lonelywombat]

It is a very nice bar but when I was there it was empty.


take out the bar boys in the other gay bars, and they are also empty.

[thaiguest]

The owner was in the wine industry for 13 years but I doubt his qualifications after he tried to persuade me to drink some Napa chardonnay.
.

I wish Thailand would be more enlightened and stop the high taxes on imported wine.

But Napa/California Chardonnay is some of the finest in the world. One of the worst chardonnays I tasted was from NZ. It all depends on the particular vintner.

I wish Cambodia would be more enlightened and stop the foreign NGOs shadowing gay visitors as probable perverts in a country not their own. It is very likely that while you sipped cheaper-than-thailand wine in the gay venue in Siem Reap you were observed by the phronetic western (christian) legion now rampant there- especially if you also resided in a gay hostelry. (Though the PM has threatened to throw them all out (maybe due to chinese pressure) he has not yet delivered on the threat so great is the NGOs monetary clout).
While you praise Cambodian gay wine bars remember that you are likely to get a long prison term if you do what we gay people do, occasionally, as a matter of course, in Thailand; pay for sex irrespective of age.
I'll stay here in Thailand and pay a bit more for the wine thank you.

[lonelywombat]

I wish Cambodia would be more enlightened and stop the foreign NGOs shadowing gay visitors as probable perverts in a country not their own. It is very likely that while you sipped cheaper-than-thailand wine in the gay venue in Siem Reap you were observed by the phronetic western (christian) legion now rampant there- especially if you also resided in a gay hostelry. (Though the PM has threatened to throw them all out (maybe due to chinese pressure) he has not yet delivered on the threat so great is the NGOs monetary clout).
.

I have noticed in the past comments on NGO's in the hilltribes area and now you mention Cambodia. But who are these NGO;s , what are they called., Are they religious nuts , homophobic nuts or just plain nutters. Please give us some names or links so we can check on google.

[stevehadders]

my understanding was that it was fine to pay as long as not a minor, which is a good thing I believe - I never had any issues in the barswhen I was there - has this changed? In fact I met a couple of outrageous queens from the UN in Blue Chili in PP, and again in SR - they were enjoying every moment

[Beachlover]

Great post, Lonely... But WHY is it in the Thailand forum and why hasn't it been moved to the SE Asia forum?

Doesn't make sense to have an interesting thread like this in the already-busy Thailand forum when we're trying to get the SE Forum thriving.

[lonelywombat]

Great post, Lonely... But WHY is it in the Thailand forum and why hasn't it been moved to the SE Asia forum?

Doesn't make sense to have an interesting thread like this in the already-busy Thailand forum when we're trying to get the SE Forum thriving.

If you care to check, it is in both forums. I had suggested that Pattaya needed something like this and unless it is by mistake, it was left in the main forum as an idea for Pattaya.
There is nowhere you can get a good wine here without a meal. When I posted I suggested that the old Amor [Street Life] might be a good location, or maybe Cafe Royale.

The announcement of the new disco where Amor was, led me to edit the nomination of possible wine bars. I still think there could be a niche market for wine drinkers.

[goji]

my understanding was that it was fine to pay as long as not a minor, which is a good thing I believe - I never had any issues in the barswhen I was there

That's how it was on my previous visits also.

I wish Cambodia would be more enlightened and stop the foreign NGOs shadowing gay visitors as probable perverts in a country not their own. It is very likely that while you sipped cheaper-than-thailand wine in the gay venue in Siem Reap you were observed by the phronetic western (christian) legion now rampant there- especially if you also resided in a gay hostelry. (Though the PM has threatened to throw them all out (maybe due to chinese pressure) he has not yet delivered on the threat so great is the NGOs monetary clout).
While you praise Cambodian gay wine bars remember that you are likely to get a long prison term if you do what we gay people do, occasionally, as a matter of course, in Thailand; pay for sex irrespective of age.
I'll stay here in Thailand and pay a bit more for the wine thank you.

thaiguest,

You are fully entitled to your own opinion but it is no worse than Thailand by any means where you are shadowed by undercover reporters or even worse Police trying to entrap you and extort money from you if you happen to make a mistake and go with a 17 year old! The Police in Cambodia are a lot less obtrusive and a lot easier to get along with than Thailand and long may it continue. There are no jackboots, dark sunglasses and large revolvers hanging from their waists on every street corner in Siem Reap.

On topic, the Station bar deserves good reviews, it's a great place and it certainly wasn't empty this last week when I was there. The owner is an Aussie named Tony and was a great welcoming host and a thoroughly nice man. I loved his company as did my partner Tam.

[Manforallseasons]

You are fully entitled to your own opinion but it is no worse than Thailand by any means where you are shadowed by undercover reporters or even worse Police trying to entrap you and extort money from you if you happen to make a mistake and go with a 17 year old! The Police in Cambodia are a lot less obtrusive and a lot easier to get along with than Thailand and long may it continue. There are no jackboots, dark sunglasses and large revolvers hanging from their waists on every street corner in Siem Reap.(Kquill)

I don't think Sven the former owner of Seven restaurant in Sunee would agree with your assessment.

[Beachlover]

Yeah but if the allegations against him are true then he deserves to be shot (not literally).

[Manforallseasons]

Yeah but if the allegations against him are true then he deserves to be shot (not literally).

I didn't realize you were familiar with these "allegations" what do you deem them to be?

Yeah but if the allegations against him are true then he deserves to be shot (not literally).

I didn't realize you were familiar with these "allegations" what do you deem them to be?


Hi Manforallseasons,

I make no judgements at all regards Sven.

I have been on the ground in Siem Reap and was told the following by at least three different sets of people at different times and locations in Siem Reap. They differ slightly but generally are the same in content. It was a hot topic for a while down there.

They say he had already sold his guesthouse business as accusations and gossip were beginning to circulate and he was going to return to Thailand. The money apparently was kept on his premises shortly after concluding the sale. There was a theft of money and Sven called in the Police.

It was after inviting the Police in that a number of accusations were made against him by parties allegedly involved in the theft. These included a 15 year old and a number of other workers who claimed he had actively encouraged them to go with customers and had taken them himself for private interviews and ' training '. Furthermore, when they went with customers, he took a commission from them.

This practice also allegedly involved his Cambodian manager. Based on the testimony of his staff and an admission from the manager, a lawsuit was filed. I was also told NGOs had become involved in chasing up a conviction and there was an amount of pressure exerted by the Embassy. Because of the commissions being charged, it became a cut and dried case of running a brothel and encouraging and procuring prostitution with minors and he couldn't say they were acting independently.

I personally have no ill will towards Sven but if these allegations are true, he was a bloody fool.

On another note, I stand by what I said, if you are going about your normal business with guys of age,gay or otherwise, the Police who are not highly visible have no interest in you.

It is quite recent that Hun Sen's lot were getting a bit pissed off with NGOs constantly rocking the boat and generating bad publicity on isolated incidents for Siem Reap when they were actively trying to promote tourism.

Back to topic, good luck to the Station Bar.

This is what the people are saying in Siem Reap. Sometimes, if the authorities are looking for a fall guy, wrong place and wrong time springs to mind.

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?c ... ws_id=8962 (http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=kh&news_id=8962)

http://exploreangkorwat.com/khmer-news/ ... -in-prison (http://exploreangkorwat.com/khmer-news/danish-hostelier-gets-8-years-in-prison)

[Beachlover]

Haha... Thanks for doing my homework Kquill!

To answer Manforallseasons... some of what Kquill describes above was posted on this forum some months ago. That's all I know about the allegations and that's what I based my comment on. If what's described above is true then he does deserve to be shot...

I emphasise the "IF" in my comment. For all we know it could all be made up.

[Manforallseasons]

Haha... Thanks for doing my homework Kquill!

To answer Manforallseasons... some of what Kquill describes above was posted on this forum some months ago. That's all I know about the allegations and that's what I based my comment on. If what's described above is true then he does deserve to be shot...

I emphasise the "IF" in my comment. For all we know it could all be made up.


B.L. You sound as if you are "born again"...Good for you!

[danny99]

The owner was in the wine industry for 13 years but I doubt his qualifications after he tried to persuade me to drink some Napa chardonnay.

A strange comment? What is wrong with Napa Chardonnay? Robert Mondavi, the father of Napa Valley also introduced this style of chardonnay to Australia when he set up Leeuwin Estate in the Margaret River in the late 70's, which set off a chain reaction creating MArgaret River as one of the great new wine producers in the world.

[lonelywombat]

I was a chardonnay drinker but gradually got hooked by New Zealand sav blanc wines, when I bought my restaurant. That was over 10 years ago and my last experience was drinking chardonnay at Fishersmans Wharf in San Francisco, a few years before that. Three different locations during that visit. None of them impressed me and I was ready for a change.

The original selection of wines included a very new wine that I liked, and it grew over the next few years to a blend. 3 years ago I tried it and it was quite different. I have had reports that chardonnay is coming back hard into NZ and am eager to try,

I went to the Margaret Valley to do some wine tasting over Xmas, had a great day but was travelling lightly. Might get back there again.