Plenty going on this month as some of the sois in the area continue to undergo major facelifts with major projects moving forward as well as small changes being made here and there. Sois 4, 11, 22 and 31 have all seen plenty of changes in the near past and some are still evolving. Take a walk down Soi 4, for example, and you’ll see no less than three major projects underway within 300 meters from Sukhumvit Road.
The Rajah Hotel project is still evolving but it’s hard to say exactly what’s going on here. The large area right on Soi 4 in front of the hotel (the old Strikers spot) is now home to just one business, the newest incarnation of Hillary 1 since the business in front, which was only there for a number of months has now departed. Actually, it wasn’t even there long enough to establish a name at all although we think it was Night Witch.
Anyway, it’s now in the process of being gutted and word is that the Hillary group is taking over the lease. Another place has opened at the side of the same parking lot that has several names it appears. This is where the 7-11 used to be, it having moved across the soi to the old Jools site. And the rest of the Rajah property is being worked on as well with the hotel’s main building in the back being renovated and the wing on the left side of the property completely razed.
What the final incarnation will be is anyone’s guess but there’s still plenty going on there. There’s also plenty going on across the street and down the soi a bit as the hotel on the corner of Soi 6 has been going up very quickly, already at about the seven-storey level or so. It’s got a unique design, at least that’s the way it looks now, and we’ve no idea as to the final size. Across from this spot is a big, new coffee place as the area’s thirst for this beverage seems to show no signs of abating.
And over on the corner of Soi 13 work still progresses at an incredibly slow rate. The project started when George W. Bush was running the U.S and probably won’t be finished until sometime in the 2020s. Across the street we’ve been enjoying Chuwit Park now that it’s reopened as have many other residents. We can only hope it stays this way.
And there are two new Isaan restaurants in the Soi 8 area, one on the soi a way down on the right and one around the corner from the soi next to Bangkok Bank. The Sukhumvit Road location also features a band playing Isaan tunes. We’ve yet to sample the food in either place but plan to soon and we’ll file a report. And, September should bring more visitors so area businesses are starting to looking forward to high season, always a happy time in Sukhumvit.
