Paradise hotel and heart shaped pool?

Post by **Hammerheadfred** » March 2, 2007, 12:26 am

I was at Ramasun from 1970 to 74 and I don't remember it being off limits at anytime.

It was a pretty wild place though. I remember the afternoons more than the nights. It was a good place to go if you worked one of the night shifts. The working girls use to hang out there while their zoomie boyfriends were at work and make a little extra cash.

I remember that jukebox playing Pink Floyd almost all the time.

Post by **dan115loop** » March 2, 2007, 6:28 am

The pool was off limits because of the water at times. Oscars was close to the base down a few yards from Soi Sippini

Post by **Mainer** » March 2, 2007, 11:16 pm

Yes the pool is still there, but only a bit of bright green rainwater in it. It is across the soi from the hotel, just past the empty parking lot. Here are a couple of photos taken yesterday. The first one shows the hole in the fence where I took the 2nd photo. It is completely abandoned except for many dogs which have taken over the buildings in back of the 2nd photo. It is a mess. Typical of the management of the hotel these days. Prime real estate gone to waste.

Hole in the fence where you can view the pool.

The infamous pool.

standing directly across the soi from Paradise Hotel, looking at the entrance to the pool area.

The soi

Post by **keg** » March 3, 2007, 12:09 am

Mainer,

Great pics!! Is the pool actually heart shaped? In your pics it looks like it may be but my recolection from 92 is that it was not. Maybe my recolection matches my old age. I went there at night about 3 weeks ago after arriving in town and I did not even think that the pool was still in there.

Craig

Post by **beer monkey** » March 3, 2007, 1:22 am

Thanks for those pics , looked like a good place many moons ago, shame its been left like that.

Post by LU » March 3, 2007, 6:02 am

Thanks Mainer. The pictures are pretty much what I remember from a couple of years ago. Your picture of the parking lot with the tuk-tuks in it is interesting. It used to be packed with taxis and samlars.

Yes Keg, it was a heart shaped pool (and still is). Just more difficult to recognize it as such in it's present sorry state of disarray.

Post by **beer monkey** » March 3, 2007, 6:16 am

Hammerheadfred wrote: The working girls use to hang out there while their zoomie boyfriends were at work and make a little extra cash.

Had to look this word up " Zoomie"
found this...

1. zoomie

The term by which a cadet at USAFA is commonly know among jealous civilians

That zoomie is really, really, really, ridiculously good looking and is also so damn smart.

2. Zoomie

A term used to refer to the US Air Force.

Damn those jarheads, squids, and dogfaces; zoomies are better.

3. Zoomie

what USNA midshipman call the students at the offcial U.S. Government school for desk jobs and golfing (the U.S. Chair Force Academy) LOL

4. zoomie

when you make farting noises with your mouth on someone's body, creating a tickling effect, causing laughter.

which one is it ?

Back to the pool, does the Hotel still own the pool ?

Post by **polehawk** » March 3, 2007, 12:21 pm

beer monkey wrote:

which one is it ?

This is the correct one:

2. Zoomie

A term used to refer to the US Air Force.

Damn those squids (US Navy) and dogfaces (US Army); jarheads (US Marines) are better.

Working gals from the Udorn bars used to congregate at the Paradise after the bars closed every night during those days. Never noticed any planes dropping toilet paper but could've happened.

Post by **beer monkey** » March 3, 2007, 5:19 pm

poolhawk wrote:Never noticed any planes dropping toilet paper but could've happened.

it sure looks like something was dropped on the area though.

Post by **Mainer** » March 3, 2007, 7:55 pm

beer monkey wrote: Back to the pool, does the Hotel still own the pool ?

Yes, the hotel still owns the pool and the property that it sits on, as far as I know. They owned 20 townhouses (shophouses) but recently lost them to the bank. I believe the widow of the owner during the early days is still living there in the hotel. Her daughter-in-law is running the place.

They have done some exterior painting of the hotel but the rooms are much the same as the early days.

Post by **tigerryan** » April 22, 2007, 2:00 am

I just received a photo from my father in law of the paradise pool from 1969. The dive board and the handrails match up perfect. He also sent two great steet pics of Udon and a couple from the airfield. Im leaving town for a few day but will load them up soon. Also the history chanel has a dog fights againts all odds or somthing like that program a portion of it is about Col. Leo Thorsness dog fight that won him the CMOH. It said that he landed at Udorn after his dogfight out of gas. He was then shot down eight days later and spent the rest of the war in the Hanoi Hilton. The part about the pool that really hits me is knowing how many guys must have had their last beer and dose of nightlife there before packing it in so young.

Post by **tigerryan** » April 24, 2007, 9:37 pm

Picture of the Paradise Hotel heart shaped pool in 1969.
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2555/scan0070og1.jpg[/code]

Post by **Mainer** » April 24, 2007, 9:55 pm

Here it is.

Post by **tigerryan** » April 24, 2007, 10:00 pm

Looking out of the Paradise towards town in 1969 I think.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/5809/scan0072zu0.jpg

I cant figure out what I am doing wrong trying to post this pic hmmmmmmmm

Post by **beer monkey** » May 24, 2007, 11:35 pm

tigerryan wrote:Looking out of the Paradise towards town in 1969 I think.
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/5809/scan0072zu0.jpg[img[/img]

I cant figure out what I am doing wrong trying to post this pic hmmmmmmmm

just browsing some stuff and noticed this post,so i thought i would just correct it, this is the picture you was trying to post....a month late but .......

Post by **Mainer** » January 14, 2008, 5:27 pm

I have noticed lately that there is demolition going on at the lounge and pool at the Paradise Hotel. This area is across the street from the hotel and to the right of the big empty parking lot, as standing with your back to the hotel.

I have been asking around as to what is happening and near as I can tell from the tuk-tuk drivers, who sit there all day, the bank is doing it. I suspect the hotel lost the property to the bank, and either they are making it look better for a prospective buyer or it has already been sold and it is the new owner that is doing the demolition. I really do know for sure, at this time.

I have taken some photos inside the gate and I have 52 online. I have included two 1969 photos I got from this post from UdonMap. I tried to stand in the same spot as the one showing the pool area as it used to look in 1969, but there is a group of trees in the way. The photos can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/n1uly/ and clicking on "Paradise Hotel" set, or here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/n1uly/sets ... 687885818/

I spoke to a Thai man who has worked for the hotel since 1968 and I even showed him the photos taken in 1969. He just smiled. Dang, I wished I could speak Thai sometimes. The stories he could tell !!

Enjoy.

Post by **pf-flyer** » January 14, 2008, 8:57 pm

In the early 70's my TW and I had a bungalow on Soi Raumjit on the Udonthani map. It was in a complex called Chock Boonmar. Back then it was a dirt street and my Thai landlord called the street Soi Gatoy. It was right about where the letter [ j ] is. I do not know if is is the same street or not. We made a visit in 2004 and my brother in law drove us up past the Main Gate where Udon Royal Thai Air Force base used to be and I could not beleive how much things have changed. I remember of pool at the Paradise hotel.
I may have some old B&W photos of the area.....I will look around to see if I can find any. Thanks for the memories.

Post by LU » January 14, 2008, 10:31 pm

Great slide show Mainer...thanks for the memories (sorry Bob ). It used to be THE after hours place to go. The beer was ice cold, the juke box loud and a fun crowd (so I've been told ). During one of my visits back to Udorn I had a strong desire to revisit the Pool. I found it easily enough, ordered a large Singha from the kind folks at the Hotel and then spent some quiet time in the pool area. Kind of a nice experience. I guess now this is called progress, but I for one believe a little bit of history is being lost with the destruction of the Paradise Pool.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » January 15, 2008, 9:41 am

Ah, the Paradise Pool!! A place to go late late in the evenings.. Many is the time I departed from the Junpen Club, The Golden Horse, or the Golden Palace with a mob of folks and girls via a swarm of samlors heading for the "Pool"..
I can remember one rainy season night, half-lit with the TGF jammed in the Samlor beside me, egging the driver to a faster speed and racing friends with their TGF's to the Pool.. As we raced down the road I can remember looking up at a full moon in a cloudy sky. A strange phenomenon... The moon had a bright bright ring around it.
Arriving at Paradise Pool, all dismounted and stumbled up the stairs with TGF's getting their VD cards checked.. Dragging some tables together we swilled beer.. What was the closing hour back then?? 0100?? Occassionally, boisterous folks would heave their buddies into the pool. Folks going to take a leak in the bathrooms on the backside of the poolhouse bar would be accosted by a deaf and dumb girl named "Beah" who would offer oral sex.. Remember her?? The Paradise Hotel Restaurant stayed open late too.. Kobe Steak was their top-line offer although this place was the only food that ever gaving me raging dysentery..
Yeah, a sad thought that the "Pool" will be gone.. That's the way it goes....

Post by **papaguido** » January 15, 2008, 11:00 am

My memories of the Paradise are of an earlier time. During Cobra Gold 93, the Paradise hotel, as well as the Charone, were contracted for billeting. At that time the pool was opened, but is was placed off limits by the flight surgeon. There was also a stage for sing song girls who were available for the "evening" and an outdoor dining area.

The hotel cook, an older lady, and her family lived across the street. One day I asked her if she would show me how to prepare tom yum goong, which she did. There after whenever I had time off from training she would invite me into the kitchen for a quick cooking lesson.

Her daughter, young in her early 30's, was the mamasan for the sing song girls. Recently, about 6 months ago I ran into her at Big C. I was surprised she remembered me by name.

For sure many a memory there for a lot of folks.