Long-standing nightclub and restaurant Bed Supperclub will close its doors August 31st, 2013, after operating for nearly 11 years. The iconic venue was famous for its bold architecture (a kind of cylinder on stilts), its constant efforts to bring in big name DJs and edgy artistic performances which took place during dinner.

After the club’s lease expired, the landlord did allow it to stay “until further notice.” But given the uncertainty of the situation, Bed Supperclub was unwilling to perform the renovations it felt the club needed to stay competitive, renovations creative director Sanya Souvanna Phouma says would have amounted to a B30 million investment. Meanwhile, new openings such as Above Eleven, Levels and even extensions to Q Bar, made Bed Supperclub appear increasingly static.

“I’m very, very sad,” says Sanya about closing. “But honestly, Soi 11 has changed. The experience isn’t nice. You have to walk past guys drinking out of vans to get here. When we moved in, the soi was all houses with garden. There was nothing except Q Bar. Even if we contributed to changing the soi, it’s just not what we’re about anymore.”

Divided into two sections, one purely used as a nightclub, the other hosting dinners and performances, Bed Supperclub is a totally unique proposition, one with no real equivalent in Bangkok. Last week, diners sprawled on the club’s massive bed-like sofas were treated to an intimate concert where Gene Kasidit sang in furs, flirtatiously worked the crowd with a gin tonic in hand, and ultimately collapsed for her finale in a red couch that had been set in the middle of the room.

“I don’t think there’s a single greatest moment for me,” says Sanya. “There are so many. The Laurent Garnier set where he turned all the lights on full-blast for 10 minutes, and everyone had their hands in the air the whole time. Billy Cobham, one of the greatest jazz artists for me. And there was this dinner where we had performance artists take all the leftovers, mix them in a giant vat, and make these perfectly packaged little samples for people to take back home. One diner was so offended, he  asked for a refund.”

Sanya says the Bed team wants the club to live on and will be seeking out a new location, a process which will take at least a year. In the meantime, expect celebratory events for all of July and August.

Bed Supperclub would have turned 11 years old six days after its Aug 31st farewell party. “We’re proud of having put Bangkok on the map in terms of clubbing, food and culture. We want to maintain the brand and our DNA and hold on to that for the next one,” Sanya says.

 

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