MOONEYES Staff Steve's Thailand Trip Report
Bangkok Hot Rod Custom Show 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand - February 20 & 21, 2016
Greetings! This is Steve from MOONEYES. MOONEYES Authorized Dealer Fat Boy Design in Thailand invited us to attend the 1st Annual Bangkok Hot Rod Custom Show on February 20-21, 2016 (Sat/Sun) in, as you might have guessed, Bangkok, Thailand. The event organizer "Bomb" has been responsible for the Bangkok International Motorshow and had been wanting to create an event for the custom scene in Bangkok. He teamed up with Fat Boy Design among other close friends and together, they organized this event. With timing being perfect, Shige-san and Wildman both were available too so the three of us made the trip. This was going to be so exciting!
Shige-san has already posted several times on Mooneyes Express Blog about it too.
Also be sure to check out Wildman's Blog for his report.
A couple months before the show, the magazine "Garage Life Thailand" released a new issue featuring an awesome article about the history of MOONEYES. We thought this was great and could be used as a way to promote the event as MOONEYES was an invited guest to their show. As it turned out, Bomb's cousin is the publisher of the magazine and that was thier idea too!
We arrived at Bangkok International Airport in the evening on Friday. Little did we know at the time but it was a three day weekend. However, heavy traffic is very common and we eventually made it to our hotel without any problems. After we checked in, we had dinner and prepared for tomorrow.
We were told that most spectators in Thailand don't show up until the evening but we still got to the event before midday. Sure enough, it was a slow start and it gave us time to settle in. Garage Life had a booth and a RWB Porsche on display.
In the late afternoon people began to arrive. Bomb used the Garage Life booth as a photo and interview spot.
The event was held in a large empty factory building. It had one main hall with functioning air conditioning and two other large warehouse rooms that were connected to it. Parking was just outside for a cars and motorcycles. Of course, it would be nice to have everything in one room but in a way, it had great charm. As a first time event, I thought it was perfect. There were many vendors, lots of food and drinks, live music and entertainment, outside and inside stages and of course great cars and bikes to see!
This was a two-day event. I had no idea what to expect as it was my first time in Thailand. I was blown away as everything was more than what I imagined it would be. The following photos are from both days as they were equally fun! I believe the first day saw more spectators but this could have been something to do with the three day weekend. Overall, it was a fantastic event and they are already making plans for next year!
Some of the vendor booths and the crowd starting to build up.
Luckily, the MOONEYES booth was in the air conditioned building as Wildman was busy from the moment after we setup to the time we left at night. Shige-san was busy as well and even did a short interview on stage.
More vendor booths. The large warehouse rooms were great visually but the temperature was a bit high although nobody seemed to mind at all. Only us "visitors" that were not used to the weather. It was in the mid 30s C (high 80s F) and technically speaking, it was winter season.
The MOONEYES booth had tons of items for sale. This was handled by Mooneyes Authorized Dealer Fat Boy Design and staff.
Wildman pinstriped at his own booth and did autographs as well throughout the course of the event.
Entertainment included a dance squad followed by Wildman's pinstripe demonstration on stage.
More vendor shops
Outside near the stage featured the food vendors with a great selection of all types local food.
Meanwhile inside at the MOONEYES booth, Wildman and Shige-san were working hard!
As the day turned to night, the crowd began to grow.
THE CARS
The cars were lined up just outside the building in a large open area used for the event parking. Being outside, I wasn't sure if rain would suddenly pour down so I decided to take some photos right away. Impressive! I wasn't expecting to see this many cars at all. On top of that, the variety from stock to full custom and everything in between was very cool to see. I think it's safe to say most of these cars are driven and enjoyed by their owners! Each one was unique and made it interesting to check out.
After taking photos of the cars I headed back inside. I figured I would continue by taking pictures of the bikes. By then, it was late afternoon. I noticed more and more people. The limited parking was full before sundown and we heard that people were parked several blocks away. I decided to take photos of the bikes the next day.
In the morning the next day, it was raining. As we made our way to the event location, it cleared up!
THE BIKES
Coming to Thailand, I wasn't sure what to expect and the bikes were another great surprise. So many different styles and all types of bikes, makes and models. Very cool to see the variety here from vintage classics, modern and old choppers, bobbers, long fork choppers to Japanese bikes, European street machines and classics and so much more!
MOONEYES PICK AWARD
The Mooneyes Pick Award went to Thor Chops & Kustoms. A local shop right here in Bangkok, Thailand. He's been building cars and bikes for a very long time. His personal project, this '51 Mercury Kustom took a total of 8 years to complete. All the modifications and custom work was done in house including the chop and down to the small details such as the chrome window frames. The blown engine sounded superb and the full leather interior was amazing too!
BEST IN SHOW BIKE AWARD
The Best in Show Bike Award was done by judging/points. The final point score was added up and this fully CNC aluminum chopper built by Fat Boy Design took the trophy. The wheels, front fork, seat, tail, fuel tank, and more were all fabricated from billet aluminum at Fat Boy Design's factory. Even parts of the frame were made from aluminum. A true show bike and well deserved win!
WILDMAN PINSTRIPE AUCTION
Wildman did three jobs when we first arrived Saturday. These were auctioned off on Sunday night at the outside stage. The last piece was this gas tank and it was a battle between two men! The MC even bought a round of beers as it was quite exhausting for them! In the end, the winner was all smiles and Wildman even give the piece his official autograph to seal the deal.
Day Trip: Garage & Shop Visit
The 2-day event was awesome and we are all looking forward to next year. If you have a chance, put this on your to-do list for sure. The next day, we headed out to visit some shops in the area.
Custom Shop: 13 Custom
Our first stop was 13 Custom. They have been building custom cars for a while but only recently started as a full time business. They decided to opened up shop at a location known as Bangkok Train Night Market (more on that below). They have a number of ongoing projects and several custom cars that are getting work done too. They are extremely busy and many are repeat customers. Tucked in one of their buildings was a clean Lincoln Zephyr waiting to be customized.
Crazy Collector: Rod's Antique
We arrived here too early. The shops don't open until late afternoon so we decided to visit 13 Custom first as they are located on the same lot. The owner of the area is Rod. He has been collecting vintage "everything" forever and it shows by the number of buildings stuffed with just about anything from small objects to rare classic cars. He created Bangkok Train Night Market which is a vintage-focused dream. There are a ton of shops that are similar too but we were their too early. Rod opened up his doors to show us his collection and it was mind blowing! If you are in the Bangkok area, this is one place you will have to visit. Find out when they host their vintage swap meet events too. Worth the visit and bring a camera!
Mooneyes Authorized Dealer: Fat Boy Design
Next, we headed to Fat Boy Design's shop. The owner and main builder of custom bikes here is Mark. The shop is a full featured shop that builds and repair motorcycles and has a full lineup of MOONEYES goods. Mark built the show bike that won the Best in Show award over the weekend. It was already proudly on display in the shop. After we left the shop, we stopped by Mark's house as well. Be sure to check Wildman's blog for the highlight of that visit.
Mooneyes Pick Builder: Thor Chops & Kustom
Our last stop was Thor Chops & Kustoms. They built the Mercury that won the MOONEYES Pick award. Thor's shop from the outside looked like a standard apartment building... because it is. If it wasn't for the Mercury-shaped car under the cover outside, we might have easily passed by without any notice. Once you step inside though, it's a fully operation shop and garage with rooms for the office, fabrication, maintenance and more. The Ford Flathead shown below is going into the Merc under the cover outside. Looking forward to seeing what else comes out of Thor Chops & Kustom!
There was so much to see and do in Thailand we can't wait to go back.
Thank you for reading my Thailand Trip Report! Hope you enjoyed the photos.
Go! with MOON
Bangkok Hot Rod Custom Show 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand - February 20 & 21, 2016
Greetings! This is Steve from MOONEYES. MOONEYES Authorized Dealer Fat Boy Design in Thailand invited us to attend the 1st Annual Bangkok Hot Rod Custom Show on February 20-21, 2016 (Sat/Sun) in, as you might have guessed, Bangkok, Thailand. The event organizer "Bomb" has been responsible for the Bangkok International Motorshow and had been wanting to create an event for the custom scene in Bangkok. He teamed up with Fat Boy Design among other close friends and together, they organized this event. With timing being perfect, Shige-san and Wildman both were available too so the three of us made the trip. This was going to be so exciting!
Shige-san has already posted several times on Mooneyes Express Blog about it too.
Also be sure to check out Wildman's Blog for his report.
A couple months before the show, the magazine "Garage Life Thailand" released a new issue featuring an awesome article about the history of MOONEYES. We thought this was great and could be used as a way to promote the event as MOONEYES was an invited guest to their show. As it turned out, Bomb's cousin is the publisher of the magazine and that was thier idea too!
We arrived at Bangkok International Airport in the evening on Friday. Little did we know at the time but it was a three day weekend. However, heavy traffic is very common and we eventually made it to our hotel without any problems. After we checked in, we had dinner and prepared for tomorrow.
We were told that most spectators in Thailand don't show up until the evening but we still got to the event before midday. Sure enough, it was a slow start and it gave us time to settle in. Garage Life had a booth and a RWB Porsche on display.
In the late afternoon people began to arrive. Bomb used the Garage Life booth as a photo and interview spot.
The event was held in a large empty factory building. It had one main hall with functioning air conditioning and two other large warehouse rooms that were connected to it. Parking was just outside for a cars and motorcycles. Of course, it would be nice to have everything in one room but in a way, it had great charm. As a first time event, I thought it was perfect. There were many vendors, lots of food and drinks, live music and entertainment, outside and inside stages and of course great cars and bikes to see!
This was a two-day event. I had no idea what to expect as it was my first time in Thailand. I was blown away as everything was more than what I imagined it would be. The following photos are from both days as they were equally fun! I believe the first day saw more spectators but this could have been something to do with the three day weekend. Overall, it was a fantastic event and they are already making plans for next year!
Some of the vendor booths and the crowd starting to build up.
Luckily, the MOONEYES booth was in the air conditioned building as Wildman was busy from the moment after we setup to the time we left at night. Shige-san was busy as well and even did a short interview on stage.
More vendor booths. The large warehouse rooms were great visually but the temperature was a bit high although nobody seemed to mind at all. Only us "visitors" that were not used to the weather. It was in the mid 30s C (high 80s F) and technically speaking, it was winter season.
The MOONEYES booth had tons of items for sale. This was handled by Mooneyes Authorized Dealer Fat Boy Design and staff.
Wildman pinstriped at his own booth and did autographs as well throughout the course of the event.
Entertainment included a dance squad followed by Wildman's pinstripe demonstration on stage.
More vendor shops
Outside near the stage featured the food vendors with a great selection of all types local food.
Meanwhile inside at the MOONEYES booth, Wildman and Shige-san were working hard!
As the day turned to night, the crowd began to grow.
THE CARS
The cars were lined up just outside the building in a large open area used for the event parking. Being outside, I wasn't sure if rain would suddenly pour down so I decided to take some photos right away. Impressive! I wasn't expecting to see this many cars at all. On top of that, the variety from stock to full custom and everything in between was very cool to see. I think it's safe to say most of these cars are driven and enjoyed by their owners! Each one was unique and made it interesting to check out.
After taking photos of the cars I headed back inside. I figured I would continue by taking pictures of the bikes. By then, it was late afternoon. I noticed more and more people. The limited parking was full before sundown and we heard that people were parked several blocks away. I decided to take photos of the bikes the next day.
In the morning the next day, it was raining. As we made our way to the event location, it cleared up!
THE BIKES
Coming to Thailand, I wasn't sure what to expect and the bikes were another great surprise. So many different styles and all types of bikes, makes and models. Very cool to see the variety here from vintage classics, modern and old choppers, bobbers, long fork choppers to Japanese bikes, European street machines and classics and so much more!
MOONEYES PICK AWARD
The Mooneyes Pick Award went to Thor Chops & Kustoms. A local shop right here in Bangkok, Thailand. He's been building cars and bikes for a very long time. His personal project, this '51 Mercury Kustom took a total of 8 years to complete. All the modifications and custom work was done in house including the chop and down to the small details such as the chrome window frames. The blown engine sounded superb and the full leather interior was amazing too!
BEST IN SHOW BIKE AWARD
The Best in Show Bike Award was done by judging/points. The final point score was added up and this fully CNC aluminum chopper built by Fat Boy Design took the trophy. The wheels, front fork, seat, tail, fuel tank, and more were all fabricated from billet aluminum at Fat Boy Design's factory. Even parts of the frame were made from aluminum. A true show bike and well deserved win!
WILDMAN PINSTRIPE AUCTION
Wildman did three jobs when we first arrived Saturday. These were auctioned off on Sunday night at the outside stage. The last piece was this gas tank and it was a battle between two men! The MC even bought a round of beers as it was quite exhausting for them! In the end, the winner was all smiles and Wildman even give the piece his official autograph to seal the deal.
Day Trip: Garage & Shop Visit
The 2-day event was awesome and we are all looking forward to next year. If you have a chance, put this on your to-do list for sure. The next day, we headed out to visit some shops in the area.
Custom Shop: 13 Custom
Our first stop was 13 Custom. They have been building custom cars for a while but only recently started as a full time business. They decided to opened up shop at a location known as Bangkok Train Night Market (more on that below). They have a number of ongoing projects and several custom cars that are getting work done too. They are extremely busy and many are repeat customers. Tucked in one of their buildings was a clean Lincoln Zephyr waiting to be customized.
Crazy Collector: Rod's Antique
We arrived here too early. The shops don't open until late afternoon so we decided to visit 13 Custom first as they are located on the same lot. The owner of the area is Rod. He has been collecting vintage "everything" forever and it shows by the number of buildings stuffed with just about anything from small objects to rare classic cars. He created Bangkok Train Night Market which is a vintage-focused dream. There are a ton of shops that are similar too but we were their too early. Rod opened up his doors to show us his collection and it was mind blowing! If you are in the Bangkok area, this is one place you will have to visit. Find out when they host their vintage swap meet events too. Worth the visit and bring a camera!
Mooneyes Authorized Dealer: Fat Boy Design
Next, we headed to Fat Boy Design's shop. The owner and main builder of custom bikes here is Mark. The shop is a full featured shop that builds and repair motorcycles and has a full lineup of MOONEYES goods. Mark built the show bike that won the Best in Show award over the weekend. It was already proudly on display in the shop. After we left the shop, we stopped by Mark's house as well. Be sure to check Wildman's blog for the highlight of that visit.
Mooneyes Pick Builder: Thor Chops & Kustom
Our last stop was Thor Chops & Kustoms. They built the Mercury that won the MOONEYES Pick award. Thor's shop from the outside looked like a standard apartment building... because it is. If it wasn't for the Mercury-shaped car under the cover outside, we might have easily passed by without any notice. Once you step inside though, it's a fully operation shop and garage with rooms for the office, fabrication, maintenance and more. The Ford Flathead shown below is going into the Merc under the cover outside. Looking forward to seeing what else comes out of Thor Chops & Kustom!
There was so much to see and do in Thailand we can't wait to go back.
Thank you for reading my Thailand Trip Report! Hope you enjoyed the photos.
Go! with MOON
