Get Your Game On at New Thonglor Lounge

By Cole Pennington

Aug 29, 2014 | 3:31pm Bangkok time

COCONUTS HOT SPOT — There’s a new gaming joint in town, but this one isn’t anything like your neighborhood computer café that draws throngs school uniform-clad nerds with insomnia. The new Liberty Plaza lounge, Game Over, serves top-notch craft beer, fields an online-gaming setup worth millions, and the fare is taken care of by burger phenom Daniel Thaiger. This is a lounge for the well-heeled and die-hard gamer, or just anyone who enjoys trying something new.

Serious gamers can take full advantage of the pro-level gaming computer setup with roughly as much computing power as ISOC, the kingdom’s secret intelligence agency. The six Razr computers are designed for teams to be able to play first-person-shooter games like Ghost Recon at the most competitive level, and during events the screens are broadcast to flat-panels throughout the venue for everyone to enjoy the action.

This basement lounge is the creation of Tew, a dek nok gamer who saw a serious hole in the market. “There are top players in Thailand. They’re here. My mission is to get everyone into gaming and build place where people can really compete.” Tew plans to hold sanctioned events at the lounge, which he describes as an “electronic playground.” Ubisoft and other industry players have reportedly signed deals to hold their high-profile sanctioned events at the venue.

Loyal fans of Daniel Thaiger’s burger truck will certainly want to make a pit stop at Game Over to experience the next iteration of Chef Mark’s American creations. At “NERD by Daniel Thaiger” he’ll be able to stretch his culinary muscles with an entire kitchen at his disposal, with a planned menu of value-oriented steaks, burgers and a few surprises.

Game Over is built for hardcore gamers, but there’s plenty to do for those who don’t wish to immerse themselves in virtual reality. Board games like Cards Against Humanity and Cranium are available for anyone to play, and ironically the environment is ideal for engaging other humans that you might call “friends” in the real world just as well as the realm of virtual reality.