The best bars had smiling, friendly guys, often teasing each other, interacting with the punters and having a good time. And dancing, some well, some not. But all trying.
Then, a decade or more ago, we left the Age of the Dancer and entered the Era of Stander. And the Age of the Mobile. To compensate for the lack of joy on the podium, the bars resorted to the Guantamano solution; playing music so loud as to drown not only conversation but thought. And comfort.
The coup de grace, well at least for me, was when some Boyztown bars dispensed with doors and inflicted their noise pollution on the whole d*** soi.
Thus it is that I return to the issue of where to stay, and recommend Jomtien Complex and P's favourite hotel in Thailand- though he's stayed in more expensive , more luxurious ones - the Agate. And at present rooms are only 1000 bht pn.