Restaurants - Shopping - Pubs & Bars - Discos & Clubs - Lady Bars - Ladyboys show
Ladies Bars
Patpong, Nana and Soi Cowboy are the 3 red
light districts in Bangkok.
What's the difference? Nana and Soi Cowboy are considered the hard
liquor of Bangkok's red light districts where the expats and people who
know where to have a better time in Bangkok hang out.
Patpong is like beer, a decent beer
however. I'm not saying you won't have any fun at Patpong. All I'm
saying is that the feel, the energy and the vibe in Nana and Soi Cowboy
are totally different than Patpong.
Nana and Soi cowboy's establishments are much more raunchy and caters
mainly to the sex tourist crowd, so you don't see families and general
vacationers wandering around dropping their jaws at bikini clad beauties
gyrating around a pole on stage.
Gogo Bars
Bikini-clad dancing girls, over-the-top ladyboys and lewd, eye-popping shows... Yes, the Go-Go bars that earned Bangkok its worldwide notoriety are still alive and letting it all hang out. For better or worse, Bangkok's illustrious 'After Dark' reputation owes much to these spots.
The first area that springs to mind is Patpong - Nowadays, having become part of a wider entertainment scene that includes the popular Patpong Night Market, bars, nightclubs and a gay area, it isn't the aggressive red-light district it once was.
Open-minded visitors, lured in by hard-selling touts and their curiosity, treat the infamous upstairs shows like a circus show, coming in for a quick look at the inventive performances, a giggle and a couple of overpriced drinks before heading off to continue their shopping or hit a nearby club (these performances are also dubbed 'ping-pong shows', and a lot of imagination isn't needed to guess the origins of this phrase.)
These are found predominantly at Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy, red light districts both situated on lower Sukhumvit Road. Depending on the current level of police interference, both offer explicit shows featuring girls in various stages of undress; usually uniforms, bikinis or pretty much nothing bar a coy smile and a dash of Burberry Weekend. Nana even has its own on-site 'guesthouse' for clients.
History
Since the Vietnam war around 40 years ago - when American GI's began coming here for what was euphemistically dubbed R&R (Rest & Recuperation) with local girls - certain areas of Bangkok (and in Thailand) have become notorious, the world over, for sex and sleaze.
Though the flesh trade is nothing new - a thriving sex industry in Siam was reported by visiting sailors in the 16th and 17th centuries - the Westerner-driven scene in Bangkok didn't begin until 1968, when a cluster of nightclubs sprouted up along a small Soi (street) called Patpong, to cater for the influx of US armed forces in the region. In this small area, owned by an entrepreneurial Chinese immigrant family called Patpongpanich, the road quickly became popular with sex-starved soldiers and, by the early 1970s, had spilled over also into Patpong 2, which runs parallel to it. It was during the late 1970s and 1980s, however, that Patpong really hit its groove, becoming the premier nightlife area in Bangkok and internationally famous for its raunchy, inventive and technically illegal upstairs sex shows that left very little to the imagination. The rest, as they say, is history.
Lady bar information (price, bar fine...)
Bar Girl Pricing: To take a girl out you
have to pay a 500THB bar fine first to the bar or club the girl works
at. The rate that you pay
for
play is totally separate and depends on Short Time and Long Time. There
are quite a few other factors that affect the asking price from bar
girls. Such as the way you look, age and your ethnicity are just some of
those factors. However, below are some general rates for pay for play.
Short Time (1 hour) will cost you between 1000THB to 1500THB. You'll
also have to pay for the short time room which costs 300THB. Make sure
you buy your own condoms. The one's available at the short time hotels
cost more and some carry inferior condoms. Your lady will know where the
nearest short time rooms are.
Long Time (Overnight) obviously cost more because you're taking them out
of the bar where they
could earn more doing multiple short times. The rates range from 2500THB
up to 5000THB for long time. Again there are factors that will affect
the price quoted, such as how much money she's made already for the
night as well as how she's feeling. After all bar girls want a break as
well since most work 7 days straight. Here's a tip, you can wait until
the 1am closing time and ask the bar girl for long time to save on the
500THB bar fine. Usually you take the bar girl back to your hotel for
long time stay.
You have to make sure the hotel you're staying in is Guest Friendly or
else you're going to end up paying a joiner fee of 500THB or more.
Fortunately there are plenty of guest friendly hotels in the area and
you can find a list below.
Nana Plaza
It is not certain why so many tourists feel
that it is a must to check out the seedy red light districts that
Bangkok has become so famous for, but it is common for all types of
tourists to hit some sort of sex show while in town. There are three
distinct areas,
including Patpong, Nana
plaza and soi Cowboy, which at
night turn into centres for all sex related activities, (Sala Daeng,
Nana and Asoke BTS stations respectively).
Located in Sukhumvit Soi 4, Nana Entertainment Plaza is Bangkok's sleaze central. Notorious for its racy themed go-go bars - from school-girl and leather dominatrix to ladyboy - it's literally a 'sex mall', with three storeys of eye-popping activity all focused around a square-shaped central atrium.
Unlike at the better-known
Patpong, Nana is a 'strictly adult' scene. That means no families,
no markets and few curious tourists strolling in for a look. It also
means a lot more men hell-bent on renting bodies.Walking down Soi 4 from
Sukhumvit Road, you'll know you're approaching Nana when you spot the
line of street vendor carts preparing an array of weird and wonderful
bites. These include 'som tum' (spicy green papaya salad), 'kai tod' (charcoal-grilled
chicken) and fried insects, among other odd delicacies - comfort food
for the bargirls
who mostly hail from Thailand's northeastern Isaan
Province.
Young girls in halter tops and short mini-skirts can be found filling up bags of crispy invertebrates, which they chop up and eat with rice and a dash of 'nam prik', chili and shrimp jam.
There are lots of popular go go bars on the street level and I personally like Rainbow 1 and 2, Lollipop and Playschool. Some of the beer bars such as Big Dogs and Pharaoh's are really good places to sit, drink, chat with ladies and just experience. There are a lot more beer bars inside of Nana Plaza where you can shoot pool against some really talented bar girls, but I didn't have room to map it out. Besides part of the fun and adventure is exploring on your own.
There are quite a few very popular go go bars on the second level, my particular favorites are Rainbow 4 and Angel Witch I often have the best times with my friends who visit in those two bars. It's very laid back with some good shows and lots of ladies
All the go go bars on the 3rd level are quite large and are able to draw quite a crowd because there are shows starting around 10pm to 1am closingtime like soapy and simulated sex shows. Carnival has a mechanical bull that anyone can ride. Personally I like to sit and watch loads of drunken wankers get tossed around while projectile vomiting their nights dinner.
Here's a popular pick up spot for freelance Thai ladies. Nana hotel is right across from Nana Entertainment Plaza. When the bars close there at 1am, scores of women leaving the bars and gather here so as you can imagine it gets quite packed here.
Location: Sukhumvit
Open: from early evening to early morning
Rainbow 2
Rainbow 2 can be called the flagship bar of
the Rainbow group of bars. It obviously came later than Rainbow 1, but
the new bar was bigger and had a lot of girls right from the beginning.
The
bar is located in the far right corner of the ground floor of Nana
Plaza, next to Hollywood Rock.
It is a big bar, but not necessarily the biggest on the plaza. But there
are an enormous amount of girls here. There must be no less than 250
girls working in there. So a whole bunch of girls are crowded together
on stage most of the time. They do not really have a lot of space to
dance, and mainly do the Bangkok shuffle. There are three dancing
shifts, so the girls have time to accost the customers in between
shifts.
The bar caters to Japanese clientele. Probably about three quarters of
the customers are Japanese. The girls might be paying more attention to
them then to Westerners, since they are known to spend money easily. The
bar is really crowded most of the time, so do not expect to have a
'quiet' drink in there. We actually think if you count all the girls in
the three Rainbow bar, you will end up with a number close to the sum of
all the girls dancing in the other bars at Nana Plaza (if we exclude the
beer bars).
As mentioned, it can be crowded in there. If you suffer from
claustrofobia, or can not stand cigarette smoke, beware.
Lots of girls are usually already bought out during the early hours of the night, so it may be a good idea to come early here. But even late at night, there will still be quite few attractive girls there, although some of them may have already come back from extracurricular activities and started 'dancing' again.
Location: Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit
Angel Witch
Angelwitch is a medium sized bar on the
second floor of Nana Plaza. You can reach it after passing Spankys Bar
on the left.
In the old days, a bar under the name Farang Connection used to be at
its location.
Angel Witch mostly features choreagraphed shows each day after 10 P.M.
For many years the bar was often tightly packed, especially during
weekends, and it was quite hard to get inside and find a seat. The bar
expanded a bit in 2007. Anyway, nowadays the bar (as Nana Plaza) is past
its heyday, and it is easier to get inside.
There seems to be a fixed staff of
showgirls. Most of them really have to work for a living, and seem to
perform 5 to 8 different times every night. Interestingly, they are not
really into making eye contact, or contacting the customers in the bar.
Most likely they get a decent wage, which allows them to be choosy. And
maybe they are actually not allowed to wander off, since the shows have
a high priority. Unfortunately, most of the showgirls, with the rare
exception, are not that easy on the eye.
If you just want to see girls dancing away all night, this is not the
place to be. Maybe once every hour or so some regular dancers will come
on stage for 10 minutes or so.
Especially for tourists, the shows are the most interesting part of the
bar. They tend to become tedious however after a few visits to the
place, so you will not find many local residents hanging out at Angel
Witch.
For the entertainment you get, you need to pay a price. Beers and most short drinks are at 150 baht, the highest prices at Nana Plaza.
As said before, most of the dancing girls do so for only 10-15 minutes every hour. As a result, they have ample time to wander around and pay attention to customers. Chances are, the girls will not disappear as fast as girls in other bars, after quickly finishing the drink you bought them.
We also want to mention that nowadays, the dancing girls, and the show girls often perform topless, a rarity at Nana Plaza.
Location: Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit
Carnival
Carnival is a huge bar on the third floor
of Nana Plaza located on the right side. In the center of t
he
bar, are two rotating carousels, one on top of the other, on which the
'girls' are dancing.
In the old days, this bar featured a lot of shows and naked dancers.
Highlights used to be various lesbian shows, with dildo's etc. However,
things have changed substantially now, and Carnival Bar has been turned
into a 'ladyboy' bar.
We negotiated the stairs between the second
and the third floor, thinking this was the only way to get there.
However, on a recent visit, we found this particular corner of Nana
Plaza, to have deteriorated beyond imagination. Actually, it does not
quite look like a safe area, and you have to be on your guards when
walking about on the right site of the third floor at Nana Plaza.
A feeling of insecurity is also not helped, when you get accosted by one
of the more aggressive transvestites, walking about outside both
Carnival Bar and the adjacent Cascade Bar. Well, some people will
actually find what they need here, but we are not amongst them.
Location: Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit
Soi Cowboy
Soi Cowboy don’t have the out and out
nudity that can be found in Patpong, but the scene is still pretty
full-on at times. Soi Cowboy is a small lane that runs between the
Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23 and it is
packed with go-go bars and one or two
regular bars, all of them with bright flashing neon signs, loud music
blaring out and many ‘friendly’ ushers trying to entice you inside. The Soi Cowboy scene spreads out slightly from the main lane itself; there
are a few hostess bars and massage parlours around the area too.
Named after the cowboy hat-wearing African-American who opened the first bar here in the early 1970s, this red-light district has a more laid-back, carnival-like feel to it than Patpong or Nana Plaza. Flashing neon lights up a seedy streetscape comprised mainly of middle-aged expats, Japanese suits, tourists and gaudily dressed working girls. With cries of 'hello, welcome!' and mock brute-force - a playful arm tug usually - the latter try to lure you into one of the 40 or so go-go bars that line its sides.
Each is dark and noisy, lines of grubby faux-leather seats typically
arranged in tiers around a UV lit central stage. The girls sway and
shimmy, most wearing little more than an I'd-rather-be-watching-Star
Movies expression. When the song finishes (typically thumping techno or
anthemic rock) they desert
their allotted steel pole. Some run off to
touch up their make-up, others make a beeline for their mobile, or their
spicy pappaya salad. But most step off stage to mingle and flirt in hope
of earning that elusive 'lady drink' and a quick-exit with you...
We could continue, but the truth is that variables - bars, girls - fluctuate fast in go-go land. Beers vary in price, the general rule of thumb being that the cheapest are found in the tattiest bars. 'Lady drinks' will set you back more, but for the premium expect your companion not to act like one (leg rubbing, dry humping etc).
However Soi Cowboy is also home to some of the city's most outlandish
scenery... The street's hue of sleazy pink neon makes everyone look less
than human. A couple of times each night an adolescent elephant trudges
forlornly down the street, a reflective CD dangling from its tail.
Rickety street carts serve protein-rich meats, insects and other unidentifiable snacks to the Isaan girls who comprise the workforce; and shots of mystic herbal whisky - yaa dong - to foolhardy farang. On rainy nights, when neon shimmers off electronic puddles, it all resembles a dystopian backstreet from some sci-fi film-set. Call us sentimental but it's these surreal pleasures, hidden amidst all the iniquity and perversion, that make Soi Cowboy.
The most popular go go bars in Soi Cowboy are
Shark, Long Gun,
Rawhide and the futuristic looking
Tilac Bar. These go go bars have the most
ladies which increases the probability of meeting prettier girls. These
go go bars have been around since Soi Cowboy started but constantly
keeping themselves fresh and reinventing themselves.
Some of the go go bars in Soi Cowboy are unique such as
Baccara where you can watch girls dance
above, beneath a glass ceiling. Sometimes in bikinis and a couple of
times in the nude, which is technically illegal, but so is prostitution.
There are loads of girls who are dressed in school uniforms which I'm
sure are fulfilling a lot of male fetishes.
How to get there: Less than 100 metres from Sukhumvit Road, between
Asoke Road and Sukhumvit Soi 23 (the nearest Skytrain station is Asoke,
or MRT station Sukhumvit).
Location: Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit
Deja
vu
DeJa Vu A Go Go Bar is the newest addition Most Beautiful Bar to Soi Cowboy in Bangkok. It is Best design with two floors of entertainment. DeJa Vu has the Best Coyotes Dancing Ladies and Go Go Thai Dancing ladies on both floor with latest fashion uniforms performing and Our Guests can play pool on 2nd floor relaxing While watching our sexy ladies dancing on beautiful colorful glass floor. DeJa Vu is the Most Beautiful & biggest Bar in Soi Cowboy, Bangkok.
Location: Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit
http://www.dejavubar.com/
Shark bar
Shark Bar is Soi Cowboy’s best place to enjoy an unforgettable time with
the most beautiful Thai dancer ladies in Bangkok.
Location: Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit
Baccara Bar
Baccara bar at Soi Cowboy, features a transparent glass floor, the biggest gogo in soi cowboy.
4 class of girls in Baccara Bar schoolgirls upstairs on the glassfloor, beach bikini girl on the dance floor, hostesses in black dress and waitresses
Location: Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit
Patpong
One of the world's most (in)famous red-light districts, Patpong is where it all started (Thailand's Go-Go culture).
Its two parallel side-streets, found between Silom and Surawongse Roads, house around 100 neon-lit strip bars offering risque sex shows, purchasable pole-dancers and post-op ladyboys. But while for men Patpong is likely to mean 'adult', for women, families and the kids Patpong definitely means 'market'. At night this teems with hawkers and humble stalls selling what is mostly tourist tat.
For the serious flesh-seekers, Patpong has long since been usurped as
the 'king of the scene'
by its counterparts around Sukhumvit. However,
its reputation means it's still a huge attraction, mainly for sightseers
more interested in ogling at - rather than indulging in - the carnal
delights on offer.
When it comes to go-go bars, favoured establishments on Soi 1 include King's Castle I and II, Sphinx and the Safari Bar, while King's Corner has the largest collection of post-operative transsexuals in Bangkok. Patpong II, or 'Soi Quality' as some like to call it, also has many interesting sights along the same lines. Apart from a short run of rather run-down watering holes peopled by girls and men playing Connect 4, the most well-known venue is perhaps Electric Blue and, definitely the most intriguing, Patpong's only fetish club, BarBar.
Location: Silom & Sathorn
Open: from early evening to early morning
Black
Pagoda
Black Pagoda is the brainchild of two Americans and an Austrian, the latter with much experience in the bar industry and a number of successful venues behind him.
Black Pagoda can be found in the spot that was home to the ill-fated Park Bridge and is located above Patpong soi 2 in what was once an overheard footbridge connecting the car park above Foodland with the building opposite. Park Bridge, the small hi-so club, was once located there but that concept was always going to struggle in that area. I mean it was always a big ask that the hi-so set would get excited about the prospect of a night out at a venue in Patpong. There's no bragging rights amongst their hi-so friends there.
Black Pagoda could be described as cozy.
It's not that big, at a guess about 100 square metres or so. Each side
is glass meaning that you can look down on to Patpong soi 2, below.
There are very thin curtains in place although if they could be removed,
the advertising potential for the venue with those below seeing sexy
girls dancing around poles would be priceless. Sadly it seems that the
men in tight brown uniforms are unconvinced and the curtains will
remain, at least for the time being.
Chrome poles are found at one end of the venue and more will be added to the sides. The venue is in fact not quite complete and its opening this past Wednesday was very much a soft opening.
There's no gogo stage so the girls are wriggling around the pole at ground level, so to speak. With no gogo stages and the girls adorned in bikini and light negligee, the venue has more of a club-like feel than that of a traditional Bangkok gogo bar.
There's a small mezzanine floor area above the main bar area which may well get the nickname, "Heaven". Exactly how that part of the bar will be used remains unclear.
Location: Patpong in Silom & Sathorn
Open: from early evening to early morning
BarBar - Patpong Fetish Bar
A
niche player in this new Patpong landscape might just be
BarBar,
Michael's recently opened fetish concept club on the corner of
Soi 2.
Injecting a much needed dose of fantasy into the area, it's a place
where customers - men or women - can indulge in nurseplay, Japanese
bondage or get a firm hand from a schoolteacher. Unlike the go-go bar,
where inert punters just observe in dark corners, customers here are
encouraged to be creative, and to actively explore their deepest
desires.
Aside from being Patpong's first fetish club it's also notable for its discretion. All the action goes on behind firmly closed Gothic doors, a rare feature in an area where passers-by, even young children, can easily catch glimpses of writhing pole-dancers at work. But, once inside, it certainly couldn't be called tame. On entering I'm greeted by a customer being dragged around on all fours, and later I witness the naughty spectacle that is a show.
During this, one of the girls - clad in PVC corset and stockings - is on all fours and being paraded around on a leash. She's in full character, her tongue lolling side to side, her breath shallow, excitable. Her master walks her roughly around the seating area and right up to the guests. Which - at 19:30, long before things busy up - happens to be me. Another half-naked girl is jostled, chained up in a steel cage and for the next 15 minutes wax dripped provocatively over her body.
Candle wax and whips cracking...
"We spend more money on candles than electricity" whispers Michael proudly, just loud enough for me to hear above the barks and the sounds of whips cracking. The subject of our attention is either a natural slave, or a gifted actress. He tells me that BDSM (bondage, domination, sado-masochism) often doesn't come naturally to Thai people.
However, while many are initially shy, they open up to it once they discover that this whole subculture exists - and is very popular - around the world. "We find that some are natural dominatrix (masters), while others are natural submissives. Some can even move between both roles," he says.
I'm suddenly distracted. A girl is sniffing at my feet and then starts to lick at my heels. He's right, Patpong is definitely changing.
Location: Patpong in Silom & Sathorn
Open: from early evening to early morning
http://www.fetish-thailand.net/
King Castle
The King's Group is by far and away the biggest entertainment
organization operating in Patpong. So much so, that many have called
Patpong 'Soi King's'. First established some 25 years ago with the
King's
Castle (now King's Castle III) and Queen's Castle bars, King's group
today operates seven go-go bars, three erotic show bars, two discos and
a beer bar on Patpong. The group also runs a beauty salon (King Serm
Suay) on Patpong 1, a traditional massage parlor on nearby Surawong Road
(King's Body), and the well-known Tip Top Restaurant on Patpong 1 The
best Thai& International Food. All told, the group employs several
thousand employees. All the bars in the King's Group are safe for the
visitor, and whether upstairs or downstairs, have no cover charges.
Charges for drinks are standardized and bar fines are slightly less than
the average . The King's Group bars tend to be commercially oriented,
and although the hostesses have well-rehearsed chat lines, their
mechanical service approach may leave some slightly disappointed. The
group's discos, King's Lounge and King's Palace are great for
after-hours entertainment. A flood of
tourists and bar workers hit the discos after the other bars close
around 2.00-3.00 am. Things continue through to dawn and can get a
little wild at times! King's Castle I - go-go bar. Gets jammed with
punters on
Fridays and Saturdays. King's Castle II - go-go bar. Usually packed
with customers. Arguably the best in
the group.) King's Castle III - go-go bar, mainly 'ANGLE' dancers
(transvestites/transsexuals). King's Camelot Castle - go-go bar. The
newest addition to the King's Castle group. King's Cleopatra King's
Corner - go-go bar. High proportion of 'ANGLE' dancers. King's Garden -
Beer bar& Club LIVE Rock, POP, HIPHOP music on Patpong 2. King's Lounge
- Second floor HOUSE & DANCE disco . Gets packed after the bars close.
King's Palace Queen's Castle I - one of the older 'show' bars. First bar
on the left on Soi Patpong 1. Queen's Castle II Pussy Galore -
second-floor erotic shows. Maybe Patpong's most famous name.
Location: Patpong in Silom & Sathorn
Open: from early evening to early morning
Electric
Blue
Electric Blue is located in Patpong on Patpong 2 Road (adjacent to Foodland), about 60 meters from Silom. It was previously called Rififi Agogo and has been in existence since 1989.
Elcetric Blue is one of Patpong’s Sexiest Agogo Bar Dancers
Location: Patpong in Silom & Sathorn
Open: from early evening to early morning
http://www.clubelectricblue.com/
Warning
Also, if you plan to hijack one of the girls for a raunchy rendevous, it's advisable too to take good care of personal belongings once you've paid the 'bar fine'. However, whatever your take is on the Go-Go Bar scene, there's no denying that Patpong is still far safer than your average Western city centre. It's very well policed - there's a tourist police office at the end of the road, and CCTV cameras - and you'll find entire families nonchalantly walking around during market hours.
Restaurants - Shopping - Pubs & Bars - Discos & Clubs - Lady Bars - Ladyboys show