Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

Bangkok has developed a very nice night life scene completely apart from plain old sex tourism in the past decade. Still it is not secret that many men travel here mainly this type of tourism in mind. In Bangkok, sex industry catering to foreigners are concentrated in 3 areas: Soi Cowboy, Patpong and Nana Plaza. Patpong is probably the most famous one of these because this is the place where all naughty night experience has started. Probably the best and "family friendly", if you can say that, of these is Soi Cowboy. Nana Plaza is definitely a place to avoid if you are just going to there to see not do.

Here is a short Bangkok nightlife guide for the naughty side of Bangkok. Before heading to these red light districts, read our tips and warnings section at the end of this article!

Soi Cowboy
This place is named after an Afro-american dude who has opened a bar here and always walked around with a cowboy hat. Soi Cowboy is much calmer than Patpong and Nana Plaza and have a carnival mood (there were elephants on the road in the past). The street and 20 something go-go bars here are mostly packed with Japanese and Caucasian tourists and expats in Bangkok. These bars offer a platform in middle on which girls dance with bikini and occasionally fully naked. Entrance is free to these bars and it is quite acceptable to just watch. All dancers and most waiters here are sex workers and if you are into it, you can just take them out with a bar fine.

Most popular customers for sex workers here are Japanese and old uncles. I thing this is because they are much nicer and generous than almost always drunk young Caucasians. Most popular of all go-go bars in Soi Cowboy is Baccara at the end of the street. This is place is so popular that you cannot go in without buying your first drink and you are always fed with alcohol in the bar. Thanks to Japanese demand, it is quite expensive inside (both drinks and girls).

Deja Vu A Go-Go, Kiss A Go-Go ve Midnite Go go are some other popular bars here. You can simply access Soi Cowboy on foot from Skytrain Asok Station.

If you would also like to stay around this location, you can take a look at Bangkok Soi Cowboy Hotels or hotels near Bangkok Asok Skytrain Station pages.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

Nana Plaza
This 3 storey plaze on Sukhumvit Soi 4 can be accessed from Skytrain Nana Station on foot. Nana Entertainment Plaza is much more commercial sex oriented than Soi Cowboy and Patpong.

The entrance floor is full of bars but the main attraction is at Level 1. Although there are bars here full of only lady boys, most go-go bars cater to man looking for women. Probably the most popular of all bars here are G-Spot, Cassanova, Temptations and Rainbow 4. Rainbow 4 has a Japanese theme (Thai women with Japanese makeup and hair do) and looks like invaded by Japanese tourists till the end of the world.

For hotels and accomodation around this area, take a look at hotels near Bangkok Nana BTS Skytrain Station page.

Patpong

Red Light District aspect of Bangkok Night Life has started here. You can access Patpong  from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2.

Patpong is famous with its go-go bars and ping pong shows. Best known of the 3 red light districts.

Bangkok red light district tips:

• Never enter a bar or any establishment which is not on the street level. This is the most important rule to stay safe and away from scams.
• Never let one of those men on the street to direct you to any establishment. Read from internet first and decide where you will visit and just visit those bars.
• One of the most dangerous mix in the world for a man is alcohol and woman and both are constantly pushed in Bangkok's Red Light Districts. Many men who even goes there to just sightseeing end up in commercial sex because of alcohol worse usually unprotected.
• And the last but not the least: Stay away from commercial sex in Thailand. People from around the world come here for sex and many do it without condom. Just imagine what kind of nasty STD strains are roaming through those shiny neon lights and attractive bodies. I do not want to be a party breaker here but better read HIV and STD blogs before then after.
• If you will not listen to our previous advise, at least bring your condom with you, correctly use them (learn how to use them correctly before heading to there) and do not drink at all.
• Also if you will "do" it anyway, never ever do it with a street walker. Although the rules are not very tight, many girls and boys in the bars still go to some STD checkup once in 1 or 3 months. And if one gets HIV, he/she is usually kicked out of a bar. Where do you think they end up? On the streets.
• And do not shop in Patpong Night Market. It is quite expensive there.

Bangkok Night Life

Bangkok night life still may mean the naughty sex trade in red light districts of Bangkok but in the last decade, the tourism capital of South East Asia has developed a quality night life to enjoy from trendy bars and clubs to romantic river cruises. Here we cover some of your alternatives for a good and entertaining night in Bangkok.

 

Rooftop Skybars of Bangkok

A nice rooftop bar looking over Bangkok with a fantastic bird-eye view is the place to go in a Bangkok night and no Bangkok trip is complete without visiting one of the many great rooftop bars in Bangkok with fantastic bird-eye view.

Here are some of them you can visit:

• Vertigo and Moon Bar (Banyan Tree Hotel)
• Park Society (Sofitel So on Sathorn)
• Sirocco Sky Bar (Lebua at State Tower) – Yes you know this place from The Hangover Part II wherePaul Giamatti was having his brunch at the end of the movie.
• Three Sixty (Millennium Hilton Bangkok)
• Octave Rooftop Bar

Night Life and Party Venues

Bangkok offers many pubs, restaurants and night clubs for those who would like to have fun in the tropic nights of the “City of Angels”. We have listed some of the most popular ones here.

Route 66 Club (225/9 -10 Soi Thong Lo10, Sukhumvit Rd.  Klonton Nau, Wattana Bangkok 10110) is the place for a crazy loud music with lazer shows and energetic dance. 3 types of music is offered here: The Level, The Novel and The Classic. Very popular among youngsters and the prices for drinks are quite reasonable.

Funky Villa (225/9 -10 Soi Thong Lo10, Sukhumvit Rd.  Klonton Nau, Wattana Bangkok 10110) needs some deeper pocket. The terrace offers a nice dinner and the bar is calm and relaxing.

Safe House (Thonglor Si 10, or Ekamai Soi 5/1, Bangkok) is open until the first lights of the next day (most bars and clubs in Bangkok officially closes at 02:00 AM) and offers hip-hop and electronic dance.

Sirocco SkyBar Bangkok

Muay Thai (Thai Box)

Watching Muay Thai competitions in the night is a uniquely Thailand experience which is missed by many. You can find Thai Box Stadiums in almost all cities in Thailand but Bangkok is the best place to view this.

Lumpinee Boxing Stadium at Silom and Ratchadamnoen Stadium at Rattanakosin are the two venues to head to if you want to watch them. Although the “show” will go on all the night, best matches are the last ones so schedule a long night there. Entrance is quite expensive 1000 – 2000 Baht but it worth the money.

Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is probably Tayland’s best known Muay Thai place. You can watch Thai box here on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

There are also Muay Thai matches at MBK on every Wednesday between 18:00 – 21:00. These are free to watch.

Bangkok Dinner Cruise Tour

In the early night, you can take a dinner cruise along Chao Phraya River. You will typically sail on a traditional Thai boat (i.e. converted teakwood rice barge) and spend the night watching great night views of The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), Wat Phra Kaew and The Grand Palace while you are having your delicious Thai dinner served under the candlelight and classical Thai ‘kim’ music and dance performances.

Dinner CruiseTour on Bangkok River

Bangkok Night Markets

Although most Bangkok malls are closed by 21:00, there are some malls open until midnight. You can visit several Bangkok Night Markets which offers a great night shopping experience like:

• Asiatique – A night bazaar and a mall combined which is near BTS to Saphan Taksin.
• Khaosan Road – This backpacker heaven is best visited at night. You can shop everything here but I do not suggest to buy private bus tickets or travel packages here if you do not know what you are doing.
• Khlong Lod Night Market
• Khlong Thom Market

Bangkok Red Light Districts

It is not a secret that “bang” part of Bangkok night life is very famous. Bangkok has 3 main Red Light Districts catering to foreigner and expats: Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza. These are main centers for sex tourists but many people visit these places just to see this infamous part of Bangkok Night Life. The way it works is same as anywhere in Thailand: These places are full of go-go bars where man goes and drinks. There is a platform in the bar where girls dance in bikini (and occasionally topless or totally naked). Almost all the dancers and most of the waiters are sex workers. If a man wants a girl he request her by the number she carries, pays a bar-fine (money paid to take the girl out) and money for the girl (usually to a mama). Then they go to the man’s hotel or a nearby hourly “room” for the trade.

It is totally acceptable to go to these bars and just drink and “watch”. In fact many tourists visit these bars and just drink and watch.

Soi Cowboy is a 400 meter street offering 20+ bars and is much calmer than Patpong and Nana Plaza. For sightseeing this is the place to go. Soi Most popular of all go-go bars in Soi Cowboy is Baccara at the end of the street.

Soi Cowboy is located near Sukhumvit Roadand is within walking distance from the BTS Skytrain’s Asok Station and the Bangkok Metro’s Sukhumvit Station.

Patpong is where this side of Bangkok Night Life has started. Best known of these 3 Red Light Districts, Patpong is famous with its go-go bars and ping pong show. You can access Patpong from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2. Most tourists visit this place.

You can access Patpong from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

Nana Entertainment Plaza is a 3-storey building and is the most commercial sex oriented of all these 3 places. Not a place to go for sight-seeing. There are beer bars at the ground floor but the real action starts from Level 1. It is on Sukhumvit Soi 4 and can be accessed from Nana BTS Skytrain Station on foot.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

This post is moved to Oravar Bangkok Night Life Red Light Districts.

Bangkok nights: What to do in Bangkok at night?

Bangkok offers many things to do in the night. Although "Bangkok nights" reminds many a visit to Bangkok's notorious red light districts, Bangkok offers much more night life options other than plain sex tourism.

Visit a Bangkok Rooftop Bar

Many visitors to Bangkok simply skips this attraction: a nice rooftop bar looking over Bangkok with a fantastic bird-eye view. But Bangkok's concrete jungle becomes something great to look at in the night especially from the top.

In my opinion, no Bangkok trip is complete without visiting one of the many great rooftop bars in Bangkok with fantastic bird-eye view. Here are some of them you can visit:

• Vertigo and Moon Bar (Banyan Tree Hotel)
• Park Society (Sofitel So on Sathorn)
• Sky Bar (Lebua at State Tower) - Yes you know this place from The Hangover Part II wherePaul Giamatti was having his brunch at the end of the movie.
• Three Sixty (Millennium Hilton Bangkok)
• Octave Rooftop Bar

Tips : Most rooftop bars require at least a smart-casual attire so do not show up at the door with your shorts. Also check the weather before heading to one because if there is storm, they are usually closed.

Bangkok offers some great rooftop bars to enjoy. Here in photo,
State Tower SkyBar - LeBua at State Tower

Visit a Muay Thai (Thai Box) Stadium

This is another uniquely Thailand experience which is also missed by many. These Thai Box competitions can be watched in almost all major Thailand cities but are best viewed in Bangkok. There are 2 main venues you can choose among: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium at Silom and Ratchadamnoen Stadium at Rattanakosin. Although the "show" will go on all the night, best matches are the last ones so schedule a long night there. Entrance is quite expensive 1000 - 2000 Baht but it worth the money.

Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is probably Tayland's best known Muay Thai place. You can watch Thai box here on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

There are also Muay Thai matches at MBK on every Wednesday between 18:00 - 21:00. These are free to watch.

Bangkok Night Markets
Although most Bangkok malls are closed by 21:00, there are some malls open until midnight. You can visit several Bangkok Night Markets which offers a great night shopping experience like:

• Asiatique - A night bazaar and a mall combined which is near BTS to Saphan Taksin.
• Khaosan Road - This backpacker heaven is best visited at night. You can shop everything here but I do not suggest to buy private bus tickets or travel packages here if you do not know what you are doing.
• Khlong Lod Night Market
• Khlong Thom Market

Bangkok Dinner Cruise Tour

Sailing gently along Chao Phraya River on a traditional Thai boat like a converted teakwood rice barge is an experience you should try to spend a Bangkok night. These cruises usually offer great night views of The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), Wat Phra Kaew and The Grand Palace while you are having your delicious Thai dinner served under the candlelight and classical Thai 'kim' music and dance performances.

Bangkok Dinner Cruise Tour

Top 25 cities for nightlife chosen by Agoda customers

Agoda.com, Asia's leading and fastest growing online hotel reservation service, has released a list of the top 10 cities that offer the best nightlife excitement, as chosen by its customers. And with New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, these cities are perfect for a quick getaway if nothing’s been planned yet.

Since Agoda.com is used mainly to book hotels online in Asia, top 10 and top 25 is not suprisingly dominated by Asian countries. So based on feedback from over 113,000 respondents provided at the end of their stay, Agoda.com customers had the opportunity to rate the nightlife on a scale of 1-5, 1 being “poor”, and 5 being “excellent”. The top spot was taken by South East Asia's tourism hub Bangkok.  Thailand’s energetic capital known for its tuk-tuk’s, temples and street food, followed by Dubai, the gleaming desert city in the United Arab Emirates, and Boracay/Caticlan in the Philippines, famous for its white sand beaches and swaying palm trees.

Thailand placed again with Pattaya, the seaside town widely known for its raucous Walking Street and massive influx of tourists looking to blow off some steam, followed by Tokyo, Japan’s neon-lit mega-city that’s home to 13 million people. Thailand’s largest island, Phuket, was next, followed by China’s Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, the former known for its vibrant architecture and world-class food, and the latter famous for its massive casinos and Portuguese/Chinese cuisine.

Rounding out the list were Taiwan’s modern capital of Taipei, and Bali, Indonesia’s perpetually buzzing island paradise.

Check out the full list of the top 10 cities below:

1.      Bangkok
2.      Dubai
3.      Boracay / Caticlan
4.      Pattaya
5.      Tokyo
6.      Phuket
7.      Hong Kong
8.      Macau
9.      Taipei
10.    Bali

Thailand’s energetic capital Bangkok offers the best night life according to Agoda customers.

And here continues top 25:

11.    Osaka
12.    Shanghai
13.    Seoul
14.    Singapore
15.    Sydney
16.    Samui
17.    Chiang Mai
18.    London
19.    Taichung
20.    Kuala Lumpur
21.    Jakarta
22.    Manila
23.    Kaohsiung
24.    Paris
25.    Siem Reap