Sorry for the delay. I had a feeling that this was going to be the next hot topic, so I thought I’d let others have their say first, and try to find a slightly different angle. The topic? Easy. The death of Nana Plaza.
Whoah there. Back up a minute. What?
Nana Plaza is in decline. It has been for some time. An older (and wiser) friend remarked at the last night of the Big Mango bar that if Nana Plaza had looked like it does today back on the occasion of his first visit, he’d have turned on his heels and walked right back out again. A little dramatic, perhaps? I’m not so sure. Have you seen it in daylight recently? It’s pretty horrific.
As Stickman’s already noted, in a great piece entitled The Beginning Of The End Of An Era, it seems that the management company behind the Plaza no longer care about its upkeep. Those grimy stairwells with the delightful puddles of piss? Nobody’s going to clean them. That broken escalator, its cheerful surround now embalmed in crap, is not going to be repaired any time soon. It will stand there, broken and dirty, as a passable allegory of the overall state of the Plaza itself.
“But Rainbow 4 is in Nana Plaza! The best gogo bar in Bangkok!”
It is, yes. And one of the partners started trying to sell it over a year ago. No buyers yet.
“But Angelwitch is in Nana Plaza! The best gogo bar in Bangkok!”
Yup. Only been for sale for six months now. No buyers yet.
“But…”
It’s dying. But don’t worry, it’ll take a while. The new leases, for those fortunate/unfortunate enough to receive them, should see the Plaza stick around in its current form until about 2012. After that, perhaps the Landmark Hotel will have a new car park. Or a shopping mall. Bangkok needs shopping malls…
But it’s on its way. Farang Connection bar closed recently, without even bothering to put itself up for sale. The top-floor Hollywood bars have been struggling to pay salaries. And only running half their air conditioners, to save on the power bill. And, worst of all, the Big Mango boys checked out at the weekend. Stickman explains:
In what really is a sad state of affairs, the negotiations for rent of the spot where the Big Mango is located broke down, with the leaser asking for an outrageous price increase. How much? Assign a numerical value to the word outrageous and you’ve got it.
There you go. I’ll spell it out, for the hard of thinking. They didn’t close because they made “mistakes”, or because they were “less busy”. They closed because they were held to a ludicrous ransom by the landlord, and had the balls and good sense to stand their ground. They negotiated. The landlord didn’t. They think they’re better off out of Nana Plaza. I think they’re right. They’ve built a strong brand, and it will survive the move - I’m already looking forward to the Grand Opening Party, wherever it may be. What’s more, I predict that the now-vacant plot will stay vacant for a long time. I certainly hope so. Som num na, as the Thais say.
The Best Burger at Nana Plaza can now be found at the grease cart by the entrance. And that’s not a good thing. Stickman’s prediction for NEP?
With rental hikes across the board and some bars clearly hurting, the local wisdom of less customers necessitating price increases will likely prevail. Prices will likely go up, service will continue to get worse, the place will fall into further disrepair and punters will bypass Nana and drop into Cowboy for a few on their way to Pattaya.
It was nice knowing you Nana, but the writing is on the wall. This is the beginning of the end of an era.
Hard to argue with him. But I think that the death of Nana Plaza will be a long, slow and drawn-out affair. There’s still a lot of things going for the Plaza, and with despair comes desperation.
More attentive punters may have noticed Real Nudity™ recently in the fun Mandarin bar. The less stellar, but sometimes still fun (although also for sale) Mercury have been doing so for ages. Carousel is now featuring Patpong-style ping-pong shows. Not my thing, but the bar owners seem to be realising that they need to do something to bring the customers back. And ping pong balls are cheaper than paying the electricity bill.
Rainbow 1 and Rainbow 4 will stay busy - for the time being. So will Angelwitch. But in my experience, barfining one of the better-looking Rainbow girls tends to offer a similar experience to shagging a dead fish. Only more expensive. Angelwitch has some cute girls, but they’re busy doing the shows until 1am, and the cream of the crop have long left. The regular gogo girls who “dance” between shows are generally a sorry-looking lot these days. Try barfining the remaining cute showgirls before 1am (or indeed at all, in some cases). Good luck.
The only other thing Nana Plaza offers that can’t be found better and cheaper elsewhere is the four ladyboy bars. Hardly anybody ever seems comfortable admitting to even being faintly interested in ladyboys, but someone’s certainly keeping those bars busy. I reckon it’s one bloke shagging them all. Maybe he’d like to do an interview.
Soi Cowboy, officially at least, doesn’t have any ladyboys. So Nana, along with Guess Bar, is still the place to go for those venuses with penises. That should ensure a steady trade, until they start to move. I don’t think it’ll be too long before we see a ladyboy bar on Soi Cowboy.
Because Soi Cowboy is on the up. As Werewolf says on his own site:
Most of the information about Nana Plaza was unknown to me before reading [Stickman's] article, but one thing was common knowledge to punters on the street like me. Nana has been noticeably in decline for a year or more, while Soi Cowboy has been improving. Two or three years ago Soi Cowboy was being declared DOA by most commenters on the Bangkok scene.
But the bar owners in Soi Cowboy have been investing heavily in the soi. Notably there have been remodels inside, and changes outside, with new signs, a distinct “patio” addition to the front of several of the bars, and a general “sprucing up” of the soi.
Nudity is on the rise in Soi Cowboy, with naked dancing girls, lesbian shows, hand jobs and blow jobs all part of a normal night out on the soi these days. Nana plaza has become almost prudish by contrast.
Personally, I think that the prudishness will lessen, and I’d note that Soi Cowboy’s “famous four” hand job bars have apparently decided that they don’t do that any more - at least, not out in the open in the bar. But whilst I can see Nana relaxing the rules, I don’t see it catching up with Cowboy.
So yes, if you’re hitting gogos in the Sukhumvit area, I predict that you’re going to be finding yourself on Soi Cowboy more and more often over the coming months and years.
But I have a funny feeling that the nightlife hotspot is going to be another bar area. And I think it might surprise a few people. In this particular area, some of the better gogo bars offer drinks for less than half the price of the better gogo bars on Soi Cowboy. Suzie Wong’s will sell you a Tiger for ฿140. In the bar I’m thinking of, they go for ฿60. And that’s not a happy hour price. It’s good all night.
Am I thinking of Sukhumvit One Plaza? Nope. Not that one. Incidentally, rumour has it that Sukhumvit One Plaza will be closed down next month, and turned into a hotel. Unconfirmed as of now, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
There’s not one, but at least four blow job bars. There are freelancer hangouts, a couple of after-hours venues, more beer bars than you can shake a very long stick at, and then there’s the food. We’re talking about the best pizza in Bangkok. We’re talking about some pretty fantastic burgers too. Free popcorn all night in another of the better gogo bars. Thai food. Japanese food. French food. Italian food (last time I looked).
Then the karaoke bars. The discos. Live bands every night. An S&M club. And even a VD clinic. What more could a man ask for?
Is it Saphan Kwai? No. No, it isn’t
Gentlemen, I give you… Patpong. Bangkok’s next number one night entertainment area. Maybe.
You forgot the bloody awful night market down the middle of Patpong 1.
View all comments by Wombat
I was highlighting the finer points
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
When going to Nana, my starting and finishing point was always The Big Mango. Beers, burger, french fries and a cutie or two to have some fun with, then off to explore the floors. Don't know if I will ever go back, since I have Patpong close by and have never been to Cowboy. A lot more to see
You are right on with Patpong. A little of everything, some fun venues and girls to be had. Although, I need to listen to all the experienced punters regarding the upstairs places.
The other night I made the mistake of going up to SuperPussy. Walked in, the place was dead, however, saw some nudity on the stage, my pervert meter hit green, so I sat down. Before I knew it I had been hit, and not by a ping pong ball. I was attacked by about five plump girls wanting lady drinks. (Now I am your typical nice guy and tend to buy too many lady drinks. If she is sitting besides me and has a nice face I will usually buy a drink. Even when asked! I imagine that one day I will become like most experienced punters that only buy when their interest is seriously peaked.) I had already ordered my beer, and then bought the two cuter ones drinks. A really fat one then comes back from the bar with a drink in her hand saying I bought her one, but I did not go for it so she took it back. After a few minutes the bills did not show up so I asked where were they. Well the mamasan comes over with a few other hags saying the bill is 900 baht. SHIT! 300 baht per drink! What if I had bought all five?! I have read about this before, so I was really pissed that I fell for it. Of course, I bitched and moaned but knew I would get nowhere, so I gave in and left. They must live off of suckers like me rather than regular customers. Anyways, lesson learned; stay to the ground floors in Patpong.
BBB, by the way, I had decided to explore SuperPussy after seeing it's current votes being high on this site. I realize it is not you that is recommending this place, but who are these guys and WHY are they voting for it? Could one of them please explain why?
View all comments by MunchMouth
@MunchMouth: Should've read the review! Regarding the votes, no idea. I wonder whether some of the voters have even been to Patpong. Voting closes tomorrow at midnight…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
@BBB: I had previously read that review and many more. It is hard to remember who said what about each location considering all the reviews and comments made. In future will seek out/search for information prior to exploring based on one factor.
With that said…
My review of the Kiss Gogo:
My first gogo experience was Kiss in Patpong. In brief, I am now a regular (maybe the only) since I was treated so well and had a lot of fun just hanging out with the girls. To me, the people there are fun and different. I always buy the mamasan a drink and she in turn takes good care of me. She pulls any girl I want, and has gone as far as calling one in from home for me. She introduces the new ones and never gives me a hard time for not bar fining a girl. Sometimes they do ask for lady drinks but not nearly as much as other bars. The girls range from too old to too young, down right unattractive and overweight to sexy and hot. I do not believe there are any "9's" or "10's" among them. I do think they need more girls. First time I was there the music was great. All other times the music has been so so. This may not sound all that positive, but I really like the place. In general, what keeps me going back is that I have a lot of laughs and feel at home in this gogo bar. Give it a shot, I do not think you will have a bad experience.
View all comments by MunchMouth
I would think the Big Mango Bar will not be empty for long and expect Mandarin may well expand their table dancing into it.
View all comments by Wayne Loony
Mandarin Table Dance is only one half of what was once Silver Dragon. The other half, in between MTD and what was The Big Mango, has been vacant and sealed-up for some time now.
I believe it's still under the same ownership as the Mandarin bars, so if they wanted to expand, surely they'd have used the empty space they already own?
I believe that the Mandarin bars rent from one landlord, whilst the Big Mango rented from another. So I would imagine that combining both premises would be insanely complicated, with two leases, and two landlords to satisfy.
Still, Bangkok is full of surprises. We'll see…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Only bar worth going in Nana Plaza is Obsessions.
View all comments by Ps
ah the pong. Brings back memories. I used to live in hong kong and we would fly in on a friday night and hit safari. By the time we arrived the local expats would be there well lubricated. This was in the mid 90s. Top bar. Then over to see elvis.
View all comments by MSB
btw.. Anyone else at the beyonce gig tonight?
View all comments by MSB
I do like the idea that Patpong might be the next place to be. Indeed I found it to be much changed on my last visit and had much fun there.
Looking forward to seeing BBB at Camelot Castle on Christmas eve…
View all comments by mart
Patpong is a turd of a place
Like putting your hand in shyte. Although i feel like wiping my feet on the way out, i always have a softspot as it was my first taste of whoring when i first came BKK 3 years ago
I reckon with some investment the place could be alright
Plus the ladyboys in the mixed bar dont have cocks which is always a bonusBummer to see Mango leave though
View all comments by Penfold
Patpong the next new entertainment venue? Excuse me! Patpong was the first ho center for ex-pats. See The Deerhunter starring DeNiro and Walken where the Saigon bar scenes are shot on Patpong road.
As for the demise of Nana Plaza, I'm not one to say I told you so but…
Could the attitudes of the prima-donnas at Angelwitch and Rainbow 4 have anything to do with it?
I'll be watching with interest the fate of NEP from the Caribbean with my white, western, hot, rich (over 30) GF who pays me instead of the other way around.
View all comments by kwai mai sabai
@kms: Oh, sure. Patpong was where it all started. Most readers nowadays don't seem to bother with it though, for very well-publicised reasons.
I'm suggesting that perhaps over time, they will.
Plenty of prima donnas in any successful bar, sad to say.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Need to retract my recommendation of the Kiss Gogo. Tonight, Halloween, the owner charged a farang 1,000 baht per girl. The guy did complain, but eventually paid the fine for two girls. Jessss. I would have told the guy the f-off. I haven't been to Kiss for about two weeks and it has changed — new girls and I think a new mamasan. Still like it, however, if the owner is going to be pulling this kind of shit, don't know if I will being going back for long.
Briefly talked to the guy and he thinks the owner was charging 1,000 baht since Halloween was some special night. Oh, the girls weren't much to look at, although I heard the guy say he started at 15:00, so they were looking good to him.
View all comments by MunchMouth
I visited Kiss recently, on your recommendation. The mamasan was the best-looking girl in the place…
Many bars set the barfine at ฿1,000 on Halloween, as well as other special occasions, to dissuade the girls from taking the night off.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
That's right MM.
You really DO have to use your head in Patpong.
View all comments by Prufrock
BBB: I have to agree. Last night there were no hotties when I left at 20:00 and there were at least 5 (7 when you add the two that left) new girls that weren't worth looking at.
View all comments by MunchMouth
Re NEP: The Mango boys were smart to opt out of there.
With all the BG non-performance scams in play,
the greed
and the utter disgusting filth of the place
and most of all the level of rude stupidity that permeates the way most of the dumps in NEP are run,
NEP reached critical mass for me about six years ago .
The place is now a stinking swirling stew of neon-lit shit.
Unless your tastes run to getting drunk in bus station toilets and/or having sex with the physically mutilated attendants, your chances of having a good night in NEP are almost non-existent.
Time for NEP "bar owners" to simmer in their own shit.
Nana "Entertainment" Plaza ?
Fuhgeddaboudit !
View all comments by Prufrock
I talked to a freind toda who was in Pattaya on Halloween night. He reported that barfines were 1,500 baht.
View all comments by werewolf
Showgirl barfines at Angelwitch on Halloween night were ฿2,000. Regular “dancers”, ฿1,500.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
the prices in Nana have gone through the roof. i have rarely gone there in the past few years. the prices are steep, way too steep, due to outrageous leases and probably moreso, to the payola that has to be shelled out each month to the iron-fisted boys in brown. the place has been in decline since 2000, when Toxin (Taksin) took office
View all comments by KD
When I first went to Patpong (20 years ago)my best bar on the two strips was the Pink Panther, have not been back for years but understand that they are doing kick boxing, any one been there lately, what is it like?
View all comments by knight
3B, are you out of your mind? Patpong the next number one entertainment area? Huh? What's that you say? You were being ironic?
(FX: dictionary pages turning)
I knew that! I knew that!
View all comments by Pants Elk
@KD: I don't mind paying a fair price for a fun time, whatever the market decides that price is. I do object to paying over the odds for a mediocre time.
I will predict here and now that regular bottled beers will hit the magical ฿150 price during the upcoming high season at Nana Plaza. At this point, Soi 33 will start to seem appealing. That will be another death knell.
@knight: Pink Panther was renamed as simply "Pink" after an amusing copyright case. They still offered live boxing matches last time I was there (the fighters wandered around the bar begging for tips after each match, of course), but I could see no other reason to visit.
@Pants: I was being slightly facetious, yes. The point being that if you analyse each of the "Big Three" purely on facilities, Patpong is miles ahead, and with cheaper prices to boot. However, it's nowhere near as popular (witness the number of votes cast for each area in the recent polls), so clearly it isn't the best. Cowboy is King right now. I’ve been saying that for ages.
I do honestly think that Patpong could overtake Cowboy though, if the powers that be decide to make more of an effort than the Cowboy folks over the next few years. They'd need to scale back the night market, shoot the bar touts, and force the taxi drivers to use the meter though, and that's just for starters…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
You can get a taximeter over the other side of Silom, n'est-ce pas? That's what I found, anyway. You head out of town (the wrong way) and they hang a U-ey, the meter running nicely. And yes, it makes no sense at all, but it's worked at least three times for me.
View all comments by Pants Elk
As for the Mandarin table dance expanding. I doubt it - they shrunk the place to begin with. We actually vied for the leftover space next to the Mango - the remnants of Silver Dragon. The 2 landlords, ours at the time and the vacant spot, would not talk to each other. So I doubt a deal would emerge freeing up the space. It is also unclear if getting the vacant spot grants someone a go-go lease. So all a bit more complicated than it appears.
Patpong could do it. My only comment is that it is run by too many Thais and the Castle Group is as bad as the Crown Group in Nana. So I don't hold out much hope. But u never know.
View all comments by Smitty
@Pants: You can, yes. But you shouldn't need to. That said, the taxi touts at the Asoke end of Cowboy are just as bad. The flower sellers, elephant walkers, souvenir peddlers and beggars are annoying, but nothing on the scale of Patpong's legion of annoying twats.
@Smitty: Hard to argue with that. Of course, five to ten years ago, nobody would have predicted Cowboy eclipsing Nana. Bangkok's full of surprises. I now hear that some of the bar owners at the doomed Sukhumvit One Plaza are looking at Suk Soi 13 for new digs. So maybe something will pop up there. Or maybe not…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Can I just point out that I psychically predicted the redevelopment of Suk 1 Plaza weeeeeks ago on this very blog? No? Oh well. Here's some more Mystic Utterances from the Netherworld for you to ignore at your peril: The NEP is in terminal decline, and will be replaced by a "family" hotel within five years and three and a half months. Soi Cowboy will continue as is, but spiralling prices and a disastrous fire (resulting from a bizarre birthday-cake vaginal candle-extinguishing accident) sets things back in 2009, when most of the showgirls decamp en masse for 3B's luxury bachelor apartment high above Bangkok's busy Thong Lor. Patpong, meanwhile, is declared a National Heritage Site and ping-pong acts and fake watches are recognised as traditional and proud Thai customs. Anderson Cooper files a report from the opening ceremony dressed as a showgirl with a three-number badge pinned to his zeppelin-like left breast. Uh … and that's it.
View all comments by Pants Elk
Patpong's got "Barbar", Soi 33's got "Demonia", Does anyone know of similar places in Hua Hin or Phuket?
View all comments by hardnworthit
@hardnworthit: Sorry, I don't. I do Bangkok.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Have to say I just had three days in BKK, which is unfortunately a rare occurance these days.
By chance I got off with an English woman at the conference I was attending on the first night, shagged her a couple of times so she got some of the good stuff I was saving for the Thai chicks. Blonde, nice fanny and great tits so who was I to refuse…..
I was determined to make the most of my visit, so on the next night I visited Lolitas where I had a fantastic BJ by a girl called Noi or Nuk or some such - then went to Rainbow 4 and picked up a lovely little girl and shagged her once at night then once in the morning - morning one she said "fuck me no condom" so I'll let you know if my knob drops off !! can't quite remember her name but looks about 16…
Next afternoon went to star of light, great BJ in the bar, then after a walk around hit kangaroo bar for a 2 girl which was surprisingly good. Lots of retching by the cum recipient after I came which I always think is somewhow horny…. Then back to Nana on the skytrain and Lolitas, the previous girl recognised me thankfully as I couldn't remember her name (I know, I'm bad…) so had another really good session with her. She edged the star of light girls in my opinion.
At all these joints I reckon business was booming, all doing a steady trade. Rainbow 4 was full both nights (yes I have to admit I snuck in after my three BJ afternoon to find my girlfriend again) so as far as I can tell Bangkok BJ bars and Gogos are doing OK.
Including my unexpected conference shag, I must have cum a dozen times in fannies & mouths in the three days I was there, long may it continue !! So from my perspective there's not a lot wrong with BKK nightlife…… And I spent no more than a couple of hundred quid in the process.
View all comments by Timbo
@Timbo: Sounds like you had fun. But the point of the article was that NEP will begin to die off over the coming months and years, with the exception of the Rainbow bars, Angelwitch, and the katoey bars.
My secondary point was that Patpong, as well as Soi Cowboy, could take advantage of this.
You went to Nana, but only bothered with Rainbow 4 (as predicted), and also enjoyed a couple of Patpong bars (as predicted). So I think we're actually in agreement
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Timbo shagged a girl who looked 16, without a condom. No comment.
View all comments by Anonymous
In view of the iminent demise of Nana Plaza, I have decided to take a trip to Pattaya to enjoy the alternatives….. can any of you kind gents suggest the top 10 not to be missed Go Gos in Pattaya ? ( or any other not to be missed experiences !)
Many Thanks,
Cowboy Old Hand
View all comments by Cowboy Old Hand
Sorry, no. This is a Bangkok website.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
yes BBB, I understand that - but have you never ventured a little further up Sukhumvit Rd and found Pattaya? no favourite places to share?
View all comments by Cowboy Old Hand
The now sadly missed Morally Diminished wrote:
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Speaking as an Old Lag myself, I found Pattaya to be even better than my buddies in the High Security Wing had told me. Maybe it's my style (no-neck Porn Thug with facial tatts and body piercing, sleeveless tee worn over butcherblock biceps and rampaging bodyhair) but I felt immediately at home there. My peer group provided support and mentorism as I acclimatized myself to the new regime. I was of course well used to fucking fags in the laundry room (I hate fags, I really rape them up the ass), so ladyboys provided an intriguing and exotic variation on a theme. And then there were the real girls, with whom I enjoyed building relations that sometimes lasted an entire fuck. Of course, they need to be kept in line, and I think they're kind of asking for a belting? They know it's good for them, and I am pleased to oblige. I am also very fond of children, and my friends and I often held parties for them in Pattaya's purpose-built entertainment complexes, where the staff are refreshingly discreet (for a few baht).
But it's not all sex and fucking. Pattaya also offers the seasoned vacationer an unrivalled market in and for Class-A pharmaceuticals, to provide the weary traveler with that much-needed lift as the evening's entertainment continues into the small hours and beyond!
So - ignore the rumors. Come see for yourself the magic and splendor that is Thailand's premier seaside resort!
View all comments by Pattaya Pete
thats a class act
View all comments by eloelo
There's an interesting look at Pattaya Soi 6 on the Big Mango site today.
BBB, I think I've seen you use that quote before… it's a classic. It's a shame that Morally Diminished decided to retire, but at least he left his website up for all and sundry to enjoy.
View all comments by werewolf
@werewolf: Yup. I can't put my feelings for Pattaya any more clearly or succintly than MD did, so I just throw the quote out. And yes, I've used it here before.
The Soi 6 piece you mention is well-written and funny, as we'd expect from the author (On Nutter), but it makes me even more determined to avoid the place!
One of the reasons I decided to start this site was that (at the time) the only widely-read site that was regularly covering Bangkok nightlife was the weekly column on StickmanBangkok. Except it would usually contain mostly updates on the Pattaya bars, with very little about Bangkok. From a site with Bangkok in its name, this really annoyed me.
Pattaya is not in Bangkok. It's 93 miles away. I felt that the 'Kokosphere was missing a regularly updated nightlife website that focussed exclusively on Bangkok. So here it is. If someone else wants to start PattayaBadBoy.com, they're more than welcome.
To be quite fair though, since I've already done a couple of pieces on destinations elsewhere, perhaps a standalone page on Pattaya might be of some value in the future…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
Maybe you could franchise. HuaHinBadboy, PhnomPhenBadboy, AngleCityBadboy…?!
View all comments by werewolf
Ah yes, Angle City. Acute place indeed. Right? Or am I being obtuse?
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
i think this site will eventually take over everything.you could be the bad boy of everywhere, franchise it out. some good old jounalism a few pics. lots of members
then rupert murdoch will give you 500 million big ones because it is now a social networking syndicated world wide travel review etc site. well it was just an idea
i will go back to solitary now. sir!
View all comments by eloelo
@BBB: No more pointed comments; I clearly haven't squared away my typing abilities to make myself a well-rounded person.
View all comments by werewolf
My absolute favorite thing about Pattaya is that if the Dogs Bollocks and all that it stands for is located there, it's not here
View all comments by Prufrock
@Cowboy Old Hand-though some of the comments about Pattaya are a bit extreme, it IS pretty much over there…unless you are a hardcore sex tourist wanting hardcore girls. it HAS been ruined by trouble from around the world. too many people there now. the hot girl selection has diminished to virtually zero AND they have BAD attitude. the girls are HARDCORE with way too much ink and attitude. the GFE (girl friend experience) is OVER. prices are also through the roof. that said, my favorite A-go-go is "What's Up?" in my opionion, the only a-go-go you can have real fun in. "Peppermint" should also be on your list, but be prepared for huge crowds, lot of girls(though only a handfull of hot, thin ones) and bad attitudes…unless you are dropping BIG BAHT on lady drinks and ping-pong balls. maybe "Club Boesche". that's my Top 3, in respective order…and ONLY 3 in my opinion
View all comments by KD
is pattaya really worth a visit compared to bangkok
View all comments by eloelo
@eloelo: Whilst I personally can't stand Pattaya, I do think everyone should see it at least once and make up their own minds. You can get there in a taxi for around ฿1,500, or a couple of hundred baht on the bus.
One of Bangkok's most underappreciated assets is the safety factor. I have never, ever been in a fight here, and nobody's ever attempted to strike, mug or rob me. The most hassle I get is from touts and beggars, who can be annoying but never intimidating.
In all my time here, I've only ever seen one fight, and that was a pissed-up fat Yank getting his arse handed to him by the very patient Thai bar staff who he'd been verbally and physically abusing for the best part of half an hour. On Khao San Road, naturally. It didn't last very long, and I heard the crunch when he got his nose broken. Don't get into a fight with Thais.
Aside from that, whilst you get the odd dickhead every now and again - there was a tanked-up tosser in a Man Utd away shirt (naturally) trying to stir up trouble at the Angelwitch Halloween party a few weeks ago - there's amazingly little violence to be found.
There are, of course, rough areas of Bangkok. But we farangs have no reason whatsoever to visit them, and most vacationing mongers probably don't even realise they exist.
In Pattaya, none of the above applies. Watch your back.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
I agree that BKK is very safe as long as you behave yourself and don't go looking for trouble.
I did kick the shit out of a Thai guy once, though.
About 3 am and I was crossing a sapphan loi with a Thai girl. I was fairly drunk and stopped to lean against a pole for a minute. Sensing weakness, some Thai guy walked up and put his left hand on my shoulder and his right hand on my wallet as he asked me if I was okay.
I grabbed his right hand, took back my wallet, and proceeded to punch and kick him until he went down. I left him bleeding on the bridge.
The girl was pretty intimidated, so I let her go home. Needless to say, she didn't ask for 'taxi money'.
I don't recommend this as the way to comport yourself in Bangkok. Chances are, if I'd been on the street instead of the deserted footbridge, my opponent would have been joined by half a dozen thugs who would have been happy to beat up a drunk and aggressive Ferang.
View all comments by werewolf
thanks,, bbb…i know sometimes i ask dumb questions but if i am walking up soi 4 past nep to sukhumvit rd do i go left or right to get to pattaya, and yes this question has a secret agenda
View all comments by eloelo
@werewolf: Yeah, I never said there weren't any pickpockets. Never been targetted myself, thankfully. Sounds like you were pretty lucky there was no-one else around though.
@eloelo: From soi 4, turn right onto Sukhumvit. Go forward 93 miles. Stop.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
you get the odd cocksucker who fancies there chances of lifting you of your bodily possessions (sp? bothered)
i woke up in the back of a tuktuk, back from 'the pong' to 'back yard' with some turd with his hands in my back pocket only for me to exhibit my ability as a BBBJ…….. (if your struggling for a translation, ill give you a clue……… it isnt a blowie)
never had any more trouble in bkk then i have in patts
View all comments by Penfold
Dear All - thanks for all the comments on Pattaya - and all I asked for was a top 10 of GoGos ! - some very interesting responses though - looks like I should leave my Mam at home for that trip then …….
View all comments by Cowboy Old Hand
I check this site out to get info on BKK….not Pattaya. I've only been to BKK twice and some other spots around Thailand, finally going back in Feb. I did go to Pattaya for 1 night out of a planned 6….fkn dump shithole(as in the douche bag clientele), I left my travel pals behind, took my ass back to BKK. BangkokBadBoy…….not PattayaDumpsterDiver. All due respect and all to the 'to each his own' factor….but not on this site. Yes, I'm a noob, first and last time for a negative comment. I really enjoy this site and what people recommend and share, but when I think of how excited people get for Pattaya???? WhoTF am I anyways. Thanks again for the information everyone shares. By the way, can anyone recommend a nice go go in Tokyo? (not serious)
View all comments by jpafghan1
"since I've already done a couple of pieces on destinations elsewhere, perhaps a standalone page on Pattaya might be of some value in the future…"
Sounds like segregation may be in order.
By the way, I read this site to get info on girls, not ladyboys… can we segregate the katoey material into a seperate section as well? <grin & wink>
View all comments by werewolf