Bangkok is special. There’s no other place like it anywhere in the world. I’ve been there 80+ times in the last 30 years. I know the Sukhumvit area very well now. I’ve made friends with many bar owners and managers over the years.
My first visit to patpong in 1992
When I first went to Bangkok in early 1992, everyone told me to go to Patpong. That was the main nightlife area back then. I went there with my European girlfriend. We visited King’s Castle and other busy bars in the area.
I remember one amazing night at a bar packed with beautiful ladies and foreigners everywhere. This was during the first Iraq war, right after the Berlin Wall came down. The Scorpions song “Wind of Change” was playing loud. Everyone was happy, singing, drinking, and having fun with the girls who wore red, white, and blue bikinis. That was one of my best nights ever in Bangkok.
The bachelor trip to Nana plaza in 1997
I came back in 1997 with twelve friends for my bachelor party. We stayed at a hotel on Soi 5. A friend who works in finance showed us around Nana Plaza for the first time. The first bar we entered was on the ground floor, left side. It was buzzing with energy. We couldn’t believe what we saw. Then we went to Playskool. What an amazing bar! It was packed and they played loud rock music. I remember George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” playing. You never heard that kind of music in British pubs back then. We stayed around Nana most nights because some of the guys met ladies who showed them around Bangkok.
The emotional visit to Kanchanaburi
We took a trip to see the Death Railway at Kanchanaburi. The museum there shows the horrible things that happened during the war. Then we visited a military cemetery on a very hot and humid day. We all wore sunglasses because of the sun. We walked around the cemetery looking at the graves and reading the messages on them. Behind our sunglasses, we were all crying. None of us could look at each other or talk. It was so sad seeing where all these young soldiers were buried.
We were all around 40 years old, and all thirteen of us felt very emotional that day. I tell everyone to visit that place and take the train across the bridge.
Getting to know Nana and Soi 4
Over the years, I learned Nana Plaza and the area around it very well. I brought many friends to Bangkok. Some of them liked it so much they moved to Thailand, especially to Pattaya.
Chequers bar on Soi 4 became our regular spot. A man named Woody owned it and Peter ran it. We met good people there like Welsh Colin and someone called Hatch. Around 2000 or 2001, a Western man came in with a very beautiful and classy Thai lady. I said to Colin that she couldn’t work at Nana. Colin told me she worked at Soi 33 where the hostess bars are.
Discovering the magic of Soi 33
Colin and Hatch used to drink at a place called Monet in Soi 33, so we went with them one evening. What an amazing street! Monet was fantastic. Great music, gorgeous ladies, and very friendly. I became close friends with about twelve of these women over the years. I still talk to some of them today.
Welsh Colin used to play guitar in a band in Britain. He told me his band was the first one signed to Elton John’s Rocket Records label. In 2002, I was working security for Roger Waters and Pink Floyd when they played at Muang Thong Thani stadium. One of the guitarists was Andy Fairweather-Low. He used to be in Amen Corner and played with Eric Clapton. Colin told me he went to school with Andy and asked if he could meet him backstage.
During the break in the show, I brought Colin to the band’s dressing room. Colin and Andy were so happy to see each other after so many years. They talked the whole time. Later I took some of the band members, including Colin, Andy, and Snowy White from Thin Lizzy, to a bar called Renoir. We had a brilliant night there.
The bar scene on Soi 33
Renoir was next door to Monet. It also had beautiful ladies and great Blues music. The lady DJ played Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, and early Fleetwood Mac songs. I became very close with one lady from Renoir. She didn’t know I was also seeing a lady from Monet. I still follow one of them on Facebook.
These ladies get very protective once they start drinking and spending time with you. They don’t want anyone else taking their man.
A lesson about jealous bar girls
One night I was at Monet talking to my regular lady. She was the number one girl in that bar. I told her I was going across the street to Dali bar. When I was leaving Monet, another beautiful girl stopped me and asked what I was doing later and where I was going.
I went to Dali and came back 30 minutes later. My regular lady had hit the girl who asked about me. The poor girl had to go to the hospital. It wasn’t good, but I learned that night not to underestimate these bar girls, especially the number one girls.
The iron attack at renoir
Another time I was drinking at Renoir. Jimmy White, the famous snooker player, was drinking with us that night.
There was a very pretty young lady who worked at the reception desk at Renoir. The ladies had a room upstairs where they got ready for work and changed their clothes.
One night this pretty receptionist was drinking at the bar with a Western customer. This man had been seeing another lady from Renoir who was very jealous. The jealous lady was upstairs ironing her clothes when the pretty girl walked in. They started arguing and the jealous lady hit her with the hot iron.
The girl fell down and the jealous lady held the hot iron on her face. It hurt her face very badly for life. The police came and the jealous lady had to pay a lot of money to the hurt girl. The owner Alex kept the hurt girl working there, but she probably never got another customer because her face was so badly damaged. She used to be beautiful, but now she worked in a bar where people came to meet beautiful ladies.
Over time, Soi 33 became less popular. Many bars closed. Now there are only a few bars left, but you can still see some of the old faces there.
Other great bars and clubs around Sukhumvit
Renoir later spent a lot of money to become a nightclub. I went there one Thursday evening with five friends. The place was empty. They welcomed us and we bought many drinks, but the music was bad so we left after an hour.
We tried again the next Saturday. The place was empty again, and the same staff who welcomed us before refused to let us in. That was very strange because we were well dressed, sober, and had Thai ladies with us. The place closed after about a year. I’m not surprised when you turn away people who want to spend money.
There was a small side street with two good bars: Mojo’s and the Office. The Office was popular with nice ladies. Mojo’s was quieter but had a good live band. Peter from Chequers ran Mojo’s before he moved to Queen Vic on Soi 23. Napoleon was a good bar and so was Livingstone’s. One of them had a gorgeous swimming pool where the ladies swam in bikinis.
Dali had very good looking and pleasant ladies, but the mamasan Joy could be annoying asking for drinks all the time. She was always welcoming though. Monet later moved across the road and joined with Dali. In my opinion, Monet was the best bar in Bangkok for beautiful ladies.
Climax club and Soi 11
We used to go to Climax Club below the Ambassador hotel on Soi 11. It was a very good club with excellent live bands. Khun Mao owned it. She also owns the Hillary bars and Morning Night. Sadly, Climax closed about eight years ago, but people say it might open again soon. I hope so.
The standards at her bars are very high. Many of her 600 or more staff have worked for her for many years. Her security staff are very welcoming and the prices are fair.
The rise and fall of Q Bar and Bed supperclub
Soi 11 had some good clubs. Q Bar was the place to be seen about fifteen years ago. For some reason the owners made the club bigger and it never felt the same after that. It’s closed now. There’s a 7-Eleven there instead.
Bed Supperclub was around the corner from Q Bar. It was also good and very popular. The staff were welcoming, but quite a few ladyboys went there. That never hurt the atmosphere or music though. It was torn down some years ago.
I remember a small bar across from Bed club about fifteen years ago. It had large cages with girls dressed in tiger suits dancing inside the cages. It was packed and had great atmosphere. Sadly it’s gone now and I can’t remember the name.
Still good today: Oskar and Hillary Bars
Oskar is still on Soi 11. It’s a nice friendly trendy bar with many nice freelance ladies there. Good food and great music. I recommend it.
Hillary 11 is a great friendly bar with great live bands and serious freelance ladies most nights. Then you can move to Hillary 3 which has a small club upstairs and stays open until about 4:00 AM. Soi 11 is a great street with many good bars and restaurants. It’s a really good night out if you want something different from Nana or Cowboy.
Why Bangkok nightlife is surprisingly safe
It’s strange but I’ve noticed something. I worked on nightclub doors for 15 years in Britain. I also worked security for many famous British bands at home and in Bangkok. There’s very little trouble in the Bangkok nightlife areas. It surprised me.
One night my friend and I went to Thonglor. We had a few drinks at a bar I think was called Iron Fairy. Then we went to a nightclub. When we walked in, we were the only Western people in the whole club. An older lady came up to us and said we could stay and drink but had to pay 30,000 baht. We said no and left. I don’t know the name of that club.
Short time rooms on Soi 11
As you go down Soi 11 near Soi 3, there are buildings on the right side that look like garages. Each one has a large curtain. These are short time rooms. If someone is using the room, they pull the curtain closed to show the room is busy.
The high blass clubs
Spasso Was the Best
Spasso was the best club in Bangkok at that time. It was high class. Once the bar staff knew you, your drink would be ready for you automatically. The security staff were top quality and friendly.
The freelance ladies were the best from many different countries. Long time cost 5,000 to 8,000 baht with no bar fine. The ladies dressed beautifully and they came to you instead of you having to chase them. They had top international bands and great food if you were hungry.
CM2 and other upscale venues
CM2 was another great nightclub under the Novotel hotel in Siam Square. This club could hold about 1,500 people. Great bands again, but many Russian ladies went there. I don’t know if they did business there because the Thai ladies were also looking for customers.
There was a club called Riva in the Sheraton Hotel near Asoke. This was a good classy club but I never saw it packed. The ladies were high class though. There was also a club around Wireless Road called Pent. It had a large swimming pool in the club with nice ladies around it.
Insanity and other big clubs
Insanity was a great large nightclub and was very busy. It had Western security guys whose attitude wasn’t always welcoming. Every time I went to Insanity it was packed. I can’t understand why such a club closed down. It must have been making a lot of money. I heard they made one million baht a night.
Mixx Club was good. I haven’t been there for about eight years. Back then it had people from many different countries. Western security greeted you. I didn’t like the music much. I know a story about an American security guy at Mixx who was a bully at the door. He stopped two Thai guys one night. These Thai guys were Indian Sikhs born and raised in Thailand. After arguing with the security guy, one of the Sikhs called his Army friends because he was in the military. They came and arrested the security guy for working without a permit and took him away.
I’ve been to a club called Boss a few times. I can’t remember where it is, but it was busy and friendly with good late night freelance ladies. I don’t like Levels club in Soi 11. You have to take a lift to enter the club. I’ve never seen a fire escape there. Maybe they have one? The Western security guy isn’t very welcoming to other Westerners.
Memorable Moments and Characters
Hells angels in the heat
I remember one very hot day at Chequers bar. I was having a cool drink when two gorgeous blonde ladies walked in. Two large Western men followed them wearing full leather jackets and jeans. I thought, why are these guys wearing leather jackets in this weather? They had Hells Angels Switzerland patches on the back with death head symbols. I don’t know why they felt they needed to wear that in Thailand.
The strongman incident at Carousel
I remember one night at Carousel, which is now Billboard. The bar was packed with a large group of Western guys drinking and being loud. The show on the rotating stage had a Thai strongman and his lady assistant.
One of his acts was taking his shirt off while his assistant threw darts into his chest. After that act finished, he got a rope and his assistant held one end while he held the other. They were doing a tug of war with each other. Suddenly one of the Western guys jumped on stage and grabbed the rope. That was very silly because the Thai strongman had nunchucks on the stage. He beat the Western guy badly with them. They dragged the guy outside.
When we left Carousel, we saw the Western guy on the balcony with the Thai strongman standing over him. The Western guy was begging for forgiveness. It was strange because Carousel had a security guy, a small Thai man who obviously had Police or Army connections. He always had his gun showing inside his jacket.
The dollhouse and the FBI raid
I used to drink at Dollhouse in Soi Cowboy with a group of Westerners. A big guy led this group. His name was Alex. He was later arrested in Phuket with his friends by the FBI for planning a murder. This was about ten years ago. I think they sent him to America. He might still be in prison there.
Some serious heavy Western guys drank in the upstairs bar at Dollhouse back then. The manager was a Welsh guy called Marc. He later ran the Dollhouse in Pattaya. I saw some wild things happen on stage there with Thai ladies and Western ladies performing together.
Dave the rave and angelwitch
I remember one night at Angelwitch drinking with Dave The Rave who was managing the place. It was a dance contest. The place was completely packed and the performances on stage were amazing. Wild behavior at the highest level with AC/DC playing loud in the background. What an atmosphere!
Small bars and the Bangkok outlaws
I remember a small bar in Soi 22, maybe in Washington Square, where a blues band played. They called themselves the Soi Dogs Blues Band. I haven’t seen them for a long time. Recently I was in a small bar on Soi 7/1 with a great little band. I can’t remember the name. There was a small bar at the end of Soi 7/1 called Sweetheart bar. They had a ladyboy cashier and DJ named Khun Shore. They had some pretty ladies there. Some used to work at Monet.
The Infamous Gee and His Outlaws
For quite a while we hung out at a small bar where Hillary 1 is now, next to Annie’s massage place. This bar was the headquarters of the Bangkok Outlaws. The self elected President was a guy named Gee, who everyone knew.
Gee used to park his Ferraris in the parking area and give out Outlaws t-shirts to people drinking in the bar. I still have mine. Many of these Outlaws were decent guys, but Gee had an attitude problem. He was running several bars in Nana Plaza. He put Outlaws stickers on the doors of the bars.
He also ran Nana Nightclub for a while. He would sit there with his followers until very late. People say that one night he drove his Ferrari down Soi 4 shooting a gun out of the open roof. I don’t know if that’s true.
My advice for Visiting Bangkok
If you want to get to know Bangkok and the bars, always be polite and stay sober. Thai people never forget if you lie to them or treat them badly. Always be polite to the staff and tip them. If you want to get into a packed club or bar, give a little bit of cash to the biggest security guard. He will look after you well. He will remember you the next time you come to his club or bar.
How to meet ladies the right way
When you meet a lady in a bar for the first time that you like, make respectful conversation with her while you share drinks together. Ask her where she comes from and about her family. Ask if she has children, how many, and how old they are. Show real interest in the girl.
Talk about what you want to do after her work if she wants to leave with you. Ask her what she’s doing tomorrow. If she seems interested, ask if she will come swimming with you at your hotel. Many Thai girls like this. If she does come to your hotel, you can be sure you’re going to have a great, relaxed time with her outside the bar.
Enjoy your time. Make sure you have insurance. Stay away from renting motorbikes.
* This is a reader submission sharing real experiences from 30+ years of Bangkok visits. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Venues and circumstances may have changed since the time of these experiences. Got your own Bangkok story? We’d love to hear it!
