Bangkok is the most renowned spot in the
world for nightlife, and Patpong is Bangkok's most famous, and
longest running nightlife area. It is hard to
imagine that in such a small area you can find such a huge
variety of bars, and believe us when we say that whatever you
fancy, you'll find it at Patpong!
The main Patpong area is two sois
(soi = lane in English) that run between Silom and Suriwong
Roads, two of the main roads in the business district of
Bangkok. Each lane is about 250 metres long and is lined
with bars of all sorts. You'll find Bangkok's world famous
gogo bars where beautiful Thai women dance to the latest hits.
There are open air beer bars where you can sit back and watch
the world go by while enjoying the company of some of the
lovely hostesses. There are live venues and of course
there are specialty bars.
Bars go through phases of
being popular to less popular, so let us make a few
recommendations of bars to visit.
In Patpong Soi 2, close to the
Foodland Supermarket is Club Electric Blue, the most
popular of all of Patpong's agogo bars. Owned and run by Westerners with long experience managing bars, Club
Electric Blue makes a point of creating a comfortable setting
for the girls and customers.
Other popular bars with pretty
ladies on the premises include King's Castle 1 & 2, Queen's Castle II and Camelot's Castle. These bars are
next to each other in the middle of Patpong Soi 1 and can get
very busy. These particular bars are part of the King's
Group of Bars, a group of some 15 odd bars owned by the same
group. This group pledges that customers will not have any
problems in their bars, always good to know if you are new to
Patpong and entering such bars makes you a little nervous.
If you prefer slightly older
music, you'll no doubt like Safari, also on Patpong Soi
1. In business for what seems like an eternity, it is
rumoured that the DJ has eschewed purchasing a CD player and
still uses vinyl! This is a small bar with generally
friendly service, pretty ladies and really excellent music.
On Patpong Soi 2 are a number
of lounge bars that are much more relaxed than the gogo bars on
Soi 1. Here you can find bars such as Cosmos Club,
Executive Lounge and Crown Royal which are somewhat
more quiet, do not feature scantily clad dancers and where the
atmosphere is that little but more comfortable than a noisy bar.
These are ideal spots to relax if all you want is a beer and
someone to chat with, as opposed to a view, so to speak.
But everyone has their
favourite bars and all of the bars offer something a little
different. This is Thailand and so the prices of drinks
and what not are very reasonable. If you happen to enter a
bar that you're not a great fan of, just settle the bill and
wander into the next joint. There are heaps of fun spots
for a beer and a laugh on Patpong.
For the more daring, do stop
by Kangaroo Bar, The Star Of Light or The Star
Of Love, all of which offer a bar format that will be new to
most visitors. Order a beer, sit back and enjoy!
Most bars in Patpong open
early evening, although a few of the bars, the open-air beer
bars and some of the specialty bars are open during the day.
A few massage parlours can be
found on Patpong Soi 2. Be sure of the type of message you
want as some of the massage parlours in the area provide an
excellent traditional massage helping to relax you after a long
day in the tropical heat, whereas others will be more about
trying to satisfy you.
