Patpong
Patpong, if you didn’t already know, is composed of two parallel 400-metre-long streets (sois) between Silom Rd and Surawong Rd in central Bangkok, and it is where Bangkok’s go-go bars started way back in the 1960′s when War between the Americans and the Vietcong was raging in neighbouring Vietnam. The rest is history. Quite simply, Patpong has become one of the world’s most famous red-light districts alongside Pigalle in Paris, and Soho in London.
Today, Patpong is living off its fame but is also being forced to change because of negative media reports. So many people have been ripped off here that many pundits have told would-be clubbers to stay away. However, if you know what to avoid, you can still have a great time in Patpong AND go home with money in your wallet.
The thing to remember is never to go into an upstairs bar because this is where the rip-offs occur. Yes, you will have to suffer the disappointment of not seeing a live frog or a ping-pong ball pop out of that part of the female anatomy in which you may be most interested; and you will certainly disappoint the dozens of sex-show touts who will collar you in Patpong Soi 1 an effort to persuade you that there is no cover charge and beer is only Bt60 a bottle.
But you will avoid the nightmare of being held hostage and being told that you cannot leave until you have paid through the nose for dozens of drinks that you never ordered for girls whom you never asked to sit next to you.
But by all means venture into any of the ground-floor bars where you will find an interesting mix of ready-to-go pole-dancers, most of whom are female in the traditional sense but many of whom are post-op lady-boys. You can usually, though not always, spot the latter variety by their above-average sized chest appendages. Also, their hands and feet are invariably larger than those of the real thing. The biggest and best lady-boy bar is King’s Corner in Patpong Soi 1.
Establishments most favoured by straight heterosexuals include Kings Castle 1 (Soi 1) Safari Bar (Soi 1), and Club Electric Blue (Soi 2). Perhaps the most intriguing of Patpong’s is the area’s only fetish club, BarBar (Soi 2).
For those interested in music and jigging around in the company of nubile young strangers, Musik Café and Twilo – both in Soi 1 – are worth a visit, and they often stay open a bit longer than they should. The official closing time in Patpong is 1am.
Which brings us to the newly-opened King’s Lounge (Soi 1), which has been known to stay open until very late and is the only upstairs bar in the area that you should consider visiting. Great music, great clientele, great ambiance and fairly priced.
For sheer fun and nostalgia, there is nothing in Bangkok to beat Radio City (Soi 1). They open at 10pm with a hilarious but very competent 7-piece resident band that plays old classics (Rolling Stones, James Morrison, Beatles etc). But the "famous stars" show is what attracts locals and tourists alike. It starts at 11pm and comprises full-throated impersonators of Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and sometimes Roy Orbison as well. It’s a hoot! It is also a pointer for other bar-owners in Patpong looking for the way forward.
Public-transport access to Patpong is very good. The BTS Skytrain Saladaeng (S2) (Exit 2) disgorges passengers within 50 metres of Patpong Soi 1. Metro station Silom is only 150 metres away. If getting TO Patpong is easy, getting away after midnight can be a nightmare. Ignore taxi touts and don’t allow taxi drivers to quote you a price either in Silom Rd or in Surawong Rd. Instead, walk a bit in any direction and hail a taxi whose driver is prepared to switch on the metre. You have been warned!