On the surface, everything in Singapore looks flawless, from the moment you arrive at Changi Airport – frequently rated as one of the most efficient in the world. This can no doubt be attributed to the stringent laws in the country – inherited from their colonial powers, which are said to be one of the toughest in the world.

In Singapore, every little misdemeanor can earn you a hefty fine, be it littering, or spitting, or even chewing gum! Needless to say, the moral code is pretty high in Singapore. Anything which might put a blemish on Singapore’s clean reputation is quickly quelled and eradicated. Pornography is illegal.

Strangely enough prostitution is legal here but you can be arrested for spitting on the street or jaywalking and chewing gum is a big NO-NO!

That does not stop Singaporeans from having fun. The city offers some of the best nightlife in South East Asia. Singapore boasts one of the thriving commercial sex industries in the region. Some estimates claims there are more than 15,000 commercial sex workers in Singapore at any given time. Most of these sex workers are foreigners on social visit passes, who ply their trade throughout the country during the short duration of their stay there.

Prostitution is legal in Singapore, something it is not countries as Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Although prostitution is legal, soliciting is not.

Orchard Towers is better known as “4 floors of whores” locally in Singapore, located at the top end of Orchard Road. During the day time Orchard Towers is like most of the other malls on the mile long road; tailors shops, electronics, cameras and a few places to eat.

But some the later afternoon/early evening and everything is about to change. Most of the shops in Orchard Towers will start to close up about 7 or 7:30 to avoid the rush of guys and girls that will soon occupy the malls clubs and surrounding areas.

Around 8pm the girls will start to show up in large numbers and by 11pm the clubs will be full. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is so don’t worry about that, the girls are there all the time. On some nights you can find over 400 girls within the towers. Many of the clubs have done renovation and really fixed them up nicely.

As they say, “it pays to advertise” and these girls do it well. They know how to get your attention for that glance that will get them to come over to your table for a short chat or night of fun. I don’t care who you are or what you look like you can meet someone in the Towers if you want too. Some times it is just kind of fun to watch all the things that are going on around you in the clubs.

The girls come from all over Asia; Thais, Malays, Indians, Filipinas, Indonesians, Singaporeans, Japanese, Chinese (HK) and ever a few Europeans (mostly Russians). The girls you see in the Towers after 9pm are there looking for a date for the night.

For some the best looking girls head for the Top Ten Disco (4th floor) after 11pm. There is an admission fee and drinks are a bit higher here. Top Ten is surely on the very upper scale of the clubs in the Towers.

The Ipanema and Peyton Place are Filipina hang outs mostly while the other will have mix of everyone else. The Thai girls come down from Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya for 2 to 3 weeks at a shot to make some money then head back home so the chances of running in to here again may be slim.

And while Patpong has been sitting on its laurels and stagnating, Soi Cowboy has been up-grading and tinkering with new layouts and designs to put it ahead of the competition.

A 200-metre long pedestrian-only strip located off Sukhumvit Soi 23, Cowboy has more than 30 places of entertainment and is now considered to be Bangkok’s premier zone for heterosexual go-go bars. With the exception of a pharmacy, a couple of pool halls, a general provisions shop and a pub called Old Dutch, every establishment in Soi Cowboy is a go-go bar or a variation of the same.

There are no sex shows and therefore, mercifully, no "sex-show" touts. Instead the street is lined by "greeters", female employees of the establishments who are there to coax you into their bar. This in itself can be fun, and has none of the high-pressure strategy that you get from the aggressive male touts in Patpong.

There is not a lot to choose between the bars. Nearly all the pole-dancers are the dark-skinned daughters of rice farmers from one or another of 13 provinces in an area of northeast Thailand called Esarn.

There are no entry charges to any of the bars, and some of them lay on special shows free of charge. Among the best of these are Long Gun and its sister bar next door, the resurgent Rawhide. Tillac Bar has just been refurbished at considerable expense, and although it is probably the most comfortable, pleasant and professionally run bar of its genre in the whole of Bangkok, it doesn’t provide much in the way of entertainment.

Other bars that are popular with expats and bar-savvy visitors include Baccara, Déjà Vu and Suzie Wong.

In addition to Soi Cowboy, Soi 23 is also home to several interesting clubs of the non go-go variety. The most Western in style is the swish but small Bar Glow, which attracts an upscale clientele who still rave about the décor and the excellent DJ music that is played there nightly.

Also in Soi 23 is one of Bangkok’s finest gentleman’s clubs. The Narcissus has been there for decades, but has only recently begun to attract the attention of Westerners looking for the company of a more sophisticated hostess than can be found among the sisterhood of rice-farmers daughters who rule the roost in Soi Cowboy.

Sophistication in Thailand comes at a price, and because of the rather complicated system of pricing drinks, visitors are well-advised to make their first visit to such a club in the company of an educated Thai, by which we do not mean a taxi-driver or a tuk-tuk driver, nor the "full-of-advice" guide who showed you around the Grand Palace or Wat Pho.

Pegasus is right next to Narcissus, and is one of the only clubs in Bangkok where you do have to be a member or be invited by a member.

Access by public transport to Soi Cowboy and Soi 23 is good. Take Exit 3 from BTS Skytrain Asok Station (E4); or Soi 23 Exit from MRT underground Sukhumvit Station.