First time in Bangkok

This is your first trip to Bangkok, and some obvious questions are :

• Where are the go-go bars located?
• Where can I get a massage?
• Which hotel should I stay in?
• Which discos can I go to (where can I find freelancers)?

Normally when we get a newbie visiting Bangkok, we bring them to some standard places in the city. This is the basic orientation to the city. Once they have done that, then we can progress to other parts of the city. Well, there are only a few of us, and too many visitors to Bangkok, so that's why this website has been built, so that you can take advantage of the experiences.

Go-go bars

You could go to the bars list, but really, if you are new to this city, the addresses won't make any sense to you. There are 3 main areas you could go to, just by telling the taxi driver the name of the area, and almost every time you will find yourself there. In the order of recommended visit, here they are:

1. Patpong
2. Nana Plaza
3. Soi Cowboy

Patpong is located between two main roads, Silom Road and Surawong Road. In the night, Patpong 1 becomes a night market selling lots of immitation items, such as watches, clothing, luggage and so on. Make sure you bargain when buying, it makes the buying real fun. On Patpong 1, you can check out the many go-go bars there, many regulars recommend King's Castle I and King's Castel II. You are always free to try others. King's Corner is a must-see. This bar has the largest collection of transexuals (katoeys -- pronounced "ka-tae"), we call it the "Coke-and-Pepsi" bar.

At King's Corner you will find an alley that takes you to the 2nd Soi, which is Patpong 2, where you will see Foodland Supermarket. Patpong 2 has some interesting bars (the Specialty bars notably Star of Light), venture here if you like. Avoid going upstairs to the bars with the shows. There have been stories of people being ripped off. There's an exception, which is Black Pagoda, it's upstairs, and is a fine bar to visit. Other bars you can check out on that soi is Pink Panther, Club Electric Blue, Bada Bing and The Strip.

Once you have done Patpong, you are now ready for the next place... beware of taxi drivers parked along the street though.

Nana Plaza is located on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (opposite Nana Hotel). This is a 3 storey complex which houses lots of go-go bars. Here are some notable bars to visit:

• Rainbow 4 (2nd storey, to the right corner)
• Rainbow I (ground floor, first bar on your right)
• Angel Witch (2nd storey, take the stairs on your left)
• Billboard (3rd storey)

There are quite a number of ladyboy bars in Nana Plaza, some are all ladyboys (Temptations, Charades, Chili, DC 10, Casanova, True Obsessions, Straps, Mercury) and some mixed (Lollipop, Diamond, London Calling).

If you are you still sober? Great! Head over to ...

Soi Cowboy is on Sukhumvit Soi 23. There is one street only, and there are bars on both sides of the street. There are not as many bars here. As you enter Soi Cowboy from Soi 23, check out the first bar on the right Barccara (this bar has a see through ceiling where you can watch the girls dancing above you). There's also a bar on Soi 23, before Soi Cowboy, it's called Crazy House, this place is definitely worth a visit. Later on, you should check out Long Gun, but only get there at 11 pm, that's when the shows begin. Another good bar to visit is Tilac. If you have not bar fined a girl by now, suppose you could check out ...

Note: Bars that are have been recommended do not pay us nor do us any favors.

Massage

If you are looking for the body massage, just get in a taxi a head out to Ratchadapisek Road. Alternatively, you could use the MRT (see the BTS/MRT map). There is where you find the highest concentration of Massage and Karaoke entertainment establishments. Of course check out the massage list. If you are looking for a Traditional Massage, check your hotel to see if they have in-house service available. On Sukhumvit Road, you can find a few traditional massage outlets, and also along Surawong Road (before Patpong area).

There are also oil massage parlors. In these places, you can expect oil massage or traditional massage. Some girls will offer your "extras" or "special" (as the girls call it).

Hotels

If you are planning to have a fun time, live near the action. In light of Bangkok's amazing traffic congestion, we would suggest a hotel that is located near the expressway, so that you can get onto it easily to get to the airport. Hotels that are on Sukhumvit especially the low numbered Sois have this advantage.

If you are travelling alone and if you plan on bringing home a girl from the bar, you are better off booking a twin room. That way, you won't get charged an additional surcharge when bringing in a girl. The girl will still have to leave her I.D. card, but that is okay, as it is for your protection in case something does happen. Get girls from the go-go bars, as you can get back to bar and complain to the mamasan. If you get a freelancer instead, there is no one to turn to if something does happen.

It is always advisable to get a "guest friendly hotel/girl friendly hotel".

Discos

Here is a list of suggested discos where you will most likely find freelancers, however please do note that not all of them are freelancers.

• EQ Late NightClub (ground floor of Nana Hotel)
• Mixx (basement of InterContinental Hotel, next to Gaysorn Plaza)
• Spasso at basement of Grand Hyatt Erawan (taxi drivers know it as "Erawan")
• Bar Su at basement of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (Opposite Sukhumvit Soi 19)
• Insanity Nightclub at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11

Other Freelancer hangouts

There are some bars where you can find freelancers, here is the list:

• Thermae (basement of Ruamchit Hotel, between Sois 13 and 15)
• Beer Garden (on Sukhumvit Soi 7)
• Nana Hotel car park (Sukhumvit Soi 4)
• Grace Hotel car park (Sukhumvit Soi 3)