Soi Cowboy - Bangkok Go Go Bars

Soi Cowboy - Bangkok

Go Go bars in Bangkok

Bars Open: 7pm onwards
Bars Close:: 2 am
Beer Prices: Between 130 and 150 Baht for a small bottle.

Soi Cowboy in Bangkok is considered by many to be the best go go bar area in Bangkok as it's recently undergone a facelift and is now strewn with neonsings and decent bars but it's down to personal preference really.

Soi Cowboy seems less seedier and more organised and this is probably down to the fact that there is less going on around the area. The soi (street) is a single straight soi with neon lit bars lining either side all the way from one end to the other and whilst each bar is slightly different from the next, they all offer the same thing - dancing - go go girls.

Whilst Bangkok used to be a place where anything goes, it is no longer the case and so most Bangkok bars now only offer loud music, fairly attractive girls shuffling on stages with silver poles and relatively expensive drinks. This is not just Soi Cowboy, it's the same at Patpong and Nana Plaza and most bars and clubs in Bangkok charge quite hefty prices for beer - whether locally brewed or imported.

The Girls

Soi Cowboy is often thought to have the best looking and sexiest girls of all the go-go bar areas of Bangkok but this varies from bar to bar.
Long Gun, Baccara & Tilac are stand out bars with decent looking girls. If you get to the bars too early, the best looking girls will not be there and the bars will be stationed by plumper, less attractive girls. The good looking ones don't seem to arrive until about 8.30.

Baccara is famous for its second level which has a glass floor. Young girls dressed as school girls dance on the glass floor. They wear short skirts and no underwear and so anyone sitting in the bar area below can look up and get an interesting view although prolonged viewing can result in a very stiff neck. Occasionally, the girls dance naked upstairs.

Many a time have a good friend of mine and I spent time at this bar, talking to the Mamasan and watching from downstairs, the activities upstairs. Sadly, he's moved on to pastures new, but I swear he left with his head permenantly looking upwards !!

Tilac Bar is a very large bar and has Coyote dancers at weekends. Coyote dancers dance much better than the regular girls and are often more attractive but they will probably be willing to go with you if the price is right.

Long Gun is a long established and very popular bar. It's been refurbished recently and is / was one of the few bars where sex shows still went on / go on. Whether the shows happen is down to the political climate as some governments seem to crack down harder than others. Some weeks you can go and get the whole scene and others it's a lot tamer due to police raids and new regulations.

Specialty Bars

Along with the go go bars are some specialty bars which offer a more "personalised" service which go on in the bar. This means you can get a "service" within the bar without having to take a girl out of the bar....

Bouncers

Most bars have guys standing outside keeping an eye on things and / or enticing you into the bar. Most bouncers are decent enough but the occasional bar hires them to be heavy handed and some bars in Soi Cowboy hire these guys to get you inside and ensure you buy a few drinks before you leave. The bars in question make it difficult to see inside and so you tend to walk in to get a better look and you're then "had". You'll have to have a drink and pay a lot for the honour....

We can't mention names here but please be aware that they exist.

Drink Prices & Paying

Drinks will not be cheap and even bottles of water can be expensive.

Beer will be about 130 - 150 Baht per 330 ml bottle. This price is for locally brewed beers (not just Thai beer). Imported beers such as Corona or Duvel will be more expensive and could cost as much as 250 Baht per bottle.

Spirits / cocktails will vary in price but we're not convinced of the quality of the spirits used. Thai whisky, which is more like rum, is a cheap alternative and many expats like to drink something called "Black Nam" which is basically Thai whisky and soda water. Some swear by it and others wouldn't go near it but it's not bad really. Look out for "Mekong" or "Sang Thip".

When entering a go go bar in Soi Cowboy, either take a seat or wait for a waitress to point you to a place to sit. If the bar is quiet, they probably won't show you. If it's very busy, they'll probably guide you to a seat.

So, once seated, you'll be asked what you want to drink. Your drink will be brought to youand you can either pay immediately or rack up a bill which will consist of chits of paper per order. These chits will be placed inside a plastic or wooden cup on your table and you pay when you leave. Just call a waitress over and say "check bin" and they'll add it all up for you.

Drinks for girls will be roughly the same (more expensive in some bars) but drinks for girls will just be a splash of coke and not much more. Smudging alcohol around the rim gives the impression that alcohol has been added but the chances are, it's just coke.

Soi Cowboy in Bangkok, Thailand is our choice of area to go to if we were going to go to a go go bar. There are plenty of bars to choose from, places to eat, easy access via Skytrain and taxi and it makes for an enjoyable night out if you want to listen to some loud music and watch pretty Thai girls dance with little one.