Ratchadapisek Road , commonly referred
to as Ratchada for short, is a well-known, predominantly
young Thai area on the outskirts of downtown Bangkok.
This street boasts a great variety of massage parlors,
nightclubs and seafood eateries.
One of Ratchada's better known areas is Soi 4 which
is a few city blocks of nightclubs and bars. The inevitable
holiday mood bar hopping on this soi is very easy.
Theoretically to hit 15 bars in one night is simple,
or not - depending upon the drink taken and experience
of the drinkers. Getting a skinful onboard is almost
encouraged by the low prices. There are also no cover
charges at any of the nightspots in this area. However,
none of the bars are particularly special, and you
may find yourself to be quite an oddity as a foreigner
in this area, so might be better to find a few local
friends to hang out with as most of the Thais frequenting
this area tend to be in larger groups all sucking back
watered-down Scotches.
Opposite Soi 4 you might discover a very popular eatery
known as Pad Kung Pao. It is a large outdoor Thai Chinese
seafood market that stays open until 6:00am . The menu
is extensive, and the prices reasonable, but the food
does leave something to be desired. It has lost some
popularity over time, but it is still worth checking
out. Once again, it is more fun if you are in a large
group at this place, particularly as most of the tables
tend to be very big. The Tom Yum Goong soup here is
excellent.
The Emerald Hotel, also located on Ratchada, is a
hotel about halfway down Ratchada's nightlife strip,
and contains an excellent nightclub called “ Sparks
.” The cover charge is usually a bit steep, although
not comparable to that of clubs such as Bed, Q-Bar
and others which range as high as 500 baht. However,
this does allow you a couple of drinks. The music is
excellent, tends to be a bit on the techno side, and
you will see a lot of young Thais with perhaps a bit
more than just alcohol in their systems. Once again,
this club is frequented probably as much as 98-99%
by Thais. However, much like the Novotel CM2, this
club does attract some of Russia 's finest. In fact,
this nightclub is very similar to CM2 in the Novotel
Siam Square , but unlike the Novotel, most of the ladies
in here are not working.
If you care to experience something very docile, yet
a “unique” cultural experience, check out Mirage, across
the street from the Emerald Hotel. One would think
that it would be a massage parlor, but in actuality,
it is a large club patronized by wealthy Thai businessmen
who sit around and give cash to have woven garlands
made. The garlands are then put around the necks of
the girls onstage, who simply have to lip-sync a few
songs, nothing more. It is quite boring, but if you
feel like doing nothing and experiencing a cultural
oddity, then this would fit the bill.
Now onto what Ratchada is most recognized for – its
massage parlors. No, these are not of a physical nature,
but rather “full service.” There are perhaps a couple
of dozen on this street, many owned by the now infamous
Davis Group. One of the most popular is my personal
favorite, Poseidon. Located at 209 Ratchada, near the
end of the strip, this multi-story massage parlor is
open until 1:00am . It is frequented by Asian businessmen
from all over the region, as well as Thais. It is not
a members' club like Pegasus, but quite expensive by
Thai standards. Nonetheless, it is well worth the price.
The first and second floors are the “fish bowl” girls,
who are less expensive than the sideliners. The price
is usually in the range of 2000-3000 baht for 90 minutes
in a themed-room with a girl and a Jacuzzi. Drinks
can also be ordered in these rooms. Head up to the
VIP floor, the third to be precise and here you will
be sitting in a cigar bar, and yes they sell cigars
also, with a fully stocked bar and photo albums of
girls that were all at one time in Thai Penthouse or
the likes. You can either choose from the book, or
you can pick the girl in person. There are several
mama sans to assist you should the need arise, but
fortunately they are not pushy. You could even come
here just to have a drink and they would not have any
problems. The price is usually 4000 Baht for an Asian,
but because Westerners are more “well endowed” the
price is 1000 baht higher, usually around 4900 baht.
You can also choose to which floor you want to go with
the girl of your choice. The rooms are quite lavish,
with Egyptian, Victorian, Thai, and Greek themes. There
is also an adjoining restaurant that serves Thai and
Japanese foods. Whether or not this is your sort of
thing, it is top of the line as far as Bangkok 's infamous
massage parlors go. If you plan on going, the best
time is around 7:00pm, and preferably on weekends.
Ratchada is a street that whether you are a tourist
or an expat, you should definitely pay it a visit.
It is an experience that you will most likely not soon
forget.
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