Baronbonk.com Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy: Bangkok's premier gogo, bar and nightlife areas

Nana Plaza
The Baron Dec. 2005

Nana Plaza is one of the key nightlife centres in Bangkok. It could easily be described as a run down courtyard at the top of Soi 4, just yards away from Sukhumvit Road. Its very existence has spawned a rash of other operations from hotels to many bars of both the conventional and hostess type. In many ways, it is Bangkok's premier nightlife venue.
The trouble for Nana Plaza has been recent regulatory moves that have put the dampners on activities here and it is to a large extent dominated by the Crown Group who do not care a toss. On the plus side, the arrival of Angelwitch provided a rethink of gogo practices and philosophy and with a genuine raunchy cabaret has attracted many eager punters. In the last year, Rainbow 4 has opened, and the other three Rainbows revamped, making this operator the largest in terms of girls employed and thus putting extra oomph into Plaza operations.
On the ground floor there are two popular people-watching bars located by the entrance - they are Big Dogs and Lucky Lukes. Above both is the Cathouse, renowned for it's happy hour specials, and the comparatively new Big Mango with food and pool to go with the hostesses and people watching.
There are a number of bar-beer-hostess bars on the ground floor where therein drink is marginally cheaper than in the gogos.
The best ground floor gogos are Playskool (winner best Bangkok gogo 2004), Rainbow 1 and 2 all on the right hand side. On the left is Pretty Lady with friendly dancing girls who enjoy a draft around the nether regions. Voodoo behind PL was once a bar to be reckoned with but has faded in recent years with the other Crown Group bars. Obsession, right at the back, is a lady boy bar as are Temptations and Cassanavo on the first floor and Cascade on the second (top) floor.
On the first floor the clearly preferred gogo dominating the floor is Angelwitch (winner best Bangkok gogo 2005)with its cabaret-style shows which would not disgrace Pigalle, although in truth, Angelwitch shows are maybe better! Also at this level there is the massive Rainbow 4 next door to the once all mighty G Spot, which is now a very faded operation.
In the days when regulatory pressures were less pronounced, the second floor was the place for shows that really did tickle the imagination. Now it is not worth a visit except maybe for Carnival's bucking bull.
I have only mentioned a few of the better gogos but there are over 30 bars and gogos in this area so it is very much whatever turns you on. Most of the other gogos are either very old and faded or simply lack a great deal of energy, but on any given night it may suddenly come alive. Nana Plaza or NEP is a vast adult playground to enjoy.

Soi Cowboy

A few years ago Soi Cowboy was very much the third option in Bangkok nightlife areas, running meekly behind Patpong and Nana. But now to many, it is the first choice. In the last year, regulators have been surprisingly kind to Cowboy and this is now the place where there is full on gogo dancing with ‘all off’, so-to-speak. Unlike the other two adult entertainment precincts, many of Cowboy's venues are either new or have been seriously upgraded in the last couple of years. Thus it is a much brighter street and now that is also traffic free, it is a pleasant place hang out and conveniently located too just off Sukhumvit Soi 23 (at Asoke) and no more than a stroll from the BTS and Subway stations.
It is very difficult to single out any particular gogo on Cowboy because there are several good ones. There are two basic bar types: the gogos, and bars with girls who like to get close and friendly. Although the recent conversion of Apache to a table dancing club could mean a third bar type has emerged.
It is difficult to define the best gogos here, popular ones, with shows and showing, are Shebas. Suzie Wong’s, Baccara, Midnight and Lone Gun: