Whenever I talk about Thailand the subject of prostitution or bargirls comes up. Many people have heard some stories, usually involving Patpong and the bars of Patpong. If you didn’t know, Patpong Road (it’s actually two roads – Patpong 1 and Patpong 2 – and includes the various side soi’s) is the most well known of the several areas where prostitutes tend to congregate in Bangkok. It doesn’t matter if I’m talking with men or women, both want to know if the stories are really true.

I guess the best way to find out is for you to get on a plane and go there J

Ok, I’ll tell you what I know about Patpong.

Patpong Road is the most famous of the Bangkok “nightlife” areas. It actually consists of two parallel roads, Patpong 1 and Patpong 2 with connecting soi’s and offshoots. Both roads are off of the well known Silom Road and near by the Sala Daeng BTS station. Patpong also has a large night market with hundreds of sellers setting up stalls to sell their wares to unsuspecting tourists. I say unsuspecting, because the prices at the Patpong night market are generally 50% higher than what you would pay elsewhere in Bangkok. In the past the selling was limited to the Patpong soi’s themselves, but in recent years it has spilled out onto Silom Road and many nights the congestion of people make it almost impossible to walk.

In addition to the normal night market activities Patpong is home to various bars, go go bars and other illicit shows. Patpong is the place to go to see the sex shows such as Pussy Writing, Flower Shows, Yards of String Show, Razor Blades, Pussy Smoking, Pussy Whistle, Pussy Horn and Pussy Ping-Pong among others. Touts along the street will approach you and direct you to the shows and in the past I have had taxi drivers take me to shows as well, though I am not certain how safe that would be these days.

In fact, I am unsure how safe many of the places are these days as Patpong has become the home for a variety of scams and thieves. Patpong these days is a far cry from what it once was. Many of the bars and go go bars have closed and of the ones that remain open only the Kings Club 1 and Kings Club 2 can be considered safe. Other clubs will frequently try every way possible to part you from your money so be very careful and make sure you keep your wallet safe and count your change. Also be aware that many of the clubs will try to pad your bill and you could end up being charged 500-1000 baht per drink if you’re not careful. Many times a mention of the tourist police is enough to get the bill down to a reasonable level, but it is something to be aware of.

If you’re going drinking in the Patpong area I recommend you stick with the open air bars. The prices are more reasonable, the girls are less pushy and there is much less chance of being ripped off. Also, stay away from any club that is upstairs of far down an alley. Better yet just avoid Patpong entirely. You can find the same entertainments at other places in Bangkok much cheaper, more safe and with much less hassle.

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