Prostitution, the CIA, David Bowie and Patpong – Undercover in Bangkok infamous red light district

By Tim Newton

 

patpongmuseum.com

 

Let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start. Where did Bangkok’s Patpong get its name?

 

It actually goes back to a Chinese immigrant named Luang Patpongpanich. He purchased the land when it was just a banana plantation (I can hear the Benny Hill theme already). During World War II, so the story goes, Patpongpanich’s son and heir, Udom, studied in the US, where he joined a newly secretive “Office of Strategic Services” which eventually became the CIA.

 

All this comes to light in the new Patpong Museum which has just opened. More than just a saucy jaunt through the history of ping-pong shows, the museum tracks the area’s much more fascinating contribution to the Vietnam War, the CIA’s covert war in Indochina and it’s value as a ‘relief’ to US soldiers fighting the communists in the 60s and 70s.

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/prostitution-the-cia-david-bowie-and-patpong-undercover-in-bangkok-infamous-red-light-district

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-11-14

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4 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Where did Bangkok’s Patpong get its name?

Same place that Dr. Pat Pong a mod on. TV got his..????

 

 

Think I will be giving it a miss

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the history of ping-pong shows

Ping Pong shows? Can anyone explain? Is this a table tennis exhibition?

 

 

Patpong was never as good as it's reputation, at least in the early 90s. Upstairs were ripoff joints for the unwary, and down stairs were bog standard gogos.

It probably survived more on notoriety than quality.

Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy were both better entertainment places.

By the late 90s there were probably more bag shops than gogos and the horrible night market selling overpriced junk was a pestilence to anyone trying to get to a gogo.

Does anyone even go there anymore? I certainly wouldn't make the effort. Perhaps the Chinese tour groups go there like they do to Pattaya's Walking Street.

25 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Patpong was never as good as it's reputation, at least in the early 90s.

It was the pulse of Bangkok throughout the 70's.

The real ''Amazing Thailand'' , it was all downhill from that point...

And David Bowie? He visited the area back in 1983, shot a video clip there, and ‘got lost’ for quite a while, so the story goes.

Anyone know what video it was?  My first guess is China Girl. 

 

This movie, released while the Viet Nam War was still happening, helped give Thailand, and Patpong, it's image. 

And answers @PatOngo 's question.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071464/

 

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Ping Pong shows? Can anyone explain? Is this a table tennis exhibition?

 

 

No, the female  performers emit ping-pong balls from their vaginas

8 minutes ago, bendejo said:

And David Bowie? He visited the area back in 1983, shot a video clip there, and ‘got lost’ for quite a while, so the story goes.

Anyone know what video it was?  My first guess is China Girl. 

 

This movie, released while the Viet Nam War was still happening, helped give Thailand, and Patpong, it's image. 

And answers @PatOngo 's question.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071464/

 

I just watched the entire "official" VDO and nothing at all in it suggests Patpong or even Thailand.

10 minutes ago, sanemax said:

No, the female  performers emit ping-pong balls from their vaginas

555555555555

Check out his location.

38 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Patpong was never as good as it's reputation, at least in the early 90s. Upstairs were ripoff joints for the unwary, and down stairs were bog standard gogos.

 

Upstairs at Pink Panthers in Patpong was as good as its reputation . 

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Upstairs at Pink Panthers in Patpong was as good as its reputation . 

Guess I missed that one. In all the upstairs bars I tried the "buy me a drink" was too much, so I stayed downstairs.

Then I discovered Nana and never went back, except to remind myself why I didn't go there.

11 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Guess I missed that one. In all the upstairs bars I tried the "buy me a drink" was too much, so I stayed downstairs.

Then I discovered Nana and never went back, except to remind myself why I didn't go there.

Full on live sex shows and  ping pong balls , blow darts and bananas flying all over the place .

  Holding a ballon up awaiting a dart to come flying out a vagina aiming to burst the  ballon is a frightening experience .

  You are trying to cover your eyes and look at the same time .

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Full on live sex shows and  ping pong balls , blow darts and bananas flying all over the place .

  Holding a ballon up awaiting a dart to come flying out a vagina aiming to burst the  ballon is a frightening experience .

  You are trying to cover your eyes and look at the same time .

I went there 27 years ago and remember the snake show ! Also the live sex shows and opening bottles of beer with their fannys.

Had a few great times down in PP. I was mainly a Cowboy man, drinks cheaper and it served my pocket better for a 2 -3 week stay.

john

David Bowie Life in Thailand
 

https://youtu.be/NmIDE_feJUs

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

It was the pulse of Bangkok throughout the 70's.

Got that right. 

Remember the Mississippi Queen? 

david bowie, lol ... his video little china girl, started my appetite for asian girls ????

 

and I got one, china girl, and than some thai...

 

sour taste in my mouth

 

lol

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I just watched the entire "official" VDO and nothing at all in it suggests Patpong or even Thailand.

It was filmed mostly in Chinatown in Sydney,,,,

So now they admit that prostitution has been around in Thailand for years.....LOL

Patpong. The good ole days. Yes and the Madrid. It was really a lot of fun at one time.

I lived on Silom Road near Patpong for 25 years. There was more to Patpong than sex shows. Some good eating places, shops and Foodland. The Madrid on Patpong 1 was my favorite meeting place. Khun Daeng ran a respectable business and had good food. Jack Shirley entertained us for years with old CIA stories. When Tony Poe came to town there was lots of excitement. Also, when John Daughtrey came from Sadia there was a lot of free drinks. I am retired in Chiang Rai now but I really miss Patpong.

 

26 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Got that right. 

Remember the Mississippi Queen? 

June and Joy, the lovely twins....oh yes!

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Ping Pong shows? Can anyone explain? Is this a table tennis exhibition?

 

 

No, the female  performers emit ping-pong balls from their vaginas

Damn, I like table tennis!

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Full on live sex shows and  ping pong balls , blow darts and bananas flying all over the place .

  Holding a ballon up awaiting a dart to come flying out a vagina aiming to burst the  ballon is a frightening experience .

  You are trying to cover your eyes and look at the same time .

Everything except the live sex ( they did have live lesbian sex though ) was available at Hollywood Royale in Nana, and better than anything in Patpong. Sadly, Purachai ended all that.

I did once see a live sex show in Bkk back in the 70s at a GI brothel. Complete turn off.

Apparently there was a couple did it on a motorbike somewhere back in the day, but before my time.

Sure the museum will feature dual pricing.   Hong Kong Marine Museum is well done and is B135 for everyone.  If it is praised, I will go. 

21 minutes ago, DonaldBattles said:

I lived on Silom Road near Patpong for 25 years. There was more to Patpong than sex shows. Some good eating places, shops and Foodland. The Madrid on Patpong 1 was my favorite meeting place. Khun Daeng ran a respectable business and had good food. Jack Shirley entertained us for years with old CIA stories. When Tony Poe came to town there was lots of excitement. Also, when John Daughtrey came from Sadia there was a lot of free drinks. I am retired in Chiang Rai now but I really miss Patpong.

 

I think you miss Patpong as it was then. It's entirely missable now.

Unfortunately, LOS has moved on and all we have is memories of a different world- could be an alternate universe for all the similarity to today.

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

It was the pulse of Bangkok throughout the 70's.

When going to LOS on a bus tour from Singapore early 70s I read a book about Patpong as preparation. All I remember of it is that one BG poured petrol over another and set her head on fire in a dispute over a client.

When I got to Bkk I was all ready to go there, but the tour guide convinced me it was too dangerous. Sadly I didn't go, but I wish I had.

41 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

So now they admit that prostitution has been around in Thailand for years.....LOL

They admit that it happened years ago, but the Americans convinced them to make it illegal, and it hasn't happened since then:-)