Feature From Cowboy Hats to Neon Lights: The Evolution of Bangkok's Soi Cowboy

[webfact]

File photo Soi Cowboy. Courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Nestled between Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23, Soi Cowboy stands as a glowing beacon of Bangkok’s nightlife allure. This iconic strip is easily accessible, just a stroll away from Asok BTS and Sukhumvit MRT stations.

 

Its 40-plus bars offer a pulsating blend of neon lights and lively atmosphere, serving as a key stop for adventurous travellers and nocturnal explorers.

 

The name “Soi Cowboy” traces its roots back to 1977, when T.G. “Cowboy” Edwards, a former U.S. Air Force officer known for his omnipresent cowboy hat, opened a bar here. This marked the beginning of Soi Cowboy’s transformation into a nightlife hub.

 

Edwards' Western-style venue stood out amid a bustling Bangkok nightlife scene, offering a unique fusion of global entertainment and local charm. Soon, expats and locals were mingling on the street that proudly bore Edwards' nickname.

 

T.G. “Cowboy” Edwards. Picture courtesy of Facebook

 

By the 1990s, Soi Cowboy took its place alongside Patpong and Nana Plaza as a cornerstone of Bangkok’s nightlife scene.

 

Over the years, it has become home to a colourful variety of bars, ranging from go-go bars to themed venues and expat hangouts. Each new addition contributes to the street's unique and evolving character.

 

Today, this vivid strip represents more than just nightlife; it’s a piece of cultural history. Amid debates over its risque image, Soi Cowboy continues to entice visitors from around the globe, contributing significantly to Bangkok’s status as a nightlife capital.

 

Its continuous buzz of music and movement keeps alive a slice of Bangkok that is as compelling as it is controversial.

 

Easily navigable and secure, Soi Cowboy remains a top draw for tourists due to its central location and improved amenities.

 

Recent enhancements in lighting and signage have made the area more inviting, adding to its charm. While bars dominate the scene, the street is also a haven for diverse street food, late-night tales, and unfolding adventures.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-05-03

 

 

[JoePai]

plus very expensive   😎

[Jim Blue]

Only went once the bar had a glass  ceiling. I suppose the staff had to break through it to progress  career wise .....!

[garygooner]

So much better in the 90s than today.

Watch out for the ripoff bars. 

It certainly has changed a lot. 

 

[Real Name Hidden]

Oh, there weren't ripoff bars in the 90s?  Hasn't changed much and many bars are still the same (Suzy Wongs, Moonshine, etc).

[Wrwest]

Fond memories at Tilak 2009-2010. . Reminded each time I rewatch, "Bangkok Dangerous".

[garygooner]

The place was definitely more fun back in the 90s. Women are a lot more professional these days. Back then the customers were around 95% western. 

Now it's about 50% with the other 50% mostly Chinese & Japanese. 

Yes, the old bars like Moonshine, Suzy Wong & Long Gun & are still there, but how are Spice Girls, Deja Vu & Rio nowadays? 

 

[Guderian]

That's hardly a stetson, it looks more like the kind of thing a sharecropper would wear. Maybe the famous soi is misnamed? lol

 

[garygooner]

6 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

Bangkok Dangerous".

Hangover 2.

[lamyai3]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The name “Soi Cowboy” traces its roots back to 1977, when T.G. “Cowboy” Edwards, a former U.S. Air Force officer known for his omnipresent cowboy hat, opened a bar here

 

Is that a cowboy hat, or a panama or something else? Perhaps the soi got misnamed... 

[lamyai3]

2 minutes ago, Guderian said:

That's hardly a stetson, it looks more like the kind of thing a sharecropper would wear. Maybe the famous soi is misnamed? lol

 

 

Looks like we had a similar thought at exactly the same time 555

[Magictoad]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo Soi Cowboy. Courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Nestled between Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23, Soi Cowboy stands as a glowing beacon of Bangkok’s nightlife allure. This iconic strip is easily accessible, just a stroll away from Asok BTS and Sukhumvit MRT stations.

 

Its 40-plus bars offer a pulsating blend of neon lights and lively atmosphere, serving as a key stop for adventurous travellers and nocturnal explorers.

 

The name “Soi Cowboy” traces its roots back to 1977, when T.G. “Cowboy” Edwards, a former U.S. Air Force officer known for his omnipresent cowboy hat, opened a bar here. This marked the beginning of Soi Cowboy’s transformation into a nightlife hub.

 

Edwards' Western-style venue stood out amid a bustling Bangkok nightlife scene, offering a unique fusion of global entertainment and local charm. Soon, expats and locals were mingling on the street that proudly bore Edwards' nickname.

 

T.G. “Cowboy” Edwards. Picture courtesy of Facebook

 

By the 1990s, Soi Cowboy took its place alongside Patpong and Nana Plaza as a cornerstone of Bangkok’s nightlife scene.

 

Over the years, it has become home to a colourful variety of bars, ranging from go-go bars to themed venues and expat hangouts. Each new addition contributes to the street's unique and evolving character.

 

Today, this vivid strip represents more than just nightlife; it’s a piece of cultural history. Amid debates over its risque image, Soi Cowboy continues to entice visitors from around the globe, contributing significantly to Bangkok’s status as a nightlife capital.

 

Its continuous buzz of music and movement keeps alive a slice of Bangkok that is as compelling as it is controversial.

 

Easily navigable and secure, Soi Cowboy remains a top draw for tourists due to its central location and improved amenities.

 

Recent enhancements in lighting and signage have made the area more inviting, adding to its charm. While bars dominate the scene, the street is also a haven for diverse street food, late-night tales, and unfolding adventures.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-05-03

 

 

It's the end or the beginning of the stroll between Soi Nana and Soi Cowboy.

[Magictoad]

Cowboys mean something different in Urban Manchester, England.  Still  you don't wanna £u>! with them!

[jas007]

14 minutes ago, garygooner said:

Hangover 2.

Didn't Bangkok Dangerous also contain some bar scenes?  Actually, three are two versions of Bangkok Dangerous.  The original, and the more recent one with Nicholas Cage.  

[rob1857]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

plus very expensive   😎

I used to own Shirtz Bar there many years ago now with a partner call Dutch Jack.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Nestled between Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23, Soi Cowboy stands as a glowing beacon of Bangkok’s nightlife allure.

A rather sad admission if you think that's alluring... no wonder Thailands tourism is sliding... Soi Cowboy has hardly evolved, it's still pimping out the same old trade.

[bkk6060]

Actually the last place I would go.

Bad attitudes, pushy, expensive, way too tourist crowded.

[songhklasid]

Fond memories of years ago, romantic interludes on rooftop , naughty boys corner in play school bar, I hear it’s very expensive now ? 
rgds SS .

[emptypockets]

49 minutes ago, garygooner said:

Hangover 2.

That was Soi 7/1 not Cowboy.

[yang123]

7 minutes ago, songhklasid said:

Fond memories of years ago, romantic interludes on rooftop , naughty boys corner in play school bar, I hear it’s very expensive now ? 
rgds SS .

Playskool (sp) is in Nana Plaza, not Soi Cowboy.  

Try again ....

[Cabradelmar]

same as it ever was... The only things that change are the punters who go there, and the girls who work there

[newbee2022]

Not as beautiful as the MAGA hat

[factual monk]

I feel nana plaza is better than cowboy... in terms of entertainment...

[murto]

I prefer Nana! More choices and better girls

[1FinickyOne]

56 minutes ago, rob1857 said:

I used to own Shirtz Bar there many years ago now with a partner call Dutch Jack.

I remember Joe Bar from the late 90s... I have not been to Cowboy in so many many years - - were the girls prettier back then? 

[Dcheech]

Long Gun wasn't bad, if it is still in existence. They had choreographed shows, better than a bevy of tired dancers clutching poles.  A few comments about it being expensive. True or is this just the usual suspects, having a group ear whinge?! 

[chondan]

I was there in 1977.  He was a very nice gentleman.  Good times back then.  Used to store my golf clubs in the bar so when I came down to Bangkok to play golf they were always there.

[garygooner]

1 hour ago, Dcheech said:

Long Gun wasn't bad, if it is still in existence. They had choreographed shows, better than a bevy

Long Gun has hardly changed at all. 

Hasn't been renovated/modernized like many others. Still quite reasonable compared to some.  

[LisuLover]

2 hours ago, garygooner said:

The place was definitely more fun back in the 90s. Women are a lot more professional these days. Back then the customers were around 95% western. 

Now it's about 50% with the other 50% mostly Chinese & Japanese. 

Yes, the old bars like Moonshine, Suzy Wong & Long Gun & are still there, but how are Spice Girls, Deja Vu & Rio nowadays? 

 

Ive been recently, Long Gun still has girls firing pussy darts at balloons on the ceiling - go at 12.30 for 1am show, they rarely miss, don’t sit at the front, or wear welding goggles. Rio, Deja Vu, Spice Girls are insisting that a Lady Drink is actually two drinks, plus your beer, so the first round could be more than 500 baht. The girls do so well out of this, that some are refusing boom boom and prefer to stay in the bar all night drinking tiny shots of cola, that you have paid 250 baht for.

[garygooner]

2 hours ago, emptypockets said:

That was Soi 7/1 not Cowboy.

No way. Hangover 2 scene was in Tilac Bar, Soi Cowboy. Look at the decor.