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

[garygooner]

Some of my favourite bars back in the 90s in Soi Cowboy:

Black & White, Our Place, Shadow, Darling, Butterfly, Tilac, Midnite, Long Gun, Suzie Wong, Big Blue, Tony's. 

[Dogmatix]

I never saw the original bar or Mr Edwards but was there in the early 80s and it was a very quiet place with only osingle shophouse bars and music often provided by a jukebox.  Drinks from 30 baht and very little pressure to buy lady drinks.  Sometime in the mid 90s they started knocking bars together to make the double shophouse bars which justified higher prices than the single bars.  Coyotes arrived in around 2010 charging more for less.  In the noughties it was said that a shady Iranian character had bought several of the bars as a money laundry operation.  

 

Now it seems in transition to a makeover like Wanchai in HK had become by the mid 80s, i.e. a rip off place where local expats didn't go but visiting US sailors went to blow their wads and get nothing in return.  There are now more thana few nasty rip off bars in Cowboy where they heavily pad your bill up to about 6,000 in under a half hour.  Even some  of the remaining single shophouse bars that were normal a few months earlier start to do that, so you are taken unawares.  I guess there are enough Chinese tourists now that the whole street will be a no go area for local expats soon enough.  Last time

 

I went there the cannabis shop near the Asoke end had been turned into a massage parlour.  Undercutting the bars I guess because there is no need to pay a bar fine, ladies drinks or a short time hotel.

[Dogmatix]

1 hour ago, LisuLover said:

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.

 

Quite a few of the bars have been saying a lady's drink is a double or "bern" for some time.  You can argue with them that you only agreed to one drink before they pour them but it is exhausting.  Easier just to say no and not buy them drinks at all, unless you are really smitten which is rarely the case.

[tilaceer]

7 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

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

Baccara Bar

[Mad Mustang]

Now like Pattaya, just an over priced mongers dump. Gross

[blaze master]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

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.

 

Family friendly ?

[tilaceer]

1 hour ago, garygooner said:

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

Correct, though from what I remember the scenes were shot during the day when all the bars except Piccolo bar at one end, and Old Dutch at the other, were closed. Someone told me that Suzie Wong's did a refit based on the fact that they were going to film in there, but I don't think they did. 
 

[Packer]

It had already gone downhill 15 years ago, I can't imagine it now.

 

Back then I think 'The Arab' bought 4 or5 of the big bars, and 'Agency Girls' became the norm in many. That was the end of it for me. 

[Packer]

4 minutes ago, Mad Mustang said:

Now like Pattaya, just an over priced mongers dump. Gross

 

The hot girls are all online taking in 10k+ a day with a few short-times. Bars are left with nothing but fat, old, tatted E-San hags. 🤮

[Classic Ray]

I walk through from Asoke towards the Clubhouse to see some mates and the annoying thing is the number of motorcycles cutting through it. Time it was pedestrianised.

[DTL2014]

now a clip joint where you get brought bills for drinks you didnt have - and t5hen the securityu will turn up to enforce the scamming - dreadful place -only exists for the bribes it pays  to govt officials

[Captain Flack]

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[Dogmatix]

3 hours ago, DTL2014 said:

now a clip joint where you get brought bills for drinks you didnt have - and t5hen the securityu will turn up to enforce the scamming - dreadful place -only exists for the bribes it pays  to govt officials

 

The last time it and most other red light areas were fun was during the period at the end of COVID when bars were allowed to reopen, ostensibly as restaurants for a while (some put up price lists of hamburgers and hot dogs), but they were still not letting in tourists, except that many of the old haunts didn't survive and had closed down. When the tourists came back, it seemed they were determined to make up lost income by fleecing tourists and anyone else who walked into their cross hairs. 

[Dogmatix]

If you want to go to a place that is similar to what Cowboy was in the 80s, go to Ban Chan.

[Jim Blue]

4 hours ago, Packer said:

 

The hot girls are all online taking in 10k+ a day with a few short-times. Bars are left with nothing but fat, old, tatted E-San hags. 🤮

Any further tips ? Someone's wife was asking !

[Sierra Tango]

9 hours ago, Magictoad said:

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

Don't be an idiot. Who, in their right mind would do that stroll?. 

 

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, tilaceer said:

Someone told me that Suzie Wong's did a refit based on the fact that they were going to film in there, but I don't think they did. 
 

 

I think Cactus Bar got an exterior face-lift for the movie. 

[Gottfrid]

15 hours ago, JoePai said:

plus very expensive   😎

But simple!  Don´t go if you can´t afford. You know, most of us here don´t care about a night out. We can handle it!

 

[mstevens]

12 hours ago, yang123 said:

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

Try again ....

Playskool in Nana closed many years ago.

[lamyai3]

17 hours ago, yang123 said:

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

Try again ....

Probably he meant Afterskool. 

[charmonman]

21 hours ago, Real Name Hidden said:

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

Were you there in the 90s? It has definitely changed a lot since then, and not for the better. I used to hang out there once or twice a week through the first half of the 90s and earlier. I used to love the atmosphere. Now it is just a loud pushy tourist trap and I can’t stand it.

[Real Name Hidden]

1 minute ago, charmonman said:

Were you there in the 90s? It has definitely changed a lot since then, and not for the better. I used to hang out there once or twice a week through the first half of the 90s and earlier. I used to love the atmosphere. Now it is just a loud pushy tourist trap and I can’t stand it.

Yes, I was there in the 90s.  The biggest difference now is bars have better signage.  Memories are skewed, you remember the best of times and forget the rest, things always seem to have been better before.

[charmonman]

20 hours ago, emptypockets said:

That was Soi 7/1 not Cowboy.

To my knowledge the outdoor scenes were soi 7/1 (I stumbled upon the filming one day) and at least some of the indoors scenes were Tilac on Cowboy (I knew a dancer there who told me she had been paid to appear as an extra in the movie).

[charmonman]

6 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

Yes, I was there in the 90s.  The biggest difference now is bars have better signage.  Memories are skewed, you remember the best of times and forget the rest, things always seem to have been better before.

Agree to disagree. 

[Packer]

18 hours ago, Packer said:

It had already gone downhill 15 years ago, I can't imagine it now.

 

Back then I think 'The Arab' bought 4 or5 of the big bars, and 'Agency Girls' became the norm in many. That was the end of it for me. 

 

5 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Probably he meant Afterskool. 

 

This is one of the bars that hired 'agency girls', do all the chatting and teasing and touching in their go-go style outfits, then when agreeing to something special and the price in the Naughty Boy's corner, the agency girl (as they were called) disappears and some old hag comes out to do the business. 

 

I refused and held the stance that it was with her or no one at all, she agreed as we had gotten on quite well, I was young and in shape, not some old fat slob.

 

This was maybe 12-13 years ago. 

 

Around the same time that The Arab bought up a lot of the bars on Cowboy and the so called agency girls were put in the bars. 

[bhatmasterson]

On 5/3/2025 at 1:27 PM, 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

 

"That's hardly a stetson, it looks more like the kind of thing a sharecropper would wear."
Wow, you just couldn't help yourself, could you? To see a Black man who poured his heart into helping to build a legendary nightlife scene all the way here in Bangkok, and your first instinct is to drag him down by comparing his hat to something a sharecropper would wear? It's truly disappointing. And for the record, a Stetson wasn't even the go-to hat for most cowboys, and it certainly wasn't a 'sharecropping hat' either.

[jas007]

4 minutes ago, bhatmasterson said:

"That's hardly a stetson, it looks more like the kind of thing a sharecropper would wear."
Wow, you just couldn't help yourself, could you? To see a Black man who poured his heart into helping to build a legendary nightlife scene all the way here in Bangkok, and your first instinct is to drag him down by comparing his hat to something a sharecropper would wear? It's truly disappointing. And for the record, a Stetson wasn't even the go-to hat for most cowboys, and it certainly wasn't a 'sharecropping hat' either.

I think I've seen other pictures of the guy with more of a Stetson hat.  

 

Anyway, it's silly to argue about a hat.  He's part of Bangkok history. 

[orientalist]

Anyone remember the Red Diamond bar from the 70s, opposite the Cowboy, run by a Swedish guy called Rolf? That's the first bar I went in. Rolf went on to try and found a free ad-based Internet service in the late 90s but was nobbled by CAT. Other early bars were Mukda's (the candle show) and the Jetset Lounge where I first saw Bladerunner on video. Those were the days!

[Stargeezr]

In the 90s when I was there I remember a 3 night weekend with my friend. We started with Patpong area, then

we moved over to the Dynasty Hotel and seen Nana and Soi Cowboy in one night, plus there used to be a noisy bar

strip near the railway tracks. Those were the days when my liver was in much better shape.

[khunpeer]

On 5/3/2025 at 3:32 AM, 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

 

 

end 80s thru 90s i had lots of good times in LongGun and across the street AfterSchool!

in the later years just watching how the girls would wrap up Asian tourists, very professional! 

just one time a girl i took with me, "borrowed" my watch upon leaving my room. went back to the bar, one day later watch was back and never seen that girl anymore! trouble is no good for business, they got that right! 😎