'Does Patpong Nightlife Still Exist?' Not Phuket and Patong

Went there fairly recently after many years, the place is dead, many of the same bars are still open but empty, the bar that has the live band is still going and was the only busy spot, go-go bars are a bygone 'thing' now,  society has moved on, plus their prices are a complete rip.

On 7/19/2025 at 11:57 AM, baansgr said:

I believe the star of midnight BJ bar is still round the back 

The Star of Midnight [sic]?  

On 7/19/2025 at 12:52 PM, Magictoad said:

the military coup which destroyed all of Bangkok nightlife.

No, it hasn't,

On 7/19/2025 at 5:35 PM, lou norman said:

Tom Yum Kung crash killed it in the late 90s.

Cobblers.

On 7/19/2025 at 11:57 AM, baansgr said:

I believe the star of midnight BJ bar is still round the back 

How about Bobby's Bar .. ..?

On 7/19/2025 at 5:35 PM, lou norman said:

Tom Yum Kung crash killed it in the late 90s.

 

When the baht crashed in 1997 due to the Tom Yum Gung crisis, we were getting 50+ baht to the dollar and that made everything so cheap. People were losing jobs and dancer numbers swelled. Patpong was amazing! Maybe it was even better before the late '90s but I thought it was quite amazing back then, and oh so cheap.

22 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

If you read between Stickman's lines you'd think that Patpong is near dead, Soi Cowboy is struggling, Nana has changed and still reviewing its business model.

 

Is this a bad thing?

 

Stick himself thinks of resigning.

 

Stickman said Soi Cowboy is better now than it has been in a long time, at least that's how I read it. I think he still prefers Nana Plaza. He has never rated Patpong.

Was there last week to check out the area and i saw a lot of gay's places. I think its now more for gays

2 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

How about Bobby's Bar .. ..?

I believe it was Bobbys Arms.  You could park in the parking garage and enter his place right from there. 

On 7/19/2025 at 11:57 AM, baansgr said:

I believe the star of midnight BJ bar is still round the back 

Don't  know that one but a few weeks ago the Star of Light was looking closed. It was afternoon so possibly too early.

2 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

How about Bobby's Bar .. ..?

Bobby's Arms long, long since gone.

On my way to the Philippines always stopped over in bangkok to visit patpong lots of sexy young  girls but seemed to change early 90s.

Off topic post and reply removed, topic is about 'Does Patpong Nightlife Still Exist?' Not Phuket and Patong

3 hours ago, olongapo said:

On my way to the Philippines always stopped over in bangkok to visit patpong lots of sexy young  girls but seemed to change early 90s.

I agree. Patpong was a blast throughout the late 60s to the late 80s, with the original Queens Castle on Patpong 1 being nominated the best bar in Asia by Time Magazine. I returned, after working in Taiwan for 5 years, in 1993 and the atmosphere was different, mainly due to the introduction of the night market. All that friendly banter that used to go on between bar girls and their customers on one side if the street with those on the other side was no longer possible with the night market stuck in the middle. In my opinion the vibrant atmosphere, full of fun, of those earlier days has gone forever. Nevertheless, still worth a stroll through every now and again.

4 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

Don't  know that one but a few weeks ago the Star of Light was looking closed. It was afternoon so possibly too early.

Alzheimer's kicking in... you're correct "light"

5 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

Don't  know that one but a few weeks ago the Star of Light was looking closed. It was afternoon so possibly too early.

The Star of Light was a small, no-frills bar located on Patpong Soi 2 in Bangkok, known for its affordable services and discreet charm. Popular with expats and tourists, it operated for many years before quietly closing around 2023, marking the end of a longtime Patpong fixture.

You can pull up an article called "Stick Returns Part 2:  The Collapse (And Surely The End) Of Patpong" that he posted on May 21st, 2023. He covers it all, including all the permanent bar closures.
 

He mentions: "Classic old spots like Le Bouchon are long gone, as are many hardcore mongers’ sneak-away spots like Kangaroo and The Star Of Light. Superstar, Madrid, Safari and a multitude of the King’s Group bars have all closed." 
 

Then he says: "Patpong feels sleazier than ever and it’s not the sex business that’s the problem. Many homeless are sleeping rough in the area and they are very visible. Some might say it gives the area character. I think it just makes it feel even more like a sh*thole."

 

Even the Patpong Museum has shuttered!

3 hours ago, Mark1969 said:

The Star of Light was a small, no-frills bar located on Patpong Soi 2 in Bangkok, known for its affordable services and discreet charm.

Don't forget Rose Bar and Kangaroo Bar, upstairs bars on the main Patpong Road and in that same genre. 

11 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

On 7/19/2025 at 11:57 AM, baansgr said:

I believe the star of midnight BJ bar is still round the back 

How about Bobby's Bar .. ..?

Neither exist any longer. 

4 hours ago, Mark1969 said:

The Star of Light was a small, no-frills bar located on Patpong Soi 2 in Bangkok, known for its affordable services and discreet charm. Popular with expats and tourists, it operated for many years before quietly closing around 2023, marking the end of a longtime Patpong fixture.

I remember my first visit in 97, sitting having a Heineken thinking hmm convivial little alehouse.

22 hours ago, Stuck in Thailand said:

Went there fairly recently after many years, the place is dead, many of the same bars are still open but empty, the bar that has the live band is still going and was the only busy spot, go-go bars are a bygone 'thing' now,  society has moved on, plus their prices are a complete rip.

Unfortunately, it's not the venue that's a rip off. It's the people who work there. They aren't going away.

10 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

I remember my first visit in 97, sitting having a Heineken thinking hmm convivial little alehouse.

Used to go in their after my night shift...blue plastic sofas, all the suited and booted foreigners coming in about 9-10am for a quick release in full view, fantastic place with many stories to tell, shame it's eventually closed

On 7/19/2025 at 3:13 PM, carlyai said:

When we lived nearby we regularly went to Misu Japanese restaurant. One day we arrived too early and the place was full of cats and their stink. On the tables, everywhere. Owner must like cats. Left and never been back.

Did you ever order the CATsui when you went there ?? ..delicous.

On 7/19/2025 at 5:48 AM, Patong2021 said:

Apologies, I read Patong.

Should've gone to SpecSavers 🤓

On 7/21/2025 at 9:00 AM, saintdomingo said:

Bobby's Arms long, long since gone.

Just paid a visit to my favourite bookshop .Left a book for you. Pity about Bobby's  ..visited first in 1980 !

Good food  .

Lot of the classic go-gos have closed or changed, and the night market is more tourist-focused than before
Still a few decent bars with live music, but it’s nowhere near the wild scene it was 10-15 years ago. And yeah, the area feels a bit quieter and less vibrant overall. I agree, with land that prime, redevelopment seems inevitable at some point, but for now, Patpong holds on to its old charm, just in a more subdued way. If you want nightlife with a bit more energy, places like Sukhumvit or RCA might be better bets these days

On 7/21/2025 at 8:24 AM, Fabio1980 said:

Was there last week to check out the area and i saw a lot of gay's places. I think its now more for gays

I noticed a lot of guys that seemed like they were gay just from the way the acted and looked.

7 minutes ago, Mark1969 said:

I noticed a lot of guys that seemed like they were gay just from the way the acted and looked.

Most guys go looking for katoies and mistakenly end up with a woman.

34 minutes ago, novacova said:

Most guys go looking for katoies and mistakenly end up with a woman.

I'm not sure. I guess it's possible. The gay thai guys around did appear almost always effimate and submissive (limp wrist), not masculine. If you are used to another gay scene (like San Francisco) you could be disappointed in Patpong.

 

I'm not gay, so my understanding is limited. I did grow up in a gay area of San Francisco though so I know a flamer when I see one.