Bangkok's Patpong Is Losing Its Sex Appeal

[TPI]

A hot spot for the sex trade?

" "It was a "must see" part of the Bangkok culture for visitors to Thailand." <deleted>........

The seady side of Thailand is a must see for visitors...... Isn't prostitution ilegal in Thailand? This article seems to be promoting the ilegal activity. Come to Thailand and visit our bargirls. Nope I think the Dancing man option is a better idea promoting the real cultural heart of Thailand.

"Chooka"...takeit easy! You can't be a part of the baby boomer generation where overt sexual acts by women in a commercial setting would be impossible in Ozy land! They're working girls "working", they could be collecting fares on the red bus, they could be working in a paddi field...they're not. Foreign women love to see sexy shows, you know it! Let the culture vultures have their Khon theatre let us slobs have our 30 minutes....Jeeez luise!

[Nisa]

I think Patpong has much more scams than Nana or Cowboy and doesn't have the same fun vibe. But with that said, all these places get old very quick. Even today, the first visits to any of them is probably a neat experience but after visiting a number of times your eyes begin to open and you can see much more than the dancing girls who also start to look much more flawed.

[dude007]

And how is this different from 20 years ago?

If you were here for 20 years or more, you wouldn't have asked this question... I can tell you it has changed a lot indeed, and by the way this article is absolutely good!!! I still believe that it was a Governmental policy to get rid of the bad name "Patpong" and ever since then things have been going from bad to worse. Now it is a straightforward rip-off place with unfriendly nervous bar-staff and aggressive market vendors. Money is the only bottomline...

All to Soi Cow Boy... the new place to be!

[scotbeve]

Getting back to the topic ,Patpong is as slimy as Phuket, maybe worse.

Patpong was okay for the first few times I went there in the late 70's / early 80's. A few years later, it just became the usual-lack-of-infrastructure/control-fire-trap-dirty-mess that any other overbuilt area in Thailand has become. I'll still visit it every 4 or 5 years though just for the updates. Bars will always be the same.....

[F4UCorsair]

It seems to me that tourism generally isn't taking a hit anything like the sex tourism sector, and that can't be a bad thing.

I see Thailand as still a good place to have a holiday but I don't go there for Pattaya, Phuket, etc., and the sleaze on offer there. If the sex tourism industry disappears entirely Thailand will attract a higher quality tourist.

[pitrevie]

Wonder how long until pp will be demolished to make way for another shopping mall/hotel. We are short of these.

I could not agree more and also I notice there is a dearth of ATMs in central Bangkok. Only a short time ago walking in Suriwong I noticed a young man asking an elderly American couple whether they would like to see a ping pong show. I am not sure if they understood the nature of the question but it's nice to see the spirit of optimism is alive in these dark days.

[kurnell]

And how is this different from 20 years ago?

If you were here for 20 years or more, you wouldn't have asked this question... I can tell you it has changed a lot indeed, and by the way this article is absolutely good!!! I still believe that it was a Governmental policy to get rid of the bad name "Patpong" and ever since then things have been going from bad to worse. Now it is a straightforward rip-off place with unfriendly nervous bar-staff and aggressive market vendors. Money is the only bottomline...

All to Soi Cow Boy... the new place to be!

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

[xthAi76s]

It seems to me that tourism generally isn't taking a hit anything like the sex tourism sector, and that can't be a bad thing.

I see Thailand as still a good place to have a holiday but I don't go there for Pattaya, Phuket, etc., and the sleaze on offer there. If the sex tourism industry disappears entirely Thailand will attract a higher quality tourist.

I understand this argument, but I'm not so sure. South Korea has a huge sex industry. Japan's is big enough. China, same thing. US big cities, same thing. You might argue that all those countries attract better quality tourists (and expats). Thailand attracts a certain crowd for many reasons with lower prices probably being at the top.

[Nigel1500]

Years ago, when I was getting married, my THai uni friends wanted to take me out on a bucks night. My wife, being Thai, *knew* what our uni collegues were like ... and knew what Patpong was like too ... so she veto'd the idea. Then, she felt sorry for me and took me to Patpong herself. We went to one of those *shows*. The most degrading, depressing thing I've ever seen. Apart from that, we had the tips:

- Welcome Tip

- Sit Down Tip

- Order Drink Tip

- Barman Tip

- DJ Tip

- Tip My Friend Tip

- See Show Tip x 3 (one for each: pingpong ball, whistle, and open soad shows)

Then, when we wanted to leave:

- Mamasan Tip

- Waitress Tip

- Goodbye Tip

... the guy at the door wanted a tip too. We declined and he followed until we took a taxi.

Geez ... and they wonder why tourists are losing interest!

[charmonman]

The original King's Castle (now King's Castle 3 or something) was named one of the "World's Best Bars" by Newsweek at some point in the mid 80s. The first time I went there in 1987 it definitely lived up to the honour. I haven't been inside for probably at least a decade, but it appears from the outside to be fully staffed by kathoeys. It might be more appropriately named to a list of the world's worst bars these days.

I have great memories of Patpong from the late 80's to mid-90's but, aside from the symbolism of it, I really wouldn't be too upset if they demolished the whole place.

I heartily recommend Alan Dawson's book "Patpong: Bangkok's Big Little Street", published in 1988 to get an appreciation for the place in it's prime and its history. It's out of print, but far more interesting than any of the trashy, poorly written novels about Thailand's nightlife that have appeared since.

[IMA_FARANG]

A hot spot for the sex trade?

" "It was a "must see" part of the Bangkok culture for visitors to Thailand." <deleted>........

The seady side of Thailand is a must see for visitors...... Isn't prostitution ilegal in Thailand? This article seems to be promoting the ilegal activity. Come to Thailand and visit our bargirls. Nope I think the Dancing man option is a better idea promoting the real cultural heart of Thailand.

--------------------------

No, technically prostitution is not legal in Thailand....and all the "girls" are bar hostesses.

These "strips" rise and fall in the popularity and respectability ratings...and Patpong is currently at a very Frolow point.

I haven't been to Patpong in about 20 years...since my mid forties.

It has certainly become much more mercenary and not anything like the fun it used to be.

From the mid-80's to about 1992 I was a regular on Patpong and knew many of the girls...often as personal friends.

That was a different and far less mercenary generation of bargirls. Of course they were there for the money...but they often had fun also. Some of those that I knew then have been married for quite a while to Thai or farang husbands....and some quite happily.

Still no gaurentee that in another 10 years or so a new Patpong with a less mercenary attitude won't re-emerge.

Stranger things have happened (consider soi cowboy's history).

[bridge2bridge]

Yes Patpong has had it's day LONG AGO.

TOO sleazy and too many pimps.

Soi Cowboy is a lot better if you like that sort of thing.

[bridge2bridge]

And how is this different from 20 years ago?

If you were here for 20 years or more, you wouldn't have asked this question... I can tell you it has changed a lot indeed, and by the way this article is absolutely good!!! I still believe that it was a Governmental policy to get rid of the bad name "Patpong" and ever since then things have been going from bad to worse. Now it is a straightforward rip-off place with unfriendly nervous bar-staff and aggressive market vendors. Money is the only bottomline...

All to Soi Cow Boy... the new place to be!

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

But the prices in 33 are HUGE RIP OFF.

[onuam]

Thailand Hasn't Lost ANY APPEAL !!! It's Food, Culture and People are still the Same !!! Its the " DUMB SHIT " Farang Tourists thats the Problem. Plus why would any one even waste Time when it comes to Girls in Bangkok !!!, when there is the Real Sin City Pattaya !!! A Million more Girls and more the 50% Cheaper then BKK !!! Pattaya will Always be " The Place " !!!

[TAWP]

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

You sound like the joke about the dude that got his wallet stolen during a free BJ outside a supermarket and then went back on Tuesday, Thursday and twice on Saturday.

Edited December 11, 2011 by TAWP

[xenophon]

It lost its appeal long, long ago. Haven't returned since 1997 when the touts, aggression, avarice and general bad vibes were extremely unpleasant. Luckily, I managed to avoid the very expensive and dangerous scams but I know some who didn't.

I see it has not changed.

[kurnell]

And how is this different from 20 years ago?

If you were here for 20 years or more, you wouldn't have asked this question... I can tell you it has changed a lot indeed, and by the way this article is absolutely good!!! I still believe that it was a Governmental policy to get rid of the bad name "Patpong" and ever since then things have been going from bad to worse. Now it is a straightforward rip-off place with unfriendly nervous bar-staff and aggressive market vendors. Money is the only bottomline...

All to Soi Cow Boy... the new place to be!

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

But the prices in 33 are HUGE RIP OFF.

Office Bar 99 baht all night. How is that a rip off? I think you will find Nana, Cowboy, Patpong are 120-140

[kurnell]

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

You sound like the joke about the dude that got his wallet stolen during a free BJ outside a supermarket and then went back on Tuesday, Thursday and twice on Saturday.

Haven't heard that joke, how does it go?

[TAWP]

Mate Patpong has always been crap and rude. I Was ripped off in an upstairs bar in 1989 and many more before and since. Cowboy is old hat. Soi 33 is the new place to go.

You sound like the joke about the dude that got his wallet stolen during a free BJ outside a supermarket and then went back on Tuesday, Thursday and twice on Saturday.

Haven't heard that joke, how does it go?

One version of it:

WALLET SCAM WARNING

Over the last month or so I became the victim of a clever scam while out shopping, which has be quite traumatic. Don’t be naive enough to think that it couldn’t happen to you! Here’s how the scam works.

Two seriously good looking 21 year old girls come over to your car as you're loading stuff into your trunk. They both start washing your windshield with a rag while their cleavage is practically falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It's impossible not to look.

When you thank them or offer a tip, they say no and instead ask you for a lift to another supermarket. You agree and they get in the back seat. On the way, they start having sex with each other. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and gives you a blowjob, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and twice on Saturday.

[Ulysses G.]

Plus why would any one even waste Time when it comes to Girls in Bangkok !!!, when there is the Real Sin City Pattaya !!! A Million more Girls and more the 50% Cheaper then BKK !!! Pattaya will Always be " The Place " !!!

The girls have always been better looking in Bangkok, but Pattaya is a nicer place to hang out.

[Gonsalviz]

Getting back to the topic ,Patpong is as slimy as Phuket, maybe worse.

There is no comparison between Phuket and Patpong.

Patpong is 1000 times worse then Phuket.

The sleazy part of Phuket is concentrated in a small area while the whole of Patpong is just rotten.

Patong covers a larger area than Pat Pong but Pat Pong is by far worst.

[tweezer]

Patpong Soi 2 actually has some cool places these days... the one in the bridge is fun and they don't give you any trouble in there at all. Lot of people go there it seems.

[DocN]

The night market has done the area a service then with less patronage for the 'girlie' bars. I suppose I've been to Bangkok 30+ times frequently transiting for a few days and it's never occurred to me to visit Patpong, just as I've never been to Phypuket or Pattaya. I enjoy Thailand for the beautiful architecture, food, and diversity of the culture.

And I read Playboy for the interviews!

[Gary A]

I have been living in Thailand and lived in Bangkok for maybe too many years. In my opinion Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and Patpong are now tourist rip off areas. All three areas have been up and down with Soi Cowboy now leading the pack with major rip offs. The day that I must pay 140 baht for a beer and 215 baht for a small glass of Coke called a lady drink is the day that I totally give up drinking. Extortionate prices and padded bills were the end for me. When the Sky Train finished and started running, I thought that Patpong may make a come back. That didn't happen.

It's been a number of months since I visited these areas and I only went then because of a friend who insisted that we take the tour. That one night visit reinforced my opinion.

[Ulysses G.]

The night market has done the area a service then with less patronage for the 'girlie' bars. I suppose I've been to Bangkok 30+ times frequently transiting for a few days and it's never occurred to me to visit Patpong, just as I've never been to Phypuket or Pattaya. I enjoy Thailand for the beautiful architecture, food, and diversity of the culture.

And I read Playboy for the interviews!

[Ulysses G.]

Whatever floats your boat.

Edited December 12, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[cgphuket]

A hot spot for the sex trade?

" "It was a "must see" part of the Bangkok culture for visitors to Thailand." <deleted>........

The seady side of Thailand is a must see for visitors...... Isn't prostitution ilegal in Thailand? This article seems to be promoting the ilegal activity. Come to Thailand and visit our bargirls. Nope I think the Dancing man option is a better idea promoting the real cultural heart of Thailand.

If your heart wants you to dance with men, thats your choice. This is Thailand so "up to you."

[cgphuket]

Funny how many ppl come to Thailand because its different than home, then want to make it just like home. Some like the sleaze, some don't. If you don't go there, why do care what it's like? If you don't like the sex tourists, then isnt it better that they are condensed there? I have been to pat pong (not one of the "been here 20 years and only went there when I was lost and it was by accident" crowd) and didn't care for it, but if someone does, good for them. I came here for freedom of lifestyle, not to try to apply my original countries values on this country.

[RogueLeader]

Funny how many ppl come to Thailand because its different than home, then want to make it just like home. Some like the sleaze, some don't. If you don't go there, why do care what it's like? If you don't like the sex tourists, then isnt it better that they are condensed there? I have been to pat pong (not one of the "been here 20 years and only went there when I was lost and it was by accident" crowd) and didn't care for it, but if someone does, good for them. I came here for freedom of lifestyle, not to try to apply my original countries values on this country.

I've been to Patpong too, a couple of times. It's a bit tame for my liking.

I don't give a toss about the sex tourists. I just think it's amusing when the sexpats take the moral high ground. These are, after all, generally people who can no longer get laid in the west on their own merits.

Still, it's to their credit that they've turned the language barrier into a positive.

Edited December 12, 2011 by RogueLeader

[ludditeman]

I don't give a toss about the sex tourists. I just think it's amusing when the sexpats take the moral high ground. These are, after all, generally people who can no longer get laid in the west on their own merits.

I think you meant to say, 'people who can no longer get laid by girls in their 20s, in the west'

Which is an entirely different concept, and a situation that comes to everyone, in time.