Bangkok Best Nightlife Guide
By popular demand, we had no choice but to do our homework and explore through the hot nights of Bangkok for the best Ladyboy Bars in town. We actually found quite a few: five in Nana Plaza, one in Soi Cowboy and a couple in Patpong, but after visiting them all here is the verdict. Some of them are large and in good condition with very pretty ‘ladies’ and some others are very rundown and the ladyboys are a lot less feminine. Overall it was a constructive investigation as most ladyboys speak pretty good English and can have a fun conversation, which is rarely the case in normal Go Go bars. If you too are curious, know that anyone is welcome and none of the bars rip guests off on the drink prices.
The ladyboy phenomenon is very well accepted in Thailand and there is no doubt that ‘girls’ can be strikingly beautiful, you just have to look at the election (yes, election) of Miss Tiffany on national television! So go and have a look for yourself, it’s easy going!
1) Obssession
Probably the best ladyboy bar in Bangkok… The club is vast with a classic layout consisting of a large central stage with enough space and dancing poles for many girls, who are very feminine and pretty, speak surprisingly good English and even a bit of Japanese. They are not too pushy and while one or two will definitely try to keep you company by waving at you from the stage, it won’t be long before they ask for a lady drink, which you should buy to be a gentleman… well, kind of. Prices are a bit higher than usual but acceptable: a beer costs 150 baht, the same for a lady drink, so the bill is without nasty surprises. It is a fun place to visit but Obsession might not be a bar for beginners – we had to politely excuse ourselves as we were only there for inspection purposes and the ladies were becoming much too friendly.
- Location: Nana Plaza – Ground Floor
2) King’s Castle III
King Castle 3 is definitely the best ladyboy bar in Patpong and if you come unaware of the nature of the bar, you probably would be fooled. All of the twelve to fifteen girls on stage or keeping customers company are really pretty – definitely above average -with many of the attributes you can expect from ladyboys: tall, slim and curvier than most real girls, wearing perfect make up and attire (well, it’s quite minimal). On average they speak good to excellent English and unlike ‘normal’ bars, you can actually have a fun and entertaining conversation, much beyond the usual “Whasss you name?” and “where you come from?” which in normal bar would usually be followed by a long silence during which you are trying to find another simple question. ‘Ladyboys’ here are surprisingly educated and not pushy, and it is recommended to buy a lady drink if you expect your new friend to keep you company.
The room at King Castle 3 is a bit smaller than average by Patpong standards but accommodates a large ‘L’ shape lit stage for 10 girls who happen to dance a lot better than in most girls in go go bars. Beers are just 120 baht, lady drinks start at 100 baht and for those who wonder, all girls have already become ‘girls'(read between the lines).
- Location: Patpong – Silom
3) Cockatoo
Cockatoo is a bright and welcoming little ladyboy bar on Soi Cowboy and very popular with Japanese visitors who call ladyboys ‘New Half’. With the giant neon signs of the massive Go Go bars all around, Cockatoo Go-Go Bar is easily overlooked and passersby often miss it. Soi Cowboy is a friendly place and so are the girls at Cockatoo… you’ll be gently invited to step inside and have a look by yourself, so don’t hesitate. As prices are fixed and well stated on the menu there are no surprises about the drinks, but of course, unless you are aware of it, there is a surprise about the girls.
The room is rather small with just a modest stage in the middle and sofas on each side, which can be a bit disturbing as, in such place, no one likes to be too close to other customers. The club hosts about ten ladyboys, all pretty and speaking enough English to ease the conversation. As Soi Cowboy is the nicest of the three ‘hot’ areas of Bangkok, it’s a good place for a first time visitor.
- Location: Soi Cowboy Sukhumvit
4) Cascade Ladyboy Bar
Cascade is the most impressively designed ladyboy bar in Bangkok… The room is large with an interesting ‘Flinstone’s Cave’ design and a fancy multilevel metal stage on which dance a lot of girls. And by a lot, we mean a lot. Supposedly a hundred but it looks more like fifty, which is still a pretty impressive number, definitely more than any other ladyboy bar in town. Not all girls are as pretty and slim but as they mentioned themselves, it takes all kinds to please everyone and Cascade sure has all sorts. As usual, it will cost you 150 baht per beer and there are no price traps to worry about. Since it’s in Nana Plaza the atmosphere is a bit more seedy than in Soi Cowboy or in Patpong.
- Location: Nana Plaza – Third Floor
5) King’s Corner
King’s Corner in Patpong is an interesting Go Go bar… The room is large with a central stage and two group of girls: one dancing on the stage, another group of girls hanging around it and every now and then, they swap. If you are not aware of the ‘situation’ you might get a bit puzzled as there is a clear style difference between the two groups of girls but if we didn’t tell you about it you might not be able to pinpoint it at first. Until it strikes you: one group is of average height, average physique and well…. average overall. Then the other group only consists of strikingly tall, slim and extremely feminine girls, skilfully made up, who have mastered the art of permanently posing like a fashion model and amplified by lot of eyelash effects. Yes, you guessed it right! In one group are real girls and the other, all are ladyboys! And best of all, the most attractive ones are not the girls. A fun place to appreciate the contrast and see how much a ladyboy will invest in his feminity… at all levels.
- Location: Patpong
- BTS: Sala Daeng
