Why I Never Visit Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza
Before you read any further, don’t worry this isn’t one of them preachy blog posts telling you prostitution is wrong and we shouldn’t see women as mere sex objects (laughs).
I will leave that to the Internet white knights and feminist who will be posting in the comments below.
Want to get laid in Thailand for free, then read this article.
But yeah, I never visit Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza, unless a friend comes to visit me, and even then I try to convince them to go elsewhere.I went last night and it promoted me to write this.
6 reasons I hate Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza
There’s many things about Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza that really grind my gears, they include:
Annoying mamasans – This has to be at the top of my list.
Every time I walk into a go go bar they shove the drinks menu in my face and stand over me looking angry until I order.
I recently went to Nana Plaza with my friends who had both bar fined girls, we went into a new go go bar and my two buddies brought their girls along.
The annoying kunt of a mamsan saw me with no girl and for 20 minutes non-stop stayed at our tabling pointing to the girls on stage saying “pick number, pick number”.
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I have never wanted to kick a women in the kunt so hard in my entire life.
My friends were spending money like crazy and the mamasan spotted this, so she brings a girl to our table for me who I ignored and told the mamasan “No thanks Jeff”.
Even after I said this, she goes and brings her a lady drink (200+ baht), makes her drink it and adds it to the our bill.
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After we moved into the next bar, the new mamasan in this bar was doing the same shit, being too pushy, forcing us to buy lady drinks, ruining the whole experience.
I understand your bar is there to make money, but this can still be achieved without being annoying as hell.
Expensive drinks – I ordered a water once in a go go bar in Soi Cowboy because I didn’t feel like drinking or spending too much money.
The bill comes back and I am charged 135 baht for a water, uw0tm8? I understand I am paying for the ‘show’ on stage but 135 baht for a water is pretty insulting.
Music too loud – Since a go go bar involves you sitting down talking to friends and calling girls over to talk to, the music is way too fucking loud.
Playing music is fine, but I don’t want to shout into my friends ear next to me because the DJ has put the sound up to 11.
Who is running these bars? Because some of them have no idea.
Girl can’t dance – In the US or UK, strip clubs usually have girls performing a show or dancing in a sexy way, in Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza the girls just stand on the stage looked bored.
Related: learn how much it costs for sex in Thailand and where to find Thai Soapy massages in Bangkok.
That’s fine if they want to do that I don’t care, but then don’t charge me 135 baht for a water. What am I paying for?
Bill scams – If you ever go to Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza with a big group and you will be buying a lot of drinks, watch what you order and keep an eye on your bill.
If there are 6-7 of you going in, the mamasan will add on drinks and other charges to inflate your bill if you’re not keeping a close eye on things.
Girls are not hot – While this is totally subjective, I would say around 10-15% of all the girls that work in Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza are hot.
I’m not sure who is in charge of the hiring process of girls but you need to fire that guy and hire me. You can easily get yourself a Thai girlfriend who is much hotter than them.
The only go go I like is Baccara
And even that sucks.
Baccara go go in Soi Cowboy has the hottest girls by far but most of them are stuck up and only interested in Japanese or Korena dudes.
There is some guy on the door and he usually rejects people if there are too many brown or black people in a group. One time I went and the entire group was of English males who were Indian or black and the guy on the door said it was private member’s night only.
I know there is no member’s night and I said I was a member and he still rejected me. After talking to him he said they don’t allow too many people in a group of color.
I’ve been here many times and the attitude of the girls usually suck. Most look bored or like they are waiting for the night to end. They do have two floors though which is packed full of hot girls every night, so if you do only visit one go go, make sure it’s Baccara on Soi Cowboy.
The bottom line
While all go go bars in Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza are not like what I mentioned above, most are and it totally ruins the experience of going there.
I never feel like a customer when I go in, rather a target and the mamasan’s job is to take as much money from me – any means necessary.
If budget is not a problem and you don’t mind getting annoyed by the mamasans, or are looking to get a girl for the night who is clean and safe, then it’s a decent spot to go.But as a pre-drink or relaxing night out, not even once. Check out Route 66, Funky Villa, Onyx, or Levels for that.
Related guides: find out where to meet freelancers in Pattaya and my guide on Nana Plaza.
Want to get laid in Thailand for free, then read this article.
What do you guys think about Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza? Which bars do you like, which do you avoid and what has been your overall experience? Leave a comment below if you have ever been to Bangkok and visited either places.
Tattoos, beer guts, stretch marks, playing on phones, disintrested girls ‘dancing’, tattoos and being hassled by some wrinkled old mamasan with way too much face whitening cream who most probably entertained blokes way back during the Vietnam war.
These weren’t the reasons why I last visited the place with some mates on holiday in 2005. Cowboy was a more cheerful place back then.
A gay friend of mine visited in 2007 and being the hospitable type, I accompanied him to a gay bar to watch a rear of the year contest. To me, arse cheeks are arse cheeks that all looked the same, but the punters seemed engrossed in the act onstage, I will admit it was fun, but after 2hrs it got tiresome and we went to Nana plaza, what an abomnation that dump was, wouldn’t imagine it’s changed much
the only reasons I keep going back to Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza are those 10 – 15% girls you are talking about…
You know, I’d forgotten how annoying all that stuff is. Or, perhaps, more to the point, it wasn’t like that in the past. maybe it wasn’t all such a slick, cynical, money-making machine.
I don’t take alcohol, so bars were never really the places for me, if I’m honest, but you did meet people, sometimes nice people and have good craic.
Anyway, not been to a bar in years. Had to last week, for a meeting. In fact, a very straight bar. But, guess what – I was even offended by the slips in the glass thing. Very offended. In fact disgusted. They seemed to me a symbol of just how, so much, it’s singularly to do with making it easy for a customer and his money to be parted.
A lot of people have said it has changed from the past. I guess with so many people knowing about the ‘delights’ of Bangkok, it was bound to change.
Most of those bar ‘workers’ would much prefer the dumbass short term tourists who’d pay whatever the cost. If you asked the girls, most of them would say ”don’t like falang stay Thailand long time, kee neow”
In 2005 there were lots bars that were hospitable, and good fun. You could easily ask any of the working girls to meet you after closing time with none of the barfine rip offs
Ten years on and that fun has all gone, best thing there was always the Offshore fish and chip shop round the corner
Not long after, Taksin’s stupid, ridiculous midnight closing rules also messed things up.
And the girls gained a brain cell more than they used to have.
At least Chuwit was upfront about eveything
That’s why I prefer Thermae, the basement freelancer bar under the Ruamchitt Hotel (Sukhumvit Soi 15). Drink prices are reasonable, 60 Baht for water, 80 for a whiskey soda, 100 for a beer, etc. No one is hassling you to buy several or buy any for the girl. Pay as you order, so no bill scams. No mamasans. No barfine either.
Them black sluts at nana though
I hear you man… I think anyone who’s been in BKK starts to get tired of that scene. Hell I was living on Nana and still never went there. I have one place where the ladies are cool but some bars are just downright abusive.
Sat down at Hillary 4 recently and some old shagged out bird sits next to me and says “one drink for me?” I said no thank you sweetheart… Trying to be polite but I don’t want to drink with this old thing! She snaps on me ” Why you come here? WHY?!!”
OK check bin krub! I always buy girls drinks but I’m not going to get strong armed by some old cunt. I was out of there before I finished my first Leo.
Seems to be the common theme in a lot of places. Someone needs to start a customer services school in Thailand, could go off really well.
Quite possibly the trouble seems to be that because those two week tourists find these hags attractive, those wenches assume all farang will like them the same way but they should clearly see that it is not the case. And the fact that many seem to be bored shitless at actually doing their jobs with some effort and customer service in mind, more punters should vote with their feet, ie. walk out.
Haven’t these skanky tramp stamped tatttooed hoes got the hint? Too busy wanting to get back to playing with their phones or popping outside to chat to their Thai BFs.
There should be a page created on social media whereby one day will be allocated where all long term farangs do not visit ANY bar and stay away altogether, but sadly I doubt the thaivisa.com crowd will be able to do this, as their members seem to made up of ageing fat vest wearing whoring alcoholic pricks with a bottle of beer glued to their left hand
Tattos are becomming the common trend with all Thai girls not just bar girls i noticed. The holiday makers are prob the biggest issue as they don’t mind spending an extra $50-100 on the bill because it’s still way cheaper than back home.
All 6 are true and I could live with all 5 if it wasn’t for 6) The girls are not hot. Get there after 10pm and it’s a dog show.
The few hot girls left are spoiled and now all seem to have adopted some hiphop style with rows in their hair and ugly tattoos.
Thai oriented establishments shit on Cowboy and Nana, now more than ever.
Yeah not sure what is it with the standard of girls, perhaps the good ones get cherry picked and have white knight boyfriends?
If you go early in the evening, like 7pm or 8pm, when the old dudes go, then there is much better choice. At 10 pm, the hottest have already gotten a couple of short times in and just get off the stage and do something else.
Of course, a lot of them just don’t want to work in foreign bars since the economy has improved a lot in Thailand and the Thai soapies/karaokes/pretties, charge just as much for less work, so why hang around with Klaus the 130kg German with strange tastes.
I don’t think Thais pay what farangs do at the massages unless I am mistaken? Pretty sure Thai guys pay at least 30% less in Bangkok then us.
Don’t know, I’m not up to date on the monger prices, but I do remember the price of a soapy massage being 2-3K about 5 years ago in one of the better spots.
Harvie,
you can bet on that! 😀
But there are other places for Thai men, they wouldn’t go to Soi Cowboy or Nana Entertainment Plaza.
The price for short time is said to be around 300 THB.
But I do not know much about those places, and if the girls inside can speak English at all, and if us falangs are allowed to enter.
The thousands of Baht bar fines bars of Soi Cowboy need to be avoided and the bars fail, or else all the bars will do likewise, and it will only be the daft novice tourists who like to go dancing on the stage who will be catered for. You can see it happening in Pattaya. Some of the bar fines are becoming stupid there also. Tilac in Cowboy should reconsider whether continuing to employ girls until state retirement age remains a good idea. What has happened to Nana? Some large bars have two girls dancing on the stage. Fantasia used to always have a couple of gorgeous girls amoungst the rest, and they changed quite frequently, but not much doing there anymore. G Spot, or whatever they are calling it these days, is either closed or has total mingers.
One thing to be greatful for is that most AGoGo will play Thai music on request. How rediculous that you have all the bar staff of beer bars screaming at you angrily to put off the Thai music that you have chosen. Where do you think this is, Thailand!? Well, eh, excuse my stupidity, but YES! Was in Udon Thani recently and they had no problem with it. Of all the ridiculously stupid things. It,s like the Japanese coming to Scotland and being told that they are not allowed to drink Scottish Whisky in a bar and if they want to do that, they need to do it in Japan.
Man things have changed. I used to hang out in the NaNa and Soi Cowboy in the late 80’s. I was only 22 years old back then. It was great. I remember some girls had calluses on there their hands and couldn’t speak any English. If I remember right the bar fines were about 100, pay the girl 300, lady drinks were 30. Beers were 50 baht. Most always took girl long time and they would hang out most of the day the next day.
this is too true.
however , the majority of future tourists – travelers, to fake smile land refuse to hear and accept what is being discussed here.
stick man writes some intresting news as well.
My first trip to BKK/Thailand was in 2006. Wow, I had a great time. Got off the plane at 10pm, booked into my hotel and in Soi Cowboy by midnight. Had a great time … the girls were friendly and talkative. Picked one and had a great evening and morning back in the hotel. Then the next morning off to Pattaya. WOW! What a fab place. I went crazy. Hotel on Soi 5 close to 6 so the days were occupied and walking street was a lot of fun.
Now I returned to Thailand sometimes twice a year since then, but January 2014 was the last straw. The rates were ridiculous. The girls attitude was bottom of the barrel. The money that they were asking for was so high. Bar girls in Pattaya (not gogo girls) wanting 2,000 baht for long time. Nope, this isn’t right for a country such as Thailand.
So, January 2015 came around and I went to Angeles City for the first time. Well, there are a lot of similarities as Thailand but the cost is a lot lower, the girls are a lot friendlier and the bang-for-your-buck is more worth the time. Every girl (girls) I went with really want to fuck..
Of course there’s the comparison of which one’s are more beautiful (in general) but for fun and cost? AC wins for me. September 2015, AC here I come.
Cowboy and Nana are on the downward spiral. Overpriced drinks, overpriced girls, bad attitudes, and the list goes on.
Pattaya? Well the local government wants to change Pattaya from a sex-tourist escapade to family, fun and sun experience. That is why so my money has been invested recently into lush hotels, the revamp along beach road.
Also, they want to close soi 6. They want to get rid of this icon. They are happy to keep walking street as a tourist attraction but for mongers and local expats, Pattaya’s glory days are definitely past its’ used-by-date.
Great comment Jimmy. More and more are saying that Nana and Cowboy are both over priced. I can’t see it changing either sadly, wonder how long is left?
Where is Angel City?
Philippiens.
Thailand have had an tremendous growth in is economy the last two decades, making the general living standard and wages better. It’s all good, if you’re a cheap old Charlie that want to exploit young hard working girls for nothing – well your days are due. Get off benefits, get a job, get those top 5% girls and enjoy.
Money is in town, and it won’t leave.
In my first few trips to Bangkok, I have wasted lot of money on drinks, lady drinks, bar fines and expensive ladies with a (loose ****) in Nana plaza or Soi cow boy. My advice… never pick up a girl from nana plaza or soi cow boy.
Instead you can go to a less crowed bar in soi 4, soi 8, soi 3 or phrom pong and pick a nice looking clean girl for 50% less price. (provide a lady drink for 100 bhat for a girl you like and talk to the lady)
Or You can look for a massage lady and pay 500 bhat for out call and take her to your room. Then you can have an enjoyable night for the cheapest price. The lady in massage parlour would be around 25 to 35 (not teens or below 30 from nana or coy boy)
Hope this will help you next time when you visit sukhumvit, bangkok.
Good advice there – a great option, from my experience, are the freelancers hanging around Sukhumvit. I’ve been with some great girls in this area – lovely nubile bodies, good natured, no scamming or cheating. Short Time ( two, three hours) 1,500 B., Long Time 2,000.- You can also give Thai Friendly a try or We Chat – again, plenty of lovely girls available. Any guy barfining a Coyote from Nana or Cowboy deserves to be ripped off big time.
You should all be ashamed. Women as sex objects, 35% are teenagers and a vast majority are there against their will. No need to respond…
JJ, what makes you think that 35% are teenagers? Why do you think the vast majority are there against their will? You’re wrong on both counts and sound like an idiot.
They’re there to make as much money as fast as possible and it’s their decision to do so.
I went to these places a cup of times in December 2016. Must say that I agree with all that was mentioned.
I walked into any random bar and instantly there was a mamasan asking what I want to drink. Ok but they charge as much as180b for a coke so I prefer a minute to look around if I see what I like and then order. It is not much abou money it is about the fact that I want to dring in a bar where I like the girls and see some show. But mostly the girls are relly bored, lazy and can not dance at all. I told the mamasan that I need a minute and she show me the door! I was shocked – me good looking man in therties, good maners, smile, pocked of money and she showed me the door. What the fuxk happend?
Than the money. I walked into a bar and they asket 2k for the bar and 4k for the girl short time plus drinks … and it was average looking one.
And the next thing. The girls are stupid. They do this job like years and they speak english shit. It is a trouble. I would like to buy her a dring before taking her out but i expect some chat. To be buying drings to girls who say only yes and smile … .
I will say it as it is. Bangkok is not worth it. Before that I spent time in Angeles in Philipines. I payed half money, girls are nice, chatty, can speak english, from half of them i good whole night for a price of short timel good layback mamasans … really skip Bangkok
Would totally disagree. Been to Angeles three times now and each time wished that I had not bothered. Last time was less than twelve months ago. Three thousand Pasos for a girl everywhere. Usual Angeles stuff. Full of ugly girls mostly and the youngest are typically the same girls who were there eight years ago, the first time I went. If you e entually find a very cute girl of around 18 al out guaranteed she will not go with you with the reason that she is a Virgin. The standard of English in Thailand generally is very good. I have been going for over ten years and lived there for a year. Very seldom any problems. The girls are fun to be with and have an appreciation of the world outside of America. If you like that daft western coreographed dancing routines of the Phillipines, fair enough. About as truly Asian as John Wayne chewing a burger. I can rent an entire hotel suite the size of a house five minutes walk from Nana Plaza for less money than a hotel room in that over rated Angeles. Just finished living in the Phillipines for a year and found far more people there with virtually no English than I ever found in Thailand. You cannot classify someone as having good Emglish if they don’t know what a Rubbish Bin is. Please don’t bore me with the reasons for it.
It is hilarious that anyone who thinks that people in the Phillipines are interesting to talk to thinks that the bar girls of Thailand are stupid. The Thais above and beyond most nationalities have a good awareness of different cultures and world events. The Phillipine girls have ” When you go back to America” ” How much that cost in America” . Sorry never been to America. Where do you come from? Scotland. Where is that country? Is it next to Sweden. Do they speak German there? It is near impossible to have a conversation with Phillipine people who have not broadened their minds by foreign travel. When you go back to America Joe. What is your religion. Do you believe in God. How much does that cost in America. Why do you not want to get married? Where is Africa? Is it beside Sweden, where they speak Japanese? You come from Britain. Is that a colony of America? How many dollars does that drink cost in America? In your country, is the money the dime or the Dollar? Do you believe in Jesus. Why are you not married. SHUT UP YOU ODIOT!!!
I’d have to agree Angeles in the Philippines is a gem… half the price for the girls, they can speak perfect English and provide 1st class service. Nana and Soi Cowboy is just another tourist trap…. well Thailand really.
Yes. Just visited Nana Plaza Billboard Club with 2 friends and the fat mamasan inflated our bill when we are being nice to buy our 3 ladies, waitresses and herself 3 round of drinks. The bill: 9640baht for about an hour spent which each of us only drank 2 pints of Beer
Did you pay the bill, what happened?
Nana plaza bars have really become very troublesome and dirty place especially for new tourists. The mamasan there are very rude and try to trap the customer with very insulting manners. The rates are very high If you do not accept the order for the drink then they will not tolerate you for a single minute and show the door for getting out. The touts are very stupid. The music sound is very high. In my opinion one should not go there for getting insulted.
What time does nana close?
The go go bars all close at 2am, while some of the bars and clubs will remain open until 5 or 6am.
Cowboy is just a bit better, but Nana really is a place to avoid. At cowboy I sometimes find some funny girls to play around, however – yes – quite money focused …
Guys quick question. How’s the best way to live year round in thailand. Do they have jobs for English only Americans? Or do you have to have a nice nest egg? I’m in my early forties looking to move to South East asia?
People have both Jim, depending on their age.
I don,t really know why! but I have chosen to give my story on this blog. Everyone feel free to share, trash or ignore it.
Once upon a time (27/03/1977) a young high school teacher from Ruem Rudi International school was trying to impress the principal of the school and so went around to that mans shophouse residence around 7:30 that Sunday night to personally give him the student grades,early. The shophouse was in a non-descript alley behind Sukhumvit.. After handing over the grades, the young teacher headed back up this very dark alley towards Soi Prasarnmit. About half way up the alley he heard music. It was Penny Mcleans “Lady Bump”and it was coming from an open door towards his left. There were no other lights in the alley (or sub-soi) so the light coming from the shophouse was easily seen.The door was a very plain ply-wood door propped open by a bar stool.
Looking in, the young teacher saw that the shophouse had been converted into a bar with a smaall stage to the right of the door. The only lights in the bar were coming from the mirror ball on the ceiling and a fish tank towards the back of the bar. Two young dancers were practicing on the 2 meter stage. As the teacher entered he saw the pricelist…scribbled on the wall…Singha beer 20 baht, Amarit beer 15 baht, Mehkong soda 12 baht and spirit prices on request. The decore of the entire place was a bluish/green grunge. Deciding on an Amarit the young teacher was served, the standard Bangkok bar box was on the bar….but as the cashier was writing out the chit, an American mid-western voice came from behind the fish tank!
“This ones on the house mama” and a tall slender black man stood up from behind the fish tank and walked to the bar. He was dressed all in White(which was good because in the darkness, he would have been otherwise invisible). He put his white cowboy hat on the bar and leaned against it. “To what do I owe the honour of a free drink” said the young teacher. “Well” said the black man “we’re not officially open till tomorrah, but seeing as your our first customer..why not;and you my friend may call me Cowboy!…thus a place and a legend were born. To quote Bernard Trink (the dink)..nuff said
You all white fags or simply vanilla face with no money. I extend my warm welcome to you to suck my dick. Why complain about Thailand when your home currency is 35 yimes stronger than Thailand. Why not come to Singapore or some pther First World country. And let see if you white fags can spend money or not. If not would you simply shut your mouth.
uw0tm8?
I remember those days too, I was in my early twenties as well living up Sukumvite 22. Those were the best times ever in Thailand, but no BTS or Metro The Kangaroo bar on Patpong was a fav hangout
I’m brown (indian) and never had any issues at Baccara or any other place at Soi Cowboy. We were there as a group of 3 Indian( well, 2 Indian, the other was Indian Origin American), the others were Thai, Greek and Turkish. The girls usually love me (and my money of course). It’s true that Baccara has a hotter selection of women, but I think they’re more expensive. Plus the dancing shuts down rather too early.
Does anyone know who owns Baccara? Is it that fat old prick that sits next to the door demanding people buy a drink before they enter? If so, why is he unable to speak and only wave his hand like a retard?
He does not own it, he just decides who goes in and who doesn’t. He is there to stop Indians and black people in large numbers coming in.
Avoid Crazy House. Cheated by the good review. The only bar that need you to pay for the drink upfront before enter and forced tips the security. Very rude attitude. Do they think they are the only bar at BKK? Basically now Soi cowboy full of coyote girls that never do booking at all.
Baccara is the same, it’s not a scam, it’s a very good go go.
My question after reading all above comments is: with this much interest by those 10-15% go go girls, how much interest will they even take in the short time romp?. I’m guessing she will act really bored and asked to finish it in 10-15 minutes. All that 4k money wasted!
Better to go for a proper soapie instead fellas.
Good point and yes most likely.
Really interesting info, man. Any other places you’d recommend for gogo bars? It’s gonna be my first tome in Bangkok soon and I’d like to experience it without being ripped off too much or assaulted by a mamasan