Patpong, the most famous of the bar districts covers two lanes. Strategically named Patpong 1 and Patpong 2, they run between Silom and Suriwongse Roads. But fame has had a detrimtental effect. A packed night market down the middle of Patpong 1 makes it almost impossible to wobble from bar to bar without crashing into a pile of t-shirts or running into a battalion of OAPs giggling about how naughty they are for having stopped for tea in biscuits in Patpong.
On the other hand it is a great place to take the family shopping … providing you don’t mind your 12-year-old being confronted with neon signs that scream “Pussy Galore” or strange men that sidle up saying; “you want ping pong show?, body massage? ….’
To be fair Patpong 2 hasn’t changed all that much, there isn’t the room for the market stalls. The Pink Panther has stood on the corner since time immemorial and the drunks that sleep on the bar at Blue Sky seem to have been there almost as long. But old timers still say that customers are fewer because of the markets.
But even with fewer customers there are still a lot of bars here and when you get tired of tit and bum watching the beer bars along Patpong 2 are great places for people watching.
Ping Pong Shows
Girls do tricks with their pussies which includes, but is not restricted to, firing ping pong balls into buckets, pulling out strings of bunting, removing beer bottle tops and much, much more. The shows are curious and not particularly erotic, but I’ll take my hat off to any man who is willing to have sex with a girl who is capable of removing a beer bottle top with her pussy.
It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid the touts on the street unless they are directly ouside the bar they want you to go into. I’d hesitate to say they are all bad but some of them lead you to bars that expect you to pay well over the odds for a really poor show .
Thaniya
Soi Thaniya is the would be Patpong 3 it’s a couple of roads up from Patpong 2 and caters exclusively to the Japanese market.
Highlights
Safari Bar – The girls are topless save for little post-it notes stuck over their nipples, very popular
Queen’s Castle – The best “ping pong” shows and more. Drinks are a bit more expensive here but so are their overheads
King’s 3 – Formerly known as KC3, popular ladyboy bar
Pink Panther – One of the longest surviving bars in the area
Tavern 2 – Not really a girly bar but would be good for people who are into MILFs. The staff are friendly and excellent darts players. If you want to be a hero here slap 500 baht on the counter and say “Right, who’s going to KFC?”
The French Kiss – French owned too, a little bar beer bistro. Good food
Bobbys Arms – English style restuarant/pub hidden in the car park opposite Kings Garden.