Red Light Districts in Thailand: Where to Go and What to Expect

It depends on the night you want. For a first night, Soi Cowboy is one easy street of gogo bars; for the most choice, Nana Plaza. The cheapest and most relaxed option is Pattaya's beer bars and Soi 6, while Walking Street and Bangla Road bring big party energy. Chiang Mai's Loi Kroh Road is the quiet, small-scale choice. VIP members get every bar pinned on the interactive maps, so you can plan the whole night before you leave the hotel.

For one night, yes. Patpong in Silom is Bangkok's oldest red light district, and its gogo bars now share the street with a tourist night market selling souvenirs and copies. It's smaller and more touristy than Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy, with more touts. Never follow anyone upstairs to a show, which is where the famous overcharging happens; our scams guide explains the trick. Pair it with dinner or rooftop drinks in Silom.

Soi 6 is a short street between Beach Road and Second Road lined with small beer bars, many with rooms upstairs. It's busy from the afternoon, unlike most nightlife areas, and it's known for being direct and relatively cheap. It is not a place for a quiet drink. Walk the street once before choosing a bar.

Both are pedestrian nightlife strips that close to traffic in the evening, but they feel different. Walking Street in South Pattaya is bigger, with more gogo bars and clubs and a crowd that's there mainly for the nightlife. Bangla Road in Patong, Phuket, is shorter and more of a mixed party street, with beer bars, clubs and gogos alongside holidaymakers of every kind. Pattaya is usually cheaper; Phuket adds the beach.

Yes. Plenty of couples and curious tourists walk through Soi Cowboy, Walking Street and Bangla Road just to see them. You don't have to go into any bar, and nobody will force you. A polite 'no thank you' or a smile is enough for the doormen. Just don't take photos of the women without asking.

Yes, on a small scale. Loi Kroh Road, east of the Old City near the Night Bazaar, has a strip of beer bars, a few gogo bars and oil-massage shops, and it's far quieter and cheaper than Bangkok or Pattaya. Most bars there wind down around 1am. It suits a relaxed night or a longer stay rather than a big blowout. Our Chiang Mai guide covers where to stay and where people go after closing.

Generally, yes: the main strips are busy, well lit and full of tourists, staff and police until closing. The real risks are to your money and your drink, not your safety. Keep your phone in a front pocket, carry only the night's cash, check every bill and never follow a tout upstairs. Don't argue with staff or locals, however right you are; apologize and leave. Take a Grab or metered taxi home rather than walking dark side streets.

A look-around night with a few beers costs little: beer bars charge around 70 to 120 baht a beer and gogo bars about 150 to 250. Company costs more. Lady drinks add roughly 120 to 400 baht each, a bar fine 300 to 2,500 baht depending on the establishment, and short time with the lady typically 1,500 to 3,000 baht in Bangkok. Pattaya is usually cheaper, with Walking Street its priciest strip.