Baccara

Baccara is on Soi Cowboy, the neon-lit lane off Sukhumvit between Soi 21 and Soi 23 in Bangkok. It sits among the other big gogo bars, with Tilac, Crazy House, Five Star, Deja Vu, Country Road and The Corner all close. You can find it simply by walking the lane and looking for the glass ceiling.

Baccara is Soi Cowboy's best-known bar, and what people talk about is its glass-ceiling upstairs stage. It is a busy, big-name room, and it is the one many visitors choose when they want to see the soi's headline act. If a first-timer asks me which bar to see on Soi Cowboy, this is the answer I give.

Yes, it is one of the busiest bars on the lane, and that is part of the draw. Expect a crowd by late evening and more dancers on show than at quieter neighbors. If you prefer to talk without competing with noise and bodies, go earlier in the evening. Check on the night, because crowds shift with the weekend and the season.

All three are gogo bars on Soi Cowboy, but each has a different reputation. Baccara is the best-known name with the glass-ceiling stage. Tilac is large and reliable, near the Soi 23 end. Crazy House is wilder, with the soi's most hands-on reputation. I would try Baccara for the show, Tilac for an easy drink and Crazy House if you want more energy.

It can be, if you go in with the usual gogo habits. The room is busy, so keep your drinks tab in order, check lady drinks against the chits and agree anything you want before you act on it. A first-timer who likes a big stage and plenty of choice will enjoy it. One who wants a quiet chat should pick somewhere smaller.

Like any gogo bar, you pay for drinks and lady drinks on a tab, and a bar fine, paid to the bar, applies if a dancer leaves with you. Her own fee is separate and agreed with her. Current prices and opening hours at this bar are shown to VIP members on its listing, so check there before you go.

Yes, plenty. Tilac, Crazy House, Five Star, Deja Vu, Country Road and The Corner are all nearby on Soi Cowboy, so you can wander between them in minutes. The lane has around 40 gogo bars in total, so there is no shortage of choice if one is too full or not to your taste.

Visit once early to take a look, then come back for the busy hours when the stage is full. Watch the glass ceiling, buy a lady drink only if you want company and never ring the bell unless you mean it. Tip dancers directly, count your chits at the end and ask for the bill before you have had too many drinks.