Nana Plaza

Nana Plaza is on Sukhumvit Soi 4, known as Soi Nana, in the Sukhumvit district of Bangkok, next to BTS Nana. It is a three-floor, horseshoe-shaped complex built around a courtyard. The soi outside has its own open-fronted beer bars and the Nana Hotel, so the area is busy before and after you go in.

Nana Plaza is the biggest nightlife complex in Bangkok, with three floors of gogo bars around a courtyard. It is billed as the world's biggest gogo complex, and it includes ladyboy bars, especially on the upper floors. Billboard, Rainbow 4 and Spanky's are three of the bars inside.

Nana Plaza gives you more choice in one place, three floors of bars and a rowdier feel. Soi Cowboy is one neon lane with around 40 gogo bars and a more relaxed mood. They are two BTS stops apart, so many people try both on the same night.

Start at the ground floor and work upwards. The ground floor and courtyard give you a feel for the crowd, the first floor has bars such as Rainbow 4, and the top floor has Billboard with its big stage. Going up in order means you see every level before you decide where to spend the evening.

Yes, Nana Plaza includes ladyboy bars, especially on the upper floors, mixed in with the others. They are not marked everywhere on the street, so check the signs and look at the dancers before you sit down, or ask the staff. If you want to avoid them, ask before you go in.

Outside, Soi Nana has open-fronted beer bars and a beer garden, and the nearby list includes Nana Beer Garden, Sexy Night, DC-10, Straps, Angelwitch and Twister. The Nana Hotel and other guest-friendly hotels are close, and street freelancers and vendors fill the pavements late at night.

It fills up through the evening and becomes busiest later at night, when the gogo bars are in full swing. The pavements outside get packed after midnight, once the plaza empties out. Weekends are busiest. Check on the night, and the venue listings show VIP members the current opening hours for each bar.

Walk every floor once before you sit, pick a bar where you can see the stage and the dancers, and keep your own count of the chits. Do not ring any bell, tip dancers directly and settle each tab as you leave. Keep your phone in a front pocket and carry only the night's cash.