A Brief History of Go-Go Bars

Since the Vietnam war around 40 years ago - when American GI's began coming here for what was euphemistically dubbed R&R (Rest & Recuperation) with local girls - certain areas of Bangkok (and in Thailand) have become notorious, the world over, for sex and sleaze.

Though the flesh trade is nothing new - a thriving sex industry in Siam was reported by visiting sailors in the 16th and 17th centuries - the Westerner-driven scene in Bangkok didn't begin until 1968, when a cluster of nightclubs sprouted up along a small Soi (street) called Patpong, to cater for the influx of US armed forces in the region. In this small area, owned by an entrepreneurial Chinese immigrant family called Patpongpanich, the road quickly became popular with sex-starved soldiers and, by the early 1970s, had spilled over also into Patpong 2, which runs parallel to it. It was during the late 1970s and 1980s, however, that Patpong really hit its groove, becoming the premier nightlife area in Bangkok and internationally famous for its raunchy, inventive and technically illegal upstairs sex shows that left very little to the imagination. The rest, as they say, is history.

At around the same time, a small road near Sukhumvit was making the transition from quiet Bangkok backstreet to what is today known as Soi Cowboy, the city's very own Wild West complete with tumble-weed, dancing girls and an occasional air of lawlessness. Finally, the last arrival was Nana Plaza. Previously comprised of restaurants, this drab multi-storey building slowly saw an influx of Go-Go bars during the 1980s, until in 2005, the last restaurant was finally squeezed out. Over the years, it's become the destination of choice for hardcore Go-Go bar goers.

Go-Go bars are an aspect of the Thai experience that the scene is here to stay. The government, despite having clamped down on many other aspects of moral decay, like Internet pornography and under-age boozing, shows no signs of wanting to snuff out this bountiful industry - probably due to the fact that the sex trade industry in Thailand is believed to be worth as much as US$ 4.3 billion, or about 3% of the country's annual GDP.

More Nightlife in Asia:

Thailand Nightlife: Bangkok Nightlife, Pattaya Nightlife, Hua Hin Nightlife, Chiang Mai Nightlife, Phuket Nightlife, Koh Samui Nightlife, Krabi Nightlife
Malaysia Nightlife: Kuala Lumpur Nightlife, Langkawi Nightlife, Malacca Nightlife Hong Kong Nightlife
Indonesia Nightlife: Jakarta Nightlife, Bali Nightlife, Bintan Island Nightlife
India Nightlife: Mumbai Nightlife, New Delhi Nightlife
More Asia Nightlife: Beijing Nightlife, Shanghai Nightlife, Hong Kong Nightlife, Singapore Nightlife, Hanoi Nightlife, Saigon Nightlife, Siem Reap Nightlife

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