Anatomy of a GO GO BAR
When talking about Thailand, it’s hard not to mention Go Go Bars. Whether you’re an occasional tourist, just curious, or a regular visitor to cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya, you’ve surely heard about these kinds of venues. However, as often happens, the information available to the average user is confusing and misleading, because it often comes from articles by aspiring journalists who have never been to Thailand or from influencers and bloggers in more general fields like travel, current events, and so on—often couples or women only(I mean heterosexual women and couples who aren’t really interested in interacting with the working girls, because otherwise, it would be more than legitimate)Even though they may be well-informed in their own fields, they often show ignorance about topics outside their expertise and lack sufficient experience to speak on them. Go Go Bars are frequently portrayed as places where customers are scammed and forced to pay huge amounts for things they didn’t order, or where security kicks out couples who enter the most touristy go-go bars in Patpong — places where they still do “vagina shows” and so on. Sometimes these critics stay inside for just half an hour with a single beer and then even dare to advise other visitors not to spend too much on drinks for themselves or the girls (
What is a GO GO BAR?
A Go Go Bar is in many ways similar to a typical nightclub or lap dance venue, but it’s not quite the same thing. In a Go Go Bar, you will always find cold drinks and a rather low room temperature—so much so that if the place is not very crowded, it can even feel too cold. Usually, there are one or more stages/platforms/runways of various shapes and sizes, equipped with lap dance poles and other accessories depending on the club’s theme, where the girls dance or perform various kinds of shows.
All around the main room—excluding very small clubs or very large ones with multiple rooms or floors—there are tiered seating areas with sofas, small tables, or shelves to place your drinks. In the middle of the room and around the stage, you’ll find the usual stools, and in larger venues also tables. Most Go Go Bars (except those on the upper floors of Nana Plaza, which is a huge multi-level complex) are located on the ground floor. Some have two floors, and in those cases, the upper floor almost always has a section of transparent flooring.
The music played is generally the same you’d find in discos, sometimes interrupted by the current Thai hit song, but in some Go Go Bars, you might also hear Rock, Hip Hop, and so on. The one constant is that the volume is almost always very loud.
There are “standard” Go Go Bars structured more or less like a classic lap dance venue, without a particular theme, but many are themed, and the girls are “dressed” according to the house theme. For example, they might be in Dark/Gothic style, or armed with foam batons with which they playfully tap anyone nearby, or all wearing black bikinis, or dressed as sexy nurses, hostesses, or something else—you name it, there’s something for every taste.
The little shows offered vary a lot and can sometimes be completely absent; it depends on the venue. In smaller and specifically themed bars, you often see various choreographies that can be more or less provocative and explicit. In some cases, they are simply fun and break up the rhythm of the girls dancing on stage, creating a more relaxed and playful atmosphere. Other venues have a pool or a sort of foam-filled shower box where some girls remain naked or topless, and others—usually the more Old school (now truly only a few remain, mostly as tourist attractions) offer more extreme but at the same time purely “tourist” (where the performers do various ‘tricks’ with their vaginas, but in these cases it’s purely an attraction for the curious, because these shows have very little erotic or sensual content)fortunately, these ‘shows’ are almost extinct, replaced in some cases by a classic ‘lesbo show’ or by girls playing with a customer called on stage for the occasion.).
The girls working in Go-Go Bars are generally attractive and in good shape, mainly because, being very lightly dressed, they need to have a strong visual impact to attract customers. Of course, among the many, there’s something for every taste, but the average level of beauty is quite high and the average age is rather young (though always above 20, which is the legal age in Thailand). It’s important to remember that in Thailand both prostitution and toplessness or nudity in public venues are prohibited. That’s why in Go-Go Bars you’ll find dozens of almost-naked, flirtatious girls who are also ready to have sex with you in exchange for money. It’s truly a realm of contradictions, and we like it that way.
How Does a Go Go Bar Work?
In a Go Go Bar There is no entrance fee, but a drink purchase is mandatory. As soon as you take a seat, a waitress will come over and you have to order something to drink. Then, within a reasonable time, you’ll need to order something else if you decide to stay in the venue. Whether it’s just a beer or a cocktail doesn’t matter; only the price changes—for example, if you order a beer(except for special cases that we will see later)you can’t stay there for an hour without ordering anything else. Usually, the person who brings your first drink will know when it’s time to ask you to order again because the staff is there to serve you but also to remind you that you need to spend. In some places, they are more insistent, in others less, but that’s the general idea. Besides your own drinks, if you want the company of one or more girls sitting next to you (or more often, sitting on top of you)you will have to buy them drinks; in this case, the drink you offer is called a Lady Drink and on average, it will cost more. Drink prices are listed on the menu, but if you have any doubts or don’t know the place well and you’re still sober enough, ask the staff before ordering. They might think you’re cheap, but you’ll avoid any “surprises” on the bill (almost always due to one’s own inattention, but we’ll talk about that shortly.). Also for the Lady Drink the same rule applies as with your own drinks: the longer the girl stays in your company, the more she will want to order to drink,because the girls are there to earn money, and their job is to make you spend as much as possible.). Of course, everything can vary depending on many different factors, such as whether you have already ordered several drinks or offered several Lady Drink, or maybe if you’re in a group with friends and every now and then someone orders something after the first round without everyone doing so, but it also depends on the girls keeping you company and how crowded the place is at that moment. Also, if the Mamasan and staff know you and recognize you as a good regular, no one will bother you if you just want to relax and enjoy the atmosphere after your first drink(but in that case, it’s assumed that you’re already familiar with these dynamics).).
The internal figures you will find in any Go Go Bar are:
Mamasan:
Coordinator of everything, she’s like the captain of a ship; in the venue, she is the supreme figure and the ultimate point of reference for all the girls working there. If you need to make arrangements for a barfine to go out with a girl, she’s the one you have to talk to. If you have doubts or don’t understand how something works, ask her. She vouches for the quality of the girls and everything else.
The Mamasan can also decide not to let a girl leave with a customer if she judges him too drunk or for any other reason she deems inappropriate. Let’s say this happens only in extreme situations, but it’s fair to protect the girls. If it happens to you, it means you’re in bad shape or did something you shouldn’t have inside the venue—but it’s more likely they’ll ask you to leave before it gets that far.
In larger venues, there might be more than one Mamasan with the same role, but even then, there will be one acting as the “head supervisor.”
Le Girls:
The main attraction and the reason why people enter a Go Go Bar, these ladies are present in varying numbers usually proportional to the size of the venue. There might be around ten or even up to a hundred, but you’ll rarely see them all together because they work in shifts on the stage. Between shifts, some wander around the tables while others may disappear into the dressing rooms, only to reappear when it’s their turn to perform again on stage.
The primary purpose of the girls is to entertain customers and encourage them to spend as much as possible by drinking and buying Lady Drinks. It often happens that at certain times, some girls can be quite “tipsy.” But it also depends on what they have been drinking — some mostly sip on nearly non-alcoholic cocktails, while others throw back tequila like there’s no tomorrow. In any case, to enjoy their company, you need to order a Lady Drink, there’s no precise rule (actually, there used to be a common standard where you were expected to buy two lady drinks if you called a girl from the stage, and just one lady drink if it wasn’t her turn on the runway, and so on with each shift change. However, nowadays this practice remains only in a few places), even in this case it greatly depends on how crowded the venue is, the number of girls present, how popular the girl is, whether she’s someone you already know, and maybe if you have “barfined” other times, that is, you have paid the barfine to the Venue to take her to your hotel or wherever, etc. The available girls all always have a little number on them, so if there is one who intrigues you all you have to do is let her know that you would like to hang out with her for a while
Ladyboy / Kathoey: In most Go Go Bars, you’ll find only Girls; in others, only Ladyboys; and some are mixed. What a Ladyboy does in a Go Go Bar is exactly the same as what a Girl does. The only real difference is that she probably has a penis (and in some cases, not even that anymore). Other than that, the work performed in the venue is the same as the Girls’.
Service Staff: Usually, these are other girls who are less attractive than those on stage. They act as waitresses and take care of the customers’ needs—finding seats, calling a Girl to your table upon request, serving drinks, emptying ashtrays, and so on. Often, they don’t just play a passive role; depending on the situation, they might keep you company, and of course, you can offer drinks to them as well. If the chance arises, they won’t hesitate to ask you directly—especially with the help of the girl already keeping you company at that moment. Here too, there are almost endless variations: you might find very friendly and engaging staff members who definitely deserve a drink for their kindness. But this is very personal, and there’s absolutely no obligation to offer them anything. However, if you do tip for good service, they’ll be happy—and it will work in your favor if you want to come back to the club more than once.
The Security Team:
You’ll often see them at the entrance, but then you might not even notice they’re there—and that’s perfectly fine. If you have to deal with them after you’ve entered or just before leaving the venue, it usually means you did something you shouldn’t have or you’ve been bad.
Where are Go Go Bars located?
Most go bars are concentrated in a few areas of a few cities:
BANGKOK:
–Nana Plaza, Khlong Toei district, Soi Nana (soi 4) – Near BTS Nana Station.
–Soi Cowboy, Khlong Toei district, is a travesa street between soi 21 and soi 23 all along the street-Near BTS Asok Station.
–PatPong, Bang Rak District, Silom District. It is two streets, Thanon Patpong 1 and Thanon Patpong 2 – Near BTS Sala Daeng Station.
PATTAYA:
-LK Metro Aly – Soi Buakhao, Dozens of Go Go Bars are concentrated along the street that forms a square with Pattayasaisong 13 and Soi Buhakao. There are also many Beer Bars and similar venues nearby.
-Walking Street, At the end of Beach Road, heading toward the pier, there is a street that becomes pedestrian-only at night, lined with numerous Go Go Bars, nightclubs, and other venues.
PHUKET:
-Bangla Road, In Patong, there is the famous Bangla Road, a street about 400 meters long along which you can find all kinds of venues as well as several Go Go Bars.
Some are located in other, larger cities like Chiang Mai, but in quieter places less focused on nightlife, it’s easier to find a Gentlemen’s Club or something similar, sharing some features but different. In any case, this type of venue is worth a visit because, while it’s true there are places where you spend less and which might be more low-key, the atmosphere of a GoGo Bar is something special you won’t find elsewhere. So after the first one, you’ll be curious to check out others to find those that match your tastes better in terms of the line-up of girls and atmosphere. There is no absolute “best” GO-GO bar; it’s a bit like food—some people prefer lasagna, others sushi, and some think both are great choices but don’t eat hamburgers.
It’s definitely an experience worth trying at least once, and if it turns into two, three, or even a hundred times, all the better.^^
Hello Hello Fellow Travelers!
