Although you can invest weeks in Thailand without ever seeing a prostitute there are some locations of the City of Angels that are developed with nothing much more in mind than the sex tourist. There are also some other places that tend to draw Thai girls who are looking for involvement with a farang – Khao San Road right away comes to mind. Today’s post will focus on the largest of the pay4play entertainment locations in Bangkok identified as Nana Plaza.

Nana Entertainment Plaza (or NEP) began 25 years ago when numerous bars on Soi 14-Soi 16 had been forced to close indefinitely simply because of construction on Sukhumvit Road. In mid 1982 the Rosemarys (1&amp2) , The Three Roses and The Rainbow Bar all moved into Nana Plaza which was formerly your normal run of the Thai strip mall and parking area. Because that time it has grown to practically 40 bars packed into the central court area.

For virtually 2 decades now Nana has been the center of naughty nightlife in Bangkok. It does see some competition from Soi Cowboy region bars, but Nana Plaza is the best of the heap when it comes to A-Go-Go bars, with stages and shows throughout the complicated. Nana is famous for it’s Go-Go bars where you can find scads of scantily clothes Thai girls gyrating on stage and about shiny poles, all meant to excite and titillate the selection of visitors that come just for that purpose. Nana is also renowned for the katoey or ladyboy bars in the location. Several are the man who hasn’t understood the difference in between the lovely katoeys in Nana Plaza and been handed a significant surprise later.

]]>

The Plaza does appear to fluctuate in recognition from year to year with the expatriates and sexpatriates visiting Thailand. 1 year you can go there and locate the location packed to capacity and another year will see NEP nearly empty. 2007 was a slow year and 2008 looks to be the same with several of the bars reporting their take to be down 20-30% from typical. Some of this is due to the strength of the Thai baht which is affecting all areas of tourism in Thailand. Other factors mentioned are the declining upkeep of the clubs, the rising cost of the girls and the poor attitude of several of the staff and girls. One more hit is coming in the form of a smoking ban in all restaurants and bars in Thailand which is supposed to take impact February 11th, 2008. It will be fascinating to see if this ban is in fact enforced.

The initial time visitor to Nana Plaza really should be prepared for a surreal experience with the location looking like a neon lit circus midway in full swing and music pumping from the different bars surrounding the Plaza. Bible thumping missionaries, prostitutes, western sexpats, camera wielding Japanese tourists and curious tourist young and old fill the location making it a excellent place to sip a beer and watch the diversity of humanity in all its forms. No matter how far and wide you travel you are unlikely to see another location even remotely like it.

With dozens of bars, brightly flashing neon, hundreds of girls and all the sights, smells and sounds of Nana Plaza I have only scratched the surface of what Nana Plaza is. Go and see for your self, you will be amazed and possibly shocked, but it will be various than any other experience of your life.