Bangkok’s Red Light District-Sex Sells in Nana Plaza

My Night Exploring The World’s Most Infamous Adult Playground

The beer bellies seem to get bigger and bigger with every passing block toward the plaza.

I must be getting close.

After passing by Nana Station on the busy Sukhumvit Road, a perpendicular street illuminates from the rest. Some pass by with naive curiosity and cautiously wander in. Others turn in sharply with a disturbing determination. I make my way in slowly, trying to portray myself in the middle of this naughty spectrum.

I immediately spot the infamous Nana Plaza, which is marked by a neon-lit sign proudly hanging above an entryway reading: “Nana Plaza — The World's Largest Adult Playground.” The slogan is accompanied by two silhouettes on each side straddling a pole.

Past the entry, I can see what appears to be a rectangular courtyard residing in the middle of a three-level U-shaped building, resembling an old outdoor shopping mall. Being that it’s only 8 pm, I walk on by in order to not draw the marketing efforts of the entire plaza. After all, I’m only here out of curiosity, not participation.

For now, I grab a beer and a plate of nachos across the street at the most innocent place I can find to observe the madness: Hooters.

Seated on the palisade, I overlook the chaos and partake only in the form of head nods and smiles as people walk by.

Though all the go-go bars are inside the plaza, the spirit of Nana spills out into the neighboring street by way of sports bars and pubs, providing the familiarities of home for Western travelers. Each bar is accompanied by seductresses vying for your attention, just in case you need some convincing.

“You so handsome! I like you, come inside! You so handsome!”

Many hold their composure, holding out for the girls in the Plaza, while others can’t help but giggle and blush as they get tugged in.

Within a few minutes of observing the loitering crowd, it becomes obvious that the street outside Nana is an accompanying B-league, where novices can build a reputation in hopes of eventually landing a gig inside or the demoted can still continue on with their trade despite the silver pole being years in the rearview.

It’s actually quite spectacular, like a reverse version of “Where’s Waldo”. I try to spot anyone on the street who isn’t playing the game — whether that be to buy or sell.

Out here lies a diverse range of companionship that spans beyond the distinct characteristics recruited by the go-go bars inside. A lascivious person might even describe the scene as eclectic. I saw goth punks, Disney chicks, African queens, and anime girls varying in all shapes and sizes. Some of them hustle, looking at prospects with wide eyes and pointing to themselves to gauge their interest, while others are much more subtle, dressed in modest apparel, sitting on the curbs, looking at their phones — and it surprises you when you see them get approached for a brief negotiation.

The demand side of the equation generally meets my expectations.

An old, fat Western man walking hand in hand with a beautiful young Thai girl becomes ubiquitous. With that said, it seems that the East is quickly catching up to the West. As a half-American/half-Japanese man myself, I felt well-represented among the masses — that is for sure.

Eventually, I worked the nerve to walk towards the plaza. I pay my bill and dart across the street towards the neon lights.

A palpable feeling builds inside my stomach. One that distinctly reminds me of a time walking by an adult video store in Tokyo as a twelve-year-old boy. I recall peeping in the best I could when the wind blew the curtains of the ominous doorway, revealing the allure that would haunt the rest of my adolescence. I never would have imagined being confronted with that feeling again in a place like this.

This time, however, I make my way inside.

From what I’ve read, the go-go bars of Nana become more ostentatious as you work your way up the levels — almost like tiers.

On the surface, this makes sense. Nudity is technically illegal, even in this setting. Therefore, if the cops enter, levels two and three have more time to warn the girls to get dressed. With that said, I’ve also heard that the operation of these bars is just as crony as any other lucrative industry across Thailand, so it would seem that, generally, the bars can function as they please.

I walk towards the center of the plaza, taking in the entire scene, all 360 degrees.

The bottom level is simply a more organized extension of the fiasco outside on the street. A couple of round bars surrounded by high tops reside in the center, while the first-floor go-go bars extend a patio for people to hang out outside. The girls wear bright-colored dresses with high heels, almost like an organized bachelorette party. The customers converse with them or chew the fat with their other mates before committing to buying a girl a drink inside the bar.

I considered grabbing a beer at one of the center bars in the plaza, but with hundreds of go-go girls able to spot my lonesome from every angle, I decided against feeling like a quarry.

Instead, I bolt to the back of the courtyard, where a staircase makes its way up the tiers. The plan was simple. Always look like I’m headed for a particular club, check out the three levels, make as many mental notes as possible, and get out.

On the second floor, all that resides outside the doorways is a walkway with a railing overlooking the plaza. As I pass by each door, I smile politely at a handful of girls dedicated to swaying me in. I assure them I’m going to another bar to avoid their best efforts. The outfits for each bar vary slightly, but generally, all the women outside wear matching bikinis tied to their bar theme. The curtains open up almost automatically as I walk by each club to reveal thirty to fifty near-naked women swaying to Thai hip-hop and techno on stage in a mundane manner. I repeat the same route on level three, and as expected, the curtains reveal a much looser uniform policy.

It’s unsettling.

The streets outside Nana were just a more concentrated and diverse version of an industry I’ve seen scattered throughout my time in American cities, but never have I encountered a more commercialized version like Nana Plaza.

The night is still young, so I have to assume what I’m currently seeing is quite tame. As the night's end approaches and patrons become drunker, I can only imagine how the forces of reckless buyers and desperate sellers might break the hope and soul of a virtuous observer.

I make my way back down the staircase and gun for the exit.

As I walk back through the courtyard, I’m stopped by what is undoubtedly the most attractive woman I’ve seen the entire night. Any man would be hypnotized by her smooth blonde hair, high cheeks, sharp nose, pompous breasts, sculpted legs, and pouty eyes that could be used for both good and evil. She sips her drink and overlooks the entire courtyard from the corner balcony, standing tall and confidently as if the entire plaza were under her rule.

Behind her, dancers apply their makeup in what looks like a dressing room for castmates. The room is in plain sight of the plaza, so patrons can observe through the glass like a pet store as they walk by, something unique and unmistakable from the rest of the clubs.

Later, I read that this bar is a pageant dedicated to transsexuals, who undoubtedly know how to apply their foundation better than the rest of the world.

I can only tip my hat.

This place can both glorify and call into question the virility of any man.

I look back at Nana Plaza for what I presume is the first and last time in my life.

The world comes with its vices, but never have I seen it served up on a platter in a manner like this. How many men with my innocent curiosity end up engulfing their entire lives in the dark rooms above?

Where does it end?

I can make some guesses.

It’s only 9 pm, and the night is still young. So, I move on to Soi Cowboy to continue my exploration.

Part 2 :

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