I have spent lots of tome in Thailand. Ask your cab driver to take you to the Happy House. This is a "discount Whore house". Last year I took a nubile hard body gymnast(22 years old and new to the business} and flew down to Ko Samui
island for ten days. Cost of her services-$30 US
per day. I usually go straigt to the Mona Lisa
from the airport. Large selection of beatiful
full service girls. I never pay more than $50.
More Later

Is this the Mona Lisa bar located on the street that all of the art bars are located?? I have never had any success at any of these bars. There is also a "Mexican" theme bar located on that same street. It looked kind of like a Mexican cantina with the lady's dressed in that type of clothing as well.

Hey Mrinnocent, how about more? Going Mar 1 thru 18 (second time). Any info is appricated. Had good luck at the beer gardens with the freelancers. Also traveled (went to Phuket).

Harry

any more info on ko samui????? are there girls to be had there or should you bring one with you????also is speaking only english a problem there ...thanx

plenty of girls in samui, bars every where, or just run with the freelancers that get out and about in the green mango club, or reggae club.
if you left you run late, no problems, 1.30-
2.00 am get into The Club, just follow everyone else, they will be going to the same place.
Good quality girls, all wanting the shag (bucks) cant go wrong

enjoy

this is actually a question about a massage joint rather than a bar. Has anyone been to a place known as J-1 ("jayone", not sure how it is spelled but this is what it sounds like).

A buddy of mine went there and said it was great, thought I'd see if anyone else could confirm. He was so fucked up his memory left a little to be desired.

From what he remembers there were three or four bubbles (the windows the girls sit behind), at least one bar, and a live band ???!!! I've only been to Phuket and the massage joint there (Christin's) has just one bubble a very low key bar and no live band.

Would be interested to hear commentary on this place prior to my trip which begins later this month.

Thanks.

RickinBKK asked recently about seal-of-approval bars in BKK these days. The question was posed in the Advice... / NEP Asking Prices thread, I thought it more on-topic to place the answer here.

The only reason such a list should exist is because (a) talent isn't consistent everywhere, and (b) rip-off and quasi-rip-off bars still exist. Ideally, subsequent posts to this thread by mongers in the know would reflect changes over time.

Here's a conservative start, disregarding individual tastes. All of the following bars have been praised on ASFO over the last 18 months (some may have changed hands / names in the meantime):

NEP=Nana Entertainment Plaza
PP=Patpong
SC=Soi Cowboy

1. Fantasia (NEP)
2. Tilac (SC)
3. Titty Twister (NEP)
4. Superstars (PP)
5. Angelwitch (NEP)
6. Goldfinger (PP)
7. Black and White (SC)
8. Thigh Bar (PP) (with one dissenting vote)
9. Pink Panther (PP)
10. Safari (PP)
11. Rififi (PP)
12. Long Gun (SC)
13. Rawhide (SC)
14. Midnight (SC)

These are places your mother would recommend. It gets much wilder, but you should keep an eye on your drink bill and watch for stretch marks as you stray off this list.

Most of the bars you mentioned are big expat bars other than Long Gun, Tilac and Angel Witch. They are clubs with great atmosphere's but not necessarily very many lookers. I would also suggest going to Angel's Disco, many of the top lookers from gogo bars are working there now. I think Mandarin is probably the hottest gogo now with Rainbow1 a close second.

Blazers: true, true. The list was deliberately conservative, a starting point, including clubs I said one's mother would recommend, and carried a warning that the seals of approval are as much as 18 months old. With things changing on a weekly basis...to say nothing of people's taste in girls...I leaned toward places where you're unlikely to get ripped off, and you can concentrate on landing someone decent. From RickinBKK's question, it appears that's what he wanted.

And as I mentioned, it's a list that needs to be updated constantly to have any value. Your input is exactly that, so thanks.

I didn't include the Rainbows because I was approached consistently at I and II with asking prices of B2000 s/t and B4000 l/t, as was a friend of mind a few months later, in the fall of 2001. Of course I laughed the price down to where it should be, and that scenario gave rise to the thread "Advice/Questions/Commentary / Asking prices at NEP"...which is where RickinBKK's question appeared.

So what's with Angel's disco now? In times past, it was an after-hours spot that cooked when the clubs had closed. Now it too closes at the same time as the bars. Does this mean a significant number of lookers have gone freelance, or does it seem like the girls are probably pulling a short-time from their club, leaving the punter then heading off to hopefully do business at Angel's before 2 AM? That would make sense since they can still pull down the same tip money, but with the bar fine out of the picture, they're more affordable to the lower middle class...

Met you in TJ last year, yes? Thanks again for your follow up-post. Hope others will contribute to keep this thread relevant and accurate.

Once the go go girls figured out that they could make the same money and work less hours, the Thai laziness kicks in and they have all moved to freelancing a few days a week at Angel's.

It would not be Thai laziness to give up the salary of a bar girl to hang out at Angels disco. It would be why women don’t run the world. Show up when you want, have fun and let some man take care of you, that’s not just Thai women I’m afraid.
Rainbow needs watching for sure, but some great girls last year and Playschool was down on women last year, but is always well run and good place to hang out in NEP.
Top shelf girls were gone by 9 last year and came in late, as they were out late the night before. So the sweet spot was 8 to 9. Really made it a rush to judge talent.
What’s up with nudity and shows this year. I asked this woman who worked in a bar on the top floor of Nana to watch my fish for me. I hope imy fish is OK.

Rickinbankok:

You asked "What’s up with nudity and shows this year?" Properly phrased, you'd ask about "this week" or, if it's been especially stable, maybe "this month".

The last 12 months have been rife with changes, most of them accompanied by a rather unsettling moral tone. The show/nudity issue has been in a state of high flux, to the extent that I don't bother following it anymore...all that ultimately matters is what's going on at the precise moment when I get there again, and nothing in effect right now can help predict that.

The best way to keep up, if contributors here don't do it for you, is to subscribe to ASFO at www.ASFO.com, and go for the Asia Bugle newsletter from www.baronbonk.com, both free. There are lots of other forums around -www.nanaplaza.com and www.nanapong.com to name a couple, that may have pay zones. A Google search on 'Bangkok nightlife' would have to cough up gazillions of hits.

In any case, you'll note that on the Baronbonk home page, the first sentence alludes to recent changes that in practice put a damper on shows and nudity, among other things. If the current Thaksin administration gets their stated way, BKK may take some serious hits as Entertainment Central as we know it today.

But there have been plenty of notes re clandestine shows behind locked club doors towards the end of the night, so the fadeout isn't gonna be a quick one.

Fish?

Same show as the kung fu guy, top floor NEP.
Is the Kung Fu guy still around?
Thanks for the web sites.

RickinBKK:

In case you didn't get around to subscribing to Baronbonk, there were a couple lines in today's issue of Asia Bugle relevant to 'shows':

"A year ago Nana Plaza was known for its shows. But these are now only on offer at Hollywood Strip and Hollywood 2 on the second floor.

"But then there is Angelwitch. I am not alone in thinking that Nana Plaza's decline would be much greater but for this place.

"Since introducing Crazy Horse-style shows, Angelwitch has been near impossible to get into at show time (10pm to midnight). The only question must be: can they keep it up? If they start slipping, the plaza will be a much poorer place."

Also mentioned are 'well-thought out' shows at Suzie Wong's in Soi Cowboy.

This issue of the newsletter slams Patpong, by the way, says Nana is declining rapidly and ventures the guess that Soi Cowboy will very likely become BKK's premiere venue area within a few months.

Koro
That is a great site,Thanks. Like your posts on Cambo too

More from AsiaBugle (www.baronbonk.com), Dec 18 2002:

(1) Cops are aggressively drug testing girls and customers at Nana these days. Didn't say for what...ya ba at a minimum. Apparently residue in the blood gets you just a warning, but they'll haul you off for having a pill on your person.

(2) Direct quote department, with reference to my list of December 1st:

"Strange goings on in Soi Cowboy. The police have closed five bars from December 15-30 for various infringements. I was surprised to see Long Gun and Rawhide on the list, along with Toy Bar, 5 Star and Apache.

"Another twist is that bars not trading under the name on their licence have been forced to revert to their original names. Thus, After School has once again become Sunshine Bar, which just doesn't quite have the same ring.
It is suspected others will also change, including The Shark which will have to go back to being Jukes."

Double-checking my post of a few minutes ago, saw that the drug testing goes beyond Nana. Here's the direct quote, with more complete information, again from AsiaBugle:

"The season of good cheer may have arrived, but not for drug users. A major crackdown on drugs is coming over the Christmas period. I heard this in both Bangkok and Pattaya. On Friday night I witnessed the police testing one girl from every bar in Nana Plaza.

There is to be a concerted campaign in Pattaya from December 22 to 27. Bars and their girls will be the focus of the attention but farangs are specifically included and there are targets for numbers of farangs to be tested as well as the number of girls.

In addition last week Taipan, in Patong Beach, was raided and most customers tested. There have also been several other raids in Phuket recently."

angel witch is definatly worth a stop. Cute girls and a good show. Nana seems down to me. Rainbow and Playschool seem to have less babes. How about a price update? I was quoted 4000 LT from a girl in rainbow that I did not take or argue about. Please no coments of the "thai girls pay me type" or " I am so wonderful thai women don't care about money around me". Lets exchange some info here.

RickinBKK:

This is exactly the BS that got me to start the thread 'Asking prices at NEP'. Rainbow was the place that I heard it first...the game playing that starts at B3000 for overnight...now, per your report, ante'd up to B4000. This is totally rapacious bullshit.

The going rate at NEP is B2000 overnight (and o/n does *not* mean skipping out after 2 hours). B1500 is standard for s/t. They're playing with you, trying to find out how stupid you really are. Although it may hurt if she's matched your archetype girl, this BS has to be stopped...and the only way to stop it is by walking.

And when you start to walk, preferably with a joke like you're leaving to find a second job to afford her, she'll drop right down to the standard rates. The walking away technique also works wonders getting deals with the sidewalk vendors, by the way.

Do not pay the outrageous asking price! Especially since a 'cash register' girl asking B4000 is thinking more about herself than your welfare, and as a result is very likely to provide mediocre service.

There's a strange phenomenon I've seen happen over and over again: the girls who charge the least often provide the best service. Why? Because they're possibly desperate for getting their monthly quota of 'offs' on the books, or maybe they've even take a shine to you.

NEP is fucked in my opinion because it's been so popular over the last half decade that these kinds of games are happening...there's a non-zero chance that, especially early in the night, a girl will find a newbie used to paying or hearing about western prices that B4000 or whatever will sound like a bargain. The girls at NEP can afford to entertain such attitudes due to the army of punters showing up every night, and now cite exhorbitant asking prices well over the norm. Do other mongers a favour by just saying 'no, thanks'. (And don't withdraw from negotiations in a way that will make her lose face.)

Good hunting! Try Soi Cowboy, you'll see much less of that sort of thing. The girls there often sleep upstairs in the clubs and are more than happy to stay all night with you for a reasonable price rather than bunk down with 5 other girls on a queen-sized, roach-infested mattress.

And remember that there's no hard and fast rule about B2000/B1500...with your charm and genuine warmth and interest in her, she may settle for less...unless she's a 9+ and knows it all too well.

During my two two-week trips to Thailand I almost never discussed price before hand with the girls. If they brought it up, it was usually a deal breaker although not always.

Everyone knows the going rate. I just used the "act like you've been there before" routine and never had problems. For bar or Go Go girls I'll usually pay anywhere between 1000-1500 for short time and 1500-2000 for long time. Never, ever had a problem with it. Most girls take the money and place it in their purse without even counting it. And I always pay after the session or in the morning.

Xenono:

I started the 'NEP Asking Prices' thread because, after a few minutes of talking and joshing about, it was the girl who brought up the subject of money, not me. I got asked B3000 a year ago at Rainbow I, as did a friend of mine a month or so later. RickinBKK mentioned an opening quote of B4000 a couple posts above prior to this one.

Putting your 'no discussion of money' policy into practice is easy unless she brings it up first. How do you handle that? Do you walk away on principle? I think people like RickinBKK, among many others, need a policy for that predicament.

Because I speak Thai fairly well, I'm always able to joke my way or otherwise get the price down to normal levels, but I wouldn't expect everyone to be able to pull that off.

My experience has been that the best-looking girls will bring the subject of money up if the guy doesn't (they know what they want and that they can get it). Not so for the wallflowers, typically.

(Note that we're veering into territory more properly covered by the Thailand\Advice...\'Nep Asking Prices' thread.)

Agree with Xenono--I will not barfine a girl who discusses prices.If she asks I'm gone it is not going to be my kind of experience. The girls who are totally into money are rarely worth half of what they ask for IMHO. I usually do short time and pay 1500 to 2000 depending on what the girl has done for me and how the night went. I never hand the money to the girl. I put it in her purse or wallet while she is getting dressed and make sure she can see that I am. I have never had a girl take the money out to count it or complain if I see her again the next night. They are eager to go with me again. Girls who ask for ridiculous amounts are just fishing. On rare occasions they catch a sucker or newbie. If you ask about price of course they are going to try to get as much as they can. Just like all the vendors on Sukhumvit or in Pratunam. They do not really expect to get 3000 or 4000 but it happens obviously. If you act like you been there before and do not even mention price the girl assumes you know what the going rate is and doesn't ask-- " How much you pay me ? "

This girl was a 10 for sure and said she was like by the Japanese. So this may be the Japanese price. Excelent comments by Koro as always. In any business tranaction you need to have the going rate. If it's not a business tranaction why are they dancing in a bar?

That's why it's better to stay away from light-skinned girls who have a traditional Chinese look cause the Japanese love that look and overpay the girls. Their are exceptions but that's just a rule of thumb. If a girl starts talking about price up front, SHE"S GONE.....unless she is absolutely incredible and sweet and the price is reasonable. She may have been stiffed by a drunken Australian or Italian (who are notorious for this according to the girls) and is just protecting herself.

Rick In my experience it is only a business transaction for a minority of the girls in terms of bargaining. The aim of most girls is to get barfined PERIOD ! That is the only way they get any decent money. They make squat from the " lady drinks ". Once thay are barfined they are then more interested in being with someone who treats them with respect and kindness than someone who will give them 500-1000 extra baht. If the girl likes you and trusts you after talking with you believe me the subject of payment will never come up in conversation at any time.

Khun Mor:

Sorry to humbly disagree, but read my post Jan 12 11:43 above...and the thread at this level in Topics/Thailand/Advice called 'NEP Asking Prices'.

It was the girls who brought up money...as happened to a friend of mine (also at NEP) and to RickinBKK...that's what started all this. I've had girls bring up money about 40% of the time (but not by the ones I had the best times with!). I think the issue still needs to be addressed. Money *does* come up in conversation for some of us.

Early in the month, a girl can afford to play money games, sizing up a customer and making (possibly outrageous) demands...she's got the rest of the month to fulfill her 'OFF' quota. Towards the end of the month, this probably becomes less true. (If a girl misses her quota, she has the appropriate number of bar fines deducted from her salary.)

Koro hit it on the mark. The good looking ones ask about money first. As looks get worse they are just happy to get bar fined and get out for a night. If you are only looking at stars, money comes up, as they know they will get barfined out.
Those bar recomendations are spot on. Thigh bar is all there is in Patpong now. The Kings group has new owners with an ugly girl policy. Altho I'm sure the girls won't ask about money.
Angel Witch is great I haven't made it to Titty Twister or Fantasia yet.
All the soi cowbay bars listed were good. But for me the Long Gun is still the best. Great show and there is just something about a Thai girl in a cowboy hat.
A lot of Americans who do not understand the system in Bangkok now. I wonder why?
And if it is not about money to the girls, why are they dancing in a bar?
What bars are you guys finding good right now?
Comments to the above?

On December 1 2002 RickinBKK asked about nudity in the bars. I gave a bleak response based on information current at the time, but this just appeared on the ASFO mailing list January 29th 2003 from a guy currently in BKK:

NEP-Bottoms Up - Full Nude
NEP-Hollywood Rock-Full Nude
NEP-Hollywood-Some Topless (caught the lesbian show)
SC-Doll House - Saw topless, could have been nude, I was in and out
SC-Midnight-Full Nude
SC-Suzie Wong-Full Nude
SC-Tilac-No showing at all

[Koro:] No telling how long this mode of operation will last.

If you walk from Soi Cowboy to Soi Four after the 2 o clock closing. In addition to the usual nightmares, there is the occational knock out. The Thai economy must really be bad. I never went with one of these girls and you have to get them in the light and really look, but some are HOT and have to be very cheap. Also a great chance for the dreamer to tell himslf that they are going with him because of his looks and personality.

what do you think of the hollywood strip? any bar changes?