Let’s face it, for as many things as the beautiful country of Thailand is known for, it’s also internationally famous for sex tourism. And perhaps no one single place exemplifies this more than Nana Plaza in Bangkok. While Bangkok isn’t quite as notorious with sex tourism as nearby Pattaya, the adult themed entertainment center of Nana Plaza is a major attraction for male and female visitors alike.
This article will go over everything you need to know before you visit Nana Plaza in Bangkok. Whether you are going there to just observe the spectacle or to partake in the “activities”, you’ll get the info you need here. So read on to learn all about this famous red light district in Thailand’s capital!
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Let’s start with removing the stigma around the sex industry in Thailand. No matter what you think of it, it’s a thriving business here in Thailand and the women are just trying to make a good living and support themselves and their families. Sex trafficking aside (that’s a whole other topic we won’t get into in this article), sex workers in Thailand can make a lot of money and it goes a long way for their families. More on that later.
Now, full disclosure: I have never myself visited a woman of the night in Thailand. In fact, the vast majority of visitors to Nana Plaza are just there to look around and not actually hire a sex worker. It’s a wild place that is fun to just experience with your friends!
So a lot of what you will learn here about hiring one of the girls is second-hand information that I got from a colleague of mine. That, and I also spent hours scrolling through Reddit forums to get all the juicy details so you don’t have to. You’re welcome!
Guide to Nana Plaza – The Basics
What exactly is Nana Plaza?
Nana Plaza can be described as an adult entertainment complex and red light district. It’s an old 3-story U-shaped strip mall that has been converted into a complex of “go-go bars”. There are 24 go-go bars around the edge and one large outdoor “normal” bar in the middle. A roof covers the area to keep away the brutal sun and heavy rain.
Go-go bars are basically bars where sex workers are on display, dancing on stages and talking you up as you sit and enjoy your drink. The setup and atmosphere is similar to strip clubs, but instead of a single girl gracing the stage at once, many sex workers are dancing on stage at the same time. And instead of giving lap dances, the girls, known simply as “bargirls” leave the bar with you.
We will cover how exactly the go-go bars work later, but for this introduction, Nana Plaza is a n outdoor complex of bars where sex workers display themselves in hopes of being hired by a visitor to the bars.
Where is Nana Plaza?
Nana Plaza is located in the business district of Bangkok, away from the historical city center but near the skyscrapers full of major corporations and all the foreign embassies. It’s easy to get to on public transportation thanks to the Nana metro station.
It’s right off probably the busiest road in Bangkok so getting there by taxi or Tuk Tuk is often slower than just walking. For most visitors, it’s easy to just walk there, as there are hundreds of hotels in the area, including nearly all the luxury 5-star hotels in Bangkok like the Park Hyatt, the JW Marriott, and the Conrad by Hilton.
When is Nana Plaza open and most busy?
Nana Plaza is only open from 7 PM to 2 AM, so it’s pretty busy all the time it’s open. The most popular hours are probably around 10 till midnight.
Best time of year to visit Nana Plaza
Nana Plaza is essentially the same all year round. The best time to visit would coincide with the best time to visit Bangkok. So, the northern hemisphere winter, when it isn’t quite as humid as the summer and monsoon season is in the rear view mirror.
Age limit for Nana Plaza
Nana Plaza is adults only. You cannot bring children into the plaza even just to look around. You must be 18 to enter and if you look young you will get carded. There are security guards at the entrance that check IDs and bags. There is no cover charge to enter the plaza.
History of Nana Plaza
What is now known as one of the world’s premier adult entertainment centers was not always that way. When Nana Plaza was founded in the 1970s it was just a regular mall, with shops and restaurants. Throughout the 1980s, however, go-go bars started appearing. As they became more and more popular, more and more opened. By the end of the 1980s there were 20 go-go bars at Nana Plaza and its reputation as an adult entertainment venue was solidified.
Over the years various improvements were made to the plaza, including escalators, security, and a roof covering the outdoor plaza in 2018. Today there are about 30 go-go bars and three short term rental hotels that rent out rooms by the hour, if that’s your thing.
Prostitution in Thailand
At this point you may be surprised to hear that prostitution is actually not legal in Thailand. Yeah, I know. It’s strange given the prevelence of sex workers, go-go bars, street girls, and international reputation for sex tourism. But it’s not legal to accept money for sex or pay money for sex in Thailand.
Now, obviously this is a very lax law. While prostitution is not legal, it’s not really criminalized either. When the police do conduct raids they are usually looking for underage forced prostitution, which is a problem in Thailand. I’m not going to go into the sex trafficking of underage girls in Thailand for this article, but be aware that it is a problem and the prostitution laws when it comes to underage girls are in fact enforced.
The way the go-go bars get around the law is essentially the same way an escort service works. The bargirls are just escorts that get paid for their company, or the “girlfriend experience”, whatever you want to call it. Any sexual interaction that comes after that is consensual and unrelated to the payment.
Now, we all know that this is not really how it works. The girls are selling sex and I’d wager that that’s what most customers are buying. But there is nothing to stop someone from just paying a girl to talk, or cuddle, or hug, or whatever. So in the end it’s easy to get around the no prostitution law.
OK, but what about all those girls on the street in Thailand? Especially in places like Pattaya? Well, same thing. It’s technically illegal to pay them for sex, but you can skirt your way around the law easily.
What You Will See at Nana Plaza in Bangkok
So what exactly will you find inside Nana Plaza? You know by now that the plaza is full of go-go bars. Let’s go over that now in more detail.
What is a go-go bar?
I’ve already mentioned that a go-go bar is a bar where sex workers are on display. And I mean that quite literally. The girls wear numbers so if you like a girl you can ask for her by her number.
The setup of a go-go bar is similar to a gentleman’s club. They have at least one stage (the bigger ones have more) and chairs around the stage so customers can sit and watch the girls on stage. Anywhere between 1 and 20 or so girls dance on the stage at once, proudly displaying their number.
There are bars around the exterior of the club, usually more than 1, and almost always with a female bartending staff. If you sit at a table, you’ll get a server, who will also be female. Most go-go bars have a simple drink menu that they will give to you the moment you walk in.
The girls at the club are known as “bargirls.” They work for the club and make a salary plus tips. The money that a man might spend on a girl to take her back to his hotel or home – known as the bar fee – doesn’t actually go directly to the girl. As I said, they make a salary from their he club. This is another way of getting beyond the prostitution laws.
Upon entering a go-go bar you will likely be greeted by an older woman who shows you to a seat (more on the “mamas” in just a bit) then approached by one or more bargirls, just like you would at a strip club in Las Vegas. If you’re just there for the spectacle, tell them that you’re not interested. And if you are there for you know what, then it’s time to shop around.
Ladyboys
Let’s cover the ladyboys before we get any further. Ladyboys are trans women and there are multiple go-go bars that have solely ladyboys. Hopefully you can tell which ones. It’s pretty obvious.
I did go into one of the ladyboy bars to check it out. It’s basically the exact same thing as the heterosexual go-go bars but with trans women who are either post-op or still have all male parts. Many people are into this, so if you’re not one of them then steer clear of the ladyboy bars.
Also note that when I say “girls” or “bargirls” In this article I am including the ladyboys.
Ground Level (Level 1)
Upon entry to Nana Plaza you will see a large outdoor bar right in the middle. This is the central hangout and somewhere you can chill without being approached by a bargirl. They’ll look at you from the go-to bars across the footpath, trying to entice you, but they won’t approach you at the main bar. There are also tables and a pretty big sitting area at the main bar, plus enough televisions to make you think you’re at an American sports bar.
On three sides of the main bar you will see go-go bars. Each has a small outdoor area with a few tables and more than a few girls enticing potential customers. Some of the 1st floor go-go bars even have bars outside you can sit and drink at.
The go-go bars on the first floor are generally the smallest of the three floors. Each has barely enough room for one stage inside and maybe a couple dozen girls working at them. Some of the Level 1 bars are ladyboys. There is also one large go-go bar that stands out compared to all the small ones.
Level 2
When you get to level 2 things change a bit. There are fewer bars and they are considerably bigger. Most don’t have an outdoor space to sit, just a few spots for the girls to hang out and, of course, entice you to enter.
You’ll also notice that the girls in the Level 2 bars are a bit more attractive and attentive than the ground floor girls. This is a generalized blanket statement and of course there are exceptions, but for the most part it’s true.
You’ll also see some of the girls who work at the club eating take-away or delivery dinners at a bar-style seating area around the balcony overlooking the plaza. If you’re feeling hungry but don’t want to leave the plaza you can always order some food for delivery too and join the ladies!
Level 3
For many visitors to Nana Plaza Level 3 is where it’s at. There are only a few go-go bars on Level 3 and they are all pretty large with hundreds of girls. While the ladies on Level 2 are generally more attractive than the ground floor ladies, the Level 3 ladies are a totally different level, pun intended.
The girls working at the large go-go bars on Level 3 are the most attractive in Nana Plaza and generally far more beautiful than the street girls. It’s essentially the top of the line when it comes to Thai sex workers. They are typically all fit, beautiful, and friendly.
The Level 3 bars will have dozens of girls dancing on stage at once and dozens more walking around trying to find their next client. Drinks are also a bit more expensive on Level 3 than Level 1. While a standard Singha beer might be 90 Bhat on Level 1, that same beer is around 140 Bhat on Level 3 (2023 prices, subject to change).
Short term rental hotels
There are three short term rental hotels at Nana Plaza. These hotels rent by the hour instead of the night and they are for exactly what you think they are for. They are inconspicuously located and to be honest I have never seen them, but I also haven’t sought them out as it’s really not the kind of thing I personally want to see.
If you are interested in that though, the girls in the bars will know exactly where they are!
How Nana Plaza Works
Now it’s time to go through just exactly how the transactions work in Nana Plaza. I’ve scoured Reddit and picked my colleague’s brain to give you the most accurate information you will find anywhere on the internet. Even if you’re not interested at all in a night with a bargirl, it’s still super interesting to learn how it all goes down. Or at least it was to me!
The bargirls
Let’s start by talking about who these women are that work as sex workers in Nana Plaza. Whatever your opinion might be on sex work, these girls work hard for a living just like you do. Sex with clients is their job. They just want to feed their families and have a nice roof to sleep under.
While forced prostitution and sex trafficking has been an issue for Thailand in the past, it’s gotten a lot better and it’s safe to assume that all the girls at the go-go bars in Nana Plaza are working there voluntarily. I cannot tell you that with absolute certainty, but it’s a fair assumption to make.
Most of the girls are Thai and many come from the rural, poorer parts of Thailand, where the money they can make working as a bargirl goes a long way in helping to support their families. It might not be what they really want to do with their lives, but it’s the reality of growing up poor in Southeast Asia.
Most of them have very limited English skills, making communication difficult. The amount of smartphones out with google translate on the screen in the go-go bars is pretty funny.
The girls work for the club, not themselves. As I mentioned before, they are salaried employees. They can make tips – whatever the guys tip while they are on stage or whatever extra might be negotiated after the main transaction – but in general their salaries are pretty low and their monthly pay is similar to what a guy pays to take home the girl for one night. They don’t make nearly as much money as the girls in Amsterdam, but it can go a long way in Thailand.
The “mamas”
The mamasan, more commonly called just the “mamas”, are basically the pimps of the go-go bars. They are the middlemen (middlewomen?) who facilitate the transactions within the go-go bars. If a customer is interested in a girl, he tells the mama which one (they all have numbers they wear, remember?) and the mama will bring her to him.
The mamas will also try to match make for you even if you’re not interested in what the girls are offering. They will come to you when you first enter a bar and show you to a seat and ask what type of girl you are looking for. If you do want to take a girl home for the night the mamas will take the payment and sort it all out for you. Like I said, they’re basically the pimps.
The mamas are all older ladies in their 40s, 50s, or 60s I’d say. Whether or not they were bargirls in the past is anyone’s guess.
Drinks at the go-go bars
When you like a girl and the mama brings her to you or a girl comes up to you and you don’t want her to immediately leave, you’re supposed to buy the girl a drink. “Girl drinks” are more expensive than drinks for yourself and the girls get paid commission for each drink sale they get.
The girl drinks are also watered down and not a full shot of liquor. They won’t take a beer (as far as I know), as they can chug a watered down mixed drink and ask for another one right away. You’d be amazed at how many drinks a tiny Asian girl can pound and still not be drunk. If I had to guess I’d say they make the girl drinks with one third of a shot of vodka, so they are basically just mixer with a splash of alcohol.
The girls will also encourage you to drink your drink fast. The sooner you finish, the more drinks you’ll buy too. And, of course, the drunker you will get and the looser your inhibitions will become. Your drinks will not be short on alcohol!
Hiring one of the girls
If you’ve decided that you like one of the girls and you want to take her home (to your hotel, but it’s easier to say take her “home”), then it’s time to make the transaction. Usually by this time you’ve spent a fair amount of time with her and the mamas are aware of you.
The girl will likely ask her if you want her to leave with you. They can be pretty forceful, and if you say no it’s likely she’ll keep asking until you say yes or tell her to leave. When you do agree, she will signal to the mama, who will come over and facilitate the transaction.
Now, as we have discussed before, technically you’re paying for the company of the girl for the night, not for sex. The way it works is you pay a “bar fee”. This is a payment made to the bar that essentially releases the girl to your custody for the night. Since you’re not paying the girl directly and it’s not illicit or anything like that, they accept both cash and credit card at most places, though some of the smaller bars only accept cash.
The fee varies depending on the bar and depending on the length of time you want the girl’s company. There are “short time” and “long time” options, with short time typically being 2 hours and long time being the rest of the night. The prices are constantly increasing and my understanding is they have gone up significantly since the covid 19 pandemic, when Thailand was essentially closed to visitors and the local economy was decimated.
If your plan is to take home a bargirl, you should budget at least $150 USD for that, not including the drinks for you and the girl. If that sounds cheap, remember that you’re in Thailand. This isn’t Vegas. $150 goes a lot further here than in western countries.
As you are paying, the girl will go to the back and change out of her bikini into normal clothes. Once the mama confirms the payment you’ll simply just leave the bar with her, like a girl you picked up through conventional methods. So depending on which option you’ve chosen, you’ll either have two hours or all night to do, well… whatever you want.
A trusting society
If it seems odd that you pay first, just know that Thai culture is very trusting and honest. Crime is pretty rare, no matter what kind. You’ve already paid and are likely pretty drunk. There’s nothing to stop the girl from screwing you over and just ditching your drunk butt somewhere.
But that doesn’t happen here. The girls are honest and loyal and have too much pride in their work to do that. Plus I’m sure they don’t want to get fired. Remember that they work for the go-go bars, not themselves.
Your biggest concern should be getting scammed by being talked into something you don’t need for an exorbitant price. These types of scams where you get charged insane amounts for drinks are not as common in Nana Plaza as they are in the other red light districts of Bangkok, but always see the menu or verify the price of the drink before you order it. Don’t order a glass of champagne totally unaware that it’s some special rare bottle going for $200 a pop.
Conclusion
The whole process sounds pretty simple. And if taking a girl home isn’t your thing, it’s still possible to have a fun time at Nana Plaza. Just be cognizant of your surroundings and able to say no over and over again.
And if strip clubs and adult entertainment are not your thing, you should really consider skipping Nana Plaza. If you just want to see it, go inside the plaza to the main central bar, but avoid going into any of the bars. It’s a wild place, but it’s not for everyone!
House Rules in Nana Plaza
Now that we’ve gone over how Nana Plaza works let’s go over a few things you can’t do.
- No photos inside the go-go bars – you are not supposed to take photos inside the bars. While I don’t know if anyone is going to kick you out on the street for doing so, it is forbidden and you should follow the rules. You will notice there is not a single photo inside the bars on this page, and limited photos overal. Technically you’re not supposed to take photos anywhere in the plaza, but taking photos outside in the open area is pretty common and no one seems to care.
- Adults only – this is an adult entertainment district and no one under 18 is permitted. This is strictly enforced.
- Do not be aggressive or violent towards the girls – this goes without saying, but you will get in trouble. The mamas are always looking out for the girls and if you’re going to be a problem you will get kicked out, as you should.
Around Nana Plaza – Sukhumvit 4 Alley
Let’s quickly cover what you will see around Nana Plaza. The plaza isn’t just some adult oasis in a desert of plainness. The plaza is located at the start of Sukhumvit 4 Alley (which is a street, not an actual alleyway) in a busy area of Bangkok and the adult theme of the area stretches well beyond Nana Plaza.
Sukhumvit 4 Alley is always busy after dark. It’s packed with bars, restaurants, and massage parlors, as well as more street prostitutes than you can shake a stick at. So let’s go over the things you will see on Sukhumvit 4 Alley now.
Bars
The main thing you’ll see on Sukhumvit 4 Alley around Nana Plaza is bars. There are a ton of them. Most of them are pretty western themed and many claim to be Irish pubs. How authentic their Irish food is is anyone’s guess, as I’ve never eaten at any of the bars. There’s even a Hooters too.
The larger bars serve food and they are all usually quite busy with tourists getting their drink on. Bangkok is a famous party destination and Sukhumvit 4 Alley lives up to that reputation.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Most of the bars along Sukhumvit 4 Alley also have bargirls (Hooters does not as far as I know so let go of that fantasy right away). It’s similar, but oh so very different from the go-go bars in Nana Plaza.
The bargirls at the “normal” bars hang out at the edge of the bar (most bars in Thailand are open air and outdoors) or just outside the bar. There are usually only a few of them at a time, depending on the size of the bar. They don’t wear bikinis with numbers but are instead dressed in sexy outfits with a lot of skin showing. It’s pretty obvious that they are not just regular customers at the bars.
The girls’ job is to entice you to come into the bar and entertain you. They are good at bar games like pool and darts and will talk you up. And if you like one of them, you can pay the bar fine and take her home, just like in Nana Plaza.
These types of bargirls are all over Bangkok and all over Thailand. Anywhere tourists can be found you will see these girls. Chiang Mai, Phuket, Ko Samoi, you name it. And obviously Pattaya. They will holler at you when you walk by. You get used to it after a while.
So, basically, even if you don’t want to go to Nana Plaza itself you can still pick up a bar girl just outside on the main strip of bars. And if you don’t want to talk to them, just tell them no thanks and go in and enjoy the bar on your own. The bars are big enough that they won’t pressure you and you won’t even notice them if you get away from the tables at the entrance.
Normal restaurants
There are even a few normal – no bargirls – restaurants along Sukhumvit 4 Alley. You can find all sorts of different cuisines. Amazingly enough, the street is lacking in actual Thai food, although there is sufficient street food to get your Thai cravings.
There are a lot of Indian restaurants, some burger restaurants, a German place, and more. And as I mentioned before, most of the bars also have food. Now, I wouldn’t go to Sukhumvit 4 Alley just to eat. But there are tons of places there to grab a bite if you’re hungry.
Massage parlors
Pretty much every busy street in touristic places in Thailand are loaded with massage parlors. In that sense, Sukhumvit 4 Alley actually has few massage places compared to elsewhere. There are only a couple dotted between the large bars and restaurants. The massage parlors are quite large though, and can handle dozens of customers at a time.
There are more massage parlors near Sukhumvit 4 Alley if not actually on the strip. So if a good Thai massage is what you’re looking for, you won’t have to go far to find one.
Now, you might be tempted to think that the massage parlors on Sukhumvit 4 Alley are offering more than just massages. Given their location tucked between bars with bargirls outside and street prostitutes everywhere it’s not an unreasonable assumption. But the fact is that the massage parlors here are no different than any others in Bangkok.
What exactly does that mean? Well, it means that they are mostly clean places that are not offering “special” massages. These places do exist in Thailand and in Bangkok. So if that’s what you’re looking for you can surely seek one out.
This article is not about Thai massage places and their involvement in the sex tourism industry, but you can find a lot of info about that online. Read some forums if you want all the juicy details. People are quite open about it when posting anonymously on Reddit!
Street prostitutes
Lastly, you will see a ton of street prostitutes on Sukhumvit 4 Alley. These are known as “freelancers” and work for themselves. They are literally everywhere along the street and they will almost certainly approach you to offer their services. They are dressed in short skirts and tight dresses, makeup and hair all done up. You know, you can just tell.
These freelancers like to walk up along a guy walking and hold his arm, trying to seduce him in the moment. Many of the freelancers won’t do this, but it’s likely it will happen to you at least once walking down Sukhumvit 4 Alley. It’s not hard to get rid of them. Just tell them no thanks and keep walking.
Now if a street girl is your thing and what you’re looking for then you’ll have your pick. They are looking for your business. At least you don’t have to buy them drinks, right?
If you ask me, the street freelancers are not nearly as attractive as the Nana Plaza Level 3 girls. But hey, that’s just my opinion. Also be aware that many are ladyboys.
Older western men with young Thai women
If you’ve never been to Thailand before, one of the first things you will notice is the amount of beautiful young Thai women hanging out with older western men. You will see it literally everywhere.
I’m not here to judge anyone or anything people do in Thailand. While some people are uncomfortable with this phenomenon, for some it’s perfectly normal and enjoyable.
Basically what’s happening is the western gentleman has likely enlisted the services of a bargirl, an escort, or a freelancer for a girlfriend experience. The men usually take the girls shopping, to the spa, to nice dinners and fancy hotels, etc. He will pay her by the day and in return he will get companionship and whatever else he negotiates with the girl.
This is not always the case, however. Sometimes they are an actual couple. Many young Thai women get into relationships with older western men for the lifestyle they receive. Many of these couples started as a bargirl hire, but many started in conventional ways too. Maybe people judge these types of relationships and many people find it uncomfortable to see. Just try to hold your judgment. You don’t know them and their story.
So just be prepared to see this around Nana Plaza and really around all of Thailand and SE Asia.
Other things
Other than what I’ve just discussed, you’ll mainly see ATMs, money exchange stands, and tattoo places. Not surprising, is it?
Nightlife tours
There are a bunch of nightlife tours and pub crawls in Bangkok, but hardly any of them focus on the Sukhumvit 4 Alley area. Probably because they don’t want to be involved in anything that might lead to a sexual transaction. The closest you’re gonna get is a pub crawl in the Sukhumvit district, which will take you to various bars and nightclubs in the neighborhood that Nana Plaza is located in.
Book your Sukhumvit pub crawl here!
Another night tour that is interesting is a Bangkok By Night Tuk Tuk tour. Come hungry as you explore the bustling streets of Bangkok after dark on your private Tuk Tuk. You’ll also get to see some of Bangkok’s best temples and palaces all lit up at night. Just note that this tour is nowhere near Nana Plaza. This is a completely separate recommendation.
Where to stay in Bangkok
The Sukhumvit neighborhood of Bangkok is literally loaded with hotels. There are so many you can’t possibly research all of them. So I’ve tried to give you three options per price range below here.
Now, budget hotels in Thailand can be pretty nice. By the time you get to mid-range on my list here, the hotels are damn nice and would probably go for $200+ a night in an American or big European city. And the luxury hotels are exquisite and would probably cost over $500 in places like New York, London, or Tokyo. So keep that in mind when looking at these hotels.
Budget options in Bangkok (less than $50 USD per night):
Mid-range options in Bangkok ($50 – $125 USD per night):
Luxury options in Bangkok (More than $125 USD per night):
Travel Insurance
When visiting Thailand you’ll want to have a quality travel insurance policy. We use World Nomads when we travel and can recommend them. You can find a great policy on World Nomads by using the link below.
Nana Plaza Bangkok – Final Word
By now you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect when you visit Nana Plaza, one of Bangkok’s premier red light districts. It’s not for everyone, but can be enjoyed by adults looking for a unique night out even if they don’t have any intention to enlist the services of a bargirl. So stay vigilant and enjoy your time at Nana Plaza!
Author’s note: obviously the kind of entertainment and nightlife that Nana Plaza provides is not for everyone. I’ve tried to paint a picture here on this webpage of a lively place that is openly selling sex to male patrons. If seeing this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, then it’s advised to avoid Nana Plaza and all of Sukhumvit Alley.
