Bangkok Nightlife Survival Guide
When entering a go go bar for the first time it can be quite intimidating for the uninitiated. Once you're in you're ushered to a seat while all of your senses are being assaulted with loud blaring music, the welcoming cold of the air condition and of course dozens of ladies shuffling on stage with your eyes wandering for the cutest girl. And yes, you're heart will be beating fast.
My biggest tip for first timers is this: Be cool. Relax. Don't look like it's your first time inside of a go go bar. There are people working in the go go bar industry called Mamasans (female or gay) and Papasans who are the managers/host and their purpose is to help you find a companion. They do speak English and yes they are there to assist you... but they are also there to help you spend your money. A lot of it. It's a business after all. And if they know it's your first time in Bangkok they will put out an alert and next thing you know a bunch of bar girls will be introduced and shoved in front of you - especially the ugly low earners. And if they know you're a newbie they might even charge you more money, thinking you won't know any better. You can find out the price range of what you should really be paying below.
If you really like all the unwanted attention then go ahead and let them know you're a newbie. Otherwise I know most visitors just want to sit back with a cold beer, relax and take their time finding their lady of the night or just watch and enjoy the atmosphere.
My biggest tip for first timers is this: Be cool. Relax. Don't look like it's your first time inside of a go go bar. There are people working in the go go bar industry called Mamasans (female or gay) and Papasans who are the managers/host and their purpose is to help you find a companion. They do speak English and yes they are there to assist you... but they are also there to help you spend your money. A lot of it. It's a business after all. And if they know it's your first time in Bangkok they will put out an alert and next thing you know a bunch of bar girls will be introduced and shoved in front of you - especially the ugly low earners. And if they know you're a newbie they might even charge you more money, thinking you won't know any better. You can find out the price range of what you should really be paying below.
If you really like all the unwanted attention then go ahead and let them know you're a newbie. Otherwise I know most visitors just want to sit back with a cold beer, relax and take their time finding their lady of the night or just watch and enjoy the atmosphere.
Mind Your Baht
To play in Bangkok's red light district you're obviously going to need a lot of Baht. If you will be bringing in your local currency and need it exchanged then I recommend an money exchange agency called Super Rich. As you can see on their website there are several locations. But the easiest one to get to is located at the BTS Chitlom Station. Super Rich kiosk is towards exit #1 heading towards Gaysorn Mall. Currently they offer the best exchange rates compared to a bank.
Super Rich kiosk in BTS Chitlom Station
If you don't want to bring a wad of your local currency and want to rely on your ATM card then I suggest looking for an Aeon Bank branded ATM.
