Bangkok's Go Go Bars - It's Nothing Personal - Just Business

From my own experience I have never been scammed at any one of Bangkok’s go go bars, oil and soapy massage parlors. Not once have I ever been short changed by a waitress. Nor end up overpaying for beers that have drink menus clearly priced.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s never happened to other customers. Because it all depends on the type of bar establishments you go to.

For example I stay clear away from the infamous bars with sex shows (pussy ping pong shows) in Patpong’s red light districts that take place on the 2nd floor above go go bars. The ones represented by touts are standing on the corners and inside Patpong soi 1. These are clip joints where you’re quoted a cheap price for beers and end up with a demand to pay 10 times the price once you pay the bill.

I’ve been to a couple of these clip joints and I can tell you, it’s not worth the headache. Whatever you do, do not follow anyone or let them take you somewhere. That’s the second rule I tell everyone visiting Bangkok. What’s the first rule? Look both ways when crossing the streets. Nope, I’m not kidding.

However the go go bars that I go to which are mostly big and popular in the go go bar circle I’ve never been cheated.

Most go go bars, oil and soapy massage parlors want to supply a very good time to their customers. This way people come back. And certainly if a customer has a bad experience they won’t return. Plus the internet is a good way to spread the word so most cases most red light district business try to avoid bad reputation.

However, they are a business. Which means they will try their best to turn a profit from the men (and women) who cross their doors. This means that they will try to make you spend as much cash as they can. This is not illegal of course and as a Capitalist Pig myself I am all for making money. As a customer you can always keep your money in your pocket.

I think this is what most people referred to as being scammed. On my own blog about guest friendly hotels I’ve had a comment from someone saying he would never go back to a certain bar inside Nana Plaza because the bar girl he had already bar fined kept pressing him to buy drinks for her fellow bar girls. Eventually he agreed.

He bought a total of 13 tequila shots. When the bill came it was around 2000THB. The commenter didn’t give too much detail and the numbers doesn’t sound right. Anyways he wasn’t happy about paying that much so he made a big stink about it. But it’s a bar business. And tequila shots are expensive. Even for Bangkok.

Now is that considered a scam? No. It’s a scam if the shot glasses were filled with water instead of tequila.

Moral of the story here is if you don’t know what the prices are for anything then ask.

Most of the go go bars in Bangkok, whether they be in Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana have many returning customers. And bars do rely on the patronage of returning customers and many have a strong and loyal customer base which is difficult to build because there’s so much competition.