THIS PAGE IS UPDATED FOR 2013

Soi Cowboy Go-Go Bar Reviews 2013

What’s Hot And What’s Not? - Similar to other bar areas, the popular go-go bars in Soi Cowboy continue to do well, whereas the majority of the other bars remain quiet in comparison. Although Soi Cowboy is often packed on Fridays and Saturdays, it is much quieter during the week. If you want to avoid the crowds, then visit after the weekend. Soi Cowboy is nowhere near as busy from Sunday till Thursday and therefore, there is much less customer competition. With the exception of Tilac, Shark and Baccara, none of the other go-go bars are attracting large crowds on a nightly basis.

Unfortunately, I am hearing more and more complaints about price hiking and extremely mercenary attitudes in certain go-go bars. This especially applies to bars such as Baccara, which largely remains a ‘Jap Trap’ for gullible guys with more money than sense! Personally, I like Baccara Bar but don’t let the bar girls control you. However, it is never wise to get aggressive, so if you feel you are being treated unfairly, then simply vote with your feet and go to another bar. Now in saying that you might want to try some of the smaller bars in Soi Cowboy. You probably won’t find any stunning Thai girls in the small bars, but it will at least be a more farang friendly encounter. Remember to go out with the right attitude and you are much more likely to have a fun time.

Price Hike Warning!  Several go-go bars in Soi Cowboy have hiked their prices right up. Standard beers and spirits are as much as 180 baht and lady drinks for coyote dancers are very expensive at 200 baht each. If you are not sure, it is best to ask before you order any drinks. The most expensive go-go bars in question are - Deja Vu – Kiss – Midnite – Rio - Sahara – Spice Girls. 

Coyote Dancers  -  In theory this looks like a great idea. The coyote girls are often the most attractive and they are usually lovely girls to meet and chat with. However, coyote dancers cannot be bar fined, so it’s a cock tease. Remember that coyote dancers dress differently to go-go dancers and they do not show any flesh. This makes them easy to spot and a lady drink Tequila is very expensive at 200 baht. If you want to chat or flirt with a sexy Thai girl, the coyote dancers are ideal. You might be a smooth operator and able to arrange a date outside of a coyote girl’s working hours. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

Closing Times - The bars in Soi Cowboy open until 02:30 but a later closing time of 03:00 is being discussed for the Soi Cowboy area.  I went to Soi Cowboy recently and the go-go bars close at around 2:30 AM. However, I notice that TV screens are still on at 3:00 AM for the late night revellers still sitting in the outside bars.

New Go-Go Bars - Joe’s Bar and Tony’s Bar have been remodelled into a go-go bar called Sahara.  It is the same ownership as Spice Girls, Deja Vu, Kiss, Midnite and Rio. In addition, ‘The Man From Iran’ has bought Raw Hide Bar, so his group now own seven go-go bars in Cowboy Street.

HAPPY HOUR – Although drink prices have risen considerably in Soi Cowboy’s go-go bars, it still remains good value for money in certain places.  Most of the bars still offer a Happy Hour, which even the Cheap Charlie Clan can’t complain about.  Because of the Happy Hours and the fact that the bars open early, Soi Cowboy remains an excellent choice to start your evening.

Soi Cowboy – Little Las Vegas

Upon entering Soi Cowboy, you are immediately hit by a kaleidoscope of bright colours.  The amount of neon on display per square metre is like being in a small corner of Las Vegas.  These days I think Soi Cowboy proudly displays the most impressive array of colourful neon signs in the whole of Bangkok.  There are so many neon lights making this little street glow so predominantly, that it could almost be a tourist attraction in itself.  As you take a leisurely stroll down Cowboy Street, you cannot help but get a buzz from this most exciting visual carnival.

Soi Cowboy has raised in stature with an improvement in the way the bar girls, or in some cases, ‘bare girls’ treat the customers.  Soi Cowboy was always a fun and friendly place to hang out and the popular bars still are friendly. In recent years, more attractive girls has become very evident in the top go-go bars such as Shark Bar and Baccara Bar.

Having a stroll through ‘Little Las Vegas’ is never a dull experience for me personally. I think that the Q factor (quantity of quality) has risen considerably in some go-go bars in Soi Cowboy. Combined with the BIG advantage of “showing”, Soi Cowboy has emerged as a more popular nightspot than previously. This especially applies to farang residents who like to frequent Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and the many good pubs and theme bars that Bangkok offers in abundance. Soi Cowboy remains a popular choice for farang expats and with some of the eye candy on offer, it’s not surprising!

(Update 2012) – Almost every bar has a Happy Hour in Soi Cowboy.  The average price is very cheap for house beers and spirits.  Currently, Soi Cowboy has the advantage out of the three go-go bar areas.  The amount of ‘showing’ in Soi Cowboy is still greater than both Nana Plaza and Patpong.  Some people underestimate what a tremendous advantage ’showing’ is.  Also, the closing times are generally a bit more relaxed than Nana Plaza.  Closing times in Soi Cowboy vary, which is due to what time the Thai police turn up.  Depending on the night Soi Cowboy did close any time from 1:00am - 2:00am.  For some time now the go-go bars close at around 2:30am nightly, so things are looking good for Cowboy.

Alphabetical Listing Of All The Bars In Soi Cowboy

AFTER SKOOL BAR - (Update 2012)

Naughty nubiles dressed as schoolgirls provide a ‘hands-on’ service.  The ‘Naughty Boys Corner’ is rather naughty to say the very least!  The ‘students’ here are proficient in manual work and oral examinations.  A favourite pit stop for those needing some human plumbing.  Both the beers and the babes are reasonably priced.

APACHE BEER BAR - (Update 2012)

Apache has changed format from a go-go bar to a beer bar.  Now remodelled into a modern style bar with several TV screens to view live sports.  Owned by the No Name Group (Lucky Lukes, Play Skool (Nana Plaza), Shebas, Suzie Wong, Shadow, Old Dutch, Queen Victoria).  Carlsberg Draught is now on sale here.

BACCARA GO-GO BAR - (Update 2012)

Located at the Soi 23 end of Soi Cowboy directly opposite Rio.  Baccara has been remodelled and is bigger and better than before.  Baccara is a large go-go bar split over two levels.  To some degree Baccara is infamous for being a ‘Jap Trap’ but there are a large number of attractive go-go girls here.  Downstairs the go-go dancers are dressed in full bikinis and are certainly not the most revealing of the Baccara bunch.  On the top level, you can discover some very cute dolly birds. Upstairs the ’students’ conveniently lose items of clothing. Baccara is the biggest moneymaker in Soi Cowboy and in this respect, it is vastly superior to the other gogo bars.

The introduction of ‘NO SMOKING’ makes the downstairs area much more comfortable.  It is a relief that the Japanese chain-smokers are not blowing up a storm.  Currently, Baccara probably  has the most go-go dancers in Soi Cowboy.  Well worth a visit, but it does remain a ‘Jap Trap’ because smoking is allowed upstairs.  Non-smokers need to be aware of that.  However, despite that Baccara is brimming with go-go dancers. Nightclub style dance music encourages the go-go dancers to move to the groove. A lot of guys class Baccara as a must see when visiting Soi Cowboy.

CACTUS GO-GO BAR - (Update 2012)

Cactus is a small go-go bar that is rather rough and ready, but kind of homely. There are a few attractive gogo girls among what is generally a mediocre, but very friendly bunch of Thai girls.  The go-go dancers attire is birthday suits and currently smoking is still permitted.  Cactus Go-Go Bar stocks the widest range of Belgian Beers in Thailand. The inimitable host ‘Cactus John’ cooks up some excellent home style American food, which attrtacts a cult following.  John’s delicious delights are usually served on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check it out!

COCKTAIL CLUB

CORNER BAR – (Update 2012)

A relatively new addition to Soi Cowboy located opposite Country Road on the Asoke side.  This is a live music venue and I have listened to the resident band who are not bad at all.  We requested U2 which is not easy vocals, but they performed ‘With Or Without You’ quite well. Drinks are reasonably priced and the staff are farang friendly.  Worth a pit stop even if it is to escape the go-go bars for a while.

COUNTRY ROAD - (Update 2012)

American style roadhouse with live entertainment and an adjacent pool bar.  Something of an institution in Bangkok that gives Soi Cowboy a diverse choice of venues.  Country Road is still popular after all these years.  A place to chill out if you are into country and western music.

Still retains its rustic charm and there are funny moments, when the band will drop the odd bum note!  Also, some of the vocals leave quite a lot to be desired.  Country Road reminds me of the working men’s clubs in England… Rough ‘n’ ready but nice ‘n’ steady!

(Update 2011) – Thai Elvis performs nightly and he draws a reasonable audience.

COWBOY 2 GO-GO BAR

DEJA VU GO-GO BAR

Sister go-go bar to Spice Girls, Midnite, Rio, Kiss and Sahara.  Currently, Deja Vu has one of the best line-up out of its sisters. However, drinks are very expensive with local beers and spirits at 180 baht. A tequila lady drink is a stinger at 200 baht. Forewarned is forearmed!

DOLLHOUSE GO-GO BAR – (Update 2012)

A popular go-go bar from when it first emerged in Clinton Plaza.  Dollhouse has always had a reputation for attractive go-go dancers.  WARNING!  This place is a ‘booby trap’ with buxom bar girls busting out all over the place! For those guys who like their bar girls top heavy, Dollhouse is the right pleasure palace.  Dollhouse run a ‘Crazy Hour’ up until 9:30pm.  Standard drinks are ONLY 70 Baht.  With Dollhouse it is best to get in earlier rather than later.  Later on many of the best go-go dancers have been taken and the ‘Crazy Hour’ has ended.  The ‘Crazy Hour’ is great for the customers, but rather self-defeating for Dollhouse.  This is a good go-go bar to start your rounds in Soi Cowboy.

(Update April 2011) – The format remains mono bikinis, which is a bonus in this booby trap!  If you were not aware Dollhouse has opened the top level, where go-go girls are in their birthday suits. Crazy Hour still runs until 9:30 PM and standard drinks cost just 70 baht.

DUNDEE BAR – (Update 2012)

A friendly enough small bar, but it has a very average bunch of mature bar girls.

FANNY’S BAR - (Update 2012)

A naughty but nice den of inequity.  Short time rooms are available upstairs for a reasonable price.  The bar girls here are certainly not the most glamorous, but very farang friendly.  Fanny’s show music videos on the TV screen and you can make your own selections.

FIVE STAR BAR - (Update 2012)

The only go-go bar in Bangkok to feature a live band.  The vocal skills leave a bit to be desired (at times), but the lead guitarist is absolutely superb.  A great place to hang out and again, this shows how diverse the entertainment is in Soi Cowboy.  Well worth a visit for live music fans.

(Update 2012) – Some farang muscians play and sing here from time to time. The Finnish Flying Fender and Crazy Horse are two that I know personally. Check it out!

JOE’S BAR

(Update 2012) – Has become another go-go bar owned by The Man From Iran.  Now renamed Sahara. Standard drinks are the most expensive at 180 baht for beers and spirits. A tequila lady drink for a coyote girl is a stinger at 200 baht.

JOY GNERN BAR

(Update 2012) – One of the smaller more unassuming bars in Soi Cowboy.

JUNGLE JIM’S BAR - (Update 2012)

Operates to a regular bar format.  Old Jungle Jim’s is something of a Soi Cowboy institution.  However, these days its rough & ready and certainly showing its age.  However, the bar girls are friendly enough bunch and the customer care can be very hands-on!

KISS GO-GO BAR - (Update 2012)

Formerly named Black & White Go-Go Bar, it was sold and renamed ‘Kiss.’ This relatively new addition to Soi Cowboy is a sister bar to Midnite, Spice Girls, Deja Vu, Rio, Sahara and now also Raw Hide. Again, be warned that drinks here are the most expensive in Soi Cowboy.

LONG GUN GO-GO BAR (Update 2012)

Still going strong after several decades.  Deemed by veterans as an institution in Soi Cowboy and also in Bangkok’s naughty nightlife scene. The ‘magic pussy shows’ are a complete turn off for some people, but they do have some lovely dolly birds.  Long Gun did look about 100 years old, but it has been thoroughly renovated. Long Gun still draws a good crowd on a nightly basis.  I try to avoid the ‘genital gymnastics’ but I really enjoy the Rock Show.  The Rock Show consists of a string of classic rock songs, where the showgirls perform some fantastic acrobatic acts.  A terrific Happy Hour, but standard drinks have been raised to 150 baht.

(Update 2011) – Long Gun has become the most popular sister bar, due to Raw Hide being sold and now in a sad state.

MIDNITE GO-GO BAR – (Update 2012)

One of the more popular bars owned by ‘The Man From Iran’.  This go-go bar does employ katoeys or lady-boys, so make sure that girl you are looking really is a woman! Again, be warned that drinks are the most expensive in Soi Cowboy.

MOONSHINE BAR

Operates to a format similar to Jungle Jim’s. Still remains for the best part quiet and unassuming.

OLD DUTCH RESTAURANT

(Update 2011) – Located at the Soi 23 entrance to Soi Cowboy.  Still serving some classic farang favourites and remains somewhat of an institution in Soi Cowboy.  A hangout of bestselling author Stephen Leather.

OUR PLACE GO-GO BAR

Located opposite Baccara Go-Go Bar.  Previously owned by a German, but since then it was sold and remodelled.  Same ownership as Deja Vu, Midnite, Spice Girls, Sahara and Kiss.

(Update 2011) – Formerly ‘Our Place’ it is now Rio, but remains under the same ownership of ‘The Man From Iran.’ Therefore, expect expensive drinks.

PENNY BLACK - (Update 2012)

Late night pool and chill out bar.  Same ownership as Long Gun and Rawhide. Often open until as late as 5:00 AM.

RAWHIDE GO-GO BAR - (Update June 2012)

Located just down from Long Gun.  Formerly the best show bar in Soi Cowboy.

(Update June 2011) – Raw Hide really has some lovely young go-go girls.  The difference for me is not the shows, but the sexy Showgirls.  I prefer the Showgirls in Raw Hide to Long Gun, where they are generally older, less attractive and more hardcore.

(Update August 2011) – Raw Hide has been bought by The Man From Iran, so his empire is expanding. Most of the Raw Hide girls have either moved to Long Gun, or another location. Sadly, a mere shadow of the bar it used to be.

SAMS 2000 BAR & RESTAURANT – (Update 2012)

Located next to Tilac Go-Go Bar.  Good Thai food at reasonable prices.  Another bonus is farang friendly service girls.  Apart from that Sams 2000 is a great people watching spot.

(Update 2011) – Booze prices have risen, but the food is still good value for money.

SHADOW SPORTS BAR - (Update 2012)

Shadow has had a complete remodel and is now a modern sports bar.  Very modern and plush design with several TV screens to view a variety of live sports.  Carlsberg Draught is now available at Shadow.

SHARK GO-GO BAR - (Update June 2012)

Renowned for having a collection of among the most attractive go-go dancers in Bangkok.

(Update August 2011) – With a large number of glamorous go-go girls, this is one of the best gogo bars for eye candy in the whole of Bangkok.  At times the techno music leaves a lot to be desired, but I suppose you can’t have everything. Not as many Thai girls as previously, but the overall talent level remains very high. Shark is now split over two levels, but the downstairs is far better. Well worth a visit on your go-go bar rounds.

SHEBAS GO-GO BAR - (Update 2012)

Features sexotic shows including the body painting show, which is a rarity nowadays.  Although the majority of go-go girls are deemed as average, they are farang friendly and the lez show is no holds barred!

SPICE GIRLS GO-GO BAR

The drinks are very expensive and the coyote dancers are not on the menu for a Thai takeaway. Another go-go bar owned by ‘The Man From Iran’.

SUZI WONGS - (Update 2012)

One of the bars owned by The No Name Group, which features sexotic shows.  Sister bar of Shebas. The go-go girls are not the most glamorous, but there are some cute Thai girls to be found in Suzie Wong. Dance attire is birthday suits!

TILAC GO-GO BAR - (Update April 2012)

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