Have the cities' red-light district turned green?
Bangkok (scroll down to read more)
Few cities fuse high culture and sex as seamlessly as Bangkok. Like a well-edited concept boutique, the city is divided according to demographics and sexual preferences. Patpong attracts tourists for its tiger shows involving ping-pong balls, darts and cigarettes; expatriates prefer Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy for their fix of rough trade and lesbian action; wealthy Thais and Japanese frequent cocktail bars along Ratchadapisek Road, while Silom Soi 2 remains Bangkok’s gay epicentre.
Every so often, the government tries to clean things up. The previous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, unleashed his deputy on the job, but his greatest success was to force bars to close by 2am. These days, it’s business as usual.
As one long-time expat resident observes, ‘They’ll never clean it up. The sex trade is too much a part of Thai culture, and besides, it brings in much-needed cash.’
Writer:Daven Wu
Few cities fuse high culture and sex as seamlessly as Bangkok. Like a well-edited concept boutique, the city is divided according to demographics and sexual preferences. Patpong attracts tourists for its tiger shows involving ping-pong balls, darts and cigarettes; expatriates prefer Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy for their fix of rough trade and lesbian action; wealthy Thais and Japanese frequent cocktail bars along Ratchadapisek Road, while Silom Soi 2 remains Bangkok’s gay epicentre.
Every so often, the government tries to clean things up. The previous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, unleashed his deputy on the job, but his greatest success was to force bars to close by 2am. These days, it’s business as usual.
As one long-time expat resident observes, ‘They’ll never clean it up. The sex trade is too much a part of Thai culture, and besides, it brings in much-needed cash.’
Writer:Daven Wu
- 07 of 08
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architecture 08 Jun 2009
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