In the end, the big bet the Rainbow Group took on Soi 4 go-go bar Las Vegas bar turned out to be a loser.
Hailed in November as the first go-go on Soi 4 outside of Nana Plaza, Las Vegas closed this week, less than 10 months after opening, with its fixtures and signage stripped bar as ownership prepares for a new venture further down the street.
Las Vegas Shocks… Then Disappoints
Located in the spot that, until September last year, was the Golden Beer Bar, just a few doors up from Hooters, Las Vegas – originally announced as Rainbow Nana – was a daring move to establish the first-ever go-go bar on Sukhumvit Soi 4, where, for decades, Nana Plaza has been the only spot for chrome pole palaces.
Soi 4, by contrast, has been home to beer bars, pubs and restaurants.
The Rainbow Group, which has several venues inside the plaza and one on Soi Cowboy, was making an aggressive bet that its groundbreaking gambit to open the first-ever go-go bar on Soi 4 would pay off.
It flopped.
The short-lived experiment underscores the challenges of exporting a plaza-style go-go bar onto a street long dominated by pubs, beer bars, and restaurants.
Yet Rainbow’s owners are not abandoning the soi. They have already taken over a nearby space next to Hooters, formerly occupied by a spirit house, where they plan to open another venue. Unlike Las Vegas, however, it will not be a go-go bar.
Delayed Opening for a ‘Not Quite’ Go-Go
When announced as Rainbow Nana, Las Vegas sparked industry chatter that suggested it could reshape the street’s after-dark appeal. Skeptics, however, raised immediate objections.
Some doubted whether Bangkok officials would tolerate a chrome-pole venue so close to family-friendly hotels. Others noted the awkward fit with Soi 4’s existing tenants, which skew toward restaurants and casual bars catering to tourists.
Then, of course, there was the objection from Nana Plaza itself.
Rainbow Nana was delayed for months a lengthy delay before finally opening in February … as Las Vegas. But when the doors did open, Las Vegas turned out to be less go-go and more circa-2010 coyote bar with no chrome poles and girls not in bikinis.
Initial reports, within a week of opening, included complaints about bill padding and later reviews ranged from tepid to scathing, with one Italian nightlife blogger writing (in Italian) about subpar girls and a faint stench of sewage emanating from the restrooms.
So it was not much of a surprise when Las Vegas went dark. Speculation is the salvaged sound and lighting equipment may be reused in Virgin X, a new go-go project currently under construction inside Nana Plaza being built by the Rainbow Group head’s frequent partners from Patpong.
New Location, New Concept
While Las Vegas’ closure ends the group’s first Soi 4 experiment, it does not mark the end of their ambitions for the street. Ownership has secured a site adjacent to Hooters, on the grounds of what had been a spirit house.
Details remain limited, but insiders say the new bar will not be a restaurant and will steer clear of the go-go format. Whether it will cater to expatriates, tourists, or a more local crowd remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Rainbow brand is determined to keep a presence outside the plaza’s gates.
Shifting Soi 4
The decision reflects both opportunity and risk. Soi 4 has seen shifting fortunes over the past decade, as Nana Plaza grew into the city’s most concentrated hub of go-go bars while the surrounding street tilted toward sports bars, pubs, and chain restaurants. Efforts to inject plaza-style nightlife onto the street have historically struggled.
Rainbow’s operators believe they can change that equation with a concept better suited to Soi 4’s environment. The closure of Las Vegas might free them to regroup and relaunch without the weight of mismatched expectations.
