New Year’s Eve might have been disappointing, but Bangkok go-go bars opened January throbbing with tourists as high season has finally arrived.
Owners of Bangkok go-go bars in both Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza described New Year’s Eve as surprisingly slow compared with last year.
“It just felt like, across Bangkok, there were just fewer people out and about,” one Nana manager said Jan. 4.
“The numbers were alright, but it didn’t feel that busy. Also there were no big spenders,” a Nana bar owner agreed.
The story was the same on Cowboy, with bosses at two Bangkok go-go bars saying NYE was “OK”.
High Season (Finally) Arrives
But what a difference 10 days away makes! Before Redlight Report jetted off for Farangland on Dec. 21, things in Bangkok go-go bars were busy, but still no peak High Season.
Fast forward to Jan. 3 and Bangkok’s redlight areas were shoulder-to-shoulder slammed, although the tourists weren’t spreading their wealth around evenly at Bangkok go-go bars.
While the Neon Alley moved at a crawl, there were plenty of seats in many bars. Moonshine Joint had exactly 1 customer – Redlight Report – in the place for a solid hour Saturday night. Shark, at midnight, had a small crowd but virtually no girls.
Mamasans said there were many barfines, but two bar bosses in Nana Plaza said girl numbers are way down from before Christmas.
Two Bangkok go-go bars said they had 20 or fewer ladies showing up for work despite the fact that one of those bars was docking girls 2,000-5,000 baht a night if they didn’t show up.
Despite staffing problems, Bangkok go-go bars are doing their best to keep the momentum rolling, with a number of parties on tap for this week and entirely new venues set to open. So let’s get into it.
Soi Cowboy Going Supernova
Signs have gone up at the spot that used to be Kazy Kozy and the name of Soi Cowboy’s next go-go is Supernova. The snail’s pace renovation of KK has gone on for months, but the end is now near with the boss of the Crazy House Group telling Redlight Report Jan. 5 that Supernova will open in February.
There’s no sign of Kazy Kozy left on the corner of Cowboy and Soi 23. The venue is being built with a Greco-Roman design with arched windows and faux marble columns, the same theme as Orbit in Nana Plaza. But as Redlight Report confirmed a month ago, there’s no connection between the two bars with Crazy Group bosses unaware of Orbit’s existence (just like most people hitting Nana Plaza!)
Signage for Supernova went up just before New Year’s, after all work on the site came to crashing halt earlier in December when Watthana District officials slapped down a stop-work order following complaints and long-running violations of building codes.
Read the full story from Dave Rave News here.
Was Kazy Kozy / Supernova to Blame for ‘Sewer Cowboy’?
It turns out Hot Lips may not have been fully to blame after all for Soi Cowboy’s long-running “Sewer Cowboy” problem.
A stop-work order slapped on Kazy Kozy in early December by Watthana District officials now points to renovation activity at the venue as a contributing factor in the latest round of drainage and sanitation complaints that have lasted for a year.
According to a formal district notice, construction work at the corner of Soi Cowboy and Soi 23 interfered with existing drainage along the public way, preventing normal runoff and contributing to water pooling and foul odors in the area.
The district classified the situation as a public health concern rather than a minor nuisance, triggering enforcement action and a temporary halt to construction.
Neighboring business have long pointed the finger at the site that was previously the Oasis / Stumble Inn pub and is now the Hot Lips go-go. Hot Lips took steps to block the wastewater pooling outside its bar, the issue was not fully resolved.
The district findings complicate that narrative, suggesting the effects of blocked drainage may have been felt further along Soi Cowboy rather than directly outside the construction site. Kazy Kozy, now being redeveloped as Supernova, later resumed work after the stoppage.
New Go-Go Opens in Pattaya Friday
Already soft-opened, Privacy Club on Soi LK Metro in Pattaya holds its grand opening party Jan. 9. Privacy takes over for the Fever go-go that survived for two years, but had only a brief moment of notoriety.
“The wait is finally over. Privacy Club Pattaya invites you to a night of opulence and high-octane excitement. 🥂,” the bar writes on its Instagram channel. “Whether you’re here to indulge in the finest drinks, this is where you belong. The new era of Soi LK Metro starts tonight. Are you ready to go Private? ✨💎”
The AI-written text is cringe-worthy and begs the question whether Privacy Club is different or just another go-go bar. Redlight Report will be in Pattaya this weekend to see, so stay tuned.
Toto Jumps to The Hive
Also down in Pattaya, “Toto Pattaya”, the former manager at Lighthouse on Walking Street who has built a massive online following, took up residence down the road at The Hive on Jan. 1 and is teasing a new joint-venture go-go with The Hive’s Japanese owner.
Toto – whose real name is Alberto Cervantes – is a fomer professional ballet dancer who has built a following of 30,000 people on Facebook and regularly posts videos garnering a million views or more. He’s sure to bring a lift to The Hive, which has become the hot property on Walking Street since its sale to the Japanese boss in June.
Bad Boy Thai Cop Gets Revenge
Don’t think that just because they’re cops, off-duty Thai guys don’t behave badly in go-go bars. While most bars ban Thai men, cops often get the pass and are regularly seen – off-duty or in plain clothes – enjoying themselves in “farang” go-go bars.
They usually gravitate to Thai-owned or police-connected bars like Crazy House or Geisha, but do show up elsewhere.
Last month, two Nana Plaza go-go bars got shut down for a night for mysterious reasons. It turns out that an off-duty cop got out of hand – or perhaps very handsy – and was thrown out by the bar’s security guards.
Redlight Report was told the copper didn’t take kindly to losing face and came back the next night in uniform and shut the bars down by midnight, on a busy weekend.
Sometimes you just can’t win.
