Soi Cowboy

Soi Cowboy at night, with elephant
Soi Cowboy at dusk

Soi Cowboy is a short (150 meter long) street with some 40, mostly go-go bars, similar to Nana Plaza and Patpong. It caters mainly to tourists and expatriates.[1]

Description

It is near Sukhumvit Road, between Sukhumvit Soi 21 (also called Soi Asoke) and Soi 23, within walking distance from the BTS Skytrain's Asok Station and the Bangkok MRT's Sukhumvit Station. The Grand Millennium Hotel is nearby.[2]

The go-go bars follow the pattern common in Thailand: alcoholic drinks are served and women in bikinis dance on a stage. There is topless or even nude dancing.

The soi was given its name by longtime nightlife columnist Bernard Trink, after the late T. G. "Cowboy" Edwards, a retired American airman who opened one of the first bars there in 1977. Edwards got his nickname because he often wore a cowboy hat.

Soi Cowboy during the day, with Fanny's, Dollhouse and Midnite Bar visible on the left

When Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was elected in 2001, his government instituted a "social order" campaign. As part of this, all bars, nightclubs and restaurants had to close by 02:00, later changed to 01:00 for all areas not officially designated as "entertainment zones". (Unlike Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza were not so designated). A mandatory midnight closing time was even discussed.

Over the years this policy has eased, and some Soi Cowboy bars stay open as late as 02:00.

At their entrance, all go-go bars carry government-mandated signs in Thai and English. The sign reads

NO-ONE INSIDE

UNDER 20 YEARS

DRUG-FREE

In 2000, the Norwegian group Getaway People released a song called "Soi Cowboy" about the area. The American rock band Sun City Girls included a song called "Soi Cowboy" on their 1996 album 330,003 Crossdressers From Beyond The Rig Veda. In the albums booklet it is said to be based on a traditional melody.

Actor Hugh Grant visited Soi Cowboy in December 2003, while shooting the movie Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. The Tilac Bar and several Soi Cowboy bar girls are seen in the film. The Sun wrote on 23 December 2003 that Grant was chased by bar girls and had to flee, though this apparently was untrue.[3]

Two 1-hour episodes of the British comedy/drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet were shot in Bangkok in the summer of 2004, partly in Soi Cowboy.

In August 2006, scenes were shot in Soi Cowboy for the film Bangkok Dangerous.[4]

In December 2010, scenes for the film The Hangover Part 2 were also shot here, with one of the bars being temporarily renamed for the film.

References

  1. ↑ Fuller, Thomas (2007-10-27). "At Home Amid the Red Lights". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  2. ↑ "Guest Friendly Hotels Near Soi Cowboy". 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  3. ↑ Hugh Grant story
  4. ↑ "The Story Of Ploen", Stickman's Guide to Bangkok, 20 August 2006, archived from the original on 9 May 2008, retrieved 29 November 2016

Coordinates: 13°44′12.5″N 100°33′45″E / 13.736806°N 100.56250°E / 13.736806; 100.56250

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