After being re-planned by the government, Patpong night market has become one of the most attractive markets in Bangkok to visit, especially for those who like shopping while walking on the streets. However, there are important things that any visitor has to pay attention to.

I. Where is Patpong night market?

Being located in Silom district, next to the busy and dynamic Go-Go bar, the market has been attracting tourists from all over the world. This place is easy to be found and quickly became the ideal destination for visitors to take a walk and buy stuffs. Another advantage is that the market is surrounded by many hotels with plenty of price ranges. However, tourist coming to this place has to be aware of the darker sides of this place.

II. “Hidden fee” at night clubs

The bars along the street usually have quarrels because the bills of the customers are often much higher than they are supposed to be. The staffs of many bars, especially those which provide illegal sex show, often stand outside the bar and try to “drag” tourists in. They usually give the offers without any information about the extra price. If you accidentally get in those places, there is still a solution. Just keep calm to pay as the bill reveals, and then take that bill to the police station at the end of Patpong road. The policemen will follow you to that bar and help taking back the illegal fees they took from you. The reason is that the police station on the street is to deal with all the tourism problems. The bars with the higher credits are King Corporation, such as King’s Castle, King’s Garden, King’s Corner or Queen’s Castle.

A complicate world….

A place of flesh...

III. A well-known “red light” street

Patpong, besides the products with different price range, is also considered to be a “red light street” in Thailand. The market is the sexual iconic of Bangkok and many tourists say that “if you have never visited Patpong, you have never actually been in Bangkok”. Unlike many other red light streets in the city which mostly male visitors come in and out, Patpong has a huge number of tourists with several genders and nationalities. You can easy catch couples hand in hand walking on the street, some girls going alone for new experiences, or a “ladyboy” standing on the sidewalk, trying to attract male passengers or even some kids playing on the street, among the crowd. Despites the hard competition from some other red light markets such as Nana Plaze or Soi Cowboy, Patpong is still considered as the safest and cheapest place for night playing, as it is the red light which was allowed by the government since 2004.

Different types of good are sold...

IV. Fake products at market

Fake stuff is also the important note for tourists. The quality of products in the market has been doubted by many people. If you see products under the big brand names such as Nike or Adidas, you should consider their reliability. Perhaps souvenir is the most appropriate stuff to purchase here. Overall, there are 3 tips which tourists give each other: be careful of your bags, think twice before going up stair and don’t follow people who “smuggle” tickets.