Friendly entertainers greet you at Temptations

Updated January, 2016

Ladyboy entertainment establishments are all over Bangkok. At Bangkok’s massive three-story Nana Entertainment Plaza on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (BTS Skytrain Nana station), there are a large number of adult-oriented gogo bars and beer bars, each catering to its own distinctive clientele. Seven of these are ladyboy bars. WoWasis readers have been asking more about these bars: who works in them, what are the prices, who goes to them, and do all ladyboys have male genetalia? In answer to the last question, with the exception of one or two gender-reassigned dancers at Temptations, all ladyboys in Nana Plaza’s ladyboy bars are fully genetically male.  Bar fines for taking one of the entertainers out of a club for part of an evening are 600 baht in each bar, with other services to be negotiated with directly with the entertainment provider herself.

Remember that the word “katoey” is seen by many ladyboys as a pejorative, so we recommend using instead the terms “lady” or “ladyboy.” Here is our report, with the seven bars ranked in terms of friendliness and overall customer experience:

A Fairy Bar, 2nd Floor. Occupying the space of the old G-Spot, this ladyboy bar is similar to Charades upstairs, except the audience is closer to the stage. Yes, there is audience interaction with the performers, in this brightly lit, spacious bar. Our choice for the best looking ladybodys in the Plaza.

Charades (formerly Cascade), 3rdFloor.  Cascade’s interior resembles a cave, with a theme-oriented stage and carousel where there are always 10-15 dancers. As many as 80 entertainers work here each evening. Lady drinks are 130-150 baht, customer drinks are 145 baht. The cabaret show is on at 11pm seven nights a week, although the show may start anytime later in  the hour if there aren’t enough customers at 11 pm.

Temptations, 2^nd Floor.  Open now for 6 years, Temptations generally has 35-40 dancers and entertainers nightly, with alternating shifts of five dancers. It is the only ladyboy bar at Nana Plaza that has gender-reassigned ladyboys (called “ladies,” within the bar, if you’re requesting one of them for company). Temptations has a free, easygoing atmosphere and an English-speaking manager that is happy to answer all questions regarding “who does and who doesn’t”).

Obsession, 2nd Floor. Obsession has calmed down quite a bit in terms of drink hustling, which make it easier on a customer not wishing to be badgered. As with any ladyboy bar, you’ll be cajoled, winked at, pointed at, and otherwise invited to drink with an entertainer. Avoid eye contact and it all goes away, make Obsession an easy bar to wander into and catch a drink. If course, you could always buy a drink for an entertainer…

Straps: 2nd Floor. Up the stairs and to the far left, this ladyboy go-go bar is a tinier version of ‘Charades,’ on the third floor, with much preening, vamping, and camp-play.

Casanova, 2^nd Floor.  Although there is a stage here, dancing really isn’t the main point as much as meeting the entertainers. This legendary bar has a grittier atmosphere than the others, and although quite friendly, is probably more appropriate for veterans of the scene than first-timers. 43 entertainers work at Casanova, and the drinks are the least expensive of all the ladyboy bars in Nana Plaza, at 135 baht for customer drinks, and 120 baht for lady drinks.

DC-10 , 2nd Floor. The DC-10 is now a ladyboy bar with a few stragglers onstage, fewer customers, and a far cry from the wild “hands-on bar” that it used to be.

Cascade shows, on every night at 11 pm

In summation, each of these bars has its own characteristics. Newbies should start with the first two bars. Couples just wanting to check out the scene would love Cascade. Veteran participants in the scene might enjoy the gritty feeling of Casanova, and are probably better at fending off the aggressive behavior at Obsession than newcomes.