Sukhumvit

Nana Plaza

Nana Plaza is a three-storey complex built around a courtyard on Sukhumvit Soi 4, and unlike Soi Cowboy it is a building rather than a street. Open-air beer bars occupy the ground level; the go-go bars and shows are upstairs. It is more explicitly adult than Soi Cowboy and draws fewer people wandering through out of curiosity. The practical risks are the same: what things cost, and what appears on the bill.

The short version

—A three-floor complex around a courtyard, Sukhumvit Soi 4
—BTS Nana is a short walk
—Ground floor is open-air beer bars; go-go venues are on the upper floors
—More adult-focused than Soi Cowboy, with fewer casual visitors
—Same commercial risks — unposted prices, padded bills, touts

What it actually is

A purpose-built entertainment complex rather than a strip of street-front bars. The courtyard layout means the ground floor functions as open-air drinking with the more explicit venues on the levels above, which makes it feel more enclosed and more committed than walking down a soi.

It is one of Bangkok's three concentrated red-light areas, and the most self-contained of them.

How the money works

The mechanics match Soi Cowboy, and are worth knowing before rather than after.

—Drinks cost more than an ordinary bar and prices are not consistently displayed
—A drink bought for a member of staff is a separate, higher-priced item on your bill
—A bar fine is a charge paid to the venue, distinct from drinks
—Ask prices first; ask for the bill itemised
—Check the arithmetic before paying — padded bills are a known issue at some venues

The tout scam

The same trap operates around here as everywhere else on Sukhumvit: someone on the street offers a cheap or free show, leads you upstairs somewhere unmarked, and the bill arrives at thousands of baht with the exit obstructed.

The rule holds without exception. Do not follow a tout anywhere. Venues that need street touts are the ones the touts are working for.

Practical points

Largely the same as anywhere in Bangkok after dark, with the commercial ones sharpened.

—Keep your drink with you and in sight
—Establish prices before ordering anything
—Carry what you intend to spend and no more
—Query a bill calmly and itemised rather than confrontationally
—Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand regardless of how visible it is

What this page is and is not

This is a clubs and bars guide, and Nana is not what it covers. The page is here because the question gets asked and because the warnings are worth publishing — not as an endorsement.

For a club night, the RCA strip is an entirely different evening, and the rest of this site is about that.

Questions

What is Nana Plaza?

A three-storey entertainment complex built around a courtyard on Sukhumvit Soi 4. The ground floor is open-air beer bars and the go-go venues are on the upper floors. It is one of Bangkok's three concentrated red-light areas.

What is the difference between Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy?

Nana Plaza is a self-contained multi-floor building around a courtyard; Soi Cowboy is an open pedestrian street of bar fronts. Nana is the more explicitly adult of the two and draws fewer people passing through out of curiosity.

Is Nana Plaza safe for tourists?

The area is busy and policed, so the risk is rarely physical. The genuine risks are commercial — unposted prices, padded bills, and touts leading people to unmarked upstairs venues where the bill arrives at thousands of baht.