@ Corner

Opened May 2004 This building had remained unused for years, partially occupied by food vendors in the day time.
You can sit and watch the comings and goings in the street from this friendly open bar - sometimes much more interesting than what's going on inside some of the bars!
Lower prices, a good place to meet before a night out. The staff will run and get you food from any local bar or restaurant

After Skool/Sunshine Bar

It's hard to imagine some of these girls having seen the inside of a school room in the last 10 years, but that doesn't stop them from wearing the uniform, so if you are a pervert - this is just the place to fulfil your fantasy.
Check out "The Naughty Boy's Corner".............you'll have to find out by yourself like I did!

Not bad, miserable manager who has had his mouth put on the wrong way up, but the enthusiasm of the girls usually makes up looking at his sour face.

Cold beer, decent service, somewhat pushy for ladies drinks.

  
Coyote/Apache

Formerly managed by friendly, ageing ex go-go dancer, Tong who used to live upstairs.

Now run by the same team that manage Suzie Wong and Sheba's. New decoration inside, at last the strange lingering smell has gone!
New toilets are an improvement, and vastly better choice in music than before.

Coldish beer, decent service, no hassle whatsoever usually.

Table dancing seems to have been abandoned.

Pints of Kilkenny available inside, order "Kilkenny Pint" with a gesture towards The Old Dutch restaurant, and they'll totter off, and bring it down the street for you!

Baccara

"Probably" the best place in the street.

Large double unit go-go bar on 2 floors. Upstairs has a glass dance floor, so from downstairs you can check if the upstairs dancers have any underwear on, usually not.
Previously the poor service upstairs has been remedied by the addition of a bar, now why didn't they think of that in the first pace?
The toilet always seems to be busy, but aside from that, this is one of the better places to go and well worth a visit.
Clean and bright, new speakers have vastly improved the sound quality, if you don't agree, you should have heard it before.

The usual DJ seems to favour a strange genré of monotonous techno music that is probably only enjoyed under the influence of something stronger than beer.

Beer usually cold enough, fair service, good selection of small pretty girls, inadequate toilets.

Website HERE  There are references to ladyboys and katoeys on it, but there aren't any working in the bar, if there were you can rest assured I would warn you!

They seem to employ the smallest girls on the street, for those not familiar with Thais, you could be forgiven for thinking they are all schoolgirls. You are unlikely to find anyone under 20 years old though, even if she does only look 14!

In June 2007  Baccara acquired Pam's Cocktail Lounge and became only the second 3 unit bar in the street. The extra size has provided much more space inside.
My suggestion is to head to the right at the back of the bar, by the DJ, go up the stairs and get a seat upstairs.

Black & White

Well run and managed by Sam. Could do with a bit of an update inside though and I'm sure Ms. Sam would agree with me on that.
There are far worse places to go. Quite sensible girls with good English. No topless and no shows.
Straightforward place with good service and reasonable prices. Value for money.

Cold beer, rapid service, one or two decent looking girls when I last looked, but a week is a long time in Soi Cowboy. Generally 'second division' girls in here.

Cactus Club

Opened late 2002.

Cold beer, new toilet, no hassle from the girls for drinks etc.

It looks like it's under new management as of March 2003 and there is draft German wheat beer on tap outside. Not a bad drink and popular enough to be fresh with a little luck. It has certainly tasted fine whenever I have tried it, which is in marked contrast to many places who don't sell enough to keep it in good condition.

A happy, friendly lot (with one exception, see below), but no lookers.

NOTE 2004 I visited Cactus Club recently, with a couple of friends, we were talking about how the standard of girls had dropped and how the dancers currently jiggling about, might have had a hard time getting a job as a cleaner 15 years ago. Just as we were finishing our drinks, the Mamasan came over to me, I have known her for several years, and said the "Sexy Show" was about to start. We decided that seeing this lot wearing even less was something we didn't want to witness, so I got out my wallet to pay. The "Manager", who I was told later was British (but more recently he has been described as American), came over and said "Don't go yet, the sexy show is starting", I said "I know, that's why we are off" His friendly reply was "WELL F*CK OFF THEN" - Nice man, needless to say, we won't be putting any more Baht his way in future. There is no call for this when dealing with regular paying customers, but he does have a moustache, so maybe he is not best placed to judge the quality of females, if you know what I mean.

Country Road

Not to be confused with many other bars with the same name in other parts of the city. Well run and managed by Ms. Sam. Live bands and food available with waitress service.
Harmless, you could take your granny here.

Cold beer, toilet shared with My Lady next door, good attentive service.

Gone with the wind, now amalgamated with Five Star 2 to become Deja Vu

Cocktail Club
formerly the late "Crazy" Jack's 'Shadow Bar'

A long established bar formerly run by the late "Crazy Jack", now re-decorated and under new management with the watchful eye of Ms.Sam.
A recent clear out of all the overweight girls has livened it up a bit.
New toilets at last, only 5 years or so overdue.
All the staff very friendly, but overall, not much reason to go in unless you want to relax a bit as the seats are quite comfortable.

Cold beer and no funny business. Usually MP3 music from the computer at the choice of the cashier.

Cowboy One CLOSED Mid 2007

Currently undergoing building work to eventually reopen when the dividng wall is removed. It will amalgamate with Spice Girls to make it yet another double unit bar.

Cowboy Two

A lot of thought went into this name! Same owner as the old Cowboy One, this is the former Las Vegas & Wet Lips knocked together into one larger twin unit in December 2002.
Curious choice of design with a bad use of the available space, when you look in Shark, Sheba's, or Dolls House and realise that this is exactly the same size inside, you can see that much more could have been done with it.

The Thai manager shares his birthday with me, so I always get a free party!

Deja Vu

This is Five Star 2 & New Crazy Cats with the dividing wall removed. Double units always seem to do better business though, so definitely an improvement.
Deja Vu is a good name for this place as when I first visited the newly opened bar in mid May 2005, 3 dancing girls called out "Lobert" to me as I walked in, deja vu indeed!

The new management are keeping this bar in much better condition than before.

Website HERE

Doll House

Moved into Soi Cowboy early 2002 when it's Clinton Plaza venue was under threat of demolition, a good move as it turned out.
One of the best bars in this part of town, pretty girls, good service, hands on management, always cold beer and well maintained. Happy hour until 20:30 where all spirit based drinks are a mere 30 Baht. Sports events on 100" screen projector TV.

Cold beer, fast service from loads of serving girls.

Winner in the "Battle Of The Signs", a good storm and the enormous sign, the biggest in the street, may well be lying in the road with a piece of the building still attached to it!
Sister bar in Pattaya's "Walking Street".

Website HERE

Downunder

Former Highlander, then Rendezvous.
Suffering a little from being on the wrong side of the road, no one has been able to make a success here so far, but under Australian management, Downunder seems to have turned the corner.

Sports themed bar with plenty of flat screen TVs, and a schedule of what's coming on usually marked up on a board.

Previously:-  

Dundee/Dandy

Harmless sort of place, one or two decent looking girls, a bit pushy for ladies drinks though.
Could benefit from a bit of updating, but this is what the old Soi Cowboy was like.

A few years ago this place changed it's name on a regular basis, but the Scottish name has been up for over a year now. Previously Dandy Bar, then Honeymoon before settling on Dundee.

There has been some over zealous application of obscure laws, and the Thai translation of DANDY on their licence sounded more like DUNDEE when spoken in Thai, this is why there is a change of name, or so I am told, it sounds crazy enough to be true, but don't quote me on it.

Fanny's

This used to be one of the sleaziest places in the street when it was called Big Blue 2, non-stop porno on 2 TVs and a giant inflatable penis outside in the road.
If you look closely enough, you will still see the Big Blue 2 sign still on the building. After that, it had a brief spell named Shirtz.
It's been cleaned up for quite a while now and is not even a shadow of it's former self.
Nothing special really. MP3 music and a few DVDs, pity the MP3s seem to be at a very low bitrate that they sound like they are from cassette tapes, remember them?

Cold beer, staffed by the usual lot from Buri Ram and Korat.

Five Star

I like this place, it just has something about it. A one off format with a live band playing AND go-go dancers on the stage. The band will play just about any rock classic you want, although a round of Singhas or a 100 Baht note in the tip jar is appreciated.
Someone goes up-country, from time to time, and brings back a bus-load of girls from Isaan, when they are getting a bit low on staff, so sometimes some shy and inexperienced girls here.

The toilet is on the first floor, and to get there you have to go up on stage with the band to reach the stairs.
Expect a few girls to be sharing the toilet with you, but you soon get used to this sort of thing, Thai style.

Cold beer, fast and friendly service, I have never encountered any hassle in here.
It is a bit on the scruffy side but it has a certain charm and should be visited for the experience before it gets cleaned up and re-furbished and loses it's strange appeal.

Some people criticise the band, but you can hear far worse. Occasionally visiting musicians get up on stage, but to balance this out, so do a few people after alcohol has convinced them they can sing, all part of the fun.

The band seem to start progressively later these days, the sign outside says "Live music from 9pm" but they seldom play before 10pm now.

Strange interpretation of "sexy" dancing sometimes when the girls, with the aid of a strategically placed bar stool, clamber over to dance on the very small tables. This is not a good idea as at least one has fallen on the floor sustaining minor injuries.

Five Star II

Gone with the wind, now amalgamated with New Crazy Cats to become Deja Vu

Joe's Bar

Expect to get surrounded by girls all offering to massage your shoulders, or anything else for that matter.
Hands-on service, but only average girls. Not my scene really, but make your own mind up.
Several people I have met refer to places like this as being "petting zoos". See Joy Bar!

Some imported beers and a good selection of spirits usually, although 3 weeks is a long time in Soi Cowboy, so anything can happen.

Joy Bar

A few people have had a go here, with varying success, these smaller one unit bars are difficult to make a profitable business in as they are a bit cramped. Enthusiastic greeters and one or two girls who speak English and are quite funny.
Recently 2004/5 the NGWEN has been added to the name. BLIND MOOSE! (No Eye Deer!).

Cold beer, good service but nothing special.
Re-opened and re-furbished after a fire in December 2002, the interior decoration etc. is much better, and the number and calibre of the staff have improved.

2008 under new management.

Old sign >

Jungle Jim's

Another change of name, this time the addition of a few plastic vines round the door makes it look marginally more interesting, but it's the usual bar when you get inside, "same same but different", as they say here.

Average.

Little Italy Restaurant

As you can see on the map, this is on the corner of Soi23 and Sukhumvit within the Jasmine City Building.
Quite good Italian food and excellent pizza cooked to order, reasonably priced too.
Open 24 hours, so always there if you are a bit hungry on the way home!

Last time I went, my Tuna and Black Olive pizza passed my table and was placed before a bunch of Japanese, who ate half of it before complaining it was the wrong one. I was then told mine would be another 20 minutes coming, so I left in disgust!

Lucky Star/Long Gun

Self confessed No.1 bar on the street, and I suppose there was a time when it was. I'll have a pint of whatever the bloke was drinking who decided this was a "Cocktail Lounge"!
Quite busy, with raunchy shows and loads of girls. Always good service from the serving staff, but usually with only a few spare seats, if you can find one.
Could benefit from a good clean out and re-upholstering, but it wouldn't be as sleazy then, would it?
A visit to Soi Cowboy is not complete without a beer in the Long Gun.
Happy hours 4pm until 8:30pm, or so they claim, I wouldn't expect any action much before 8:00 if I were you.
One notable thing here is that the girls do not pester you for ladies drinks, but please always buy one for a nice companion!
Sister bar of the Raw Hide.

Cold beer, good shows and dancers, good serving staff, but it has a strange smell inside.

Website HERE

Midnite

A larger double unit bar that has long been established in Soi Cowboy.

Under new management as of mid 2005 and has undergone some long needed upgrades and improvements.
Quick service and attentive staff, cold beer!
Upper floor now open again as in the good old days of the imaginatively named "Midnight Upstairs" bar.

Rather too many katoeys for my liking, actually one is far too many in my opinion. I wouldn't like to see the street degenerate to the extent that Nana Plaza has in the past few years.

Website HERE

Moonshine Joint

A "hands on service" bar with a few rooms upstairs for those "private moments".
Good staff and a lot of mediocre girls, but don't expect much in the way of dancing.
Better than usual selection of beers and spirits with imported Erdinger going for just 95 Baht, I think that's the cheapest I have seen it in a bar.
Large projector TV showing DVDs of various bands playing live, (at least there was last time I was there). Always a few customers so there must be a market for this sort of thing.

Cold beer, and good service, that is spoilt for me by the constant overbearing attention of the girls trying to give you a neck massage or similar, but they are just trying to soften you up for a Lady Drink.
This is a reasonable place for a few beers, personal service if you want it.

Offshore Bar and Fish & Chip Shop

A strange crowd of old Bangkok hands in here, but very welcoming. A good and varied selection of MP3 played on the computer behind the bar, I have done my bit here upgrading some of the music with a couple of CD's full of classic 50's, 60's & 70's British chart music. The best thing here is that beer is always really cold.
Have your fish & chips served at the bar and don't forget to ask for a bottle of HP sauce to go with it, usually hidden away, possibly due to the high local price.
Sensibly priced food, clean and wholesome, you can't beat a traditional British "Red Snapper & Chips".

Friendly place, cold beer, try getting into the bar after the normal 01:00 closing time by going through the chip shop. When it looks as if it's shut and the front door is locked, usually there are still some customers hanging on after hours.

The "BAR" part of the sign has now been removed, possibly another problem with the registered name, that has caused so many places to have to make new signs.

The Old Dutch

Long established restaurant and bar at the Soi 23 end of the street.
I have only once sampled the food here and it was OK, the large number of patrons must say something.

Draft beer and good air conditioning, with a "terrace", if you want to sit outside and watch the street life and the odd escaped elephant making a bid for freedom.

Now the German Beer House from Soi 23 has moved to Soi 11, the Old Dutch has been elevated to the best restaurant in the Soi Cowboy area.

Our Place/Showcase

After about 15 years without any noticeable change, Our Place has been spruced up a bit in mid 2007.
In with a new dance floor and a few lights, and the bar area has been upgraded.

Still good service and cold beer with a more or less the same staff as before, a great improvement is that now you get your beer a bit quicker as the cashier has been repositioned.

The sign outside rotates the name as Showplace/Our Place.

Cold beer, good all round bar with a reasonable selection of girls.

  CLOSED
Pam's (or to give it it's full title, Pam's Cocktail Lounge)

Sadly no longer there, one of the street's oldest residents, she used to work for 'TJ' THE Cowboy, called it a day in early 2007.
Now knocked through to Baccara, expanding their floor area by 33%.

Penny Black (Restaurant and Hotel)

Newly opened in September 2003 this restaurant is in the formerly vacant space above Piccolo Bar on the Asoke end of Soi Cowboy.
Enter from the ground floor past the wooden replica of an old style British red telephone kiosk.
Never been in, and not likely to.

Cheap rooms, around 1000 Baht per night, I am told they are nice and clean with TV etc. I must admit I have never been in such a state that I can't make it out of the soi, but nice to know just in case!

Piccolo  possibly called something else now, I spotted a new sign on the building

For quite a considerable time this building, at the Asoke Junction end of Soi Cowboy, lay idle, but for the past few years it has been a sort of open beer bar.
I have had a beer in here, but honestly there are much better places to sit.
Staffed by "past the sell-by date" dragons, not really worth the time and effort unless you want to play pool with a girl from Buri Ram, but you can do that opposite in Country Road with air conditioning and a free band!

Raw Hide

Sister bar of The Long Gun with interchangeable staff and similar format. Never as busy as Long Gun though, so usually plenty of seats. No pestering for ladies drinks makes for a more relaxed atmosphere, especially as I like to decide when or if I buy anyone a drink.
Friendly greeters usually in the street outside.
Gender bending manager is harmless and friendly (but not TOO friendly, thankfully!).

Cold beer, lots of girls in the gent's toilets, and fast service. Raunchier shows than most on the street.

Website HERE

Sam's 2000

Guess what year this opened, fast food right on the street or brought to your bar of choice.
Run by my good friend Ms.Sam from the Tilac Bar.
Try their Nua Tord, deep fried strips of beef covered in sesame seeds and served with sliced ginger, chilli sauce & peanuts with a small salad for 100 Baht including delivery and tip! Very tasty

    Shadow Bar

November 2007 The Shadow Bar has taken over from the DL Irish Bar and it has seen some much needed refurbishment.

Not a "girlie" bar, but a proper place to have a beer and watch sports etc. on the numerous flat screen tv's.
Several draft beers available.

Bright and clean in appearance with several draft beers on tap. A good place to sit and watch the street life.

		Shadow Bar is unique on the street insofar as it has not only a wide selection of bottled beers and ciders, but also excellent draft beer. Really cold too, that's ice on the dispenser! Guinness and Kilkenny sent in from The Old Dutch, quite a sensible place!

Formerly:-

DL Irish Bar  CLOSED Mid 2007

Shark

With a name like that it would be more suited to Patpong (where all the "sharks" are), luckily it's Shark in name only.

Opened in September 2002. Usual theme, there is a glass dance floor on the upper floor similar to the one in Baccara.
Shark seems to be one of the most popular bars these days, more girls than most, and more staff who are all happy and enthusiastic.
Rapid service and cold beer.
Some of the girls upstairs are wearing nurses outfits, not sure what all that is about!

The 2 DJs have a better selection of music than most bars (maybe 'someone' gave them a few CDs!) and they will play requests, but a drink is always welcome as well.
This is the ONLY place in Bangkok that plays Sham 69, The Clash, and The Sex Pistols on a regular basis.
The music does set it apart from the others plus they have JBL speakers!

Always a good atmosphere here, everyone seems happy and enjoying themselves, rapid service and always cold beer.

Formerly Jukes, New A go-go Duck, Juke Box, and several other names.

Website HERE

Sheba's

Opening night was 14th March 2003. Inventive use of the space of 2 former shop houses.
Seating arranged on 2 floors with views from the upper floor to the dancers below.
Fair sound system, but the DJ is playing the same old rubbish that everyone else plays, there are very few venues that don't seem to adopt the same playlist. Bon Jovi, ACDC, Joan Jett, Midnight Oil etc.
This is on the site of Nice Bar (which was anything but!) and a small hairdresser and beauty salon.

Late 2007 has seen this formerly well run bar go downhill, last time I was in, there were a lot of drinking straws littering the floor, and around the toilets upstairs was just a mess of used paper towels and other rubbish. It doesn't look like anyone is in charge at the moment.

Website HERE

Ship Inn

British format pub with food and reasonable prices, or so I am told, the only bar I have never been in!

Siamese Twins on Sukhumvit 23

Almost next door to The Offshore and the Fish & Chip shop, Siamese Twins is a very narrow bar full of girls from Isaan, who seem to have one brain between the lot of them, although this makes them quite entertaining.
A bit scruffy, with a lousy sound system, but an indescribable experience whenever I have ventured in.
Cheap beer, and one of two half decent looking girls, but that may not be the case this week.
Quite often open after 1:00am.
Now that the ridiculously named "Nice Bar" has closed, Siamese Twins has the dubious honour of being the scruffiest bar in the area.

Spice Girls

Originally opened in May 2004, Spice Girls took over Cowboy One to double the size.

Modern fittings and lighting but the improvements have also meant increases in prices all round, but in general, most larger bars charge more.

I found it rather lacking any atmosphere and the girls are a bit thin on the ground, no doubt it will improve. Looks quite spectacular on the outside.

Website HERE

Suzie Wong

For ages this bar lay unused but now is open again, without too much being done in the refurbishment department, a good job it's always dark when it's open!
Worth a look, although turning the beer fridge down a couple of degrees wouldn't go amiss!
High staff to customer ration, usually better than 2:1.
Shows at regular intervals, I was going to put unusual shows, but actually nothing is unusual in Soi Cowboy.

Website HERE

You can enjoy a pint of Guinness or Kilkenny here, if the staff are not aware, order your drinks saying "Old Dutch" and they should then go up the road and bring you fresh pints, quite a novelty to have real beer available in a gogo bar!

 
Tilac

Newly refurbished and opened 25th November 2007.

A great job has been made of refurbishing both the inside and outside of the Tilac elevating it to the number one position, where it belongs.

Smart, bright decor with bevelled mirrors and all new upholstery. Good use of neon lighting rather than the clinical L.E.Ds. used by some other bars in the street

Good value for money, as usual, and absolutely no problems here, good service, always the correct price on the bill and the correct change etc. In many years as a customer (20+) I can honestly say I have never seen the slightest problem over anything here, which must say something. (Probably too drunk to notice!)

Inside, the girls move from the stage to several tables with poles placed around the room.

Good sound system, JBL speakers and a new sub woofer, the only downside is that the DJ plays the same music day after day, as they have done for many years.

Cold beer, good service, sensible prices, clean toilets, well run, although some of the serving staff could do with pensioning off. Beware of the joke urinal though, placed right behind the door so you can't use it if anyone wants to get in or out!

A visit to Soi Cowboy is NOT complete until you visit the Tilac.

Strongbow cider available, don't let them tell you they haven't got any, if they are out of stock, there is plenty next door at Sam's 2000.!

Special party with prizes every New Year's eve.

Their website was HERE Sam didn't pay!, now tilac.com has gone.

Visited by British actor Hugh Grant and his entourage 23.12.2003, whilst filming Bridget Jones's Diary 2. The Tilac Bar is the bar you see in the film, although never having seen it, some people tell me these scenes didn't make it in.
The story of Grant's visit that appeared in the British Press bore no resemblance to what actually occurred though, surprise surprise!
This may have something to do with the journalistic style of a locally based UK correspondent.

It used to look like this >

Tony's

A good place to sit outside and watch the street, sensibly priced drinks and the beer is always really cold.
A decent selection of music, and slow but steady refurbishment.
Nice and friendly, usually plenty of girls, worth a look as it is not too expensive.

Better than average selection of music for the street, I have the manager's personal assurance that you will never hear "Hotel California" or "Have You Ever Seen The Rain", which can't be at all bad.

Thai/Australian partnership with Australian management.

Website HERE

Toy Bar

The best known "petting zoo" on the street, loads of girls giving personal service in the bar and upstairs.
They also sell beer etc., or so I am told..........., you might need your "beer goggles" in here, some of the girls are not too special, but they usually make up for that with enthusiasm.
Opens quite early in the afternoon.

Website HERE (nothing much to see though)

Twins

Opened mid 2007 in the former double unit space occupied by the Dive Shop.

Nothing much inside, a few second division girls and a couple of pool tables. Cheap beer, a sign says 75 Baht all night, so it looks as it is aimed at the financially challenged amongst us.

As the name suggests, there is a connection between Twins and Siamese Twins almost next door.

Almost every bar have their greeters, girls whose job it is to get you inside with the familiar cry of "Hello, come inside please" or variations up to, and including "Hello, come inside me please"

Don't mistake the "Hello nah-ling" for hello darling, this is a joke. Nah is face in Thai and a ling is a monkey, so they are actually saying "Hello monkey face", (or worse - dahk-ling which is monkey arse) both of which apparently pass as the height of humour Isaan!

No bargirls were harmed in the making of this survey

Soi Cowboy - The Origin!

At last I have been able to find out the origin of the name etc. from the oldest surviving street resident who has been living there since 1972.
The story is that the first bar in the street was opened by ex American Airman "TG" Edwards in 1973, "TG" lived in the street and used to dress up as a cowboy, hat and gun belt etc.
African/American Edwards was known as "The Cowboy", so the Soi he lived in was always referred to by the locals as Soi Cowboy, and the name has stuck.

This information is from someone who worked in his bar in the early 70's!! and lived in the street until 2007.