Bangkok Secret Nightlife – Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum
Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum
Bangkok Secret Nightlife
From CIA agents to David Bowie, there’s more to Bangkok’s most notorious red-light district than meets the eye.
Today we take you on tour showing you Patpong’s 140-year history, from its humble beginnings as a banana plantation,
to a high-powered business district and a hub of CIA activity during the Chinese Civil War and Vietnam War eras.
In 2019, the Patpong Museum opened in Patpong Soi 2, Bangkok, Thailand.
Once you step into the museum, the visit starts with a step back to 1882’s China.
We follow the story of the Patpong dynasty founder, who emigrated to Siam and created a successful business that allowed him to buy the land Patpong built.
Then his son, Udom Patpongpanich, who had studied in America and worked for the Office of Strategic Services (which became the CIA),
developed the area by constructing shophouses and inviting multinational companies to set up here.
Companies like IBM, Shell, Air France, and companies owned by the CIA
soon established their offices in Patpong. Ideally located,
Patpong became a nerve centre for covert operations during the Cold-war period.
With the economic outgrowth and the arrival of the American soldiers in Bangkok,
Patpong became an important place for business by day but also for entertainment by night.
The first Go-Go bar opened in 1969, quickly followed by many more.
Soon the district became famous as celebrities started to come party in Patpong.
The exhibition’s second part is dedicated to Patpong’s further development into one of the world’s most famous entertainment areas and eventually red-light districts.
Superstars like David Bowie, Robert De Niro, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Christopher Walken visit and film in Patpong, marking its presence in popular culture.
An interactive wall of fame introduces you to the colourful characters that make up the area’s rich story.
Also, with its collection of pictures, videos, and newspaper articles,
you can experience how Patpong’s exposure and celebrity changed its image and made it enter the pop culture.
There is also an interactive wall of fame that introduces you to the colourful characters that make up the area’s rich story,
of the evil US marine and CIA agent,
Tony Poe—is said to be the inspiration for Apocalypse Now’s Colonel Kurtz.
The famous series on Netflix, ‘ The Serpent, ‘ also was part of the vibrant history of Patpong and is featured in the museum.
Tickets cost B350, which grants you access to the museum with a guided tour,
as well as a drink at the fully operational bar housed within.
The bar is a reincarnation of Patpong’s original Grand Prix (1969-81)—the first go-go bar in Asia that birthed Patpong as we know it today.
But due to displays of erotic artwork and some slightly risqué interactive games,
beyond this point, it’s over 18s only.
Overall, the museum’s silver lining is that it never falls into voyeurism or cliche.
You can understand why the Patpong area is under such fascination and interest.
The Patpong Museum aims to show you much more than you usually know about Patpong.
As a Thai person, visiting the Patpong museum is truly an eye-opening experience.
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Bangkok Secret Nightlife
