Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understand
7-Eleven Forever
Be extremely wary of any appointment that involves the words 'meet me at 7-Eleven'. In Bangkok alone, there
are 2700 branches of 7-Eleven (known as
sair·wên
in Thai) - nearly a third the number found in all of North
America. In central Bangkok, 7-Elevens are so ubiquitous that it's not uncommon to see two branches staring at
each other from across the street. Although the company reports that its stores carry more than 2000 items, the
fresh flavours of Thai cuisine are not reflected in the wares of a typical Bangkok 7-Eleven, the food selections of
which are even junkier than those of its counterparts in the West. As in all shops in Thailand, alcohol is only
available from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to midnight, and branches of 7-Eleven located near hospitals, temples and
schools do not sell alcohol or cigarettes at all.
38
Patpong
RED-LIGHT DISTRICT
One of the most famous red-light districts in the world. Today any 'charm' that the area
once possessed has been eroded by modern tourism, and fake Rolexes and Diesel T-shirts
are more ubiquitous than flesh. There is, of course, a considerable amount of naughtiness
going on, although much of it takes place upstairs and behind closed doors.
(Soi Patpong 1 &
2, Th Silom;
4pm-2am;
Si Lom exit 2,
Sala Daeng exit 1)
Understand
Patpong
Super Pussy! Pussy Collection! The neon signs leave little doubt about the dominant industry in Patpong, the
world's most infamous strip of go-go bars. There is enough skin on show in Patpong to make Hugh Hefner blush,
and a trip to an upstairs club could mean you'll never look at a ping-pong ball or a dart the same way again.
Roots in 'R&R'
Patpong occupies two soi that run between Th Silom and Th Surawong in Bangkok's financial district. The streets
are privately owned by - and named for - the Chinese-Thai Patpongpanich family, who bought the land in the
1940s and built Patpong Soi 1 and its shophouses; Soi 2 was laid later. During the Vietnam War the first bars and
