Nana Plaza

Nana Plaza (formerly Nana Entertainment Plaza) is an entertainment complex and red-light district in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally built as a shopping center, Nana Plaza occupies a three-story commercial building in the Khlong Toei District of Bangkok about 300 metres (330 yd) from the BTS Skytrain's Nana Station.[2][3] It describes itself as the "worlds largest adult playground".[4][5][6] Its name originates from the influential, property-holding Nana family, Lek Nana being the most prominent member.

Nana Plaza
Nana Plaza entrance sign, 2017
Nana Plaza
Location within Bangkok
Address3-3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 4, Sukhumvit Road[1]
LocationBangkok, Thailand
Coordinates13°44′28.9″N 100°33′11.4″E
Public transitNana BTS station
OwnerPaul Hayward
Website
nanaplazabkk.com

Along with Soi Cowboy and Patpong, Nana Plaza is one of Bangkok's three most concentrated red-light districts. All attract primarily tourists.[2]

History

The plaza's U-shaped building is roughly square-shaped, with a single opening on the west side, and consists of a ground floor and two additional floors arranged around a courtyard.[2] It started as a restaurant and shopping center in the late-1970s. During the early-1980s, a few go-go bars appeared and gradually replaced the shops and restaurants.[7] By the mid-1980s around twenty go-go bars had opened in the three-level court, taking advantage of the expansion of tourist hotels in the area.[6]

In 2012 Nana Plaza was sold to a Thai JVC company Nana Partners Co Ltd., co-owned by Fico corporation and Panthera Group (formally known as Eclipse group) – one of Thailand's largest bar and nightclub operators[8] – for a rumored US$25,000,000 after the land was inherited by seven sisters who wanted nothing to do with a red-light area. Panthera Group renovated the complex, becoming the landlord and providing the management and security services.[8]

Facilities

Three short-time hotels, one of which has been renovated, operate on the top floor.[9] Short-time hotels rent out rooms by the hour or more to patrons to take a bargirl for sex. Most bar girls in Nana Plaza will leave with customers upon payment of a bar fine. Smoking is banned indoors, there are no elevators. The building closes at 03:00 and lies dormant until the following evening.[3] In 2016 two waitresses in the plaza's Bangkok Bunnies go-go bar said that they received monthly wages equivalent to £130 (US$165) and daily tips equivalent to £11–16 (US$14–20).[10] This compares with a 2016 average monthly wage in Thailand of around 13,800 baht (US$388).[11]

As of July 2019, Nana Plaza housed 30 bars and three "hotels".[9]

As of July 2019, there were seven kathoey ("ladyboy") bars in Nana Plaza;[12][13] Several other bars have a few ladyboys in their line-ups mixed with their regular go-go dancers.

  • Entrance to Nana Plaza when it was a shopping center
  • Entrance to Nana Entertainment Plaza showing the old overhead signage
  • Nana Plaza, May 2004
  • Ladyboys, Cascade Bar
  • Nana Plaza, November 2015

See also

References
  1. "Contact". Nana Plaza. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  2. "Nana Plaza: A Guide". What's on Sukhumvit. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  3. Central Information Services, LLC (2006). Bangkok for Shy Guys: No-nonsense Travel Guide for Shy Independent Male Travelers. Central Information Services, LLC. p. 140. ISBN 9780978994303.
  4. Radu (2018-07-26). "Top 10 Go-Go Bars at Nana Plaza, Bangkok". Overseas Attractions. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  5. "Nana Plaza". Nana Plaza. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  6. Askew, Marc (2004). Bangkok: Place, Practice and Representation. Routledge. p. 259. ISBN 9781134659852.
  7. Duthel, Heinz (2018-01-03). My Ladyboy Date: Give love a chance. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 9783746064253.
  8. "After taking control of Nana Plaza our goals were simple". Panthera Group.
  9. "Maps". Nana Plaza. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  10. Smith, Nicola (16 October 2016). "Thailand's red light district switches off to mourn the passing of King Bhumibol". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  11. "Thailand Average Monthly Wages - Forecast". IECONOMICS. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  12. "Nana Plaza - The Worlds Largest Adult Playground". Deranged Society. 2017-12-25. Archived from the original on 2018-07-03. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  13. "Nana Red Light District Guide with Map of Nana Entertainment Plaza". Bangkok Red Eye. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
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