Once billed as the world's most notorious red-light district, Patpong is now a much watered-down version of its former self. These days, a flea market frequented by curious tourists coexists with a bunch of dodgy go-go bars that advertise pole dances and the infamous upstairs 'ping-pong shows'. Sex work is illegal in Thailand, but many bars nonetheless double as pickup joints.
Patpong
Bangkok
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.87 MILES
Wat Pho is our absolute favorite among Bangkok's biggest sights. In fact, the compound incorporates a host of superlatives: the city's largest reclining…
3.1 MILES
The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maharatchawang) is a former royal residence in Bangkok that was consecrated in 1782. Today, it’s only used on ceremonial…
3.07 MILES
Wat Arun is the missile-shaped temple that rises from the Chao Phraya River's banks. Known as Temple of Dawn, it was named after the Indian god of dawn,…
3.08 MILES
Architecturally fantastic, the Wat Phra Kaew temple complex is also the spiritual core of Thai Buddhism and the monarchy, symbolically united in what is…
0.68 MILES
Named after the Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal (Lumbini), Lumphini Park is central Bangkok’s largest and most popular park. Its 58 hectares are home to an…
2.42 MILES
Even if you're wát-ed out, you should tackle the brisk ascent to the Golden Mount. Serpentine steps wind through an artificial hill shaded by gnarled…
1.43 MILES
This jungly compound is the former home of the eponymous American silk entrepreneur and art collector. Born in Delaware in 1906, Thompson briefly served…
5.05 MILES
Among the largest open-air markets in the world, Chatuchak (also referred to as 'Jatujak' or simply 'JJ Market') seems to unite everything buyable, from…
Nearby Bangkok attractions
1. Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute
0.28 MILES
Founded in 1923, Asia's oldest snake farm gathers antivenom by milking snakes, injecting it into horses, and then harvesting and purifying the antigens…
0.39 MILES
This statue at the southwestern entrance of Lumphini commemorates the founding emperor of the park, Rama VI.
3. SkyWalk at King Power Mahanakhon
0.47 MILES
Offering an unparalleled 360-degree view of Bangkok's cityscape, this two-tiered viewpoint is perched atop King Power Mahanakhon, currently Thailand’s…
0.55 MILES
The oldest English-language library in Thailand, Neilson Hays dates back to 1869, and today remains the city’s noblest place for a read – with the added…
0.57 MILES
Thailand’s oldest and most prestigious university is nestled in a leafy enclave south of busy Rama I.
0.58 MILES
Author and statesman Mom Ratchawong Kukrit Pramoj (1911–95) once resided in this charming complex now open to the public. Surrounded by a manicured garden…
0.67 MILES
Bangkok’s only gallery wholly dedicated to photography is housed in a charmingly restored Sino-Portuguese shophouse. The owner, photographer Manit…
0.67 MILES
Arrestingly flamboyant, this Hindu temple is a wild collision of colours, shapes and deities. It was built in the 1860s by Tamil immigrants and features a…