Review: Butterflies in Bangkok, Thailand

The Nana Entertainment Plaza on Sukhumvit Soi 4 in Bangkok is one of the most famous adult entertainment centers on earth. On the top floor of the NEP complex there are two large go go bars. One is Billboard. The other is Butterflies. Besides being two of the largest go go bars in Nana Plaza and the city as a whole they are also regarded by many as being two of the best.

There has been some debate over the Thai go go bars and their progression over the last few years. Many old timers talk about the days of old as they lament the state of things. Others have written off the go go bars completely as the realm of newbies and tourists. Still the bars continue on. Every time one bar closes it seems like two more open.

I have been covering the agogos of Thailand for nearly a decade. It would be impossible to report on the commercial sex industry in the land of smiles without paying attention to these venues. Some of the first adult entertainment facilities aimed at foreigners in the country were go go bars after all. That history can be traced at the Patpong Museum. And current affairs can examined here.

Butterflies go go in Bangkok

Butterflies is owned by the same people behind Billboard. The bars are similar but not the same. Billboard may be a little larger and better known. But Butterflies is large and spacious inside. Even when it fills up with women and customers it never feels crowded or full. It is always easy to see the women on stage and in the tub too.

There is traditional bleacher style seats on the right side of the bar. Over on the left there are more comfortable lounge style seats. Each has its place and it is nice that Butterflies offers some variety. There are two big stages in Butterflies that always seem to be filled up with women. There is also the aforementioned jacuzzi tub which is quite large and capable of holding several ladies.

The wait staff at Butterflies are attentive without being pushy. The same goes for the mamasan. It is easy to find someone on staff if you need a drink or have a question. But you don’t have to worry about being pestered to by a drink or “take a lady” either.

Prices are reasonable. Or at least they fit in with what most other go go bars in Bangkok are charging these days. That means a beer goes for 160 Baht. Lady drinks are ten Baht more. The barfine at Butterflies is 800 Baht ($25 USD). Most of the ladies seem to prefer short time sessions in the hourly hotel rooms right in Nana Plaza. For that they typically ask for 2000 Baht ($62 USD) or more.

The go go gals

At any given time there are more than fifty women working at Billboard. At times it seems like there are many more than that around. On Friday and Saturday nights the number might even approach one hundred. The ladies all wear bikinis but the styles and colors can vary. White thongs seem to be the most popular. But the gals occasionally wear lacy lingerie instead which is nice. Some wear Playboy style bunny ears on top of their heads too though they shouldn’t be confused with the birds at Bangkok Bunnies.

More important for most punters would be the state of undress. Nudity isn’t nearly as common in the Bangkok go go bars as it used to be. But it can be found. Butterflies is one place where a fair share of skin can be seen. Groups of women drop their tops for regular bath shows over in the jazucci area. This is more entertaining than the usual two step on stage.

Then there are the looks of the ladies who work the bar. More than one observer has noted that the average go go gal in Bangkok seems to be getting older and larger with time. I can’t argue with that. But most of the many women working at Butterflies are in their twenties and at least relatively fit. Some are absolutely slim while some others are curvy. But there don’t really seem to be any who are either overweight or over the hill. That in itself says something in this day and age.

Summary

As mentioned earlier Butterflies is one of the more popular go go bars in Bangkok. There are reasons for that. And despite the sage advice of real estate agents location is probably not one of them. Sure Butterflies is located inside of Nana Plaza. But it is on the top floor. So anyone who wants to enter the place has to walk past numerous bars and hundreds of scantly clad women.

The main draw at Butterflies is without a doubt the women. I do think that the overall level of attractiveness of the dancers at Butterflies has declined a little over the years that the bar has been in business. But Butterflies still has a better looking and more fit staff than many other agogos in Nana Plaza. Of course things can change with staffing in these bars from one day to the next. And ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And attractive women are not the be all and end all of go go bars as strange as that may seem. The popularity of a bar also reflects the overall vibe inside. Well run places with fair prices that treat customers well get the most repeat visits. That only makes sense. Reputation and word of mouth also has a lot to do with the type of trade a go go bar does. These days word spreads fast thanks to the internet. Even new guys and temporary tourists tend can make decisions based on what they’ve seen and heard. Fewer people simply wander into places they don’t know about now even if does still happen. Butterfly is definitely a well run place and the many good looking gals inside only make things that much better. I give it three-and-a-half stars.

Butterflies. Nana Entertainment Plaza, Sukhumvit Soi 4, Bangkok, Thailand. Click here for a map. Open every from 8:00 PM until 3:00 AM.