People Watching in Soi Cowboy — Bangkok’s Infamous Red-light District

It’s 11 pm, and I’m camped out at The Oasis, one of the only bars in Soi Cowboy that is nothing more than a pub. Some live music downstairs, billiards on the second floor, and fortunately for me, another patio where I can people watch from above without anyone catching my glance. Soi Cowboy seems to be more a spectacle, not as cutthroat as <a href="https://medium.com/@andystauff/sex-sells-bangkoks-red-light-district-53c0f8510f02" rel="noopener">Nana Plaza</a>, where innocent tourists can dart through from one side to the other unscathed other than a few arm pulls from a couple ladyboys. The scene is entertaining. I watch as a Japanese couple is being coaxed inside a bar by an older woman in a more traditional Thai dress. I’ve read about these “mamasans”, a respected role and symbol within the go-go bar community. She’s the elder leader of the go-go girls, the store manager you could say, and each bar typically has one. The mamasans have been in the trenches, having successfully danced themselves in the prime of their vitality, though perhaps not successfully enough to escape the industry as they get older. They coach and groom the girls, manage their day to day, represent them against the bureaucracies above, and console them through the emotional turmoil that comes with the job. The Japanese couple nervously accept the invite and make their way in. Two minutes later, they’re both darting out of the club in complete dismay. <a href="https://medium.com/@andystauff/people-watching-in-soi-cowboy-bangkoks-infamous-red-light-district-ad49061ab6bf">Read More</a>