Clinton Entertainment Plaza

There are a large number of beer bars and go-go clubs tucked discreetly off of Sukhumvit Road near Soi 13. The theme of some of them seems to have been adopted from the well known misadventures of a recent U.S. president, thus the name Clinton Plaza. One establishment styles itself as the White House Go-Go, and features a columned portico reminiscent of a famous address in Washington.

The go-go bars are much the same, though newer and cleaner, as those found in Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza, and offer the same services at about the same cost. Beers cost 90 to 100 baht. Fees paid to proprietors for engaging the services of one of the ladies run from 500 to 1,000 baht, and the charming hostesses charge about 1,000 to 3,000 baht, depending on demand, time of night, attractiveness, and the bargaining ability of the punters.

Probably the best of the go-go bars in Clinton Plaza is Rock Hard Bangkok. Though the entrance is unobtrusive compared to the blazing neon marking the other bars, inside it is large and luxurious. The dancers seem younger (though not underage), fresher and less bored than at other places. One nice feature is a rear entrance from the parking lot which is convenient for those who wish to enter and leave discreetly.

The go-go places in Clinton Plaza are substantially outnumbered by the beer bars. These open-air bars can be very pleasant places to spend an evening. Bill's Coffee House, right on Sukhumvit, attracts a mixed crowd of men and women, Thai and farang. Checkpoint Charlie's, just inside the Plaza, has a pool table and dart board, and a proprietor who is dedicated to making it a fun place to hang out. Both serve an eclectic variety of local and western dishes.

Apart from Bill's Coffee House and Checkpoint Charlie, most of the beer bars are not too crowded, even on a weekend evening. One suspects that Clinton Plaza is failing to draw much market share away from the more established red light districts. But most of the go-go bars have only been open a few months, and perhaps in time the Plaza will compete successfully with the nearby Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza nightlife zones. There are plans to convert the six floors of the building above Clinton Plaza into a variety of entertainment venues including hostess bars, a disco and more go-go bars. Little progress is apparent, and the one nightspot above street level, Coco Loco, seems to have folded.

Even the older and more famous Thermae Coffee House, located underground between Sois 13 and 15, seems to be maintaining its customer base at the expense of Clinton Plaza, though it has been described as being as weird as the bar scene in the first Star Wars movie. Unlike the beer bars and go-gos, it is populated mainly by freelancers, and, after the other bars close, by girls who haven't made a connection, or who are looking for a second or third engagement for the evening. Either way, there is no need to pay a fee, known as a 'bar fine', to the management of the coffee house, as one has to if one wants to escort one of the ladies away from other establishments.

Clinton Plaza is located right on Sukhumvit Road, between Sois 13 and 15, perhaps a five minute walk from the Asoke Skytrain station. See Map.

	Bill's Coffee House		Rock Hard Go Go
	Monica Beer Bar		CheckPoint Charlie
	Doll House Go-Go		Candy Store Go-Go
	Hollywood East Go Go		White House Go-Go
	Crack House Go-Go

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