Patpong: the night market and its history, worth visiting or not?

Updated on October 9, 2026

Patpong is a short group of lanes between Silom Road and Surawong Road, known around the world for its night market and its adult entertainment bars. The market fills the central street with stalls of bags, watches, T-shirts and souvenirs, mostly fakes, open late. The district takes its name from the Patpongpanich family, who owned the land, and it took on its present look in the 1960s and 1970s with the arrival of American soldiers on leave during the Vietnam War. The visit is free, needs no booking, and takes about an hour. Should you go? For the atmosphere and the history of the area, yes, with some vigilance; for shopping, you are better off elsewhere.

Highlights

The Patpong 1 night market

A street covered in tarpaulins and neon, lined with tight rows of stalls selling bags, sunglasses, watches, clothes and souvenirs. Many brands are fakes, which is fine to look at but not to buy if you want to clear customs without trouble. The stalls go up in the late afternoon and close around midnight.

The Patpong bars

Adult entertainment bars occupy the two parallel streets, Patpong 1 and Patpong 2, and the neighbouring lanes. Touts hand out menus and invite you in. For most visitors, it is enough to stroll, accept nothing and keep walking. Minors have no business there, and it is best not to come with children.

The Patpong Museum

A small museum on Patpong 2 tells the history of the district, from the founding family to the Vietnam War years. Opening hours and the entrance fee should be checked before you come, as they are not fixed. It is the best way to understand why the area became what it is.

The surroundings

Leaving Patpong, the Sri Maha Mariamman temple is close by on Silom Road, and the Silom and Sathorn district has restaurants for every budget.

Practical info

Tips

The goods carry no prices: ask and haggle, and do not hesitate to walk away if the price does not drop; start at less than half the asking price. Buy fakes only if you accept the risk: importing them is banned in many countries. In the bars, beware of invitations to "shows" pushed by touts: the classic trap is a price quoted for a drink or a show that is not the one on the bill, and a bouncer who asks you to pay before you leave. Never go upstairs in an establishment without having seen the menu prices in writing. Keep your bag closed in front of you, do not leave your phone on a table, and do not photograph the people who work in the bars without their consent. See also scams and safety in Bangkok, Bangkok at night and Bangkok's markets, day by day.

How to get there

Patpong Road 1 and Patpong Road 2, between Silom Road and Surawong Road, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500. BTS Silom Line, Sala Daeng station, or MRT Blue Line, Silom station, about 5 minutes' walk. For the choice between the two trains, see BTS or MRT in Bangkok. For the ride back at night, prefer a metered taxi or a Grab booked in the app, and read Grab or taxi in Bangkok.