| Image Alt: | Nana Plaza entrance sign, 2017 |
| Pushpin Map: | Thailand Bangkok |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Address: | 3-3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 4, Sukhumvit Road[1] |
| Location: | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Owner: | Paul Hayward |
| Publictransit: | Nana BTS station |
Nana Plaza (formerly Nana Entertainment Plaza) is an entertainment complex and red-light district in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally built as a shopping center, Nana Plaza occupies a three-story commercial building in the Khlong Toei District of Bangkok about 300m (1,000feet) from the BTS Skytrain's Nana Station.[2] [3] It describes itself as the "worlds largest adult playground".[4] [5] [6] Its name originates from the influential, property-holding Nana family, Lek Nana being the most prominent member.
Along with Soi Cowboy and Patpong, Nana Plaza is one of Bangkok's three most concentrated red-light districts. All attract primarily tourists.
The plaza's U-shaped building is roughly square-shaped, with a single opening on the west side, and consists of a ground floor and two additional floors arranged around a courtyard. It started as a restaurant and shopping center in the late-1970s. During the early-1980s, a few go-go bars appeared and gradually replaced the shops and restaurants. By the mid-1980s around twenty go-go bars had opened in the three-level court, taking advantage of the expansion of tourist hotels in the area.[6]
In 2012 Nana Plaza was sold to a Thai JVC company Nana Partners Co Ltd., co-owned by Fico corporation and Panthera Group (formally known as Eclipse group)one of Thailand's largest bar and nightclub operatorsfor a rumored US$25,000,000 after the land was inherited by seven sisters who wanted nothing to do with a red-light area. Panthera Group renovated the complex, becoming the landlord and providing the management and security services.[7]
Three short-time hotels, one of which has been renovated, operate on the top floor. Short-time hotels rent out rooms by the hour or more to patrons to take a bargirl for sex. Most bar girls in Nana Plaza will leave with customers upon payment of a bar fine. Smoking is banned indoors.[3] There are two elevators, one on the north side of the building and one on the south. The building closes at 03:00 and lies dormant until the following evening.[3] In 2016 two waitresses in the plaza's Bangkok Bunnies go-go bar said that they received monthly wages equivalent to £130 (US$165) and daily tips equivalent to £11–16 (US$14–20).[8] This compares with a 2016 average monthly wage in Thailand of around 13,800 baht (US$388).[9]
As of July 2019, Nana Plaza housed 30 bars and three "hotels".[10]
As of July 2019, there were seven kathoey ("ladyboy") bars in Nana Plaza;[11] [12] Several other bars have a few ladyboys in their line-ups mixed with their regular go-go dancers.