Whether they’re spoken about openly or talked about in hushed tones, there are corners of almost every major city where the sex trade is thriving. From Nevada to Amsterdam, Paris, and Bangkok, red-light districts have occupied a place in the minds of artists, writers, self-professed bohemians, moralists, ethicists, and travellers for centuries.
Of course, a tangle of thorny dilemmas needs to be untied before you consider adding the world’s most notorious red-light districts to your itinerary. First and foremost, you’ll want to consider what it means to partake in a spectacle that quite often exploits already marginalized communities of women, LGBTQ people, the economically disadvantaged, and persons of colour. It’s important to keep in mind that many of those who participate in the sex trade are not doing so consensually.
There’s also the question of legality: While cities like Amsterdam have notoriously liberal laws that, ostensibly, make entering the sex trade a choice that’s regulated (and therefore de-stigmatized), in other parts of the world, it’s an outright crime. This is to say nothing of the involvement of sex work in exacerbating already existing cycles of poverty and violence in regions where tourism has already contributed to single-sector economies. The issue is made more complicated as sex work, like all aspects of life, moves online. In fact, the scene in many of the neighbourhoods listed below is nowhere near as intense as it once was (Geylang, in Singapore, is a case in point).
Now, with all that in mind, here are a few of the world’s most infamous red-light districts, ranging from outright sexual free-for-alls to sanitized tolerance zones and violent neighbourhoods where tourists should never be seen. Consider yourself warned!
Patong Market, Bangkok, Thailand
With its sky-high temperatures and fast pace of life, Bangkok is essentially primed for all things steamy and sordid. So it’s not surprising that the city’s notoriously laid-back attitudes toward sex work – it’s not exactly legal, but not illegal either – have made Bangkok a hub for the trade-in Southeast Asia. And while those facts certainly mean that you’re in for an experience walking the streets around Patpong Market, Soi Nana, and Soi Cowboy, it can feel more than a little sleazy, and concerns about human trafficking should not be underestimated. A tour of Patpong Market, past the mouth-watering street food stands and tables full of cheap T-shirts, is an assault on senses and sensibilities. You’ll hear hawkers selling everything from ping-pong shows to live sex, and most – if not all – of the participants can be had for a price. However, if you talk to most people who’ve witnessed these escapades, the effect is far from arousing. For those who do choose to step into the bars and clubs in these parts of town – particularly in Patpong – expect strictly enforced (and exorbitantly priced) drink minimums, aggressive management, and high-pressure sales tactics.
Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan
The host and hostess clubs of Kabukicho are the stuff of legend. Right smack in the middle of one of the busiest tourist quarters of Tokyo – Shinjuku – sits this sex-packed part of town. Here, bars staffed exclusively by pretty young men and women host visitors, and rates coincide with the club’s reputation. In most of these establishments, the men and women are paid to dote on customers, but services remain fairly tame (conversation and flirting). However, bars, where sex is for sale, are certainly on nearly every block in this part of Tokyo as well. It’s also worth noting that management can get extremely aggressive about how much a customer owes for drinks during any visit – and that sometimes doesn’t match the price quoted upon entering the establishment. It’s also worth noting that foreigners are sometimes excluded from these venues. And in case you thought that well-mannered Japan would have a spic-and-span sex trade, think again. Sex work is technically illegal (though there are ways around these laws), and organized crime plays a major part in the daily goings-on in Kabukicho.
Patong, Phuket, Thailand
Plenty of travellers land in Phuket with visions of palm-lined beaches, the turquoise Andaman Sea, and pristine beaches. And all of that can certainly be found across Thailand’s most famous tropical island. However, there are pockets where anything but basking in the sun is on the mind – particularly in Patong. The town is Phuket’s main party hub, and rowdy nightclubs and bars pound with live music until late. Much like Bangkok’s red-light districts, you’ll also find all manner of for-pay sex, sex shows, and anything you can imagine along with it. The heart of the action is clustered along Bangla Road, which is where some of the more notorious bars and clubs can be found, along with sex workers on seemingly every sidewalk. Keep your wits about you, as you would in Bangkok, as even entering one of the go-go bars can come with pretty steep fees for drinks, often aggressive management, and more-than-pushy demands.
Geylang, Singapur
For now, Geylang is still the largest legal sex-work zone in Singapore – but that is quickly changing. As Vice Media reports, the rise of online programs for sex workers is creating streets that are increasingly tame in Singapore’s once-notorious district. However, there are still a number of brothels that operate in Geylang, though you’ll find that the whole district isn’t quite as wild as it once was. Sex work in Singapore is subject to regulations, ostensibly with the hope of making it safer for workers and patrons. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, and low-budget hotels in the area – sex work aside, it’s one of the most famous local-food districts in the entire city. Geylang also happens to be incredibly central, though be warned that packs of gawking foreigners have been known to meet with less-than-happy locals.
