Butterflies Bangkok has done what none of the go-go bars that its predecessors in the top-floor space at Nana Plaza has ever done: Succeed. Indeed, it has done more than simply succeed. It’s has become of the top go-go bars in Thailand.
At the end of the first decade of the millennium, Carnival gave way to Lone Star which gave way to Jail Birdz, with long periods of darkness in the huge space on Nana Plaza’s right-hand side of the top floor. The owners of Billboard bought Jail Birdz in 2016 and in December of that year reinvented it as Butterflies.
Jail Birdz, patterned after the ill-fated Alcatraz go-go in Pattaya, had an inventive theme, with steel-barred cells lining a second floor and a raised glass stage between two main stages. But the gray and black décor and cavernous, high-ceiling interior felt cold proved uninviting to both customers and the ladies.
The new owners quickly went to work to make Butterflies warm and inviting, removing the cells, adding color the palate and boosting the number of entertainers.
Still, throughout 2017, Butterflies struggled. The largest bar in Nana Plaza was hard to fill with enough ladies to make it seem busy. At one point, a screen was installed to close off the 7,200-sq.-meter space in half to give it a cozier, more-intimate feel.
Finally, in 2018, the owners – who had turned Billboard into the No. 1 go-go bar in Thailand – decided to go big, or go home. Rather than continue trying to hire all the entertainers in-house, Butterflies went to the same dancer-agency model as Billboard and filled the stages with about 100 ladies a night, a number that would grow to 140.
“Butterflies and Billboard are two of the very best go-go bars in Bangkok and you can’t go wrong in either. Long may their success continue.” – Stickman 2019
It was a huge investment and even a bigger gamble, but it paid off spectacularly. Combined with upgrades to the lighting, sound and air-conditioning systems, Butterflies took off, never to look back.
Upgrades continued throughout 2019, with the installation of world-class, computer-programming lighting and a sound system to rival Thailand’s best nightclubs. Customer numbers began to rival that of “big sister” Billboard, but the bar developed its own identity. With a club-like soundtrack, massive floor space and unrivaled lighting system, Butterflies became the “party bar” with the club vibe, complimented by a massive lineup of not only dancers, but “spotlight” dance troupes and pole-dancing acrobatic shows.
Together, Butterflies and Billboard have become Nana Plaza’s top floor the first and only stop for many people, for good reason. Together, they offer a night of entertainment like no other in Bangkok.