Review of Friend’s Corner in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand is home to countless ladyboys. It’s known around the world as the home of the famous kathoey. Ladyboys can be found all over the country with most living normal lives and working mainstream jobs. More than a few go another route and get into the naughty nightlife business.

Some cities like Bangkok and Pattaya are filled with ladyboy bars. Other cities don’t have many of these places even though they are visited by thousands of tourists. Chiang Mai is one such city. Lots of people from around the world go there but the ladyboy venues are extremely limited. Outside of a cabaret show near the night bazaar boxing ring there is only one dedicated ladyboy bar.

Friend’s Corner is a ladyboy focused beer bar on Loi Kroh road. This road is filled with beer bars that make up basically the totality of the girlie bars for foreigners in the city. There are two genetic lady go go bars in town too but both are just a minute by foot from Loi Kroh.

The bar would be easy to miss as it has a small sign and is nestled among a lot of other bars and massage parlors but there are almost always some ladyboys sitting out front who are a lot more obvious. Like the cisgendered ladies on the strip they call out to guys who pass by in an attempt to get them inside of the bar.

Friend’s Corner is apparently owned by a Japanese guy though he doesn’t make many appearances. Or if he does I have missed them all. It’s a bar of normal size with an open front. Inside there are some seats, a bar to the right and a pool table in the back. The pool table is sometimes used by people who otherwise seem to have no interest in ladyboys. Go figure.

Since the poll table like the drink prices are just average for the area the ladyboys should be the main draw and for most people they probably are. It would be hard to tell for sure though since the place never seems to get all too busy. In low season especially it can go without customers for hours on end. That’s just the way things are in Chiang Mai.

There are ten to twelve ladyboys working at Friend’s Corner most nights. Variation can depend on the ladyboys. Sometimes they take days off, go on trips or get barfined for a number of days. Most of the ladyboys are good looking. They tend to be tall and attractive with big fake breasts that are very well done. Of course there are a few exceptions. Just as there are one or two absolutely stunning ladyboys there who could pass for regular women most nights there are also one or two rougher and more manly ladyboys with broad shoulders and probably even some stubble on their chins. Both sets get their share of customers and you might be surprised to know which set gets more. I guess it all depends on your outlook. Some guys want chicks with dicks. Others want guys with tits.

The ladyboys who work at Friend’s Corner are not pushy at all. If a customer doesn’t invite one over to sit with them they might not come at all. They usually don’t ask for drinks either. It’s up to the customer to ask them to drink. That’s a lot different than most ladyboy bars where the staff pushes hard for ladydrinks in order to get some commission.

Even the occasionally rude lesbian bartender is pretty easy going when it comes to drinks. She doesn’t push customers to buy drinks even though she sometimes asks for one herself in a halfway joking manner.

Barfines are reasonable at 500 Baht ($14 USD) and there is even a room available on top of the bar for use. Customers may prefer to go there through the stairs in the back rather than walking through the well lit and busy streets surrounding the bar if they are shy about being with a ladyboy. In Thailand most people don’t care much either way but a lot of the foreign visitors can’t control themselves and love to gawk.

Customers are expected to pay any ladyboys they take out of the bar for their time. The going rate is around 1000 Baht ($29 USD) though it can go up or down depending on the situation and the negotiations that take place. I am simply reporting the average fee paid.

At the time of writing all of the ladyboys at Friend’s Corner bar are pre-op with fully functioning tools. Since they work for money they all at least try to be versatile even if they have their own preferences.

Friend’s Corner, Loi Kroh Road, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Open 7:00P-1:00A. Click here for a map.