Poseidon Entertainment Complex

Poseidon is one of the old names of the Ratchada strip, the kind of building that had a reputation before most of its rivals had a sign. According to its website it has traded since 1999, with themed suites stacked from the fourth floor to the eleventh. Reviewers report paying between ฿2,900 and ฿4,000.

It suits someone curious about the classic Bangkok soapy house, who wants the lineup, the themed room and perhaps karaoke or dinner in the same building. Skip it if pushy staff and tip requests spoil your evening, or if you want somewhere modern. Several reviewers say its best days are behind it.

The website lays the building out floor by floor. A Japanese restaurant, Ryujin, is on the first floor. The selection happens in a 'Modeling Lobby' on the third, where the women are presented for you to choose from. Floors four to eleven hold themed suites: Arabian, Egypt, Africa, Greece, Thai, Victorian and Palace. The Palace suite, at the top, has an oversized jacuzzi and its own karaoke system.

The website's FAQ describes the service as bath and massage by ladies, and also mentions Stardust Karaoke and Stardust Restaurant. English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese are listed as spoken. One recent reviewer notes that the old ground-floor display has closed and introductions now happen only on the third floor.

Poseidon's prices aren't on a published card. These are figures Google reviewers report paying, with tips and extras left out: reviewers report paying ฿2,900 to ฿4,000 for a session, with no length attached. One reviewer says the cheapest option was around ฿3,250, not the ฿2,000 they had expected. Another puts even the cheapest at ฿3,000 to ฿4,000 and calls Poseidon mid-range for this kind of house.

Budget for more than the session. One reviewer says the concierge who greets you and explains the fees asks for a tip on top; another says everyone inside asks for money. Agree the full amount, tips included, before you go upstairs. The VIP rooms volume compares other shops selling a bigger room.

Poseidon opens at 12:00 and closes at 23:30, every day except royal birthdays and Buddhist holy days, when its website says it shuts. Check the calendar before you plan a visit around a holiday. No booking channel is published; reviewers describe walking in and being met at the entrance. Payment methods aren't listed.

The address is 209 Ratchadaphisek Road, Din Daeng. MRT Sutthisan is the closest station, about 520 metres away, an eight-minute walk. MRT Huai Khwang is 750 metres off, about 12 minutes, and MRT Ratchadaphisek around 25. One reviewer grumbles that trees in front hide the sign, so watch the house numbers.

The 23:30 close leaves time for the last train. The rest of the strip is on the Sutthisan district page.

Poseidon holds a 3.7 Google rating from 290 reviews, and the recent ones range from one star to five.

The five-star reviews are mostly brief praise for a particular woman or for the place as a whole. Older reviewers who know the trade see it differently: several describe a once-famous house that has aged, with dated decor, and one calls it relatively economical for Bangkok all the same. One mentions a lounge for drinks, and another says it used to be popular with Japanese visitors.

The complaints repeat. Several reviewers describe staff who push for money, from a concierge asking for a tip to a madam one reviewer calls arrogant. Others say the session felt rushed or depended on luck, and one found none of the 15 women on offer to their taste. Go in with a firm budget.