Bangkok's biggest brothel is set to become a hotel after Covid-19

Unhappy ending: Bangkok’s biggest massage parlour brothel Poseidon is set to become a hotel after Covid-19 obliterated its business

• Poseidon, Bangkok’s largest brothel, suffered a significant loss amid pandemic
• Visitor numbers collapsed after the business was forced to shutter for months 
• The popular Thai massage parlour is known for its luxurious in-house facilities 
• It plans to turn into a three-star hotel in a bid to survive the post-virus economy

The biggest brothel in Bangkok is throwing in the towel to become a hotel after its business was devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 11-storey ‘Poseidon’ massage parlour in Thailand’s capital boasted an in-house nightclub, restaurant and hundreds of luxury themed rooms filled with king-size beds and jacuzzis.

But the decor will now be ripped out and replaced as the building is turned into a three-star hotel, with guests being told nothing of its seedy past.  

Girls wore different badges according to their desirability and prices for a couple of hours in a private room.  Workers at the Thai brothel Poseidon are pictured waiting to be picked up

The Poseidon entertainment complex opened in 1999 was known as one of Bangkok’s star attractions, also housing restaurants, karaoke rooms, and bars.

In an entry lobby guests were able to pick from a selection of women to spend their time with, with girls wearing badges according to their price. 

Prices started at 3,200 baht (£77) for a couple of hours in a private room – with membership schemes for loyal customers.

But the complex’s visitor numbers collapsed in March last year when Thailand issued a travel ban to slow the spread of Covid, with ‘high risk’ businesses closed.

The venue was allowed to reopen late last year and tried to tempt customers back with images of staff thoroughly cleaning the hotel and its private rooms.

But it was closed again for a second time at the end of December amid another surge of coronavirus infections in the country.

A source at the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which owns the land and overseas the lease, said the Covid-19 pandemic had killed the massage parlour’s income. They now want to change their line of business to adapt to the new economy.

The source said: ‘Poseidon is on a large plot and their lease will expire in February 2024. They have requested a renewal of the 30-year lease along with a request to modify the 11-story building.

Despite Poseidon’s luxurious appeal (pictured), its visitor numbers have collapsed since March last year when a travel ban was introduced, shuttering ‘high risk’ businesses

‘Currently, they operate a massage parlour business but the Covid-19 outbreak has caused a downturn in business as there are no tourists. They have a budget of 200 million baht to turn the building into a three-star hotel business.’

As of Tuesday, Thailand has recorded 12,594 Covid-19 infections and 70 deaths.

A second wave started in mid-December when hundreds of Burmese migrant workers at a seafood market tested positive.

Cases have since spread to more than 45 provinces, prompting lockdowns and mass closures of businesses in some regions.

The state department owns the land which a number of high-profile businesses are built on along the city’s Ratchadapisek Road, including SCB bank, The Street shopping mall, Emerald Hotel, and Bangkok Criminal Court.

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