Calypso Cabaret in Bangkok
By Sydney Tong on June 29, 2017. Read time: 2 mins.
Beautiful women wearing glamorous costumes made from feathers, sequins, and other fabulous materials dance on the brightly lit stage. Performers choose to sing and dance to songs by the divas of the century. This over-the-top experience had me in awe the whole time.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love cabaret, drag shows, and everything in between. I always make it a point to attend a show when I am in a new city and whoever is with me usually gets dragged along.
Thailand is infamous for their beautiful kathoey, or ladyboys. The term is used loosely to refer to a transgender woman or a man who likes to dress up as a woman. If you are into drag shows and want to support the local kathoey community, then you must go to Calypso Cabaret in Bangkok.
Calypso provides a live stage for performers to express themselves freely. These women work hard to give their best show. They train daily and meet regularly to go over performances and possible improvements. The show is entertaining, the women are beautiful, and the costumes and makeup are fantastic.
Tickets for only the show are 900THB and 1500THB (US$26 - US$45) for dinner and a show. There is a small show during dinner that includes traditional Thai dance. Dinner is authentic Thai food and is served an hour and forty-five minutes before the show starts. Show times are 8:15 pm and 9:45 pm with the corresponding dinners beginning at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm.
There are many different segments in the show, and the performers change outfits frequently. Many of the performances are within a group with some lucky women performing solo acts. They performers are beautiful, and the costumes are impeccable.
The show is interactive, and the host is not shy to go into the audience. The front few rows get the most action. We sat in the second row and loved watching the host single out the seemingly conservative businessman sitting in front of us! The louder the crowd, the more exciting the performance. Don't be shy
After the show, the performers line up outside to thank the audience for attending. The women are gracious and are happy to take photos. They are stunning and so so beautiful! I wanted a picture with all of the Queens. I think they were taken aback by my enthusiasm.
Getting to Calypso
Calypso is located in the Asiatique Mall (The Riverfront). From Khao San Road a taxi ride cost 100THB and took 30 minutes. The shows are in the evening, and I do not recommend taking public transportation.
There are a lot of boutique shops in Asiatique. Head there early to buy small trinkets to bring home with you. If you don't want to eat at Calypso, there are a lot of restaurant options in the area to choose from. Visit Calypso Cabaret Today
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