OK, I have to bring this topic up and describe the more seedy side of Pattaya's nightlife. Why you may ask? Because it's there and available to all. Also I may be able to dispel some myths about the so-called Thai sex-trade. I've had the good fortune (if that's true?) never to have come to Thailand as a true tourist (apart from a dive trip in 2007). Initially I came to the country with a friend who had both family and business there; so, in a sense, in at the deep end. Thus, I feel qualified to make the statements on this page.
Pattaya is well known as a resort and, in particular, its night-life and, it has to be said, its sex-trade. Yes, It has an unsavoury reputation which, in numerous ways, is justified. Essentially, Pattaya is more up front and on the bottom rather than the top shelf here. Similar 'goings-on' are in other cities like Amstredam and even Blackpool but they are tucked away from general view and you have to go looking for the 'action'. In Pattaya, its there in full view, smack in the face!
The streets are swamped with bars and clubs of every imaginable size and type catering for every taste, sexual orientation, race and creed.
There's visitors from almost every nation. Some, it has to be said, are less welcome than others but I am not prepared to air any racist comments on an open website.
In the last few years there's been a massive influx of Russian tourists. It seems their new-found wealth and freedom has allowed them to visit Thailand mob-handed. A bit like the Brits did 20+ years ago. The only comment I will make about them is they are certainly BIG drinkers! Their 'badge' of office seems to be a bottle of beer which most Russian males carry around with at all hours day or night. It also has to be said they are not popular with Thais as they're generally rude, pushy, arrogant and unsmiling to others especially the Thai people who's country they're visiting.
BARS: Many are simple structures; almost a roof on legs, ie, no walls. Clearly this is because it's so hot. The places all have row upon row of rotating fans hammering away at full tilt (you can see an example of these in the movie below); the posher bars have air-con as well.
99% of bars have two types of "staff". The serving staff on salary who serve drinks (mainly but some will do other "things") and the so-called bar-girls. These are 'attached' to the bar in that they will help serve drinks but they are more openly for hire. Most bars and clubs have a resident Mama-san who is in charge of the girls, their welfare and their conduct. All Go-Go's have resident Mama-sans.
Many bars have live music on offer and again every genre is out there. Many of the bands are very very good.
GO-GO CLUBS/BARS: The only truly enclosed venues are the go-go bars which are screened off from the street. This is a legal requirement to keep 'things' out of general view. Most go-go's have a similar theme; girls dancing around poles on a raised platform in various states of undress from bikinis to starkers.
These go-go's vary enormously in what they offer; from complete and utter sleeze (even I have been disgusted at what I've seen and would never go there again) to upper-class sophisticated clubs with leather sofas where you can enjoy the "show" with a G&T or a cocktail. Some of the classier ones have proper dance routines on offer from the girls with an almost cabaret feel to them.
These classier go-go's have fairly strict codes-of-conduct, one being you don't touch or photograph. This ruling of don't touch is waived when if a lady takes your fancy you can bar-fine her. Bar-fining means you pay the bar a fee or fine for taking that lady away from her job; these "fines" vary enormously.
Every girl, both dancing and service girls, has a number pinned on her ‘uniform’ or worn on a wrist-band. You can either ask any of the service staff that you wish to bar-fine number such-and-such and they will go get the girl for you or you can just smile and beckon to the girl. Once you’ve decided you will have to buy her a drink (these are called “lady-drinks”); the girl getting a percentage of what the drink costs you. These lady-drinks are often non-alcoholic fruit juice but you’ll be charged for, say a vodka-tonic. If the girls had an alcoholic drink every time a customer bought a lady-drink the girl would be unfit to work. Some girls, of course do take the booze option especially after they’ve accepted your bar-fine offer.
In many go-go’s every girl HAS to accept a bar-fine whether the girl likes the customer or not. This is often sad in that the girl could well get lumbered with an unsavoury character. The more upper-class go-go’s have a more relaxed attitude whereby the girl has the option of saying “no thanks” to the customer; the Peppermint, Baccara and Beach Clubs, for example. Some quote it’s their “time-of-the-month” to put the customer off politely.
Anyway, the girl will come sit with you and share drinks. If you fancy taking the matter further you can offer to bar-fine her. She will then go see the mama-san Once you've bar-fined a lass, she will stop work, go and get dressed (in her normal clothes) and come sit with you. The girl gets a percentage of the bar-fine. You can then either stay in the Club or take her for a meal, drinks or whatever.
Please be aware that the "whatever" does not necessarily mean she will accompany you into bed; that's negotiable!
You can bar-fine a lady for as long as you want. Some guys take a lady for days, weeks and even months and take them on holiday; this is known as "long-time". A simple bar-fine gives you what's known as "short-time". The sex bit, as said, is negotiable.
The greatest asset of all go-go bars is the girls themselves. Without them there's no show and no profit. Thus vast majority of the better go-go's look after the girls welfare pretty well. Every girl HAS to have a health-check once a month and provide a medical certificate of good sexual health. No certificate; no work.
Most girls are very sensible on the topic of sexual health and virtually all will have condoms in their bags. Most good clubs supply these to the girls gratis. Alas, there are no such "guarantees" with the so-called barr-girls.
On a similar vein, Thais generally and, in particular, the 'working' girls are very clean. If you take a girl back to your room, the first thing she will do is ask where the shower is. The customer will not get anywhere near between-the-sheets until you have showered.
Security in most go-go’s is tight and there are security staff everywhere. Most of the male service staff are potential bouncers; any trouble and you’re out.
In Pattaya city centre there’s two types of police. There’s the normal/everyday Thai police and there’s also the Tourist Police. They are a separate entity altogether and it is they who police the Walking Street and surrounding Sois. They are all foreigners (many are British police) who are more able to deal with trouble that a drunken tourist may cause or sort out any fights which, like in any city, that may break out. I have to say I have yet to see a brawl in all the times I’ve been in the area as there’s general a very happy hail-fellow-well-met aura about the city.
Pattaya’s night-life is spread right across the city. However, the centre of this as such are the Sois (Soi is Thai for road or street) . Palm-tree-lined Beach Road, as the name implies, runs down the length of the main beach and terminates at the famous (or notorious) Walking Street at the south end.
Between Beach Road and the parallel Second Road are the Sois that are numbered 1-through-13/4. Each of these Sois has a character of its own from ones with no bars (Soi 4) to unsavoury ones like Soi 6 (named by many as Soi Sex). Unaccompanied males walking down Soi 6 do so at their own risk as they’ll certainly get mauled and dragged by the bar-girls. I’ve made the mistake once and you have to laugh it off and keep walking.
The rest of the Sois have everything for everybody; from reasonably relaxed bars and restaurants to raving gay-bars; one Soi is known as “Boyz Town” and what happens there is obvious.
Others have bars staffed by Kathoeys or Lady-boys and they are a sight; some are actually beautiful looking “ladys” (and no I haven’t).
Sois 13/3 and 13/4 are known as Pattayaland 1 and 2. This area is dominated by gogo bars with small open air bars. The Sois after Beach Road becomes Walking Street continue as Soi numbers 14 to 16.
BEACH ROAD: This promenade type road runs more or less the length of Pattaya's waterfront from Na Klua and the Dolphin Roundabout in the north to its connection with Walking Street and Pattaya Tai to the south.
The seaward side of the road has a wide walkway beneath hundreds of palm-trees which line the full length of the road. Beyond this is the beach itself which has good sand which is kept clean by the vendors of parasols and deckchairs. Virtually the entire length of the sandy beach is undercover by means of thousands of parasols to keep the tropical sun at bay.
Numerous watersports; jet-skis, parascending, water-ski... you name it. You can also jump aboard one of the huge power-boats which will get you over to the islands, such as Ko Lan.
Ko Lan (or Ko Larn) is about four kilometres long and two kilometres wide occupying 3,411 rai (1 rai is equal to 1,600 square metres), Ko Lan is the largest of the "near islands" off south Pattaya, at the southeast end of the Bay of Bangkok, and on the east side of the Gulf of Siam. Administratively Ko Lan belongs to the Amphoe Bang Lamung, Chonburi Province.
It is an island of hills covered with low tropical forest. A Buddhist shrine is located at its highest point, 180 metres above sea level. The island has two small villages, Ban Ko Lan and Ban Krok Makhan, where there are lodgings and restaurants. Ferries connect Ko Lan to the mainland.
Most of Ko Lan's eight beaches are on its west side. Most visited is Tawaen Beach, where there is a small harbour. The beach is lined with small tourist shops and restaurants. Other beaches are Tonglang Beach, Tien Beach, Samae Beach, and Naon Beach.
Ko Lan has 1,567 hotel and resort rooms and two wharves.
On the other side of Beach Road, it is lined with an amazing differing assortment of buildings; from bars and restaurants, shopping mals and arcades to 5-star swish hotels like the Hilton, Marriott. Some of the shopping mals are huge like Central Festival which has entrances in both Beach Road and the parallel Sao Song or Second Road.
Alas, Beach Road has its very unseemly side as well. Both night and day it is lined with prostitutes. By day it's not too bad and you can walk freely and safely but after dark it is not a place to go for an evening or midnight stroll alone as thre are simply hundreds of prostitutes both male and female as well as the kathoeys or ladyboys. All possible tastes are catered for here. In the main their customers are people from Arab and/or Indian nations as they are generally not welcome in the gogo clubs; I won't go into why this is the case on an open website.
WALKING STREET: World famous road which carries on from Beach Road. The Street is closed to traffic from around 18:00 and by 20:00 it is seething with people of all nationalities.
If Pattaya has a heart then Walking Street is it. For many people this area is Pattaya. You will see all sorts of people in this area from mum and dad with the two kids to hard-core mongers.
Many come for one reason and that is the sex trade, but of course there are an abundance of alternatives like simple bars with pool tables and a mass of restaurants.
For the family visitor it is to look at it from the outside and for the single guy the reasons are obvious. You may at times feel like you are a zoo exhibit.
The main entertainment area on Walking Street extends for about 500m. On it you will find many go-go bars, open-air bars, pubs, restaurants and discos. A great many bars have live music while some are like those in the Soi 6, 7 and 8 areas off Beach Road.
Prices are generally a bit higher here to compensate for higher rents.
Off Walking Street there are many Sois to explore. Some of Pattaya best go-go bars are located on these Sois to explore. If that’s your fancy.
Some of my friends may recall me actually being offered a job as General Manager of one of the better-class go-go’s and that’s the Peppermint Club. I’m now glad I did not take up the offer.
No matter what your preferences Walking Street is a must do on a first trip. However, don’t get stuck there as it may be the heart of Pattaya but there is more soul elsewhere.
Whatever you may think of this side of Thailand and what goes on in the resorts like Phuket, Pattaya and parts of Bangkok every male, young or old, should experience what’s on offer. As a male, any male, it’s an unbelievable, fantastic ego-trip. Any unaccompanied guy walking down the Sois will be “welcomed” and harried to come into their bar for a drink and within minutes you’ll more than likely have several pretty bar-girls draped around you; if that’s the sort of thing you desire, of course. But it really is GREAT fun everywhere.
Having said that, there is no way I could live in Pattaya; it's really a bit of a cesspit to be honest; OK for a week or three's holiday, but after that ...
Pattaya's got a huge number of retired farang ex-pats living here permanently, they're everywhere. However, thay seem to lead such sad lives in my opinion; yes it's cheap, yes it's hot, but no Pattaya's not for me.
Those who know me well are aware that I am not a clubber or party-animal, but I have been mesmerised by Pattaya and still enjoy its night-life and this does not mean going into a go-go club; been there and done that, as it were.
This description of Pattaya may well have you saying why the hell would you want to go to a place like that?. Indeed, but believe me when I say it's nothing like Blackpool, Margate, Benidorm or Ibiza; it's way out there on its own with its own very destict cosmopolitan personality; it's truly a plce to visit at least once in your life ... you won't regret it!
Having said all this I still find it so relaxing to get out of the likes of Pattaya and Bangkok and get up-country where the REAL Thailand is. It’s certainly a very far cry away fro these places where morals are still very strict; it’s unacceptable to be seen kissing a lady in public, for instance.
Below is a short movie I shot of the Pattaya night life:-
Below are some stills taken on Walking Street.
