Pattaya Nightlife News and Reviews

New Living Dolls is centrally located on Walking Street opposite Happy A-GoGo

The bar seems to be marking time nicely perhaps to be ready for a good high season when the perennial visitors will flock back.

The basics of plenty of attractive girls and an efficient staff, along with friendly managers should hold them in good stead.

The drinks prices seem to be creeping up though, but there's a good happy hour and the cheap draft beer is retained for the whole evening.

My main low season gripe is that the show is a bit insipid, especially compared with the 'good old days' a couple of years ago.

But on the whole the bar is pretty much business as usual. 

Lollipop is centrally located on Walking Street opposite Soi BJ

Lollipop is one of the bars that has many of the features in place that makes for a good bar.

It is tightly run and plays it straight. There's no hassle and the staff and management are friendly and able.

There usually a fair amount of attractive girls and they have the full range of dress codes from over dressed coyote to very little.

The drinks prices are reasonable too.

All sounds good bar one design flaw. The bar has nearly all the girls dancing and the dance stint is overlong too.

The few girls on hostess duty, waiting their turn to dance, aren't particularly pro-active in searching out lady drinks either. Perhaps because their turn to dance will come around too quickly to make it worthwhile.

One contributor to a Pattaya forum suggested that they have worked around the over-dancing problem by sitting at the play table stage. It seems that the girls there can take good care of nearby customers whilst still nominally on their dancing turn.

Other than that, the bar is still worth a visit for those that prefer watching over interacting.

Peppermint has now introduced the incredibly boring darts and balloons show.

As mentioned before, Paris A-GoGo has changed and is undergoing a quick renovation. This has now been extended and Paris will re-open on 4th September 2010. The bar also promises a draft beer to be added to the drinks menu for the re-opening.

From pattayaone.net

Fire has gutted the Timeout ice cream shop on the eastern side of Walking Street near Beach Road.

Although the usual electrical short circuit is probably to blame for the fire, investigators are not entirely sure how the blaze started.

Timeout has proven very popular since it opened a few years ago and its owner will now be refitting the shop in time for high season

The Sweethearts A-GoGo on central Walking Street is reporting that it is closed for just a couple of days for maintenance.

It will re-open on Friday 27th August.

So just for a day, the number of Pattaya GoGos falls to 71.

Update: Re-opened

28th August 2010, Thanks to Ishi

The bar re-opened as scheduled but nothing visible has changed.

The 5 day closure was described as underground maintenance.

Slightly behind schedule, Paris A-GoGo has now changed hands and is now closed for a week of renovation.

It will re-open on 4th of September.

In the meantime the Pattaya GoGo count is now 71

We Are No 1 is located on Thappraya Road near where it turns into Jomtien Beach Road

If there was a prize for the most naff GoGo in the Jomtien area then We Are No 1 could make a valid claim.

It's certainly not the worst GoGo in Pattaya, that award would be reserved for those that were rip off joints or were hasslesome or dishonest.

We Are No 1 has no such negative attributes, and generally everything is fair, friendly and above board.

But it is the way it operates that is so naff. The bar features a stage full of below average girls and hardly any left over for customer care duties. There doesn't seem anything to entertain, either customers into watching pretty girls dance, or else those that like a bit of interaction.

Presumably the handful of customers simply aren't aware that there are 50 better GoGos over the hill in Pattaya, or else they go for the pretty good selection of rock videos shown on a couple of very large screens.

The Office A-GoGo is located in Soi LK Metro which is a dog leg connecting Soi Diana with Soi Buakhao.

I stopped by at an earlyish hour a few days after the soft opening.

First impressions are that the bar looks the part. It has a central stage with a Jacuzzi extension. There are two tiers of narrow bench seating down the sides of the bar and a couple of bays near the door. The back benches have a few long stretches without access points which will probably be avoided by customers.

The music was at a reasonable volume and included a few rock classics I hadn't heard in a while.

The drinks prices were very reasonable with a 60 baht draft and bottled beer at 85-95 Baht. Nuts were provided too.

So really the basics were in place.

There were a few attractive hostesses in office attire milling round but the bar connections suggested that some of these may be not interested in anything beyond being bought lady drinks. Up to them.

There were 12 dancing girls perhaps a little below average although there were a couple of attractive girls. This actually isn't too bad for a bar starting out. It takes a bar with a decent turnover before the bar can command the better girls.

The dancers were well overdressed though, 11 out of the 12 were closer to coyotes than gogo dancers. The dress code was generally knickers under negligee style shorts and a solid bra. One girl had a flapping open blouse that just about rescued the bar from being re-designated as a coyote bar. 

The girls were organised into two shifts of 6 dancers. None of the dancing girls were being friendly with customers after their dance stint.

So for the moment, the bar doesn't really offer much for those that like interactive dancers  nor those like to see their dancers nude. But it looks as if the basics are in place that will probably allow for improvement.

Still there were actually a goodly number of customers stopping buy for a look, but mostly stopping for a quick drink and then off.

Club Boesche is located in the Covent Garden Complex on Soi 16 just off Waking Street.

Customers are a bit thin on the ground at the moment. But rather unexpectedly, I have found that Club Boesche have been one of the more positive bars in looking after the customers that do wander in.

Particularly true of the Jacuzzi girls towards the back of the bar. During my last couple of visits they have obliged with a bit of friendly interaction and some good matchmaking with a few pretty girls of the bar.

Sitting at the back though reveals some of the design flaws of the bar. The Jacuzzi is a bit too far away to provide much of a show and the main stage is simply out of view. Not even enough view to see if other customers were enjoying their visit also. If it wasn't for the friendly girls that entertained me at my seat then there wouldn't be much to enjoy.

But for the moment I can report a couple of good recent visits to the bar.

Powers Club A-GoGo is located on central Walking Street above Champion A-GoGo

I stopped by during happy hour but the bar was pretty underwhelming with probably a dozen dancers and a couple of hostesses. There were more coyote dancers than girls in bikinis or less, which sounds off a few danger bells.

One of the hostesses was friendly enough to stop by for a chat and she told me that the bar has a late night life, more as club than a GoGo. She suggested it is best to come back at 2am.

But really nothing much doing to keep early birds in the bar. So the GoGo seems doomed to be one on the circuit of bars destined for a single beer.

Baby Dolls A-GoGo is located on Soi 15 a short distance off Walking Street.

The bar is sticking to a good system, and has now maintained high standards of fun for a long stint.

The bar has two threads of entertainment. There are the naughty show girls that have a circuit of the the play mat stage and then the Jacuzzi, working in teams of two. They are amongst the naughtiest in town with props such as bananas being put to good use. Plenty of customers will head straight to stage side seats for the 'shows'.

The other option is the more traditional centre stage gogo dancing. The available girls split into 3 teams (2 later on the evening when a fair few girls tend to drift away with customers). The girls dance just a few songs before a shift change for the next team. This works really well as the girls spend most of their time earning tips and lady drinks by sitting with customers.

The girls seem to generally prefer sitting on your lap rather than sitting at your side. I am sure this does wonders in terms of tips earned.

It is one Pattaya's best bars for a reliable chance of good close up, and hands on, customer care.

The only times I have ever made a hasty getaway is when the bar gets a bit crowded and there aren't enough girls to go around. There's nothing worse than watching other people enjoying themselves so much when you are missing out.

The French group that runs both Tiger and Shark Club A-GoGo plus several other Gogo Bars in Bangkok will open their latest Walking Street venue next month.

This will be at the location where Paul's Tailor used to be until a few weeks, ie on the east Side close to Soi 14.

Wanthana's Dance Club duly opened on 15th August to a slightly underwhelming reception, but review to follow.

Pattaya's GoGo count therefore stands at 71 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

It will rise to 72 when The Office A-GoGo opens to the public presumably on the 18th August. The opening today is slated as an invitee only affair. Sounds like starting off on the wrong foot with an opening day where customers aren't invited.

The Office is located on Soi LK Metro in the venue that was last Ice Bar.

Arch over Jomtien's main road. I wonder how this got council approval?

Thailand is known for its anything-goes sex industry, and stag parties are simple to organize and host. But what about a hen party, that final blowout before a women commits herself to the institution of marriage?

In Thailand, there are no Chippendales dancers or legitimate businesses you can just call up and order male strippers from. Everything is behind a veil of secrecy, therefore an investigation was needed. But the biggest question was where to start.

First of all, it's incredibly difficult to get past the façade of Thai conservatism. Most of the newlyweds I spoke to said the hen parties their friends held for them were quiet little outings to the beach. Nothing like those drunken stripper-filled nights out on the town many women in the West love to hold for their friends.

So there I was, without a lead. This story seemed to be headed nowhere fast. Until a gay friend tells me there is a beach in Jomtien outside of Pattaya about an hour and a half away from Bangkok where women can hire male strippers to dance at their chosen venue. For Western men, head to the beach

Pattaya is a seaside resort renowned for its sin, a prostitution and mafia-filled den of inequity that would make the perfect backdrop to a bad Hollywood movie, possessed by a foulness so evil that Darth Vader would feel intimidated here. [Get on down there]

We soon find what we are looking for. Sure enough there are Eastern European-looking men loitering around the front of bars. Prices for the men of course vary, but they are willing to dance -- illegally, we might add, so hire at your own risk as I'm pretty sure they don't have work permits -- for either men or women.

The lesson I quickly learn in all this is that Bangkok's gay community is the best place to head if you want to plan a wild bachelorette party.

As soon as I'm back in the city, another gay friend calls to say he heard about my assignment and tells me to tag along to a hen party he is hosting for one of his female friends. Calls are made, a tux is dry-cleaned and a few days later I find myself face to face with the dangling scrotum. 'Take it off! Take it off!'

The pretense of the party is a small gathering of friends, together for a wine-tasting course. What the guests don't know is that the waiters are actually strippers -- and do the job quite well, one might add.

If you want to hold a hen's party with strippers your best bet is to hire them from a gay bar and hold the party at a private venue. Or, if you don't mind being surrounded by men, just take your crowd to the gay bar.

We advise against checking out Bangkok's lady-toy bars, which offer male escorts for hire. Not only is prostitution illegal in Thailand, but, as a recent Bangkok Post article explains, customers can be intimidated by the waiters and security staff and hassled to buy high-priced drinks for themselves and their dates . The scene can also get pretty shady, with reports that the men for hire often expose their genitals -- some wearing a condom -- whether on the stage or approaching female customers at a table. That's probably a bit more full on than most ladies want from a harmless hen's night out with the girls.

...Read the full article

Paris A-GoGo is located on Soi Diamond just a few paces off Walking Street

August is holiday month for Parisians and they tend to shoot off to the beach or the country for the month. This leaves the Paris night spots a little bit quiet for the period. And the Pattaya Paris seems to be suffering a similar lack of custom.

I actually popped in a couple of days before the rumours of a sale were reported. And it was deathly quiet. This is particularly bizarre for a bar so well situated a few paces from Walking Street.

The bar doesn't do anything bad as it is tightly run, there are no hassles and no funny business. It is more that the bar doesn't really do anything very positive.

The bar has average girls for Walking Street, and the average is pretty good. But it doesn't have the top notch girls that attract those customers that like to watch top talent.

Many bars don't have the top talent, but can still make a good go of it by deploying interactive girls to go and keep the customers personally entertained. But Paris is sadly lacking in the interactive front too.

And if all else fails bars can always opt for a cheap bar option to attract another sector of the customer base. But Paris doesn't even offer a draft beer. The 90-110 Baht bottled beer is not in itself expensive, but it is poor value indeed, given the low chance of a worthwhile visit.

Surely a change of hands will generate a much needed kick up the butt.

The GoGo taking over from Betty Boup Dance Club on Soi 6 is set to open on Soi 6

 The sign has now gone up bearing the name Wanthana's Dance Club.

The opening is set for Sunday 15th August.

In terms of theme, the bar has opted for the white seating look with light blue paintwork for the rest.

The GoGo taking over from Betty Boup Dance Club on Soi 6 is currently under construction.

It seems that it will re-appear under the rather unlikely name of Wattana's.

In terms of theme, the bar has opted for the white seating look with light blue paintwork for the rest.

The Office A-GoGo on Soi LK Metro has announced an invitee only opening on 17th August 2010.

Meanwhile on Soi 6 Betty Boup is now closed whilst undergoing a quick refit and a change of name.

This leaves the Pattaya GoGo count at a low tide mark of 70.

Paris is still open with plans for a short refit announced but not actually happening yet.

Also Cats Place GoGo has re-opened behind the Tuk Com computer mall just off Soi Day Night. The opening blurb announced that the bar will feature girls and lady boys. But it seems unlikely that a girly presence can be maintained in such a predominantly gay area. Also I am not sure that the bar actually features bikini dancing or not. For the moment Cats Place is not included in the GoGo count.

Roxy is located on Walking Street near the Walking Street Tree

For those that like a bit of a show, then Roxy is one of the best on Walking Street. It features very attractive girls, a generally fun atmosphere and also a cheap beer option.

In fact a few months ago it was also starting to capture a share of the market of those customers who prefer to interact with the girls. I may have been unlucky on my last couple of visits, but there were few girls on hostess duties whilst the stage was packed with dancers. A late night visit had to be a quick U turn as every single available girl was set to dancing with none to take care of customers.

But returning to those that like the show, then the bar offers alternate shifts of a stage packed with lively dancers and then show girls in a choreographed erotic presentation. Not quite as professional as Angelwitch, but not bad. Not quite as naughty as certain 'specialist' bars, but not bad.

Male service staff is a bit of a downer though.

There are also many attractive welcome girls that can be enticed in, but the lady drinks have to flow freely otherwise they soon have to depart back to welcome duty.

It has been announced on Pattaya Secrets that Paris A-GoGo on Soi Diamond has changed hands. There will be a very short closure at some point for a quick refurb.

Meanwhile there is similar on Soi 6 with Betty Boup changing hands. It will also reopen after a quick turn round with a new name.

FLB is a hostess bar located just by the Walking Street Tree.

The bar seems to have invested in some slightly more pro-active welcome staff. A couple of attractive girls seem to be more likely to pull people in than has been the case for a while.

The welcome girls are, by default at least, pinned to the door. At an earlyish time there were about 6 hostesses available inside. There were a couple that were attractive.

I chatted to one for a while. She made for good company and the drinks were reasonably priced so it made for a nice stay.

Eventually the band came on. They were very competent but ultimately didn't grab my attention due to the usual over familiar tunes.

The bar seemed to fill up a bit though with what I guessed were regular customers. Not sure if there were enough girls to go around at this point. So perhaps better later for people with their own company.

Betty Boum opened as a GoGo in early 2009 in the venue that used to be Spicy A-GoGo.

It never really made the grade, possibly down to highish prices and being a bit reluctant for the girls to get naked. A while back it gave up as a GoGo and became a 'pub', but now it seems to have closed completely.

Up on Soi 7 the large beer bar of Amazing Paradise as joined the list of bars not quite amazing enough to stay open.

But on the plus side, beer bars have now opened in the refurbished complex at the corner of Soi 8 and Beach Road.

The word on the Pattaya forums is that Paris A-GoGo is set for closure on 9th August.

Paris seems to have stayed as a traditional gogo with not much beyond dancing girls, when all around have upped their game.

The owner Louis seems to have a fair friends who stop by for a drink and a chat though.

Classroom A-GoGo is a coyote bar on Soi Pattayaland 2

Classroom A-GoGo has long been banished from the Thai-Anxiety GoGo listings for wearing way too many clothes. And the girls are still over dressed with the usual Britney Spears attire complete with skirt, knickers, blouse and bra.

There were maybe 15 girls in the bar of which 7 were dancing an over long roster. They were below average but there were a couple of dancers that were attractive enough. On average, a little over aged and over weight. I wonder if letting the girls wear so many clothes may rather attract the girls who need to cover up.

The girls seem friendly and willing to come across for a chat.

The draft beer is well over priced at 100 Baht.

Surely as a GoGo the bar offers poor value. But the bar seems to have an alternative role as a hangout bar along the lines of TQ1. There seemed to be quite a few customers having a chat on the high level part of the bar. They were generally chatting amongst themselves and ignoring the dancing.

Silhouettes is an aircon bar that has just opened on 2nd Road opposite Royal Garden Plaza replacing Lineker's Bar

There were four girls waiting outside the door of which a couple were nice and the others a bit old. So I made the usual signs and wandered in, only to notice that my choice was overruled and an oldie followed me in. Normally I would do a quick U turn but as I wanted to see the bar I let it ride.

Inside is a nice newly decorated bar with comfortable seats and good aircon. The seating area looks badly laid out though, with the large majority of seats in a communal area looking as if it has been designed for large parties of friends with all the seats overlooking the others. Surely the bar would be better designed with bays and mini barriers that give cues of privacy. There is one seating bay however, and the 2nd customer to enter was quick to bagsy that area.

The entertainment options are pretty slim in the bar with a single picture of a lady repeated many times around the room and TVs showing the FTV fashion channel.

Prices were distinctly poor value at 100 Baht for a bottled beer and 130 Baht for a lady drink. There are menus on the table but somehow these neglected to include the prices.

The bar is attractive enough that it may find a niche as a smart set drinking bar, but I rather suspect that the expats won't put up with expensive drinks and the silly tricks with the eye candy being pinned to the door.

Peaches Bar has now closed on Walking Street. It was a smart looking open bar located in front of Lollipop A-GoGo on central Walking Street opposite Soi BJ.

The sign has already been taken away so perhaps there are plans afoot for something else. It surely is a prime location.

The bar opened back in October 2008.

A braver soul than I has reported has reported that Galaxy Cabaret has temporarily closed for renovation.

It sounds more likely that the bar has been put on hold until tourist numbers improve. Anyway there are still plenty of East European dancers at the sister bar Lady's Shadow next door. This is located on central Walking Street opposite Soi BJ.

For the moment then there are now just 71 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Casnovy is located on Walking Street towards the Beach Road end.

The bar has now installed 2 small bath tubs in a new space created to the left of the entrance.

They are pretty small being just about a square metre and there is no head shower.

There is bench seating surrounding the tubs so that sounds promising. But on Saturday night the tubs were all watered up but no signs of a bathing beauty as yet.

Champion is centrally located on Walking Street.

First of all it is was good to feel that the aircon has been fixed since my last visit, although maybe they are still economising somewhat.

And whilst thinking of improvements it was also good see a handful of very attractive girls on the dancing team. Still plenty of old stagers though. The bar has decided that knickers are now required whereas on a previous visit, these were considered as overdressing.

The drinks prices are still more or less the cheapest on Walking Street.

In fact the bar seems well run and a decent place for a beer.

It never seems to warrant more than a beer though, primarily because the girls seem to be always dancing with little time left to sit with customers. This seems to have been an almost permanent failing ever since the bar introduced the table dancing tables. Just too many dance positions to fill for the amount of girls sustainable by the customer base.