Pattaya Bars Update: Feb 2025 – High Season is Dead

Unlike Bangkok, high season died out quickly in Pattaya, with Pattaya bars seemingly rising and falling randomly, regardless of the night.

Sunday was a slow one on Walking Street, with lots of empty seats in the big Pattaya bars, although Fahrenheit was doing better, percentage-wise, than sister bar Shark Go-Go Club. New(ish) go-go Ka-Boom was doing good trade, with several groups having good fun with Ka-Boom’s young troupe of dancers. Off Walking Street, PenthouseX also brought in the Sunday night crowd with its mix of stages, Jacuzzi, swimming pool and VIP lounge, But the mega bars such as Pin-Up and XS all struggled.

Monday, surprisingly, seemed busier in town than Sunday. It was a parade of expats and long-time Thailand visitors at LePub on Soi Diamond early in the evening. And Soi Buakhao looked like God’s Waiting Room with every old and overweight white guy living in Pattaya seemingly out on drinking in Pattaya bars on LK Metro and in Soi Boomerang.

Heaven Above was particularly busy, with few seats to be had at all from 10-11 p.m. Cleo’s Hideaway upstairs also was humming well after midnight.

Sunday down. Monday up. Who knows what Tuesday and Wednesday will bring,

No More High Season in Pattaya

Many Pattaya bars owners and old hands think the days of a real “high season” for Pattaya bars is a thing of the past, never to return.

“The concept of high season is based on Western holidays like Christmas. But Asians don’t follow that schedule. And I don’t ever see Pattaya becoming a western tourist destination again,” said one owner with 20-plus years in Pattaya.

Pattaya now firmly is dominated by East Asians, followed by Indians, neither of which groups holiday as the same time as Whitey. For the Japanese, the big holiday weeks are in May and August. For the Chinese, it’s October or Chinese New Year.

But Chinese New Year is Pattaya was pretty much a bust this year for Pattaya bars and old hands think it always will be.

“The Chinese don’t come here now for their New Year. If anything, they leave,” said another bar owner.

With no traditional year-end Pattaya bars high season, Pattaya bars owners must adopt to the new schedule of their clientele and be prepared to be market and work on their businesses year-round, rather than just slumber from May to November and hope to coast the rest of the way.

Ladyboy Bar and Bust

For years, Kateoys ‘R’ Us on Soi Diamond had the monopoly on ladyboy go-go bars. Sure, there were trans gents clubs and beer bars on Soi Buakhao and Soi 6, but none with cocks in frocks dancing in Pattaya bars.

That changed in a hurry this year with the opening of True Color on Soi Diamond, Alice on the main Walking Street and another LB go-go on Soi LK Metro where Pandora’s used to be. Even the old Dollhouse on Soi 15 was angling toward opening with the third sex on stage.

Yet – especially looking at Tinder – you’d think ladyboys are everywhere in Pattaya bars, there seems to be a shortage of ones suitable for working in a go-go bar. Alice has been closed for several weeks due to a lack of attractive ladyboy staff, its owner said.

The other question is whether Pattaya can support multiple ladyboy go-go bars. With so many Japanese and Koreans now visiting Sin City, that shouldn’t be a problem, though, as those two groups seem to flock to them.

Electric Blue to Return

Contrary to a recent tweet from a Pattaya bars hound, Electric Blue has NOT reopened, at least not yet. Windmill owner David, who bought the Electric Blue license from go-go legend Big Andy during Covid, has taken over the tiny spot that, in the past, was Gentlemen’s Club, Insomnia Gents Club and Party Girls. He also moved the door to point it and the signage more toward the main part of Soi Diamond for better viability. But, while the frontage was decorated with red, white & blue balloons on Monday, the bar remained closed. The ballons presumably were to help recruit staff, as there was also a table placed out front for interviews.

Soi Diamond’s resurgence

There was a time – ending about 12 years ago – where Soi Diamond was as hopping with Pattaya bars and vibrant as the main Walking Street. Back in the oughts, throngs of punters were drawn to Diamond by (the original) Heaven Above, Carousel, Super Baby, Super Girl and New Star. All of those go-gos are long gone now and, for nearly a decade, Soi Diamond has been derelict and nearly dark.

But there has been a (slight)_ resurgence in the past year that looks to continue building.

The huge Shark Go-Go Club ate up the bottom right side of the soi where several go-gos came and went over the year. The old Carousel spot also remains vacant. And a Rocket Club has relocated to the old Super Baby spot. But unless you’re following a yellow flag or a tout, don’t expect to be able to go in.

The bar – which originally opened in 2008 and has moved around – is exclusively as “sex show” bar, promoted not with bright signage – it’s very dark outside – but by Walking Street touts who will bring you in charge you 500 baht to enter and then let you watch old beaters pop ping pong balls, darks and razor blades out of their orifices.

On the left side, there’s the aforementioned True Color ladyboy bar and the long(ish)-running Coco. The middle beer bars have been spruced up, with Carousel Beer Bar lighting up its bar, which no longer spins, and adding live music, which helps Diamond’s vibe.

Into upper Soi Diamond, there’s the new Electric Blue, Windmill 1 and 2 and signage that hints that David could open a Windmill 3 in another building he rents. Further  up, next to LePub, Milk a-Go-Go has reopened with new owners and Pattaya’s next go-go bar, i-Doll, could open by the end of this month.

The microscopic Nice go-go next to i-Doll closed with thoughts it could be bought and merged into i-Doll, making that single-shophouse bar wider. There’s also iNoodle, a fast-eats place, that ight or might not survive. If not, it too could be subsumed into i-Doll.

So is Soi Diamond back? Not yet, but it’s on its way.