Angelwitch Pattaya to Be Reborn as High-End Nightclub

Angelwitch Pattaya 2023
Angelwitch Pattaya 2023

Angelwitch Pattaya, once the best-sounding and arguably best-looking bar ever in Sin City, is rubble and will be converted into another mega nightclub.

Demolition work on the iconic Soi 15 amphitheater began in May after the building was acquired by the owners of nearby Sapphire Club and Lady Love on Soi LK Metro. The roof and major support pillars have since been removed, leaving the exterior walls, which had been crafted to fit the odd-size lot on which it sits.

Angelwitch Pattaya Unparalleled

In its heyday, between 2011 and 2014, Angelwitch Pattaya was an unparalleled experience and sounded amazing. Purpose-built to be a showbar theater, its oblong stage was encircled by rows of stadium seating with not a bad view in the house. A second floor was less used, but was a place for a quieter drink or, later, Jacuzzi fun.

The acoustics were incredible, enveloping guests in sound without ever being too loud, with rock-concert caliber lighting.

Despite the no-expense-spared environment, Pattaya’s changing demographics and the rise of the agency-coyote model sent Angelwitch into a long, downward spiral. There was a time when the best-looking women in Pattaya did the shows at Angelwitch. But they could not be barfined before 1 a.m. and many wouldn’t go anyway.

Then, as the agency sharks took over, the rates for the best girls went up and up, with management finally drawing a line in the sand.

Meanwhile, Pattaya’s shift from western tourists to Russians and Chinese led to slower nights, despite the fact Angelwitch was the perfect couple’s bar.

Angelwitch Pattaya finally called it quits on June 4, 2018. Any chance of it reopening as a go-go bar were snuffed out by the coronavirus pandemic. It was during that time that Sapphire’s owner and a team of investors acquired the lease for the land.

The plan is to create yet another Pattaya super club, in the model of Republik, Myst, Tunnel and Club Insomnia. The hoped-for schedule would have the new dance club open in late December or January, but a look at the building site this week leaves anyone familiar with the snail pace of Thai construction companies dubious it will be ready for high season. Owners, however, remain confident it will come together quickly.

Can Pattaya support yet another expensive, high-end disco? Marine Disco, the city’s oldest, finally gave up the ghost this year, unable to compete. 808 and Lucifer are limping along. Most people haven’t even heard of Tunnel. Time will tell.