Pattaya’s Pin-Up Group has expanded again, taking over the troubled 79 a-Go-Go to create Eden and stocking it with the former crew from Identi.
The quick turnaround from 79 – directly opposite Pin-Up and next door to Baccara – was a bit out of character for the group that operates its namesake bar, XS, Chick and Atmos. (Dragon was sold off earlier this year and is not part of the group.)
Usually bar takeovers involve a substantial renovation and facelift. In this case, Eden looks almost exactly as 79 did when it closed last month.
The biggest surprise entering Eden is the faces who greet you: From the mamsans to 15 girls to the service staff, Eden is full of the crew that was fired by Identi about five weeks ago. To be specific, the mamasans and service staff were fired for alleged corruption and theft. The mamasans took the girls when they left.
Those allegations now are the problem of the Pin-Up Group, which has more experience preventing service staff and mamas from making phantom drinks appear on customer bins.
79’s Problems Never Ended
Pin-Up Group reportedly got 79 for a song from a South Korean man who originally started the club with a Thai and a Brit. It was a bar that catered primarily to Chinese tour groups and, when those dried up at the end of last high season, things got rocky.
There was a scandal involving one partner and the wife of the owner of a nearby go-go bar that ended, surprisingly, not in gunfire but a demand that the playboy 79 partner invest in the other bar.
According to the British partner – who also started then smartly got out of the project to create i-Doll on Soi Diamond – then the was the issue of the Korean partner who, to put it gently, not suited to having partners. He eventually was convinced to buy back the others shares.
After that, things went downhill quickly and it was only a matter of time before the Pin-Up vultures swooped in.
Eden Another Anchor Bordering Indiatown
The acquisition makes sense for the Pin-Up Group which, over this year, has seen its flagship bar decline as “Indiatown”, the southern portion of Walking Street that has been taken over by clubs and restaurants catering to Indians tourists, has continued to expand.
For non-Indian Pattaya fans, Walking Street now ends at The Hive. Pin-Up (and Baccara) were not worth venturing into Indian territory for. Eden at least gives those bars another anchor go-go to attract people to venture further south.
In addition to a low takeover price, the group also saved money on the interior, which always was uniquely lit with the walls and ceilings covered in programmable LED strips. The club also had a glass stage with lights inside, but those may now be broken, as they were off on Friday night.
Drinks aren’t cheap, though, with spirits starting at 190 baht. There is a 95-baht all-night special on various drinks and beers that runs Sunday through Thursday.
Eden is no more exciting than 79 was, and look how that ended. It’s worth a look, but keep an eye on your bin.
