Tonight marks the start of the FIFA World Cup but for Thailand’s nightlife scene, it largely will be a non-event.
Past World Cup held in Asia, or even Europe, have been boom times for bars. But this year’s edition, held in North America, will see most matches televised in Thailand from 2-9 a.m. Only eight matches, starting Sunday night, will air at 11 p.m. or midnight.
Many would think British and Irish pubs will be able to cash in on World Cup Fever. But while The Sportsman and The Globe sports bar will (be trying to) stay open 24 hours a day, they will be the exception.
Pubs like The Shamrock in Bang Chak, now under new management, and The Shakespeare, newly opened in Ekkamai, aren’t open until mid-day and close at 1 or 2 a.m.
Go-go bars, of course, aren’t open during the morning so they too have to market just their eight group-stage games around midnight. Of these, the best places to see matches while enjoying dancing dollies will be Billboard, Butterflies and On Top in Nana Plaza, and Vicky’s Secret on Soi Cowboy.
Go-Go Bars Banning Meta Glasses
Don’t try strolling into Nana Plaza wearing camera-enabled Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses to see those World Cup matches, or even have them in your bag. Security is on to you.
While relatively new to market and rare in Thailand, Nana’s crack security squad is fully aware of what Meta (and competing-brand) smart glasses are and, even if they’re in your bag, you’re not going to be allowed into the plaza, World Cup or not.
Reports from Pattaya and Soi Cowboy indicate individual bar security guards also are aware.
An increasing number of incidents involving camera-enabled smart glasses is fueling widespread backlash from bars, clubs, restaurants, and privacy advocates around the world concerned about covert recording in public spaces.
The controversy currently centers Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, but the situation could worsen dramatically when Apple enters the market with its own camera-equipped eyewear late this year or in 2027.
Gizmodo recently warned Apple is “stepping into a privacy minefield,” arguing Apple’s massive consumer reach could normalize wearable cameras at a scale Meta has not yet achieved.
Cybernews highlighted Reddit discussions where users warned smart glasses could become unavoidable once Apple joins the market. One commenter described the devices as “a green light for voyeurism and perverts,” while others feared bars, clubs, gyms, and restaurants could become permanent surveillance environments where customers never know who is recording them.
Meanwhile, incidents involving Meta glasses continue to fuel the backlash.
Business Insider recently reported that Meta glasses are increasingly being used to secretly film strangers, retail workers and women for prank and confrontation videos posted online.
BBC reporting earlier this year also documented cases involving women secretly filmed by men using Meta glasses before footage was uploaded online, allegedly leading to harassment and stalking.
The controversy intensified further after TechRadar reported that users were modifying Meta glasses to disable the built-in recording indicator light, effectively turning them into covert “spy glasses.”
Sister Drinks
Speaking of Walking Street go-go bars, Palace and its affiliated bar have created yet another way to milk punters of out their money. Now, in addition to lady drinks, girls are being required to meet a quote of “sister drinks”.
The quota codifies the long-running practice of girls ganging up on guys to buy drinks for them and their friends, i.e., sisters.
But bar owners have sweetened the pot by not only paying the “sister” her lady drink commission (often 100 baht), but paying the sales agent 50 baht.
Of course, more commission on lady drinks means the prices of said drinks need to go even higher. 250-baht lady drinks are not unheard of on Walking Street, but they may soon become more common.
Pattaya’s Friendliest Go-Go Bar
Pattaya’s Rum Runner may be the friendliest go-go bar in Thailand.
Walk in and all the girls on stage, and a few who aren’t, wish everyone a big “hello!” It’s very ol’ skool or, actually, very Angeles City before the Korean invasion.
The warm greetings set the mood at little Mr. Egg’s Soi Buakhao go-go bar. It opens early, closes (relatively) early, plays retro music and has retro prices. No trip to Pattaya is complete without a visit.
Rum Runner is open during the day, but opens too late and closes too early) for live World Cup, but Mr. Egg might be able to put on a replay for you.
Dirty Money Sports
It’s interesting that Rum Runner has been such a success in its first year and the go-go bar directly across Soi Buakhao – Dirty Money – busted and recently reopened as a sports bar. Comments on the Dave Rave Facebook page post about it pointed to Walking Street-level lady drinks prices as one of the strikes against Dirty Money.
It’s unknown how many live World Cup matches Dirty Money will be showing.
Oasis Drying Up?
Word around Pattaya is that the incredibly overpriced – 450-baht drinks expensive – Oasis cocktail bar may not be long for this world.
What began as a very posh venue on the Cheapest Charlie of streets is falling into disrepair with burned-out bulbs, hanging wires and tatty upholstery and paint.
Oasis opened where Slutz a-Go-Go failed. Slutz bosses unsuccessfully tried to sell it, starting at 8 million baht and dropping their price 1 million before simply handing back the keys. The Thai building owner then sold it to a foreign Crypto Bro for 6 million baht. Another 4 million baht was spent on renovation to make it Oasis.
Online commentors all agreed it used to be a nice-looking venue but clearly was located in the wrong place.
“฿450 cocktails killed it from the opening,” wrote Marcus Rhoes. “Lovely idea. Wrong country/location.”
Perhaps they can show some live World Cup matches.
Soi 6 Monkey Business
The Monkey Banana bar on Soi 6 closed last month and was bought by the owner and manager of The Hive go-go bar on Walking Street, who immediately sliced the oversized bar into two separate bars: Elysium and Sinner. Located next to the former My Friend You bar, which also has closed, Monkey Banana opened in October 2024.
No Golf Parties
Soi 6 isn’t the only new venture for the same Hive bosses. Their other new venture, Party on Soi 15, plans to open soon with the former Shark and Jisoo go-go bar on the ground floor, a karaoke club on the middle floor and a roof deck with swimming pool.
All three floors are intended to open simultaneously, but one of the original features planned – a golf simulator on the middle floor – has been dropped.
Even without the golf (or World Cup), Party should still appeal to the targeted Asian crowd and will be a unique venue for Walking Street.
