Pattaya is internationally famous for its nightlife, and has a reputation as Thailand’s naughtiest city. Many flock to Pattaya for the party atmosphere where the nightlife characterises the city and self gratification is on the menu wherever you go.
Whatever you are looking for, Pattaya nightlife has it all, from pub restaurants with sedate music to go-go bars and from trendy packed discos to world famous transsexual cabaret shows. Pattaya is also a great place for a pub crawl with very little distance between them, and many different bar types located closely.
Probably the most famous nightlife area of Pattaya is Walking Street in South Pattaya. From the evening until the next morning this road is closed to vehicles. The street itself and its adjoining lanes, known as sois, are all packed with go-go bars, massage parlours, beer bars and restaurants. It is crowded daily and the noisy bustle attracts those from all over. A walk down the street gives a visitor an eye opening experience of what Pattaya nightlife is all about. Apart from ubiquitous girly bars, Walking Street also has an Irish style pub and several discos which are usually packed and loud. Most of the action continues until two in the morning in this area.
Central Pattaya around sois 7 and 8 down to the beach is not as raucous as South Pattaya, but there are still a mass of beer bars, restaurants and other bars to contribute to the nightlife in Pattaya. This is an area frequented by many of the foreign residents of the city, and is more suited to a combination of drinking and chatting. As with all bars in the town, girls will happily sit with men if provided with a drink.
Nightlife in North Pattaya is quieter still, but even here there are probably a hundred bars. There are also restaurants and pub-restaurants with a variety of music from Thai folk to covers of modern western rock and pop performed by local bands and singers. North Pattaya is also home to the famous Alcazar Cabaret and the even larger Tiffany Cabaret, both of which feature beautiful transexuals who mime to both old and modern music while dressed in glitzy costumes. These remain extremely popular with tourists.
For the gay nightlife scene Pattaya has Boyz Town centered round Soi Pattayaland 1 and 3. This noisy and popular area has many gay go-go bars and beer bars. The adjacent Sunee Plaza is similar but both quieter and more private. Gay bars can also be found in other parts of Pattaya that cater for a more mixed crowd in usually quieter settings. Jomtien Beach is another gay meeting area.
Apart from the raucous side, Pattaya also has a number of other night time venues. Thai kick boxing known as Muay Thai can be seen at a number of bars scattered around Pattaya. These do not host events every night, so it’s best to ask at your hotel for information on where to go on a particular night. Pattaya also has two cinemas featuring English soundtrack movies. These can be found at Big C in North Pattaya and Royal Garden Plaza in Central Pattaya. The three bowling alleys can be found at Jomtien, on Second Road and in South Pattaya. Ripley’s Believe It or Not also opens fairly late with a number of entertaining attractions in addition to its bizare exhibitions.
Sometimes, a walk down the Pattaya bay promenade, simply people watching can be an entertaining and more low-key way to enjoy the nightlife, although you are likely to be accosted constantly by ‘freelancing bar girls’ who can be quite annoying with their persistance. It’s all part of Pattaya’s atmosphere. There are however, plenty of decent, quiet restaurants and pubs to hide in if the whole scene becomes a bit too appalling to your sensibilities.
The busy bars scene is Pattaya is a colourful melting pot of tastes and styles, and with more than six hundred known establishments to choose from, you’re sure to find something to suit your mood. The open air, hostess filled ‘bar-beers’ make up the majority of drinking spots, and plenty of go-go bars have made a name for themselves also. Whatever your tastes and morals there is something for everyone here. There is also a thriving gay and lesbian scene boasting a large concentration of bars and clubs in Pattaya.
Pattaya bars are an ideal place to let your hair down and drink the night away. The main bar areas are all easily linked by songthaew routes, but most of the time your destination will be near enough to walk to. The neon illuminated Walking Street is as good a place as any to start the night off, with a host of bars offering reasonable happy hour prices throughout the day and until mid-evening.
For more bars in Pattaya the nearby Pattayaland ‘ups the ante’ somewhat with a choice of go-go bars (both straight and gay) filled usually with scantily-clad females dancing in lacklustre fashion to a pounding bass line that tends to be a conversation spoiler. Along the Beach Road there are lots of outdoor ‘bar-beers’ which offer cheap beer, similar chat, and not a great deal else, There are also wine bars, a German brew house playing nightly live music, and a selection of bars doubling up as restaurants.
At the north end of the Beach Road, sois 6, 7 and 8 are very popular ex-pat hangouts. More bar-girl laden open-air venues get boisterous in a friendly way as the night progresses, situated in the vicinity of some of the town’s best English and Irish Pubs. Pattaya 2 Road serves up more of the same as does the Jomtiem area a little up the coast.
While government restrictions have made an impact on the former 24-hour drinking scene in Pattaya bars, the effect hasn’t be quite as severe from the new 1am closing time. A lot of bars in Pattaya either pay the police, or simply do what they please, so you can be guaranteed a late night drink somewhere. Nightclubs tend to stay open a bit later and there’s usually something going on which completely disregards the law and stays open all night.
Many of the bars in Pattaya are run by ex-pats, and offer a wide range of themes, bar food and facilities, including pool tables, sports TVs, music videos and live music.
Whether you fancy a bottle of champagne on the cliff overlooking the sea at Jomtiem, or a bottle of Chang beer in a go-go bar overlooking a pole-dancing routine in Pattayaland, there will always be someone on hand to fill your glass or replace your empty bottle.
Below is a list of recommended Pattaya bars:
Bamboo Bar: live music plays nightly in this busy bar and streetside lounge. Reasonably priced drinks. Near the seafront on South Pattaya Road.
Hard Rock Café: DJ and house band spin discs and cover tracks in this popular international franchise bar with large cocktail menu. Pattaya Beach Road.
Hopf Brew House: popular German beer hall hosting live music and fresh ale and a lively atmosphere. Pattaya Beach Road.
Pig and Whistle: often packed English local with sports, quiz nights and a damn fine breakfast. Soi 7, Central Pattaya.
Shamrock: mixed gay and straight crowd attend this well known British-run bar on the edge of the gay scene. Pattayaland Soi 2.
Kum Pun: Thai country-and-western-style bar with nightly live music of the Thai folk, and soft rock variety. Soi 2, North Pattaya.
Mojo Club: relaxing jazz club where you can sing your blues away with the talented musicians. Jomtiem Complex, off Thanon Thep Prasit.
Green Bottle: cosy, well-run pub with a good reputation and central location. Pattaya 2 Rd.
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