Night Life In Pattaya

Pattaya is notorious for its steamy and raunchy nightlife. "Disneyland for adults", "Sin City" and more are how quite a few expats describe Pattaya.
Thailands many young womenfolk make their way to this once tranquil fishing village in search of fortune and success. Whether they find it or not is another matter entirely but when night falls the night-scene comes to life in Pattaya and along comes the farang. From the outlyling Naklua dark beer-bar outposts to the pumping heart of Walking Street and beyond expats, tourists, back-packers and babes all collide in a crazy microsm world the exists only in Pattaya.

Pattaya has it all, bars, disco's, clubs and, of course, go-go bars a go-go! If you've got the cash you'll feel like the playboy prince who is on a roll.
The nightlife here has not quite succumbed to government clampdowns so continues in earnest! This place is not for the family's wanting a beach-front holiday this is a place for bachelors to do what they do best and stick two fingers up at the establishment while doing it.

The 'bleeding heart brigade' led by lonely planet may complain about this place (and indeed along with any other that have bars with BGs in them), but just keep a cool head out there and don't upset the locals and you'll be alright (most of the time!).

If it's your first time to Patong Beach hit those bars and enjoy the blast! You won't forget it.
Be aware that if you keep hitting them like a maniac you'll end up a burned out expat wreck so keep it fresh and keep your cool. For examples just look for the bleary-eyed, tattoed, aggressive / possessed nut-jobs that are scattered about the place.

Pattaya City Center

Walking Street

Walking Street in Pattaya is where all the action is at, it's a thronging, seething mass of beer-bars, discos and women. Traffic is closed during the evening-time. We all know what beer-bars are like so here's a rough breakdown of the other stuff to do here.

The night-time venues in Pattaya are dominated by these places:

Candy-Shop: An open-fronted complex in Walking Street that is popular with tourists, backpackers. Live music is played here.

Differ: Nice disco that's popular with wealthy and well-heeled Thais.

Hollywood Disco: This disco is alright, but watch yourself or you might end up with a 'lady-boy' as a few gays hang out here.

Lucifer: For a place that is named after the devil it tries its best to keep up the dark goings on. Double-pricing for farang but free for the girls along with insane pumping tunes pulls in the crowds.

Marine Disco: Old school disco that draws in the expat more than the tourist.

X-Zyte: This place is more of an Expat and Bkk style discotheque with massive areas for dancing and moving. Entrance fees are high (300 baht+) but the coyote dancers more than make up, you are less likely to see freelancers in here.

Soi Patterland

An overspill of beer-bars, soi one and two are for straight people soi three is for gays (Boyz town).
Soi seven and eight has more beer-bars. The next area for beer-bars is 2nd road and then you're on the edge of the bar zone

Jomtien Beach

South of Pattaya is Jomtien Beach, over a mile away from Walking Street this is slightly less sleazy and racy than Central Pattaya but no less fruity. The resorts are newer and the beaches less crowded, some say a bit more peaceful.

Thap Praya Road

Country Road 3 complex is here. The girls and style is less pushy and more hands-off. Jomtien complex - A warren of bars honeycombed together, be aware that both straight bars and gay are here so expect to rub shoulders with 'the third sex' if you're not careful.
Nearby to Thap Praya Road is Dongtan Beach, a notorious gay pick-up zone. If this is your thing be aware that muggers and thieves often prey on tourists here, posing as sex workers.

Naklua & Wong Amat

North of Pattaya is where the bars and women start to get a bit thin. This area, however is like the last outpost for them. A Thai disco - Star Dice is here.

Entertainment Venues - Pattaya

Pattaya has plenty of clubs, not quite as many as Bangkok but enough to saturate the small surface areas they are concentrated in.

Pattaya and Beyond...

When the lustre and glamour of Pattaya wears a bit thin (which it will), expats often look to the nearby island of Bang Chan. This is like a mini-version of Pattaya complete with beer bars and the like.

If you're like us and need to get the hell out of the place entirely, then head east and explore the coastal trail further!