On Friday, a buddy of mine came down from Bangkok with the standard tourist request: “Show me how things actually work around here.” Honestly, I was planning to go out for a walk anyway, so I took him under my wing.
We started up North, hitting the new venues opposite Terminal 21. I’ll be straight with you—I am not a big fan of these places. They are way too Westernized. Expat bartenders, sterile vibes, and prices that are absolutely not meant for locals. Nothing really impressed us, but we checked the box.
The only memorable takeaway, aside from paying 1,000 baht for four beers, was running into an old acquaintance. She used to be a massive star at a very famous nightlife venue. Now? She can proudly, and for the first time in her life, completely truthfully tell people: “I just work as a waitress.”
The Neon Graveyards
We moved on to Soi 6. Honestly, it was a depressing sight. The street felt hollow, staffing was low, and the girls looked terminally bored. The absolute highlight of the strip was watching two Indian tourists throwing 20-baht notes into the air for a video. That was the peak of the entertainment.
Next was Walking Street. We did the standard lap, dropping into about five different go-gos. We walked down the street with zero issues—no human traffic jams, no chaos. It was quiet. Inside some of the clubs, there was a shocking lack of girls on stage.
We headed over to Soi Buakhao and LK Metro, and it was somehow even more deserted. Looking at the empty stools and bored faces forced me to make an executive decision. We needed to change the route.
The Real Pattaya (South Pattaya Road)
We jumped in a taxi and headed to a Ran Lao (Thai-style live music pub) on South Pattaya Road.
When we arrived, we had to stand in a 15-minute queue just to get inside. The moment we walked through the doors, the mystery of the empty tourist streets was instantly solved. I finally understood why Soi 6, Walking Street, and Buakhao looked abandoned.
Everyone was here.
“Hey Fon… hey Ploy… hey Ing…” I was nodding at every table. Oh look, Chompoo is here with her friends too. It was a massive, packed reunion of the city’s nightlife workforce off the clock.
At 3:00 AM, we migrated to a host bar with Tomboys. It felt like half of the Ran Lao crowd moved right along with us—the exact same faces, just a different room.
Here, the atmosphere shifted into absolute, unhinged fun. My Bangkok buddy was suddenly up on stage dancing among the Tomboys. At one point, one of the girls actually bought him a drink. I was table-hopping, bumping into more acquaintances, doing a shot here, a shot there. I looked over at the stage; my friend was definitely not bored.
The 9:00 AM Blackout
We stumbled out of the bar when it was already bright outside. A group of girls followed us out. I tried to wrack my blurry brain to remember if we had actually paid the bill, but I figured if nobody tackled us on the way to the door, we were good.
With this group of girls in tow, we walked into an after-hours club across the street.
From here, my consciousness started dropping frames. I have a distinct memory of opening my eyes. I was sitting on a chair at a table. A freshly poured glass of beer had just been placed in front of me.
I looked around. My buddy from Bangkok was nowhere to be found.
Sitting across from me were two girls. I recognized one of them.
“Where is my friend?” I asked, my voice thick.
“He left with Pla,” they replied.
I had absolutely no idea who Pla was.
I looked at my watch. It was 9:00 AM. On a Saturday. And the club was absolutely packed to the rafters.
Through the fog of the hangover, a sudden panic hit me: I have to push the “publish” button for the Saturday morning posts.
I stood up and told the girls I had to leave. They asked if I wanted one of them to come with me. I politely declined, reached into my pocket to pull out cash for the beer, and they waved me off. “Already paid. Forget about it.”
I finally woke up in my own bed at 2:00 PM and scrambled to get the scheduled posts out.
Why am I telling you this story? Because I constantly hear people complaining that the city has lost its pulse. People say the nightlife is over.
Pattaya is not dead. It is more alive than it has ever been. You are just walking down the wrong streets.
Have a great Sunday.
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