Pattaya Thailand Essentials

One of the most entertaining and desired shows to see while in Pattaya, is the Ladyboy Cabaret.  These aren’t your ordinary ladies, but they put on one heck of a spectacular performance.  Ornate costumes, lavish decorations, and a giant cast, make this an undeniable tourist attraction.

The most popular Pattaya ladyboy cabaret show are Tiffany’s Cabaret and Alcazar Cabaret Show. Both of these are institutions in Pattaya and have been running almost 30 years.  They will amaze you with singing, comedic shows, dancing, and impersonations.  There are hundreds of performers in each company, and you will be amazed at the elaborate numbers they perform.

Prices for the shows average about 500 baht.  You can arrange to go to the venues by baht bus, taxi, or through an booked tour package.  They usually run several shows nightly.

The Tiffany Cabaret is also well known for putting on a Miss Tiffany World pageant.  A beauty pageant to find the most beautiful and talented Ladyboy in Thailand.  It is a well known show and attracts huge crowds.  If you are lucky enough to be in Thailand during this time, you can be a part of it.

These shows are put on by Thai ladyboys, also known as Kathoey in Thai.  They are males who live their lives as females as they believe that is who they truly are.  Some others may call them transvestite or cross dressers, but that is not the case at all.  They feel they are women born in the wrong bodies, and live their lives as full time females.

Now whatever you may think about this, they put on one heck of a show.  Dancing, singing, the performers are very talented and yes, beautiful.  Don’t be scared, go and check out one of the most recommended tourist attractions in Pattaya.

Pattaya has a number of high energy discos or dance clubs that party till the wee hours of the morning.  They are fun places to go with your girl or a few friends and dance the night away and pick up on members of the opposite sex.  These places open earlier in the evening around 11pm, but don’t really get going till later in the night.  By 1am and the crowds start to flow in.

You can find some really popular discos on Pattaya’s Walking Street.  Here you will find Lucifer’s, Marine, Tony’s, and Insomnia.  They are all easy to find with their bright neon signs set out over walking street.

The music ranges from hip-hop and club music to Thai pop. Most will have a stage with a live musical performance including singers and dancers.  There are also dancers stationed around the club shaking it to the music. They put on quite a show.  In addition to the live performances, they’ll have a D.J. on staff spinning tunes in between sets.

One of the newer and more popular discos is X-Zyte.  Located on 3rd road near the Buffalo Bar, it has become a well like dance club in the years it has been open.  Their performers are top notch, large screens, lots of room, and a laid back fun vibe to the place.  It’s a great place to bring your girl and your friends for a night out.  Definitely worth checking out.

The drink prices are going to be slightly more expensive than the Pattaya beer bars and GoGo Bars, but that is to be expected.  Most discos in Pattaya will also charge a cover charge.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 baht is pretty common.  But you will have a good time here.

If you are looking at meeting a girl, there are plenty of single Thai girls that go to the discos and dance clubs.  A lot of them are freelancers, so just be aware of what to expect.

If you are looking for a fun night out after hitting the other bars and venues, these Pattaya dance clubs are a great alternative.

A staple of Pattaya nightlife are the many GoGo Bars that dot the city.  Here you will find scantily clad Thai Girls dancing to the latest music.  If your looking for the best place to find go go bars in Pattaya, head to Walking Street.  Here you will find dozens of bars lining the neon drenched street.  Plenty of cute girls will be outside trying to entice you into their club, some even grabbing and pulling you towards the door.

The options on Walking Street may seem endless.  You will find many of the infamous names in the Pattaya Gogo bar scene, including Angelwitch, Peppermint Agogo, Living Dolls Show Case, Heaven Above, as well as many, many, more.

Now some of these venues are not all about having half naked or even fully nude Thai Girls gyrating in front of you – though that is the main purpose.  Some of the better known bars also go to great length to put on some pretty fine choreographed shows in between the go go girls.  Angelwitch for one, puts on a number of great sets, with costumes and traditional Thai Music to entertain the crowds.

At some point you will probably find yourself asked if you would like to buy some ping pong balls as part of the show.  This isn’t what a lot of you might think it is for.  At some point during the evening, they will announce it is time and customers will begin tossing their ping pong balls at the dancing girls they like.  The girls scramble to collect them, and at the end of the ping pong show, the girls get to turn them in for a few extra baht.  It is a fun way to tip the girls some extra money.

The prices of drinks in the gogo bars are slightly more expensive than those in the more laid back Pattaya beer bars.  This also holds true for ladydrink prices and barfines.  The operate in a similar fashion with check bins placed in front of the customer, however you will be located in seats around the main stage and not mingling around.  Some of the larger venues even have stadium seating to accommodate the larger number of customers.

If you fancy one of the Thai go go girls, you just need to make eye contact, give her a nod and a smile, and she will usually come over and sit with you after her set.  Unless she is previously engaged with another customer.  If you’ve been talking for a while, bought here a couple of ladydrinks, and get along well, you may want to take her from the bar for the evening. A quick side note, the girls make a slight amount of baht for each drink you buy them so it is good form to buy them a drink if you’ve asked them to sit and talk with you.  If you decide to take her from the bar, arrange to pay her bar fine.  Pricing on anything that happens the club is additional and between you and her.

Though Walking Street is the main area to find Pattaya gogo bars, there are many others located throughout the entertainment areas.  You won’t have any trouble finding one should you go looking.  There are also a few Thai Ladyboy gogo bars, so if that is not your thing just be aware they are out there.  If your a first time visitor, Walking Street is the place to go.

The beer bars of Pattaya are an important, if not legendary part of the nightlife in this resort city.  It has been rumored that there are several thousands of bars in Pattaya, while I’m not sure that is true, one could get that impression from the shear numbers you see around the city.  Every street seems to lined with them.

What is a Beer Bar?
A beer bar is typically an open air bar, in other words one that is open from the street.  They are typically small size and many of them will populate a soi (street).  They usually have a single bar, some bar stools and some other seating, perhaps a pool table, television, and loud music.

You may also find a larger beer bar complex such as the Simon Beer Bars on Walking Street.  These are large open air venues with many small bars under one roof.  You may find 20 plus of these small bars here.  Each one is packed with the girls behind the bar instead of out mingling with the customers.  You can sit, drink, and play games such as connect-four and Jackpot with the girls.  It is less intimate than the other venues you will find, but still quite fun.

Where are Beer Bars Found?
Well, just about everywhere.  And that isn’t far from the truth.  Between Beach Road and Second Road, from Walking Street to The Dolphin Round About, there are beer bars lining the streets.  You won’t have any trouble finding one.  And if one doesn’t quite suite you, you can easily pick up stakes and move to one next door.

How Do Beer Bars Work?

Beer Bars typically have a staff of hostesses as well as working girls.  Some of them will be on staff with the bar, but often times they will be freelancers.  Once you order a beer a check bin will be placed in front of you with your tab.  For each drink you have a new chit will be placed in the bin.  If you move locations you need to bring your bin with you.  You can close out at the end of the night with a hostess or the bar.

Make sure you check your slips before you close out to ensure you only have drinks you ordered.  It has happened more than once where someone elses slips have been placed in your bin and you are overcharged.

If you fancy a girl and would like her to go with you, you need to pay the bar what is called a ‘bar fine’.  This is the fee paid to the bar in order to take her away from the bar from the night.  It does not include anything else.  If you and the girl wish to make arrangements for later, that is additional and should be discussed with her.

It is always better to agree to terms before paying the bar fine and taking her from the bar.  At that point you are free to do as you wish.  Whether that is dinner, drinks, discos, or other night time activites, you now have a date for the evening.