The worst is over and order has been restored to Bangkok. So is it safe to travel to Thailand again? The answer depends on a few factors. Truth be told, even with all the coverage on the international television about the protests and violence in Bangkok, if you were not in the main areas of the protest you were still safe, and wouldn’t have known what was going on if not for the TV. Areas like Pattaya, Phuket, and Ko Samui, were not effected by the turmoil of Bangkok at all, except for the curfew.

That being said, things could have taken a turn for the worse and gone to all out civil war had the conditions been different. It is always easy to look back and make a judgment call. I feel that our advice earlier to avoid Thailand for the time being was sound. Looking at the destruction and curfew that took over in most of the country, you got a glimpse of the nastiness that could have been much, much, worse.

For the time being it appears to be safe to travel to Thailand once again. The main storm has blown over. However, the underlying problems still remain. I won’t go into explaining the undercurrents of what is happening there, there are many opinions on that matter, and several posts could be written about it. But knowing that the problem in Thailand is still unresolved, it is best to keep updated on the situation there until your trip or vacation has come and gone. The Bangkok Post website is a good way to get up to date news. As well as the local news websites of your favorite destination of Pattaya or Phuket.

Now, bear in mind, just because the turmoil in the streets of Bangkok has been squashed, doesn’t mean that your government has yet to lift it’s travel advisories. Take a look at your State Departments website to see if their travel advisory is still on. Here are the links to the U.S. and U.K. travel advisories.

Why do you care about travel advisories? The most important reason is travel insurance. Most policies won’t make good on any claims where your government has issued a travel warning about going to Thailand. You need to have insurance when traveling abroad and certainly to Thailand. Accidents happen and you need to be covered. Make sure you check with your travel insurance company about whether you are going to be covered by your policy.

The streets are clear, the curfew is gone (well it’s almost gone and maybe by the weekend), and it is safe to travel to Thailand again. There is still rebuilding that needs to be done, not only the brick and mortar kind, but also the fabric of a country slowly being torn apart. Watch your government’s travel advisories, check your insurance policy, and watch the Thai news sites to keep updated. Things change, and they don’t usually make international headlines till they are on the verge of something nasty.

Overview
The Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya is one of the prime places to stay on the beach.  Located between Soi 6 and 7 in North Pattaya, it is conveniently located a short baht bus or mototaxi ride from the heart of Pattaya Nightlife.  Although you could walk, the baht bus is cheap and convenient way to get around, and very easy to grab one in front of your hotel.

Located on Beach Road, you can walk across the street to the beach or just lounge around by the pool.  There are many amenities that you would expect to find at any Hard Rock, including the lounge, restaurant, and excellent swimming pool.

Check Discounted Rates At Agoda

Room Accommodations
There are a variety of rooms available at the hotel.  The Superior and Deluxe are the most reasonably priced.  You can get rooms with queen size beds, but there are also those with doubles, better specify when you book.

If you are looking at something a little nicer, then the Kings Club rooms are for you.  They come with either a city or ocean view.

Like most Hard Rock Hotels, the one in Pattaya is also decorated in the the rock and roll style.  With large paintings of famous musicians as art work in the room.

Amenities

• The Hard Rock Cafe is located on premises.  It has some good food, and live music in the evening.  A great place to grab some food before a night on the town.
• There are also two other restaurants on site.  The Starz Diner which serves a wide range of food, and the Starz Deli, which has New York Style Deli food.
• The eBar is located in the lobby and provides high speed internet for checking your emails.  They also have a suite of computer games available, but I’ve yet to meet anyone that has played them.
• There is a pool on site that is quite large and what you would expect from any Hard Rock Hotel.  A pool bar is available to quench your thirst while sunning yourself in the warm Thai sun.
• There is a well equipped gym for those that wish to get a little exercise while on vacation.  For those that would prefer to pamper themselves, there is a spa so that you can indulge.

Service
The Hotel is well cared for and provides daily housekeeping.  Laundry service is available for a small charge.

Room Rates
This hotel is a little more expensive than some, but you are paying for the name as well as the service and onsite amenities that a lot of other Pattaya Hotels don’t have.
You will find rates ranging from 3,200 – 5,200 THB Around Peak season or about $100 – $160 USD.

Check Current Rates And Availability

Summary
Overall a good hotel, although a little on the pricier side for my tastes.  It is a good hotel in North Pattaya if you want to stay a bit farther away from the nightlife and craziness that happens closer to walking street.   Though the craziness of Soi 6 is only a block away.

One of the most infamous streets in the world, Walking Street Pattaya is known for it’s bright neon lights, loud music, go-go bars, beer bars, discos, restaurants, and of course girls.

Walking Street closes down to traffic at 6pm and becomes the center of Pattaya Thailand’s nightlife.  For the first time visitor the sights and sounds of 1000 meters of debauchery can be overwhelming.  There are go-go bars and beer bars lining the street, with a bevy of beautiful Thai girls outside trying their best to get you to come in and have a drink or two.

In addition to the beer bars and gogo’s, there are a number of great restaurants, souvenir and t-shirt shops, and entertainers putting on street performances.  There are girls and ladyboy’s packed into every bar and many freelancers working the street.  The number of freelancer’s increases as the night gets later and bars around other parts of Pattaya shut down.

If you are looking to shoot a game of pool and not be hassled by the girls, there are a few bars that cater to this as well.  Up for a little live music?  You can check out the Blues Factory Pattaya.  A live band plays blues and R&B music.  If your fortune enough to go when Lam Morrison is playing, it is a must see.  He is hands down the best and most well known guitar player in Thailand.

There are a number of well known discos and nightclubs that keep the party going until the wee hours of the morning.  Lucifer’s, Marine, and Insomnia are three of the most popular.  These Walking Street Discos usually have a small cover charge to get in, and the later it gets, the bigger the crowd.

In addition to the Main drag of Walking Street, there are also several smaller Soi’s that jut off the side.  Here you will find many more bars, go-go’s, and restaurants.  Soi Diamond being the most well known entertainment street.

Walking Street is the crown jewel of Pattaya nightlife.  It is well known for its crazy and wild night time entertainment, and rightfully so.

Soi 6 is Pattaya’s daytime Walking Street.  It’s been refered to as sexy, seedy, and sinful.  All could be an accurate description.  Soi 6 is Pattaya Thailand’s daytime center for crazy fun and debauchery, a walk down here is not for the meek and mild mannered.

Soi 6 is a street filled with short time bars and go-go’s that starts operating in the early afternoon and goes on till late.  However it is best know as a place for daytime fun.

The bars and staff are known to be a little bit rougher than their Walking Street counter parts.  A lot of the bars are small and somewhat run down, but that is part of it’s attraction to the regular Pattaya travelers.

On your first walk down Soi 6, you will see dozens of Thai girls sitting outside the front of their bars.  Cat calling to the passing men as only they can do.  “Hello Hansum Man..”  Some will come out to meet you in the street and pull you into their bars.  If your not interested just tell them no thanks and walk on to the next gauntlet of beautiful Thai girls trying to get your attention.

You’ll also find several ladyboy bars and go-go’s on Soi 6.  However most of the bars are strictly girls.  There are too many individual bars to list, but in a future update we’ll put up a map with all the bars on Soi 6.

Soi 6 Pattaya is not for everyone.  But if your in the mood for some daytime debauchery with some of your friends, than it maybe just what you are looking for.

The Blues Factory in Pattaya Thailand is top spot to listen to live music on your holiday.  They have several live bands playing blues, r&b, and rock.  Opened in 2001 and still going strong, the bar is located just off Walking Street on Soi Lucky Star, just opposite the Marine Disco.

When you walk in you will be allowed to choose from the available seats, which include tables in front of the stage and dance floor, high top bar tables, or a series of booths along the outside.  Drink and wait service is good, and the music fantastic.

The main headline blues band is The Blues Machine.  The lead singer is Mary from the Philippines, and she can really belt out the songs.  Their main rock band is the Lam Morrison and The Rock Machine.  Lam is probably Thailand’s best known rock guitarist and plays in the Pattaya Blues Factory most nights.  Lam left the Blues Factory for a short while to do his own thing, but has returned recently to rip it up once again.

In addition to the house bands, there are guest bands that come to play in the bar – 3 band nights as they call them.  They have included some well known names in blues and rock from Thailand, Canada, and the U.S.

The Blues Factory opens nightly at 8:30 and is a fun and different way to start your night on Walking Street.  It usually brings in a fairly sizable crowd, so always best to get there a bit early if you want to have your pick of the seats.  The Blues Factory is definitely one of the best live music spots in Pattaya.

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Another of the fun day trips you can experience while in Pattaya Thailand is the Mini Siam Park.  Yes it is a little touristy, but most day trips in the area are that way.  This attraction lets you see 100 of the world’s great wonders in miniature.

The park sits on approximately 30 acres (rai) of land and is divided into two parts, Mini Siam and Mini Europe.  Although the second section is Mini Europe, it really contains sites from many countries from outside Thailand.

You can visit Angkor Wat, the Eifel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Sydney Opera House in small scale in Mini Europe.  In Mini Siam you’ll be treated to models of Wat Arun, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and Ayutthaya.  The details of these recreations are quite good and make for some fun pictures.

There are plenty of souvenir shops, a mini cart go kart racing facility, food and drink.  Plenty to keep you entertained for a nice day out.  This trip is great for families as well as the single traveler.

You can book a tour through most tour agencies or through your hotel.  Cost is around 700 THB (Thai Baht) to join a group tour, but can range as high as 3,000 THB for a private tour.  Tours typically consist of about 4 hours, including transfer to and from your hotel and an English speaking guide, but consult with the tour company you book with for full details.

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If you are looking for a daytime excursion to pass a few hours then Underwater World Pattaya might be worth a look.  It is an aquarium attraction located a short distance from downtown Pattaya Thailand.  Billed as a unique edutainment aquarium, it is really not that impressive, but a fun way to pass a couple of hours.

The format as you walk through the aquarium is a ‘journey to the bottom of the sea’.  You start out on the beaches and walk your way past tanks and exhibits with many different types of sea life stopping along the way to look, enjoy, and some times touch and interact with the creatures.  Signage is written in both Thai and English, but is more informational than really educational.

The grand finally of the tour is walking through a 100 meter long see through tunnel that surrounds you with water and sea life.  It really is impressive and you feel like you are right there with the fish as they swim around you.

The aquarium houses over 2,500 animals and over 300 species of fish.  In addition to the tour several shows are put on throughout the day.  You can watch eagle rays being fed, sea otters performing a show, and large sharks and rays being fed.  If you really want to do something special, you can actually dive with the sharks as your friends watch from inside the tunnel.  The cost can be a little prohibitive for this as it runs about 2,500 Baht.

The admission price is about 400 THB (Baht) for adults and 300 THB for children.  You can book this through your hotel or tour agency, or just get a baht bus to Underwater World yourself as it is very close to most Pattaya Hotels.

While Underwater World Pattaya may not be the best aquarium experience if you’ve had the pleasure of visiting some of the major ones in the west, it is still an entertaining way to spend a few hours.  And if you bring your Thai friend, chances are they will really enjoy it as they may have never been there before.

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If ladyboy’s are your thing and you’re looking for a comprehensive list of the best ladyboy bars, gogo’s, and clubs in and around Pattaya, you’ve come to the right place.  There are several ladyboy only bars and gogo’s, as well as several bars where they work alongside genetic girls.  We’ve put together a list of the most popular venues broken down by area.

Soi 6

Pook’s Soi 6 –
A long running ladyboy bar.  It has a downstairs with a pool table, podiums for the girls to dance, and plenty of seating.  They have an upstairs bar that has opened and closed on numerous occasions.  It is a ladyboy only bar with a nice selection of girls on staff.

Hi Boss Bar –
Another established bar with a reputation for being a bit on the ruff side.  There are a few winners in there, but most are a tad rough.  Not necessarily recommended for beginners, however a visit there should be on your list – just to say you’ve been there

So What Bar –
A smaller ladyboy bar on Soi 6.  Recently remodeled it has gained some presence on the radar with some good selection of girls on staff.

Lucky Love Bar –
Also run by the same folks as So What Bar.  This is another small bar that has recently undergone renovations.  Worth checking out.

Soi Buakhao

Pook’s Swan Bar –
Owned by the same folks who run the Soi 6 establishment.  It is mainly an outdoor bar with ladyboy’s dancing on podiums right next to the street.  If you’re shy about your pursuits it may not be an ideal venue for you.  There is a pool table and bar inside as well, but most of the girls work outside.  Definitely a go to place with an excellent selection of ladyboy’s on staff.

Blue Room Bar-
Small bar right next to Pook Swan house.  Not a large selection of ladyboy’s or activity, but you can occasionally find a few stunners there.

Soi Yamato / Soi 13/1

Stingfellows –
An established Ladyboy Go-Go bar in Pattaya.  It is small and dark, but a good selection of Ladyboy’s on Staff.  Though there can be some pressure to buy lady drinks at times.

La Bamba Bar-
A good happy hour bar with a friendly staff.  Good place to relax and have a drink.  A few ladyboy’s on staff and quite a few freelancers.

Walking Street Ladyboy Bars

Ezy Bar –
Probably the best ladyboy bar in Pattaya at the moment.  Excellent selection of girls, friendly bar owner, and great environment.  It is tucked away off walking street on Soi BJ.

Jenny Star Bar – Now New England Bar
Once the best ladyboy bar in Pattaya, now a shell of its former self.  The talent is mostly freelancers, and the quality is hit or miss.  Pressure to buy drinks is high.

Linda Bar-
Known to be a little rough around the edges and the talent being the same it is still a good bar to stop and have a drink at, you may find the occasional diamond in the ‘rough’.

That covers the major Pattaya ladyboy bars and go-go’s.  Further updates will include some of the smaller venues, Drinking Street, Nakula, Jomtien, and a downloadable map.

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One of the things Thailand and Pattaya in particular is known for is Ladyboy’s.  Also called Kathoey (or katoey) in Thai, Ladyboy’s are the third gender of Thailand.  They are males who live their lives as females. Some Pattaya Ladyboy’s are very beautiful and more than a few people have been mistaken in thinking they were talking with a genetic woman.

They consider themselves born the wrong gender and feel and wish to be treated as women.  Some take hormones and others go through various plastic surgeries to become more feminine.  This can include breast augmentation, facial surgery, and silicone injections.   Some even wish to go the full distance and get the ‘chop’, become a full woman.

Ladyboy’s are all over Pattaya.  You can find them working in restaurants, hotels, malls, and of course bars and gogo’s.  You could pass one in the street and not even know it.  Ladyboy’s are not necessarily more accepted in Thailand, but they are tolerated to a greater level than in most other countries.

There are posts all over the internet about how to spot a ladyboy.  The Adams apple, large hands and feet, taller than the average Thai women, etc.  Though these maybe essential tips if you are looking for a night time companion and ladyboy’s are not your thing, but you don’t have anything to fear.

Ladyboy’s in Pattaya are regular people and most are quite friendly and entertaining.  They can be quite fun to have a drink and a chat with.  Some are so convincing that chances are you wouldn’t know you were drinking with a ladyboy, others just stand out and there is no mistaking them.

One of the popular tourist attractions are the Ladyboy Cabarets in Pattaya.  Here they put on full song and dance shows, usually lip synched.  Afterward you can have your picture taken with them in full costume outside the venue for a small fee.

Thai Ladyboy’s can also be found in most bars throughout Pattaya.  There are several bars and go go’s that are ladyboy’s only.  Often you will find one or two scattered throughout the girl bars.  Soi 6, 7, 8, as well as Walking Street will have several ladyboy’s on staff or as free lancers in the bars and clubs.  There are also a large number of ladyboy freelancers on Walking Street later in the night.  Check out our Pattaya Ladyboy Bar and Gogo Guide for more information.

One topic that always comes up when talking to people about Pattaya – Women.  It’s no secret that Pattaya has a reputation for wild and seedy nightlife that is known around the world.  The city has tried to clean up its image over the past few years, yet everyone still  wants to know about the Pattaya Girls.  It’s not much of a wonder to anyone who’s been there, as there are beautiful Thai women all over the city.

The main thing that comes to a lot of people’s minds is prostitution.  Although illegal in Thailand, officials tend to look the other way when it comes to this aspect of the nightlife and culture.  Sex is on sale pretty much 24-7 in Pattaya.  That is the reality, no matter how people would like to sugar coat it.

However it is not like a lot of western people envision. Most drum up some horrible vision of the worst, and assume that is what Pattaya is like.  On the contrary, it is much more respectable than that, even if you disagree with the pay for pleasure mentality.  It is out in the open for anyone to see, yet it remains a bit discreet to those that partake.  What do I mean?

First, let’s make sure you know that all women in Pattaya are not prostitutes.  If you approach women in an inappropriate manner you will get yourself in trouble.  Just use your head and show respect.

You can meet girls in Pattaya at a variety of different venues, from beer bars to go-go bars, discos to restaurants.  You can find girls that are willing to go with you.  However it doesn’t have the seedy feeling of prostitution that most would associate with it.  It is more like you are flirting with a girl in a bar.  You hit it off and she goes with you.  You take her to dinner, dancing, and back to your room.  It is more like a date, which I think is most appealing to most men that come here.

If you find a girl that you really like, she may stay with you through your entire vacation.  You’ll find yourself taking her sightseeing, shopping, to the movies, out to dinner, just like you would a girl back home.  You’ll be paying for these things as well as her barfine and daily rate, but it feels like you’ve found a new girlfriend.  This is really what they mean when they say she was a girlfriend experience.

Pattaya Girls – Things to Know

You have to realize that even though you think you’ve found your new girlfriend, this is still a working relationship.  Unless you sponsor her and take her out of the bar, she is still a bar girl in Pattaya and will go with customer to make her living.  When she is with you, she will be devoted, as long as you are paying her.  When you are gone she will be looking for a new customer.

The Bar Fine

A lot of people still don’t understand this.  The barfine is the amount of money (baht) you pay to the bar to take the girl off premises, nothing more.  You are essentially taking one of the bar owners girls off duty for the night and you compensate the bar for this.  Any additional ‘services’ you require are on top of that.
The typical bar fine can run from THB 200 – 500 (that’s Thai Baht if you don’t know).

Negotiating with Pattaya Girls

The additional services are negotiated directly with the woman of your choosing.  It is often advised by people that have been in the pay for pleasure realm for some time that it is best to agree upon a price before paying the bar fine and leaving the bar.  I can’t say this a bad option.

There will be a different rate depending on whether you want to take a girl long time or short time.

Long Time vs. Short Time

What’s the difference between long time and short time…about 500 Baht.  Seriously though, there is more than just price involved.  It also has to do with time, location, and intent.

Long time (LT) is where you take the girl from the bar for the entire night.  She will stay with you until morning (or early afternoon depending on how late you were out the night before).  This is like a first date.  You take her with you to bars, discos, maybe a bite to eat.

If she likes you, she may try and stay with you the next day.  If she is up early and getting dressed, it’s time to pay her and let her go.

Short time (ST) with a Pattaya girl is all about satisfaction.  You meet a girl in the bar and arrange to take her short time.  Most bars will have a room available onsite or you can take her back to your hotel if it is guest friendly.  It is all about a quick session and then back out to the bars.  There is no overnight stay involved.  If you took a girl for short time and find there is a connection, you can ask her if she wants to stay with you long time and go from there.

There is a lot more information that can be passed along, especially to those who are making there first trip to Pattaya.  Hopefully this answers some of your initial questions about Pattaya girls and what to expect when you get there.