Hammer Disko opens on Walking Street

From Pattaya Secrets

Hammer has a good location on Walking Street nearly opposite Soi Diamond. It is upstairs from Candyshop. It is easy to find as it lights up Walking Street with a laser version of the Hammer neon sign.

The large venue is run by the same people as Lucifer and has similarly high end drinks prices.

It opens early and runs until late at 6am. The decor is said to be impressive and the music is House/Techno/Blip Blip.

 
Irritating street urchins

From Pattaya Addicts
See also Fagin's Brat Pack: a proliferation of pocket size pickpockets

I stopped drinking in Soi 7 & 8 beer bars a long time ago in part because I prefer not to be continually hassled by street sellers. (I also prefer privacy, aircon and a single music source)

It was interesting to read a debate on Pattaya Addicts suggesting that others are also getting pissed off with the increase in hassle especially from kids who are not taking no for an answer. Of course it is not just hassle, it is pickpocketing too. It seems to be part of the deal with kids that they wrap their arms around your waist (and of course pockets).

It was reported that Pattaya Immigration police rounded up 45 street sellers this week so maybe a little respite there.

Some bars are trying to tackle the problem with positive measures. Party Bar has hired a security guard to keep the sellers at bay.  Anna Jet and Amazing Paradise are others reported as hassle free.

In the meantime for the sake of Soi 8 it would seem best to not buy anything from street sellers and to encourage the hassle free bars with our custom.

 
Coyotee dancing competition at Taboo Club

From Taboo Club

On sat 30 June Taboo Club will be holding its second coyotee dance competition.

After the great success of the first one we are hoping for a repeat performance.

The competition will be starting at 9:30-10:00.

 
New bar on the dark side

Strange to name a Scottish bar after somewhere so famously in England.

From jj

Scottish Frank and his life-partner Pim have opened the Scotland Yard bar on Soi Khao Dalo. It is located about 1km from Sukhumvit, just beyond the 7-11.

If there is one word to describe Scotland Yard it is "easy". The bar itself and the resident ladies are easy on the eye. The music is easy on the ear. The drink prices are easy on the wallet. Frank hopes his bar will also be easy to find.

Opening early (10am) and closing whenever, Frank will likely be there to greet you when you arrive to imbibe.

 
Cheaper late night bar fines at The Windmill

From now on late night bar fines at the Windmill Club on Soi diamond will be reduced to 300 Baht after 2am.

The new rate also applies to Tramps Showbar above the Windmill and Club 69 on Soi 15.

Baby Dolls next door to Club 69 is set to re-open after renovation by the end of the month. The 300 baht late night bar fine will also apply at Baby Dolls. David promises a whole new concept for the bar with lots of new features.

 
Bars open and bars close

A small bar complex has opened in Walking Street called Voodoo. It is located towards the Beach Road end. Keeno's Bar has taken one of the slots and has closed down at the other end of Walking Street.

Soi Honey Inn (north of Soi Diana Inn) has become a building site with several bars being totally gutted eg Jumbo Bar. Several others are closed at least while there is no pedestrian access.

A few days the Green House complex on 2nd Road near the corner of Pattaya Klang (Central Road) went dark. They aren't being dismantled or anything, just not selling beer. The most likely explanation is police closure after the recent bout of licensing checks.

There is another bar on Soi 6 offering short time pleasures. Lion King, previously a guesthouse, has now got ladies outside. It is located near Betty Boup at the Beach Road end of the soi.

 
Police raid Galaxy Cabaret

The Venue was actually reported as Polo when surely they meant Galaxy Cabaret next door. And just a warning about Galaxy, the drinks prices are twice the price of most bars and mandatory tips for the dancers are 'extracted'.

Based on an article from Pattaya Daily News

Pattaya police arrested five naked Russian dancers at Galaxy Cabaret on walking street.

Outside, there were clothed foreign dancers performing behind a glass window. However, inside, Russian strippers were entertaining the audience.

Foreign undercover 'volunteers', with female police, posed as customers to investigate; and found five Russian strippers, clad only in bikinis, dancing to the delight of the audience. The police immediately arrested the half naked performers.

They all had permits to work as dancers, but they were, nevertheless arrested, as it is a crime to perform unclothed.

The manager was also arrested

Pol.Lt.Col. Sutat Chueputtarn, said that the intention is to clean up all obscene businesses in order to protect Pattaya’s 'image'. Galaxy Cabaret's presentation of striptease performances was illegal. The bar operator conspired to allow this nefarious deed to take place in his establishment.

Police fined the Russian strippers five hundred baht, each, before releasing them. Police will coordinate with Pattaya Immigration to have them blacklisted.

In addition, the local authorities will decide if Galaxy Cabaret can remain open. Police will, also, attempt to locate the establishment’s real owner, so they can take further legal action.

 
Paradise A-GoGo re-opens

Paradise A-GoGo is located at the southern end of Soi Buakhao. It re-opened on Saturday under new farang management.

Although I didn't think about it at the time I must have been the first customer as I seemed to interrupt their opening day staff meeting still continuing half an hour into their advertised opening time.

I didn't spot many changes to the decor since the previous incarnation, but the prices painted on the walls showed that the bar intends to be very competitive on price. Bar fines are 450 Baht, lady drinks are 80 Baht and there is a 50 Baht draft beer. There was also a drinks menu on each table.

The mamasang had apparently not worked in a gogo bar and the dancing girls didn't seem to have much more experience either.

Nobody seemed to know much about making introductions so it all seemed a little shambolic, but the mamasang was doing her best to go around asking. The heart seemed in the right place so I am sure everyone will learn quickly.

The opening cast of dancing girls were a little middling and they were reluctant to take off their bikinis but that is often the case. The monetary benefit of revealing a little more soon puts things right, and success usually draws in a few more cuties.

Early days, but I think the prices will impress and give the bar a good chance.

 
GoGo closures and renovation

Super Model in Soi Diamond seems to have suffered from a lack of custom and has closed. The bar may re-open when times are better.

In the meantime some of the girls may now be found at Super Girl.

I have also heard that Fantasia Show Bar has decided to close until the numbers of Asian tourists pick up.

Nice 'n Eazy on Soi Pattaya 13/1 (Soi Yamato) is closed until the end of June for renovation.

This brings the GoGo count to 77 currently operating with a further 3 that are closed for renovation

 
Gangs of police loitering with intent to prosecute girls on Beach Road

From Pattaya City News

As part of its on-going commitment to clean up the promenade along Beach Road, police from Soi 9 station conducted a sweep on Thursday night and asked 14 females who seemed to have no particular reason to be out so late at night to accompany them back to the station for further interrogation.

Police told the women they suspected they were engaged in exchanging their sexual favours for monetary recompense, which is illegal in Thailand.

They were all profiled and fined 200 baht for loitering with intent before being released and told to find more suitable occupations.

Shooters to follow in the footsteps of Lennie's

From Shooters

Sunny Valentine (Manfred), BobsBBQ (Bob) and Bruce Mangosteen (Ray) are putting together a new place called Shooters, and it will be located in the present location of Lennies: At the Soi Diamond entrance to Walking Street.

Shooters will be designed around relaxed fun. No ping pong balls, no raffles, no techno or rap, just good old classic rock, blues and country played at a sensible volume level in comfortable, relaxed surroundings. Girls will be available to join your fun, but if you just want to hang with your mates you'll have all the space you need.

A special feature of Shooters will be the Private Entertainment Room in the back. In there you will have separate music and video feeds available. You can relax and watch sports, watch a movie or TV show, or even turn off the TV and spend some "quality" private time with one (or more?) of our lovely Shooters girls.

Shooters will also feature the great food from Bobs BBQ. Bob will be adding to the menu presently available at Lennies; new offerings will include more Mexican food and a greater variety of Bob's famous slow-smoked bbq favorites.

Manfred has assembled a fine bar staff at Lennie's, and they will be invited to stay. We will keep our free internet access, and there will still be a computer for you to use to check e-mail or surf smut for your girl.

Look for some changes starting this month. The goal is to "soft open" around July 1, with a Fourth of July party scheduled for, well, July 4. That will feature an American-style barbecue, with fireworks provided by the girls! Don't miss it!

The last week of Lennies, 17th-22nd June, will feature party entertainment every evening. The bar will then close for a few days before re-opening as Shooters.

Partying to follow

From Thai Visa

The Soi 6 bars that were closed can now open on Friday 15th June.

Soi 6 Corner Bar is having a party still 17th Sunday. Over the next 3/4 days there should be a few re-opening parties and a few new girls recruited during the break.

3 Angels Bar has had some revamp work done.
E&T bar has now changed name to Barely Legal.

 good fellows (i have been told) has added some new girls, corner bars got some new ones from Phuket, so there should be some new faces around all the top of the soi!

And another news item on the Pattaya forums is that Club Oasis A-GoGo on Soi Buakhao is now experimenting with afternoon opening from 1pm

 
More GoGos

Thanks to Paul who spotted a new small gogo on Soi 7. It is located near 2nd Road and is named Angels (or similar)

From Pattaya Talk

Paradise A-GoGo located towards the southern end of Soi Buakhow is supposed to open it doors again on Saturday 16 June

 
Fire at Wild West Boys

From Pattaya City News

Just after midnight on Monday evening police and the fire brigade were called to Pattayaland Soi 2 to douse a fire which had begun in an advertising sign on the side of the Wild West Boys go-go bar building.

The fire brigade took almost half an hour to put out the blaze which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault on a 4th floor neon sign. Police investigators are in the process of checking the actual cause of the fire.

There were no reports of injuries

 
Goldfingers A-GoGo starts lady boy shows

From Pattaya Addicts

With immediate effect Goldfingers at the Beach Road end of Soi 7 will be running with both lady boys and girls.

There will now be a 3 times nightly lady boy cabaret show ala Alcazaar/Tiffany at 21.00 - 23.00 - 00.30

In the long run Goldfingers will be switching to an all lady boy a-gogo!

 
Silver Star 2 A-GoGo opens

From Pattaya Pages

The former Fawlty Towers bar and restaurant towards the beach end of Soi 7 has now been converted to a gogo bar name Silver Star 2 A-GoGo.

The bar opened on June 8th and brings Pattaya's gogo tally (as listed on this site anyway) to 78 (excluding 2 bars closed for renovation).

I made an early evening visit and the bar seems to have made a good early impact with plenty of customers.

There were about 20 dancing girls in the bar, half a dozen on the front stage and a couple in the Jacuzzi a little further back.

The dancers either were wearing either a wild west bikini affair or else a transparent negligee with knickers. Maybe not quite top notch but there were a few pretty girls on show.

The seating consists of small benches around the edge of the bar and stools around the main stage. For some reason there are no stools around the large jacuzzi.

The dance music was reasonably loud and selected for the dancers rather than the customers.

The drinks prices seemed top end with 95 Baht draft. No sign of a happy hour.

Signs of life at The Blind Beggar

The Blind Beggar on Soi Wat Boon in South Jomtien recently closed. It had recently declined from the status of being one of Pattaya's favourite afternoon short time bars.

From Thai Visa

The bar now has a new sign outside with crossed Winchester guns on it. Looks like the whole bar is being re furbished and will open as the Winchester Gun Club.

Lucky Love opens in Soi 6

Thanks to Paul

The bar next to Cafe Olé (one block from the Beach Road end of Soi 6) has re-opened as Lucky Love.

In keeping with a localised tradition for that side of the soi, it is a lady boy bar.

 
Honey A-GoGo goes dark

From Eyebee on Pattaya Secrets

Honey A-GoGo and the associated beer bar have now gone dark.

Update: Renovation

It seems that the bar is being renovated and this is scheduled to take 2 or 3 months.

Update: Beer Bar Open

The beer bar in front of Honey A-GoGo has now re-opened

Soi 6 re-openings

From Chris on Thai Visa

The 10 or so bars that were shut for licence problems etc and have made the top of the soi look closed are due to open on the 17th June.

There will be a few parties that night. Soi 6 corner bar is one of them.

 
Smoking next to be banned from bars?

Right... We close our bar half an hour before it opens, we don't allow farang music lest we get scammed by the farang music police,  we don't play Thai music lest we get scammed by the Thai music police, we can't show nudity lest we harangued by the obscenity police, we can't show you a menu lest we get fined by the advertising police, we can't entertain you lest we get done by the licensing police, we can't work behind the bar lest we get busted by the immigration police and now we can't even let you relax with a smoke...

And you try and tell the young people of today that ..... they won't believe you.

From the Bangkok Post

Lighting up a cigarette while savouring your pint could soon become a thing of the past in Thailand as a campaign for smoke-free entertainment nightspots takes shape.

The move follows the success of a similar scheme in Ireland, which in 2004 became the first country to create smoke-free indoor workplaces and public places, including restaurants, bars and pubs.

For over a decade, Thailand has been successful in campaigning for smoke-free public places such as offices, bus stops, restaurants, hospitals and temples.

Now, state health agencies and anti-smoking advocates are working to expand smoke-free zones to cover night entertainment spots and even private homes.

Prakit Vathesatogkit, secretary-general of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation said: We have to press ahead with this project because cigarette smoke is very harmful to passive smokers.''

Dr Prakit said most employees at nightspots were at a high risk of developing health problems due to their continuous exposure to second-hand smoke.

However, these workers lacked social security as they were usually hired on a temporary basis and were underpaid. As a result, this caused long-term health and social burdens for them and society.

Sman Footrakul, head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Bureau, agreed with the proposals, but said a ban on smoking in pubs and bars had not yet been fully implemented in the Tobacco Control Bill because the task was not handled by the health authorities alone.

The issue needed cooperation from other agencies such as the Labour and the Interior ministries to review and amend the labour and entertainment nightspot bills to support a smoking ban in workplaces.

Dr Sman said it would probably have to wait for the elected government until a ban on smoking materialised.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said he was currently too busy working with two controversial projects including the anti-alcohol campaign: We have to wait for the right time in a bid to move forward the anti-smoking policy. We can't open battles on all fronts. Otherwise, we may lose the war.