The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) Pattaya branch and narcotics officers raided a collection of popular gay bars in South Pattaya on Sunday. Searching for sex shows, narcotics and underage entertainers, the DSI's raid uncovered little evidence to support the investigation, but detained one underage staff member in the raids.

In total, 90 officers were involved in the raids. Allegedly, Dynamite Boy Club, X-boy Club and Kawai Boy had been involved with nightly explicit sex shows, drug use and distribution as well as underage entertainment and prostitution.

Pattaya DSI, a newly opened division in the area lead by Colonel Raksakul, raided the venues detaining 18 staff. One member of staff was found to be underage, while no reason was given as to the detention of the other 17 employees. Despite their alleged tip-off, the investigations found no evidence of sex shows, or underage prostitution, while no mention was made by officers as to the presence of illegal narcotics.

Peppermint has now introduced the incredibly boring darts and balloons show.

As mentioned before, Paris A-GoGo has changed and is undergoing a quick renovation. This has now been extended and Paris will re-open on 4th September 2010. The bar also promises a draft beer to be added to the drinks menu for the re-opening.

Based on article from pattayaone.net

Fire has gutted the Timeout ice cream shop on the eastern side of Walking Street near Beach Road.

Although the usual electrical short circuit is probably to blame for the fire, investigators are not entirely sure how the blaze started.

Timeout has proven very popular since it opened a few years ago and its owner will now be refitting the shop in time for high season

The Sweethearts A-GoGo on central Walking Street is reporting that it is closed for just a couple of days for maintenance.

It will re-open on Friday 27th August.

So just for a day, the number of Pattaya GoGos falls to 71.

Update: Re-opened

28th August 2010, Thanks to Ishi

The bar re-opened as scheduled but nothing visible has changed.

The 5 day closure was described as underground maintenance.

Slightly behind schedule, Paris A-GoGo has now changed hands and is now closed for a week of renovation.

It will re-open on 4th of September.

In the meantime the Pattaya GoGo count is now 71

The French group that runs both Tiger and Shark Club A-GoGo plus several other Gogo Bars in Bangkok will open their latest Walking Street venue next month.

This will be at the location where Paul's Tailor used to be until a few weeks, ie on the east Side close to Soi 14.

Wanthana's Dance Club duly opened on 15th August to a slightly underwhelming reception, but review to follow.

Pattaya's GoGo count therefore stands at 71 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

It will rise to 72 when The Office A-GoGo opens to the public presumably on the 18th August. The opening today is slated as an invitee only affair. Sounds like starting off on the wrong foot with an opening day where customers aren't invited.

The Office is located on Soi LK Metro in the venue that was last Ice Bar.

Arch over Jomtien's main road. I wonder how this got council approval?

Thailand is known for its anything-goes sex industry, and stag parties are simple to organize and host. But what about a hen party, that final blowout before a women commits herself to the institution of marriage?

In Thailand, there are no Chippendales dancers or legitimate businesses you can just call up and order male strippers from. Everything is behind a veil of secrecy, therefore an investigation was needed. But the biggest question was where to start.

First of all, it's incredibly difficult to get past the façade of Thai conservatism. Most of the newlyweds I spoke to said the hen parties their friends held for them were quiet little outings to the beach. Nothing like those drunken stripper-filled nights out on the town many women in the West love to hold for their friends.

So there I was, without a lead. This story seemed to be headed nowhere fast. Until a gay friend tells me there is a beach in Jomtien outside of Pattaya about an hour and a half away from Bangkok where women can hire male strippers to dance at their chosen venue. For Western men, head to the beach

Pattaya is a seaside resort renowned for its sin, a prostitution and mafia-filled den of inequity that would make the perfect backdrop to a bad Hollywood movie, possessed by a foulness so evil that Darth Vader would feel intimidated here. [Get on down there]

We soon find what we are looking for. Sure enough there are Eastern European-looking men loitering around the front of bars. Prices for the men of course vary, but they are willing to dance -- illegally, we might add, so hire at your own risk as I'm pretty sure they don't have work permits -- for either men or women.

The lesson I quickly learn in all this is that Bangkok's gay community is the best place to head if you want to plan a wild bachelorette party.

As soon as I'm back in the city, another gay friend calls to say he heard about my assignment and tells me to tag along to a hen party he is hosting for one of his female friends. Calls are made, a tux is dry-cleaned and a few days later I find myself face to face with the dangling scrotum. 'Take it off! Take it off!'

The pretense of the party is a small gathering of friends, together for a wine-tasting course. What the guests don't know is that the waiters are actually strippers -- and do the job quite well, one might add.

If you want to hold a hen's party with strippers your best bet is to hire them from a gay bar and hold the party at a private venue. Or, if you don't mind being surrounded by men, just take your crowd to the gay bar.

We advise against checking out Bangkok's lady-toy bars, which offer male escorts for hire. Not only is prostitution illegal in Thailand, but, as a recent Bangkok Post article explains, customers can be intimidated by the waiters and security staff and hassled to buy high-priced drinks for themselves and their dates. The scene can also get pretty shady, with reports that the men for hire often expose their genitals -- some wearing a condom -- whether on the stage or approaching female customers at a table. That's probably a bit more full on than most ladies want from a harmless hen's night out with the girls.

...Read the full article

The GoGo taking over from Betty Boup Dance Club on Soi 6 is set to open on Soi 6

 The sign has now gone up bearing the name Wanthana's Dance Club.

The opening is set for Sunday 15th August.

In terms of theme, the bar has opted for the white seating look with light blue paintwork for the rest.

The GoGo taking over from Betty Boup Dance Club on Soi 6 is currently under construction.

It seems that it will re-appear under the rather unlikely name of Wattana's.

In terms of theme, the bar has opted for the white seating look with light blue paintwork for the rest.

The Office A-GoGo on Soi LK Metro has announced an invitee only opening on 17th August 2010.

Meanwhile on Soi 6 Betty Boup is now closed whilst undergoing a quick refit and a change of name.

This leaves the Pattaya GoGo count at a low tide mark of 70.

Paris is still open with plans for a short refit announced but not actually happening yet.

Also Cats Place GoGo has re-opened behind the Tuk Com computer mall just off Soi Day Night. The opening blurb announced that the bar will feature girls and lady boys. But it seems unlikely that a girly presence can be maintained in such a predominantly gay area. Also I am not sure that the bar actually features bikini dancing or not. For the moment Cats Place is not included in the GoGo count.

It has been announced on Pattaya Secrets that Paris A-GoGo on Soi Diamond has changed hands. There will be a very short closure at some point for a quick refurb.

Meanwhile there is similar on Soi 6 with Betty Boup changing hands. It will also reopen after a quick turn round with a new name.

Betty Boum opened as a GoGo in early 2009 in the venue that used to be Spicy A-GoGo.

It never really made the grade, possibly down to highish prices and being a bit reluctant for the girls to get naked. A while back it gave up as a GoGo and became a 'pub', but now it seems to have closed completely.

Up on Soi 7 the large beer bar of Amazing Paradise as joined the list of bars not quite amazing enough to stay open.

But on the plus side, beer bars have now opened in the refurbished complex at the corner of Soi 8 and Beach Road.

The word on the Pattaya forums is that Paris A-GoGo is set for closure on 9th August.

Paris seems to have stayed as a traditional gogo with not much beyond dancing girls, when all around have upped their game.

The owner Louis seems to have a fair friends who stop by for a drink and a chat though.

Peaches Bar has now closed on Walking Street. It was a smart looking open bar located in front of Lollipop A-GoGo on central Walking Street opposite Soi BJ.

The sign has already been taken away so perhaps there are plans afoot for something else. It surely is a prime location.

The bar opened back in October 2008.

A braver soul than I has reported has reported that Galaxy Cabaret has temporarily closed for renovation.

It sounds more likely that the bar has been put on hold until tourist numbers improve. Anyway there are still plenty of East European dancers at the sister bar Lady's Shadow next door. This is located on central Walking Street opposite Soi BJ.

For the moment then there are now just 71 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Casnovy is located on Walking Street towards the Beach Road end.

The bar has now installed 2 small bath tubs in a new space created to the left of the entrance.

They are pretty small being just about a square metre and there is no head shower.

There is bench seating surrounding the tubs so that sounds promising. But on Saturday night the tubs were all watered up but no signs of a bathing beauty as yet.