Kiss Kool has re-opened as a drinking bar on Soi 6.

It used to be a short time bar featuring bikini clad dancing girls and lots of comfy sofa seating.

However they have ripped all that out and replaced it with stools. No sign of any girls at the moment either.

Update:

The bar is now open open to the Pattaya heat but there are now a couple of girls who may help with the discomfort

Shane, the previous owner of New Living Dolls One has died in a traffic accident.

He will be known to many Pattaya regulars for running a successful bar and particularly for the extremely popular free beer parties that he used to host.

Thai-Anxiety will raise a glass or more to the memory of his great contribution to Pattaya nightlife.

Update: Hellfire Pass

21st April 2011. Based on article from theage.com.au

A West Australian man on his way to the Anzac Day dawn service at Hellfire Pass in Thailand has died after the van he was travelling in smashed into a truck. Hellfire Pass is the name given to a railway cutting on the former death railway in Thailand.

Local reports say that the truck had earlier been pulled over by police to allow the motorcade of Governor-General Quentin Bryce and embassy officials to pass through.

Shane Christopher Wheatley, 53, and Sirichok Hensawang, 54, were found dead in the wreckage. Another Australian, 61-year-old Alan Grant, was injured in the smash and taken to hospital.

The van, according to local reports, had been travelling behind the motorcade when it hit the 10-wheeler as it was leaving its parking spot.

It is reported on Pattaya forums that Beavers A-GoGo is nearing the end of its lease and will close at the end of May.

The unit will be redeveloped into a larger venue merging with the unit next door. There are options for Beavers to take on the new unit but the small table dancing bar in its current format will disappear.

Beavers opened in 2005 and has had a few moments as a fun and interactive bar but hasn't been much noticed in the last few months.

Just after 2:00am on Monday Pattaya police launched a sweep on Beach Road promenade and carted off 20 Thai males dressed as females to be profiled.

The lady boys were brought into the stationhouse and asked to show their ID. After being given a stern warning to behave themselves and stop trying to entice unsuspecting tourists to part with money in exchange for sexual services, the 20 were allowed to resume their positions on Beach Road.

Far East Rock is a GoGo at the beach end of Soi 13/2 (Soi Post Office).

The Soi 13 area seems pretty quiet at them moment and Far East Rock has been on the decline for some time.

However it has now been sold, but no word as yet as to the intentions of the new owners.

OMG Club has sprung into life on Soi 6 at the bar that was recently Wanthana's Dance Club. The bar is connected with the popular O Bars on the same soi.

So the count of bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less has therefore increased to 75.

Meanwhile across the street at Kiss Cool, the new guise is become clear as the builders have now erected a new sign.

The bar will be continue to be known as Kiss Kool with the strap line Bikes, Babes and Beer. And indeed, a chopper has been installed as the centrepiece of the new bar.

First A-GoGo is located at the back of a beer bar complex in central Soi 8.

The bar has again closed. It has always been a troubled venue. Perhaps a little bit too much off the beaten track. In fact there are few GoGos that do well at the back of a beer bar complex. A few other examples being Blue Lagoon, Fantasy A-GoGo, Bada Bing and Hotties spring to mind.

The GoGo count now stands at 74.

Work in Progress

Wanthana's Dance Club on Soi 6 changed hands a few days ago and has now been closed for some rework and rebranding. It will re-open shortly as OMG Club reflecting the ownership connections with O Bar and O2 bar on the same soi.

Work Complete

Sexy A-GoGo at the 2nd Road end of Soi 7 has now re-opened after renovation. They have retained a central stage which is now in the style of adjoined podiums with narrow bench seating on either side, somewhat reminiscent of the old and similarly named Sexy Girls A-GoGo.

So there are still 75 bars in the Pattaya area with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Work Unpermitted

The owner of a Soi LK Metro go-go bar was arrested for working without a work permit after being caught outside soliciting customers.

He was taken into custody by a team of Chonburi Immigration officers April 1 as he stood at the door of his Kiss a-Go-Go. Police confiscated a business card with his name on it and other evidence purporting to show he actively managed operations of the bar.

The full story will be covered in the Pattaya Mail

Cavern A-GoGo on central Walking Street has now re-opened after clearing up some fire damage.

So there are now 75 girly bars with dancing in bikinis or less.

See the new Cavern website at www.gogobarspattaya.net/thecavern/

In fact new websites have been produced for all of the bars of the chain:

• www.gogobarspattaya.net/baccaraagogo/

• www.gogobarspattaya.net/happyagogo/

• www.gogobarspattaya.net/peppermintagogo/

• www.gogobarspattaya.net/beachclub/

Climax A-GoGo on Soi 15 has revealed new signage after changing its name from Sakura Club 69.

I dropped by a few days ago and there were plenty of good looking girls maybe brought in for the rebranding. The bar didn't seem to quite understand how to hook up the girls to the customers though.

Cavern A-GoGo on central Walking Street is said to be ready to re-open after clearing up some fire damage.

Meanwhile Climax A-GoGo on Soi 15 has revealed new signage after changing its name from Sakura Club 69.

Sexy A-Gogo on Soi 7 near 2nd Road has spent a fair while undergoing renovations and seems set for an imminent come back. Perhaps they will pick up on the table dancing idea that seems to have done fairly well at sister bar Kiss A-GoGo on LK Metro.

There is another dancing bar on the way on southern Walking Street. Hot Tuna Pool Club has got the workmen in and there is a central stage taking shape. The bar was previously a GoGo called Teasers (not Teazers which is a coyote bar and is still gong strong next door to New Living Dolls One).

Cavern A-GoGo is located on Walking Street opposite Soi Diamond.

The bar is now closed for a week to clean up after an electrical fire. The bar will take the opportunity to do a little rework too.

There are no reports of anyone being hurt.

The girls have been relocated amongst sister bars Happy, Peppermint, Baccara and mostly Beach Club.

So for a short while Pattaya has 74 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

On Saturday at 5am, the Pattaya Police and Police Volunteers conducted a round up on Pattaya Beach Road, from the Dolphin Roundabout to the entrance of Walking Street.

Over 30 ladyboys were apprehended for hanging out and trying to sell their sexual favors on the beach, as well as some genuine lady prostitutes.

They all underwent Urine tests and were charged with prostitution and disturbing the community.

Wanthana's A-GoGo is located on the Beach Road end of Soi 6.

It has been struggling ever since taking over from the previously successful Betty Boup.

New owners have now taken over and have the benefit of GoGo experience gained on Soi Buakhao.

Another rumour is that the owners are those of O Bar and O2 Bar.

Hopefully they will rapidly turn things around.

Sakura Club 69 A-GoGo on Soi 15 was recently re-opened under new management. The new owners have now renamed the bar to Climax A-GoGo.

Climax is a pretty appropriate name but it has been used before. The most notable was the rock music bar under Polo. The house band from there are still known as Climax and are now playing at the Utopia Lounge on Soho Square. And in strange, but probably not coincidental progression,  the current Climax A-goGo team previously had the bar above Utopia Lounge named Utopia A-GoGo.

There is also a Climax Pattaya Entertainment which is a spa massage place off 3rd Road.

Shark A-GoGo is located upstairs on Soi Diamond. It has entrances on Soi 15 and Soi Diamond.

The bar has now re-opened after a month of renovation.

The bar is totally restyled, changing from table dancing to a gogo with a central stage. Perhaps taking a cue from the successful launch of sister bar Fahrenheit, the bar is laid out similarly with a long thin central stage packed with girls. There are also a couple of small podiums at the end. There is plenty of comfortable bench seating and it is a little more spacious than Fahrenheit.

The bar has actually decreased in size overall with some space being given to an open walkway to the adjoining Tiger A-GoGo.

The bar has some good looking girls dancing, but on my visit the fashion for cramming the stage with dancers means a vey long dance roster of 30 minutes. Hopefully just a teething problem whilst they get act together. The girls were dancing in a range of not much to very little. The standard issue bikinis are very revealing.

The bar has kept the generally reasonable drinks prices but the bar seems to have dropped the happy hour.

But it all looks pretty good. Hopefully they won't lose Shark's emphasis on good hands on fun in trying to recreate the high energy 'watching' bar of Fahrenheit.

On Saturday night, 120 police raiders gathered at 2 popular Thai venues in North pattaya, Differ and Hollywood.

These 2 pubs are always full of tourists on the weekend, many of them Thais, and many of them teenagers. The police entered and requested ID's from every visitor, and searched them for weapons, drugs and being underage. The officers also administered urine tests, so, altogether, it took about 2 hours to complete the operation. Many tourists from both pubs failed to produce ID cards, so were fined 200 Baht each and released.

Many teenagers who tested positive for drugs were taken to Banglamung Hospital for backup tests to confirm their drug use, before being brought to the police station for legal proceedings.

Alcatraz A-GoGo on Walking Street has introduced a Happy Hour on draft beer. The Carlsberg draft will be sold at 60 Baht from 8 to 10pm. It gets expensive thereafter though at 99 Baht for a small glass.

Beavers A-GoGo also on Walking Street has moved in the opposite direction and increased its all night draft beer price to 65 Baht.

Meanwhile Club Oasis on Soi Buakhao is competing for the most variable price prize. It had been 60 Baht for some time, then added VAT to make it 64 Baht, then lowered it to 42 Baht, then decided to drop the VAT making it 39 Baht. Now they have increased the price to 49 Baht. Still a very good price, particularly as it is served in a good sized glass.

Fahrenheit A-GoGo on Walking Street has started a simple show with five dancers starting in bikinis and string-skirt. Just one show at 10pm for the moment.

Titty Twister 2 is the new sequel bar to the deepest darkside bar Titty Twister. It is located on 3rd Road just by Buffalo Bar. It can't be missed with its striking sign borrowed from the movie Dusk to Dawn. The bar bills itself as a Rock n Roll bar and features pool, live music and girls. It should be open already with a grand opening party set for Saturday 19th March.

Back on Walking Street opposite Tony' Disco, the Hot Tuna Poll Bar has been cleared out. Not sure what the plans are now.

Shark Club A-GoGo on Soi Diamond (with a 2nd entrance on Soi 15) has re-opened as planned.

They installed a large main stage like Fahrenheit A-GoGo.

There are now 75 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Club Oasis A-GoGo on Soi Buakhao has wisely discontinued its pricing policy of  adding VAT to bills which correlated with a clear decline in customers. The new prices are the Ex VAT prices so the bar has reversed the effective 7% increase. The draft beer is now the best value in town at just 39 Baht and served in a good sized glass.

It may not be a total cure though, as the bar also seems to be struggling to find girls who take much interest in the customers.

M*A*S*H A-GoGo on Soi LK Metro has now found a couple of topless dancers, but the large majority are still coyote. In a rather tame concession to over dressing, some girls at least take off their camouflage shirt and dance wearing a solid bra.

The sign has been relit at Baby Boom A-GoGo just off Soi Buakhao nearly opposite Soi Honey. Nobody on welcome duty so it still looks a bit dead.

Wanthanna's A-GoGo is still struggling on Soi 6 too. Assuming that Shark is re-opening tonight and that Baby Boom is having a come back then the GoGo count is restored to a more healthy looking, but maybe optimistic, 75.

Proposed sign for Yellow Zone A

In the second meeting of the year for the Pattaya Model Project, city Permanent Secretary Suthorn Ratanawaraha proposed  creating three color-coded zones to regulate closing times. Establishments operating in the yellow Zone A would close at 2 a.m. Those in orange Zone B at 4 a.m. and those in the red Zone C could stay open 24 hours.

Fun loving Council Chairman Tavich Chaiswangwong said he supports making the entire city an official 'red light' zone, with all bars given equal opportunity to operate around the clock. He argued the city has been growing out of control for two decades and sees nothing changing. With so many bars already ignoring closing times, he reasoned, the city might as well make it official.

...Read the full article

Wanthanna's Dance Club looks set to close on Soi 6. The GoGo never seemed to get it quite right and has been struggling for a while.

Meanwhile Pattaya-at-Night reports that Baby Boom A-GoGo just off Soi Buakhao has been dark for a few days.

If these closures are confirmed then there will be just 71 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

There are a couple of others that look pretty terminal, but there some re-openings on the way that will bolster the count.

Shark Club A-GoGo has set up a recruiting desk at its Soi 15 entrance.

The bar has also erected a sign proclaiming a return to business on Friday 11th March.

The police have been continuing to target bars primarily for drugs tests.

The latest excursion was on Thursday night with a change to their usual pattern. Instead of raiding an entire soi, the police targeted a few bars around town. Surely generating a little speculations on how the list of venues was drawn up.

Passion Dance Club on Soi 6 was one of the unlucky recipients with police taking away between 3 and 10 girls depending on the report. But the stools outside Passion are said to be empty this afternoon.

The oft visited Champagne was next on the list with 3 trucks of Volunteer police organising a mass piss test. It was reported that 3 girls pissed purple and were taken away to the station.

A little further along the same soi, Kiss A-GoGo suffered an unwanted visit. 2 Girls were said to be taken away in tears.

Update: 10 venues

5th March 2011. Based on article from pattayaone.net

A total of ten venues, including Beer Bars and Go-go bars were raided and random urine testing of employees took place. Pook Bar is pictured as one of the 10.

At the conclusion of the operation, 12 people were arrested, 8 women and 4 men.

Another theme bar has opened on the rapidly upgrading Soi LK Metro. The latest edition is M*A*S*H A-GoGo, taking inspiration from the US TV comedy set in a Korean War field hospital.

The bar features a central stage with stacked comfortable bench seating around the sides of the bar. It looks pretty smart but not really much like a field hospital.

There were 4 coyote dancers, all fully dressed in bras, tops, and short skirts or shorts. Most of the dancers had a military camouflage shirt which pretty much was the main concession to the theme of the bar.

I spoke to a girl who danced topless at sister bar Office, so presumably the coyote dress code is the choice of the bar rather than the girls. There weren't even any bikinis on show, so maybe the coyote dress code is a long term feature of the bar. There was no sign of a Jacuzzi or play stage that would suggest any naughtier plans for later.

The drinks were reasonably priced with a cheap draft beer.

I'm not sure that war themes are generally very sexy. After all its a very much a masculine dominated occupation.

I'm also not really into coyote bars, they seem to attract dancers who aren't really into the scene, and tend to be a bit choosey or pricey or both.

So a bar that adds to the diversity of Soi LK Metro rather than another option for traditional GoGo addicts.

Overdressed girls in MASH A-GoGo reduces the gogo count to 73 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Polo Entertainment was a long running show bar with Thai dancers on central walking Street opposite Soi BJ.

It changed over to an East European format with expensive prices in December 2009.

However it seems that the new format didn't work out and now the bar has reverted to its former Polo brand. The bar now promises Thai ladies and a striptease show.

After tales of very expensive prices under the previous regime and aggressive demands for tips. I'll wait for others to do the trail blazing of checking out the latest incarnation.

Utopia A-GoGo re-opened Saturday on the corner of Walking Street and Soho Square.

I didn't spot anything drastic changing in the layout. The main stage is in front section of the bar where there is just a little bench seating but mostly stools. There's more comfortable seating at the back of the bar but it is way too far from the stage.

It takes a while for a bar to gain momentum in recruiting girls, so not really very valid to comment in the first few days. There were perhaps too few girls but some were attractive enough.

The dress code was bikini or semi transparent skirts like at Super Baby with not much else underneath. Some girls danced topless.

The drinks prices follow Pattaya norms at 65 Baht for a decent sized draft beer, 120 Baht for bottled beer, 90 Baht for soft drinks and 120 Baht for lady drinks. There is an opening offer of 20% off all these prices making 52 Baht for draft, 96 Baht for bottled beer & lady drinks, 72 Baht for soft drinks.

There was a mamasang doing a good job in circulating around the customers to check that all was well.

The bar is farang managed and seems set to progress. I would guess the biggest challenges will be the southerly location and the lack of comfortable seating with a view.

Utopia A-GoGo re-opened Saturday on the corner of Walking Street and Soho Square. It is now under new management and will be giving 20% discount off all drinks including lady drinks for the first few nights.

The bar does in fact offer a draft beer which is normally 65 Baht but currently discounted to 52 Baht.

As is often the case for start ups, the bar needs a little more time to recruit attractive girls and persuade them to take off a few more clothes.

M*A*S*H A-GoGo is located on Soi LM Metro between Office and Champagne but on the other side of the Soi.

M*A*S*H A-GoGo duly opened on Saturday night. Early reports suggest that the design follows that of Champagne and Office but with a military theme to uniforms

Also Utopia A-GoGo re-opened on the corner of Walking Street and Soho Square. It is now under new management and will be giving 20% discount off all drinks including lady drinks for the first few nights.

There are now 74 bars with girls in bikinis or less in the Pattaya area

On Soi 6 Bret Bar is set to become Z Bar. There will be an opening party on 4th March with all drinks at 55 Baht.

Meanwhile on Soi Diamond at the corner of Pratamnak has re-opened. It had a short life a couple of years ago rapidly cycling through incarnations of being a disco, then coyote bar, then GoGo.

Further south the Irany nightclub has moved from upstairs in Covent Garden around the corner to Soho Square.

There are forum reports that the Walking Street Bar with the red car mounted on the wall has started with a 200 Baht cover charge including the first drink.

And talking of charges, there's comments that the What's Up bar fine is now 2000 Baht for all dancers  before midnight.

Club Oasis A-GoGo is located on Soi Buakhao between Soi LK Metro and Soi Diana

Club Oasis have increased their prices across the board by 7%. They have elected to do this via the reprehensible trick of adding VAT to the bill. As if there were any business customers in the bar.

Sakura is located on Soi 15 opposite What's Up.

The welcome staff seemed a little disorganised, lacking the usual signage. Approaching the door it didn't really look the bar was open yet. But it was.

Little if anything has changed in the layout since the bar was last open under Paris A-GoGo management.

In fact nothing has really changed in terms of the traditional GoGo operation that has failed several times before.

But, and a big but, the bar had an excellent line up of girls. There were 20 dancers in the bar with 6 dancing at a time (for 6 songs). Topless is the bar dress code.

Tthe girls seemed to be rather remote though, as if trained at the Super bars. The bar mirrors were the only recipients of attention from the girls.

It seems that asking the mamasang is the official routing to get a little company.

Probably not the sort of bar that will appeal to the passing trade on the way to Baby Dolls or What's Up but maybe they can get the word out to a few 'Super' bar fans.

The music was on the loud side, but this is often part of the package for a successful bar.

There is a draft beer at 55 Baht.

The handful of customers that were visiting at the same time as I, were probably looking in on their way to Baby Dolls. All stayed for one beer before rapidly moving on.

Probably just not the right location for a 'Super' clone. Baby Dolls and What's Up are amybe too hot competition. I rather guess that the bar will have to get their girls being a little more self motivated in their interaction, or else the bar will struggle for trade as per previous and similar incarnations.

Sexy Submarine A-GoGo will open soon near Kiss A-GoGo on Soi LK Metro.

 Surely an up and coming area. And there seems plenty of trade in the area as 2 or 3 of the GoGos are often over full.

Not so sure about the name though, I tend to associate submarines with sinking, silence, aquaphibians and an all male crew.

Sakura Club 69 has re-opened on Soi 15.

It seems that previous owners of Utopia A-GoGo on Soho Square sold up and bought Sakura Club instead.

Pattaya's GoGo count now stands at 72

Utopia A-GoGo is on Walking Street at the corner of Soho Square.

The bar has changed owners and is now closed for rework.

It will reopen on 26th February 2011.

This leaves Pattaya's GoGo count at a temporary low of 71.

Sapphire Club A-GoGo is located on Soi 15, 50 metres off Walking Street.

Tuesdays just got happier at Sapphire Club where Happy Hour prices will now be in effect all night.

Normally running until 10 p.m., Happy Hour now will run from opening at 8:30 p.m. to closing time.

• All bottled beers are 75 baht.
• Draft Heineken is 65 baht and draft Carlsberg is 75 baht.
• For shorts drinkers, house vodka, gin, rum and whiskey, is 75 baht.

The Cobra Gold Military Exercises are currently underway at the Sattahip Navy Base. Cobra Gold is a yearly multi-national exercise run by the US.

Exercises will be from now until 18th February and there will be plenty of US servicemen in town keeping the bars busy.

Meanwhile Pattaya police are keeping armies of officers busy in their own little military exercises.

The latest exercise, titled Assault on Soi Chayaphun, involved 200 participants. The tactics follow the usual line of: blocking both end of the soi; sending in the mobile piss test units; and conducting house to house searches.

The primary targets are bars without the correct papers and staff that may have recently taken drugs.

It looks like Polo Entertainment is set to return to Walking Street.

Just over a year ago the management of Polo Entertainment on central Walking Street decided to move to the very expensive East European girl format pioneered by its sister bar Galaxy Cabaret. The old gogo show bar was remodelled as Lady's Shadow Club.

Now Lady Shadow's Club is set to revert to Polo and there are now adverts for Thai models and coyote dancers.

Now doubt more will be revealed about the new format in due course, but I will leave it to others to investigate. The previous iteration of bars all featured extortionate pricing and were best avoided.

A new bar has opened on Soi 6 called Lovejoys. It is an open bar located at the centre of the Soi, just by Chili Bar.

Presumably it is part of the chain of Lovejoy Bars, with the original being a very popular bar in Jomtien. The bar there targets the cheap beer trade. It also has a very strange idea of the barfine being 5 lady drinks. But saying that, it's more of a drinking bar than a girly bar.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out on Soi 6.

The aircon bars seem on the retreat in Soi 6, with most recent bars being of the open front variety, often with less emphasis on the girls.

Stickman reports that the two Angelwitch show bars have been sold. Current owner Matt will now bow out of the GoGo trade.

There is a branch in Bangkok's Nana Plaza and also on Soi 15 in Pattaya.

The handover will be on 1st March 2011.

Shark Club A-GoGo on Soi Diamond has joined the list of GoGos being revamped. It will be closed for a few weeks of renovation. In the meantime, the dancers are working at sister bar Tiger

On my last visit the Shark GoGo end was already not being used, and the girls were all at the Shark Club end. One has to guess that this latest 'renovation' may be more to do with a rationalisation concentrating on Tiger and Fahrenheit. It does seem that the current fashion is for high energy GoGos with lots of girls to make for a lively atmosphere. One bar full of girls may be better than two bars half full of girls.

I would guess that any renovation will be to do with replacing the table dancing with something more central. Table dancing seems a little past its prime on the Walking Street scene.

There are now just 72 Pattaya area bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Sexy A-GoGo at the top end of Soi 7 has closed for 2 weeks of renovation. According to a notice on the door the bar will reopen on 15th February 2011. Hopefully rejuvenated as well as renovated.

In the meantime the girls are helping out at Kiss A-GoGo, an associated bar on Soi LK Metro. Perhaps they are increasing the numbers at Kiss to give it a bit of a push.

In the meantime there are 73 bars in Pattaya with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

Actually some bars are getting very reluctant to show off any flesh. Sexy Girls A-GoGo on the next soi is getting close to failing the definition. The girls are wearing crop top blouses and traditional flimsy gogo skirt. The naked girls in the shower keep the bar defined as a GoGo. But it does seem a bit of a trend to have coyotes and overdressed dancers in the bars these days. Perhaps a shortage of girls means that the dancers can name their own terms.

No doubt the girls will be well dressed at the new V2O location on the corner of Soi 15 and Walking Street. The bar specialises in vodka served at sub zero temperatures. It has been going quite a while now moving from its previous location upstairs on the alley to Happy A-GoGo.

Finally the roving police piss test machine visited Soi Pattayaland 2 a couple of nights ago. As usual the police descended in great numbers and visited many, if not all, bars on the soi. They seem to be concentrating on checking bar licences and bar workers rather than haranguing customers.

The bar may be called Relax(xx) but it's been anything but calm at the Soi Covent Garden go-go bar which, in the past 10 days, has suffered a chain reaction meltdown resulting in the arrest of the owner and the departure of most of its staff.

The climax came in the wee hours of Friday when - for the second night in a row - a brawl broke among warring dancers. In front of a small, dumbstruck handful of customers, more than a dozen girls - and one of the mamasans - began pushing, punching, kicking, scratching and pulling hair.

The mamsan involved was seen kicking a topless dancer in the chest with a high-heeled shoe. But she got worse than she gave. Unfortunately, one Indian customer got caught in the middle of the melee and also got an elbow to the face. It turns out he was at the center of what started the fistacuffs finale.

According to the dancer who took the stiletto to the tits, the mamasan had tried to force her to go with the Indian. The mama had already told him the barfine - normally 700 baht - was in fact 1,000 baht. Not knowing the mamasan was pocketing the extra 300 baht, he'd agreed. When the dancer rejected the office - both due to his South Asia extraction and because the dancer hated the mama for cheating customers - she refused to go. That set off the fireworks.

By the time the dust settled, the boxing mama and a third mamasan left the bar for good, taking more than 10 girls with them. There's now just a handful of hangers-on left.

How long they'll be there is anyone's guess. Relaxxx, owned by a much-disliked Turk, has from the outset seemed to care very little about what customers actually want and only about what Turk's desire to attract Arab customers or the music levels what his Thai wife prefers. Loud music is nothing new in Pattaya go-go bars, but the decibels in Relaxxx run literally into ear-ringing territory. Not even the Insomnia disco is louder.

The result - predictably to all but The Turk - is that there are fewer and fewer customers. Relaxxx is the owner's third stab at a bar in the cursed location that housed (in order of bankrupt bars) Babe Watch, Taboo, Black & White and a short-lived Arab disco. In launching Relaxxx, the owner began by paying his star girls as much as 1,000 baht a day cash and even regular showgirls 20,000 baht a month.

That all began to unravel in January when the big boss began cutting salaries. Cash would no longer be paid on the day. Then the 1,000 baht became 20,000 baht a month. Then it dropped to 12,000 baht for showgirls.

Within two days of the salary cuts, Immigration Police showed up at Relaxxx and arrested The Turk. Specific charges are hard to come by, but they asked a lot about passports and visas. After paying 100,000 baht - a figure confirmed by two independent sources - The Turk was set free.

Good times did not return, however, In the wee hours of Wednesday, a disgruntled dancer and alleged ya ba addict - who'd worked just two of the past seven days - showed up near closing with three Thai male thugs to demand a week's salary. The lead mamasan and the boss refused. While the boss snuck out the back, the mamasan was not so lucky.

Driving home by one of her showgirl friends, the two women realized the thugs and dancer were following them on two motorbikes. In one hand, the girl held a knife. The women pulled into a nearby condominium with a guard at the gate who assisted them and turned away their would be attackers.

The next night the disgruntled dancer turned up for work and was set upon by the showgirl driving the mamasan home. Blood was spilled and appalled farangs were again treated to the sight of a dangerously out-of-control bar.

Bar fights among staff are not uncommon. In fact, Paul, the amiable manager of Club Misty's, got in a fight with the Thai manager in the middle of the bar earlier this week. Misty's has enough of a good reputation to weather a brawl between a well-liked manager and a male Thai manager who wants to bring his drinking buddies in the club over the wishes of management.

For Relaxxx -- with hostile management, insufferable music levels, dancing hoodlums and now, a lack of staff - it's only a matter of time until we add another to the list of failed enterprises in Covent Garden.

The buzz on Soi LK Metro is that Liquid Lounge on the corner with Soi Buakhao has been sold. The plan is for it to be re-developed into a Club Blu style coyote bar.

LK Metro is surely a rapidly evolving night life soi. From the crowds that are packing into Oasis, Champagne and Office, the GoGos are doing a roaring trade at the moment.

Club Blu seems a little quiet at the moment though. Perhaps the increasing number of naughtier options takes a toll on those offering more prim and proper entertainment.

Roxy and Hooty's are next door neighbours on Walking Street, next to Insomnia and just south of the Walking Street Tree.

Roxy and Hooty's have got together to coordinate weekly parties.

• Sunday Big BBQ at both bars
• Sadist Tuesdays at Hooty's
• Sadist Wednesdays at Roxy

Hooty's has also started an extended Happy Hour with 60 Baht basic drinks until 11:30pm

Clinic A-GoGo is newly opened on Pattaya Soi 7 halfway between Silver Star 2 and Beach Road.

Perhaps down to the over dressed girls, perhaps down to their lack of interest in any interaction, but somehow the bar hasn't been a hit with customers.

So the bar has decided to reduce the price of draft to 55 Baht. I can't see it actually helping with the underlying problems of the bar though.

Gentlemen's Club on Soi Diamond has been around for some time. It started life as Insomnia Gentlemen's Club and featured the unique idea of girls in quickly removed evening dress.

As Gentlemen's Club, it maintained some good looking girls in half gogo, half coyote mode. However a year of steady decline has put an end to Pattaya's Gentlemen's Club.

The venue is now now known as Blue Bar and features fully clothed standard coyote dancers.

Meanwhile as further evidence of a lack of gentleman, Pattaya-at-Night reports that Gentlemen's Spa has also closed near the corner of 3rd Road and Pattaya Nua.

A mass police force gathered and descended on Pattaya Soi 13/3 (Soi Pattayaland 1)

They were targeting gay GoGo Dancers urine, which they tested for drugs.

Gambling in an internet cafe was also discovered.A

On 27th January police closed the street at both ends and visited each venue for drugs tests. They also asked bar licenses.

Out of 200 dancers and workers, 20 were arrested after their urine turned purple after the urine test. The Gentlemen's Club internet cafe was closed down. Ms. Gamonpan Thephum supervisor of the Gentlemen Club said that the club used to be an Go Go Gay Bar, but business wasn't good so the owners decided to turn it into an online games internet cafe.

M*A*S*H A-GoGo has unfurled its recruitment banner and will no doubt be opening soon. It is located across the road from Champagne.

The bar is said to be targeting an opening in early February but the consensus is that this may be a little optimistic.

There are further plans for the Soi with GoGo plans mooted for Liquid Lounge, Kilkenny's and another bar near Blue Moon.

But judging by the steady stream of guys entering Champagne, Office and Oasis there should be enough customers to go round.

Sapphire Club has now rolled out its website.

The site has a healthy sized photo and video gallery; information and photos of our 2nd-floor Party Room and penthouse VIP Suite. Both rooms can also be booked on the website.

Users can also sign up for our VIP Card -- which entitles holders to an across-the-board 10% discount on more than just drinks. Best of all the Sapphire Club site offers its VIP Club members an exclusive Members Only online section offering special content, photos and videos.

Finally, the site is integrated with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare so that users can comment and log-in using their accounts on those services.

We'll be adding content on a regular basis.

sapphirepattaya.com

Alcatraz A-GoGo is located on Walking Street between Soi 14 and Soi 15.

Alcatraz have introduced themselves as Pattaya's most provocative GoGo bar and nightclub. And indeed the bar has provoked an awful lot of comment on Pattaya forums.

So there should be a fair amount of interest for their newly launched website at www.alcatrazpattayagogo.com

Sapphire Club is located on Soi 15, a few metres off Walking Street and opposite Angelwitch.

The newish bar has made a good impact on Pattaya nightlife and is now going to step up the pace with a weekly party on Thursday nights.

Free food, a few free shots and some sexy party games. Should be fun.

A little bit of Pattaya's blow job bar heritage is being reworked. Spricey Bar on Soi Post Office is but a shell. Hopefully it will return as a brand new blow job bar...but I doubt it.

Don't Tell Mama is another lost name. It is the corner beer bar on the old Simon Beer Bar Complex on Walking Street. It is now Rolling Stone 6.

Reports on the Pattaya forums suggest that Goodfellas, the classy and expensive bar above Soi Lucky Star on Walking Street has given up on the Mafia Girl coyote dancers. It is now just a sports bar.

It seems that Gentlemen's Club on Soi Diamond have given up the GoGo game and gone fully coyote.

On my last visit all the girls were fully decked out in the traditional tight shorts and lots of layers up top.

And also fairly typical of a coyote bar, the girls weren't taking much interest in the customers (all 3 of them - on a peak season weekday evening at a prime time).

Pattaya-at-night is reporting that the East European bar Moulin Rouge has gone dark.

Update: 9th January 2010. Thanks to eyebee

Moulin Rouge soon re-opened so there are now 75 bars in the Pattaya area featuring girls dancing in bikinis or less.

There will be no official change in Pattaya bar closing times until at least 2012 as a host of city, provincial and national government officials draft a Pattaya Model project to revise zoning, operating hours and tax systems for entertainment venues.

Speaking at the first meeting of the Pattaya Model board, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome dashed the last hopes of bar owners and party lovers hoping to see closing times pushed back this season to as last as 4:30 a.m. when he said the draft plan will take a year to complete and even longer for the Cabinet to debate and approve.

Spearheaded by the National Counter Corruption Commission – whose criticism of the Pattaya Police Department's lax enforcement of national bar-closing times prompted a November crackdown – the new zoning plan is being eyed as a possible model for tourist-centric cities around the country. It would not only cover operating hours, but business zoning, tax collection, security, and advertising.

Even the usually taboo subject of under-the-table payments to police officers is being discussed.

Publicly acknowledging the illegal tea money bar owners pay to police to stay open past legal closing times and put on nude shows, the mayor said the goal to make the bribes legal, with bar owners tipping off officials on competitors breaking the law and paying into a fund to have regulators enforce them.

This will reduce the police department's obligation to control the bars and focus more on other burdens, Itthiphol said. It also generates confidence in tourists regarding the safety of life and property as well.

With such a sweeping scope, the draft plan runs the risk of never being completed, both because of the difficulty of re-regulating so many matters and winning agreement of so many agencies affected.

Update: Mayor says no changes to closing time until 2012

7th January 2011. See article from pattayamail.com

There will be no official change in Pattaya bar closing times until at least 2012 as a host of city, provincial and national government officials draft a Pattaya Model project to revise zoning, operating hours and tax systems for entertainment venues.

...Read the full article

The police raided Soi 6 en-masse on Wednesday night.

Around 200 police descended. They blocked both ends of the Soi and parked a mobile drugs testing van in the middle of the soi. They then proceeded to round up all the girls and march them off for their piss tests.

And in anticipation of a fair few girls being caught out, they brought along two large paddy wagons.

Clinic A-GoGo opened on 29th December on Soi 7. It is located a few bars closer to the beach than Silver Star 2.

The bar is clearly modeled on its successful gogo neighbour, Silver Star 2. It is a scaled down version, attractively decorated in white.

The front section has a central stage surrounded by narrow bench seating around the edges of the room. Narrow ledge seating seems to be a speciality of gogos in Soi 7 and 8.

The back section is focused on quite a large Jacuzzi, which wasn't in operation during my visit.

There were 4 or 5 girls dancing on the central stage in a range of attire.

There were probably a dozen girls total in the bar. Of these, half were attractive girls dancing in bikinis or topless. Then there were coyote dancers in negligee shorts and bras. A couple of dancers were looking faintly ludicrous by wearing a light, possibly 'nursey', looking bikini top and see thru skirt over the top of their coyote gear.

It seems to be coming quite common to see solid bras and shorts as gogo attire. Presumably the shortage of girls means that dancers dictate their own clothing preferences. It sure as hell ain't the customer's preferences.

The dancers were taking no interest in the customers, save when a few Thai guys came in to sit at the back.

There was a draft beer following the same price as its neighbour gogo at 65 Baht.

There's not really very much in bar that follows the clinic theme. Possibly a bit of a lost opportunity, or else something they will build on in due course.

Roxy is located next to Insomnia nightclub on Walking Street.

Roxy recently ended their long running stage shows.

But now Roxy restarted their shows on the main stage again. For the moment the show time is just five minutes. The show is very simple, three dancers strip while sucking bananas.

It seems that the temporary end of shows was down to showgirls quitting rather than a change of direction form the bar.

Thankfully the closure of Windmill on Soi Diamond was just a scheduled one day event. The bar is still going strong (albeit with a recent loss of my favourite girls to Baby Dolls)

On another happy note there is a new GoGo on Soi Lengkee. This is the soi that is the continuation of Soi Diana from Soi Buakhao to 3rd Road.

The bar is called something along the lines of Cherry's A-GoGo. No further details at the moment but reports expected soon. Update: This information proved to be incorrect. The only Cherry's on Soi Lengkee is a guest house