Pattaya Go-go bars, beer bars & restaurants (News closures and Updates)

[Glasseye]

5 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Not just the volume, but the noise they pump out they equate to music.

As if volume and poor music selection isn't enough, we now have to deal with vloggers pointing their cameras into bars, and worse, the owners that allow them in bars in the mistaken belief the publicity these low lives might generate will make up for the customers they loose because they don't want to be on social media.

 

 

[forcebwithu]

22 minutes ago, Glasseye said:

 

 

 

[Mr. Smooth]

6 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Not just the volume, but the noise they pump out they equate to music.

As if volume and poor music selection isn't enough, we now have to deal with vloggers pointing their cameras into bars, and worse, the owners that allow them in bars in the mistaken belief the publicity these low lives might generate will make up for the customers they loose because they don't want to be on social media.

Over the last 20 years, and particularly the few years up through my last visit to Pattaya in 2019, I can imagine whether from walking on WS with all the Chinese and Indian tourists with their camera phones taking videos, or the guys on LK Metro with cameras pointed along the outside areas of the bar or just on the soi, I am probably in several thousand vids. 

And I bet many of us can say the same.

While I do enjoy watching a few of the vloggers as they make their way around town letting you know about this bar or that venue, I would be put off if they pointed their camera at me while digging into the daily lunch special or having a beer with a local honey at a table, or sitting side by side along the front rail of a bar. 

I might be caught in a close up with a bit of lettuce between my teeth or a booger hanging out of my snot locker.

How embarrassing would that be?

[Glasseye]

56 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

 

 

ha !

[Glasseye]

40 minutes ago, Mr. Smooth said:

Over the last 20 years, and particularly the few years up through my last visit to Pattaya in 2019, I can imagine whether from walking on WS with all the Chinese and Indian tourists with their camera phones taking videos, or the guys on LK Metro with cameras pointed along the outside areas of the bar or just on the soi, I am probably in several thousand vids. 

And I bet many of us can say the same.

While I do enjoy watching a few of the vloggers as they make their way around town letting you know about this bar or that venue, I would be put off if they pointed their camera at me while digging into the daily lunch special or having a beer with a local honey at a table, or sitting side by side along the front rail of a bar. 

I might be caught in a close up with a bit of lettuce between my teeth or a booger hanging out of my snot locker.

How embarrassing would that be?

 

Yep... I admit I enjoy a few of them. There are actually some that do a pretty good job, yet most of them are boring as shit. I guess some folks are looking for some sort of creative outlet. Personally I'd rather spend my time jacking off to porn....

With all of the cracked pavements, crazy traffic, tight Soi's, rabid dogs, drunk idiots, and hot asses to look at.... I'd be scared to death to walk around while holding a camera, blabbering and looking in every direction other than where I should be.

Actually, I'm surprised we don't hear more stories about some of these guys ending up in the hospital (or worse).

[forcebwithu]

40 minutes ago, Mr. Smooth said:

Over the last 20 years, and particularly the few years up through my last visit to Pattaya in 2019, I can imagine whether from walking on WS with all the Chinese and Indian tourists with their camera phones taking videos, or the guys on LK Metro with cameras pointed along the outside areas of the bar or just on the soi, I am probably in several thousand vids. 

And I bet many of us can say the same.

While I do enjoy watching a few of the vloggers as they make their way around town letting you know about this bar or that venue, I would be put off if they pointed their camera at me while digging into the daily lunch special or having a beer with a local honey at a table, or sitting side by side along the front rail of a bar. 

I might be caught in a close up with a bit of lettuce between my teeth or a booger hanging out of my snot locker.

How embarrassing would that be?

Some of the vloggers are downright creepy how they surreptitiously record people, probably because they know if they were open about it they'd get called out on it more often and ruin what otherwise would be a boring as paint drying video.

I did have one encounter with a vlogger that ignored my polite request not to record me when I was sitting in a bar and he was out on the street purposely pointing the camera at me. That led to a verbal confrontation before he finally moved on. Same guy a few weeks later did it again.

It wasn't until a friend sent me an email a couple months later asking if it was me on YT that I realized the 2nd encounter was a set up to get a reaction out of me. It was also heavily edited so as to make me look like the aggressor, complete with captions with snide remarks. I ignored it as any attempt to report or respond to what I thought of his less than truthful upload ran too great a risk of me losing my anonymity.

Same with the trolls on the internet, vlogger trolls are best ignored.

There are however some good vloggers out there that have very good, interesting and informative content. Some of them are also making good, well deserved money for their efforts too.

[Mr. Smooth]

1 minute ago, forcebwithu said:

Some of the vloggers are downright creepy how they surreptitiously record people, probably because they know if they were open about it they'd get called out on it more often and ruin what otherwise would be a boring as paint drying video.

I did have one encounter with a vlogger that ignored my polite request not to record me when I was sitting in a bar and he was out on the street purposely pointing the camera at me. That led to a verbal confrontation before he finally moved on. Same guy a few weeks later did it again.

It wasn't until a friend sent me an email a couple months later asking if it was me on YT that I realized the 2nd encounter was a set up to get a reaction out of me. It was also heavily edited so as to make me look like the aggressor, complete with captions with snide remarks. I ignored it as any attempt to report or respond to what I thought of his less than truthful upload ran too great a risk of me losing my anonymity.

Same with the trolls on the internet, vlogger trolls are best ignored.

There are however some good vloggers out there that have very good, interesting and informative content. Some of them are also making good, well deserved money for their efforts too.

Something that you described can just really screw up a perfectly good time out with a girl or your mates. And then his follow up to deliberately make you look bad....very poor taste. 

I agree on your last sentence, as I have really been enjoying "everything Pattaya" and "Ride4kicks", or however he spells it. Both very informative and high quality videos. That first guy showing all these fantastic condo deals, I can't believe how inexpensive so many of these condo buildings are. I'm always catching his stuff at my earliest convenience after his notification comes through.

Guess these things help to keep your head in the game no matter how far away you live or how long since your last trip over.

[Golfingboy]

16 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

I did have one encounter with a vlogger that ignored my polite request not to record me when I was sitting in a bar and he was out on the street purposely pointing the camera at me. That led to a verbal confrontation before he finally moved on. Same guy a few weeks later did it again.

It wasn't until a friend sent me an email a couple months later asking if it was me on YT that I realized the 2nd encounter was a set up to get a reaction out of me. It was also heavily edited so as to make me look like the aggressor, complete with captions with snide remarks. I ignored it as any attempt to report or respond to what I thought of his less than truthful upload ran too great a risk of me losing my anonymity.

 

I know it’s a “free world” , but gosh, to focus on one man and still be shove the camera in your face  after a polite request. That can’t be a recipe for a successful vlogger

Wouldn’t surprise me if it was Cheap Charlie…..That guy could have had a very stable income had he kept his head straight. I’m a binge drinker myself, so I sympathize but it’s never really cost me more than my bar tab and some overtipping. That guy had some videos quickly passing 1M views, but somehow got his channel deleted? Sad, hope he figured it out but wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up dead from booze OR a beatdown. You shouldn’t be in your early 30’s and trying to survive on 10,000THB a month in Thailand , no future there and you’ll be miserable, it still costs something to have a GF

Edited May 15, 2022 by Golfingboy

[Horizondave]

Plenty of people taking video as they walk. It's just the norm but taking a photo or concentrating a video on a person or couple is a little bit unwelcome.

I was in a bar on the corner of LK Metro and Soi Bukhao with my ex wife watching a band and a guy stands right in front of her and goes to snap her. I put my hand up and said no, he moves to the side to get a better angle at which point I stood up between him and my wife and moved towards him. He stopped pointing the camera and I told him to move away, he seemed upset he couldn't take a photo.

OK, my ex wife was displaying her ample charms but why would a guy think it right to take her photo probably expecting her to smile for him. Probably wanted to show it to his mates back home as one of his conquests, well not my wife you don't.

It is rude to photo somebody close up without their consent. Difficult to control a distant photo in public but some guys are just too intrusive.

[Butch]

On 5/14/2022 at 3:34 AM, forcebwithu said:

Not just the volume, but the noise they pump out they equate to music.

As if volume and poor music selection isn't enough, we now have to deal with vloggers pointing their cameras into bars, and worse, the owners that allow them in bars in the mistaken belief the publicity these low lives might generate will make up for the customers they loose because they don't want to be on social media.

That's so true. In fact, on my last trip it got to a point where I deliberately try to sit away from the street and with my back to it so as not to have my face all over YT. I think this is where some enclosed bars are on a bit of a winner. Jibbys for wxample.

Not ideal for my favourite pastime of "people watching" on the street but it's now getting to the point where there's a vlogger wandering around every hour of the day.

[forcebwithu]

3 hours ago, Butch said:

That's so true. In fact, on my last trip it got to a point where I deliberately try to sit away from the street and with my back to it so as not to have my face all over YT. I think this is where some enclosed bars are on a bit of a winner. Jibbys for wxample.

Not ideal for my favourite pastime of "people watching" on the street but it's now getting to the point where there's a vlogger wandering around every hour of the day.

And sometimes even enclosed bars are not safe from being recorded...

 

[Mike56]

Miami A-go-go seems to be open. Any new experiences?

[Derek Dangleberries]

1 minute ago, Mike56 said:

Miami A-go-go seems to be open. 

1pm opening???

[Mike56]

8 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

1pm opening???

Before C-19 it opend 3 pm, so I am guessing not that early. 

My basis is some walk video where I saw lights flashing. No one outside although.

[cartoonman]

I found my old Bar Hopping Bar Guide - YEAR 2014.

Who remembers the Names of all these Bars.

Did I miss any ?

I was thinking - I did these Maps for 22 Years - Hundreds of Thousands of the Maps were downloaded and Printed out by People all over the WORLD...( I met Many Guys who had my Map in their pocket - exploring the Streets )

In 22 Years - ONLY 3 BAR OWNERS took the time to THANK ME.    ( Sad old World INIT ? )

 

[Bazle]

51 minutes ago, cartoonman said:

In 22 Years - ONLY 3 BAR OWNERS took the time to THANK ME.    ( Sad old World INIT ? )

As a rule of thumb, something which is not paid for is not appreciated, sadly.

[Evil Penevil]

4 hours ago, cartoonman said:

In 22 Years - ONLY 3 BAR OWNERS took the time to THANK ME.    ( Sad old World INIT ? )

I'm not a bar owner, but I will certainly say  in big letters.

I've used your restaurant maps much more than the bar hopping maps, but both have been useful.

Just out of curiosity, do you still have a copy of the first bar map you did?  This came up in a thread on Addicts.  I found this map, but it wasn't dated.  I'm guessing it is from 2001 or 2002.

Another member found this map, a photo of a printed map.  The file name is "PattayaBars2000," but it's not sure that's accurate.

If you compare the earliest versions of the bar hopping map with the 2020 version, there are only four  go go bars which have had the same name and location for the past 18-20 years:  Tahitian Queen (Beach Road); Happy; Tim's (2nd Road) and Diamond (Soi Diamond).

However,  Diamond had been sold in 2019 to become first Sugar Baby and then Annabelle's, so the 2020 map wasn't up to date.  Happy and Tim's have both closed for good, or at least that's what I have  read.  That leaves TQ as the true survivor among Pattaya go go bars, as it's been in continuous operation not just 20 years but since 1978.

But on WS itself and in its immediate vicinity, there's NO go go bar which has managed to stay open 22 or even 20 years under the same name in the same premises.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

Evil

Edited May 16, 2022 by Evil Penevil

[Butch]

52 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

I'm not a bar owner, but I will certainly say  in big letters.

I've used your restaurant maps much more than the bar hopping maps, but both have been useful.

Just out of curiosity, do you still have a copy of the first bar map you did?  This came up in a thread on Addicts.  I found this map, but it wasn't dated.  I'm guessing it is from 2001 or 2002.

Another member found this map, a photo of a printed map.  The file name is "PattayaBars2000," but it's not sure that's accurate.

If you compare the earliest versions of the bar hopping map with the 2020 version, there are only four  go go bars which have had the same name and location for the past 18-20 years:  Tahitian Queen (Beach Road); Happy; Tim's (2nd Road) and Diamond (Soi Diamond).

However,  Diamond had been sold in 2019 to become first Sugar Baby and then Annabelle's, so the 2020 map wasn't up to date.  Happy and Tim's have both closed for good, or at least that's what I have  read.  That leaves TQ as the true survivor among Pattaya go go bars, as it's been in continuous operation not just 20 years but since 1978.

But on WS itself and in its immediate vicinity, there's NO go go bar which has managed to stay open 22 or even 20 years under the same name in the same premises.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

Evil

I think you're right in your calculations regarding long standing GGB's Evil.

As for the bar map, it looks about right. Horn Bar (Soi Happy) was owned in part by the guy who owns The Sportsman in Soi 13 and was his first Pattaya Bar which he sold in 2003 iirc. It also splits Venus A GoGo and Planet Rock into 2, they merged into one in late 2000 (Planet Rock).

It's also listing "Freelancer" as number 29, and again, might be wrong but in it's first incarnation FLB was a short lived GoGo, but I thought it changed into a beer bar in 98/99 ish, however the map may have been printed up during the transition or perhaps worked on an assumption it was still a GGB, but I'm pretty sure it was not a GGB in 2000.

The old FLB forum I joined in 98 and it was still very young (drop down bulletin board style) and even back then (before Ben was on board and employed) it was being punted as an A/C Beer bar.

It also lists Freeway which was in short lived operation in 2001, I took Paul (babydolls) and Ilene there on their first trip.

I apologise if I've got muddled up on the dates, but I don't think this map is far out and 1999 / 00 seems to be the date I'd go for.

Big thanks you and Virtual case of beer to @cartoonman for drawing up these maps and making them available free of charge. It really helped me orientate myself and when in the UK I'd looked forward to the new one coming out so I could find new bars to visit.

I think it was also printed in the old "Pattaya by night" magazine that was around for a while (which I took 50 copies of to the UK and flogged on Ebay for £8 each - paid for my flights).

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Butch

[Evil Penevil]

1 hour ago, Butch said:

It's also listing "Freelancer" as number 29, and again, might be wrong but in it's first incarnation FLB was a short lived GoGo, but I thought it changed into a beer bar in 98/99 ish, however the map may have been printed up during the transition or perhaps worked on an assumption it was still a GGB, but I'm pretty sure it was not a GGB in 2000.

What would become FLB opened as Ann's Party Bar, a go go bar, in November, 1998.  Ann was the wife of Pattaya Pete and the official owner.  Pete  changed the name and business model to The Freelancer Bar in mid-1999.  However, it failed to attract many freelancers but was a big success as a hostess bar and the name was shortened to FLB in late 2001 or early 2002 (I'm not 100% sure about the year of the shift to the name FLB).  Pete said he got tired of explaining to people why there weren't any freelancers in the bar. so he changed the name.

In December,  2004, Pete sold FLB to Martin, an American who used the board handle MM.   Pete went on to start the Pattaya Beer Garden, which also failed to attract many freelancers but became the most popular farang-oriented restaurant in town.  

Ownership of FLB reverted to the Thai (of Indian descent) landlord in 2014 when MM retired for health reasons.  The landlord kept FLB running in a very abbreviated version until January, 2016, when it closed its doors for good and became a kebab shop.

An interesting side note:  Before Pete and Ann took over, the bar was called Europa and owned by a Bulgarian.  It's business model was to offer Bulgarian women to Asians at huge prices, but it was never a success.  Interpol issued a  "red notice" (the functional equivalent of a warrant) for the Bulgarian proprietor on a murder charge.  He was arrested and immediately deported by the Thai cops.  His bar business collapsed overnight and Pete and Ann were able to pick up the lease.

[forcebwithu]

12 hours ago, cartoonman said:

I found my old Bar Hopping Bar Guide - YEAR 2014.

Who remembers the Names of all these Bars.

Did I miss any ?

I was thinking - I did these Maps for 22 Years - Hundreds of Thousands of the Maps were downloaded and Printed out by People all over the WORLD...( I met Many Guys who had my Map in their pocket - exploring the Streets )

In 22 Years - ONLY 3 BAR OWNERS took the time to THANK ME.    ( Sad old World INIT ? )

 

Your maps over the years have been appreciated and used by many. As it turns out, the 2014 map you posted was included, with your permission, in the event booklet for Thai Nash Hash 2014. The event had 158 hashers, many who had not been to Pattaya before, so they found the map quite useful.

[forcebwithu]

Buffalo Bar has a new owner.

[Yesitisdakid]

5 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Buffalo Bar has a new owner.

That place is massive seems like a huge location for the burrito business

[Yesitisdakid]

On 5/1/2022 at 8:51 AM, fforest said:

Well Secrets started posting again on their facebook page after not posting much for ages...

https://www.facebook.com/Secrets.Cambodia/

 

But their website is still down....Its been down for a very long time..

http://www.secretscambodia.com/cgi-sys/defaultwebpage.cgi

I've had a couple of conflicting messages regarding secrets in Cambodia. One message from someone who generally knows what's going on says that Ben is no longer involved and is back in the UK. While another message from a former customer of mine at secrets in Pattaya said he just had a drink with Ben not long ago a few days ago so who knows

[Sherlock]

1 hour ago, Yesitisdakid said:

I've had a couple of conflicting messages regarding secrets in Cambodia. One message from someone who generally knows what's going on says that Ben is no longer involved and is back in the UK. While another message from a former customer of mine at secrets in Pattaya said he just had a drink with Ben not long ago a few days ago so who knows

I think Ben and family were cruising off the coast of Phuket only last week. According to his FB posts anyway.

[Yesitisdakid]

15 minutes ago, Sherlock said:

I think Ben and family were cruising off the coast of Phuket only last week. According to his FB posts anyway.

Yeah I saw that good luck to him