Pattaya at night
Pattaya is famous for its night-life and has many attractions for all tastes and pockets. There are plenty of international and Thai restaurants, humble street stalls to eat at, beer bars in profusion and go go bars aplenty. Thai massage or foot massage is a more relaxing option, but shopping malls remain open until 11pm as well as several night markets. Live music is on offer at several bars and some large discos which open at 10.00pm and go on until late. Of course, there’s always the beach of Pattaya bay for a quiet evening stroll, which is safe and pleasant.
The evening around Pattaya starts early and many people eat between 8.00pm and 10.00pm because the fast evening pace of Pattaya does not start until about ten. The restaurants are open much earlier and later though, and various ones around Walking Street and South Pattaya are open until dawn.
The centre of night activity is the International Walking Street. Everyone who is in Pattaya for more than a day or so will be likely to come here, and the traffic congestion on Beach Road often means that it’s quicker to walk the last 100 metres rather than waiting in the traffic. Walking Street, at the southern end of Beach Road is a neon extravaganza with bars and restaurants, the seafood ones often being perched on stilts over the sea. It is pedestrianised after 6.30pm every evening.
You can see Thai boxing almost every night at several venues, and these are liberally advertised by flyers and posters. Street life is part of Thailand’s culture and you’ll be amazed by the numerous food stalls on the surrounding sois (small streets). Souvenir sellers and market traders set up wherever they can, along with street artists and some performers. Then there are the go go bars which spill out onto the lanes of Beach road, providing a lively atmosphere and some good people watching. Whether you want a really good seafood meal, or you just want to check out the walkers by sitting back in a bar overlooking them, or get a drink in a small bar, you are likely to see a cosmopolitan crowd in a friendly and safe environment.
There are many other areas of Pattaya which are just as alive at night. Sois 7 and 8 feature many bars and live entertainment, Hollywood disco on South Pattaya Road is a favourite because it is in easy walking distance of Walking Street. For lady-boy shows Tiffany and Alcazar have effusive shows three or four times per evening and are particularly popular with far-Eastern tourists, who often go there in group tours.
Pattayaland is a good place to go for gays, and there are many good Western eateries and girly bars in the area, which is only a few hundred metres from Walking Street. The mall on the southern end of Beach road includes, curiously, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and an entertainment centre with roller-coaster simulator and movie house, all of which are open late.
The many bars, restaurants, go go bars and entertainment in North Pattaya and Jomtien at night mean that many people staying in these areas do not need to come into the centre, as similar facilities are available locally, but the bustle of Walking Street will tempt most people for at least one night out.
