8 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

Only a shadow of what is was around 2010, and the ones left are all the same boring format, a single row of girls shuffling around. The exception maybe is Windmill which is sill OK. But when you think of Angelwitch, X-Zone, FLB, Beavers, Casnovy, Peppermint etc very sad.

I think it's safe to say that the nightlife in Thailand is a pale shadow of what it was 10 or 15 years ago, whether it be Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, and even Bangkok.

 

Everything has changed so drastically and there are so many different factors involved. For single men it's kind of sad because the quality just isn't what it used to be, a lot of the women are much bigger and infinitely less attractive to look at. In this day and age of the internet the really young and hot ones have an infinite number of options. 

 

A friend of mine who is quite wealthy was telling me that some of the escort services get as much as 70,000 baht for 3 hours now, for women that we would refer to as a solid nine.

 

Back in the day, comparable hotties used to work in the bars and they were available for 1500. The world is changing drastically before our very eyes, and either we adapt and learn to dance on our feet, or we perish, or we get depressed and remain miserable. Many of us prefer to adapt. 

Safe to say if your first day ever is today it will be amazing, and will remain in your memory as the best time.  Every year that passes it will get worse.  That has been true for decades and likely the rate of decline will only increase.  But right now it's still better than most alternatives, so live for today.

3 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

Had live singer or band playing issan music.

 

Yeah, I took a recording of that Isaan music in that bar several years ago when I was there. 

I may try to dig it up ... might still be on my backup drive.

That's some excellent music. 

 

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A friend of mine who is quite wealthy was telling me that some of the escort services get as much as 70,000 baht for 3 hours now, for women that we would refer to as a solid nine.

 

Back in the day, comparable hotties used to work in the bars and they were available for 1500. The world is changing drastically before our very eyes, and either we adapt and learn to dance on our feet, or we perish, or we get depressed and remain miserable. Many of us prefer to adapt. 

The horror, the horror.  People like you can't exploit young women like you did in the past.  The horror, the horror. 

30 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

The horror, the horror.  People like you can't exploit young women like you did in the past.  The horror, the horror. 

 

 

Exploit?

 

Don't be so foolish...................a going rate is a going rate....and there is no one, to whom I pay the going rate, who has ever complained.

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Exploit?

 

Don't be so foolish...................a going rate is a going rate....and there is no one, to whom I pay the going rate, who has ever complained.

If they had a better why to making a living they would not be hanging out with people like you for money. 

17 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

If they had a better why to making a living they would not be hanging out with people like you for money. 

 

But that's the point. They don't have a better way to make a living.

 

Feel free to start a corporation employing 10,000 locals with good salaries to get them out of the bar scene. You have at least 2 or 3 genius business ideas and 100 million baht to invest, right Mr Seymour Butts? 

 

 

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

But that's the point. They don't have a better way to make a living.

 

Feel free to start a corporation employing 10,000 locals with good salaries to get them out of the bar scene. You have at least 2 or 3 genius business ideas and 100 million baht to invest, right Mr Seymour Butts? 

 

 

Or the government can do a better job at economic development. 

11 hours ago, Mike_Hunt said:

If they had a better why to making a living they would not be hanging out with people like you for money. 

 

Millions of Thais make a good living without going into the escort scene. These girls CHOOSE to do it because it gives them more money.

since Covid the place is not worth a visit anymore 

1 hour ago, Mentors65 said:

since Covid the place is not worth a visit anymore 

 

Exactamente.

 

Convid19 changed everything, not for the better.

1 hour ago, Mentors65 said:

since Covid the place is not worth a visit anymore 

The decline happened way before that unfortunately, from early 2000's just seemed to lose the vibe.

I arrived in the early 2000's and made many friends. So I cannot agree there.

Definitely the ease of online access changed things. The more attractive girls get the custom and the less attractive guys have to pay more.

On 12/15/2025 at 7:53 PM, Harrisfan said:

Never been there

But the title of this discussion caught your eye?

Great story bro.

Internet changed everything....the fun was in the adventure and not really knowing what you'd find. Sois 2.7 and 8 were lively and also had the odd gogo. 6 was a mysterious  afternoon entertainment. with prettier girls doing their best to get you to go upstairs. not the neon lit cattle market baht chasing madness of today.

Walking st and side roads had so much more to offer than the handful of decent bars operating now. 

 

19 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Many times 

And here we have another totally moronic idiot. You do know, there are more foreigners in Thailand who has been to Walking Street more than a few times, than the ones who hasn't, right? That makes you and your comment an insignificant minority. Now go bother someone else. Get lost!

19 hours ago, tubby johnson said:

 

That's his willy you're staring at.

Moron! Why would I have any interest in that? Don´t judge others out of your own sick fantasies!

 

On 12/15/2025 at 7:20 PM, gk10012001 said:

Finally got around to visiting walking street. First trip was in 2004, last trip was in 2019.

 

Visited Walking Street after several years, and for the first time after the pandemic, in 2023. The place was so unappealing to me (construction sites, closed shops, growing 'Indian theme', not to mention the large number of convenience stores and pharmacies), that I didn't visit any bar. IMHO, the vibe from 10, or 20 years ago is gone, and not coming back...

On 12/15/2025 at 7:50 PM, gk10012001 said:

Finally got around to visiting walking street. First trip was in 2004, last trip was in 2019.  Sad how many of the old classic places are gone. It used be such a fun experience,  hop from gogo to gogo,  have a beer.  Lots of variety.  Carousel went away quite a while ago. Rows of places boarded up now. I suspect the covid shutdown knocked out many of the places that individual owners. The sea, living dolls, baby dolls,1,2, shark. That little loop was nice.  That ice room bar looked closed. Oh well.

First time I saw it as well visiting a retiree there into that scene...it looks awful now - Walking Street looks like a DMT bad trip...the Indian themed bangra  dancing place is just a bizarre thing also - with too many families there for the type of place it was/is.

I guess it even has 4th wave feminists visiting to hate on guys doing P4P scene.

 

The 'hansum man' stuff got fatiguing fast walking around the Sois daytime...like a broken record.

I'd find it hard to stay 2 weeks, nevermind as my base...to each their own.

On 12/16/2025 at 5:06 PM, gk10012001 said:

Super baby..yeah the old peppermint was a big place several stages. I miss the .little bar that was at the beginning of walking street. Had live singer or band playing issan music.

It was called The Sounds of Isaan.

39 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

Visited Walking Street after several years, and for the first time after the pandemic, in 2023. The place was so unappealing to me (construction sites, closed shops, growing 'Indian theme', not to mention the large number of convenience stores and pharmacies), that I didn't visit any bar. IMHO, the vibe from 10, or 20 years ago is gone, and not coming back...

Yes, places seems to steamroll through an optimum point as everyone tries to get on the $$$ train. Chiang Mai is going like that now with Nimman Road so OTT and Sunday  Walking Street too too busy.

Walking Street might have been unique years ago but there are now plenty of other ‘Walking Streets’ in Pattaya.

16 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Walking Street might have been unique years ago but there are now plenty of other ‘Walking Streets’ in Pattaya.

And in many other SE Asian tourist towns. 

On 12/16/2025 at 11:11 AM, jacko45k said:

Crazy House was my favourite!

The peppermint was my favourite. I  haven't been there for a while but I saw a video recently and it seems to be crawling with male Indians walking around in groups  with a beer fron 7/11 and not  drinkiing in bars with the exeption of the large hi so Indian clubs that are run by the Indian Mafia that charge like wounded bulls.Certainly not what it used to be.

10 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

The peppermint was my favourite

Peppermint was better when it was upstairs. 

 

 

My favourite was happy agogo. 

 

Great times in Heaven Above, upstairs from Super Baby. Beautiful girls and fun owners.

On 12/16/2025 at 12:22 PM, save the frogs said:

Someone online said the Indian Clubs on Walking Street have belly dancers.

 

That might be worth a visit.

 

Who doesn't like belly dancing? 

Bellyrinas.

 

 

16 hours ago, nutosf said:

Great times in Heaven Above, upstairs from Super Baby. Beautiful girls and fun owners.

Yes, I had some naughty fun times in there. 

20 years ago they were ALL good - mostly depending on the time of night you went there and how much you'd had to drink.

So many wild times "back in the day" and so many HOT women working in EVERY club. It was RARE to see a "plump" girl working in any club, even the "show bars" (though the women in those clubs tended to be somewhat more "mature" than the dancers in the regular clubs).

I remember when there was only 4-5 go-gos on Walking Street. In the early 2000s the number had grown a lot. I worked it out that if I started at one end of Walking Street when the clubs (just the go-go bars) opened and spent an hour in each one until closing, then went back the next night and picked up where I'd left off - it would have taken me a week to hit every club.

And then there were MORE !
Clubs sprung up on Soi 16, and the little sois behind Walking Street. It was HUGE news (sort of) when the first go-go opened on Soi 7 as it was literally the first one outside of Walking Street. 
Soon there were go-gos on soi 13/4 (by the Penthouse Hotel - which is a story all by itself) and on Soi Buakhao.

At one point there were - at least - 75 "registered" go-go bars and over 3,000 "registered" beer bars in Pattaya/Jomtien.

And the good times rolled from early evening until sunrise the next day.

We used to ride our Harleys to Soi Diamond and park them in from of The Sea A-Go-Go. Then stroll up and down Walking Street visiting different clubs and bars and friends until 3am when the bars "closed".
Then we'd sit in front of the Sea Zone (the owner was the president of a motorcycle club) and a guy would park a mobile "bar cart" in the entrance and we'd keep drinking and watching all the girls/staff start wondering home and all the drunks staggering and puking in the streets until sunrise and then we'd ride home.

And THAT was the "days" when so much money was flowing into Pattaya that they were able to plan, finance and build things like Central Festival, Terminal 21, Bali Hai, the highway 7 tollway - which was literally built specifically to get tourists to (and from) Pattaya and the airport.
(Keep in mind that mega-projects like that are usually planned and financed up to a decade before construction actually starts.)

They had plans to build a highspeed rail line between Bangkok and Pattaya and even started construction. You can still see the unused railbed and the stacks of concrete "ties" that were brought in for the project. 
And that was going to lead to a "Light Rapid Transit" system that would go from the Rail station to North Pattaya road and down to Beach road, along to Center Road and then back to the rail station.

And countless condo projects, housing developments and "shophouse" blocks were springing up everywhere. 

People thought the "good times" were never going to end and there was a HUGE "trickle down" effect. My buddy's clubs were making money so he could hire more staff who were earning more money.
And the staff were making good money on the side (tips or "other" activities") and they were spending it. (A lot of Thais didn't trust the banks so the money they didn't spend or send home often went to salons, Thai nightclubs, karaokes, restaurants, motorcycle shops and of course - gold shops.)

And that meant all those businesses were also making money and so were their staff.

And the more money those tourists were spending, the more plans everyone else was making.

And then around 2010-2012 it changed.

Thailand (the gov't) decided that the best way to get rid of the "sex trade" and Thailand's "seedy" image was to - get rid of all the "white" tourists as they seemed to be (to certain people in the gov't) the entire cause of all the problems (sound familiar ?).

So they stopped promoting Thailand as a travel destination in Euro/North American/Australasian (i.e. "white" countries) and started heavily promoting tourism from India and China instead, It seems they thought tourists from those places would have no interest in sex and that millions of them might make up for the revenue lost by losing all the "farangs" 

Between '04-10, if you looked at all the faces on Walking Street (not including the locals of course) - 99.9% of them were "white". And the bars were full, The restaurants were full. The shopping malls were full. 
It was rare to see an "Indian" that wasn't trying to sell you a suit and Chinese tour groups being led around were unheard of. Even most of the "foreign" hookers were "white" women (mostly from Uzbekistan it seems). Even Beach road at the "darkest" time of the night was almost entirely girls, a few "not so sures" and - old white guys.

I used to say that sitting in a beer bar on Walking Street or a bench on Beach Road at 2am was better than any of those lame "reality TV shows" that filled network TV channels.

But around 2012 I started noticing a LOT more Indians and a LOT more "Chinese tour groups" on Walking Street and a lot FEWER people in the bars. In some cases that was just fine by me ! More to pick and choose from.

And within a couple years, suddenly it was the "white" faces that were the rarity in the crowds as most of the (foreign) faces on Walking Street were Indians - or Arabs.

When you looked into the bars and restaurants and shopping malls - it was still predominately "white" faces (aside from the locals of course) - but there were fewer of them. 

It's still like that now. I went to Makro today. Of the 100+ foreigners I saw, 98 were "white" (and 2 were Indians just there to buy one thing apparently). 

Couple weeks ago I went to Big C Extra on Pattaya Klang with a friend. We hit a phone shop, browsed some other shops, had a bite to eat. Of all the foreigners I saw in there over about an hour - every single one was "white". Despite all the Indians in the area between that mall and #2 road - it seems few, if any, go into that mall. Same for Foodland. Friendship. Tops. Big C (Pattaya Tai). 

And what else has changed ? Oh yeah. High speed rail project - cancelled. LRT project - also cancelled. Numerous condo and housing and "shop house" blocks either abandoned or cancelled.

Clubs/bars are shutting down because of a lack of business. "Old timers" migrated to Soi Bukhao or the Dark Side. Fewer ladyboys and "Chinese tour groups" or "Indian" Nightclubs or "BB Gun arcades".
(See those on Walking Street was like a kick to the nuts with a frozen mukaluk. How could they let the Street be so degraded that they'd allow "BB Gun" arcades where there used to be high quality go-go bars that played awesome music for old (and some young) farangs to enjoy a quiet drink while nubile young women entertained themselves by dancing on tables and stages in scanty clothing - or nothing at all. So shameful to see how low Walking Street has sunk in recent years.)

And the saddest part is - all the gov't scheming hasn't really changed a thing as far as the sex trade is concerned or Thailand's image in the world.

All it's done is cause a lot of businesses to close, a lot of projects to be cancelled, a lot of people to lose their jobs.

And the "authorities" KNOW that those masses of tourists from India and China are NOT spending anywhere near as much as the "farangs" used to - but they're probably scared if they go back to promoting tourism in "farang" countries and stop promoting in places like India and China - their "arrival numbers" will drop.

Nevermind if the economy suddenly takes a huge upswing and the money starts pouring in again. All they'll look at is the (possible) drop in "Arrivals" and they'll start panicking. 

But on the same token - no gov't wants to be seen "promoting" the sex trade, even indirectly, so it might be a long, long time before the "demographics" change again. If ever.   



 

On 12/16/2025 at 4:11 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Carousel is also still there. 

 

Better look again if so did they move it was gone years before COVID!