Pattaya Reports

[Nixonbd]

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the post-Coattaya (I'm hanging out more in Jomtien these days). In the interim, happy mongering!

Great report! I'm arriving in early September; staying at Areca Lodge first time. We used to stay at LK Empress on Beach Road, but as well noted, not much action on Beach or Second Road these days. We've concentrated on the LK Metro area for several years now. Billabong in the past had some great older freelancers and Sugar-Sugar had the hottest girls, IMHO.

We may go to WS once in the whole stay. Soi Pothole looks like my kind of Soi; small, seedy bars. Tree Town looks a little too bright and glitzy, but we'll give it a walk, I'm sure. Soi 6 is always an adventure, but can be pricy. Buy one girl a drink and before you know it, you've bought all the girls drinks.

One area that was not covered is "Soi Boomerang". What is the vibe there? Looks to be mostly "Club" type venues with only a few outdoor bars.

[Rick Rock]

Better yet, I use the personal SUPER VIP service that picks me up after plane lands and docks. They come lift me up from my seat and carry me on their shoulders, down the plane's steps, and straight to a private air conditioned station wagon with mattress. If I am hungry, they hand feed me and wipe my mouth with a napkin if needed. I don't need to lift a finger to do anything. How I envy sloths.

Hey, we don't all have the moral fortitude and intellectual integrity required for standing in line at a crowded airport with a stinky sweat covered backpack over our shoulder. Glad you're there to keep the flame alive!

[JizzyB]

Must be an awesome view. Drooling.

Please name the GC.

Why are Gentlemens Clubs so popular now?

Last night, I was buying drinks for 3 or 4 ladies, when I noticed that I was the last customer in the bar. (It was 1 am). Immediately, the ladies got naked, not just the 3 or 4, but the cashiers and other ladies, as well.

[JizzyB]

Thanks for the post. As a returnee, noted the details. Definitely helpful.

-JizzyB.

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the post-Covid situation in Thailand, and I think a lot of guys have questions about the situation here. There's no doubt that mongering in Thailand has changed, and my guess is that some of the changes are likely structural in nature, and therefore permanent. That being said, there's still lots of fun to be had here for a certain segment of the monger population.

(By way on (re-) introduction, I'm a long-term expat based in Bangkok. I'm from southern California and cut my teeth mongering in Tijuana, Mexico. I used to post a lot on the Tijuana forums back in the day but stopped posting on this forum when I re-located to Thailand for work about 10 years back. The TL forums back then were not so friendly so I gradually stopped posting / visiting. About a month ago, I was stuck at home in Bangkok due to a Covid isolation requirement, and, being bored shitless, decided to re-visit the TL forums. I'm glad I did and I hope I can offer you some insights).

[Vendelo]

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the post-Covid situation in Thailand, and I think a lot of guys have questions about the situation here. There's no doubt that mongering in Thailand has changed, and my guess is that some of the changes are likely structural in nature, and therefore permanent. That being said, there's still lots of fun to be had here for a certain segment of the monger population.

(By way on (re-) introduction, I'm a long-term expat based in Bangkok. I'm from southern California and cut my teeth mongering in Tijuana, Mexico. I used to post a lot on the Tijuana forums back in the day but stopped posting on this forum when I re-located to Thailand for work about 10 years back. The TL forums back then were not so friendly so I gradually stopped posting / visiting. About a month ago, I was stuck at home in Bangkok due to a Covid isolation requirement, and, being bored shitless, decided to re-visit the TL forums. I'm glad I did and I hope I can offer you some insights).

…

I'll try to keep posting for Pattaya and Bangkok with shorter reviews of other areas in Bangkok / trips to Pattaya (I'm hanging out more in Jomtien these days). In the interim, happy mongering!

Though I only hobby in Phuket, I wanted to take time to thank you for providing a valuable report. It is refreshing to see a member spend their personal time helping others.

[KrisMonger]

Good day Rick!

I tried to send you a PM, but the mailbox is full it seems. Would you mind sharing the name of the VIP taxi service you use. I know there are many, but using one that is recommended is perfect. The fact they have someone meet you at the gate is awesome!

Best,

Sky.

I can only think of First class Bangkok service (Google search gets you the result) that I had used prior to Covid that offers this along with the VIP Fast track service. Looks like the airport itself is back to offering the fast track service. If you don't care about the cost -this definitely saves you quite some time.

[Dion Cassius]

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the post-Covid situation in Thailand, and I think a lot of guys have questions about the situation here. There's no doubt that mongering in Thailand has changed, and my guess is that some of the changes are likely structural in nature, and therefore permanent. That being said, there's still lots of fun to be had here for a certain segment of the monger population.

(By way on (re-) introduction, I'm a long-term expat based in Bangkok. I'm from southern California and cut my teeth mongering in Tijuana, Mexico. I used to post a lot on the Tijuana forums back in the day but stopped posting on this forum when I re-located to Thailand for work about 10 years back. The TL forums back then were not so friendly so I gradually stopped posting / visiting. About a month ago, I was stuck at home in Bangkok due to a Covid isolation requirement, and, being bored shitless, decided to re-visit the TL forums. I'm glad I did and I hope I can offer you some insights).

I will start with some random points and conclude with a few final thoughts for those of you considering a trip. I just returned to Bangkok after a long weekend in Pattaya, my third visit this year.

As others have noted, the center of gravity for mongering in Pattaya has shifted from Beach Road and Walking Street to Soi Buakhow. If you're traveling to Pattaya and want to stay close to the action then my advice is to pick a hotel within a few hundred meters of the central part of Buakhow. That way, you can easily walk to most of the action while still being able to take a Baht bus along Buakhow towards Walking Street or, if you're going to Soi 6, along 2nd Road. Bolt app is also a great option now for Pattaya (for both motorcycles and cars).

The government is clearly trying to re-brand Pattaya as a family resort / convention center hub. As such, they're slowly pushing the mongering back from Beach Road and even back from 2nd Road. A few of the small beer bar complexes between 2nd and Buakhow were victims to this re-development scheme. That being said, new complexes (e. G. Tree Town) have been approved for Buakhow. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. The big issue they're facing now, it seems to me, is infrastructure: Buakhow is a narrow, winding road without sidewalks and it's getting even more dangerous to walk along it in the evenings. Parking, even for motorbikes, is almost non-existent.

There are a lot of positives to the Buakhow area:

If you're a drinker, the beer is definitely cheaper along here, with many places that serve cheap happy hour specials. There are also a few places (At All, Katesiree) that serve large bottles of local beer at great prices (a large (630 ML) LEO at At All is an unbelievably low 70 THB) and you can sit and watch the world go by on Buakhow.

There are a lot of reasonably prices restaurants (Hungry Hippo, Cheap Charlie's) with good food (especially breakfasts) that are popular with expats and also a number of more expensive places (Beer Hubb). Something for everybody. The Buakhow market / food court area is also a nice place to get cheap Thai food.

The Buakhow area has shaped up to be G-Club central. When I visited over Songkran in April a few clubs were open, but not all. That has now changed and most are now open so I suggest trying Soi Boomerang if you're a fan of G-Clubs. (If you're not familiar with G-Clubs, they're like a more laid-back / quieter version of the Soi 6 bars and everything is indoors).

You're close to massage shops. There are a number of these along Buakhow itself, but the most infamous ones reside adjacent to Buakhow on Second Road Soi 11 (Honey). Most of these shops open by 10 am and by late afternoon they're usually packed with girls sitting outside waiting for customers. If you want a massage with extras, but aren't sure if a shop offers them, then fear not: all massage shops on this soi have exactly what you need.

Buakhow side sois are also worth checking out:

Soi Pothole (Chaiyapoon) is definitely worth a visit although I realize this was not previously the case as many of these places were, in years past, a bit downscale (mainly low-end massage shops and dingy bars in which cheap beer was the main attraction). I never used to give this soi a second glance but things have really changed in the past two years. There are now a lot of nice bars on this soi, many with ST rooms on the premises. It seems to be evolving into a new version of Soi 6, albeit with lower customer beer prices (room prices average about 300 THB; ST averages 1,000 THB; and lady drinks average 150 THB). There are also a couple of decent G-Clubs on this soi: I prefer Maggie Mays to the Den, even though the Den is nicer on the inside, and High Rollers is also very nice inside (although, surprisingly it doesn't open until 6 pm, which is out of character with local G-Clubs). These places are not that expensive, with drink prices that are slightly higher than the surrounding bars and lady drinks about the same. Definitely worth a look (it's worth noting as you get closer to Third Road, past the G-Clubs, many of the bars are LB bars, so tread carefully).

I'll give a special shout-out to Maggie Mays on Soi Pothole. I visited Maggie Mays back in April but was disappointedall girls were occupied and it was / is a place that caters to locals. This is difficult, even when you live in Thailand, because the girls will take a sure thing (one lady drink from a regular guy they know) over somebody they don't know who may / may not buy them multiple drinks and go for "extras". I decided to give it one more try and I'm glad I did. It was crowded again when I went in, but there were plenty of girls outside (a good sign). I just bided my time at the bar until the group of customers (guys who had stopped by after golfing) left. By that time, I had my girl picked out and moved her to one of the couches in the back. Everybody there is very friendly (girls, bar staff, other customers) and quite accommodating. If you want something, just ask. There are curtains that pull around the couches if you want in-bar fun, and also rooms upstairs. My girl said that full service was possible right there on the couch. It's a 200 Baht "couch fee" and a 300 Baht room fee. Prices for the girl are the same. So, as we say in Thailand, it's up to you.

Soi Lengkee is worth a stroll also. There are a couple of beer bars with decent looking women in them (I didn't stop in but later regretted that). There is also La Poste Bar, which is an older G-Club in this area. The talent line up was not the greatest when I last went, but I stopped in for a drink / grope anyway. One of the nice features of this place is that when you buy a girl a drink her top automatically comes down. You can stand at the bar and paw away or move to the couches. I didn't witness any pull curtains around the couches on my most recent trip but I've heard that you can have fun right there in the bar. This is an older bar / club but the rooms upstairs are surprisingly nice, and come fully equipped with tickle feathers / whips / chains etc. (Yes, this was a surprise for me, also. I've not seen that before).

LK Metro

Prior to Covid, I had been through here but never spent much time in any of the bars. There really is a lot of diversity on this soi: everything from an Irish pub with live music to a sports bar to a multi-floor go-go with a stage that drops between the second and first floors (Kink). There are also open-air beer bars with a lot of freelancers in them. One could come to Pattaya for a week, go out every night, and quite literally never have to leave this soi for nightlife options. Definitely worth checking out, doing a bit of bar hopping, and finding a place that you like best. I've not explored every bar but Kink is fun (gets expensive), Billabong is okay for freelancers and outdoor vibe, and I-rovers sports bar has pretty good food and lots of televisions to watch. Pandora's (a small go-go) is also on this soi although it has changed owners and the new management, sadly, does not allow at-the-bar fully-exposed BJs (yes, this really was a thing, and yes, I have participated although I was a bit timid at first).

Soi 6

The Six is still around and I would estimate that approximately three-quarters of the places along there have now re-opened. I tend to visit The Six in the afternoons, so I've not seen it at its wildest as of late. When I did the stroll down from Second Road, there were very few customers but girls everywhere at about 3 pm. I got a lot of attention just for slowly walking along. Expats I have chatted with tend to either love or hate Soi 6. I'm somewhere in the middle. I like the idea, just not what it has evolved into. Nowadays, the vibe seems to be less about using the facilities and more about drinking, loud music, buying shots for the (male) manager (why would I ever do that? And having themed "parties" based on the flimsiest of premises ("Bee's birthday" Maybe I'm too old but it seems like they took a good thing and turned it into a noisy free-for-all while forgetting they are in open-air bars with no door (hence no real secluded area for hands-on fun). The Six, at least to me, has always been about finding a girl who takes your fancy, buying her a drink and doing the squeeze test, and either going upstairs or moving on. The Adelita's of the East, if you will. Alas, no more. So, I tend to stick to the quieter, closed-front bars that operate more in that model. More relaxed ambiance, less pressure, and air conditioning to boot.

One place worth mentioning that is NOT a traditional Soi 6 bar is the Queen Victoria Pub. It's on the left as you're walking towards Beach Road. A nice air-conditioned place to grab a quiet pint in between rounds while you "re-charge" or to fuel up on a breakfast / pub lunch before you get started. I've used it as an oasis from the craziness / pressure to buy girl drinks on Soi 6 on numerous occasions.

Walking Street and Windmill

I didn't spend much here on my trips this year. I've always preferred other areas in Pattaya for mongering, as Walking Street (pre-Covid) very much had a "fish bowl" vibe, with guided tours of Chinese traipsing around and gawking tourists everywhere. I couldn't help but get the feeling, as a middle-aged white guy, that I was part of the tour: "look, there goes another farang monger. ". In any event, with all the fun on Buakhow and surrounding areas I see less and less reason to patronize this area. I visited recently because I went to the Windmill one evening and then walked from Soi Diamond back along Walking Street before heading back to my hotel. It was busier than I expected but nowhere near previous levels. Since most of the people visiting before were observers, not mongers, I've no idea what that means for the mongering scene there. Judging from my experience at the Windmill, it has declined. The Windmill used to have a decent lineup, with two floors of fun going. The upstairs portion was closed off when I visited and, although the downstairs portion still has the "fun" areas at the back (furthest away from the entrance) the lineup of the more "willing" girls at the back was disappointing and not up to its usual standards. I still had a good time, of course, and the old wild vibe is still there with guys having on-stage fun, girls doing shower shows etc. But quality has slipped, and I hope they manage to bring it back.

Final thoughts

A very long post, and for those of you outside Thailand I hope I've managed to shed some light on the situation here. Overall, it's not back to (pre-Covid) normal and my sense is it never will be. There are a lot of places that are still closed and will likely not open again and it will be a long time before Thailand sees 2019 numbers of tourists. We may have to let the previous idealized view of Pattaya / Thailand go. That being said, there are still countless options--more than one guy can ever review in one post--and I think most guys can find something they are interested in here.

So, if you're a returnee considering a trip, my advice is to go for it. If you plan your trip around the Buakhow area you'll still have a lot of fun and be right in the thick of things. If you're a first-timer, I still say it's worth it but read the forums and watch a few YouTube videos just to make sure it will meet your expectations. If you want to play it safe, delay your trip a few months and visit over the new year holiday (or even in the new year). By then, we'll be in high season and have a better understanding of what that means, for Pattaya and for Thailand.

I'll try to keep posting for Pattaya and Bangkok with shorter reviews of other areas in Bangkok / trips to Pattaya (I'm hanging out more in Jomtien these days). In the interim, happy mongering!

This is an excellent and very informative post! Many thanks 👍.

[MartinFlevo]

Why are Gentlemens Clubs so popular now?

Last night, I was buying drinks for 3 or 4 ladies, when I noticed that I was the last customer in the bar. (It was 1 am). Immediately, the ladies got naked, not just the 3 or 4, but the cashiers and other ladies, as well.

Seems we need more details.

[Nuttin Serious]

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

Thanks for the write up, that's a really helpful snapshot of the place.

[Explorer8939]

I agree with that long post about Pattaya 100%.

Maybe Pattaya is still not up to pre-Covid levels, but there are more than enough bars and ladies.

It's 1000 times bigger than the Tijuana bars.

[Blue Nose]

"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go".

--Rumi.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the post-Covid situation in Thailand, and I think a lot of guys have questions about the situation here. There's no doubt that mongering in Thailand has changed, and my guess is that some of the changes are likely structural in nature, and therefore permanent. That being said, there's still lots of fun to be had here for a certain segment of the monger population.

(By way on (re-) introduction, I'm a long-term expat based in Bangkok. I'm from southern California and cut my teeth mongering in Tijuana, Mexico. I used to post a lot on the Tijuana forums back in the day but stopped posting on this forum when I re-located to Thailand for work about 10 years back. The TL forums back then were not so friendly so I gradually stopped posting / visiting. About a month ago, I was stuck at home in Bangkok due to a Covid isolation requirement, and, being bored shitless, decided to re-visit the TL forums. I'm glad I did and I hope I can offer you some insights).

I will start with some random points and conclude with a few final thoughts for those of you considering a trip. I just returned to Bangkok after a long weekend in Pattaya, my third visit this year.

As others have noted, the center of gravity for mongering in Pattaya has shifted from Beach Road and Walking Street to Soi Buakhow. If you're traveling to Pattaya and want to stay close to the action then my advice is to pick a hotel within a few hundred meters of the central part of Buakhow. That way, you can easily walk to most of the action while still being able to take a Baht bus along Buakhow towards Walking Street or, if you're going to Soi 6, along 2nd Road. Bolt app is also a great option now for Pattaya (for both motorcycles and cars).

The government is clearly trying to re-brand Pattaya as a family resort / convention center hub. As such, they're slowly pushing the mongering back from Beach Road and even back from 2nd Road. A few of the small beer bar complexes between 2nd and Buakhow were victims to this re-development scheme. That being said, new complexes (e. G. Tree Town) have been approved for Buakhow. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. The big issue they're facing now, it seems to me, is infrastructure: Buakhow is a narrow, winding road without sidewalks and it's getting even more dangerous to walk along it in the evenings. Parking, even for motorbikes, is almost non-existent.

There are a lot of positives to the Buakhow area:

If you're a drinker, the beer is definitely cheaper along here, with many places that serve cheap happy hour specials. There are also a few places (At All, Katesiree) that serve large bottles of local beer at great prices (a large (630 ML) LEO at At All is an unbelievably low 70 THB) and you can sit and watch the world go by on Buakhow.

There are a lot of reasonably prices restaurants (Hungry Hippo, Cheap Charlie's) with good food (especially breakfasts) that are popular with expats and also a number of more expensive places (Beer Hubb). Something for everybody. The Buakhow market / food court area is also a nice place to get cheap Thai food.

The Buakhow area has shaped up to be G-Club central. When I visited over Songkran in April a few clubs were open, but not all. That has now changed and most are now open so I suggest trying Soi Boomerang if you're a fan of G-Clubs. (If you're not familiar with G-Clubs, they're like a more laid-back / quieter version of the Soi 6 bars and everything is indoors).

You're close to massage shops. There are a number of these along Buakhow itself, but the most infamous ones reside adjacent to Buakhow on Second Road Soi 11 (Honey). Most of these shops open by 10 am and by late afternoon they're usually packed with girls sitting outside waiting for customers. If you want a massage with extras, but aren't sure if a shop offers them, then fear not: all massage shops on this soi have exactly what you need.

Buakhow side sois are also worth checking out:

Soi Pothole (Chaiyapoon) is definitely worth a visit although I realize this was not previously the case as many of these places were, in years past, a bit downscale (mainly low-end massage shops and dingy bars in which cheap beer was the main attraction). I never used to give this soi a second glance but things have really changed in the past two years. There are now a lot of nice bars on this soi, many with ST rooms on the premises. It seems to be evolving into a new version of Soi 6, albeit with lower customer beer prices (room prices average about 300 THB; ST averages 1,000 THB; and lady drinks average 150 THB). There are also a couple of decent G-Clubs on this soi: I prefer Maggie Mays to the Den, even though the Den is nicer on the inside, and High Rollers is also very nice inside (although, surprisingly it doesn't open until 6 pm, which is out of character with local G-Clubs). These places are not that expensive, with drink prices that are slightly higher than the surrounding bars and lady drinks about the same. Definitely worth a look (it's worth noting as you get closer to Third Road, past the G-Clubs, many of the bars are LB bars, so tread carefully).

I'll give a special shout-out to Maggie Mays on Soi Pothole. I visited Maggie Mays back in April but was disappointedall girls were occupied and it was / is a place that caters to locals. This is difficult, even when you live in Thailand, because the girls will take a sure thing (one lady drink from a regular guy they know) over somebody they don't know who may / may not buy them multiple drinks and go for "extras". I decided to give it one more try and I'm glad I did. It was crowded again when I went in, but there were plenty of girls outside (a good sign). I just bided my time at the bar until the group of customers (guys who had stopped by after golfing) left. By that time, I had my girl picked out and moved her to one of the couches in the back. Everybody there is very friendly (girls, bar staff, other customers) and quite accommodating. If you want something, just ask. There are curtains that pull around the couches if you want in-bar fun, and also rooms upstairs. My girl said that full service was possible right there on the couch. It's a 200 Baht "couch fee" and a 300 Baht room fee. Prices for the girl are the same. So, as we say in Thailand, it's up to you.

Soi Lengkee is worth a stroll also. There are a couple of beer bars with decent looking women in them (I didn't stop in but later regretted that). There is also La Poste Bar, which is an older G-Club in this area. The talent line up was not the greatest when I last went, but I stopped in for a drink / grope anyway. One of the nice features of this place is that when you buy a girl a drink her top automatically comes down. You can stand at the bar and paw away or move to the couches. I didn't witness any pull curtains around the couches on my most recent trip but I've heard that you can have fun right there in the bar. This is an older bar / club but the rooms upstairs are surprisingly nice, and come fully equipped with tickle feathers / whips / chains etc. (Yes, this was a surprise for me, also. I've not seen that before).

LK Metro

Prior to Covid, I had been through here but never spent much time in any of the bars. There really is a lot of diversity on this soi: everything from an Irish pub with live music to a sports bar to a multi-floor go-go with a stage that drops between the second and first floors (Kink). There are also open-air beer bars with a lot of freelancers in them. One could come to Pattaya for a week, go out every night, and quite literally never have to leave this soi for nightlife options. Definitely worth checking out, doing a bit of bar hopping, and finding a place that you like best. I've not explored every bar but Kink is fun (gets expensive), Billabong is okay for freelancers and outdoor vibe, and I-rovers sports bar has pretty good food and lots of televisions to watch. Pandora's (a small go-go) is also on this soi although it has changed owners and the new management, sadly, does not allow at-the-bar fully-exposed BJs (yes, this really was a thing, and yes, I have participated although I was a bit timid at first).

Soi 6

The Six is still around and I would estimate that approximately three-quarters of the places along there have now re-opened. I tend to visit The Six in the afternoons, so I've not seen it at its wildest as of late. When I did the stroll down from Second Road, there were very few customers but girls everywhere at about 3 pm. I got a lot of attention just for slowly walking along. Expats I have chatted with tend to either love or hate Soi 6. I'm somewhere in the middle. I like the idea, just not what it has evolved into. Nowadays, the vibe seems to be less about using the facilities and more about drinking, loud music, buying shots for the (male) manager (why would I ever do that? And having themed "parties" based on the flimsiest of premises ("Bee's birthday" Maybe I'm too old but it seems like they took a good thing and turned it into a noisy free-for-all while forgetting they are in open-air bars with no door (hence no real secluded area for hands-on fun). The Six, at least to me, has always been about finding a girl who takes your fancy, buying her a drink and doing the squeeze test, and either going upstairs or moving on. The Adelita's of the East, if you will. Alas, no more. So, I tend to stick to the quieter, closed-front bars that operate more in that model. More relaxed ambiance, less pressure, and air conditioning to boot.

One place worth mentioning that is NOT a traditional Soi 6 bar is the Queen Victoria Pub. It's on the left as you're walking towards Beach Road. A nice air-conditioned place to grab a quiet pint in between rounds while you "re-charge" or to fuel up on a breakfast / pub lunch before you get started. I've used it as an oasis from the craziness / pressure to buy girl drinks on Soi 6 on numerous occasions.

Walking Street and Windmill

I didn't spend much here on my trips this year. I've always preferred other areas in Pattaya for mongering, as Walking Street (pre-Covid) very much had a "fish bowl" vibe, with guided tours of Chinese traipsing around and gawking tourists everywhere. I couldn't help but get the feeling, as a middle-aged white guy, that I was part of the tour: "look, there goes another farang monger. ". In any event, with all the fun on Buakhow and surrounding areas I see less and less reason to patronize this area. I visited recently because I went to the Windmill one evening and then walked from Soi Diamond back along Walking Street before heading back to my hotel. It was busier than I expected but nowhere near previous levels. Since most of the people visiting before were observers, not mongers, I've no idea what that means for the mongering scene there. Judging from my experience at the Windmill, it has declined. The Windmill used to have a decent lineup, with two floors of fun going. The upstairs portion was closed off when I visited and, although the downstairs portion still has the "fun" areas at the back (furthest away from the entrance) the lineup of the more "willing" girls at the back was disappointing and not up to its usual standards. I still had a good time, of course, and the old wild vibe is still there with guys having on-stage fun, girls doing shower shows etc. But quality has slipped, and I hope they manage to bring it back.

Final thoughts

A very long post, and for those of you outside Thailand I hope I've managed to shed some light on the situation here. Overall, it's not back to (pre-Covid) normal and my sense is it never will be. There are a lot of places that are still closed and will likely not open again and it will be a long time before Thailand sees 2019 numbers of tourists. We may have to let the previous idealized view of Pattaya / Thailand go. That being said, there are still countless options--more than one guy can ever review in one post--and I think most guys can find something they are interested in here.

So, if you're a returnee considering a trip, my advice is to go for it. If you plan your trip around the Buakhow area you'll still have a lot of fun and be right in the thick of things. If you're a first-timer, I still say it's worth it but read the forums and watch a few YouTube videos just to make sure it will meet your expectations. If you want to play it safe, delay your trip a few months and visit over the new year holiday (or even in the new year). By then, we'll be in high season and have a better understanding of what that means, for Pattaya and for Thailand.

I'll try to keep posting for Pattaya and Bangkok with shorter reviews of other areas in Bangkok / trips to Pattaya (I'm hanging out more in Jomtien these days). In the interim, happy mongering!

[Sky Ryder]

Absolutely.

I use a VIP taxi service. They pick me up at my gate when my plane arrives. Take me right through immigration with no line. Then into an air conditioned luxury vehicle that drives the speed I want, stops when I want, delivers me to my destination and carries my bags.

Good day Rick!

I tried to send you a PM, but the mailbox is full it seems. Would you mind sharing the name of the VIP taxi service you use. I know there are many, but using one that is recommended is perfect. The fact they have someone meet you at the gate is awesome!

Best,

Sky.

[Explorer8939]

Why are Gentlemens Clubs so popular now?

Last night, I was buying drinks for 3 or 4 ladies, when I noticed that I was the last customer in the bar. (It was 1 am). Immediately, the ladies got naked, not just the 3 or 4, but the cashiers and other ladies, as well.

[GentileBear]

Hey Rick Rock.

How much. Ballpark wise. Is that service where you get your name on the whiteboard next to the Wheel-Chair airline staff. That escorts you to customs, in a private car, etc. Just curious. Thanks!

[RedMau5]

Absolutely.

I use a VIP taxi service. They pick me up at my gate when my plane arrives. Take me right through immigration with no line. Then into an air conditioned luxury vehicle that drives the speed I want, stops when I want, delivers me to my destination and carries my bags.

Better yet, I use the personal SUPER VIP service that picks me up after plane lands and docks. They come lift me up from my seat and carry me on their shoulders, down the plane's steps, and straight to a private air conditioned station wagon with mattress. If I am hungry, they hand feed me and wipe my mouth with a napkin if needed. I don't need to lift a finger to do anything. How I envy sloths.