Crackdown is taking its toll on Beach Road. Decent girls (i.e. not complete skanks) are only available in a fairly narrow window between 19:30 and 23:30.
After midnight, police comes out and the road becomes virtually a desert. I've never seen it so devoid of working girls at night. Earlier crackdowns have been a nominal affair, police coming in at random times, swooping up several girls, extorting their 500-1000 baht bribe and letting them go straight back to work (including at the area right in front of the police station). The girls hated the loss of income, but never seemed too perturbed by the trip to the station. This time it seems more serious. One of my regulars complained about the cops, and was in a great hurry to get back home around 23:30.
I hope this is just one of the cyclical things and not a permanent turn for the worse.