Pattaya Entertainment

Pattaya is perhaps most famous for its evening entertainment scene, which is synonymous with sleazy clubs, go-go bars and venues offering the services of ladies of the night. If you’re prepared to scratch the surface however, you’ll find a host of other activities aimed at more than just the single, sex-starved male, a species considered to be a permanent part of the city’s décor.

Nightlife

It would be doing Pattaya an injustice not to mention its thriving sex industry, as this is indeed an integral part of its appeal for many visitors. The wealth of bars with young, scantily clad Thai ladies flaunting themselves in various fashions is for many, a significant, if not the sole reason, for visiting the city.

Hotspots for catching a go-go dance are plentiful and include venues such as Big Willie's A Go-Go, Rodeo Girls A Go-Go, Lipstick A Go-Go and Venus A Go-Go. The wealth of these establishments is centred around Walking Street and Pattayaland 1 and 2, with others located in the Beach Road area. Similar bars for gay clientele are also focused around the same areas and include venues such as A-Bomb Boy's A-Go-Go, Classic Boys Club and Studio Boy's A-Go-Go.

Those visitors preferring a less sleazy scene will find a variety of regular bars including two Irish pubs - Rosie O' Gradys and Shenanigans, and venues such as the Blues Brothers Bar, Pig & Whistle English Pub and Winchester Club. Again, Walking Street and Pattayaland areas are the places to find these establishments.

Pattaya also has two movie theatres where all the latest Hollywood releases are screened in English with Thai subtitles; these are located at Royal Garden Plaza in Central Pattaya and at Central Festival (Big-C) in North Pattaya.

Theatre and music

Traditional theatre is not an element of Pattaya nightlife and visitors expecting cultural entertainment of this nature should look elsewhere. What you will find, however, are a number of cabaret-style shows available that are likely to be different from anything you’ve seen back home. Alcazar and Tiffany's are perhaps the most famous, both offering lady boy shows, at which you’ll genuinely struggle to accept that many of the beautiful performers were/are indeed originally of the male gender.

For live music, check out many of the western bars such as Shenanigans Irish Pub, Moon River Pub and Hard Rock Café. 

Festivals

There are a number of annual festivals in Pattaya, some that are celebrated throughout Thailand and others unique to the city. Highlights of these include:

• Pattaya Festival is held in April and sees the town brought alive with attractions such as sailing, go-kart racing, food markets, beauty competitions and a fireworks display.
• Songkran is also held in April and while a nationwide festival, is especially vibrant in Pattaya. Expect thousands of revellers to take to the street for a week-long water fight as well as drinking and dancing.
• Pattaya Gay Festival is restricted to a single period and is celebrated throughout the year with a variety of scheduled parties and events held for the benefit of the resident and visiting gay community.
• Loy Krathong is held in November across the country and sees Thais and foreigners alike take to the banks of the rivers and waterways to float ornately designed floral creations known as krathongs in a ritual that is supposed to signify the floating away of life’s troubles.