Pattaya/Bkk Clubs late night venue updates.

[newalaan2]

Always like to get a current update before arriving for a visit on which clubs and venues are still open and/or busy in Pattaya as that is one of the main reasons for our Pattaya fun-week visit during my trips to Thailand, and it's a pain to get to a venue at a decent time for a table, waiting for the after-bar crowd to fill the place up only to find it is 'out of favour' with the fickle gay Pattaya crowd.

Haven't seen much here at SGT from Colmx and martin911 recently, (or indeed anyone lately on the subject), and they tend to have good current info on the clubbing scene.

Any updates on the likes of NAB, Dave Man, IDOL, Hollywood, Tam Nan Chon, Tam Nan Issan (I suspect this is one which never changes! "Anonone"?) etc.. or any NEW places to consider?

Any recent info greatly appreciated.

[anonone]

Always like to get a current update before arriving for a visit on which clubs and venues are still open and/or busy in Pattaya as that is one of the main reasons for our Pattaya fun-week visit during my trips to Thailand, and it's a pain to get to a venue at a decent time for a table, waiting for the after-bar crowd to fill the place up only to find it is 'out of favour' with the fickle gay Pattaya crowd.

Haven't seen much here at SGT from Colmx and martin911 recently, (or indeed anyone lately on the subject), and they tend to have good current info on the clubbing scene.

Any updates on the likes of NAB, Dave Man, IDOL, Hollywood, Tam Nan Chon, Tam Nan Issan (I suspect this is one which never changes! "Anonone"?) etc.. or any NEW places to consider?

Any recent info greatly appreciated.

Absolutely...Tam Nan never changes...THANK YOU BUDDHA for that. LOL

I was last in Thailand a couple weeks ago, and as you can imagine, most of the nights we were at Tam Nan. NAB seemed to be the club of choice from what I was hearing, with DAVE running in 2nd place...but limited personal experience...so I will defer to Martin or Colmx for an authoritative update on them. We only went to the Western clubs for New Years, so everyplace was packed anyway. Not really fair to judge them based just on that special night.

Looking forward to hearing your impressions of things in Pattaya...be sure to report back on your experience.


EDIT: I can't remember if you visit the Gay Thailand forum. Here is my report from that visit, including some videos from Tam Nam, as well as some other pics.

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/9379-pattaya-visit-december-2013/

[colmx]

I got back from Thailand yesterday
Hit the clubs all but 1 night... but to be honest i am not sure why any more!

-NAB is now pulling dave type crowds (ie. half full) If it wasn't for the gangs of drunk russians it would be even emptier
-Dave is now pulling Idol type crowds (ie. Practically Empty)If it wasn't for the gangs of roving coyoyes it would be even emptier
-Idol is empty (or so i was told, everyone said NO when it was suggested)
-Tum Nan Chon is still pulling in the numbers... but BF says that the band is not as good as befre and are still playing teh same old songs with no additions to their repertoire
-Tum Nan Issan is still pulling in the gay crowds
-Hollywood is realy full these days - but mostly chinese customers and the show is interminably long (seemed like 1 hour++ to us - seems to be a ploy t keep the chinese there later?) Also the show was almost completely in K-pop so its no scratched off our list of places to visit
-MC2 is still pulling in the late night crowds - but is so bloody smokey with its low ceilings

There is defintely no longer a need to get to NAB or Dave early - except possibly on a saturday night
Also very noticable is the lask of "boy tables" in the clubs... in times gone guy there would be lots of tables with gangs of boys that were sharing the bill... On this trip seemingly every table had a farang sponsor

Not wanting to sound like chicken little - but the market has really fallen out of the late night venues in the 2.5 months since i was in Pattaya previously
I suppose that this is not surprising - seeing as the bars are also empty of boys... What HAS happened to pattaya of old?

[anonone]

Wow. Not a very encouraging update colmx. Very sorry to hear things are so down.

Doesn't sound like I missed much by mostly avoiding NAB/DAVE on my last trip. Agree, no one even mentioned Idol, so have to imagine it is doing even worse.

Was Dave still doing the live music / band session?

[colmx]

Wow. Not a very encouraging update colmx. Very sorry to hear things are so down.

Doesn't sound like I missed much by mostly avoiding NAB/DAVE on my last trip. Agree, no one even mentioned Idol, so have to imagine it is doing even worse.


Yes, I have never been so disappointed with my visits to the late night venues on a trip ever before
I notice that Dave only has half the number of coyotes as previous visits (only one group now and not the 2 groups of before)

In case anyone is interested a farang friend of mine offed a coyote and a waiter on different occasions
The coyote off was 800. The waiter was a crazy 1500!
On both occasions sex was either medicore or non-existent... so i hope he has learned his lesson!


Was Dave still doing the live music / band session?
That seems to have stopped, they still have the drum kit and other musical istruments... but seem t be gathering dust from what i can see

The current "promo" in Dave is 1 Litre JWR whiskey, 1 Ice and 6 mixers for 1600B
From memory that same promo used to only cost 1200B (and maybe even included 8 mixers?)
It seems that NAB is now cheaper than Dave (if only the waiters in NAB weren't always trying to grab tips by refusing to open a tab and bringing mixers or ice 1 bottle/bucket at a time... and with a separate bill + expected tip for each)

Mixers in Dave and NAB still 60B each - hollywood now 70B

Also noticed that coyote drinks in Dave have gone from 200/400 to 220/440

I guess the 500B bottle of 100 pipers in Tum Nan Issan + 50B mixers makes TNI a lot more appealing to the groups of Thai boys.

BTW we also visited Lucifer Karaoke in Soi Chaipoom one night, 1 litre of JWR + all mixers there is 1500B - so great value...
For those that have never been to a boy karaoke:
-Every hour the boys stand (dressed) on a stage, the mamasan tries to auction them off and invite you to ask them to join you at your table
-Its 200B per boy/per hour that you invite to drink with you... so you pick 1 or 2 that you like
-Those that are uninvited float around for the hour until the scenario starts all over again, you can re-invite the guy you had the previous hour or try someone new

The guys are well trained in drinking shots so as to keep the mixer usage down and some of the uninvited will ask to join drink and play drinking games (you don't have to pay for the uninvited guests)

The cutest boy we had sitting with us went from very poochai acting to screaming queen by the time he had lost 10 games and drank 10 shots!

[anonone]

I guess the 500B bottle of 100 pipers in Tum Nan Issan + 50B mixers makes TNI a lot more appealing to the groups of Thai boys.

YEP! And I am SOOO thankful for that. LOL



BTW we also visited Lucifer Karaoke in Soi Chaipoom one night, 1 litre of JWR + all mixers there is 1500B - so great value...
For those that have never been to a boy karaoke:
-Every hour the boys stand (dressed) on a stage, the mamasan tries to auction them off and invite you to ask them to join you at your table
-Its 200B per boy/per hour that you invite to drink with you... so you pick 1 or 2 that you like
-Those that are uninvited float around for the hour until the scenario starts all over again, you can re-invite the guy you had the previous hour or try someone new

The guys are well trained in drinking shots so as to keep the mixer usage down and some of the uninvited will ask to join drink and play drinking games (you don't have to pay for the uninvited guests)

Sounds like a fun time. Unfortunately, BF does not like Karaoke places...so have to see if opportunity arises to visit without him.



The cutest boy we had sitting with us went from very poochai acting to screaming queen by the time he had lost 10 games and drank 10 shots!

Sounds perfect. Just my type.

Now I really need to find a way to visit. LOL

[aussie_]

"colmx" What HAS happened to pattaya of old?

Greed and bad managent. A copy of Bankok's DJ Station or Phuket's Boat Bar would be welcome in Pattaya but maybe not allowed by those in control. Tum Nan Isaan is still a good night out and not a rip off like some other clubs.

[catawampuscat]

I have noticed that the Thai boys I know have slowed down on visits to Nab and Dave.
Used to be several times a week but now maybe twice monthly. Idol off their list.
They have been going to karaokes or drinking in groups at home.

[newalaan2]

Yes, I have never been so disappointed with my visits to the late night venues on a trip ever before
Thanks for the detailed updates Colmx. Surprised the clubs aren't busier at the moment with folks escaping from Bkk for somewhere else for a while. NAB was still the favourite last trip, and even if not full often I find if you have a couple of out-going funny types in your company a night there can still be a good fun night out. We often 'catch up' with long time Pattaya friends even a couple of mamasans on occasions as we are only in Pattaya for a few days so the evening is centred on those in the company. But yes on a normal night it's disappointing if the venue is half full.

I have received messages from lads working in Pattaya via Gay Romeo messages to say there is dearth of good paying customers just now and the boys just don't have the money even to go for a Thai-boys together share-night at the more 'upscale' NAB or Dave Man. And you know the gay bar boy and friends psyche, once they get an idea into their heads that folks aren't going to the clubs they reason that as an excuse not to go themselves.......it's that word of mouth kinda fickle crowd spiral we often mention here. I'll still check them out when I get there and just find out best we can from bar waiters/hosts what's "in".

Tam Nan issan is a law unto itself in terms of fashions (thankfully).


Unfortunately, BF does not like Karaoke places...
I seem to remember this was the reason you hadn't tried Tam Nan Issan until some of us recommended just trying it to find out. You should do the same with him for a Karaoke. Go to one of the larger, good professional Karaokes (as opposed to the small shack-style karaoke venues you find around Pattaya). As Colmx says once the whiskies are downed there is a lot of flirting and good fun to be had, with a good mix of a night between the boy line-up, actual karaoke songs and DJ sets. When staying in Day/night area JJ Karaoke was always a good night's fun for not a huge bill at the end of it. One of the reasons they are often good fun and have a gay element is that even though the crowd is mixed with Thai gals, there are many katoeys who go to the Karaokes to pick up a man and even if you don't care for katoey-style, their fun loving attitude is infectious.


A copy of Bankok's DJ Station or Phuket's Boat Bar would be welcome in Pattaya but maybe not allowed by those in control
Yes I agree, I seem to remember a few years ago they did open a venue with the name DJ Station in Pattaya, I think where Dude Club was. Only problem was that it wasn't set up like DJ Bkk it was still the normal late night venue layout of whisky-sets and tall tables with no dancefloor. So no incentive for westerners/farangs to use it in the same way DJ Bkk is used. But a DJ style club I think would be successful in Pattaya.

[colmx]

NAB was still the favourite last trip, and even if not full often I find if you have a couple of out-going funny types in your company a night there can still be a good fun night out. We often 'catch up' with long time Pattaya friends even a couple of mamasans on occasions as we are only in Pattaya for a few days so the evening is centred on those in the company. But yes on a normal night it's disappointing if the venue is half full.


Hi NewAlaan
Sorry of my posts above seems a bit negative and has dashed any of your holiday hopes!
Like you - we normally have a gang of boys - and make our own fun... and that can be had in an empty warehouse or a packed club...
So yes we had lots of fun in Dave/NAB (otherwise we wouldn't keep going back!)
But i miss the cruising boys in the toilet and the gangs of boys synchro dancing on the dance floor at the end of the night
Oh and there are less victims for the Lady boy "talk show" people to pick on when the club is so empty... so you tend to get abused more often!

[newalaan2]

Sorry of my posts above seems a bit negative and has dashed any of your holiday hopes!
No, not negative it's great to get 'real' info. The whisky should take care of any 'dashed' feelings. But from your posts it seems there are no new or revived clubs. Step Up still in existence?


Oh and there are less victims for the Lady boy "talk show" people to pick on when the club is so empty... so you tend to get abused more often! Good call! This is something I will have to be aware of when deciding on a table in a half-empty club! I usually duck-down behind bf and friends to avoid ridicule, a bit more difficult with a sparse crowd. Can't remember if it was the last visit or previous to that when the two katoeys joined our table in between their stints onstage and took a near full whisky bottle to our table with them, and they were the most very genuinely nice and polite folks, not the loud overbearing pair I was expecting.

It will be interesting to see what the situation is in a couple weeks when we get to Pattaya after a bit of travelling around. Thanks for the updates. Has Martin911 gone AWOL?

[anonone]

Tam Nan issan is a law unto itself in terms of fashions (thankfully).


Unfortunately, BF does not like Karaoke places...
I seem to remember this was the reason you hadn't tried Tam Nan Issan until some of us recommended just trying it to find out. You should do the same with him for a Karaoke. Go to one of the larger, good professional Karaokes (as opposed to the small shack-style karaoke venues you find around Pattaya). As Colmx says once the whiskies are downed there is a lot of flirting and good fun to be had, with a good mix of a night between the boy line-up, actual karaoke songs and DJ sets. When staying in Day/night area JJ Karaoke was always a good night's fun for not a huge bill at the end of it. One of the reasons they are often good fun and have a gay element is that even though the crowd is mixed with Thai gals, there are many katoeys who go to the Karaokes to pick up a man and even if you don't care for katoey-style, their fun loving attitude is infectious.


BF was OK with Tam Nan before. I think he just didn't suggest it thinking I would prefer a more Western place. Or...he preferred the more Western place as there is an Isan music club or two around his village, so he wanted something different on our holidays. He is really into Western music, so this is probably more likely. 555

I have tried many times for a Karaoke visit with him, but he genuinely doesn't like them. Seems several of our friends make an occasional karaoke visit, so only a matter of time before I end up there with them...though it will probably be more of a shack-style.

[colmx]

Step Up still in existence?
I forgot about Step up...
We went there wice - once after NAB and once after TumNanIssan
On both occasions there were only 4-5 tables incuding our own (this was after 4.30)
The second time we left after around 40 mins and took our whiskey to MC2 on Soi Bunkot which was mobbed... when we left at 7.30 it was still going strong


Has Martin911 gone AWOL?
Martin is still in Pattaya... He was in Dave, TumNanIssan and Step Up with us... but i think he is suffering from a bit of club ennui
I think living in Pattaya full time can lead to boredom with the "same old same old" in the clubs every night!