It puts Proust in the shade.
It puts Proust in the shade.
Halcyon (June 25th, 2021)
How does this compare with straight venues, I wonder? And with gay businesses across the world?
A very sad state of affairs for those who came in the 90s and before then. But Pattaya itself is unrecognisable in other ways. I recall that on my first visit, the newly-built Royal Garden only had two floors open. And now? Soon the malls will outnumber the gay bars!
#1 Immediately pre-covid, there were still a vast number of straight bars in various parts of Pattaya. On and around walking street. On and around Soi Bukhao, including in many of the side streets in both directions off it. Also, in a couple of the streets directly north of Central Shopping Mall, there are streets which are full of straight bars. Even one of those streets seemed like it has well in excess of 50 bars.
I've no idea if they had even more straight bars 15 years ago, but struggle to imagine how this translates into downsizing like the gay scene.
#2 Royal Garden Plaza is rapidly reverting to half empty. Probably a combination of covid and newer shopping malls, like Central or Terminal 21. The more Northerly Mikes seems to have downsized back to operating on one floor. Harbor Pattaya (Sic) is half empty.
There were always much more girls bars than gay places in the beginning due to the soldiers serving in Vietnam and later due to the sex tourists. Only Soi 6 in North Pattaya had about 80 girlbars in just one Soi. And as for just the last lockdown of bars, many girl bars were doing business. In number maybe 8 times higher than the gay places. But for now all are closed, many serving other services in order to survive these Covid lockdowns of bars.
Oscars closed end of March 2018, not in 1998.
Cupidol Bar in Boyz Town is being renovated at this moment and will get another name : Pikky Bar
"Pikky"? Well, that's a new one for me!
Sorry, it is Pikky's but I guess still new for you it will open as soon as the restrictions on bars are gone, it will take probably 120 days
Let's hope Pikkys are picky when selecting staff !
Although the standards varied, at times Cupidol had the best choice of twinks in the Pattaya gogo bars.
Halcyon (July 4th, 2021)