The Spot Bar and Gallery is a ladyboy bar in Pattaya. These days it seems that transgender people are becoming more prominent around the world. But ladyboys have long been a fact of life in Thailand. While I am not interested in ladyboys in any carnal way it hardly makes sense to report on Thailand without giving them a mention.
In the seven years that this website has been online I have reported on ladyboys less than a half dozen times. About half of those reports were about Thailand. The first ladyboy venue I reported on was the now shuttered Kitten Club in Pattaya. It seems fitting to give mention of at least one ladyboy venue this year. That venue is The Spot and Gallery in Pattaya.
Ladyboy go go bars in Thailand
There is no question that many ladyboys are involved with the adult entertainment industry in Thailand. One of the largest tourist draws in Pattaya is the Tiffany ladyboy show with all its pomp and pageantry. Apparently entire group tours from countries like China can even be based around visits to the show.
There are now more ladyboy go go bars than there have ever been in Bangkok too. There are many in Bangkok’s Nana Plaza with new places seeming to open all the time. I am not totally sure but it seems like things are going in the opposite direction in Pattaya. Years ago there were huge open ladyboy go go bars on streets like Soi Bukhao with scantly clad dancers gyrating in full view of those passing on the roads. Now there are just a handful of ladyboy go go bars in the city and they are more closed off from view.
The Spot ladyboy bar
The Spot Bar and Gallery is a large go go bar on Soi Bukhao. It seems to have taken over and picked up the staff from a place called across the street called Surprise Yourself that closed a several months ago. The Spot easy to find as it is one the corner near the well traveled Soi 15.
There are about a dozen ladyboys working at The Spot at any given time. They wear bikinis under wraps. When they sit outside they stay wrapped. Inside they drop their outer shells and flaunt their bodies in the more revealing outfits. The ladyboys have various looks with some appearing more feminine than others. They seem to tend toward the more ladylike however as there are just a few of the more masculine appearing ladyboys in the bar.
Everyone is quite friendly at The Spot Bar and Gallery without being too pushy or aggressive. The place is nothing like some of the more infamous ladyboy bars in Bangkok where dancers pounce on anyone who walks through the door. At The Spot Bar and Gallery the ladyboys are cool, calm and cordial. Though I imagine they may get more intimate with customers who are physically attracted.
Inside The Spot
Inside the place is rather spacious. There is a stage that gets a bit of use but it is nothing like other go go bars staffed by women where the ladies dance on rotation no matter how many people are inside. At The Spot Bar and Gallery the ladyboys on staff are more likely to sit around with each other or customers than they are to get up on stage and dance. It can actually take an effort at times to get a drink.
The barfine at The Spot Bar and Gallery bar is 400 Baht ($14 USD) making it much cheaper than any Pattaya bar that staffs ladies. For an additional 200 Baht ($7 USD) the bar throws in the use of one of the rooms upstairs. Since the place took over an old backpackers hangout it also has food and rooms available.
Maybe I am a haggard old hand who has seen it all. But I can’t say that I was surprised when I visited the bar. Instead the place is basically what I expected to be inside. That is a ladyboy go go bar in Pattaya with a more laid back feel than the more show style Kathoeys R Us on Walking Street or the apparently wild and aggressive Baby Boom a few meters away. Someone into ladyboys may think more of it. But I think The Spot Bar and Gallery is a pretty average place. As an objective observer I give two-and-a-half stars. 
The Spot Bar and Gallery. Soi Bukhao, Pattaya, Thailand. Click here for a map. Open every day from 7:00 PM until 2:00 AM. Website: http://www.pattayaladyboybarsurpriseyourself.com
Was looking at a journalist (Richard Barrow) on Twitter, he is in Pattaya right now and everything is closed. Some bars in walking street may never open again. What do you think about this?
As always thanks for the updates and take care of you!
Hi Alex. Thanks for the comment and well wishes. Most of my thoughts on the matter can be found in my post Permanent effects of the pandemic on prostitution. Cheers.
I am sorry to report that this bar is not what it was. No go go, no ladyboys, just a bar. Well, there was one ladyboy but just serving drinks. I often sit here as it’s quiet, hassle-free and you can ogle the girls walking between the entrance/exit doors at Playgirls opposite.
Shame.
Thanks for the report Jon. As just one man I am not always able to keep up on the hundreds of places I have covered over the years. Cheers!