Area 51 is a kind of hybrid between a go go and a hostess bar located just outside of LK Metro in Pattaya. It is a rather unique venue type even in Pattaya where there are a wide variety of adult entertainment businesses.
Although the place is large and in a prominent area it never seems to get a large number of customers. That is somewhat surprising considering that there are nearly always very attractive women stationed outside beckoning customers. At the same time Pattaya has such a vast array of options for men looking to meet women that competition among businesses can be rather fierce.
That said there’s nothing fierce or aggressive about the approach of Area 51 that I can see. The staff is a fun bunch that includes some real lovely ladies. They spend most of their time conversing or otherwise having fun with customers. A few even get up on poles and dance.
Location and decor
Area 51 is situated on Soi Diana across from the entrance to LK Metro. LK Metro is a sort of second Walking Street filled with go go bars. It is is preferred by many Pattaya regulars who have grown tired of the tourist groups and other distractions on Walking Street. Although LK Metro is smaller and a little less popular than Walking Street prices are not always lower.
Area 51 is very easy to find. It stands out even though it is in a fairly busy location. One reason for that is probably that it is the only go go bar on Soi Diana with the exception of Papagayo which is some distance away.
It seems that Area 51 was constructed with the use of containers. At least that is how it appears from the outside. Inside there is no way to tell one isn’t in a nicely decorated bar. No matter how the building was made that is the reality. The interior is well decorated with a large bar and plenty of seating in the front. There are some metal poles and dancing stations there too.
In the back there are several quality pool tables along with more comfortable seating. The whole place has a nice feeling about it. The interior is open to the street however so nothing very wild goes on inside. For the most part is not that kind of place. It is more of a lounge.
Staff
There are around ten good looking women in lounge style dresses working every night in Area 51. Beyond that there are plenty of waitresses and bar staff. A lot of go go bars hire wait staff that could kindly be described as not very attractive. At Area 51 the gals who take orders and fetch drinks look a lot better than average.
The women in the dresses are obviously the main draw however. Overall they are thin and attractive with great bodies accented by their outfits. A few speak English very well and are outright charming. They all do quite well at keeping clients company.
Although they remain dressed at all times it does appear that most of the ladies on staff at Area 51 are generally more fit and better looking than the average lady found in a Pattaya go go bar today. That said the women in go go bars reveal a lot more of themselves.
Services
As stated earlier a couple of these ladies even get up on the poles and dance at certain times of the night. Obviously they drop their dresses in favor of more revealing gear when they do get on stage. As it is all open to the street they don’t get up to anything too adventurous. It is like the aforementioned Papagayo or any coyote bar in that sense.
The gals can apparently leave the bar with customers if they so wish. A barfine must be paid by the customer in that case. This is standard in Pattaya. Not so standard is the fact that the ladies can be choosy. While the decision to leave a bar is ultimately up to the lady in question anywhere the fact is that most bar girls in Pattaya do not turn down opportunities to go to a room with a customer for a few thousand Baht. Or at least they didn’t in the past. Area 51 is not so unique in that it has ladies who pick and chose which clients they will join outside of the bar. This is a rising trend in Pattaya and foreigner-oriented bars in Thailand more generally.
Conclusion
Area 51 is a conveniently located and well appointed lounge in the heart of Pattaya. It has elements of a go go bar but is more like the kind of hostess bar one would expect to find in Phnom Penh of Ho Chi Minh City. While the women can leave the bar with customers they can also decide against it. By and large it seems that they mainly make money from salary and commission from lady drinks.
That said, Area 51 does not pretend to be something it isn’t. Customers aren’t led to believe one thing only to be rejected later after a significant bill is built up. Area 51 is a lounge for guys looking to lounge around with some lovely ladies.
Some may like this model while others might prefer something more straight forward and oriented towards sexual services. The fact that there are so many different options in Pattaya is one of the reasons the city attracts so many men to begin with. Two stars. 
Area 51. Soi Diana, Pattaya, Thailand. Click here for a map. Open every day from 7:00 PM until 1:00 AM.
Sounds like the staff doubled in size. I was there about a year ago and there were five girls working, tops. The one I found attractive was available for barfines, so I thought they all were.
The main attraction is the pool tables anyway. It’s a slow-paced venue, good only for pre-drinking before hitting LK Metro.
They closed for a while for a sort of remodel. There do seem to be more women working now. Cheers.