Pin Up is a well known Pattaya go go bar. Located on the famed Walking Street strip this is probably one of the most popular go go bars in all of Thailand. The place was jammed packed with pent up customers just months after the country’s full reopening.
It is a bit odd that I have not already reviewed this place. Stranger still, I am not even sure that I have stepped foot in the bar until recently. I may have been inside just before the pandemic. But like the flood of bright neon light on Walking Street memories get increasingly blurry with time.
This is not to say that I am unfamiliar with Pin Up. In recent years it has often been cited as one of the best go go bars in Pattaya to find good looking women. Of course the same could be said of Sapphire and I gave that place one star. So how does this place fare?
Pin-Up Pattaya
Pin-up models fell out of favor sometime in the middle of the 20th century with the rise of nudie magazines. This is well enough since you won’t find any buxom beauties on stage at this bar. But you might see a few gals good looking enough to appear on a calendar.
You will also find a bar that is filled to the brim with ladies in the 19 to mid-twenties age range. The stages are all occupied during open hours with what must be upwards of a hundred dancers. They wear an assortment of hot pants and halter tops that shows off some of the gorgeous gals nicely. The topless dancers are also something to behold. There are some average looking ladies here too. But nearly all of the women at Pin Up do have nice thin bodies.
Seating is good and the service staff is decent enough. But this place can get filled with customers to the point that it actually becomes uncomfortable. I don’t expect privacy when dealing with a Walking Street go go bar. But I don’t want to have people stepping on my feet or dropping cigarette ash in my drink while I am trying to flag down the attention of a dancer either.
Nor do I want to be pestered. But that is exactly the feeling that comes with wait staff asking for tips and drink orders every few minutes. Checking up on a customer is one thing. Bothering a customer is something else.
High end or just high prices?
Pin Up does its best to come off as a high end aGoGo. In reality the place isn’t even as nice as the affiliated XS bar just down the street. But it does have some of the best looking women on staff. And apparently that allows the place to charge premium prices with all sorts of add-ons.
The barfine at Pin Up is extremely high. It is also tiered. So the fee to take a lady out of the bar before midnight is a whopping 2500 Baht. After midnight it drops to a still high 2000. Or is it 1500 Baht for a bar fine? It seems to depend on which lady, which mama san, which time and even which customer. When you consider that the dancers want 3000 Baht or more for a short time session things quickly add up, assuming anyone can do the math.
Then there are all the other bizarre pricing schemes. Lady drinks for models cost more than the other ladies. Bar fines increase on busy night or seemingly at the whim of the mamasans. Drink minimums are required for women before they can even accept a bar fine. It can be a real headache to figure out. Though I imagine most customers are temporary visitors who just pay whatever the bar says to spend time with the woman of their dreams.
The ladies at Pin Up are known for their looks. There is some justification for that. Though I wouldn’t say they look better than the lineups at even average Pattaya go go bars fifteen years ago. The dancers here are definitely not known for their affability or abilities. And I don’t know if the high prices can be justified on the basis of attractiveness alone. Ultimately that is for the end user to decide.
Frankly it doesn’t matter what I think of the place. The stages are filled with women and the seats are filled with punters. Still I give my opinion as a part of my reporting. Pin Up has some very attractive if jaded lades on staff. It gets crowded and it is expensive with a convoluted pricing scheme. Weighing the good against the bad I think it’s less than average mainly due to the way the place operates. Someone seeking out a stunner might bite the bullet and argue otherwise. I give it one star. 
Pin Up. Walking Street, Pattaya, Thailand. Click here for a map. Open every day from until 8:00 PM until 2:00 AM.
I completely agree it’s not worth the price of “admission” and even worse they employ thugs as bouncers. I was there one night late a few months back with my long-time assistant, a gorgeous, well dressed, well educated Thai. We were told “no room” despite the fact several Asians men went in behind us. When I questioned it, the thugs just glared at me while my assistant pulled me away before I became a casualty. The next night we tried again shortly after 8pm. This time, different thugs said “no Thai women”. There’s another a go go nearby called Palace with equally high prices and attractively thin dancers, but they made us feel welcome and wanted. Better.
Thanks for the comment Steve. It is understandable that you would go elsewhere. Cheers.
If they know you than you can enter the club with a thai girl. If not than some of the guys get stopped at the door even with their caucasian gf…
Dont you think a market correction is lurking in the future? The comment from Steve is not uncommon.
The top tier girls relize they will be superstars and make more money in nearly as high end venues, like Sensation or Baccara?
Equally, customers maybe next time want to try other Bars where they can get more bang for the buck and a friendlier vibe. When Bars gets to much hype, they start to decline. This happend with Crazy House in Bangkok, even if its better again.
Regarding lackluster preformance after a Barfine. From my experience looks predict nothing, dont avoid the stunners because you think the average girls will be more dedicated in bed. Its all about chemistry. Cheers.
The market for adult entertainment is distorted due to many factors. In this case you have a supply that is limited in scope and location. People from all over the world pour into Thailand on a daily basis looking for things like go go bars that they can’t find elsewhere. Any tourist area is always more expensive than places for locals too. Add in things like limited competition and you end up with the current state of things. Cheers.
I agree it’s really expensive to have some drinks/barfine and pay ST/LT for the girl but on the other side they have the best lineup last 3years and a lot of girls. I had not been there last few months but almost always had problem to find a seat after 9pm. You did not mention but if I am correct you need to order a drink every 20/30min?(automatic checking system via cash register) I had great times there during the covid-19 years. They had some issues with one landlord therefore the place is smaller than before. ST/LT price always depend on the girl how you look/age/like and if you are a returning customer. Mostly 3/5000baht but they prefer short times of course. Good spenders can get a VIP card(10-20% off) not applicable for BF and ST/LT and you can use it at XS Agogo too.
All in all I am OK with their rules, Their business and it is working now so why not. For many girls it is challenging too(LD quota and fines if they want free day, finish earlier etc) so few of them who I know had better choosed another club where they work now.
I guess that fact these sorts of businesses are indeed “working” explains the continuing changes in places like Pattaya. It also explains the opinions of people who know what the place used to be like. Cheers.