What’s Pattaya like in 2022?

Now that we are over two years into the Covid-19 Pandemic it seems like a good time to examine what the global sex industry is like today. While problems continue the dust has begun to settle in some small degree. The last few months have been some of the most stable in years at least in terms of travel and in-person social engagement in much of the world. So let’s take a look at Thailand’s Pattaya to see what things are like as of May 2022.

Pattaya could arguably serve as good as an indicator of any city in the world in terms of adult entertainment and nightlife. Although some claim the city’s main draws are the sewage water beach or even “nature” the reality is that the city was basically built on sex. What was once a tiny fishing village grew into a rather large city after soldiers started taking their rest and relaxation time with women there. And that is a fact.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand says that tourist numbers are still down more than 90 percent from 2019. But people are undoubtedly starting to arrive in larger numbers. Especially since the beginning of May when a number of requirements for entry were dropped. A significant percentage of those people are traveling to Pattaya.

Pattaya in May 2022

At the moment the impacts of a long shutdown and lack of tourism can be widely felt in Pattaya. One of the most common sights in Pattaya today is abandoned buildings. They are numerous and can be found all over town. Bars can also open from one day to the next with a place full of people one night only to be covered in plastic sheeting the next. There are some real adjustments going on.

At the same time some things are definitely turning around. Parts of Thailand’s very own Sin City are even quite lively. Walking Street recently started banning vehicles at night again. This alone had a big impact and helped turn the place back into a street where people walk.

Some Walking Street bars are opening even while other businesses as prominent as McDonald’s, Family Marts and 7 Elevens remain closed. The major soapy massage parlors also remain shut down. Even some 65-year-old businesses have gone under. Yet smaller places around town are in some cases doing much better.

The Beach Road area around Central Festival Mall is actually buzzing. Plenty of bars are open and full of patrons. Seemingly unremarkable venues like Lovely Corner and Lucky Star Beer Bar are positively hopping at times. They are obviously doing brisk business even as some other places remain shuttered.

Nightlife is actually doing very well in LK Metro. It almost looks like a complete return to form with plenty of lights, ladies and customers to go around. LK Metro may even be doing better than some go go bar districts in Bangkok at the moment.

Plenty of bars are also open in the Soi Bukhao area too. Some are doing significant trade considering the circumstances. As are numerous massage parlors. Some places have dozens of women on hand beckoning to those who pass by to stop in for a full body rub down.

Most of the Gentlemen’s Club in Pattaya are back in business. That includes places like Pirate’s and Carre Blanc on Soi Full Love Inn as well as some others which may never have closed completely. M-Club is also open and well staffed too with scantly clad women occasionally emerging from the bar to lure in potential punters on the street. Since many of these place are private with locking doors they may be able to operate more easily than bars with dancing girls which are apparently required to pose as restaurants under current rules.

Bangkok and Thailand in general

Things are not much different in Bangkok. Though nightlife there may have been even more impacted by over two years of pandemic related restrictions. Half of Soi Cowboy remains shuttered with major go go bars like Shark, Sahara and Deja Vu remaining dark. Over at Nana Plaza things are a lot brighter with only Butterflies, Angelwitch and a few ladyboy bars remaining closed. Billboard is the highlight of Nana Plaza right now with dozens of ladies. Some dancing has even returned. And most of the big oily massage parlors like Doki Doki and Aurora Massage are open too.

Blowjob bars like Kasalong are open for business with plenty of women on staff just waiting to take care of customers. Lolita’s is even open for those who know enough to simply walk up and open the door even though there are no ladies sitting outside at the moment.

Generally speaking at least as much is open as is closed in the country as a whole. Places like Burger King and Hooter’s are open for business though they may be lacking in customers or have staff clad in masks. Even still dancers in some Bangkok agogos have dropped their tops and their masks even while the wait staff continues to stay covered. You never know what you might encounter from one place to the next. The future could be bright though. One recent proposal calls for places like bars and karaoke clubs in the capital to be allowed to reopen again.

Hotels are back in a big way with some doing good business. More tourist oriented places are often still hurting however. The same can go for street vendors, food trucks and even taxi drivers and motorbike taxis depending on their locations and usual customer base. Some of these people tell me they are not making even a quarter of what they earned prior to the pandemic. Though I remember that even in late 2019 many people in Thailand were telling me that things were not as good as they used to be.

So things are not back to normal. Or at least they are not like they were in 2019. But then again things in 2019 were not like they were in 2011 when I launched Rockit Reports. And things in 2011 were not like they were when I first visited Thailand many years prior to that. Things change. The normal becomes the new normal with or without the help of viruses, shutdowns, restrictions and even wars. This is the reality. And this is what it is like in Pattaya right now.