The Ladies And Clubs Of Walking Street

There. THAT'S where I wanted this photo from yesterday to be.

For the very new among you, Walking Street is a nightly phenomenon similar to the night market area along the streets of Silom Road and Patpong in Bangkok; assembled and jolted to life at dusk but sleeping by day. Not that there aren't plenty of touts along Walking Street in the daytime trying to pull you into a tailor shop, but the street is open to vehicular traffic, too.  At night it's pedestrians only. The main difference is not having to snake through a thousand other visitors between stalls on the sidewalk on Walking Street.

Probably not the "Living Doll"
Cliff Richard sang of, but
there she stood one night.

While Walking Street is only one of many areas in Pattaya to find a grouping of bars, go-go clubs and discos it's the one more tourists are likely to experience. You won't find as many families with small children along the other slightly darker sois where ladyboys and girls nearer their expiration dates wait for someone to off them, for example.

Walking Street is worth a post of its own, and I'll get to that soon. Today's post is for "Paul", who emailed me to ask where he (as a straight man) might go as an introduction to Pattaya Night Life. Paul said he was recently divorced and going through a renewed stretch of sewing his wild oats and was taking a trip with friends to Pattaya as a self-professed sex tourist. Just to be clear: I don't judge anyone who's fair and respectful of other humans, so while I feel he's likely to miss out on 99.5% of the other things Thailand has to offer, it's entirely up to him.

Not being an aficionado of females as romantic partners on any physical level for decades I was somewhat at a loss, but then it came to me: Walking Street!

Yes, I'm aware that a person could be taken - in more ways than one - in most any bar setting, but I figured this way he could at least get a nice dinner and be measured for a suit before being fleeced, drugged or assaulted (just kidding there - we often have some control over the direction of our own fate if we use a modicum of caution and good sense).

Girls tout for clubs along Pattaya Soi 1, not far from Walking Street

A man looking for a Rented Admirer of the female variety won't want for choice along the main stretch of Walking Street, and some of the side sois, also. There are dozens of clubs with some stunningly beautiful women there, some at the opposite end of the spectrum, and most everything between. Some have more between their legs than others, but that takes us into an area I'd rather cover another day.

It's not all "pay for play" - you can merely enjoy the company of a desirable person for an evening of companionship and drinks in the club, too, so don't get the wrong idea here.

We've covered Rented Admirers a couple of other times, and although the genitalia differs, the idea behind it doesn't - so maybe check those articles out here and here. (I don't judge anyone who's fair and respectful of other humans, just so you know).

"Hallloooo, hansam man!" A common siren song you'll hear as you walk along Walking Street. Well, that and "Hello, my friend! Can I interest you in a suit?"

Some clubs are beginning
to cater to those who wish to
rent a falang

That said, here are a few shots of lady and ladyboy clubs along Walking Street. They're not reference points for specific people - they were taken some years ago, and workers tend to change jobs/clubs/professions as often as money and whim dictate (kind of like many places in the West), but it gives you an idea of what some of the clubs look like.

For those of you wondering, the bar fine or off fee to have someone accompany you off premesis for any amount of time varies, just as it does in a male club. I'm advised the fee is between 300-500 baht for the club (depending on the desirability of the worker on one level or another) and a tip of around 1,000 baht to your admirer.

One last thing: for those newbies who don't read the posts about gay clubs here, or who found this by a search, be advised that renting a "freelance" admirer from the street is often riskier than renting from a club.  A club has a reputation and usually at least some standards and reputation. A freelancer in the shadows of Beach Road may have an agenda... and nothing to lose.

Repeating an image to illustrate a warning that bears repeating

Next: a few more Walking Street club photos