Everyone agrees that Pattaya is evolving into something different, even if nobody is sure what that will be. However, the resort’s downtown Soi Buakhao district, sometimes over-simplified as Little Britain, is proving highly resistant to change. Many of the bars, clubs and gogos retain English-sounding names, whilst fish and chips on a Friday and roast beef on a Sunday are the dominant cafe and restaurant themes. There are between 500 and 1,000 mostly small units of enjoyment in the Soi Buakhao and L.K. Metro vicinity, depending on where you draw the boundaries.
In the aptly named UK Massage Parlour, Khun May sums up, “I’d say that 70 percent of our customers are Brits and the rest Americans and Europeans. You don’t yet see many Indians or Chinese in this district precisely because they feel in a minority.” Surprisingly, there’s only one Indian restaurant, Tikka Center, on the actual strip even though there are dozens in nearby areas. A manager at the popular residential Diana Estate said, “The vast majority of our renters and owners are still Europeans, not much different from 30 years ago.”
Unlike Pattaya’s Walking Street, Little Britain is busy during the day with Thai markets selling everything from exotic fruit and vegetables to second-hand clothes and car accessories. There are no pedestrian footpaths and the traffic chaos is virtually 24/7. The most popular daytime bars are those with a frontage overlooking the fumes as elderly expats in groups recall their younger days or talk of recent conquests. Beers start at a knockdown 55 baht (1.2 pounds) and a single room with aircon can be as cheap as 500 baht (11 pounds) if you know how to bargain in off-season.
That’s not to say that the scene is static. The nighteries are not as busy as in the pre-covid era and for sale and for rent signs are noticeable in the side streets. Businesses regularly open and then close or change hands. Part of the famous Treetown Complex is being demolished to make way, some say, for a plush condominium. Some businesses, for example barber shops, have gone upmarket after renovation and charge up to 200 baht (4 pounds) for a haircut. That suggests they are catering for new markets, especially style-conscious Thai young men, rather than balding expats who are used to paying half that amount.
After dark, the clubs take over to offer night-action birds, booze and banter. The most popular street after 7 pm for gogos is surely L.K. Metro. The sexy shows may be less drastic than 20 years ago, but they can be described as bold. Draft beers start at 50 baht but there’s an expectation you will absolutely need female company and pay handsomely for it. Take-out bar fines, payable to the club owners, can be as high as 800 baht (30 pounds) and that won’t include a much larger tip for any envisaged horizontal leisure pursuits. There’s no shortage of ladyboys – or ladybugs as they are known locally – but they are usually freelancers hovering outside. However, the gay scene as understood is centered far away in Boyztown or the Jomtien Complex.
The warning signs for the future may be the absence in Soi Buakhao of visa shops whose traditional role has been to assist foreigners with the bureaucracy of Thai immigration. There used to be four and now there are none. Former owner Khun Katee said, “There are fewer Brits and Europeans these days looking for annual and long stay visas. Also, the recent decision to give tourists 60 days on arrival with easy extensions, compared with 30 days in the past, means they don’t need agents to help them get a longer stay.” He added that he was now going into business with a Chinese company selling tours, mostly to Phuket and Bangkok. “There are one billion Chinese waiting for their first passport. They’re the future.”
