Even during good times, Monday nights are slow on Walking Street. So it shouldn’t have been any surprise that, amid the current economic crisis, the South Pattaya nightlife strip was dead on Feb. 8.
Thai media made a big to-do over the fact Walking Street was empty this Monday, news that surprised basically no one.
In fact, only six go-go bars were open on the main strip and three on adjoining Soi 15. Despite Monday’s desolation, those six bars did good trade Friday and Saturday – a result of constrained go-go bar supply and an influx of bar-starved punters from Bangkok where alcohol still cannot be bought in a pub.
Bars like Pin-Up, Palace and Fahrenheit were packed to the rafters by 9 p.m. both nights and even did relatively good business on Sunday night.
Outside, there was no vibe, of course, with most of the neon lights out, the music bars silent and large holes in the street where work is underway to bury overhead power and communications lines.
