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Pattaya’s nightlife scene was abuzz this week after it was learned that a police officer had gone into a large Walking Street go-go seeking a dancer and her customer in connection with a set of nude photographs posted to an Internet message board.
New Living Dolls One owner Shane Wheatley said the cop, a well-known shakedown artist, was seeking to extract money from both the girl and her customer under threat of arrest for violation of the 2007 Computer Crime Act. But it was Wheatley’s published comments that the incident was more than just a one-off that set Walking Street ablaze.
“They’re going around all the bars looking for the girls and then getting the girls to tell them who shot the photos,” Wheatley told me. “Then they’re hitting the girls up for small amounts of money and the farangs for big money.”
The news, published on my blog Tuesday, went off like a bomb on Walking Street. Bar owners rallied to dismiss the incident as just the overblown example of a single crooked cop while online heated debate broke out on whether to even allow links to the report or discussion of the incident.
“What a load of tosh. One (more) incident of a policeman making a bit of tea money and it’s turned into a crackdown,” Club Misty’s manager Paul Lane said in comments to my story.
“As far as I am concerned, it is a real issue and people should know the risks whether real or imaginary, then make up their own minds as to what they want to post,” Pattaya Live member “Buriramboy” wrote on that board.
In this particular case, the police did indeed find the girl, who was working at another bar on Soi Diamond. “Her face just fell when she saw me,” he said. The dancer said the officer had threatened to arrest her on pornography charges unless she paid a fine and told him who shot the photos, where and when.
Under intense criticism, Wheatley later attempted to clarify his comments, leading to even more condemnation of the report and all involved with it. Yet at the same time, critics refused to acknowledge that the basic facts of the story: that at least one enterprising member of the Pattaya police were looking online and tracking what punters and the girls that service them are doing.
“The thought that password protecting (message boards) would keep the police out is incredibly dumb, they have all of the user names passwords,” Pattaya Live poster “Pedro” wrote. “They also know where you are logging on from.”
“The fact is here in Thailand it is illegal to take anyone’s photo and put it for public display without asking them,” Living Dolls’ Wheatley later wrote online. “This is not to scare anyone, as most times nothing happens, but it’s best to know the law to start with and work from there.”
Not As Slow As Some Think
Pattaya’s low season is not nearly as bad as a recently published report suggests. June, in fact, was an average to better-than-average month for many bars. While three straight days of rain during one Bangkok reporter’s visit here did make the town seem historically quiet, the fact is that the U.S. Navy’s large-scale, 10-day visit and promotions to attract ex-pats bore real fruit.
“Things are fine,” said David Hamilton, owner of The Windmill Club on Soi Diamond. “I always look for improvement and constantly monitor everything. Certainly this low season is not different to the previous ones I have experienced. If anything, it has been better.”
Bar owners and their competitors seem to agree that places like Living Dolls One, Living Dolls Showcase and Happy a Go-Go are doing good to great. Even owners from bars such said to be up for sale, such as Hooty’s A-Go-Go, say they’re doing OK.
“We are very happy with the way things have gone since we opened in November,” said Hooty’s co-owner Paul Treacle.
Granted that there are a good number of bars on the market and even more rumored to be. Small, older, Thai-owned and passively marketed establishments are indeed hurting. But in cases where owners are more aggressive and innovative, there are profits to be had.
Living Dolls One has been running a free motorcycle giveaway all throughout low season that gives customers drawing tickets based on the size of their checks. The place was wall-to-wall on drawing day last Sunday as ex-pats who filled the bar every night for the past two months came to see if they won their prize. On Monday, a new bike promotion was started and will last through August.
Likewise, the new management team at X-Zone a Go-Go off Soi 16 have started a 2-for-1 drink promotion all night, bringing (strong) vodka, gin, Thai whiskey and tequila drinks down to 70 baht a glass. And even at Peppermint Palace, whose claim to fame is keeping things same-same, a new LED laser lighting system and smoke machine have been installed to pep up the place.
“You have to do things to bring in the ex-pats because there are very few tourists around right now,” NLD1 owner Wheatley said.
Pattayaland Still Has Some Legs
When Misty’s a Go-Go relocated in May to Waking Street to become the posh, new Club Misty’s, most expected the former location to be sold and converted into a boys go-go bar. After all, there were only 3 ½ girl go-gos left in the three-block nightlife area.
But to everyone’s surprise, Misty’s owners pulled the building off the market and decided to open a new girl bar on the same site. Called “Legs Club,” the bar had its soft opening this week, with one early reviewer calling it the best of the Pattayaland go-gos. Management brought in a bunch of fresh talent and instituted Walking Street prices, which are as much as half of what Pattayaland bars normally charge for libations.
While some are asking why open another bar if the area wasn’t strong enough to support Misty’s, perhaps the new formula will shake things up.
Woe Be Fans of the Beer Bar
While Walking Street continues to grow and Pattayaland is getting a new breath of life, Pattaya’s beer bars are another story.
Four North Pattaya beer bars have been demolished this month to make way for new apartment buildings amid rumors that even more long-established watering holes are next on the chopping block.
Cosy Bar 2, Mr. Krit’s and Noi’s Bar on Second Road next to the Sabailand soapy on Soi 3 are now just a large hole in the ground. At the same time, another long-time beer bar next to the Pizza Service on Beach Road near Soi 1 has also been reduced to rubble. The first three bars have been relocated to an out-of-the-way bar complex at the far end of the town.
Various sources are also saying that all of the beer bars on Soi 2 and some on Soi 3 are being eyed for demolition as the Sabai Group looks to expand its hotel properties.
Meanwhile, on Pattaya’s “Darkside,” the residential area east of Sukhumvit Road, police have staged a massive crackdown, closing a half-dozen bars for 30 days for operating after midnight. Staff at each of the bars were arrested with police demanding fines of up to 10,000 baht. Most were negotiated down between 3,500 and 8,500 baht. And it wasn’t just the farang-owned bars targeted.
And, according to bar owners, it’s not simply about money or targeting farang-owned establishments. Two of the bars closed were Thai-owned and in no case has an owner been able to buy their way out of the closure orders. With an estimated 100 beer bars operating far out of the established nightlife zones, many are speculating the clampdown is the first salvo in a campaign by Pattaya’s newly elected mayor to scale back the size of the city’s nightlife scene.
pg - is it the mayor scaling back the nightlife or just taking bigger pots of money off of bigger developments. No way a one story cluster of bars will pay the city what a 10 story condo well. Simple as that me thinks. Plus for sure huge money is being tossed around for the large supermalls. Paying to get rid of a few bars is peanuts for them.
On the porn thing. I see go get em. I never got the appeal of the I banged and took a picture of this girl. Like it takes some skill or something? This is like guys bragging about a bar fine. Like it takes skill. Pay and go. Big deal. So many fuck and photo blogs I tire of it. Most guys don’t tell the girls the photos end up online either. I think that is really low.
Good stuff. Love the updates. I need a pattaya run badly.
View all comments by smitty
Im going Patts a week tomorrow for my 14th….. i mean 24th birthday. There arent any LBs in Patts are there?
View all comments by Young Penfold
be in patts mon-thurs. buy you a drink at Simon beer bar
View all comments by jonbanger
The interesting question, both for Pattaya and Bangkok actually, is: Does the number of girls available reduce with the closing of bars? Or do they relocate in other bars and as freelancers? Yes I know this is not an easy one, this would need a global survey
View all comments by Suk Psycho
Just the Cops getting more and more aggressive.
Police fleecing the Farang is nothing new but it is reaching epidemic proportions.
Just watch the Sukhumvit Police stalk Farangs smoking a cigarette smoker, then fine them 2000bht.
The ‘littering’ Police are making big money hasseling visitors.
Each ‘team’ nails about 6 fines an hour.
12,000bht per hour X 12 hours a day.
That’s 144,000bht a day! 4 million bht a month.
A guess is that there are 20 of these ‘littering ‘teams’ scamming tourists.
WOW, 80 million bht a month from scamming tourists!
No wonder that the Lumpini Police chief paid 20 million for the position.
View all comments by khun j
khunj: on a related note, I was waiting for the light at Suk and Soi 4 in bkk and saw that one of the Police guys was smoking a cigarette. I decided to wait and see what he was going to do with the butt when finished. Sure enough he flicked it right into soi 4. Wish I had taken video.
View all comments by pmmp
Mother Fuckers.
View all comments by khun j
The joint chambers of THailand is listing this lower suk smoking shit as a big issue and has met with the governor over it. Supposedly they are trying to single out the cop running it and deal with it.
I don’t believe things are at epidemic proportions but the smoking thing with these cops trying to nail people is pretty bad.
View all comments by smitty
Guess it’s pretty hard to catch a guy that takes photos if he’s not an expat. Do they ever go after the guys who have sites full of G-club, Massage and gogo girls? Talking about the guys who go up to the girls and pay them to make a photo shoot. A girl told me she was quoted $15 dollars an hour and asked me if it was a good idea. I told her she would make the same money going short time with me. lol
View all comments by Young Royal
So whats the best way to get from BKK to Pattaya?,,, Bus, plane? Im sure you guys know the best way..
Thanks
View all comments by Adz
Bus from Ekamai is cheaper, taxi is more comfortable. Depends on what you consider “best”. Bus - couple of hundred baht I think. Taxi - 1000-1500, haggle with the driver. Make sure you’re both clear on who’s paying the tolls.
It’s around 90 miles or so - usually looking at 1.5 - 2 hours depending on traffic…
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
“The joint chambers of THailand is listing this lower suk smoking shit as a big issue and has met with the governor over it. ‘
It’s big money. I suppose the Gov will be looking the other way…after he gets his piece of course.
View all comments by khun j
take the but 2 patts from Ekami, taxi have no gat cos boat stuck in liver,dont go anyway its a brothel.
View all comments by tightcunt
@Smitty — During the campaign, the new mayor listed clsoing down Walking Street as one of his long-term goals. The people that mattered, however, knew this was total horseshit as his family is one of the original WS landowners and owns interests in some bars as well. Sure enough, once the polls were closed, that whole Walking Street plank got dropped in favor of a new idea called “Balance Up.”
This means that the nightlife will stay, but it will be balance up with upscale market interests. In fact, a 2003 plan to demolish all the bars on the water-side of Walking Street has now been formally dropped. So Walking Street is safe for the future.
The same cannot be said off Walking Street. Opinions are mixed on whether new permits are or are not being granted for beer bars on Sois 2-10, but even if permits are not being granted, they are not being encouraged. People woudl be much happier to see the baeach front clear of beer bars and move them up past Soi Buakhao or into places like the Drinking Street complex.
On the Darkside the powers that be have lots more leverage as there is no money and no influence stopping a crackdown there. I tink this is the first place that’s going to get crushed. The thais that live on the other side of Suk don’t want even more bars in their backyard.
As for the photo issue? Lot more I can say. But let me leave it that some of these guys are such scum that they resort to throwing back the covers when the girl is sleeping, snapping her photo and putting it online because the girl told them “no pix” while they were awake.
@ Young Pen & JonBanger — If you want to catch up with me, TheGhost@PattayaGhost.com
BBB — Nice column yesterday. I think my next one here may be about Pattaya’s low pricing relative to BKK. With bucks-per-bang like that, who wants to leave Patts?
View all comments by The Ghost
Thanks BBB,, Loved ya old site BTW.,…
View all comments by Adz
I say take the bus but get two tixs and make sure u are not on the back row.
kj - I think the governor is pretty cool and is hurt a lot more by declining tax dollars than lining his pocket over petty scams.
pg - so long term pattaya, I guess apart from walking street, will go the way of bkk. it had to.
interesting thread…
View all comments by smitty
@YP= Are you there for a week starting Monday, or going there in a week? I get there Monday night (late).
View all comments by jonbanger
I hope you are right. What are these cops going to do to earn that kind of cash when they get shut down I wonder?
View all comments by khun j
I was taken to a police box in Lower Suk for the crime of not having my passport on me in a public place. The boys in brown kept calling me Thierry Henry when I look nothing like the brother. I smiled because there was a guy from Equatorial Guinea in there at the same time, and he was having to show them his ringpiece. After some calls to my friend’s hi-so pals they let me go without shaking me down, but it seems the cops are getting more and more agressive these days.
In another example of Thailand biting the hand that feeds it - the foreigner income stream will dry up big time if the government insists on cleaning up resorts like Pattaya. Thailand is a beautiful country but there are so many destinations for it to compete with, right now I would say it is single male tourists keeping it ahead of the competition. You will always get your honeymooners and your backpackers going to Thailand. But how many of them are going to fly over four times a year and route money directly to some of the country’s poorest families? I don’t necessarily buy the sex-tourist as philantropist argument but there’s no question the naughty-boy economy is worth tons to Thailand. Replacing it with condos is short-termist.
View all comments by milo
Yeah I been getting worried about got a Pre-paid Mastercard the otherday. Exactly like a normal one but you have to top it up like a mobile phone. So for example I can whack 300 squid on there and go out on the piss with out having to worry if I lose it. If I get mugged and they want the pin then they can have it. The other way round I could leave this at home and take my real cards outs. If they get lost and I have to order new ones (which your not gonna get easily in Thailand, Trust me)then I can still use that. Even pay for flights online. I lost my cards in American once phoned up my bank and they said I could walk into a Branch in American and they would press some news ones for me……..Amazing. You can’t do that in many places.
I Travel one hell of lot btw.
View all comments by Young Royal
Back in the 80’s NYC’s mayor decided to clean up Time Square. All of the peep shows and strip clubs were sent packing. The club owners complained of course but they moved to other areas. Times Square today is a huge money maker for the city of New York. The scales may not be equal but the thinking might be to be more tourist friendly, not to the white tourist but to the growing asian tourist (China). Believe me the strip clubs are still alive and well in NYC but they are just not in the so called tourist locations. What the gov’t learned was that “family Friendly” was just as profitable and easier to police. Will it work in BKK or Pattaya to lesser degree is anyones guess but some major cities have proved it works and is worth trying.
As for your Mango Muffin, American cheese is the only way to go. Sausage,ham or bacon can be substituted. English muffin prefered but buscuit or soft roll (kaisor in ny deli’s) work as well. Good luck on the opening and have great 4th, american style. Later
View all comments by burgerman
Just to go on record, we at After Dark Magazine always get the girls to sign model releases (both written in Thai and English). The release states that their picture might be used online to promote the club they work in. There have been a few times where the girls did not want to pose for the magazine. a few club owners tried to pressure the girls into doing it, but WE refused based on the girls wishes. And all of our shots are glamour pictures, never any porn.
View all comments by ST4ME