Walking Street Pattaya is the biggest and busiest party hotspot in the whole of Thailand, with only a couple of the top places in Bangkok beating it for sheer volume and variety. A full kilometer from its high-tech gateway at the Beach Road end to the Bali Hai Plaza end, almost every building along its length is a nightclub, go-go bar, beer bar or restaurant. Each of the side streets – which span from Soi 14 to Soi 16, with a couple of uniquely-named streets in between – is more of the same, making the whole southern end of the city into a warren of nightlife entertainments, with something for practically every taste. The remarkable thing about Pattaya Walking Street is that there is so much to see and do, and it is so densely packed that you could spend every night for a whole week there and, aside from having the mother of all hangovers, you would still be finding new places each and every evening. We have endeavored to survey the main points of interest and even here we are just scratching the surface of the hundreds of venues on and around the neon-drenched strip.
Where is Pattaya Walking Street? Walking Street is effectively a part of Pattaya Beach Road. While the main tarmac-topped route turns to the left to become South Pattaya Road (Pattaya Tai), vehicles can continue into the brick-paved Walking Street any time between about 02:00 and 18:00. At the end of the one-way road, you will find Bali Hai Pier and the famous Pattaya City sign, as well as the southernmost end of Pattaya Third Road, which will take you back into the city. There is more to the nightlife attractions of the area than just Pattaya Walking Street, however. Most of the small side sois which split off from the inland side of the street leads all the way to Pattaya Second Road, making this whole southern end of the city almost exclusively comprised of nightlife venues and related businesses. Walking Street has concentrations of different sorts of venues as you make your way along with it. Starting from the Beach Road end, you will find first mostly restaurants, then go-go bars and beer bars, then nightclubs and live music bars. At about the halfway point is the famous Walking Street Tree (there’s only the one), around which you will find mostly ladyboy bars and clubs. Continuing towards Bali Hai Pier, you will see more tailors and gem shops as well as more hotels and guesthouses, culminating in the Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa. Parking for motorbikes is available close to Pattaya Walking Street in Soi 16 and at Bali Hai Plaza and costs about 20 baht. However, driving home after a night of partying is not at all recommended. You would be much safer using the plentiful supply of motorbike taxis and songthaews available.
CREDIT Bangkok.com
