Pattaya Walking Street, Thailand

Pattaya Walking Street must be the most busiest area in the entire beach side city and for those of you who have not been here, this is entertainment central! During my trip to Pattaya for the Medical Tourism Blog Contest, my entire daily schedule was pretty much packed so by the time I was done, it would be around 9-10pm. ‘What else can I do around here?’ I asked Patty, my guide and she suggested that I pay a visit to the famous walking street. Without hesitation, I was there in a flash and to my delight, it was a photographers heaven, provided you like to shoot live moving subjects and risk getting shouted at or chased away.

Pattaya Walking Street

As I walked along the street, my eyes could not focus at any one point as there were too many distractions with all sorts of people, neon signs, local Thai people calling me, drag queens or lady boys giving me the eye, young Thai girls inviting me into their establishments… the list goes on. Go Go Bars are on top of the list here with all sorts of catchy and cheesy names which are found at every nook and cranny along this walking street. There are lanes than branch off the main streets and here you would find more detailed and specialized bars and clubs. An influx of Russian tourist in Pattaya has also created a demand therefore you see a number of establishments and clubs that cater to their own kind and even having signs in Russian. Trust me, it’s a real challenge trying to pronounce those Russian words. Apart from that, the Middle Eastern demand is up and coming as I noticed a number of Shisha orHookah joints filled with Middle Eastern men and women.

If you are visiting Pattaya, be sure to check out the Walking Street here as it is located along the Pattaya Beach Road and connects to this place. The atmosphere here is very lively and a great place to people-watch or simply explore your fancies. On a side note to the male traveler, be careful of the approaching women as one may never know if it is a lady boy or woman. If you are walking alone, chances are that you will be approached by girls or women asking you if you would like to hang out of have a drink. Overall it is a very safe place with the local police seen around this area. Photographing the people here should be dine discreetly and not in their faces or you may be harassed, though when I was here, it was relatively easy as every other tourist seemed to be having a camera phone or camera shooting away.