Pattaya Dark Side
What is the Pattaya Darkside? Where is Pattaya Dark Side? Do visions of scamers and mafia run businesses enter your mind? It is not difficult to trace the origin of the name chosen for the area of Pattaya that is located on the inland side or eastern side of Sukhumvit Road.
Yes, that's where the dark side is. It is located across that busy hi way away form all the hustle and bustle of Pattaya City.
We say it is affectionately called the Pattaya Darkside because of the lack of bright city lights. Years ago it was called the dark side simply because of the lack of street lighting.
The area has changed some over the years and has become a thriving community of Thais and foreigners with bars, restaurants and accommodation.
Click on the map or the button below it to view a larger image. You may download the large image of the dark side map for your own private use.
The darkside is frequently visited by ex pats who want to get away from the tourist traps of places like Walking Street.
There are more than 60 bars shown on the bar hopping map. So there are plenty to choose from.
The prices of drinks at some of the bars on the darkside are usually cheaper than the bright side of Pattaya. Most of the bars are enclosed short time bars with a pool table.
The three major sois where the bars are located are, beginning at the south, Soi Khaotalo, Soi Khaonoi (Soi Watboonsampa) and Soi Nemplabwan. Each one of these sois can be accessed from the other.
Some of the bars are grouped together like the three at the bottom of this page, but to get around to several bars on the darkside you will need to have transport such as a car or motorbike.
That said there are motorbike taxis on the darkside so if you don't mind spending 40 to 60 baht for a motor bike taxi fare between bars go for it.
Motorbike taxis ranks are located around most of the busy shopping spots along the three major sois that service the darkside, Soi Khaotalo, Soi Khaonoi (Soi Watboonsampa) and Soi Nemplabwan and especially where these sois meet Sukhumvit Road.
Want to know the correct Thai pronunciation of the sois by a Thai National? Listen and learn here.
Some of the bar owners on the city side of Pattaya run bar crawl tours of the darkside. One such bar owner is Adam from the Cherry Bar in Soi Dianna.
The Cherry Bar is about 50 meters down Soi Dianna on your right as you travel toward Soi Buakhao from Second Road. The run is usually done in a mini van that will accommodate around 8 to 10 people.
Some of the more popular bars shown on the darkside map include:
- 9 Kik Bar
- 16 The Bamboo
- 23 Mango Pub
- 25 The Black Sheep
- 27 Dao Bar
- 52 Pussy Cat Bar
- 53 Aqua-Deyme
- 60 Butterfly Bar
- 63 Black Pearl 2
The Black Pearl has had a name change and become a White Oyster. It is this bar, where for a small token of appreciation, say 100 to 200 baht, the girls will gear off and jump into the indoor pool with you. It is quite a distance, around four kilometers, from the other bars located in Soi Khaotalo, Soi Khaonoi and Soi Nemplabwan.
The White Oyster is on Chaiyaphon Withi Road [3240] about 100 meters after Soi 17 on the right traveling inland. I am guessing that sometime soon it will have its original name reinstated.
Update, yes guessed right, "The White Oyster" has now reclaimed its original name "The Black Pearl".
Some of the "Pattaya Darkside" bars have closed. A few include; Kik Bar, Paradise Bar and Noi's Beer Bar.
Travelling inland after the intersection of Soi Khaotalo and Soi Khaonoi is a group of three bars.
The Birdcage, Full Moon Bar and The Secret. The Bird Cage seems to be the most popular of the three bars. The drinks are reasonably priced and the girls are friendly. Well they were when we visited.
