It is reported that Kinnaree Palace has changed its arrangements somewhat after the recent police raids. It is said to be now be a little more low key and that short time breaks have to be taken off premises.

The word from the street (Soi LK Metro) is that the Hell Club will re-open within around 10 days under a new name - The Devil's Den. The adjacent Inn has been renamed 'Heaven's Inn'.

Meanwhile on Soi 6, Mandarin Club looks set for an imminent return (hopefully with a few new ideas, or at least a few new assets).

Wet 'n' Wild has been dark for a few days and presumably has ended up in a watery grave.

The gogo was on South Pattaya Road and presumably suffered a little from its Central Condo location. It had a few good periods though, and was a decent venue.

There are now 76 bars with girls dancing in bikinis or less.

There are signs that the Mandarin Club will soon re-open on Soi 6. There is at least a notice advertising for dancers.

Lisa's Bar opened a little while ago on the same soi with an open glass front and two coyote dancing podiums in the windows. The usual Soi 6 pressures of privacy over public entertainment have prevailed and the bar has now installed curtains for the benefit of the patrons.

Lisa's joins the list of Mandarin Beer Bar, Love Club and Bus Stop who have recently tried the idea for an open bar, only to get the fronts back up pretty pronto.

Meanwhile, not having not made much of an impact on Walking Street nightlife, Game Bird 2 is re-launching its coyote dancing. The bar is located on Soi 15 opposite Angelwitch and is said to be employing 15 dancers or so. They have a launch party on Friday 24th April

There's a new new beer bar complex taking shape on 2nd Road just north of Soi 6. Its by the MacDonald's in the shell of the Dragon Complex (or is that the Moonlight Complex).

Always good to report new bars but I must admit to being a little sceptical that there are enough customers to go round.

Kitten Club on Soi Pattayaland 2 has re-opened with the promise of new water features.

I'll leave it to somebody else to give it a look!

There are now 77 bars around Pattaya offering dancing girls in bikinis or less.

It can be a tricky time for bars at Songkran, as girls tend to take the opportunity of a trip back to Isaan.

And then the end of Songkran tends to signal the start of the low season, and so some of the girls simply don't come back until things pick up later.

There have been reports from around town that Ice Bar on Soi LK Metro has gone dark.

There is also conjecture that the Russian disco, B52, on Soho Square has also closed its doors. But this is not the case. However given the lack of visitors to the area then it does an easy mistake to make. The latest report is that the upstairs bar is closed whilst the open downstairs area continues.

I like the party here. There’s cheap beer, good weather and the girls — they work hard, a guy shouted over the thumping disco music while gazing at Emma, a 21-year-old he rates as the prettiest transvestite in Pattaya.

But the sex workers who stalk the streets and gyrate on go-go bar tables complain that years of turmoil in Thailand, including last year’s closure of the main international airport in Bangkok, is bad for business.

We are Thais and we are known for our smiles, but now people around the world are looking at us and we are not smiling, we are fighting each other, Emma said between posing for pictures with goggle-eyed male tourists.

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No sign of world recession in Soi 6 as another new unit has got the builders. A bar is taking shape in the unit next to Sexy Soi 6.

Meanwhile there are a few further developments taking shape on Walking Street.

The beer bar complex at the South of Walking Street opposite Soho Square is now slowly filling up with the latest entry being Fortuna Beer Bar.

A few metres north there is a large venue taking shape which looks like it will be a night club affair.

Even further north, the empty site vacated by shops and Pinky A-GoGo is said to be destined as another beer bar complex.

Thankfully extra capacity has already been added by the expansion of Silver Star 3 and Tiger Lounge. But What's Up are busy expanding into the upper floor that was previously Fantasia.

The old Rock Club venue in Soi Marine Plaza has been gutted so no doubt something else will appear there too.

The government has announced a decision to postpone the besieged ASEAN summit to a later date, in effect cancelling it.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri, partly to facilitate the departure of Asean VIP guests. He told a press conference Asean leaders and their dialogue partners understand the need to postpone the summit and support government action regarding Saturday's incidents.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will be in charge of enforcing the state of emergency measures in Chon Buri and Pattaya. Saturday's turmoil will send Pattaya reeling economically. The resort city had hoped to reap the benefits of the Songkran festival but now has to cope with mounting tour and hotel cancellations.

The state of emergency law imposes tough restrictions on public gathering and dissemination of information. Authorities are given added power to search residents and venues and restrict travels. The state of emergnecy prohibits any gatherings of five or more people,

Pattaya's mayor Itthipon Khunpleum said that the US naval visit has already been cancelled as have many events for Pattaya's Songkran Festival.

The mayor added that the special Songkran events planned in Pattaya for April 19 would also be affected by the incident and the state of emergency.

Update: Emergency Ends

The State of Emergency was called off by the prime minister on Saturday evening after just 6 hours. And indeed all the dignitaries and protestors have now departed leaving a quiet Saturday evening in Pattaya.

iPattaya Songkran Festival which will take place at the Bali Hai Port located at the south-end of Pattaya Beach between 14th and 18th April.

The 5 day event will feature International Muay Thai Boxing where Thai and Japanese Female Boxers will compete.

There will also be a free pop concert every day and top Thai Singers and Bands signed with RS Promotions will be attending including Girly Berry and Lydia and Black Vanilla.

A team of Pattaya Police Officers conducted a raid on Tony’s Discotheque located on Walking Street.

The venue was open after its permitted licensed operating hours. At around 4am on Tuesday, the raid took place and the venue was found to be open. Officers decided to randomly urine test patrons and employees and 5 females and 1 man failed the test and were arrested on a charge of consuming a class 1 drug.

The manager of the venue was also detained and accompanied officers to Pattaya Police Station for further enquiries.

Pattaya is approaching a busy period with the arrival of thousands of US Marines within the next few weeks along with the ASEAN Financial Ministers Meeting to be held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort between 6th and 9th April.

Over 1,000 Police, Army personnel and volunteers are on hand to provide security for VIP’s who will be attending the conference.

With the threat of Anti-Government Red Shirt protesters who are expected to make their voices heard at the location of the Summit, the Police and Army will be at full stretch.

The US Marines are said to be scheduled to arrive on the 9th and stay for about a week. It is said to be one of the largest visits for several years.

Perhaps with an eye on the impending ASEAN conference, the police have been touring Walking Street to enforce 3am closing times.

There is a relevant and fascinating BBC piece about investigations getting nowhere in apportioning liability for the tragic Santika pub fire in Bangkok.

Of course one immediately feels that planning and safety laws should be properly enforced. But on the other hand, if rules were enforced, then Thai nightlife would then be as bland as that in Farangland. We would all have to move on to somewhere else, preferably where the laws are meant to be broken.

Pattaya Immigration police have raided the Kinnaree Palace in South Pattaya following a tip off that the premises were being utilized for prostitution. 26 alleged female sex workers together with the owner and mamasan were arrested in the operation.

Kinnaree Palace Gentleman’s Club, is located just off Soi Pratumnak 4. The club is located on 1 Rai of land surrounded by a brick fence, and is believed to be a popular haunt for the expat male community. Police discovered 8 short time rooms on the premises.

Police arrested owner Ray, a British national, and the mamasang Julin. Ray & Julin confessed to the charges and admitted they had been running a sexual service operation for about one year. Police took them to the police station for further processing. The 26 female workers would be duly fined for prostitution offenses.

Pol.Col. Arnonnat said the premises had been under investigation for some time before the search warrant was eventually requested.

It is reported that the police sent in an undercover farang who arranged for a short time and paid with marked notes. The farang signalled the raid via mobile phone from the room.

A new bar is coming together on Soi 6. Lisa's Bar is taking shape near Red Point.

Not yet sure what sort of bar it will be but the clear glass front is usually something that doesn't last very long on the Soi. People on the soi seem to like doing things that are best left semi private.

Update: Grand Opening

Grand opening party on 2nd April 2009

The police are continuing their campaign to harass Pattaya's bars.

Yesterday they descended on Soi LK Metro. Rockhouse was hit but found to be in the clear.

Others mentioned as having a visit were Champagne and the recently opened Bulldog Bar.