Dead in the middle of Pattaya’s notorious Walking Street, a go-go bar known as Tantra is situated. Despite the street being officially declared as free of prostitution by the local authorities, it is recognized globally as a hub of the commercial sex industry.
Tantra is located just a few steps down from the corner of Soi BJ. But there are no blowjobs taking place here. In fact, the dancers at Tantra can sometimes be so choosy that they even refuse to sit with customers who offer them a drink. Not quite the sort of hospitality most coming to Pattaya would probably hope to find.
Despite the name Tantra has nothing to do with tantric massage. Unless of course there is something in the Guhyamantra about spiritualistic methods of separating fools and their money. That is not to say that this place is based on any Pierre Bernard style tantrik trickery. It is simply to state that in our view this is not one of the better adult entertainment venues in the city.”
Tantra Agogo
Tantra is a long, narrow bar, with somewhat cramped seats lining both walls. In the center of the floor, there is a series of small stages where the women dance. The layout of the place somewhat reminds us of the previously reviewed Palace go-go nearby. However, while we found the Palace to be a fantastic go-go bar, we do not feel the same way about Tantra.
The Palace features a “model” group of ladies who charge more for everything, from lady drinks to barfines. But at the Palace, this dual pricing system is somewhat understandable, even if not necessarily likable. There is also a model group at Tantra, but there is nothing about them that suggests they could model much of anything. In reality, “models” at this bar seem to be the ladies who are willing to take their tops off on stage. Do they deserve more money for this? Perhaps. However, we are uncertain whether it should be mandatory for patrons when something like a higher base pay or voluntary tips could potentially work better.
Tantra does deserve credit for maximizing its earning potential, though. All the old practices are on display here, such as dancers consuming lady drinks, waitresses providing change in twenty Baht bills for 1000 Baht, which can be more easily received as tips, the tequila shot up-sell, and having “drink only” ladies on staff who don’t engage in barfines. There are also door girls whose main role is to attract customers from outside, and there are demanding customers who require women from the staff to pay all expenses upfront. The only thing missing is actual benefits for the people spending their money.
Staff, prices, and summary
We will not pretend that Tantra is lacking in the staff department. On any given night, there are plenty of women working at Tantra, especially when considering the small and narrow layout.
Most of the dancers also present themselves nicely enough in their revealing bikinis and hot pants. They may not necessarily meet the standards of visitors from 10 or 20 years ago, but there are no excessively large or elderly women performing on the stage, at least. In fact, Tantra appears to be one of the last bars that maintains a maximum weight requirement for its staff, as most of the ladies here maintain a slim physique.
Nonetheless, there aren’t necessarily a plethora of standout performers here, not even in the so-called model group, especially given the pricing structure. With a substantial barfine and high asking rates, women working at Tantra might expect 5000 Baht upfront just to accompany a gentleman for a short-term encounter. Considering this cost approaches or even exceeds prices in some of the world’s most advanced economies, we don’t believe it’s inappropriate to say that this place is significantly overpriced.
Address: Walking St, Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chang Wat Chon Buri 20150, Thailand
