A Pattaya lady bar ("chong lao") is a relaxed hostess bar — open-air or small indoor, a few hostesses, drinks and chat with none of the go-go's stage pressure. In Pattaya the line between this and the beer bar is thin; the lady bars are the ones with hostesses on the books and a barfine system, thick around Soi Buakhao, LK Metro and the Beach Road sois.
It's the low-key, cheap corner: beer 80~120฿, and to take a hostess out you settle in the 600~1,200฿ range all-in (barfine plus what's agreed with her). No hard sell — buy a lady drink and see how the night goes.
Lady bars open early-evening and run easy and late, perfect for a relaxed bar-hop. The 47 bars below are live-ranked by 7-day visitor traffic and recent reviews. Updated daily.