An early surge: An American expat friend of mine was telling me how he had decided to take a fellow American visitor to Pattaya to a few of his favourite go-go bars in the early part of September. His plan was to start in and around Soi Buakhow. The first place on the agenda was Club Oasis go-go (corner of Soi Chaiyapoom). “The place was packed and we couldn’t get a seat,” he noted. So, the pair walked down to Champagne go-go (Soi LK Metro) and the result was the same, so busy they couldn’t snare a chair anywhere. They then went down to Walking Street and attempted to get into the What’s Up go-go and shower complex (Soi 15). Once again they were faced with a full house. By this time they were in need of liquid refreshment and crossed the soi and went into Sakura Club. It was practically empty, in spite of its buy one drink get one free promotion (on house liver wasters and Thai rotgut). After deciding just one drink was enough and with nothing to keep them interested in staying, they sauntered around to the Windmill Club go-go (Soi Diamond). It too was busy but my friend said they managed to squeeze into a seat where they could just about have a drink as long as they sipped the liquid by way of a straw. September was always, for most places in Fun Town, the worst month of the year as far as bums on seats were concerned. Not this year, and perhaps the early season surge augurs well for the coming months.