Cabaret shows in Pattaya: Tiffany's Show and Alcazar

The cabaret theatres are Pattaya's best-known evening shows, and both stand on Pattaya Second Road in the north of the city, between the Dolphin Roundabout and Central Pattaya Road. Tiffany's Show is at number 464, set back from the road behind its forecourt. Alcazar Cabaret is at 78/14, about 700 metres further south on the same side. An evening at either fits easily around dinner.

What are Tiffany's Show and Alcazar Cabaret?

Both are large theatre productions in the tradition of a Las Vegas or Paris revue: a sequence of short acts with full casts, each with its own set, lighting and costumes, performed to recorded music with the artists miming the vocals. The performers are transgender women, and the shows are known for the scale of the costumes, with feathered headdresses, sequinned gowns and quick changes between numbers.

Tiffany's has run since 1974 and is the older and more formal of the two. Its current production, Crystallize a Dream, runs through ten acts, from Thai classical scenes to numbers drawn from the countries its audience comes from. Alcazar is faster and brighter in style, a run of short acts packed into 70 minutes. Neither show has dialogue to follow, so language is not an obstacle.

What time are the shows and how long do they last?

Both theatres play every day, public holidays included. The shows start on time, so arrive 20 to 30 minutes early to collect tickets and find your seats.

How much are tickets and which seats should you choose?

Tiffany's sells four seat classes at fixed prices on its own website. Mezzanine is the balcony, with a full view of the stage from above. VIP Silver, Gold and Diamond are stalls seats, moving closer to the stage with each step, and Diamond is the front rows. Alcazar sells standard and VIP seats in the stalls, plus a VVIP package limited to 24 seats that includes the best seating, a snack and a drink, a meet-and-greet and unlimited photos with the performers, and a souvenir.

The staging is designed to be seen as a whole, so the middle of the house gives a better picture than the very front. At Tiffany's the mezzanine costs half the price of the stalls and still shows the whole stage, and VIP Silver or Gold is the sweet spot. At Alcazar the VIP rows in the centre are worth the small step up from standard. At Alcazar, seats within a class are given out in order of arrival, which is one more reason to come early.

Are the cabaret shows suitable for children and families?

Yes. Both are family shows with no nudity, and audiences every night include children, grandparents and tour groups from across Asia and Europe. The costumes are glamorous in the manner of a televised variety show. The music is loud, and the house is dark with flashing stage lights, which very small children can find tiring. Children of school age generally enjoy the colour and the pace.

For families, book the first show of the evening: 17:00 at Alcazar or 18:00 at Tiffany's has everyone out by 19:15 and leaves time for dinner. Small children who do not need their own seat are admitted free at Alcazar when under 90 cm tall. Dress is smart casual: a shirt or dress and closed shoes or neat sandals, not beachwear. More family evening ideas are in Pattaya with kids.

Can you take photos, and what is the tipping custom?

Filming and flash photography are not allowed during the performance, and ushers enforce it. Keep your phone away and watch the show.

After each show the performers come out to the forecourt in full costume to pose for photographs. This is optional and it is paid: the custom is a cash tip, handed directly to each performer who poses with you. Decide who you want a photo with, have small notes ready, and agree the amount before you pose, above all if several artists step into the frame, as each expects a tip. If you would prefer not to pay, you can photograph the forecourt from a distance and walk on. Nobody is obliged to stop.

Speak to the artists as you would to any stage performer: a smile, a thank you, and no touching beyond the pose they offer.

How do you book tickets?

1. Online from the theatre: Tiffany's sells every seat class on its own website, where you choose the date, the show time and the exact seats. Tickets are non-refundable, and a change of date has to be requested at least 48 hours before the show. Alcazar's website sells the VVIP package.
2. Online from a booking site: the large travel booking platforms sell both shows, usually below the box office price. You receive a mobile voucher to show at the theatre counter at least 30 minutes before the show.
3. At the box office: both theatres sell tickets on the day. On ordinary weekdays outside the high season you can walk up before the show.

Book at least a few days ahead from mid-December to the end of January, over Chinese New Year and during Songkran in mid-April, when the 19:30 and 21:00 shows at Tiffany's and the 18:30 and 20:00 shows at Alcazar fill first. Hotel tour desks sell the same tickets with a transfer added, which only makes sense if you are staying far from the centre.

How do you get to the theatres?

From anywhere on Beach Road or Second Road, take a baht bus heading north on Second Road and ring the bell when you see the theatre: 15 THB per person. Alcazar comes first, then Tiffany's about 700 metres on, just before the Dolphin Roundabout. From Jomtien or Pratumnak a Grab or Bolt car costs about 150 to 250 THB and takes 20 to 30 minutes in evening traffic. After the last show baht buses still pass on Second Road, and app cars arrive within minutes. Routes are explained in getting around Pattaya.

The Terminal 21 mall is a few minutes' walk from Tiffany's and about ten minutes from Alcazar, for dinner before or after, and the Art in Paradise museum stands between the two theatres for a late-afternoon visit. The area is described in the Naklua and Wongamat area guide.

Tiffany's or Alcazar: which should you pick?

• Pick Tiffany's for the grander theatre, the more polished staging and the sense of occasion. It costs roughly twice as much, seat for seat.
• Pick Alcazar for a lively, colourful show at a lower price, an earlier first performance and a later last one.
• With children, the 17:00 Alcazar show is the easiest fit.
• For a special evening for two, VIP Gold at Tiffany's at 19:30, with dinner afterwards.

One show is enough for most visitors, as the format is the same. For the rest of the evening, see evenings in Pattaya.