Bangkok Travel and Destination Guide

Bangkok nightlife

Go-go bars, beer bars to hang out in and listen to in live bands, pool bars, discos, lounges, clubs, night clubs and gentlemen’s clubs, Bangkok hotels, body massage parlors, Thai traditional massage and oil massage parlours, escorts, Bangkok restaurants and late night markets, Bangkok’s nightlife is the real deal.

Bangkok has long had an infamous reputation for its lively nightlife and risque parties. The recent 1 or 2 am curfew on entertainment venues has done little to quiet the spirit of the city after dark.

Most places start to fill up around 10 to 11pm and then hit their stride at around 11.30pm. Popular nightlife areas include Ratchada which has a license to stay open until 2am. After the clubs close on Ratchada, the party moves to the streets of Soi 6 where tables are setup at restaurants and customers inconspicuously order drinks and party until late, depending on the mood of the police. RCA is an area that has undergone a rival in night entertainment since the new zoning laws were introduced.

RCA was previously though to be a teen hangout, but following the introduction of the government’s zoning laws, which permit clubs in RCA to stay open until 2am as a designated night spot, a number of new nightclubs have opened, and old gaudy clubs have been revamped. The place fills up with Thais sharing whisky buckets. Most of the clubs have no entrance fee, and the whole place in reminiscent of Ibiza’s San Antonio Town. The best way to enjoy the area is by club hopping. The music is mostly hip-hop.

Sukhumvit is home to major clubs Bed Superclub , Q Bar , and Glow, which are at the trendy and pricy end of Bangkok clubbing.

Ratchada is similar to RCA, large clubs, lots of young people and a 2am license. Ratchada Soi 6 is usually home to after-hours parties on the street where you sit at wooden tables, order a bottle of whiskey, and listen to loud music.

Khao San Road is backpacker central and is home to lots of Chang Beer drinking people watchers.

Silom/Sathorn is now best enjoyed at the weekend, and is home to some of Bangkok’s best house music. It was affected by the 1am curfew.

Downtown Bangkok at night can become a frenetic place. There are many western-style expat pubs, go-go bars, hostess bars, cocktail lounges, huge super-clubs, street-side cheap and cheerful places and many more options. There are also lots of gay and lesbian bars, with whole areas dedicated to gay or mixed crowds.

Bangkok nightlife accommodation

The areas with the best nightlife tend not to have the most luxurious accommodation, so balance this once carefully. Choose from low budget in a nightclub hot spot, or a luxury villa, and a bit of a commute. A happy compromise is a serviced apartment or condominium on Sukhumvit Road, which is central, has a few good clubs, and is fine for an international pub crawl – plus the accommodation is excellent.