One Night in Bangkok

Bangkok is famed for its nightlife, but you may be surprised to hear that long gone is the seedy stereotype of a night in the city. The red light hangouts that the City of Angels is renowned for have now become little more than a quaint tourist trap. You will have heard of Patpong, of course. You may also have heard of Nana and Soi Cowboy. These are the most well known, oft frequented areas where sin is the idea and skin the ideal. Great times can be had on the well trodden path, but what most people tend to overlook is that Bangkok is fast catching up with the likes of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in terms of being a top class party destination.

Various tastes in music are catered to, and if you look in the right places, you can party all hours of the night. There is no escaping that the majority of the major clubs close their doors at 2 am, but don’t let this put you off, because Bangkok is a city that never sleeps and there are ways around the premature closing times.

First up though, there are plenty of places where you can sample the flamboyance of Bangkok’s nightlife circuit. The most well known area for late night debauchery outside of the red light zones is RCA. It’s more than a club, it’s an entire strip of large, packed out establishments that each offer a unique take on the party scene. Thailand is devoted to hip hop music, and so if you are a fan, or even have a casual interest, you will be in for a treat, as Route 66 and Slim will cater to your every need. Away from hip hop is the newly opened Timeout, a trendy venue that claims to be the home of house music in Bangkok.

Just next door to Timeout is arguably the best club in the whole city. Astra is one of the top international venues in the area. Regular guest DJs and performers grace the venue with their presence. Everything from indie to drum ‘n’ bass makes an appearance.

Away from RCA is another strip of clubs, this time most commonly frequented by Thai students. Ratchada’s soi 4 is party central, and you can hear the latest hip hop tunes, live local bands and a whole lot more besides.

In Sukhumvit there are a host of places to waste an evening away. The most famous of which is the elegantly designed Bed Supperclub, found on soi 11. It is one of the chicest places you can hang out in the city. It’s trendy and you’ll be sure to bump into a lot of models and Thai celebrities whilst you are out and about.

Just down the road from Bed is QBar, another club aimed at the more well-to-do sorts of the area. The club regularly has guest DJs and plays host to a number of musical genres. In a similar vein is Glow, located on soi 23. The drinks are notoriously strong and the bar staff dance on the bar. It’s one of the newest and most happening party spots around.

If you have any energy once the regular clubs kick out at 2 am then ask around to see if you can find such establishments as Blur, Sin Bar, Josephine’s and Boss. The party never stops in Bangkok, and it doesn’t dent your wallet too much either.

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