♫ “One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you’re lucky then the god’s a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me” ♪ ♫
Made famous by the hit song from the musical ‘Chess’ and once considered rather seedy, the nightlife scene in Bangkok has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and is widely viewed as the best in South-East Asia. From small, intimate bars and restaurants to huge night-clubs and complexes, Bangkok has more than enough options to keep revellers of any tastes happy.
As with every major city, clubs and bars tend to be congregated around certain points. This makes it slightly easier to navigate yourself around the sprawling city. Luckily, taxis and tuk-tuks are in large supply, so getting to and from your chosen spot could not be easier.
Why not start in the classy Sukhumwit Road, the ‘expat’ road on which many great entertainment venues are placed. These range from the bars at the better hotels and restaurants to the more acquired taste of Nana Plaza (a famous complex of go-go bars and hostess bars). There is a huge choice of restaurants here, so it is a perfect place to grab some dinner before enjoying some of the sights and sounds of Bangkok after dark. It’s also full of bars popular with ex-pats, such as Gullivers, which have lively atmospheres and great beers on tap.
Late-night shopping is common in Thailand and the malls stay open late, but the biggest venues in the evening are the night market areas, such as the one at Patpong. The area is infamous for its rather raunchy bars offering various shows and promotions, but it also home to a very popular market. It is one of the best places in Bangkok to purchase your Rolex watch or Louis Vuitton bag (or should that be Louis Vatone). As well as these suspect goods, there is also a range of more traditional Thai crafts and artwork. Suan Luam Night Bazaar is another area near Sukhumwit road on Rama IV road, more relaxed with restaurants and bars in a specially designated area. The Pratunam Market Complex, situated near to the famous Pantip Plaza is a great place to seek out those designer goods. Also, the Khao San Road, which is packed by day and night, offers everything from fake student ID cards to clothing, music and more.
With your retail therapy complete, head off to one of Bangkok’s great live music venues and soak in some fabulous tunes. Many well known jazz musicians regularly play at the Oriental Hotel’s Bamboo Bar and, along with the ever popular Saxophone Pub, these venues are home to a friendly crowd of locals and ex-pats alike. Fans of Blues and Rock music should head to CM2 (underneath the Novotel) or the Issan Champroo Blues Bar and Restaurant, where they can dance the night away in a haze of smoke and great live music.
If you are still not satisfied and crave some more fun, there are a number of great clubs in Bangkok. Some of the most notable include Bed Supperclub, a large and striking futuristic setting popular with the in-crowd on Sukhumwit Soi 11, Angels, a more laid back venue and Home, a sprawling hip-hop venue spread over three floors.
And finally there are the go go bars, for which Bangkok is famous, and they certainly draw the punters. Patpong is the most famous area, two lanes of pole dancing clubs located off Silom road (BTS station: Sala Daeng). These are more for show, and home to the ‘ping pong’ shows, but they have some real beauties on display, not all of them genuine women. Nana Plaza is far more in your face and doesn’t share the premises with any market vendors, so it’s strictly adult stuff and it’s conveniently located at the top end of Sukhumwit road. Then there’s Soi Cowboy, a smaller venue but no less interesting, however the atmosphere is much less casual and open than Nana. The drinks are bit more expensive in these bars but you can sit and people watch without having to take someone home with you. Many tourists simply come to watch and amuse themselves and the atmosphere isn’t too seedy.
Speaking of people watching, the famous Khao San Road is a backpacker magnet that has a very lively atmosphere with crowds of foreigners and Thai alike shopping, eating, drinking, partying or simply wandering around the lanes of the area in Banglamphu, watching the crazy world go by.
Unfortunately, the majority of venues in Bangkok close at 2:00am, which does tend to cut short a night, when compared with the 24hour party scene of places like New York, London and Tokyo. However, Bangkok is a fantastic place to party without emptying your wallet and you are sure to meet a friendly faces wherever you go.
