Bangkok Nightlife Image courtesy of www.bangkok.com
Your backpackers guide to Bangkok’s nightlife in some of the city’s most popular areas
Bangkok’s reputation as the hub for the most amazing nightlife experience is a major reason why tourists are drawn to this city every single year. So if you’re backpacking through Southeast Asia and find yourself in the vibrant, exotic, and modern capital city of Thailand, and need a guide to the best places to experience that world-renowned nightlife, we can definitely help you.
And we assure you that a compelling Bangkok nightlife is not synonymous to danger. You’d be pleased to find that the city’s nightlife is as safe as it is intense. Law enforcement is strict, and bars and clubs are forced to stop operations by 2 a.m. Tourists are also advised to keep their passports for occasional ID checks from the police. This stark discipline has resulted in a significant drop in Bangkok’s crime rate. So party and party good, because it’s all safe!
Here is a rundown of areas in Bangkok that offer an excellent nightlife:
1. Siam
Bangkok Nightlife Image courtesy of www.siam2nite.com
Not to be confused with Thailand’s former name, Siam is a popular shopping destination—and where night-clubbers flock for a great bar experience. Siam is also the home to the gigantic Centara Grand, which is the place to go for the city’s best rooftop bars and hotels.
Red Sky Rooftop
55th Floor, Centara Grand at Central World
Feast your eyes at The Red Sky Rooftop! This rooftop bar offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Siam Area’s breathtaking sights, a view rarely experienced in other rooftop bars. This is a great option, especially now when the Lebua Sky Bar is getting crowded after having been featured in Hangover Part II.
Opens 5 PM to 1 AM.
Coco Walk
Phayathai Rd, Thanon PhetBuri, Bangkok, Thailand
Near the exit of the Ratchatthewi BTS Station and a go-to destination for local university students and young people, is an alleyway off Phayathai Road called Coco Walk. The place is a lively collection of restaurants, bars, and pubs. The location is very convenient, and it may not be classy, but it’s endearingly unpretentious. There are other activities in CocoWalk, such as live music, shisha, pool tables, live sports, and even a skate ramp!
Opens early evening until late hours.
Hard Rock Café Bangkok
424/3-6 Siam Square Soi 11, Pathumwan, Bangkok
Hard Rock Café Bangkok retains the fun and exciting feel of other Hard Rock establishments abroad. The Tex-Mex food and drinks are already enough reason to keep everyone coming in—but the real winner is the music!
Opens 11 AM to 1 AM
Love F Bar
Intercontinental Hotel, 973 Ploenchit Road, Siam
Love F Bar is one of those unique bars—they have a weekly runway show, which is not a surprise as it is owned by FashionTV. Some of the biggest names in the fashion industry visit the bar.
Opens 7 PM to 2 AM.
Concept CM2
Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, Siam Square
This entertainment hub/ club features a song-and-dance band that performs popular dance songs from different decades. Boogie Nights, for one, will transport you to ‘70s disco dance fever—afro wigs, giant aviators, medallions, and all that vibe of the decade.
For hip-hop and RnB lovers, bump and grind in the next door’s Boom Room! Hyper DJs and screens displaying music videos from Usher down to Timberlake.
Opens 9 PM to 2 AM.
2. Ekkamai
Bangkok Nightlife Image courtesy of www.bangkok.com
Ekkamai is chiefly a residential area and has a reputation for its expensive and posh condominiums. However, Ekkama also has built a solid reputation for having the most expensive clubs in the city, and a lot of people come here to party and eat. Fashionable clubs, classy pubs, excellent restaurants, and boutique shops, Ekkamai is also a great option if you’re seeking an unforgettable nightlife.
Do Not Disturb
Located behind Nunglen and Escobar, EkkamaiSoi 7
Specializing in EDM (Electronic Dance Music), Do Not Disturb is a hit to the young crowd, with DJs performing pieces from some of the biggest artists locally and internationally. Drinks are more expensive here compared to the other nearby bars, which makes sharing of bottles of whiskey a common thing here.
Open 8 PM to 2 AM (Tuesday to Sunday).
Tuba Bar and Restaurant
34 Ekamai, Soi 21, Bangkok
Aside from being a well-known bar, Tuba is one of the best restaurants in the area serving local Thai and Western cuisines. It is also popular for their generous servings of cocktails.
Opens noon to 2 AM.
Dark Bar
2/F, Ekamai Mall, EkkamaiSoi
Don’t let its “old mansion” style fool you. Dark Bar, Ekkamai’s newest bar, became an instant hit because of its gothic look and very affordable prices for drinks, which includes the Irish whiskey Jameson.
Opens 9 PM to 2 AM (Wednesday to Saturday).
Wine Bibber Sangria
Located at EkkamaiSoi 2, BTS Ekkamai.
Wine Bibber Sangria is known for drawing in a very diverse crowd since it opened in 1995, much of it has to do with their mixed music. The multi-floored club assigned an entire a floor dedicated for rock aficionados, and dance party lovers on another floor. It is also very conveniently near Ekkamai’s BTS Station.
3. Sukhumvit
Bangkok Nightlife Image courtesy of www.flickr.com
Sukhumvit is the main hub for the best party experience in Bangkok. Basically, a long road lined up with multiple bars/clubs, Sukhumvit is very accessible (only a BTS ride away), which makes it the more popular to partygoers.
Grease Nightclub
46/ 12-13 SukhumvitSoi 49
A diverse music hub, Grease Nightclub offers something for everyone—EDM, bass, indie music, you name it. This multi-floored club has a Thai Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar. They also have an art gallery, a lounge bar, and an open-air rooftop sisha bar.
Opens 10 PM until late hours.
Iron Fairies Bar
394 Thonglor Road, Sukhumvit 55, Bangkok
It’s like stepping into a pub in the Harry Potter series. It’s a magical, fantasy world, where secret boxes are opened and you get free peanuts. Wrought-iron secret staircases, bottles of fairy dust, secret doors, alcoves, and staircases, the place looks like an ironsmith’s workshop in a fairy tale. The 55-person capacity bar is so popular and so it operates on a first come, first serve basis. Jazz and soul music play at some nights. Excellent cocktail creations and a collection of standard Thai beers.
Opens 6 PM to 2 AM.
WTF
7 SoiSukhumvitsoi 51
A bar and art gallery combined, WTF is a creative social club that offers unique dishes. Small, homey, with a well-stocked bar with unique cocktails and tapas dishes. The featured artists are varied, not tied to strict criteria or medium.
Opens 6 PM to 1 AM (Tuesday to Sunday)
Narz
112 SukhumvitSoi 23 road
Narz is one of the few nightclubs in Bangkok that play trance music. Known for nabbing the top world-class DJs as their guest performers, this three-roomed club is divided into three varied music rooms: house, trance and the hip-hop.
Opens 10 PM until late hours.
4. Silom
Bangkok’s version of Wall Street, this financial district is also known for its wide and diverse selection of bars and nightclubs.
Tapas Room Nightclub
114/17 SilomSoi 4, SalaDaeng
Resembling a Spanish villa, this Latin-inspired club includes a bar, restaurant, and club. Occasionally, a percussion player is playing Latino dance tracks. You’d feel like you’re partying in Ibiza.
Opens 3 PM to late hours.
Distil Cocktail Bar
State Tower, 1055 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok
Distil Cocktail Bar’s rooftop area offers a calmer and more formal atmosphere compared to other bars and nightclubs in the area. Guests are encouraged to dance to Jazz music, must follow a smart casual dress code and must be over 20 years old to enter.
Opens 6 PM to 1 AM.
Molly Malones
Convent Road, Silom
Basically an Irish sports pub, Molly Malones has been known for having the most number of draught beer on tap. Watch a live sports program and order their famous Sunday roast. Fantastic food, Irish vibe, and a sports crowd.
Opens 11 PM to 2 AM.
My Bar
Upper lobby, The DusitThani, 946 Rama IV Road, Silom/Lumpini
One of the most visited bars in Bangkok, My Bar has built a reputation for welcoming women guests for free every Friday. The bright and contemporary furniture, and the selection of rare, imported drinks, make this another bar-hopper favourite.
Opens 5 PM to 1 AM.
5. Royal City Avenue
Officially a designated nightlife area, the Royal City Avenue (RCA) has remained the biggest party street in Bangkok, where most clubs are open every day! In fact, RCA is the centre of Bangkok clubbing, so even if its inaccessible to public transports, RCA is endlessly alive 7 nights a week.
Live RCA
Petchburi end of Royal City Avenue
Royal City Avenue’s latest addition to its big number of clubs is Live RCA. Unlike other nightclubs, it only opens occasionally—on special events. But when it does, international DJs (world-renowned DJs Fritz Kalkbrenner and Yves V once played here before) are invited to come over to play to a large crowd in their huge dance floor. Perfect for those who are seeking a big and high-energy live dance party.
Only open occasionally.
Route 66
Block A, Royal City Avenue
Receiving an iconic status in the Bangkok clubbing business, Route 66 tries to cover different music genres to satisfy everyone’s taste. Aside from hip-hop, Western and jazz music are also played in the venue, which is why a huge number of guests flock inside. Entrance fee for tourist costs 300 baht, while Thai residents are free of charge.
Opens 10 PM to 2 AM.
The Beat Lounge
Block C, Royal City Avenue
The Beat Lounge is known for only playing hip-hop and rap music, attracting fans of the genre. The friendly atmosphere of the place is the reason why customers, old and new, keep coming back.
Opens 8 PM to 2 AM.
Mello Yellow
Block D, Royal City Avenue
More of a music hub than a bar, Mello Yellow dedicates itself to promoting various unconventional musical genres. Local and international artists are invited to perform their respective type of music for the weekly live jamming sessions that start every 9 PM. Also, a pretty solid line-up of wines is being sold here.
Opens 6 PM to 2 AM (Monday to Saturday).
Taksura
Block D, Royal City Avenue
The affordable beers and Thai cuisine make Taksura a popular go-to place for university students. The homey and laid-back vibe attract the youth. Taksura’s theme is retro—‘60s lawn furniture, a treehouse, a salvaged car seat.
Opens 6 PM to 2 AM.
6. Khao San Road
A public market in the past, the Khao San Road has evolved into a vibrant, high-energy backpacker universe. Travellers worldwide crowd the area because of cheap accommodation and great bars.
Day of the Dead Bar
56 Khao San Road
Get the best chilli dogs, tacos, quesadillas, and burritos in this Mexican-themed bar—with rock music in the background. Bar DJs play cover rock music, from great rockers like Iggy Pop and The Ramones. A rock music karaoke room and tattoo shop are also featured in this bar.
Opens 12 PM until late hours.
The Brick Bar
265 Khaosan Road
Live bands playing upbeat songs keep the energy high in The Brick Bar. Despite being a bit pricier compared to other bars in Khao San, it is the feel-good environment that makes this bar a crowd favourite in the area.
Opens 6 PM to 1 AM.
The Club
123 Khao San Road
Specializing in trance music, the welcoming presence of the signboard of this generically titled “The Club” can be seen even from afar. With a huge dance floor and a large number of customers going in and out, The Club is no doubt the busiest in Khao San, if not the loudest.
Opens 8 PM to 2 AM.
Immortal
1st floor, Bayon Building, 249 Khao San Road
Cheap drinks and faithful customers make Immortal one of the most iconic bars in Bangkok. While rock music is frequently performed by the band/s, this establishment also plays hip-hop, which is why enthusiasts of both genres come in together for the evening.
Aside from the aforementioned areas, places like Silom, Chatuchak, Bangrak, Klongsan, Phranakorn, Thonglor, Charoennakorn Road and Sathornare also favourite areas for people seeking the best of Bangkok’s nightlife.
Helpful articles and blog posts on Bangkok nightlife!
We only recommend writers and blogs that we read regularly and believe will deliver substantial value to our readers. The following is our top picks of articles we think are worth reading for more reviews and information on Bangkok’s nightlife.
- “Bangkok Nightlife” by Thai Language Blog
- “10 Things to do on Khao San Road Road” by Globotreks
- “Bangkok’s Red Sky Rooftop Bar” by Paper Planes
- “ Enroute to Route 66 Bangkok” by Seems Life is Goin’ Bananas
- “Bars with a View / Rooftop Bars in Bangkok” by Dennis Thern Blog
And if you want to know the best places to shop in Bangkok, then check out our Bangkok Shopping Guide 2016 – Markets and Malls.
Do you have an awesome link to a relevant well-written article that should be included here? If so, hit us up on Twitter by following and messaging us the link. Looking for the best budget stays in Bangkok? Check out our guide to Bangkok for further information.
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