Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Outside of Khao San Road the clubs can get fancier particularly at one of the rooftop bars
or clubs where the dress is to impress around Silom and Sathorn Road, business districts
by day and party central at night. Bring your passport along as it is required to enter many
of the clubs. Occasionally the fancier clubs will have police raids and drug checks so stay
away from the illegal narcotics.
RCA (Royal City Avenue) is a popular spot for dancing and making new friends while the
city's trendiest nightspots can be found in and around Thong Lo. One cool establishment is
Iron Fairies, a small bar which is an iron workshop by day and by night has live jazz mu-
sic. You can find all kinds of music in Bangkok from hip-hop to rock and electronica and
everything in between.
Soi 2 and Soi 4 in Silom are known as the center for gay and lesbian nightlife. The most
popularbarsareTheBalconyandTelephonePubwhicharebusyuntil11pmthenheadover
to DJ Station for some disco. Earlier in the day the place to be is Babylon, a gay spa and
party destination with budget and luxury accommodation as well. Most of the gay nightlife
is aimed at gay men while the lesbian community is quieter. That doesn't mean it can't be
found, you can take a look around RCA to find some of the lesbian scene. As mentioned
before there is a large transsexual community, or ladyboys, and there are some dedicated
bars where they tend to hang out.
Most establishments close at 2am by law but you can still find booming after parties if
you know where to look. You can head back to Khao San Road which has many places
that keep going until the wee hours like the Gazebo Club. Other well known places include
Bossy Club in Pratunam, Spicy Club near Siam Square, and Thermae in Sukhumvit. If you
tell your taxi driver that you are looking for a club you may even get a free ride to one as
taxi drivers get paid a commission for bringing foreigners to clubs.
For those looking for their share of debauchery Bangkok certainly has plenty of options.
You can visit the Patpong red-light district which has many "go go" bars, beer bars and
more. A go go bar is similar to a western strip club but the women are not actually naked,
and a beer bar is similar but the girls are in street clothes rather than bikinis. Both exist for
foreigners so any Thai locals you see inside are probably on the payroll, male and female.
Some people are simply curious about the clubs and will come by to see them in action. If
you decide to visit there are a few rules to follow: always have a drink, no photos allowed,
look but don't touch, and if you want to talk to one of the hostesses then you should buy
her a drink which will cost more (200-300 baht). Remember that while prostitution is legal
in Thailand it is only for individuals older than 18.
