Bangkok has without doubts, one of the best Nightlife scenes on earth.
It’s not just dancing clubs and bars like in other boring countries, but also shopping, massages and restaurants that are in every corner at night.
In this page, I’m describing the main nightlife zones. They will keep you busy for your first days as a Tourist in Bangkok.
Here is an interactive Map with the areas mentioned :
- Nana zone – (Discos, Bars and Red Light District)
- Pat-Pong zone – (Red Light District + Night market)
- Khaosan Road – Backpackers area (In order to party)
- The Sky Bar Sirroco – Lebua – (amazing Panoramic view at sunset)
- Chao Phraya River cruise (most beautiful sceneries of Bangkok)
- China Town (for chinese restaurants)
- Asiatique (modern leisure area with shopping)
- Night Market – The One Ratchada – (typical Thai night market)
- Aircraft Market (ChangChui) – A night market with an airplane
- Ong Ang walking street – (walk beside a canal)
- Salsa Dance in Bangkok (not to be a tourist…)
Nana zone
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Nana is the main nightlife zone of Bangkok. There are 3 spots that you can visit here:
- Soi number 11 – The street for Dancing Clubs and Bars
- Nana plaza – A red light district
- Soi Cowboy – A red light district
The main avenue is called Sukhumvit, the skytrain passes above it.
The little streets that are getting out of Sukhumvit are called “Soi”.
Soi number 11 is the street number 11 that is at the side of Sukhumvit, there are no numbers on the buildings in Bangkok.
The Soi number 11 is full of dancing clubs and bars. If you want to dance in Bangkok, this is the place. Visit this street anyway, it has a special feeling.
Nana plaza is at Soi number 4 of Sukhumvit, it is one of the three red light districts of Bangkok. It is a street with many Go-Go bars and especially at the Nana Plaza complex at the beginning of the street.
Soi Cowboy is also a Go-Go bar street, it is more photogenic than Nana Plaza. It is near the station of Asok, you will have to walk a little bit from Nana. It is between the Soi 21 and 23 of Sukhumvit.
Along Sukhumvit avenue there are stands at night with merchants selling clothes, so you will not have a break from shopping, also at night.
You can visit also the mall Terminal 21, if you are there before 22:00.
- Note : There are in Bangkok organized night tours : Tuk-Tuk tours by night, Bike tours by night, Street Food tours and more organized tours.
How to get there :
- With the Skytrain : station Nana.
- With the Metro : station Sukhumvit , you will need to walk one station.
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Pat-Pong zone
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Pat-Pong used to be the main Red Light District of Bangkok. During the Corona era, the night market was canceled and the Go-Go bars reduced in numbers. If you want Go-Go bars go to Soi-Cowboy and Nana-Plaza. There are restaurants and regular bars in the Pat-Pong area. There is a nice new mall in front of the skytrain station.
Not very far is the skybar Vertigo (see the map above).
There is also another popular skybar in Bangkok with a view on the river.
How to get there :
- With the Skytrain : station Sala Daeng.
- With the Metro : station Silom.
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Khaosan Road
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The Khaosan road is the backpacker’s area of Bangkok and it has one of the best nightlife scenes of Bangkok, it’s also a place where young Thais are coming to party, it’s not just for tourists. If you plan to visit the Khaosan, do it at night because that’s when this place get alive.
Try to arrive before midnight because sometimes the police is shutting down all the music and then it gets weird. Try to avoid also the special days during the year when alcohol is prohibited (like election days and certain feasts) because the Khaosan without alcohol is not natural.
Rambuttri road which is parallel to the Khaosan is also very live. If you are already there, take a look over the nearby Chao Phraya river (see on map above).
- Note : There are in Bangkok organized night tours : Tuk-Tuk tours by night, Bike tours by night, Street Food tours and more organized tours.
How to get there :
See it in the page : The Khaosan Road Survival Guide – The Transport.
The Sky Bar Sirroco – Lebua
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There are many skybars in Bangkok but this one is the most famous and for a good reason : the view is great. The building (an hotel) is very tall and it is beside the river. The best time to be upstairs is at sunset. The beverages are expensive up-there, it’s not a 7-eleven store. Don’t arrive with short trousers or sandals, they won’t let you in.
How to get there :
- With the Skytrain : station Saphan Taksin.
- With the Boat on the River : pier number 0, central pier. (note : the boat service doesn’t function after sunset).
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
There is also the skyscraper Mahanakhon, with a Glass floor. It was opened in late 2018. It can be visited during the day or evening. Their website.
There is also another famous skybar in Bangkok (Vertigo), in Pat-Pong area.
Chao Phraya River cruise
You will see many brochures at your hotel offering a night cruise with dinner or without dinner, for example there is Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise
If you want to save money but you still want to enjoy a cruise at night, take the regular boat service, it will cost you only 15 Baht. This public boat service stops to run after sunset (around 19:00) so take a boat around that time. At certain periods of the year, the touristic boat (blue flag) operates till 22:00.
China Town
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China Town is not a place to dance at night and not even a place for trendy bars. It’s a neighborhood with its own character (well, Chinese) and it has many restaurants (Chinese).
Probably the best time to visit this zone is in the afternoon and before sunset so that you can still enjoy some stands of the huge market and it is not super hot like at daytime. On the Chinese New Year, China Town is decorated and gets a lot of attention.
The main street in China Town is called Yaowarat, but the area is huge and there are some nice temples.
How to get there :
- With the Metro : station Hua Lamphong or Wat Mangkon or Wang Burapha (Sam Yot).
- With the Boat on the river : pier number 5 (note : the boat service doesn’t function after sunset).
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Asiatique
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Asiatique was once a huge hangar for merchandise coming from the river. It was transformed into an entertainment area with shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and cinemas. The place is popular within Thais.
What you will probably do in Asiatique is more shopping, you can never rest from this activity in Bangkok.
Overall, it’s a pleasant place to spend an evening.
How to get there :
- With the Boat on the River : There is a free shuttle boat from pier number 0, the Central pier. You can arrive to this pier with the Skytrain, the station Saphan Taksin.
The One Ratchada (previously called “the Train Night Market”)
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This night market was opened in 2016. Unlike other night markets that exist in the suburbs of Bangkok, this one is close to the center and close to a Metro station.
It has everything a traditional Thai night market should have : Places to drink with live music, stands with food and stands that sell clothes. It has a medium size. The logo of the market is a train. It is open all nights, except Mondays.
How to get there :
- With the Metro : station Thailand Cultural Center (not far from Asok). The market is hidden behind the mall Esplanade.
Aircraft Market (ChangChui)
There is a real airplane in the middle of this night market.
There is even a fancy bar inside the airplane (it is possible to visit the airplane inside, without sitting at the bar).
The night market is pleasant, there are many bars to drink a beer. There are also some stands selling clothes.
How to get there :
It is a little bit out of town, 10 Km from the center, on the upper-left corner. See it on the Interactive Map above.
- With a Taxi – The most convenient way to arrive (in the evening, there should be no traffic jam). From the Khaosan road, it is a shorter distance.
- With the Metro : There is a Metro line (red line) starting from the new Train station Bang Sue. Get down at the station : “Bang Bamru”. It is possible to arrive to Bang Sue train station with the metro (MRT), the blue line.
Ong Ang Walking Street – Canal
There are many canals in Bangkok. This one was converted into a leisure area. There are stands with food, graffiti on walls and nice illumination.It is only active on week-end evenings or in special events. There are many Indian restaurants around.
How to get there :
It is near China Town. See location on Google Maps or on the Interactive Map above.
- With the Metro : Metro (MRT) Station Sam Yot, the blue line.
Salsa Dance in Bangkok
This is an advanced tourist option, in case you want to be original and tell your friends back home that you went to dance Salsa in Bangkok (have you been to Cuba or to Thailand ?)
Going to dance Salsa in Bangkok is a very good idea because you will meet local people and expatriates and not only tourists. In addition, the Salsa in Bangkok is one of the world’s best: there is an interesting mix of people, open classes before the parties and of course, Latinos who live here.
You will be surprised, but there is Salsa dancing every day of the week in Bangkok (Salsa or Bachata or Kizomba). The evenings are usually taking place in lobbies of hotels or bars.
See this Salsa Bangkok site to see a weekly schedule of the Salsa dancing in Bangkok.
Before going to a place look at their Facebook page because they may announce cancellations the same day
Here are the main Salsa organizers in Bangkok and their Facebook link :
See this video of a Bachata show in one of the week-end places to dance.
More on Bangkok and Thailand :
- Where to Stay in Bangkok – Potential Zones for the Hotel
- How to book Trains, Buses, Flights, Hotels for Thailand
- What to Visit in Bangkok ? – The Tourist Attractions
- Bangkok Transport – Airport, Metro, Buses, Boats…
- To the Islands – Which Island to visit + Stay + Arrive
- To Chiang-Mai – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- To Pattaya city – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- The Cost to Visit Bangkok – Common Prices
- The Nightlife of Bangkok – The animated zones
- Visa for Thailand- Basic rules and how to extend
- Internet in Thailand – Buying a local SIM
- Useful Products for the Trip to Thailand
- Maps of Bangkok – With places of interest and Transport
- Bangkok FAQ – Weather, Distances etc…
- Bangkok Shopping – The big Malls and the Markets
- The Khaosan Road Survival Guide – The famous Backpackers
- A Tour of Bangkok – An overview
- Taxi Scams in Bangkok – Common Scams of Taxi and Tuk-Tuks
- Go-Go Bar Scams in Bangkok – What to expect
- Vegetarian in Bangkok
Other Stuff :
- Info about 2 more cool cities: Barcelona and Tel-Aviv
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.