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Nightlife - Overview
 Bangkok,
has a lot more to offer than its tired reputation for the raucous
go-go bars of Patpong and Soi Cowboy. During the past few years,
the city has emerged as a sophisticated metropolis, with a nightlife
to match. There are enough clubs, pubs, and trendy bars with Bangkok's
fashionista to keep you people-watching for days. Not to mention
the plush cinemas with the latest films, regular concerts featuring
top-name western artists and cool jazz clubs.
For something more low key and cultural, you could go to a dinner
show with performances of Thai classical dancers and sword
play, or take a dinner cruise on the Chao Phaya River
in an old rice barge, or see a Thai boxing match at the Lumpini
Stadium. For the energetic, there's bowling and surprisingly
in this tropical city, ice skating. If you really want that last
minute bargain, the evening is the best time to shop at the markets,
when its much cooler. Many open until 10:00 or 11:00pm and there's
always food on the street, or head for the nearest place to have
a drink and rest your feet. Then there's the rest of the night.....
Pubs, Clubs & Discos
Discos
Many of the hotels have very good discos, often in the basement
and not as expensive as you would imagine. Concept CM2
at the Novotel in Siam Sq, Rivas - pretty stylish, at the
Sheraton Grande and Tantra Club at the Pan Pacific are
just a few worth a mention.
Serious clubbing
Taurus Brewhouse, Lucifers, Ministry of Sound, Narcissus
and La Lunar offer upbeat and loud music. Royal City
Avenue is whole street of ultra-packed and huge clubs the
size of plane hangars, mainly for teens. Silom Soi 4 has
about 20 boutique size clubs. One club - Tapas More groove
than tapas, but so popular this "hole in wall" has expanded
rapidly.
Cocktail Bars
Q bar - New York style, Chinatown - Food and lots
of gold trimmings, Compass Rose - Breathtaking views from
the 59th Floor of the Westin Banyan Tree and Hyper - good
for people watching on Soi 4, Silom.
More Bars
Bangkok’s bar scene has caught on to almost every theme.
Tapas, latino, British pubs, Irish bars, beer gardens, upscale
New York style, or local street cafe, it's a great choice. If
you like English and Irish pubs there's The Bull's Head
and The Londoner Brew Pub with excellent food and pub-brewed
beer on Sukhumvit. Shenaningan's, Bangkok's original Irish
pub and O'Reillys Irish Pub - a rustic Irish pub on Silom
with an authentic atmosphere. For tapas lovers the Soho Bar
& Restaurant provides sophisticated tapas and music on
Convent Rd.
Music Venues/Live Music
 For
cool jazz and blues try the old Saxophone Pub at Victory
Monument or Brown Sugar which has a an acid jazz lounge
upstairs with a "real jazz" ("no Kenny G") combo. Plenty
of talented hotel Filipino bands and live acts visiting from the
US, Australia and Europe. There are great Thai Elvis and
Thai Tom Jones shows accompanied by very tight bands at
Radio City and Lucifer's nightclub upstairs if you
want to keep going.
For Latino fans - there's no shortage. On Sukhumvit, Baila
Baila - funky and colourful, La Havana & El Cubanito
Salsa Lounge - authentically Cuban, and the Salsa Club
- seriously Latino at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel. For a raucous
Thai music night out, try Tawan Daeng (Red Sun) brewhouse
on Rama III Road - famous for their dark beer - courtesy of a
Munich Brewmeister.
Strange and Exotic
Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana entertainment complex
are the main venues to head for. Usual mix of go-go bars, exotic
shows and high price drinks.
Family Entertainment
Late afternoon, early evening when its cool, is a good time
to walk around the city. Catch the sunset in the park on Phra
Arthit Road right on the river opposite Wat Arun, or take
the kids rowing on the lake in Lumpini Park late afternoon
to escape from the bustle of the city. Early evening, take a stroll
around Pramane Ground, for a view of the glittering gold spires
of The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keow or the
Flower Markets near Chinatown before 11:00pm. Go bowling,
ice skating or see a film at the cinema in Siam Sq.
Many hotels will provide baby-sitting services if you give 24
hours notice. So its possible for you and the kids to enjoy Bangkok.
Here's an idea of how one knowledgeable visitor to Bangkok spent
the evening.
Siam Square. "We'd do a bit of shopping early evening
(Discovery Centre, Siam Centre, MBK shopping mall). Dinner at
Hard Rock, movie at a ridiculously plush cinema at Discovery,
or the Scala (old fashioned large cinema) then bowling
at MBK or ice skating at the World Trade Centre.
Send the kids to bed, then party away the night with down at CM2
club at the Novotel Siam Square."
And that's just one area ......there's lots more!!!
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