Bangkok Blogs

I guess many of you here are already experts on Bangkok in many aspects including nightlife but what I’m going to talk about today is a bit different because it’s about places Thais like to hang out. So, if you fancy a bit of change for a night out you should find my briefing and a few tips useful.

Unlike the usual farang places on Silom or Sukhumvit, Thai bars strictly check your ID so make sure you’ve got it with you either a copy of passport or a driving licence will do. Police raids are not unusual and for this reason you shouldn’t do any drug because you could get nicked by the police and end up spending a night in a nice Thai jail. Besides, try to dress a bit more decent as Thai clubs normally don’t allow flip-flops and shorts.

The first place I’m going to talk about is RCA on Rama 9 Road. It’s a favourite place for Thai teens and uni students who turn up to drink the night away with their friends. At weekends, you can expect thousands and thousands of these kids in RCA. There are some nice clubs but they’re always outstripped by clubbers, so you should arrive a bit early to get a nice table.

When you get to RCA, try to shop around looking for the place of your liking and don’t just follow the crowd. Most clubs in RCA have no entry fee so you can always leave for another club. The most popular bars are of course Route 66 and Slim/Flix which get packed faster than the others. They mainly play hip-hop and stuff like that because that’s what Thai youngsters are into.

Another place I think is worth mentioning here is Ratchada that many foreigners say is the best kept secret in the city. It’s a big area with many nice clubs and the good thing is it opens until after 2 p.m. You can tell the taxi driver Ratchada and he should know where it is. Most clubs are on Soi 4 and they’re full of Thai party goers most of whom are really friendly and you should join them for a drink or two.

On Soi 6 you’ll find a few nice bars with Bali being the biggest. Because it usually opens all night, you should be prepared for a big crowd some of whom have been pissing up all night long and looking for a fight. In Bali, there are also lots of underage kids though nobody knows exactly how they’re let in.

As some of you may know, when having a night out, it’s best to avoid a fight with a Thai. I’m not saying farang blokes are weak or Thai guys are tough but if you are set to have a brawl with a Thai, my safe bet is they’re going to either beat you up with the help of an army of friends or knife/gun you down. So just ignore them and bugger off if you feel there’s going to be any real trouble. Good luck.