Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [142]
Named after the infamous beat machine, this club fills the space previously occupied by Astra and follows the tradition of big-name DJs and insanely crowded events. Virtually empty on weeknights.
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top picks
BANGKOK’S BEST CLUBS
808 (above) The place to be when the big names are in town.
Club Culture The Thaiest club in town.
Glow As intimate and cosy as a club can be.
Slim/Flix The playlist is painfully mainstream but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more consistently packed club.
Tapas Room Three floors of fun.
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OUT ALL NIGHT
With most pubs and dance clubs closing around 2am, One Night in Bangkok is not quite what it used to be. Thankfully there are a few places around town that have gained sufficient ‘permission’ to stay open until the morning hours. Wong’s Place is so late night, it’s best not to show up before midnight. Vaguely Middle Eastern–themed Gazebo represents the posh side of Th Khao San, and its elevated setting appears to lend it some leniency with the city’s strict closing times. Scratch Dog (Map; 0 2262 1234; Windsor Suites Hotel, 8-10 Soi 20, Th Sukhumvit; 8pm-late) employs a hip-hop theme to propel partiers to the morning hours.
For something a bit edgier, ask your friendly taxi driver to escort you to any of the following: Spicy, Spice Club, Boss or Bossy. These creatively named late-night clubs are all located in central Bangkok and stay open until well past sunrise. We’d tell you a bit more about them and put them on our maps, but our experience and research suggest that these clubs exist in an alternate late-night reality that only Bangkok taxi drivers can navigate…
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BED SUPPERCLUB
Map Club
0 2651 3537; www.bedsupperclub.com; 26 Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; admission 500-700B; 8pm-1am; Nana exit 3
Bed has basked in the limelight for quite a few years now, but has yet to lose any of its futuristic charm. Arrive at a decent hour to squeeze in dinner (see Click here), or if you’ve only got dancing on your mind, come on Tuesday for the hugely popular hip-hop night.
CAFÉ DEMOC
Map Club
0 2622 2572; www.cafe-democ.com; 78 Th Ratchadamnoen, Banglamphu; admission free; 8pm-1am Tue-Sun; klorng boat to Tha Phra Athit (Banglamphu, N13)
Up-and-coming DJs present their turntable dexterity at this narrow unpretentious club in Olde Bangkok. Hip hop, break beat, drum ‘n’ bass and tribal fill the night roster, but only special events actually fill the floor.
CLUB CULTURE
Map Club
0894 978 422; www.club-culture-bkk.com; Th Sri Ayuthaya (opposite Siam City Hotel), Ratchathewi; admission 250B; 9pm-2am Tue-Sun; Phaya Thai exit 4
Housed in a unique 40-year-old Thai-style building and hosting heaps of fun local events, Culture is the Thaiest locale on Bangkok’s club scene. Internationally recognised DJs and what is allegedly the best sound system in town bring things to a cosmopolitan level.
HOLLYWOOD
Map Club
Soi 8, Th Ratchadaphisek, Greater Bangkok; 8pm-2am; Phra Ram 9 exit 3
Like taking a time machine back to the previous century, Hollywood is a holdover from the days when a night out in Bangkok meant corny live stage shows, wiggling around the whisky-set table and neon, neon, neon.
GLOW
Map Club
0 2261 3007; www.glowbkk.com; 96/4-5 Soi 23, Th Sukhumvit; admission 100-200B; 7pm-2am; Sukhumvit exit 2; Asok exit 3
This self-proclaimed ‘boutique’ club starts things early in the evenings as a lounge boasting an impressive spectrum of vodkas. As the evening progresses, enjoy the recently upgraded sound system and tunes ranging from hip hop (Friday) to electronica (Saturday) and everything in between.
NANG LEN
Map Club
0 2711 6564; 217 Soi 63 (Ekamai), Th Sukhumvit; 6pm-1am; Ekkamai exit 1 & taxi
Young, loud and Thai; Nang Len (literally ‘Sit and Chill’) is a ridiculously popular sardine tin of live music and uni students on popular Th Ekamai. Get in before 10pm or you won’t get in at all.
NARZ
Map Club
0 2664 0373; www.narzbangkok.com;