Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [143]
The former Narcissus has undergone a recent nip and tuck and now consists of three separate zones boasting an equal variety of music. It’s largely a domestic scene, but be sure to check the website for upcoming international events.
Q BAR
Map Club
0 2252 3274; www.qbarbangkok.com; 34 Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; admission 500B; 8pm-1am; Nana exit 3
In club years, Q Bar is fast approaching retirement age, but it still rules over Bangkok's club scene with slick industrial style. The dance floor is monopolised by working girls and pot-bellied admirers, but Sunday theme parties and celebrity DJs bring in everybody else in town. Q also boasts perhaps Thailand’s largest range of drinks – 27 types of vodka and 41 brands of whisky/bourbon.
ROUTE 66
Map Club
0 2203 0936; www.route66club.com; 29/33-48 Royal City Ave (RCA), off Th Phra Ram IX, Greater Bangkok; admission 200B; 8pm-2am; Phra Ram 9 exit 3 & taxi
This place has been around just about as long as RCA, but a recent facelift has given it a new feel and an impressive following. Hip hop rules here, although there are several different themed ‘levels’, featuring anything from Thai pop to live music.
SLIM/FLIX
Map Club
0 2203 0504; 29/22-32 Royal City Ave (RCA), off Th Phra Ram IX, Greater Bangkok; admission free; 8pm-2am; Phra Ram 9 exit 3 & taxi
Ideal for the indecisive raver, this immense three-in-one complex dominating one end of RCA features chilled house on one side (Flix), while the other (Slim) does the hip hop/R & B soundtrack found across much of the city. Oh, and there’s a restaurant thrown in there somewhere as well. Despite its size, this place is packed on weekends.
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top picks
BEST BARS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS
Brick Bar It’s so crowded in here you can’t help but meet and greet.
Cheap Charlie’s The dearth of tables here encourages interaction.
Club Culture (opposite) Quite possibly Bangkok’s least pretentious club.
Coco Walk You’ll probably be the only foreigner here – a great conversation starter.
Tapas Room (right) Boasting three floors, all of them full of folks, you'd be hard-pressed not to make a new friend.
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TAPAS ROOM
Map Club
0 2234 4737; www.tapasroom.net; 114/17-18 Soi 4, Th Silom; admission 100B; 9pm-3am; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 1
Although it sits staunchly at the front of Bangkok’s pinkest street, this longstanding box manages to bring in just about everybody. Come Thursday to Saturday, when the combination of DJs and live percussion brings the body count to critical level.
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GO-GO BARS
Although technically illegal, prostitution is fully ‘out’ in Bangkok, lucrative kickbacks making it all just too hard for the police to enforce this long-standing law. And like the sex industry in other parts of the world, issues of human trafficking and HIV/AIDS are ever-present, but a visit to any of the establishments listed below is likely confirm that the underlying atmosphere of Bangkok’s red-light districts is predominantly one of tackiness and boredom, rather than illicit activity and exploitation.
Nana Entertainment Plaza (Map; Soi 4/Nana Tai, Th Sukhumvit; Nana exit 2) is a three-storey complex where the sexpats are separated from the gawking tourists. It’s also home to a few ladyboy bars.
Patpong (Map; Soi Patpong 1 & 2, Silom; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 1) is possibly one of the most famous red-light districts in the world, however, today any ‘charm’ that the area used to possess has been eroded by modern tourism; fake Rolexes and Diesel T-shirts are more ubiquitous than flesh. There is, of course, a considerable amount of naughtiness going on, although much of it takes place upstairs and behind closed doors. If you must, before taking a seat at one of Patpong’s ‘pussy shows’, be sure to agree to the price beforehand, otherwise you’re likely to receive an astronomical bill.
Soi Cowboy (Map; btwn Soi 21 & Soi 23, Th Sukhumvit; Sukhumvit exit 2; Asok exit 3) is a single-lane strip of raunchy