5 Best Party Streets in Bangkok

RCA (Royal City Avenue to give it its full name) is Bangkok’s most popular clubbing hotspot. The wall-to-wall clubs towards the northern end of the street get packed after 10pm most nights. Find the epicentre of the party at Route66 Club, a huge club spread across various zones dedicated to hip hop, EDM and live Thai music. Weekends and holidays see the club reach bursting point after midnight, with the overspill contained in a cordoned off zone outside – complete with extra chairs, tables and speakers blasting out the music to create a street-party kind of vibe. 

A couple of doors down is Onyx Bangkok, a club offering more of European vibe with its tall ceilings, strict EDM policy, and occasional international DJ taking to the central stage. Entry for foreigners into these clubs is around 500 baht, but this does include drinks vouchers. 

The crowd: A mostly young, dressed up Thai crowd with a good mix of males and females. In recent years, more and more expats and in-the-know tourists have started to join the fun too, so you won’t feel out of place (as long as you can look past the dual pricing system).

Khao San Road’s reputation as the ultimate backpacker party hub is known across Southeast Asia. Budget guesthouses, internet cafes, bars, restaurants, massage parlours, travel agents, bookshops, market stalls, tattoo shops and hawkers line the 1-km stretch of mayhem while eating, drinking and dancing in the street is encouraged. 

Although not much has changed here in years, the iconic road is slowly starting to draw in more of a young local crowd who aren’t scared away by the sea of sweaty travellers downing buckets and screaming along to Wonderwall by Oasis. The ingeniously named The Club is the go-to spot around midnight for real dance music and there’s also the much smaller but equally fun Lava Gold up the road. Brick Bar (at Buddy Shopping Plaza, next to McDonald's) is where the locals go; the main draw here is the brilliant live band who play fun Thai pop, ska, reggae and western covers. There are a thousand other street-side bars to choose from, and its best to just turn up and see which one takes your pick.

The crowd: Backpackers, gap year students, a few families looking a bit bewildered, and an ever-growing number of young Thais. As for what to wear – whatever’s in your suitcase that is passable for clean.

Soi 11 has been one of the driving forces behind the evolving persona of lower Sukhumvit. The nightlife scene here gradually shed its once seedy image thanks to the rise of some pretty rooftop bars, swanky bistros and trendy nightclubs. The road offers a party atmosphere with a good mix of drinking spots – whether you want to party hard or just chill out for the evening. 

Oskar Bistro and Marshmallow Kitchen & Bar provide more of a sophisticated ambience. To get a better perspective on things, head up to the top floor of Le Fenix Hotel and lounge about on the bed-style sofas at Nest, or better yet try the gorgeous Above Eleven rooftop bar on the 38th floor of Fraser Suites. To end the night, the go-to club is Levels Club, which plays commercial dance and hip hop with free entry and drinks for ladies.

The crowd: A good mix of expats and tourists of all ages means Soi 11 isn’t really reserved for any group in particular. Most of the bars here couldn’t care less what you’re wearing, but it’s best to play it safe and go smart casual (such as no shorts or flip-flops).