Hotel Nightclubs

SPASSO
Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, 494 Ratchadamri Rd [ BTS Ratchadamri ]
Tel: 02-254-1234
daily noon-2:30pm & 6:30pm-2am

After going strong for more than a decade, the mother of all live venues still doles out fantastic Italian food and cool bands. The food is so good lunches and brunches teem with high society types.Thai execs and bubbly after-work expats turn up from 7pm onwards to tuck into simple-sounding but first-class Italian specialties; it's a pretty good value, especially considering this is a five-star hotel joint.Whatever you'll try, have it with what must be Bangkok's best sangria. Come 10 pm, diners thin out when the live band starts pumping out high-energy songs which get the dance floor heaving with a mixed, grown-up crowd. weekend nights can see people queuing up to get in.

SYN BAR
Lobby Level, Nai Lert Park Swissotel 2 Witthayu Rd [ BTS Ploen Chit ]
Tel: 02-253-0123
daily 6pm-2am

This swanky hotel hangout does raise some bars, especially when it comes to style.You'II spend half an hour taking it all in -- the suspended, translucent bubble chairs, the amorphous couches, the ornate lighting. The completely glass-encased bar screams retro-future. Think 1960s ovalism, 1970s fluidityThe vast drinks menu lists a lot of signature cocktails, though the Asian-inspired martinis and spicy creations (like the Wasabi Mary, one of our personal faves) are way better than the Seven Deadly Syns. Syn Bar is considerably less crowded than other hotel nightclubs, which is not necessarily something bad.

87+
Conrad Hotel, 87 Witthayu Rd [ BTS Ploen Chit ]
Tel: 02-690-9999 www.87bangkok.com
daily 9pm-2am

The Conrad's 87+ caters well to its upscale hotel guests. It features a pumping band doing the latest covers, and DJs playing a mixture of quality house music and commercial hip hop and R&B. Look out for the irregularly run Bhangra Nights with steamy Indian beats. Attached to 87+ is Italianate, a very good Italian restaurant with interesting decor. Start off the night listening to a set of world-class live jazz in the Diplomat Bar, and afterwards stroll across the lobby to 87+ to take advantage of one of Bangkok's great late happy hours, nightly from 8pm to 10pm.

BARSU
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit Rd
Tel: 02-649-8358 www. barsubangkok.com
daily 6pm-2am

The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu which features the tagline "eat, play, dance," appeals to the over30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city's current nightlife offerings.To this end, house, hip hop and techno music are banned; BarSu's inhouse DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s and 80s tunes and world music. An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated bar snacks created by a two-star Michelin chef (Belgian Yves Mattagne). As gimmicks go, this one surely takes the cake (or, rather, the feather-light creme brulee). In all fairness, calling this premium fare it's finger food designed mostly to be shared - sushi, sashimi and tapas etc - although not finger food as you know it (warm tom yum kung jelly, anyone?). And their culinary wonderment won't murder your wallet; prices are really quite reasonable.

Nightclubs

Clubbing in Bangkok? Stand alone clubs are required by law to close at I am, though many manage to stay open later; officially hotel nightclubs can stay open until tam. Legal drinking age is 20. All patrons must carry proof. No ID, no entry. No joke.

BED SUPPERCLUB
26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 [ BTS Nana ]
Tel: 0251-3537 www.bedsupperclub.com
nighty 7:30pm-1am

'Bed,' with its uber-modern spaceship design, is a successful hybrid: fine dining on what may be the world's largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past five years Bed has attracted a fashionable crowd, and with its alapage-white interior, is definitely a place to see and be seen, The food is world-class on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-class world talent for special events. Tuesday's Hip Hop party packs 'em in while Wednesday's Model Night throbs with tribal house music. Sunday s'Think Pink' and features a colourful Burlesque show.

TAPAS
Silom Soi 4 BTS Sala Daeng [ MRT Silom ]
Tel: 02-632-7982
nightly 8pm-2am

On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4, Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For 14 years its been pumping out excellent house music and live percussion sets as well. Multi-levelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it's easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general weeknights can be hit-or-miss, but weekends are always packed and hopping.

Q BAR
34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 [ BTS Nana ]
Tel: 02-252-3274 www.gbarbangkok.com
nightly 8pm-1am

Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top shelf vodka on offer!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the bar for Bangkok nightlife seven years ago and is still going strong, with a crowd every night and many big name guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday's Beat Therapy hip hop party, Wednesday's Block Party with hip hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Liquid Thursday's Funky House. Upstairs at Q some relative solitude can be found on the outdoor terrace, perfect for taking a breather and people watching. If you're headed to the islands, look for Q Bar Samui, overlooking Chaweng Beach.

GLOW
96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 [ BTS Asoke, MRT Sukhumvit ]
Tel: 02-261-3007 www.glowbkk.com
nightly 6pm-1am

This boutique club / bar / lounge challenges Bangkok's biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes night to night but always excludes hip hop (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, check Glow's cool website.

THE TUNNEL
Lang Suan Soi 5
Tue-Sun 1am - till late

Bangkok's late night venues equal adventure and The Tunnel, grown by word-of-mouth, screamed from clubber to clubber is no exception. Flash your I.D. at the harmless hulks on the door to enter a crypt-style hangout that's filled with a veritable who's who of the social scene.There's ample dancing space and a DJ pod in the middle of the dance floor.A sweet sound system and switched on DJs blasting progressive house and electro ensure club Boers won't be disappointed. It's house music all the way but the tune selection is a cut above the usual stuff that passes for dance music in other venues. Expect guest appearances from classy, European DJs. The entry fee includes one or two drinks. Choose from beers, whiskey, cocktails and more. Turn up around I am and you'll usually get to dance until 4:30-5am.

CLUB CULTURE
Sri Ayutthaya Rd (opp. Siam City Hotel) [ BTS Phaya Thai ]
08-9497-8422 www.club-culture-bkk.com
Tues-Sun 8pm-tam B400 (incl. 2 free drinks)

Club Culture comes from the owners of the online clubbers' guide, Buzzin' Mag and Cafe Democ. Climb carpeted steps, pass through a curtained stairwell and you'll enter a space where chandeliers and Thai woodcarvings hang from the ceiling. Strategically placed structures, great for resting an elbow or a drink, dot the open-plan dance floor, surrounded by plush sofas and stools. It's a beautiful building but the toilets lack a little finesse. This modish, 1,000-capacity club attracts a cross-cultural mix of trendy Thais and expats and the diversity is mirrored in the music policy They aim to promote new talent, while still bringing in the big guns, ensuring an eclectic roster of break beat, electronica, trance, indie rock drum n bass and house music of all genres.

RCA
Bangkok crowds are notoriously fickle, but Royal City Avenue's (RCA) strip-mall style of pubs, bars and clubs astoundingly endures. It's a neon-charged and brash atmo sphere of super sound systems, visuals and live-video streaming of the ever-preening crowd.

Clubs here are Thai-style affairs: chairs, tables and the all-important bottle of whiskey take centre stage on the dance floor so clubbers can easily take a seat when they're too drunk to stand.

Notable godfathers on, the strip include Route 66, Flix/Slim and Jazz It.Venues tend to be split-room affairs, adhering to a stringent policy of repetitive Hip hop, R&B: and Thai pop in one room and banging funky House or the occasional live Thai band in the other. The crowds are young and undemanding, so if you're out of your teens and are choosy about music this is not the place for you.

It's a designated 'Entertainment Zone' but the lam curfew still'' applies in most places.There's no cover charge for most venues security is tight so bring some ID.

Drinks (whiskey, beer and cocktails) are cheap and Thai dishes and snacks, are usually available if you're peckish.

GETTING THERE
MRT Roma 9 Petchburi or BTS Thonglor and a short cab ride will do the trick.