In a recent post discussing shopping in Bangkok I suggested that after the sun goes down you should head off to the night markets dotted about this city. If however shopping is not your thing there are many other nightlife experiences to be had in Bangkok, without the obvious Thailand bar girls!

1. For a romantic experience you should head for one of the evening dinner cruise that slowly meanders along the Chao Praya River. I have posted already about the Loy Nava, one that I have experienced myself but there are many others to be had if it’s not exactly romance your looking for. These types of cruises are an ideal way to see the city from a different angle, learn about about its history and culture or just enjoy the cool river breeze.

2. If it’s the club scene you are looking for then you won’t be disappointed. Bangkok nightlife club scene is alive and kicking hard, even with tight closing regulations! You can find clubs in almost every part of Bangkok with most of them open every night of the week offering different styles of music.  If it’s a trendy type bar you want then start with the bedSupper Club or try the loud music in the mega-clubs of RCA, Flix or Slim.

3. For that feeling of sophistication you should try Cocktails on a Rooftop Bar at sunset. Not only is this a great way to beat the rush hour madness in Bangkok you can also avoid most of the sunset mosquitoes. The highest drink you can sip in Bangkok would be from the Rooftop Bar on the 83rd floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel or try some real sophistication and relax on the open air decks of the Moon Bar on top of the Banyan Tree Hotel.

4. Live music is available in Bangkok if you look hard enough. I should say good live music is available if you look hard enough! From Thai acoustic music in your hotel lounge to freeform jazz in a smoky club, Bangkok does have it all on offer even large stadium type concerts. Don’t think these will be easy to find, most marketing and advertisements will be written in Thai so if live music is your thing do some research before you get there.

5. Bangkok’s not known for its theatrical shows but for something spectacular you should not miss out on the Siam Niramit Cultural Show and Thai dinner. Performed on the worlds largest stage this show combines Thailand’s historical and spiritual heritage in a blaze of colour. There are many other cultural shows on offer in Bangkok some good some not so good so beware when booking any of these and ask in some forums for what other people have seen.

This is just a few suggestion of what Bangkok nightlife has to offer except for the obvious shopping and Go-Go bars most tourist end up frequenting. There is nothing wrong with Go-Go bars and shopping but it can become boring after a while so the next time you visit Bangkok try and think outside the traditional tourist paths.