Go Sporty
Come on, what’s the first thing that crosses your mind when you’re feeling restless at 3am? Shrimp fishing! No? Well you should try: it’s fun. Por Kung Pao Seafood (B125/hour, 91/2 Ratchadapisk Rd., 02-642-2305) is open 24/7. Sit by the shrimp pond with the provided rod and net and hunt down the little buggers before you fry them and eat them whole. And if you crack open a bottle of whisky (B650-1,500), you get a free trial.
It’s 10pm, you’ve been kicked out of every stadium out there but you’re still a bundle of energy. The Red Bull X Park (Sathorn Rd., 02-670-8008. Open daily 10am-midnight) packs another couple hours of action after most places call it a day. Show up alone and pay B240/hour for street basketball or futsal (indoor soccer) or get a whole field for B1,500/hour. There is even a referee service (B300/match) for those who can’t count—or want to avoid a brawl.
It’s late, you need a seat, but you still want thrills. Hop into a low-slung racer at Karting Stadium (2/F RCA Plaza, 31/11, Soi Soonvijai, Rama 9 Rd., 02-203-1205/-7. B390-1,100. Open weekdays 4pm-midnight, weekends 1pm-midnight and closed on Wed).
Really tired? Watch the action. Lumpini Boxing Stadium (Rama 4 Rd., 02-252-8765. Open Tue-Fri 6:30-10:30pm, Sat 5-8pm and 8:30pm-midnight. www.muaythailumpini.com. B240-480, ringside B2,000. Foreigners B1,000-1,500 and ringside B2,000) closes later than Ratchadamnuen Boxing Stadium, which closes at 9pm.
Too many tennis courts close at 8-9pm. What if you want to play after a light dinner, before hitting the clubs? Kudos to Soi Klang Racquet Club (6,8 Amara 3, Soi Sukhumvit 49/9, 02-714-7200, 02-391-7980. Open daily 6am-11pm) for closing the latest in town and offering two outdoor and three indoor courts. B450 (non-member) for a day-pass.
Prefer to practice your swing without the glaring sun? Head to Number One Driving Range (B350/ tray or B750/3 trays, Pracha-Uthit Rd., 02-935-6270/1. Open Mon-Fri 10-1am, Sat-Sun 10am-midnight). Bring your business partners, down some beers, and then go out to a bar.
Really Shop Till You Drop
The clock never marks overtime when it’s time to shop—only your credit card can call it a night. Start at Suan Lum Night Bazaar (Rama 4 Rd. Open daily 7pm-midnight. MRT Lumpini) for those young designers who can’t afford retail space in the clone malls that litter the city. From furniture to cute outfits, Suan Lum has it all. And its life hangs by a thread, so get there fast!
It’s midnight and you’ve still got cash burning holes in your pockets. Lucky you! Secondhand goods at Sapan Budh Market (Memorial Bridge, Tree Petch Rd. Open Tue-Sun 6pm-1am) should take care of that. Secondhand Ts and jeans here range from B40 to over B1,000 depending on whether we’re talking last season rag or chic vintage. Past one, go into a redecoration frenzy by hitting the Paklong Flower Market on Jakpetch Rd. The flowers sold here come straight from the nurseries—you’ll be amazed at how low the price are compared with florists in town.
Or, if flowers are too specific, Talad Huay Kwang (Prachasongkro Rd., Open daily 10pm-dawn) is a more generalist market. Stretching for kilometers along Prachasongkro Rd., from Huay Kwang intersection down to Huay Kwang Fresh Market, stall after stall is packed with clothes, accessories, electrical appliances, food, and more. By 10pm, some shops still haven’t even opened yet so this is really a night owl special. Oh, and if you’re stalking your favorite masseuse from the surrounding massage parlors, she’d probably be somewhere here shopping. Offer to carry the bags, foot the bills, and maybe the story will end happily.
Eating Fest’
It’s late and you’re hungry. Don’t settle for instant soup or a 7/11 burger (ugh). Dining late is what sets apart human beings from Americans, so dig in. Wrestle with the posh crowd for a seat at Sukhumvit Soi 38 (open Tue-Sun 7pm-2 or 3am) where celebs and hisos stuff themselves with bamee phoo and khao neaw mamoang till the wee hours of the night. It’s really hot in that soi and unless you’re a starf*cker, there might be better options.
What about congee? Bangkokian night crawlers know that the Green House at Landmark Hotel (138 Sukhumvit Rd., 02-254-0404. Open 24/7) serves one of the best congees in town. It’s great at soaking up booze and it can prevent hangovers. Don’t forget to get some crispy Chinese croissant with condensed milk alongside your bowl of congee with thousand year eggs. Ok, having khao tom at a luxury hotel might be a bit over the top. If you want air-con without the fuss, Aroi Dee 24 (2/F Huay Kwang Avenue, 200/21-18-33, Prachasongkro Rd., 02-292-6603. Open 24/7) delivers the same dish and temperate climate as Green House, but smack in the middle of a market. How’s that for atmosphere? Not to mention you can shop/eat/shop. If that’s too far, the rice soup beloved by drunks…oops… night owls also has a home in the heart of Sukhumvit at New Srifa 33 (12/19 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-258-2649. Open daily 5pm-4am). The new décor (they moved from Sukhumvit 27) is really worth the trip.
Enough wih khao tom! Took Lae Dee is open all night as well and has a real menu. The Petchabruri branch (2443, New Petchaburi Rd., 02-318-2063. Open 24/7) is a great pick-up joint for hot chicks and dudes coming back from Thonglor and Ekkamai. Don’t be shy, walk up to their table and ask to join. The Lad Prao branch (2675, Ladprao Rd., 02-530-0220. Open 24/7) is notorious for its soap star denizens. Maybe 3am is a good time to ask for an autograph? Maybe not.
Bukutei and dimsum is another ultimate hangover cure. Chokdee Dimsum (33/2-3 Soi Ekkamai, 02-714-0312. Open 24/7. www.chokdeedimsum.com) is a long time favorite in that department.
For something more exotic, Sunrise Tacos (236/3-4, Sukhumvit Rd., between Soi 12 and 14, 02-229-4851. Open 24/7) has tasty tacos (duh) and Tex-Mex to take home or eat one of their seven stools facing a parking lot—a real Nighthawks (the famous painting by Edward Hopper) moment. Sunrise Tacos is still better than fast food (the guacamole is made from fresh avocado), but if you’re ready to take the plunge into the high-sodium sat-fat pool, there’s no dearth of options.
Some Burger Kings and McDonald’s (try Khaosan road) are open 24/7 as are some Subway (76 Chakrabongse Rd., 02-629-2743. Nana branch: 131/2 Soi 7/1 Sukhumvit Rd. 02-651-0866. Sukhumvit branch: 593-593/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33/1, 02-662-0982) sandwicherias and Big John’s (161/8-9 Thonglor Soi 9, 02-712-9712. Open 24/7. www.bigjohnsworld.com) for burgers and pizza in a laid-back farang atmosphere.
Can’t… keep… my…. eyes… open. Quick, coffee! Ban Rai Coffee (4 Sukhumvit 63, 02-391-9784. Open 24/7) features very strong Thai coffee, which will surely keep you awake for the rest of the night. Starbuck’s may be your favorite coffee joint, but they don’t close that late—a mere 11pm at the end of the week for the Thonglor branch (between Thonglor Soi 13 and 15, 02-712-9691. Open Sun-Thu 7am-10pm, Fri-Sat 7am-11pm). Montien Plaza (1/F, Montien Plaza, Suriyawong Rd., 02-637-0342. Open daily 8am-1am) closes with the bars, at one. Coffee Society (12/3 Silom Rd., 08-7100-3260. Open 24/7. www.coffeesociety.com) is another coffee shop that serves late espressos to those fighting sleep, and light sandwiches to those fighting hunger.
Primp Yourself Late Hour
You’ve been shakin’ dat ass all week in half the clubs in town and you look it. Before you check in to rehab, go for a little after-hours boost en lieu of your usual debauchery. And no, the aforementioned happy ending places don’t count. Health Land (120 North Sathorn Rd., 02-637-8883. Open daily 9am-11pm. www.healthlandspa.com) has traditional Thai massages a tad later than most. The place is quite busy between 9-10pm, though, so you might need to book in advance. Tony Massage (Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-258-4228. Open daily 9am-midnight) is open even later, until midnight daily, and charges a mere B100/hour for Thai massage and B250/hour for oil massage. Again, get ready to fight with the sararymen in the area—Tony is popular.
You stumble out of a club at 1am and realize your hair is a mess. And here’s the catch, you still have an after-hours party and possibly a private one after that. What to do? Pepper Boutique & Salon (45 Pracharatbampen rd., 02-692-5699. Open daily 10-3am) has both hair and nail salon services available till very very late. Or go next door for a 24/7 hair salon at My Hair 24 Hours (Prachasongkro Rd., 02-277-3923. Open 24/7) with full service from extension to treatment. Just imagine, short hair at a cocktail, full mane at a club. You’ll be the talk of the town.
Exercise Your Brain
Fed, relaxed, groomed, and stocked up, you might still feel a certain emptiness. How about some culture? Most libraries close even before the malls, but the Maruey Knowledge and Resource Center (The Stock Exchange of Thailand Bldg., 62 Ratchadapisek Rd., 02-299-2061/-4. Open Sun-Thu 8:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 8:30am-midnight. www.maruey.com. MRT QSNCC) goes to bed much later. Cruise around the stack of magazines on the ground floor or browse the financial publications on the second floor. If you’re more into Harry Potter than Hedge Funds for Dummies, you can always try to net a young stockbroker at closing time and buy him/her a drink.
how to: Stay Awake Through the Night
Get a New Puppy. Dogs really can be a man’s best friend; they can also be pets from hell. Barking, peeing and whatever else they can keep you up all through the night. Dogs not your thing? Have a baby!
Avoid the Dark Force. Keep your lights on, everywhere. Make sure your place is bright as the day.
Keep It Cold. The colder, the better, and screw global warming. Crank your AC to the max and get into a bathing suit.
Keep Away from the Bedroom. Your bed, sofa
or any surface that you can lie down on are
your enemies.
Drink More Water. Good for your skin, water also keeps you exercising by forcing you to walk to the loo every hour. As for caffeine: it works.
Listen to Rock. Say no to pop rock or soft rock, but yes to heavy metal. Rock will never die—and it will never let you sleep either.
Run for Life. Go out and take a jog every few hours, followed each time by a cold shower. This keeps you up for anything, plus gives you a slimmer body.
Sleep during the Day. Be a lazy pussy by day so you can be a wildcat at night.
how to: Be late for work
Enjoying the night life hype may cause you trouble the next day. See our suggestions:
1
It’s all about the set up: Call in sick but then show up an hour late and tell your boss you were really sick but decided to come in anyway. Frequent the toilet often—no one asks about diarrhea.
2
Wear a memorial ribbon and look teary eyed. If anyone asks, your granny died...again.
3
Storm into the office late, looking really, really angry. Throw your bag down on the desk and look like you’re going to fight—everyone stays clear of angry people.
4
Get a promotion and become the boss—so no one can comment on your lateness.
After-Hours Bars
Everyone knows nightspots in the Kingdom close at 1am. Or do they? With the following clues, try to outsmart the boys in brown.
“The Moroccan rooftop bar”
Location: Near Khaosan
Closes: 5am
Music: Hip hop and house
Price: B300 (1 drink)
Crowd: Thai and inter crowd from the neighborhood along with skinny Eastern-European models.
What we like: Even when the police shut them down, the outdoor section stays open and serves drinks till dawn.
“The underground passage”
Location: Lang Suan, Soi X
Closes: 5am
Price: B500 (weekend, 2 drinks), B300 (weekdays, 1 drink)
Music: House and electronic
Crowd: Fat wallet farang who got kicked out from the posh bars in Sukhumvit. Hot chicks and transgenders follow on their heels.
What we like: People who actually have jobs and know how to party can be a nice break from the student and farang ki nok crowd.
“Hot and …cy”
Location: Rong Muang area
Closes: Who knows
Price: B300 (1 drink)
Music: Hip hop
Crowd: Many nationalities who get recommended here by a taxi driver and plenty of freelance girlfriends.
What we like: A lot of choices if you’re looking for a one-night-stand.
“Cooking substances”
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 11
Closes: 5-6am
Price: B200 (1 drink)
Music: Hip hop
Crowd: Fat old sexpats/tourists and their obligatory go go girls.
What we like: You won’t bump into anyone you know here, you can be sure of that!
“Itchy animal”
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 20
Closes: 6-7am
Price: B400
Music: Hip hop and house
Crowd: Thai kids from RCA and Ratchadapisek, including a lot of cuties.
What we like: The music is just OK but the partygoers here are way better than those on Ratchadapisek Soi 8.
“The male friend”
Location: RCA
Closes: 5-6am
Price: Free entry
Music: Hip hop and house
Crowd: Most of them are customers from those big bars on the same strip.
What we like: It’s just few steps from Slim and Route 66.
“Not clear”
Location: Petchaburi Road
Closes: 5am, depending on the men in uniform
Price: B400
Music: Hip hop and house
Crowd: Young Thai male/female from everywhere.
What we like: It’s packed and you will meet lots of familiar faces. Good place for networking.
More Late-Night Munchies
If you can’t find a decent place to eat by the time the mall closes, here are some (non-mall) places where you can place your order after 10pm.
Coyote on Convent. Tex-Mex food with a vast choice of margaritas. Sivadon Bldg., 1/2 Convent Rd., 02-631-2325. Open daily 11-1am.
Crepes & Co. Get some crepes with some sangria while enjoying the restaurant’s laid-back atmosphere. 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 12, 02-653-3990/1. Open Mon-Sat 9am-midnight, Sun 8am-midnight.
Gotto Retto. It’s more of a drinking establishment serving some food than a proper sushi shop. 87 Thonglor Soi 13, 02-381-4272. Open Mon-Fri 4pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11am-2pm, 4pm-1am.
Kinnaree. Around 9pm, the expat regulars show up to linger over their dinners and drinks. 43 Sukhumvit Soi 8, 02-256-0328. Open 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-midnight.
Ramentei. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a cheap, filling, delicious meal. 23/8-9, Soi Thaniya, Silom Rd., 02-234-8082. Open Daily 11am-2am.
Reflections. The dishes are as good as the décor. 81 Soi Ari, Phaholyothin Soi 7, 02-270-3340. Open daily 11:30am-1am.
Samsensoisam. Overlooking Rama VIII Bridge, this wins the best view prize and has great Thai food to match. 10 Samsen Soi 3, Samsen Rd., 02-268-8362. Open daily 5pm-1am.
Xuan Mai. More unusual dishes are offered here than on the menus of the other Vietnamese restaurants in town. 32 Sukhumvit Soi 13, 02-251-8389. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-midnight.
bk asks: “What do you do when you can’t sleep?”
Durongrit Khotchan, 32, account manager
Put on some nice songs. It helps me get to sleep easier.
Navara P., 30-something, trade marketing manager
Open the fridge, finish a can of beer and get back to sleep.
Thittapong Daengrasmisopon, 35, Klerm Samakom’s
vocalist
Grab my guitar. Hopefully, I’ll finish a song before finally being able to sleep.
Jatuporn Thipthep, 29, bank officer
Read some boring book. It makes me want to go back to sleep again.
Natee Osathanugrah, 19, Getsunova’s guitarist
Go online to chat with friends or listen to some music.
Watchara S., 22, unemployed
Camfrog usually works for me.
bk asks: “What do you like about Bangkok at night?”
Ronrapeekan Soranatu, 21, student
The fashions that party people wear; they’re interesting and colorful, which really enhances each person’s character.
Thapana Apiromsamer, 22, student
It’s a city that never sleeps. So much life and no loneliness.
Nattapol, 28, IT officer
I love the choice of women: they come in all styles, shapes and sizes.
Vongvarich Ruankasiphat, 24, store manager
The choice of places to hang out. You can always find a place that fits your style.
Tipwimol Pechlert, 36, nurse
I love to dance, so it has to be the variety of music, from local stuff to international.
