No other city in Asia rivals Bangkok for a thrilling nightlife. Evening entertainment is also both plentiful and inexpensive. Most famous are the neon-lit bar districts (Bangkok's Pat Pong - the Suranwongse Road and Silom Road area - is the obvious haven for those seeking a good time), which are both more fun and much safer than their counterparts in other cities around the world. In fact, a visit to Pat Pong has become just another stop on the tourist circuit with some local firms offering all-inclusive night tours to the area, which has massage parlors, go-go bars and erotic shows all thrown in.

If it is action you are looking for, Bangkok and others like Pattaya abound with discos. Some are small and intimate while others enormous and crowded, but all spin the latest dance music using the most modern sound systems, laser lights, videos, and all other hi-tech equipment that makes today's disco less of a place and more of an experience.

For either pre-evening aperitifs or late evening drinks, Bangkok boasts of many sophisticated bars and cocktail lounges, some of the best being located in the top hotels. Here, one can relax in pleasant surroundings and enjoy live musical entertainment by the best local and regional entertainers.

The city's nightlife goes way beyond the over-worn naughty image from the Vietnam days And it really does go on around the clock.

For tourists, the main centers for evening entertainment are concentrated around Silom Road (Patpong, Thaniya, Silom Soi 2 and 4), Sukhumvit (Soi Nana, Soi Cowboy, Soi 33) and most recently Khao San Road. First-class hotels are often good centers for nightclubs and discotheques, which are generally quite cheap and of very good standard. Pubs and bars can be found all over the city, many specializing in live music and usually offering food as well.