Things You Will Love And Hate About Thailand Nightlife

Thailand’s nightlife has plenty of reasons that’ll you fall in love with the place and become addicted to it, but there are also things that make people hate it there.

You’ve got plenty of bars, plenty of girls and a lot of fun to be had, but mixed in with that are scams, drunks, rip-offs, and moments that can turn a good night into a bad one fast.

The cheap drinks, the girls, the freedom, the madness. And yeah, all that’s real and fun. But if you stay long enough, you start noticing the other side too — the hustles, the idiots who ruin it for everyone, and the small ways the place tries to take a little extra out of your pocket.

This isn’t about talking crap about Thailand, I personally love the nightlife there but it’s about calling it how it is.

I’ve gone over a few things that I personally love about the nightlife and the things I absolutely hate, let’s start off good with the things I love.

Endless choice

You can walk out any night in Bangkok or Pattaya and there’s always something going on.

Every street has its own kind of madness. You’ve got beer bars playing loud music next to each other, little hole-in-the-wall bars, gents clubs and even normal bars if you fancy a quiet drink.

You’re never stuck. If a place isn’t your thing, you just finish your drink and go next door. It’s that simple.

You don’t need to plan when you go out. You just walk until something tickles your fancy and step inside, or get dragged inside by one of the girls standing outside.

If you want something more relaxed, that’s not hard to find either, with a lot of rooftop bars around.

If you want craziness that Thailand is known for, head into the go-gos or one of the sois with 20 bars next to each other, plenty of them around.

Everything’s within reach. You can start the night with a quiet drink, and two hours later you’re deep in a go go bar, there’s really no shortage of options, that’s what makes it addictive and fun each night.

Even after years here, people still find new bars they’ve never been in before, and there is no shortage of new bars opening every week. One opens, another closes, someone changes the layout, someone adds a pool table, new girls and staff. The nightlife is always fresh.

You don’t feel like you’re stuck doing the same routine every weekend.

Places like Pattaya and Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, it’s easy to move between the areas. Most places are walkable but for those that are a bit further, there are motorbike taxis everywhere and you can be across town in minutes.

I always recommend to people coming to Thailand for the first time to check out as many areas as you can and not stay in one place.

One area full of backpackers, another with older expats, another with Thais.

You never really have to force a good time here. You just step outside and wander. That’s why so many people say they came for a week and ended up staying months — once the nightlife pulls you in it doesn’t really let go.

Prices feel cheap compared to the West

Prices in Thailand have gone up, especially in Bangkok. Places like Nana Plaza can feel really expensive.

It’s all about where you go. You can still find a beer for a good price if you go just one soi over from the main tourist places.

The old timers here will vouch for how cheap it used to be compared to now. The prices in some places feel ridiculous.

That being said, it’s still a lot cheaper than the West — well, it’s a lot cheaper where I’m from anyway.

Most guys who come here can’t believe how far their money goes at first, compared to back home.

That’s what keeps people going out so often. You can have a full night — drinks, food, taxi home, and a bit of entertainment if you get me — and still spend less than half of what a Western city night costs.

You don’t need to be rich to have a good night out here, though the more money you have the more fun you will have.

Of course, once you start buying lady drinks or bar-fines, that changes fast and if you find a bargirl you like, you’re gonna end up spending way more than you planned, but it’s all fun.

But as long as you know what you’re getting into, you don’t mind the extra money going out.

It’s not really about finding the cheapest drinks, it’s about having fun. If you go into a bar, the drinks are reasonably priced, staff are nice and the girls are giving you attention, then it’s worth it. You pay a fair price and actually enjoy what you get.

Female company

One of the biggest reasons guys love Thailand’s nightlife is how easy it is to meet women.

You don’t need to be ripped and look like Brad Pitt, just have a bit of money for the night, then you walk into a bar and say hello.

There’s always some girl waiting for a customer to walk in so she can give you some attention and get some lady drinks in return.

You get attention here that most guys don’t get back home. They will sit and talk to you, ask you questions and actually listen to what you say.

It’s part of the game, sure, but it still feels good and trust me, a lot of these girls are fun to be around.

After a few days of that, you start to see why so many men say Thailand feels like a reset for their confidence.

The fun part is how open the whole thing is. You don’t need to guess if a girl’s interested or not. In the bar scene, it’s all out in the open — she’s working, you’re drinking, and you both know what’s going on. As long as you remember that it’s nothing more than work for her, your time in Thailand will be amazing.

Sometimes that’s all you need. No pressure, no expectations, just a laugh and some good company for a couple of hours.

Nothing has to happen after the bar. If you just want company, that’s fine too. Plenty of guys go out just to have a few drinks with a girl who’s friendly and funny. You play a few bar games, get a bit tipsy and have fun.

Just be warned, some of these girls can drink Western men under the table — that is, of course, if they are actually drinking alcohol.

Of course, money’s always part of the deal, but it’s clear from the start. Nobody hides it. You pay for time, attention and fun — that’s how it works. The people that think it’s any more than that are the guys you hear about in these scammed stories.

You can call it fake if you want, but the truth is most guys don’t care. They come for the laughs, the attention and the stories to take home with them. And that’s it.

Easy to meet people

A lot of guys come to Thailand solo, and to be honest, I think that is the best way.

But I notice a lot of people are on the fence about coming solo, worried that they won’t have a good time if they go out alone.

You can go out alone in Thailand and not feel weird about it. Plenty of people do that, including myself. You won’t be alone for long.

You will see that a lot of other guys go out alone, and more than likely you will end up chatting to one of them.

Some of the best friends that I have, I met in bars in Thailand just by going out alone and ending up in conversation with them.

You’ll sit down at a bar, order a drink, and someone will start talking before you finish it. Locals, other tourists, staff — everyone’s open. Nobody cares where you’re from or what you do, they just want to chat and have fun.

You don’t get that cold feeling like in some Western bars where people guard their space. Here, a smile and a beer go a long way.

You can end up drinking with a group of strangers who become your friends for the night, and you’ll probably end up going out with them again during your holiday.

A lot of that comes from the staff too. They remember faces, names and what you drink. You go back a second time and they treat you like you’ve been coming for years.

And then you have the bar girls in there. If you are generous with the lady drinks, they are definitely going to remember your face.

So don’t worry about coming solo if that’s what is bothering you. Everyone’s in holiday mode, trying to have a laugh, not start drama. That’s why so many guys say they feel more alive here than anywhere else.

Types of bars

Thailand’s got every kind of bar you can think of for the type of night you want.

Depending on what you are into, you can find bars that have live rock bands or other live music, comedy nights, gentleman clubs, and of course the famous go go bars — all within walking distance.

So really you could start the night in a quiet bar, move on to watch some live music and then finish the night in a go go bar.

A lot of tourists come here thinking it’s only about the stuff you see online — just go go bars and girls. Of course, if that’s all you are after then you’re going to have an easy time finding it, but there is way more to it than that.

There are Muay Thai bars where customers can actually fight to get a free bucket of beer, bars that do crazy fire shows. It’s chaos, but it’s good chaos.

Day drinkers

A lot of people come to Thailand who are more daytime drinkers than nighttime drinkers, and they see pretty quick that you don’t have to wait until dark to start drinking.

The bars open early, and especially bars on places like Beach Road in Pattaya, they soon fill up once the day gets going.

I can’t speak much for Bangkok, but places like Pattaya and Phuket make it too easy. You walk down a street at 1 p.m. and it’s already alive. Some guys never even make it to nighttime and head home in a mess.

It’s a whole different feeling from nighttime, and I feel the girls are less pushy in the day, but that might just be me.

Day drinking here is not really looked at like it is in the West. Back home, people see day drinkers as alcoholics, but in Thailand it’s perfectly normal.

Me personally, I prefer day drinking in Pattaya compared to the nighttime, but again, that’s just me.

That’s just a few things that people will love about the nightlife in Thailand. Now here are some things that I personally hate.

Lady-drink pressure

A lot of the bars will have bar girls inside working, who are looking for commission on lady drinks and more.

Although it is fun to do when you go out, sometimes you want to just sit alone, drink and relax.

But once you sit down in these bars, you’re a walking ATM. Before you’ve even ordered yourself a beer, someone’s sat next to you asking you to buy her a drink.

You say no, she acts sad, says something funny and leaves, then another one tries. It can feel endless sometimes when you just want a quiet drink. Some guys just can’t relax because they’re getting asked every few minutes.

The prices aren’t crazy, but it’s the constant push that annoys you. You are not a cheap Charlie, you are just not in the mood for any female company that night.

In quieter bars it’s fine, but in the heavy tourist places around Pattaya it’s something you have to get used to.

I know they are just doing their job, the girls make their living off those drinks. Still, when you’re getting hassled nonstop, it just gets really annoying and you end up leaving.

The best thing to do is to find the bars where the girls don’t push hard, then just visit those bars again when you want a quiet night.

Prices creeping up every year

Every old-timer says the same thing — it’s not as cheap as it used to be.

Ten years ago, you could drink all night for what one round costs now. The days of fifty-baht beers are long gone in the tourist zones. Even the small bars are raising prices because rent and electricity keep climbing.

It’s still cheaper than the West, but you can really feel it compared to how it used to be. You get a few beers, a couple of lady drinks, a bar-fine, and now that “cheap night out” isn’t that cheap. Tourists don’t notice much, but long-stay guys sure do.

A lot of bars blame inflation, some blame landlords, but it’s simple — if people keep paying, prices keep rising.

And they do, because there’s always a new arrival of two-week millionaires who don’t care about the cost.

The smaller, local bars try to hold prices steady, but they get squeezed too. Eventually, everyone ups their prices.

You can still find cheap places if you know where to look, but the good old cheap-as-chips nights aren’t there anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, Thailand’s still fun, but it’s not the bargain it used to be.

Bargirl romance scams

The majority of guys that go to Thailand for the nightlife know it’s a temporary thing when you get talking with a girl in a bar.

Even the girls know this, and if you stick to believing that then you should be fine. But some girls will try to make it feel like more than just work, and some guys will actually fall for it.

It catches a lot of guys. They meet a girl at a bar, she’s sweet, gives a lot of attention, feeds him all the lines, stays with him a few nights in a row, starts calling him “boyfriend.”

Now he’s fallen for everything, he thinks it’s real. Next thing you know, he’s sending her money, paying bar-fines every night so he can date her and buying her stuff.

It’s not always a scam, I guess. And if he’s falling for it, why should she stop? She’s doing her job, keeping a customer happy. He’s thinking it’s the start of something serious.

A lot of heartbreaks start that way. Guys think they’ve found something genuine, but they forget they met her in a bar. Feelings mixed with business is not a good thing.

What’s annoying about it is that for those of us who know it’s business and nothing more, the girls will still try and convince you with lies.

We like it when both sides know it’s just fun, enjoy the company, pay what they agreed, and move on. No promises, no drama. But plenty of newcomers fall hard because they want to believe it’s different this time.

Someone always learns that lesson the hard way. Although it has worked out for some people, I personally don’t think the bar is the place to find true love, no matter how good it feels in the moment.

Rules changing overnight

The thing about Thailand that many guys who live here will tell you is that they are forever changing the rules. They have changed things around that much, people don’t know what’s true and what’s not.

There is always something on the news every other week about a new law to do with the nightlife here. Just recently it’s been the closing time.

Apparently, customers can get fined now for drinking in a bar after 12, though this new rule is only for bars outside of the entertainment zone.

It really doesn’t make any sense at all, so just do a little bit of research before you come to Thailand for the first time. Chances are the rules will have changed again by the time you’re ready to board your flight.

There’s never any warning, no reason, just a new order from somewhere. Thailand runs on a mix of written rules and “this week’s rules,” and the nightlife feels it more than anything.

Bar owners hate it, tourists don’t understand what’s happening, and people are just left following what everyone else is doing.

It’s just the Thai way of doing things, and if you are planning on living there then it’s something you are going to have to get used to — quiet changes, quick enforcement, then back to normal a few weeks later.

Long-timers laugh about it because they’ve seen it a hundred times. You stop asking why they are doing this, and just ignore it until it all blows over.

Idiot foreigners

Every country and city has them — the loud, drunk foreigners who think the whole place revolves around them.

Thailand is no different. Unfortunately, you will see them around, shirt off, shouting in the street, trying to start fights with anyone who looks at them wrong. Doesn’t matter if it’s Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket — there’s always a few who give everyone else a bad name.

They’re easy to spot. They can’t handle their beer, think they are God’s gift, talk crap to other farangs, then start acting like they own the bar.

Some shout at the staff over the bill, others mouth off to the bar girls who barely said a word.

It’s not just locals who get sick of them either. Other foreigners hate being around that kind of person. Nobody wants to be sitting next to some drunk guy trying to prove how tough he is.

A lot of these guys bring their problems from home. They come here angry, bitter or looking for attention, and the crazy nightlife makes it worse. Nobody’s impressed by them — it just makes them look pathetic.

You’ll see some of them trying to play hero too, stepping into other people’s business, acting like they’re saving the day. They don’t realise they’re the problem.

The funny part is, most of these guys wouldn’t act like that back home. But Thailand gives them a bit of false courage, and they lose their minds. They forget they’re guests in someone else’s country.

Every expat or long-timer learns to spot trouble before it starts. If a farang’s too loud, too drunk or too touchy with staff, you just move to another bar. You don’t want to get caught up in whatever comes next. When locals lose it, it never ends well for the foreigner.

Thai people stick together, even if that means outnumbering the farang, and it always ends badly for the farang when that happens.

It can be one of the worst parts of the nightlife — watching a few idiots ruin the reputation of everyone else.

Most people are there to relax, have a laugh and go home in one piece. But it only takes one clown swinging punches in the street to ruin the whole thing.

Bill padding

Although this doesn’t happen as much nowadays as people are aware of it, it still happens now and again and it frustrates the hell out of me, especially when it happens in a bar you like.

How it normally works is that if you are looking a bit worse for wear and you’ve bought a few drinks in there, they may slip in a bill or two for drinks you never had.

That’s bill padding — small scams that rely on drunk customers not paying attention.

It’s usually just a few hundred baht, never big enough to start drama over. That’s how they get away with it. Most tourists don’t want the problems, so they just pay and leave.

If you question it, sometimes they’ll smile and say they made a mistake, but sometimes they can get defensive and demand you pay. Funny how the mistake’s always in their favour.

It’s not every bar, but enough do it that you start double-checking every time.

Most of the staff and girls in the bar are good people, but there’s always someone trying to skim a little off the top.

Always keep checking your bill. Better yet, just pay as you go every time you get a new drink. That way you’ll never be the guy complaining outside the bar about being ripped off.

Bar girl jealousy

People don’t actually realise this until they experience it. If there’s one thing that catches guys off guard in Thailand, it’s how jealous bar girls can get.

You think it’s all fun and games and that she’s just doing her job. Then you walk into the same bar the next night and start talking to a different girl — and suddenly the first one’s staring at you like you should belong to her.

They don’t hide it either. If they like you, they make it obvious, and if you switch to another girl, they make that obvious too.

The way she sees it, you were buying her drinks last night, you bar-fined her. To her, you’re her ATM and nobody else’s.

The funny thing is, you didn’t even promise her anything. You bought a drink, had a laugh, maybe took her out once, and now she’s acting like you broke some unspoken rule. That’s how it works in the bar girl world. Once a girl decides you’re “hers,” even temporarily, the whole bar knows.

If you try to move on to one of her friends, you’ll feel the tension before you even sit down.

Some girls don’t say anything — they just give you the slow head shake and that fake smile that means “yeah, alright, do whatever you want.”

Other girls go loud and make it known.

And don’t think the friends will back you up. If one girl has already claimed you, the others don’t want the drama. They’ll walk away, tell you “maybe next time.” That bar is basically closed to you unless you pick the same girl again — or wait until she has the night off.

The best move is simple: pick the girl you actually want from the start. Don’t bounce between three or four trying to test the waters. These girls work together, live together and gossip like girls do.

It’s good to get attention, but the reason I put it in things you will hate is because 99% of us don’t want our holiday spent with the same girl, and if you like that bar and want to go often then you’re out of luck a bit.

Buy one girl a drink, and her friend suddenly won’t even look at you. Smile at her friend the next night, and now you’ve got two problems instead of one.

It’s not the end of the world, but it can make the night awkward.

There is no shortage of bars, so if you want variety, change bars — not girls in the same bar.

Don’t take it as the girl likes you either. Half the time they’re not jealous over you. They’re jealous over the money.

So that’s it for now. There are plenty of reasons why people love and hate the nightlife in this beautiful country, but to anyone on the fence, you really have to go and experience it for yourself.

No guides or stories quite compare to seeing for yourself just how crazy a night out can be there.