Off Chaweng Beach Road, in the middle of Chaweng on the east coast. It is one lane packed with beer bars and clubs, named after The Green Mango Club at its heart, and it stays busy until around 3am. Reggae Pub, an old-school club by the lake, is a short walk inland. Ark Bar's beach parties, the Chaweng Beach Road massage shops and the Chaweng night market are all within walking distance too.

A short drive south, but too far to walk at night. Lamai's bar plaza sits behind its beach road and is smaller, cheaper and more relaxed than Soi Green Mango, with a beer bar crowd that skews towards older expats. Island taxis are expensive, so if you want both scenes, base yourself in one and budget for a ride to the other, or book Grab or Bolt and agree the fare before any local taxi.

Around the coast, not in one place. Ark Bar is on Chaweng beach, with DJs and fire shows, and Coco Tam's puts beanbags on the sand in Fisherman's Village, Bophut. The west coast is quieter and further away: Nikki Beach is at Lipa Noi, and Air Bar at the InterContinental in Taling Ngam is a clifftop sunset spot. Budget for a taxi to the west coast and back if you are staying in Chaweng.

On Friday evenings, from about 5pm to 11pm, in Bophut on the north coast. The old fishing village's main street fills with food, crafts and street stalls, and the waterfront bars and Coco Tam's make it an easy night out without the Chaweng crowds. On other nights, Chaweng's street-food market on Chaweng Beach Road and the Lamai Sunday Night Market are the alternatives.

About four and a half kilometers in a straight line, north-west along the coast to Bophut, so it's a short ride rather than a walk. It is the easy swap when you want a quieter night: the Friday walking street, the waterfront restaurants and Coco Tam's beach bar, which opens from 1pm and runs to about 1am. Island taxis rarely use meters, so agree the fare both ways, or book Grab or Bolt.

Far enough to plan around. On the map, Nikki Beach at Lipa Noi is about 15 kilometers from Soi Green Mango as the crow flies, and Air Bar at Taling Ngam is nearer 19, with the road longer than either figure. That is a long taxi each way, so make it a sunset trip: Air Bar opens around 5pm. Beach clubs keep seasonal hours, so check they're open before you book the car.

The Chaweng clubs. Soi Green Mango and The Green Mango Club run to about 3am, as does Reggae Pub by the lake, though check it is open before you head over. Lamai's bar plaza and Ark Bar on Chaweng beach wind down around 2am, Coco Tam's in Bophut around 1am, and the night markets close by 11pm or midnight. If you want a late finish, base yourself in Chaweng so you can walk home.

The beach clubs and massage shops. Ark Bar on Chaweng beach opens from breakfast time, Nikki Beach at Lipa Noi from late morning and Coco Tam's in Bophut from early afternoon, while the Chaweng Beach Road massage shops open around 10am. Soi Green Mango doesn't wake up until about 7pm, and its club later still, so spend the day at a beach club and the night in Chaweng.