Ratchada & Rama 9, Bangkok

Ratchada and Rama 9 is the north-east side of central Bangkok, along Ratchadaphisek Road and out towards Rama 9 Road, with the MRT running underneath. Huai Khwang, Fortune Town and Central Rama 9 are in the same stretch. It is a separate nightlife zone from Sukhumvit, reached by metro or taxi rather than on foot.

Thai in character and mostly local. The big soapy parlors sit behind glass and neon on Ratchadaphisek Road, with Thai nightclubs and karaoke rooms close by and street food and night markets keeping the pavements busy until late. It feels more like a suburban entertainment strip than a tourist area, so expect little English.

One hub: the Ratchadaphisek soapy strip, where Bangkok's large soapy massage parlors cluster along the road. It is a massage strip rather than a gogo street, with big complexes instead of small bars. Venues listed beside it include Hollywood, Baku, Zaleng and the Utopia complex, so the strip's page is the place to start.

Of 22 places, 8 are massage shops, 7 are nightclubs, 2 are bars, 2 are markets and 2 are malls, plus the soapy strip itself. The markets are Jodd Fairs and the Train Night Market Ratchada, and the malls are Fortune Town and Central Rama 9. There are no gogo bars here.

Ratchada is built around the big soapy parlors, where you choose your masseuse in a room and book a private session, while Sukhumvit is built around gogo bars, beer bars and street freelancers. Ratchada has more Thai customers and fewer foreigners. Sukhumvit has far greater choice, but the parlors are a specialty you will not find in the same form there.

Most visitors stay on Sukhumvit and travel here for an evening, since the area has few hotels aimed at nightlife visitors. If you want to be close, pick a hotel near an MRT station on Ratchadaphisek Road. A good start is dinner at the Train Night Market, then the strip, so you pace the night.

Take the MRT to the Ratchadaphisek stations, such as Thailand Cultural Center or Rama 9, or a taxi or Grab car from Sukhumvit. The metro stops running around midnight, so book a ride back before you need it. Parlors here keep daytime and evening hours, so you can visit earlier than most bar areas.

Pay attention to what a parlor is selling before you commit. Ask what the session includes, check the menu and agree the arrangement before you go to the room. Taxi touts may offer to take you to a particular venue, so choose your own. Keep your wallet and phone secure in the crowds, and always use a condom.