RCA, Bangkok

RCA is Royal City Avenue, a strip of clubs off Rama 9 Road in the north-east of Bangkok, close to the Ratchada area. It is a dedicated club zone, reached by taxi or Grab rather than a train station at the door. It sits well away from Sukhumvit and has a different crowd from the red-light areas.

Young, loud and mostly Thai. Big clubs sit side by side along one street, each with its own music and queue, and the crowd is students and office workers dressed up for a night. It gets going late and runs hard. It is not a red-light area, so it is a place for dancing rather than punting.

No. RCA has no red-light hub and no gogo bars or beer bars in the listings. It is a club strip with 15 nightclubs, 4 bars, 1 rooftop and a single massage shop. Single men looking for bar-girl venues should go to Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit, or the soapy strip on Ratchada.

Almost all clubs. Of 21 places, 15 are nightclubs, 4 are bars, 1 is a rooftop and 1 is a massage shop. Names include Amnesia, Castro, Flix, Hobb, Led, Onyx, Route 66 and Zeta. It is the most club-heavy district on our Bangkok list, which makes it a one-purpose destination.

Both are Thai club districts, but RCA is a single strip of big clubs with a young, student-leaning crowd, while Thonglor and Ekkamai spread out across cocktail bars, restaurants and clubs with a smarter, better-dressed crowd. Neither has a gogo scene. RCA is louder and cheaper in feel, and Thonglor is the more polished option.

Most visitors stay on Sukhumvit and take a taxi here, because few hotels are within walking distance. Start with dinner and a drink on Sukhumvit, then go later, since the clubs fill late. If you do want to be close, look near Rama 9 or Ratchada, and check the hotel's guest policy first.

By taxi or Grab from Sukhumvit, which takes a while in evening traffic, or by MRT to Phra Ram 9 or Phetchaburi and a short ride after that. The trains stop around midnight, which is before the clubs get busy, so plan a ride home. Check in the app that the fare is fixed before you start.

Door policies and ID. Clubs may ask for ID and some pick their crowd at the door, so dress neatly and carry your passport copy or license. Mind your drink, expect to be charged for table service and agree what a bottle includes. Late-night taxis are scarce when the strip empties, so book yours.