Sukhumvit Soi 22 bars

They are in the streets off Sukhumvit Soi 22, in the Sukhumvit district, a long soi near BTS Phrom Phong and Queen Sirikit Park. It is a small cluster of beer bars with massage shops and hotels around it. Nearby places include MIMI Massage, Hana Massage, Bangkok Passion Massage and Kiss Bangkok Massage.

They are beer bars with a local feel in the streets off Soi 22, quieter and older-skewing than Nana or Soi Cowboy. Massage shops and hotels sit alongside them. It is a relaxed way to spend an evening without the crowds of the bigger strips, and a good fit if you are staying near Phrom Phong.

Yes. Soi 22 is one of the calmer areas of lower Sukhumvit, with small bars, massage shops and hotels rather than big gogo complexes. If you want to sit with a beer, chat and watch the soi, it suits you. If you want a stage show and a big crowd, go to Nana Plaza.

MIMI Massage, Hana Massage, Bangkok Passion Massage, Kiss Bangkok Massage, Honey Bee Massage and Chaowang Health Massage are all close. Standards and services vary from shop to shop, so look at the entrance and the price board, and never ask for extras at a traditional shop. Opening hours are shown to VIP members.

Soi 22 is quieter and more local-feeling, with beer bars rather than gogo stages. Soi Cowboy is a neon gogo lane, and Nana Plaza is the biggest complex in the city. If you want a relaxed beer and a chat, Soi 22 works well, but for choice and spectacle the bigger strips win.

Beer bars usually do: if a woman leaves with you, you pay the bar a fine, and her own fee is agreed with her before you go. Rules and amounts vary from bar to bar, so ask the staff before you sit. If you only want a drink, nobody will push you into anything.

Keep an eye on the chits and the bill, ask about prices before you order and settle each round as you go. Because the soi is quiet, a bar that looks empty can still run a padded tab. Keep your phone in a front pocket and take a Grab or metered taxi home late at night.

Walk the soi first, pick a bar where staff chat without pressure and make it your base for the evening. Try a game of pool, tip small change on the tray and have a look at the massage shops before you leave. It makes a good complement to a night around Phrom Phong.