RCA: A Walk On The Mild Side
Bangkok is a city offering more varities of nightlife than perhaps any other city on earth. Some on offer are more attractive to locals, some more so to foreigners, and some to both. As farangs, we have a tendency to stick to our ‘local' hangouts on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (the Nana Ghetto), Soi 33 and Patpong to name a select few. However, these places may start to get a little stale after a while. A popular street with a myriad of nightlife known as RCA, or Royal City Avenue , may just be the cure for the “same-old” blues that afflict many expatriates and longer-term visitors to the City Of Angels .
Royal City Avenue , located near Petchburi Road , is a strip of nightclubs patronized predominantly by young Thais. However, the odd farang can be spotted down here every now and then and most bars close at 2:00 am as opposed to 1:00 am as is the case with many of Bangkok 's other bars. The street has a number of venues, large and small, most of which have been recently renovated to look modern and trendy (with spaceship-like white interiors) and the more popular ones are Slim and Route 66. Although similar, what separates the clubs is the type of music they play. For example, Slim plays techno and Route 66 plays hip-hop. Both clubs contain both outdoor and indoor seating, and the claustrophobic will want to stay outdoors as inside it is so crowded that getting a phobia-alleviating drink may prove a challenge too far. One good thing about these clubs as well others on this strip, is that unlike other upmarket places such as Q-Bar, Bed Supperclub and the like, there are no cover charges at any of the clubs on RCA. (One exception is The Forte which we will get to later.) Beers are 120 baht, and this is almost a universal standard for RCA. However, very few people drink beer, as most can be seen sucking down very weak scotch and soda.
This walking street is very much a parade with the hordes happily hopping from club to club. The women, who tend to be for the most part Thai-Chinese, are extremely attractive. However, unlike our regular ex-pat friendly downtown dives, there is a surprising lack of smiles in this part of town due to an understandable xenophobia. The remedy? Be with friends, preferably Thais. This will definitely heighten your chances with the opposite sex, if there is much of one to begin with. Not meaning to sound negative, but we all know for the most part why Thai women seemingly like us as foreigners. The ATM syndrome! Well, most of the Thais at RCA are pretty well-heeled, and therefore, since that paricular incentive is gone, they will inevitably have a tendency to gravitate toward their own kind. Thus, RCA is for the most part a place to come with friends, and not really a pick-up spot, unless of course you are Thai.
But if you must seek female companionship in this neck of the woods, head on down toward the end of the street to a place once located on Sukhumvit 24 called The Forte. Reminiscent of the movie “Coyote Ugly,” the Forte is an anomaly and unlike any other “girlie” joint in Bangkok . Once again featuring predominantly upscale Thai clientele, the Forte is not cheap and has a lavish interior. The cover charge on the weekends is 500 baht, and on weekdays 300 baht. The 500 baht cover gets you two drinks, the weekday cover affords you one. Unfortunately, the only beer available is Heineken at a cost of 240 baht. The menu includes a diverse selection of cognacs and scotches from the cheapest to the most expensive. It is worth bearing in mind that if a girl asks you to buy her a drink, it will cost you a whopping 360 baht for a two-sip martini.
When you enter, the mamasan may ask you if you would like a lady. Well, do as you please. However, keep in mind that the dancers on the bar are not available for the taking. The only available girls are the sideliners, which is unfortunate because the dancers tend to be far prettier. Of course dancers, when not gyrating, will take a drink or several off you at the said rate, but as far as I can see they are not up for horizontal folk dancing. An interesting point is that since this club is directed at Thais, the girls have much lighter skin, and most look very different from what we are generally used to in places such as Nana Plaza .
One of the eccentricities of Forte is that the bar is lit on fire continuously throughout the night. This is done by gutters around the bar full of lighter fuel, or meths. There is also live music at various times. As far as food goes though, the selection is pretty bleak, for the most part just Thai snack food. However, there is also an adjoining restaurant which sells various Cuban cigars. It is easy to say that this place pretty much has it all, as long as you are willing to pay the price.
So, if you plan on deviating from the ‘normal' Bangkok night and want to try something different, then RCA may definitely be worth a visit.
A note: make sure you have enough money in your pocket for the night because there are a surprising lack of ATM's present in this area.
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