Bangkok’s reputation for rowdy nightlife tends to precede it; however, it’s not all raunchy sex shows and public debauchery. There are plenty of nighttime cultural events, such as music, theater, puppetry performances, and orchestral maneuvers. For the hippest nightlife updates, check out BK Magazine (free and available at bookstores and restaurants). Featuring weekly listings of events as well as up-to-date info about the club scene, it is the best entertainment source in Bangkok. Both the Bangkok Post and The Nation also offer daily listings of cultural events and performance schedules.

Most travelers experience the Thai performing arts at a commercially staged dance show in a hotel, sometimes accompanied by a Thai banquet. Bangkok, however, does provide much more appetizing slices of theater, whether it is the avant-garde choreography seen at the Patravadi Theater, traditional puppet shows by Joe Louis, or international music recitals as part of annual festivals. The National Theater, presents demonstrations of Thai classical dancing and music, by performers from the School of Music and Dance in Bangkok, which are generally superior to those at the tourist restaurants and hotels. There are also performances by visiting ballet and theatrical companies. Call the TAT or check with your hotel for the current schedule. The Thailand Cultural Center, is the largest performance center in town, offering a wide variety of programs. The Bangkok Symphony performs here during its short summer season.

Bangkok cinemas are almost always located in malls and show a small selection of Hollywood films—with most leaning toward action films, though occasionally you may catch an art-house movie.

From cool jazz lounges in top-end hotels to streetside dives in the backpacker district, Bangkok’s got somewhere for everyone to feel good after dark. Many bars feature live music, and decor ranges from Wild West Saloon to English pub to futuristic dance club. The city is famed for its go-go bars, which are clustered in Patpong, Nana Plaza, and Soi Cowboy, so this aspect of the city is easy to avoid if it offends you. Taking an ear-popping elevator ride to a rooftop bar is an iconic Bangkok experience, and visitors will have their choice of locations across town. Many bars have strict dress codes that forbid flip-flops, shorts, tank tops (for men and women), or athletic clothing.

Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree is one of the top picks for libation seekers with views of Lumpini Park, Sathorn Road, and across town to the river. Sky Bar atop the gilded lebua at State Tower was famously depicted in the Hangover: Part II and is jam-packed with humanity nightly. The drink prices match the sky-high views, but it has great views of the snaking Chao Phraya River. CentralWorld shopping mall has two sky-high bars: CRU Champagne Bar sells creative bubbly-based cocktails while Red Sky has martinis, beers, and well-mixed drinks.

Since the 1960s — and particularly since the Vietnam War — Bangkok has had a reputation as the sin capital of Asia. Its hundreds of saunas, sex clubs, bars, and massage parlors act as fronts for organized prostitution, drug peddling, child-trafficking rackets, pedophile rings, and people smugglers. First-time tourists are sometimes staggered by the numbers of septuagenarian gentlemen trawling these areas looking for teenage Thais of either sex. Of course, the clientele is not just foreign; Thai men frequently engage the services of hookers.

While prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, this law is rarely enforced, making foreigners feel it is therefore “safe” to pay for sex in Thailand. It is not. Too often, the people working this industry are doing this because they have no choice; and some are underage, though they may purport to be older than they are. The worst areas are concentrated around Patpong (off Silom Rd.), Nana Plaza (Sukhumvit Soi 4), and Soi Cowboy (btw. Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23) districts.

Note that the city’s smarter hotels will all stop you if you bring a hooker into the lobby. Other hotels require guests to register night visitors, and the client will have to pay the hotel for this privilege. Also know that, every year in Bangkok, hundreds of cases are reported of prostitutes drugging their customers and robbing them in their hotel rooms. If you believe this cannot happen to you, think again.