Skip to content

Near RCA

Rama 9พระราม 9

Rama 9 is the business and hotel district immediately south-west of RCA, and it is where most visitors to the strip actually sleep. RCA sits off Rama IX Road itself, so the two are minutes apart by car — close enough to walk back from in good weather, far enough that the clubs are not audible from your room.

Rama 9, Bangkok, at night — illustrative artwork, not a photograph of the area
Illustrative image — not a photograph of Rama 9.

Getting to RCA from Rama 9

A short taxi or motorbike ride, generally under ten minutes outside peak traffic, and a walkable distance if you do not mind twenty minutes on foot. This proximity is the whole reason the area matters to anyone planning an RCA night: it is the nearest concentration of hotels that are not on the strip.

What it's like after dark

Modern, vertical and commercial rather than atmospheric — office towers, malls and newer hotels rather than street-level nightlife. The area runs on a weekday business rhythm, so evenings are quieter than Sukhumvit and considerably quieter than RCA. That is usually the point: people stay here to sleep well and go out elsewhere.

Trains and roads

MRT Phra Ram 9 and MRT Phetchaburi both serve the area, and Phetchaburi is the usual interchange for the Airport Rail Link. The thing people get wrong is assuming a train gets them to RCA — it does not. RCA is not on any rail line, so the last leg is always a taxi, a motorbike or a walk regardless of how you arrive.

Staying in Rama 9

This is the closest cluster of design-led and business hotels to the strip, including the rooftop-pool places on the RCA hotel list. If you want a decent room within a few minutes of the clubs without staying on top of them, this is the area to book.

Hotels near RCA, closest first

Questions

How far is Rama 9 from RCA?

A few minutes by car — generally under ten outside peak traffic — and roughly twenty minutes on foot. RCA runs off Rama IX Road, so the two are neighbours rather than separate parts of the city.

Is Rama 9 a good area to stay in for RCA nightlife?

It is the usual choice. It has the nearest concentration of hotels to the strip, it is quiet enough to sleep in, and the ride back after closing is short and cheap. Staying on RCA itself is cheaper and louder; staying in Sukhumvit is better connected but further away.

Can I get from Rama 9 to RCA by MRT?

No. RCA is not on a rail line. MRT Phra Ram 9 and MRT Phetchaburi both serve the Rama 9 area, but the final leg to the strip is always by road.

What this page does not cover

This is an orientation page about the area. We list individual venues for the RCA strip and not for Rama 9, so nothing here names a bar or restaurant we cannot yet stand behind.

Other Bangkok nightlife areas

  • RCA (Royal City Avenue)

    A purpose-built nightlife strip of large clubs on one road in Huai Khwang.

  • Thonglor

    Upmarket bars, rooftops and speakeasies along Sukhumvit Soi 55.

  • Sukhumvit

    The long spine of Bangkok nightlife, from Nana to Ekkamai.

  • Khao San Road

    Backpacker nightlife, street bars and the cheapest drinks in the city.

  • Silom

    Bangkok's LGBTQ+ nightlife centre, around Soi 2 and Soi 4.

  • Ekkamai

    Design-led bars, rooftops and one serious club, on Sukhumvit Soi 63.

  • Yaowarat (Chinatown)

    Street food until very late, and speakeasies behind shophouse doors.

By the RoyalCityAvenue.com editorial team. Last updated . Venue details change often — how we verify.