This is exactly the reason I was there, for only 1 night. Naturally, I tried to find out if there was any nightlife.
The city gets very quiet in the evening and you'll barely hear any noise apart from dogs barking and motorbikes. Even finding street food after 10PM can be challenging.
Some areas are more busy though, with restaurants, bars, live music and even nightclubs.
Below are my top recommendations for drinking and partying in Nong Khai:
Where to Stay in Nong Khai Near the Nightlife?
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For party purposes, I recommend you to stay in Soi Nitapat even though it is not exactly by the Mekong River. My hotel offered great value for money (13$ per night for a double room with AC) and it was just 5 meters from the bars. You can check it out on Agoda: Nong Khai City Hotel. A slightly more expensive option in the same street is the White Inn (18$ per night). The recently-opened Maceo is even better but it costs up to 80$ per night.
If you want to stay by the Mekong river, the Mut Mee Garden Guest House has excellent ratings and it costs only 11$ per night.
The city gets very quiet in the evening and you'll barely hear any noise apart from dogs barking and motorbikes. Even finding street food after 10PM can be challenging.
Some areas are more busy though, with restaurants, bars, live music and even nightclubs.
Where to Stay in Nong Khai Near the Nightlife?
If you want to stay by the Mekong river, the Mut Mee Garden Guest House has excellent ratings and it costs only 11$ per night.
Nong Khai Nightlife Areas:
Along The Mekong River
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There is a nice promenade along the Mekong River called Rim Kong Alley. It is approximately 3 kilometers long from the temple Wat Hai Sok up to the Phra That Lanong (a replica temple).
Along the way, you have at least 100 restaurants, among which more than 50% specialize in hotpot/BBQ (don't ask me why). At some point, you will see local pubs and karaokes, sometimes with live music.
In particular, young people will hang out in a few cafés located at the intersection of Soi Yot Kaeo 3 and Rim Kong Alley. The venues there are modern and really packed until 1AM. You can eat, drink, watch sports and enjoy some Thai live music.
Along the way, you have at least 100 restaurants, among which more than 50% specialize in hotpot/BBQ (don't ask me why). At some point, you will see local pubs and karaokes, sometimes with live music.
In particular, young people will hang out in a few cafés located at the intersection of Soi Yot Kaeo 3 and Rim Kong Alley. The venues there are modern and really packed until 1AM. You can eat, drink, watch sports and enjoy some Thai live music.
One of the best venues there is King Kong. You should also check River Chill but it is a bit further away.
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| River Chill in Nong Khai |
If you are into craft beer, do not miss Likhit. I recommend going at sunset time.
Soi Nitapat: Main bar area of Nong Khai for foreigners
My hotel was on this street which is about 300 meters from the Mekong river. It has a mix of affordable restaurants, guest houses, cannabis shops, as well as some girlie bars.
It seems that every bar is owned by a retired foreigner who married a Thai woman. Each one proudly displays his nationality outside the bar. You have an Italian (Oasi), a Swiss (Muscha & Lee), an American (DJ's Bar), an English (Candy Bar), an Australian, a Kiwi, etc.
From what I understood, new places open and close quite often since most customers in Nong Khai are only interested in getting the cheapest beer they can. Many of those businesses never manage to make a profit so their lifespan is only a few years.
For this reason, I think it's best if you go to the street directly and check for yourself which bar is more busy than the others. Go to the White Inn and walk around from there.
Prices in those bars are about 70 THB for a beer and 120 THB for a Thai dish. The closing hours are flexible and change every night depending on the customers. In general, only a few places will be open after 1AM.
Near Wat Hai Sok: Some foreign-owned cafés and restaurant
If you go near the temple Wat Hai Sok, you will find a few bars and restaurants owned by foreigners (usually married with Thai girls).
As there are many guest houses around, they get reasonably crowded at night with a mix of long-term residents and tourists.
It is very basic but friendly. The popular venues are not too far from each other. Check the Irish Bar or Anchor Bar.
Nightclubs in Nong Khai
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You can find modern nightclubs in the city that will stay open until 3AM. They are typical of those you may have already visited in Thailand: A beer pub with a live band singing in Thai. Between breaks, he is replaced by a DJ who mixes loud EDM/Top 40 remixes.
They are normally free to enter, and then inside it will cost you around 70 THB for a beer and 600-800 THB for a whisky bottle.
The best ones are probably Runway and Flow. Both are located near inside Chic Chic, a busy shopping and food center that attracts a crowd of young Thai people.
If you go near the temple Wat Hai Sok, you will find a few bars and restaurants owned by foreigners (usually married with Thai girls).
As there are many guest houses around, they get reasonably crowded at night with a mix of long-term residents and tourists.
It is very basic but friendly. The popular venues are not too far from each other. Check the Irish Bar or Anchor Bar.
Nightclubs in Nong Khai
They are normally free to enter, and then inside it will cost you around 70 THB for a beer and 600-800 THB for a whisky bottle.
The best ones are probably Runway and Flow. Both are located near inside Chic Chic, a busy shopping and food center that attracts a crowd of young Thai people.