Venue complex

EmSphere and UOB Live

EmSphere is the newest of the EM District malls, between Sukhumvit Soi 22 and 24 and connected to BTS Phrom Phong by skywalk — and unusually for a mall, its upper floors are the point. UOB Live on the sixth is a purpose-built arena seating around six thousand. The fifth holds the EM Wonder Zone, a floor of bars and clubs, and TRIBE Sky Beach Club, which is a rooftop pool club rather than a bar with a view.

The short version

—Between Sukhumvit Soi 22 and 24, skywalk from BTS Phrom Phong
—UOB Live — an arena of roughly 6,000 capacity, 6th floor
—EM Wonder Zone — a floor of bars and clubs, 5th
—TRIBE Sky Beach Club — pool and day beds rather than a standing rooftop
—It is a building, not a district — one lift replaces a taxi

EmSphere and UOB Live — illustrative artwork, not a photograph of any venue — Illustrative image — not a photograph of any venue.

Why a mall matters for nightlife

Bangkok nightlife is normally a question of which area you commit to, because the districts are far apart in traffic. EmSphere sidesteps that by stacking the formats vertically: a concert, a rooftop and a club floor are a lift apart rather than a taxi apart.

That is genuinely useful for a group that cannot agree, and for an evening that starts with a show. It is also a very different experience from a street — this is an indoor, managed, air-conditioned version of a night out.

What is in it

Three things account for most of the reason to go.

—UOB Live — a purpose-built arena on the sixth floor, around 6,000 capacity, hosting international touring acts
—EM Wonder Zone — a fifth-floor cluster of bars and clubs rather than a single venue
—TRIBE Sky Beach Club — a rooftop pool club with day beds, which works as a daytime venue as well as an evening one

How it compares to RCA

RCA is a street of large, independent clubs where you pay at each door and walk between them. EmSphere is one operator's building with a curated set of venues in it, on a train line, indoors.

For a club night with range, RCA is still the stronger answer and the cheaper one. EmSphere is the better answer when the night is built around a show, when the weather is against you, or when the group wants everything within one building.

Getting there, and the area around it

BTS Phrom Phong connects by skywalk, which makes it one of the easiest nightlife destinations in the city to reach and to leave — until the trains stop, after which it is a road journey like everywhere else.

The surrounding Phrom Phong area is more bars, wine and rooftops than clubs, so an evening here tends to stay in the building rather than spill into the streets the way RCA does.

Arena shows and rooftop tables both sell ahead rather than at the door. Worth checking what is on for your dates before building an evening around it.

Bangkok shows and night experiences

Goes to GetYourGuide. We are not the operator and we do not set the price. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — how we make money.

Questions

What is there to do at EmSphere at night?

UOB Live is a roughly 6,000-capacity arena on the sixth floor, the fifth holds the EM Wonder Zone cluster of bars and clubs, and TRIBE Sky Beach Club is a rooftop pool club. The upper floors are the reason to go rather than the shopping.

How do I get to EmSphere?

It sits between Sukhumvit Soi 22 and 24 and connects to BTS Phrom Phong by skywalk, which makes it one of the easiest nightlife destinations in Bangkok to reach — until the trains stop.

Is EmSphere better than RCA for a night out?

They are different formats. RCA is a street of large independent clubs, cheaper and with more range. EmSphere is one building with a curated set of venues on a train line, which wins when the night is built around a show or the group wants everything under one roof.