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70's Bar
A tad too small to be a club proper, this retro-themed bar spins all the hits from the Me generation in the ultimate Me city. Like much of the strip, the clientele is mixed, but often verges on the pink side of the fence.
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808 Club
Named after the infamous beat machine, this club fills the space previously occupied by Astra and looks to follow the tradition of big-name DJs and insanely crowded events.
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About Studio/About Cafe
This Chinatown storefront will lead you by the hand into deep-end modern-art appreciation: hip-hop, abstract art and poetry readings. Watch for openings and exhibits as hours vary.
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Ad Here the 13th
Please don't blame the drummer if you're accidentally smacked by a stray drumstick; things can get a bit tight in here. Featuring a soulful house band that plays nightly, Ad Here is one of those places that somehow manages to be both raucous and intimate.
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Ad Makers
Now at new digs on Th Sathon, this live-music staple is going strong after all these years. The house band still puts out heartfelt Thai folk and other classic-rock standards, and an expanded menu means more flavour with your tunes.
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Ana's Garden
Ana's lush garden of broad-leafed palms and purring fountains attractively masks the fact that you might have turned into a lush while living in the tropics. Funky house music, an occasional breeze and a table filled with dishes to peck at will melt into a sensory tapestry.
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Babylon Bangkok
This four-storey gay sauna has been described as one of the top 10 of its kind in the world. Facilities include a bar, roof garden, gym, massage room, steam and dry saunas, and spa baths. The spacious, well-hidden complex also has accommodation.
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Bacchus Wine Bar
Wine bars are still a new and relatively uncommon concept in Bangkok. Bacchus was among the first, and still sets the aesthetic standard with exposed brick walls, floating stairs and sculpture seating. Despite the slightly upscale setting, it's a friendly enough place to down a glass or two of one of the 400 varieties of wine, or a cop nibble from the lengthy menu of tapas and appetisers.
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Balcony
Instantly recognisable by its perky T-shirt-and-shorts clad staff, Balcony is a lively bar with dancing and karaoke inside and chill-out tables on the terrace.
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Bamboo Bar
Rubber-plantation barons and colonial mansions are not exactly part of Bangkok's history but Bamboo Bar, in the historic Oriental Hotel, exudes oodles of bygone charm. Internationally recognized jazz bands hold court within a brush's stroke of the audience to set a mellow lounge mood.
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Bangkok Playhouse
Open since 1993, this modern private theatre hosts modern drama and other performing arts, as well as the occasional visual-art exhibition. Show times and prices vary; call ahead for details.
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Barbican Bar
Decked out in slate-grey and blonde wood, this upscale-ish pub is an oasis of subdued cool in a strip consisting mostly of Japanese-frequented massage parlours. Where else could you suck down a few cocktails with friends from Thailand, Singapore and Norway, and then stumble out to find a line of Thai women dressed like cheap prom dates reciting 'Hello, massage' in faulty Japanese?
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Bed Supperclub
Bed has basked in the limelight for a few years now, but has yet to lose any of its futuristic charm. Arrive at a decent hour to squeeze in dinner, or if you've only got dancing on your mind, come on Tuesday for the hugely popular hip-hop night.
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Black Swan
Liable to bring a tear to the eye of a homesick Brit, the combination of supping mates, dining families and bad décor make the Black Swan the most authentic of Bangkok's numerous English pubs. Come on Fridays when you can enjoy your draft bitter with fresh fish flown directly from Scotland.
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Boxing Stadium
The big-time muay thai fighters spar at Lumphini's coveted ring. Matches occur on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at . Tickets cost around ฿2000 for ringside seats. The stadium doesn't usually fill up until the main event around .There has been talk of the Lumphini Stadium moving to a new location on Th Nang Linji.
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Brick Bar
Resembling Liverpool's Cavern Club circa 1960, Brick Bar is an underground den that hosts a nightly revolving cast of live music for an almost exclusively Thai crowd. Come before midnight, wedge yourself into a table a few inches from the horn section, and lose it to Teddy Ska, one of the most energetic live acts in town.
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Brown Sugar
Be careful upon entering Brown Sugar lest you trip over the bass player. With Crescent City informality, Friday and Saturday nights see this perpetually packed pub's house band giving inspired performances that blend soul, jazz, rock and just about everything else.
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Bua Sa-Ad
Named after the elegant house that contains it, this streetside bar is one of the few in the area serving imported beers.
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Buddy Bar
Clean and cool colonial-themed bar for folks who find Bangkok too dirty.
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Bull's Head & Angus Steakhouse
Worn wood panelling, imported draft beer and admirable pub grub take the Bull's Head just beyond the realm of the 'theme' pub. With friendly management and staff, and more events and activities than a summer camp, this is a good place to meet people, particularly those of the British persuasion.
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Café Democ
Up-and-coming DJs present their turntable dexterity at this narrow unpretentious club in Olde Bangkok. Hip-hop, break beat, drum 'n' bass and tribal fill the night roster, but only special events actually fill the floor.
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Café Trio
This jazz bar/art gallery also offers live music on an irregular basis - it's best to check ahead. The real highlights are the laid-back local atmosphere and the proprietor, Patti, whose artwork graces the walls and whose laughter and boisterous conversation have the ability to render music redundant.
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Chalermkrung Royal Theatre
This restored Thai Deco building - also known as Sala Chaloem Krung - hosts khon performances as well as modern Thai-language drama. Here khon is a high-tech production, with a flash audio system and computer-generated laser graphics. Dress respectfully (no shorts, sleeveless tops or sandals).
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Cheap Charlie's
You'll have a mighty hard time convincing your Thai friends to go to Th Sukhumvit only to sit at an outdoor wooden shack decorated with buffalo skulls and wagon wheels. Fittingly, Charlie's draws a staunchly foreign crowd who don't mind a bit of kitsch and sweat with their Singha.
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Club Astra
Credited for diversifying teen-scream RCA, Club Astra pulls in the Thai indie crowd, backpackers and expats for international DJs sans gimmicks. If the joint isn't jumping then check out the surrounding RCA clubs blasting radio rap and commercial pop.
