Bar entertainment in Bangkok
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A
Tuba
Part storage room for over-the-top vintage furniture, part friendly local boozer, this bizarre bar certainly doesn't lack in character. Indulge in a whole bottle for once and don't miss the delicious chicken wings.
reviewed
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B
Ship Inn
Only steps away from Soi Cowboy but a world away in ambience, Ship Inn provides a mature embrace for a quiet drinking crowd. The mock-Tudor bar is as well stocked as a ship captain’s quarters, and the music is gracefully at conversational volume.
reviewed
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C
Koi
The bar of this trendy sushi restaurant is packed with models posing as if real life were a photo shoot. The convergence of so much eye candy is no accident, Koi lures in card-carrying models with freebies, creating a spectacle in its own right.
reviewed
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D
Water Bar
Every new arrival should learn the whisky-set routine, a drinking tradition more at home at Thai family gatherings than in flash hotels. At this misnomered bar, a short walk from Victory Monument, the Sang Som set still reigns as the tipple of choice. The attentive waiters will keep your glass filled to the right proportions (three fingers whisky, a splash of Coke, the rest soda), after which you should offer up a toast and drain the night away.
reviewed
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E
Wong’s Place
An odd choice for an institution if there ever was one, this dusty den is a time warp into the backpacker world of the early 1980s. The namesake owner died several years ago, but a relative removed the padlock and picked up where Wong left off. Wong’s works equally well as a destination or a last resort, but don’t bother knocking until midnight, keeping in mind that it stays open until the last person crawls out.
reviewed
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F
Coyote on Convent
Forget the overpriced Tex-Mex cuisine; the real reason to visit Coyote is for its 75-plus varieties of margaritas. On Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm and Saturdays from 10pm to midnight, the icy drinks are distributed free to all women who pass through the door.
reviewed
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G
Barbican Bar
Surrounded by massage parlours with teenage prom queens cat-calling at Japanese businessmen, this is a straight-laced yuppie bar where office crews come for some happy-hour drinks and stay until closing time.
reviewed
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H
Amorosa
It may be the only bar in the area, but that doesn't mean it's any sort of compromise; Amorosa's rooftop location packs killer views of Wat Arun, making it one of the best spots in Bangkok for a riverside sundowner.
reviewed
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I
Shades of Retro
As the name suggests, this eclectic place takes the vintage fad to the max. You’ll have to climb around Vespas and Gnawgahyde sofas to reach your seat, but will be rewarded with friendly service, an eclectic domestic soundtrack (the people behind Shades also run the domestic indie label Small Room) and a drink menu that includes the elusive Beerlao Dark.
reviewed
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J
Sky Train Jazz Club
A visit to this comically misnamed bar is more like chilling on the rooftop of a stoner guy’s apartment than any jazz club we’ve ever been to. But there are indeed views of the Skytrain, jazz on occasion and a likeable speakeasy atmosphere. To find it, look for the sign and proceed up the scary graffiti-strewn stairway until you reach the roof.
reviewed
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K
Overtone Music Cave
One of Bangkok’s premier rock venues, this place has hosted the likes of Jimmy Page and the occasional international touring act. Overtone is decorated with Thai and international rock paraphernalia, boasts a great sound system, and on Wednesday and Thursday nights hosts a high-quality open-mic session, and on Sundays, a blues jam.
reviewed
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L
Sripoom Espresso Bar
During the day this industrial-themed hole in the wall serves a variety of coffee drinks and homemade baked goods. At night the lights dim and espresso morphs into some of the best mixed drinks in the area. There’s a diverse soundtrack, and the room upstairs allows you to challenge your drinking mates to a game of Nintendo Wii.
reviewed
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M
Taksura
There are no signs to lead you to this seemingly abandoned century-old mansion in the heart of old Bangkok, which is all the better, according to the cool uni-artsy crowd who frequent the place.
reviewed
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N
Bangkok Bar
Bounce with Thai indie kids at this fun, but astonishingly uncreatively named bar. There's live music, and the eats are strong enough to make Bangkok Bar a dinner destination in itself. And we double-dog dare you to walk a straight line after two Mad Dogs, the infamous house drink.
reviewed
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O
Café Trio
This jazz bar 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.
reviewed
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P
Moon Bar
The Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar kick-started the rooftop trend and as Bangkok continues to grow at a mad pace, the view from 61 floors up only gets better. Arrive well before sunset and grab a coveted seat to the right of the bar for the most impressive views.
reviewed
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Q
Phranakorn Bar
It must have taken a true visionary to transform this characterless multilevel building into a warm, fun destination for a night out. Students and arty types make Phranakorn Bar a home away from hovel with eclectic decor and changing gallery exhibits.
Bars tend to segregate into foreigner and Thai factions, but you can always reverse that trend. Here are a few popular options:
reviewed
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R
Old Phra Arthit Pier
Start your crawl with dinner and/or sunset drinks along Th Phra Athit. For Chao Phraya views try Old Phra Arthit Pier, an attractive wooden lounge-like bar and an open-air deck with intermittent views of the river.
reviewed
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S
Farose II
If you want to mingle with a really Thai crowd, trek out to Ramkhamhaeng. At this gritty, labyrinthine villa, you can get drunk on cheap Sang Som in the basement, wet in the large pool or propositioned in the dark upper floors.
reviewed
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T
Wine Pub
If the upmarket but chilled setting and spinning DJ aren’t compelling enough reasons to emerge from your Th Sukhumvit comfort zone, consider that this is probably the least expensive place in town to drink wine.
reviewed
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U
Baghdad Café
Roughly the size of a large closet and decorated with a mishmash of vaguely Middle East–related photos and paraphernalia, this is the place to simultaneously suck down a Singha and a sheesha.
reviewed
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DJ Station
DJ Station is where everyone from freelancing money boys to Australian flight attendants, Singaporean weekenders and expats with rice fever all dance and drink to your typical gay-club house music.
reviewed
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Sky Bar
Allegedly one of the highest alfresco bars in the world, Sky Bar, located on the 63rd floor of this upmarket restaurant compound, provides heart-stopping views over Chao Phraya River.
reviewed
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X
Redsky
Perched on the 55th floor of a striking new skyscraper, Bangkok’s most recent rooftop dining venture is probably the most formal of the lot and boasts an extensive martini menu.
reviewed
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Y
Rain Dogs
If you can manage to find it, the ‘unique’ location under a tollway also seems to protect Rain Dogs from late-night scrutiny by the Men in Brown.
reviewed
