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Ick Pub
Near the end of the soi, ICK is a poster-child for Ramkhamhaeng's gay student hangouts, and is full of bubble-gum pop music and late-night schedules.
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Icy
Located in the jumble of straight and gay bars near Chatuchak Weekend Market, this long-running pub is consistently loud, crowded and very local.
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Illy Café
Eclectic and funky, Illy Café is a restaurant by day and a 30-something bar at night. The vintage décor captures Banglamphu's bohemian aesthetic and egalitarian spirit.
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Jool's Bar & Restaurant
With the walls virtually covered with pictures of the bar's regulars, you'll feel like part of the crowd even if you're drinking alone. When things are buzzing, lots of Nana Plaza girly-bar vets take a breather here for a good-natured romp with beer buddies.
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Kluen Saek
One of a strip of bars along Th Sarasin that are becoming gayer by the day, Kluen Saek is barely able to contain a mixed crowd of ravers in its cool grey grip.
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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.
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Lesla
Bangkok's biggest lesbian group date is held every Saturday at Chit Chat Pub in Bangkok's northern outskirts.
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Lucifer
Meet the Miltonian side of Lucifer: a fun-loving hedonist. Nestled in the heart of Patpong, Lucifer kicks off the night with a few brave travellers who wander in off from the night market. By the crowd shifts to a younger, prettier persuasion with serious dance-floor know-how. Another wave of recruits arrives at hook-up time.
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Met Bar
Cosy and fashionable, the Met Bar started its career as a members-only club but has relaxed its policy to include everyone dressed to impress. The Friday night theme nights get the most attention, but in fickle Bangkok the Met's social standing is not guaranteed.
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Molly Malone's
The third and, we hope, final reincarnation of this Bangkok Irish staple has retained much of the faux-shamrock charm of its predecessor. Like most of its countryfolk, Molly's is equal parts game for a quiet pint alone or a rowdy night out with friends.
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Moon Bar at Vertigo
Bangkok is one the few big cities in the world where nobody seems to mind if you set up the odd restaurant or bar on the top of a skyscraper. Now nearly forgotten, the restaurant Vertigo and the attached Moon Bar started the trend. Come dressed up and grab a coveted seat to the right of the bar for impressive views at sunset.
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Nang Len
Young, loud and Thai; Nang Len (literally 'sit and chill') is a ridiculously popular sardine tin of live music and uni students on popular Th Ekamai. Get in before or you won't get in at all.
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Nang Nual Riverside Pub
In the best Thai tradition, this riverside deck blurs the lines between a restaurant and a bar. Groups of friends gather around the whisky set and plates of kàp klâem (drinking food) to watch the river and the night flow by. At certain times, the bar's blaring pop music competes for valuable air space with the Muslim call to prayer from the temple across the river.
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Narcissus
Faux-Roman decadence (think gratuitous marble and pillars) makes Narcissus one of Bangkok's most ostentatious clubs. It doesn't see as much action as it did in years past, but the whole city turns up when Paul Oakenfold graces this palace with his presence.
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Nest
Perched on the roof of the Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a chic maze of cleverly-concealed sofas and inviting daybeds. A DJ soundtrack and one of the most interesting pub grub menus in town bring things back down to ground level.
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O'Reilly's
A squeaky clean facsimile of an Irish pub, O'Reilly's earns its shamrock for its affordable happy hour specials. Its central location, central to Patpong and Silom nightspots, also makes it a meeting spot for far-flung friends.
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Opera Riserva Winetheque
Decked out in leather and wood and sporting a speakeasy feel, Opera's wine bar is more for the discreet conversationalist than the sensationalist. You're more than likely to find something you'll fancy from the week's wine pics, and an attractive and extensive menu of wine-friendly Italian-style meals and snacks is also available.
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Parking Toys
This bizarrely-named bar is quite possibly Bangkok's best-kept live-music secret. A rambling hall decked out with vintage furniture, Parking Toys hosts an eclectic revolving cast of fun bands ranging in genre from acoustic/classical ensembles to electro-funk jam acts. Get a taxi from Mor Chit BTS station and tell the driver to take you to Th Kaset-Navamin (also locally known as the sên tàt mài ). Turn right at the Kaset intersection and continue until you pass the second stop light.
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Phranakorn Bar
It must have taken a true visionary to transform this characterless multi-level building into a warm, fun destination for a night out. Students and arty types make Phranakorn Bar a home away from hovel with eclectic décor, gallery exhibits and, the real draw, a rooftop terrace for beholding the old district's majesty.
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Q Bar
In club years, Q Bar is fast approaching retirement age, but still rules the techno-rati with slick industrial style. The dance floor is monopolized by working girls and pot-bellied admirers, but Sunday theme parties and celebrity DJs bring in everybody else in town. Q also boasts perhaps Thailand's largest range of drinks - 27 types of vodka and 41 brands of whisky/bourbon.
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Rain Dogs Bar & Gallery
Tucked away down a dead-end street, you'd never find Rain Dogs unless you knew about it. Run by and for local and expat artists, photographers and journalists, it feels refreshingly grungy in increasingly slick Bangkok. Rain Dogs has regular events, but can also be empty, so call ahead to see what's on. To get there, walk from Klongtoei Metro (cross under the freeway, turn left down the small lane to the dead end) or get a taxi driver to call for the address.
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Sa-Ke Coffee Pub
Near the Khok Wua intersection, 'Sa-gay' is in the middle of a mini gay scene happening just steps from Khao San.
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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.
