Entertainment in Thailand
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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
Samui Shamrock
More classic than chic, Samui Shamrock is a good-times pub where house bands belt out dated cover tunes that inspire the tipsy crowd to sing along. At some point in the night you’ll hear ‘Hotel California’, the ultimate foreigner tribute song.
reviewed
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C
Patravadi Theatre
Patravadi is Bangkok’s sole modern-dance venue. A stylish open-air theatre that also includes a gallery and restaurant, it is the brainchild of Patravadi Mejudhon, a famous Thai actor and playwright. The dance-troupe performance is a blend of traditional Thai dance and modern choreography, music and costume. The theatre is also the primary venue for the Bangkok International Fringe Festival, held in January and February.
reviewed
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D
Saxophone Pub & Restaurant
This nightlife staple is the big stage of Bangkok's live-music scene. It's a bit too loud for a first date, but the quality and variety of the music makes it a great destination for music-loving buddies on a night out.
reviewed
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E
Slim/Flix
Ideal for the indecisive raver, this immense three-in-one complex dominating one end of RCA features chilled house on one side (Flix), while the other (Slim) does the hip hop/R & B soundtrack found across much of the city. Oh, and there’s a restaurant thrown in there somewhere as well. Despite its size, this place is packed on weekends.
reviewed
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F
Bar Solo
A sign of things to come, Bar Solo has future-fitted Chaweng's outdoor beer halls into an urban setting with sleek cubist decor and a cocktail list that doesn't scream holiday hayseed. The evening drink specials lure in the front-loaders preparing for a late, late night at the dance clubs on Soi Solo and Soi Green Mango.
reviewed
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G
Libernard Cafe
Often credited for introducing Chiang Mai to cafe culture is the unassuming Libernard Cafe, run by Pong who roasts her own beans daily, making different adjustments based on the day’s climate conditions. She makes a smooth latte, hardly needing to be spiked with sugar.
reviewed
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H
Pub
In an old Tudor-style cottage set well off the road, this venerable Chiang Mai institution semi-successfully calls up the atmosphere of an English country pub. The Friday-evening happy hour assembles all the old expats who claim to have arrived in the city on the back of elephants. Ice-cold Tiger beer on tap. It's a couple of hundred metres past Th Nimmanhaemin on the west side of Th Huay Kaew.
reviewed
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I
Tropical Murphy's
A popular fa·ràng (foreigner) joint, Tropical Murphy's dishes out steak-and-kidney pie, fish and chips, lamb chops and Irish stew (mains 50B to 300B). Come night-time, the live music kicks on and this place turns into the most popular Irish bar on Samui (yes, there are a few).
reviewed
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J
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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K
Bed Supperclub
This illuminated tube has been a literal highlight of the Bangkok club scene for a good while now. Arrive early to squeeze in dinner , or if you've only got dancing on your mind, come on Tuesday for the popular hip-hop nights.
reviewed
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L
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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M
Banana Disco
If you're after a more sophisticated nightclub experience, this is your ticket. A corny Aztec theme prevails, but at least you can dance without skidding around in puddles of beer.
reviewed
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Mellow Mountain
Also called 'Mushy Mountain' (you'll know why when you get there), this trippy hang-out sits at the northern edge of Hat Rin Nok delivering stellar views of the shenanigans below.
reviewed
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N
Skunk Bar
Plays excellent, scratchy roots reggae on a turntable and has one of the liveliest vibes around.
reviewed
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O
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P
Patpong
Patpong is possibly one of the most famous red-light districts in the world, however, today any ‘charm’ that the area used to possess has been eroded by modern tourism; fake Rolexes and Diesel T-shirts are more ubiquitous than flesh. There is, of course, a considerable amount of naughtiness going on, although much of it takes place upstairs and behind closed doors. If you must, before taking a seat at one of Patpong’s ‘pussy shows’, be sure to agree to the price beforehand, otherwise you’re likely to receive an astronomical bill.
reviewed
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Q
Siam Niramit
A cultural theme park, this enchanted kingdom transports visitors to a Disneyfied version of ancient Siam with a technicoloured stage show depicting the Lanna Kingdom, the Buddhist heaven and Thai festivals. Elaborate costumes and sets are guaranteed to be spectacular both in their grandness and their indigenous interpretation.
The show is predominately popular with tour groups, but if you’re visiting independently, a free shuttle-bus service is available at Thailand Cultural Centre Metro station every 15 minutes from 6pm to 7.45pm.
reviewed
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R
Warm-Up
The hippest joint in own, and a perennial favourite for the young and beautiful, Warm-Up is one of Chiang Mai's best dance houses. Hip-hop is spun by DJs in the main room, the electronic beat of house reverberates in the lounge and bands playing rock/indie music can be found in the garden. Young hipsters arrive in their coolest duds: tight jeans, spiked wolf hair-dos, sparkly shirt dresses and pointy heels. But ever youthful fa·ràng join the crowd as well.
reviewed
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S
Traditional Thai Puppet Theatre
The ancient art of Thai puppetry (lákhawn lék) was rescued by the late Sakorn Yangkhiawsod, more popularly known as Joe Louis, in 1985. Joe’s children now carry on the tradition. His creations are controlled by three puppeteers and can strike many humanlike poses. Modelled after the characters in the epics Ramayana and Phra Aphaimani, the puppets perform nightly at this air-conditioned theatre, conveniently located in the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, as well as at the King Power Theater.
reviewed
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T
After Beach Bar
It’s difficult, make that impossible, to overstate how glorious the view is from this stilted, thatched, patio bar hanging off a cliff above Kata. Think 180-degree views of the sea, rocky peninsulas and layered palm-dappled hills. Now turn on the Bob Marley and you’ve got the best reggae bar in Phuket. The menu is packed with northern and southern Thai faves, at sunset the sky performs a light show, and when the fireball finally drops, the lights of fishing boats blanket the horizon. Not bad at all.
reviewed
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Watermark
Although it’s located at the Phuket Boat Lagoon marina on the east coast, Watermark is one of the best spots on the island for a sundowner cocktail. The espresso martini and passionfruit margarita are the house specials, although the tome-sized wine list is also very tempting. This chic venue is the island’s preferred address for jet-setters and, for the last six years it has been featured in the Thailand Tatler as one of the country’s best restaurants.
reviewed
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U
Glastnöst
There is nothing better on a relentless Phuket City afternoon than to slip into this cafe that doubles as a law office and sip iced Ceylon tea or traditional Phuket coffee brewed by the lawyer himself, while jazz blares on the sound system. Sometimes the jazz is live – if the resident Bossa Nova man is in town. Call three hours ahead and you can have a traditional Phuket meal for four (2000B), cooked by the man who represents Greenpeace in Thailand.
reviewed
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V
Rockin’ Angels
This small but colourful Old Town bar is decorated with framed singles and LPs – Peter Frampton, Stevie Wonder, Van Halen, Survivor, Oasis and the Village People are all represented (yes, the Village People may have invented phone sex). Weekend nights can get wild when Patrick, the Singaporean-born owner, jams with his house band and whoever wants to sit in. The beers are cold, the drinks are cheap, and the crowd composed of Thai and expat locals.
reviewed
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W
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
