Author: koomatzu

Talad Rod Fai Train Market Bangkok

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Bangkok shopping budget: $

Average clothes prices: 100 baht

Recently relocated after it’s abrupt and saddening closure at the old Chatuchak railway grounds, the new Rod Fai Train Market has now officially reopened in a new area of Bangkok – Seacon Square.

The Rod Fai train market has always been especially popular in Bangkok for it’s chilled out atmosphere, good music and unique vintage displays. Off the beaten track for tourists and primarily catered towards a young, Thai hipster hangout, Rod Fai Train Market offers a shopping experience with great nightlife and quirky finishing touches that make it stand out from the rest of the standard Bangkok markets.

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The New Talad Rod Fai

Walking down Srinagarindra 51 road, you’ll notice a rustic looking alley marked by train station-style benches at it’s front. The pathway has a number of small, old fashioned-style bars and interesting burger joints along the way, all of which come alive with live music during the later hours of the evening.

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Past here, you’ll come across a large, stall section of the train market, jam packed with numerous clothes stalls, toy shops, street food snacks, ice cream parlours and small restaurants. This section is mostly under cover and has hundreds of small shops selling some of the cheapest goods in Bangkok.

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Once you’ve passed this area, you’ll notice what looks like an open parking lot full of street food stalls and vans. Behind this area is perhaps the most interesting and charming section of the whole market: this outdoor, fairy-lit section is huge, crammed with busy market stalls, quirky bars serving drinks from the trunks of vintage cars, and eccentric antique shops that line the back and sides of the market.

Shopping at Talad Rod Fai

One thing you won’t find at Talad Rod Fai Train Market, is tacky tourist clothing – this is what defines shopping at Talad Rod Fai from some of the other popular markets of Bangkok. The styles here cater more for the younger, Thai teen and hipster fashions such as oversized, casual shirts; colourful, wide brim hats; second hand vintage clothing; pre-owned converse and other sneakers; and popular anime and Thai cartoon memorabilia.

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Talad Rod Fai is possibly the cheapest, non-wholesale market that I have come across in Bangkok so far. Some of the items for sale offer great value such as earrings from 10 baht a pair, cute tops from 35 baht, hats from 39 baht, denim shorts from 49 baht, scarves from 79 baht and bras from 100 baht each.

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Nightlife at Talad Rod Fai

My favourite thing about Rod Rai Train Market is that, despite the huge amount of shops and stalls, it is great for simply hanging out at the cool bars without shopping at all. As a whole, Talad Rod Fai has a nice, easy going atmosphere with plenty of little restaurants, bars, ice cream shops and Thai snacks to nibble on along the way.

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In addition to this, the random vintage cars, rustic-industrial buildings, VW camper trunk stalls, nerdy collectibles and delightful antiques make Rod Fai Train Market great for merely wandering around. The stalls and bars play some cool tunes from old classics, to laid back pop tunes like Jason Mraz, and to random tunes from lesser known alternative bands like Sublime. Many of the bars at Rod Fai Train Market host some great live music in some cool and unconventional, vintage buildings.

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How to get to Talad Rod Fai Train Market Bangkok

The Train market is only open on the weekends (update: and apparently Wednesdays & Fridays also). It opens in the evenings at around 6pm until late.

Talad Rod Fai is now located at Seacon Square Mall, which is a few miles away from the nearest transport station. The closest station to get anywhere close to Seacon Square is either Udom Suk or Punnawithi BTS stations. From here, ask a taxi to take you to Seacon Square – this will cost about 60 to 70 baht.

Once you’ve made it to Seacon Square, head to right of the building – there should be a crowd of young Thais headed that way that you can follow too. The first road you come to will lead down to Talad Rod Fai market. You can’t miss it – on the main junction of this road, there is a large structure with a sign pointing towards Talad Rod Fai that you can’t miss.

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Artist’s House Cafe & Art Gallery Bangkok

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The Artist’s house, known locally as Baan Silapin, is a traditional, old Thai canal house hidden amongst the outskirts of Bangkok city. The building itself proves difficult to find amongst the crammed Thai khlongs; this, combined with it’s unacknowledged status in guides and magazines, makes the artist’s house all the more a unique, unspoilt hangout to visit in Bangkok.

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If you’re looking for some authentic Thai entertainment off the beaten track in Bangkok, then the Artist’s House is a must visit.  Once you’ve navigated your way through the quiet local alleys along the river, you won’t be disappointed by this quirky, rustic wooden building. The Artist’s House has something for everyone: daily Thai puppet shows, an art gallery, souvenir & book shop and a beautiful canal side coffee shop.

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Hanging Out At The Artist’s House

The atmosphere of the Artist’s House is perhaps it’s most striking feature. The rickety building shows a unique character  and creative ambience with it’s intricate decorations of cheerful lanterns, hanging plants, overflowing bookshelves and charming works of art. With large, open patio doors overlooking the tranquil canal, visitors can sit and enjoy an iced tea while sitting at the water’s edge, feeding the fish next to the unusual statues.

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 Thai Puppet Shows At The Artist’s House

The building consists of a larger theatre area which leads out to an enclosed back garden, complete with it’s own 600 year old Chedi. This is where guests gather to watch traditional Thai puppet shows in the afternoons. The Artist’s House puppet shows usually start at 2pm, however they are not guaranteed to perform everyday as have been known to be booked at other venues elsewhere around Bangkok city.

Keep walking along the canal boardwalks past the theatre room, and you’ll come across the shop and cafe area of the Artist’s House. Here they have a selection of art and culture books, postcards, Thai masks, jewellery and art prints for sale – this is really useful for buying souvenirs for people back home. Prices are very reasonable and there are some very unique items for sale.

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The Artist’s House Art Gallery

Head up the creaky old stairs from here, and you’ll find a photography & art gallery overlooking the canal. As well as having beautiful pieces of art to admire, it also has beautiful views over the quiet canal houses and ancient Chedi in the garden.

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Once you’ve had time to explore the unique interior of the old house, you can enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee on the seating downstairs or outside on the boardwalk by the river side. The menu is rather modest in choice, however at 25 baht for a cup of coffee and with peaceful surroundings like these, who’s complaining? 

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How to get to the Artist’s House Bangkok

From my own experience, many taxi drivers don’t seem to know any of the nearby landmark’s and main roads nearby the Artist’s House in Bangkok. However, the best way that I have found to get there, is to take the BTS to Talat Phlu station and catch a taxi from there.

If you can’t get anyone to take you to Baan Silapin (which is quite likely, but worth a try), then ask the taxi driver to take you to ‘Jaran Sanitwong Saam’ (written: Charan Sanitwong 3) instead – they should know this road at least. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the bottom of this road, so it’s best to try and get him to drive you all the way to the end of Charan Sanitwong 3 road. However if not, you can catch a songtaew to the end of the road for 5 baht.

Once you’ve reached the end of the road you’ll notice what looks like a dead end and a 7/11 store on the right hand side. Keep walking past the 7/11 and you’ll notice a small path which leads to a bridge across a canal. You should be able to see a temple ahead , to the right of the bridge on the other side of the canal – this is Kuhasawan Temple. If you look to the left, you should be able to make out a little red statue up ahead – that’s the Artist’s House.

Now, cross the bridge and walk along the canal walkway to the left – the opposite direction of the temple. Keep walking all the way along, past the little shops along the wooden boardwalk until you get all the way to the end. The locals are very friendly and can point you in the right direction if you get lost.

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Thailand Vegetarian Festival

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Thai Vegetarian Festival Roots

The famous Vegetarian Festival of Thailand, also known as the Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival, originated in Phuket in the 19th century. During this time, the island of Phuket had a large number of Chinese immigrants who, after widespread disease among the community, had introduced a period of fasting and abstinence to cleanse and heal themselves.

This hard going ritual gradually evolved from strict fasting to a simple vegan diet instead. During this period, participants must give up all fish, dairy, meat and poultry for nine days, plus, they should wear white from head to toe. Nowadays, you will see the wearing of white mainly practised within the temples rather than outside in the cities.

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During this cleansing period in the past, individuals in Phuket were found to show bizarre behaviour such as self mutilation; this was a sign of possession followed by the escape of evil spirits from the body. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is still the renowned home to this behaviour and hence piques the attention a lot of curious tourists, both Thai and foreign.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is pretty grisly and perhaps not for the feint hearted – impaling, skinning, slashing and bloodletting are all common behaviours found during the Phuket festivities. On that note, Phuket is probably the winner for the most interesting area of Thailand to celebrate the Vegetarian Festival, however you can still enjoy the celebrations and variety of vegetarian food in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand as well.

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Celebrating the Vegetarian Festival in Bangkok

As you might gather from the Vegetarian Festival’s Chinese roots in Thailand, it makes sense that the best place to celebrate it in Bangkok is in China Town. The Vegetarian Festival takes place all over Bangkok during October and lasts 9 days; the exact date differs slightly every year but the celebrations are always held in October.

Across the city of Bangkok, you’ll notice the streets come alive with yellow flags and bunting to represent the Vegetarian Festival. Most street vendors and many restaurants participate in the vegetarian celebrations with extra vegetarian dishes and tofu substitutes.

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Among just a few of the typical dishes on offer during Vegetarian Festival are vegetable tom yam (spicy vegetable soup), tofu massaman curry, mushroom & tofu yakisoba noodles and a range of salads such as a sweet and sour pumpkin & mushroom. There are also a range of fake meats on offer like fake pork dumplings and meatballs made of flavoured sticky rice – some of the meat substitutes actually taste uncannily similar to real meat.

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You can also find some colourful sweets and desserts on sale on the Bangkok streetwalks: Black bean sticky rice roasted in bamboo shoots; Thai breakfast doughnut served with sweet condensed milk (called Pa Thong Ko – pronounced Bpah Tong Go); and of course, the best Thai dessert of all: mango sticky rice with coconut.

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China Town Vegetarian Festival Bangkok

Nowhere in Bangkok celebrates the Thai Vegetarian Festival quite like China Town does! With colourful lanterns and bunting strung across the road as far as the eye can see, Yaowarat Road becomes tinged with bright yellow during all the vegetarian festivities. Hundreds of food stalls line the road side, locals gather to pray at the many temples, and traditional Chinese Opera is performed in the evenings.

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The bottom of Yaowarat tends to have the most activity during festivities and celebrations in China Town. You can take a taxi to Yaowarat 5 or the Golden Buddha Temple, Wat Traimit. This part of Yaowarat Road has plenty of food stalls and beautiful temples to explore. The best time of day to visit the China Town Vegetarian Festival for most people is during the evening from about 6pm.

Basically, the later you head to China Town, the more lively and busy it will be, plus you might just get to catch some of the Chinese Opera performances on Charoen Krung Road Soi 20. However, China Town does get pretty crazy during the evenings so if you hate crowds, you might prefer to visit during the daytime when the atmosphere is much more subdued and quiet.

China Town nearest public transport station: Hualumpong MRT/ BTS Sala Deng

Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower Bangkok

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The world famous Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower, featured in the helicopter scene of the popular Hangover 2 movie, is hailed as the highest open air, rooftop bar in the world. It has mixed reviews among Bangkok expats, locals and tourists as being a ridiculously over priced disappointment; So is the Sky Bar in Bangkok really worth a visit? Or is it truly just a scam of a bar feeding off of the famous Hangover 2’s popularity?

An experience in the Bangkok Sky Bar

Enter through the lobby of the Sky Bar Hotel, complete with sparkliness, shininess, man on piano and all the general poshness of a ultimate luxury hotel. After making your way through the dazzling hotel lobby, you will be greeted warmly by what I can only describe as an army of well dressed Butlers who will direct you to the elevators for the 63rd floor.

Once you’ve reached the 63rd floor, you’ll be shown outside to the huge open terrace. Hit by a strong breeze to remind you just exactly how high up you are, you’ll be stricken hard yet again by the marvellous panoramic views of Bangkok. My trip to the Sky Bar was all worth it just for that long, silent walk across the empty terrace and down the wide steps towards the bar, all the while admiring this amazing cityscape view down over Bangkok city.

The Sky Bar in Bangkok is definitely no ordinary rooftop bar.

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There is a large seating area for people dining at the Sky Bar below these steps and terrace. Above the restaurant area, there is a band area on the dome’s terrace which towers above the diners. The bar itself is small and rather crammed with staff serving drinks in the centre and glass walls allowing patrons to admire the views from all sides. The Sky Bar is more of an attraction than an actual rooftop bar per se.

Drinks prices at the Bangkok Sky bar

Drinks are super expensive at the Sky Bar but well worth the money for the experience in my opinion. Just think of the over priced drinks as a kind of entry fee for basically what is now a world famous attraction in Bangkok: The rooftop Sky Bar from Hangover 2 and the highest open air bar in the world!

The cheapest drinks at the Sky Bar are the shots of Tia Maria, Baileys and Amaretto; these cost 280 baht a glass with added 10% tax too. That’s about $9 each. Beers are next up and cost around the 330 baht mark. Soft drinks are surprisingly no cheaper – around 300 baht if I remember rightly.

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They have some nice cocktails that are quite strong as well (for this price, I should think so too) – the Hangovertini is really good with a herby kick and a sprig of rosemary do finish it off. Cocktails cost 520 baht each. Plus tax. Like I said though, it’s worth it! It’s an attraction in it’s self.

Sky Bar Dress Code

I usually hate bars and clubs with dress codes and the Sky Bar in Bangkok has a very strict dress code: No flip flops, no shorts and even no carrier bags if you’re coming after a spot of shopping. However, the Sky Bar is part of an upscale hotel, and what with Hangover 2’s promotion of the Sky bar world wide, it does kind of needs to enforce a dress code to keep out the ‘scruffier’ tourists in order to uphold this reputation.

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How to get to the Sky Bar Bangkok

The Sky Bar is open from 6pm, which is a good time to visit and catch the sunset before it gets even busier. The State Tower is located in Silom on the intersection of the main Silom Road and Charoenkrung Road. The nearest BTS stations are Surasak or Saphan Taksin. It’s about a 10 minute walk up Charoen Krung Road from Saphan Taksin BTS (facing away from the river, walk left up the main road). Alternatively, most taxi drivers will recognise ‘State Tower’ or ‘Sky Bar’.

You can book to stay at the State Tower Hotel here.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Local Thai Restaurant Bangkok

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Sabai Jai Gai Yang, also referred to as Baan Tawan Gai Yang, is an authentic, local neighbourhood restaurant to drink and dine in pure Thai style. Located in the sleek and modern district of Bangkok, Bang Na, Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a breath of fresh air where you can enjoy proper Thai food in natural Thai surroundings.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Style

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a casual Bangkok hangout where you can simply relax and chill out in your shorts and flip flops. The laid back, family orientated, local ambience make it a a great ‘off the beaten track’ restaurant away from the hectic tourist atmospheres or contrastingly snobbish undercurrents of other Bangkok restaurants and bars.

The Restaurant

The Bangkok restaurant has both a traditional open air section and an air conditioned indoor section. In the typical Thai restaurant style, Sabai Jai Gai Yang consists of a partially sheltered tent like surround, fold-up metal seating, plastic table covers and the standard drinks trolley at the head of the table.

Despite it’s relatively small size, there is a stage at the front where local bands play Thai tunes and pop music towards the later hours of the evening. It can get a bit loud and difficult to hear each other speak during these hours, but if you’re keen to listen to some proper Thai music in Bangkok, you’ll definitely find it here. I can’t help but feel a bit stressed out listening to the crazy overpowering beats of too much authentic Thai music myself though…

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Picture by www.leolaksi.wordpress.com

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is the kind of Bangkok restaurant to let loose, nothing fancy; buy a beer tower or two with friends and share taster dishes in the middle of the table, Thai style.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Menu

Sabai Jai Gai Yang have an extensive menu of both Isaan dishes and Thai food. The battered, plastic menus are thick with pages of dishes in both English and Thai. Although staff don’t speak much English at Sabai Jai Gai Yang, the menus are pretty clear with plenty of pictures to help you choose.

Isaan and Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are reasonably priced and start from around the 80 baht mark. For 80 baht, you can get their signature dish, half a mouthwatering grilled chicken (as in the name – gai yang) with spicy Thai dips. Admittedly it’s tasty, but it’s also a real ball ache to eat half a chicken with a fork and spoon!

Other typical cheaper dishes at the Bangkok restaurant include Pad Ka Praw (Basil stir fry) and Som Tam (Papaya salad) which cost around 120 baht. Bigger dishes such as whole steamed fish and seafood stir fries cost up to 400 baht per dish. Just bare in mind that this is an authentic Thai restaurant – the spicy Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are damn spicy.

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Photo by www.eatingthaifood.com

How To Get To Sabai Jai Gai Yang

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is located on Bangkok’s Ekamai Road Soi 1. You can get to Ekamai via BTS to Ekamai station, then head up Soi 63 (Ekamai Road) and Soi 1 is on the left hand side opposite Health Land. Although it is only Soi 1, this is a surprisingly long and sweaty walk (10 – 15 minutes) so you may want to take a taxi from Ekamai BTS station.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is right on the corner of the main road and Soi 1 – the entrance is just around the back.

Bangkok Nightlife Area Guide

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Where to find the nightlife spots of Bangkok? Here is a breakdown of all the main nightlife areas of Bangkok:

Khaosan Road Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: Letting loose, hooking up with backpackers

Budget: $ – e.g. 280 baht for a bottle of Sangsom

There are tonnes of bars on Khaosan Road, mainly more geared towards tourists and foreigners. This can be both a good and a bad thing – it’s a place that will make most people feel overdressed, where you can let go and party to your heart’s content; music genres are a little more suited to western tastes but it can also be a little too touristy and crazy for some.

Among foreigners, Khao San Road is the most renowned nightlife area in Bangkok and it is a must visit at least once. It can be a bit douchebaggy at times, but it can still be a really good laugh, and the bars are reasonably priced because they’re used to dealing with young travellers and hippies.

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Khaosan Road Bars

It’s pretty easy to just head to Khaosan Road or it’s adjacent road Rambuttri road and randomly tackle the crazy amount of bars. Bombay Blues is an interesting Indian restaurant with an underground bar and rooftop terrace serving shisha. Downstairs on Saturdays, there is a DJ who plays bollywood tunes.

The Brick Bar (look for Buddy Lodge and McDonalds) is one of the few bars on Khaosan Road which is popular with local Thais as well. The atmosphere is upbeat and they play live ska music complete with patrons skanking on the tables. Check out Brown Sugar,

Music and nightclubs on Khaosan Road

The Club is the most popular underground nightclub on Khaosan road and you can find it by looking it for a neon blue sign with a red octopus on it. Prices are super cheap, entry is free, it’s flip flop friendly and the atmosphere is full of pumped, backpackers dancing to techno, trance and house music.

 

RCA Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: An authentically cool, Thai night out

Budget: $$$ – e.g. 150 baht for a cocktail

RCA, short for Royal City Avenue, is a long road devoted to clubs, bars and live music for young Thai students and hipsters of Bangkok. You could describe the RCA as a chilled out, cool Thai equivalent of Khaosan Road, without so much of the craziness and loutishness of the drunken tourists. Clubs and bars at RCA are typically Thai style and  different to the western standard, with open fronts and half the seating stretching outside onto the streets.

The nearest MRT is Petchaburi but it is a little too far to walk from here. The best way is to get a taxi – most drivers will know when you say RCA (and if you are farang, they will probably giggle). Just make sure to bring ID, no matter how old you are, you may get turned away at the door of some clubs otherwise. Also, don’t get to the RCA before 9pm at the earliest, the action and the live music don’t start until late there.

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RCA Bars

When tackling Bangkok’s RCA, the best way to start is to just head there and pick a bar that suits you – there are so many of them after all. Some particularly cool bars at RCA though, are Cosmic Cafe, Taksura and Overtone. Cosmic Cafe and Taksura play host to some great indie live music and cover bands. The Overtone is a grungey, alternative style bar with live bands and a younger crowd of black-adorned music fans.

Nightclubs at RCA

Slim & Flix has a great mixture of music going on. The building is divided into separate parts: one area dedicated to R&B and hip hop, another section playing trance and drum n bass, and another lounge with live music performances. Route 66 is another renowned club at RCA worth checking out. Route 66 is equally huge, with half of the club stretching outside and young Thai clubbers dancing around the tables to dance and hip hop genres.

 

Nana, Soi 11 Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: Affordable rooftop bars and the big clubs of Bangkok

Budget: $$$ – e.g. Between 60 baht for a bottle of beer to 300 baht for a cocktail

Bangkok’s famous Nana Soi 11 is a peculiar combination of trendy, touristy and sleazy… You’ll get hassled by Tuk Tuk drivers, find yourself mobbed by prostitutes on the side streets of Nana Plaza (on the opposite side of Sukhumvit Road to Nana Soi 11) or be turned away from the mammoth nightclubs for being underdressed…

Nana Soi 11 has a bit of everything for everyone though: Laid back, cheap bars; pop-up streetwalk bars serving customers out of vans; sophisticated rooftop bars; chilled out live music and blues venues; and crazy, VIP nightclubs.  All the bars and clubs are conveniently clustered together and the clientele of Nana Soi 11 are mainly Bangkok expats and tourists. You can get to Soi 11 by taking the BTS to Nana, it is only a couple of hundred metres from the station.

Nana Soi 11 Rooftop Bars

The rooftop bars in Nana Soi 11 are definitely worth checking out. Nest Rooftop Bar is a cool, dimly lit bar with cosy bed-chairs, sandy beach floors and live music during the later hours. Above 11 is a little quieter that Nest Rooftop Bar making it more suited for chatting with friends. Both rooftop bars are very showy with quirky decorations and creative finishing touches. They have great views and are a reasonable price for rooftop bars in Bangkok.

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Bars on Nana Soi 11

Cheap Charlies is a laid back, quirky outdoor pub hidden down one of the side streets of Nana Soi 11. It’s very popular among expats who head there for some cheap pre-drinks before hitting the nightclubs later on. The bar is kitted out with old American-Western style decor and is a unique place to sit outside and watch the lively street from.

The Alchemist Bar is also worth a visit for those looking for a little more sophistication in their evening. Drink prices are a little higher – maybe around 200 baht per drink – but it plays some a good selection of live music in cool surroundings that aren’t too pretentious. You can find the Alchemist Bar just past Cheap Charlies down the side street on the left hand side of Soi 11.

If you walk all the way down Nana Soi 11 and follow the road to the left hand side, you’ll find a great selection of trendy bars, expat pubs and live music being played.

Nightclubs on Nana Soi 11 Road

Nana Soi 11 probably has the largest selection of nightclubs in Bangkok. Levels, next to the Angel Diner on Soi 11’s left hand side, is one of the most popular and mainstream of the clubs among expats on Soi 11. Insanity is perhaps the seediest of the Nana clubs. Located on Soi 12 and attached to a dingy American diner, it is mostly suited to expat and tourist men who are on the prowl for Thai freelance prostitutes. Insanity is your typical, kind of tacky, nightclub with lots of lasers and loud House and Techno music.

Bash tends to be the Bangkok nightclub that people visit in the later hours of the night. With no official closing time, Bash stays open when everywhere else has closed. Still relatively new, it plays a good mix of R&B and hip hop tunes. You’ll find Bash on the left hand side of Soi 11 next door to an Australian pub – it’s best to go later in the night after midnight at the earliest.

Q Bar is more of a VIP nightclub on Nana Soi 11, it’s located at the quieter end of the main road opposite Le Fenix and Nest. The music at Q Bar is a little lighter and easier to dance too, music genres are different depending on the DJ but House and Hip Hop are commonly played. Q Bar is a nightclub to dress to impress and is reported to attract a lot of celebrities who visit Bangkok. Entry costs 600 baht, however this high price creates an ambient, chic and mature atmosphere due to it’s selective crowd of people. From another point of view, some people describe Q Bar as a kind of arrogant, ‘fake VIP’ club of Bangkok.

Perhaps two of the most hailed nightclubs of all in Bangkok are Narz and Glow. Located some distance away from Nana Soi 11 near Cowboy Road on Soi 23, these two nightclubs are all about the music. With bass-heavy beats, dim lighting and a laid back attitude, these are the clubs for some serious dancing and bass appreciation in Bangkok.

 

Thonglor Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: Sophisticated bars, wine & dining

Budget: $$$$ – e.g. 280 baht for a cocktail

Thonglor soi 55 is the place for the trendy, the sophisticated and the wealthy. Nightlife is a little more spread out around Thonglor in comparison to the other nightlife areas of Bangkok. Choc-full of elegant restaurants, stylish bars and contemporary complexes, Thonglor is not for people looking for nightlife on a budget in Bangkok.

For a sleek and upscale night out in Bangkok, fashionably dressed to the nines and a mature glass of wine with friends, Thonglor is a perfect choice. People in Thonglor tend to be wealthy and refined, both Thai and local expats.

  • Bars in Thonglor

Notable bars in Thonglor include the unconventional, vintage bars such as Iron Fairies, an ominous, dimly lit bar furnished in the style of a fairy-filled, olden day blacksmith, and Shades Of Retro, a cool hipster bar/ antique furniture shop. Witches Tavern is another quirky, interesting bar & Italian restaurant offering free all-you-can-eat pizzas on Fridays.

For some more fashionable and contemporary wining and dining, make sure to check out Seen Space Thonglor, a small and slick complex with many sophisticated bars and restaurants. Some of the bars and eateries inside include Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage, Roast Coffee Bar & Restaurant, Brew Beer & Ciders and Fatr Gut’z. Wine Republic, found around soi 10, is a simple, airy and spacious bar with modern background music and a laid back atmosphere. Club Nove, situated on Soi 9, is a very classy wine & tapas bar.

  • Live music & Nightclubs in Thonglor

Soi 10 is perhaps the best road to find Thonglor’s nightlife, these nightclubs attract a predominantly Thai crowd of people so make a good area to explore some of the real Bangkok nightlife. In keeping with Thonglor’s ‘hi-so’ vibe, the clubbers here tend to be all the beautiful, upper class folk – you can even spot a couple of Thai celebrities if your lucky.

So, for some standard house and dance music, head to Demo nightclub on Thonglor Soi 10, a New York graffiti filled, loft style club with a warehouse mood. Demo tends to attract a cool and sophisticated crowd of people, more mature and chilled out than the younger students who party next door at Funky Villa. It has a very cool interior, however it does charge a ‘farang fee’ – Thais go free but foreigners must pay 400 baht entry… Screw you Demo!

Muse, also on Soi 10, attracts a younger clientele and primarily hosts live music performances and gigs. It gets super crowded on Saturdays, so much so that you can barely move let alone dance. The good news though, is that entry is free to everyone! Racism free at Muse – Yay!

 

On Nut Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: Casual, Thai style beers

Budget: $ – e.g. 100 baht for a pint of Chang

On nut is not one of the key nightlife areas of Bangkok, it is not lined with fancy bars, expat pubs and pumping nightclubs like some of the other more popular and busy nightlife areas of Bangkok. However, there is an awesome night market in On nut which is well worth a visit for both shopping and chilled out socialising after work.

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Bars in On Nut

On nut night market has a cosy area (very small by Bangkok’s market standards) of some very cheap clothing stalls (mainly for girls). However half of the market consists of a bar and food area with a live music stage and some very cheap beer. The bar area is under the protective cover of a tent like structure with plenty of food stalls perched around the outside with a choice of Japanese, Thai food, desserts and pancakes.

Despite worryingly coming from what appears to be an unrefridgerated cart, the sushi is very good and reasonably priced at only 120 baht per set. Beers cost from 40 baht per bottle to 100 baht per pint and they also sell beer towers. The atmosphere is very casual, a bit grimy, with Thai bands playing later in the evening. Head along to On Nut BTS after dark and simply follow the lights and the music.

 

Ekamai Nightlife Bangkok

Good for: Cool Thai atmosphere, chilled out bars

Budget: $$$ e.g. Cocktails at 160 baht

As with Thonglor, bars and clubs of Ekamai are rather spread out so you need to know where to go in advance before spontaneously turning up for drinks. Ekamai road (soi 63) provides a real, authentic experience of modern Thai nightlife. Foreigners don’t tend to frequent so many of the bars in Ekamai but it instead attracts mostly cool, young Thais.

Typical atmospheres at the bars in Ekamai lean towards the chilled out side with Thai acoustic music and cozy settings. Many of the hangouts in Ekamai offer a unique charm and quirkiness, it provides a nice break from the overly touristy, louder areas of Bangkok such as Nana and Khaosan Road.

Bars in Ekamai

Banrie Coffee is a very popular beer garden just off BTS Ekamai, on the corner of Sukhumvit 63. Drinks are cheap, food is great and there is live music throughout the night. Open 24 hours a day, the setting of Banrie coffee is relaxed and cosy with plenty of fairy lights illuminating the garden surroundings.

There is a particularly interesting and laid back cluster of bars around the soi 21 area of Ekamai Road Bangkok. Moose bar and the Tuba bar are located right next to each other on soi 21. Tuba bar is a quirky and casual hangout and part-time vintage furniture shop, it has some cool memorabilia decorations.

Moose bar is a slightly trendier and sleeker place but still with personality and a cool, chilled atmosphere. Just down the main road from the Moose Bar and the Tuba, you can find the Owl School pub, another quirky and cool hangout with live music and a cosy, small bar.

Live music & nightclubs in Ekamai

Nung len is a live music bar between soi 5 and soi 7 of Ekamai Road and is a popular hangout for all the trendy Thai locals of Bangkok. Booze Club (Ekamai soi 7) is reasonably priced, plays mainly hip hop music and has live DJs every night. Y50 Pub on Ekamai soi 21 is a chilled out bar come vintage furniture shop which has it’s own house jazz band and a DJ on Wednesdays.

We-Za, between soi 21 and soi 23, is a casual, small Thai style nightclub with loud music and cheap beer. Sonic, on the main road near soi 10, is one of the bigger, more well known clubs of Ekamai. It attracts a mixture of foreigners and local hipsters. It plays a variety of indie music, dance music and live music with different rooms and an outdoor terrace for different genres and DJs. Escobar is another popular club with trance, house and hip hop on the weekends.

Sonic

Sonic, near Ekamai soi 10

 

Central World Shopping Mall Bangkok

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Bangkok shopping budget: $$$$

Average clothes prices: 250 baht +

In my opinion, Central World is one of the better gigantuan malls of Bangkok. Central World really is absolutely huge; on the upper floors it has it’s own red carpeted cinema, a luxury hotel, various rooftop bars and a plethora of restaurants – in fact a whole floor dedicated to all-you-can eat buffet restaurants. Suffice to say, it’s very easy to get lost within Central World’s many floors and sections.

Personally, what I like most about Central World, is that it doesn’t have a snobby aura about it like the other big Bangkok malls (*cough Paragon*); there’s a nice, balanced selection of designer shops and budget, big brand outlets. For those with a bit of extra cash, there are some cool brands such as DeFry01, Fox and SuperDry, as well as department stores with mini outlets selling Roxy and Billabong clothing.

bangkok shopping mall

However, those on a budget can enjoy shopping at Central World too. The H&M and XXI Forever stores at Central World Bangkok are particularly big and spacious with a great selection of clothes without being too crammed. H&M and XXI Forever often have sales on with cute clothing from around 200 baht.

Zen at Central World

The large section of Central World called Zen is great for some quick designer shopping in Bangkok. The Zen department store consists of different floors containing different designer sections – usually with decent sales on. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the bigger sales, you might be able to pick up big brand clothing or designer shoes from 500 baht a piece.

central world

If you’re on holiday in Bangkok though, you’re probably better off waiting until you get back home to buy these brands, as they are not any cheaper than in the west as many people believe. If anything, designer brands cost more in Bangkok. But for expats in Bangkok who are in need of clothes that are not just Thai style, it has a nice selection of international brands.

The cinema at Central World is perhaps one of the better ones in Bangkok. Kitted out with red carpets and luxury furnishings, it’s worth a visit on the top floor if you need a break from shopping. The nearby food court offers some pretty good food with great views out of the huge windows as well. Even if you’re not into shopping so much, Central World has loads of buffet and a la carte restaurants to choose from such as Yayoi, Fuji, Mos Burger and Bistro 7.

How to get to Central World Bangkok

You can take the BTS to either Siam or Chitlom depending on which direction you are travelling from in Bangkok. It’s very easy to follow signs to Central World from within the BTS station. The mall is just a 5 or 10 minute walk along the skywalk from either station.

Other places worth visiting near Central World in Bangkok are the Erawan Shrine, the Phallic Shrine, Amarin Plaza, Platinum Mall and Baiyoke Tower.

Siam Square Bangkok

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bangkok markets

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$

Average clothes prices: 250 baht – 2500 baht

Siam Square is perhaps the coolest place to shop in Bangkok. Popular with young, funky looking Thais, the shops at Siam Square offer a real nice range of indie boutique shops and alternative brands for both men and women. The square consists of a number of small, indoor shopping centres and markets, separated by high streets and little boutique shops outdoors.

Siam Square definitely makes a pleasant change to shopping in one of the Bangkok malls – you can admire the cool graffiti dotted around the walls outside, take some time out in the peaceful park nearby, or chill out in one of the cute cafes such as the outdoor Travel Library Cafe. Siam Square allows you to shop both outdoors and indoors without feeling too claustrophobic like it tends to get when shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market or the MBK.

siamsquare

Shops in Siam range from cheaper Thai fashion dresses and tops costing from 250 baht, to individually made, unique clothing at around the 2500 baht mark. The shops outside on the high street tend to be the more expensive ones, but they do stock more interesting and unique fashions.

In the indoor shopping centres, for example underneath the Lido Theatre on Soi 2, you will find cheaper high heel shoes, second hand sneakers, second hand vintage dresses, cool T-shirts and pretty maxi dresses – all very reasonably priced and a little more different to the standard clothes you’ll find in the more touristy markets of Bangkok.

There are a whole choice of styles in clothing, accessories and jewellery in the maze of indoor boutiques: from hand made bling or elegant and simple jewellery, to leather bohemian necklaces or studded alternative accessories.

Plenty loads of individual boutique shops to be found in Siam Square

If you love sneakers and street fashion, you will love Siam Square. If you check out Soi 1 and Soi 2 in particular, you will find numerous shops that sell a huge choice of really cool looking sneakers costing from 2000 baht and upwards. You can find Vans, Converse, Nike, Adidas and a whole lot of other brands in loads of different designs.

If you head through the True shopping centre from the BTS to get to Siam Square, you’ll also find an official Converse store at the back entrance. Many of these shops on soi 1 and soi 2 sell some really cool caps and accessories too – check my section on sneakers in my Bangkok shoe shopping blog to find out more details on specific street fashion shops.

bangkok markets

Siam Square Night Market Bangkok

If you head along to Siam Square in the evening, all the hight street shops will be closed and the Siam Night Market will be open instead. The Siam Square Night Market is located right on the main Sukhumvit Road at the foot of Siam BTS – you can’t miss it. The market gets really busy during the night after the locals have finished work, but it sells some really cheap clothing and shoes.

Clothes for sale at the Siam Square Night Market are pretty much your typical, cheap Bangkok street market type; nothing particularly special – the t-shirts, tops and dresses for sale there tend to be the bulk-made fashions you see all over Bangkok. The night market is great for some carefree bargain hunting in Bangkok though. You can buy clothes from just 50 baht for a top there.

How to get to Siam Square Bangkok

Take the BTS to Siam and exit the station on the opposite side to Siam Paragon and Siam Center. If you walk along to the right of the BTS and past the building works, you’ll come across various maze-like walkways and roads which all lead into the square – Just don’t go to Siam Square too early – shops don’t tend to open until late morning or early afternoon.

Other popular areas nearby Siam Square in Bangkok include the MBK shopping Mall, Siam Center and Siam Paragon.

Bangkok Shoe Shopping Guide

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If you want to buy some specific kind of shoes in Bangkok – cheap shoes, sexy shoes, designer shoes or sports sneakers – look no further than my Bangkok shoe shopping guide.

I also have guides for clothes shopping, souvenir & gadget shopping, and a general guide on the malls and markets of Bangkok.

Where to buy cheap shoes in Bangkok

If you’re looking to buy dirt cheap shoes in Bangkok, then look no further than the stalls on the Bangkok streets. The street walks and markets in most of the busier areas of Bangkok will sell some really cheap shoes, flip flops starting at around 30 baht a pair and office shoes, ballet pumps or high heel shoes costing from 199 baht.

The busy streets of Bangkok areas such as Silom, Saphan Taksin, Victory Monument, Siam and Pratunam will have some of the best selections. Many of these super cheap shoes on the Bangkok streets aren’t particularly stylish or cool though, and comfort may be a problem as well – particularly if you have wider feet. If you just need a quick, cheap pair of shoes for a costume or interview though, these places definitely serve this purpose.

In Silom, search along the main streetwalks around Sala Deng BTS on an evening. At Saphan Taksin, check out Charoen Krung Road around the BTS and central pier area – there is a small, particularly good shop for cheap flip flops right next to the BTS station, just across the road from the songtaews. Head to Siam after around 7pm and you’ll find street stalls opposite Siam Paragon and many more up Ratchadamri Road next to Central World.

shoes bangkok

For some better quality, good value shoes in Bangkok, I highly recommend the shops Footin and Bata. You can find these shops in many of the more local Bangkok shopping complexes as well as The Mall Thapra in Talat Phlu, and the MBK at National Stadium. Bata in particular sells some comfortable, decent sports trainers for between 500 and 1000 baht while Footin sells a great range of cute, sturdy and comfortable sandals and flip flops from 199 baht per pair.

Another cheap place to try for better quality shoes in Bangkok is Siam Square. Siam Square have a variety of shoe shops selling high heels, pretty sandals and cool sneakers. You can buy colourful, handmade leather heels for 750 baht, fashionable Thai ladies shoes from 250 baht, and second hand, big brand shoes for around 200 baht a pair.

Where to buy cool high heel shoes in Bangkok

As above, for some cheaper high heel shoes in Bangkok, head yourself down to MBK or The Mall Thapra where you can buy some decent heels from Footin and Bata. For those looking for something a little more expensive, fashionable and with more of a WOW factor, the designer shops at Siam Center stock some really awesome designs.

You’ll find the bold designs of Villain SF on the first floor, Havaianas, Steve Madden and the slightly more affordable VNC on the second floor. In my opinion, Siam Center is by far the coolest place to shop in Bangkok for ladies shoes. Shoe prices vary from around 1000 baht to 20000 baht per pair, maybe less if you’re lucky enough to catch a good sale.

Where to buy cool trainers/ sneakers in Bangkok

Siam Square in central Bangkok is home to many indie boutiques and Thai fashion shops. You can find some cool, alternative sneaker/ trainers from both international and Thai brands costing anything up to 10000 baht per pair. Check out Sneaka Villa in Soi 2 Trendy Zone – you can find the stairs inside a small shop called London Brown, Sneaka Villa is just on the 2nd floor.

Also nearby Sneaka Villa is Humankind Factor on the second floor of the Lido Theatre near Soi 2, and INFRD (also on Soi 2). On the next main road, Soi 1, you can find the Outcast Store, and the king of all sneaker shops, Vii Athletic Club. As well as some really unique and awesome Thai brand sneakers, you’ll find a good range of Vans, Adidas, Nike, Converse and Reebok in most of these shops.

In particular, Bangkok’s Vii Athletic Club has a huge choice of cool, pimpin’ design sneakers for both men and women, plus a few t-shirts, hats and accessories. It sells New Balance, Supra, Vans, Converse, Adidas, Nike, Nike 6.0, Mad Foot, Victim of Vanity plus a whole second floor dedicated purely to sports shoes. This is my favourite sneaker shop in Bangkok – hands down. Sneaker prices range from 2000 baht up to nearly 10000 baht.

I’ve not visited myself, but Superrzaaap!! just on Soi 9 apparently has a decent stock of sneakers in Bangkok as well.

humankind

Humankind Factor

MBK shopping mall is another useful place to shop in Bangkok for big brand trainer and sneaker shops, with various sneaker shops scattered throughout. Keep your eyes peeled for Genesis which sells some awesome designs. For sports shoes on a budget at the MBK, Bata sells decent, basic sports trainers for less than 1000 baht.

For those who don’t mind the concept of second hand shoes, there are few markets with large sections dedicated to used trainers such as Converse, Vans and Nike. Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok has a particularly huge section selling second hand sneakers, or you might like to try the Train Market and street stalls of Siam (try around the Pratunam area where the river meets the Ratchadamri Road – Petchaburi road intersection). Again, Siam Square has a few small shops scattered around that sell small selections of cool, second hand sneakers.

Terminal 21 Shopping Mall Bangkok

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Bangkok shopping budget: $$$

Average prices: 250 baht – 3000 baht

Terminal 21 shopping mall is one of the quirkier and more light hearted malls of Bangkok. Popular as a chilled out hangout and as a meet up point for casual food in Bangkok, Terminal 21 flaunts an interestingly decorated interior that, alone, is worthy of visiting without the doing any shopping at all.

Bangkok shopping malls

With an ongoing airport theme running throughout, Terminal 21 has some cute airport style signposts on each floor marking the various departure and arrival escalators.

There are a total of 9 floors altogether including a London floor, decked out with double decker buses and red phone boxes; a Japanese floor, complete with oriental lanterns and giant hello kitties; an Istanbul floor, which boasts exotic lighting and colourful decor; and San Francisco floor with replica Golden Gate Bridge. Just don’t forget to check out the toilets on at least one of the floors -these intricate and marvellous themes don’t stop in the shops!

bangkok shopping mall

Terminal 21 has plenty of cafes, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, patisseries and restaurants to dine in for a simple hangout in Bangkok. With international style restaurants from all over the world, the choice is huge. If you head all the way to the top floor, you’ll find the mall canteen with Thai meals costing from just 3o baht a dish – it’s probably one of the best mall canteens in Bangkok.

Finally onto the shopping at Terminal 21… Floors are conveniently organised and shops grouped together into types of shopping – for example on the first floor you’ll find all the big brand designer shops (such as Quicksilver and SuperDry), on the second floor you’ll find men’s clothing, and on the floor above you’ll find accessories and jewellery. Most of the floors of Terminal 21 consist of cute, indie Thai boutique shops selling a whole range of different styles and clothing tastes.

The boutiques at Terminal 21 are especially useful for pretty dresses, evening dresses and unique Thai fashions in Bangkok. You’ll find each individual shop differing in price range; one shop selling t-shirts and skirts from 250 baht a piece to another shop selling intricately designed dresses for 3000 baht. Many of the fashions are of a unique design and great for buying gifts for female friends back home. There are a couple of souvenir shops selling anime and other cute Thai merchandise which are ideal for gift buying in Bangkok too.

Despite it’s loveable interior furnishings, great quality shopping and fantastic choice of restaurants, Terminal 21 is very quiet and lacking in customers most days. This is great if you prefer a stress-free shopping experience – many of the Bangkok malls and markets such as Chatuchak and MBK can get pretty hectic and unpleasant to shop around… I just hope Terminal 21 will be able to stay open in the future – it’s probably one of my favourite places to shop in Bangkok.

terminal 21 bangkok

How to get to Terminal 21 Shopping Mall

Terminal 21 is super easy to find in Bangkok. Just take the BTS sky train to Asoke station on the Sukhumvit line. Once you reach Asoke station, you’ll find signs that point to Terminal 21. Terminal 21 actually has a 2nd floor walkway leading straight inside directly from the station.

Other useful areas nearby Terminal 21 worth checking out are the tranquil Benjakiti Park and the bars and restaurants of Nana Soi 11.