Top 5 Rooftop Bars In Bangkok

Posted on April 26, 2014 by koomatzu

One of my favourite things about Bangkok is that I can actually afford to hang out at cool rooftop bars! And, not to mention, there are a great deal to choose from as well – cheap ones, wow-factor ones, quirky ones… The list goes on!

Of course, if you’re only on holiday in Bangkok for a short amount of time, you can only visit so many rooftop bars during your stay. So here are some of my best rooftop bars in Bangkok for you to choose from…

Top Rooftop Bars In Bangkok

1: Sky Bar – Bangkok’s most famous rooftop bar

I’m sure you’ve probably seen the rooftop bar scene in Hangover 2 – where they meet with an undercover cop at the posh restaurant with unbelievably amazing views over Bangkok city… Well, that’s the Sky Bar! If you are looking for impressive rooftop views, then I highly recommend the Sky Bar, it is the best rooftop bar in Bangkok for the best view.

The Sky Bar isn’t cheap, and it’s not really a place to chill out with a couple of laid-back drinks. I would categorise the Sky Bar more as an attraction, just to admire the amazing view and atmosphere of the second tallest building in Bangkok. It’s a little bit of a rip-off by Bangkok standards, but well worth a visit!

2 The Nest Rooftop Bar – Sophisticated quirkiness with cityscape views

The Sky Bar is a cosy and chilled out rooftop bar, best for couples and groups of friends. My favourite aspect of it has to be the comfortable bed chairs and sandpit floors (much more sophisticated than I am making it sound right now!). With the dark, ambiently lit atmosphere, you could easily spend a romantic date there, cosying up on the pillows in your own private dome chair.

Alternatively, there are also normal tables and chairs with live music and pumping chillout tunes throughout the night – great for enjoying some affordable food, cocktails and beers with friends. The music can be a little too loud to chat, but it still makes for a cool and trendy hangout in Bangkok – although the view is one of the least impressive of all the rooftop bars.

3 Above Eleven – Relaxed & Affordable Rooftop Bar

With it’s quirky interior furnishings of grass patches and tree-shaped pillars, Above Eleven reminds me a little bit of The Nest rooftop bar. It has the creative finishing touches but, in comparison to The Nest, it boasts more impressive cityscape views and an even more casual atmosphere. The background music is a little less disruptive for chatting, so it makes for a more relaxed hangout among friends. And best of all, this sleek Bangkok rooftop bar is highly affordable for both food and drink.

4 Balco Bar – Cheap & Cheerful Riverside Views

The Balco Bar is probably the least tall rooftop bar in Bangkok on my top 5 list here. However it is located right on the Chao Praya River, so you can easily entertain yourself watching the boats go by throughout the night.

The Balco Bar offers the most casual atmosphere of all the rooftop bars and it’s cheap prices attract many local Thais. If you want to experience an authentic Thai evening out, be sure to try the popular Thai style barbecue. The waiter will set up your very own barbecue grill and you will be able to fry your own meat and vegetables – Thai style!

5 The Speakeasy At Hotel Muse – Jazz and vintage goodness

For all vintage lovers and jazz fans, the Speakeasy combines spectacular urban rooftop views with a unique 1920s theme. The great range and quality of cocktails is where this rooftop bar shines though – the expert staff can mix you all kinds of cocktails from old school mixings to custom combinations. The outer rooftop bar itself is set out like a vintage lawn, complete with fake grass, cosy floor lamps and comfortable sofas. Jamjar cocktail glasses and jazz tunes in the background add all the finishing touches to make this a unique and special rooftop bar.

Which is your best rooftop bar in Bangkok? We’d love to hear – drop a comment below to let us know your top rooftop bar!

Live Music In Bangkok

Posted on April 5, 2014 by koomatzu

After living in Thailand for a while, you might discover that live music in Bangkok is slightly lacking in variety. There’s plenty of Thai pop music and mediocre cover bands to see, but it takes a little extra effort to search out other live music genres in Bangkok. Don’t get me wrong, a bit of chilled out Thai pop music can be quite nice, but sometimes you just want to mix it up a bit with other varieties of live music.

Here are a couple of the best live music venues I’ve found in Bangkok – I’ve tried to cover a range of different music genres for different tastes.

Best Live Music In Bangkok

1: The Rock Pub – Rock tunes and alternative music

You can find some really good live bands at the Rock Pub. Furnished in the style of a rock-style Castle, this Bangkok venue has some great resident bands such as the Green Day cover band St Jimmy. The best bands that play at the Rock Pub seem to be the most under-appreciated in Bangkok though, and it’s the not-so-rockin’ bands that seem to draw in the bigger Thai crowds. Sometimes I wonder if the pumped up crowds headbanging to some of the soppy so-called rock bands are actually taking the piss or not. The pub is still definitely worth a visit for fans of punk, grunge and heavy metal… most of the time anyway.

2 The Saxophone Pub – Laid-back jazz

The casual Saxophone Pub is a highly popular live music jazz pub frequented by both expats and Thai locals of all ages. This buzzing live music venue is nearly always busy, with lively atmosphere. The Saxophone Pub tends to play primarily energetic swing jazz and blues, and has a cozy, traditional pub atmosphere – a casual pub to simply enjoy good music.

3 The Iron Fairies – Jazz wine bar

Another jazz bar in Bangkok, the Iron Fairies is a less casual and more dressed up alternative to the Saxophone Pub. It’s a little more expensive compared to the Saxophone Pub and has a more quirky, unique atmosphere. Again, you’ll find cover bands of swing jazz playing at the Iron Fairies on an interesting stage which is separated on it’s own floor; singers energetically perform from the gothic-industrial spiral staircase that connects it to the bar floor. If you’d prefer a jazz bar with a younger crowd and more sophisticated ‘wine bar’-edge, then check out the Iron Fairies live music venue in Bangkok.

4 The Raintree – Authentic Thai folk music

The Raintree is a lesser-known Bangkok live music venue, popular with Thai locals of all ages. If you are keen to listen to some authentic Thai folk and country music then this is the place to go. The Raintree Pub has a rustic atmosphere reflective of its country style, complete with buffalo horns and driftwood furnishings. Not to mention that it has cheap beer on tap…

5 Tawandeng German Brewery – Popular Thai pop performances

Tawandeng is another lesser-known Bangkok live music venue, highly popular with both local Thais and expats in the know. In fact, despite it’s huge size, Tawandeng Brewery is so popular that you often need to book ahead for a table. With a massive stage and gigantic seating area, this music venue seems to be a place for special nights out and celebrations. A visit to Tawandeng Brewery provides an authentic insight into modern Thai entertainment of cabaret style shows, magic acts and pop performances.

6 The Overtone – Live Indie music for the younger crowd

Apparently the Overtone has recently been renamed to Mello Yello and has taken on a main jazz theme since my last visit. However whenever I have been to watch live music in the past, the Overtone has mainly played live popular acoustic Indie music and modern spins on classic hit cover songs. The venue is situated along the RCA, a popular nightlife road among young Thais and students, so the bar is ideal for those looking for a younger atmosphere. It may be worth checking out the Mello Yello Facebook page to see exactly what bands are playing, as I think they cover a wide range of live music genres.

Tawandang German Brewery Thai Bar Bangkok

Posted on December 5, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok’s Tawandang German Brewery can only be described as a lively cabaret-come-bar and restaurant with a laid back yet energetic ambience. The authentically Thai, modern bar provides an accurate glimpse into mainstream Bangkok nightlife. Popular with both Thai locals and the odd Bangkok expat, Tawandang is the perfect venue for celebrating, partying or simply admiring the dynamic, live performances.

The venue

Tawandang Brewery prides itself on four things: Great entertainment, great food, great beer and a friendly atmosphere. Being popular is an understatement – Tawandang Brewery is a huge success in Bangkok and, despite it’s large, spacious interior, it get’s very busy and packed very quickly.

The venue consists of a large, central seating area with the best views of the main stage – the in-demand seating here get’s booked up as much as a month in advance. Then, you have seating along the sides and at the back of the venue. The back area of the Tawandang venue provides bar-like seating which surrounds an industrial looking brewing tank; although this section has perhaps the worst view of the stage, there are big screens that you can watch the action on.

Tawandang German Brewery Menu

The Tawandang Brewery brews it’s own German beers on site: Dunkel beer, Weizen beer and Lager beer. You can order beer either by the glass or as a typically Thai beer tower, very reasonably priced and delicious; they even allow you to taste the beers before you order! How sophisticated is that, mind?

As for the food, Tawandang serves up a selection of both European (mainly German) and local Thai dishes. It’s signature dish is the German style Pork Knuckles with mashed potatoes which are highly reputed among it’s customers. The Tom Yam Goong, Steamed Seabass and German Sausages also go down particularly well with one of their cold, locally brewed beers too.

Entertainment at Tawandang Bangkok

By far the biggest focus of the Bangkok Tawandang Brewery, is the live entertainment. Ranging from traditional Thai performance, pop singers, jazz bands and hip hop dancers, to comedy acts, magicians and exciting stunts, Tawandang has something for everyone. There are a huge number of acts performing throughout the night – great value for money considering the absence of entry fees.

There are slightly less acts performing during the week as there are during the weekend, however this may be better if you’re after a more subdued atmosphere to enjoy with your partner. If you’d prefer an energetic party atmosphere with a larger group of people, the weekend is the best time to go – just remember to book ahead to be safe.

How to get to Tawandang Brewery Bangkok

The closest train station to Tawandang Brewery is BTS Chong Nonsi or Lumpini MRT, however you will still need to take a taxi from either of these stations. You can either ask the driver to take you to Tawandang near Rama 3 Soi 69, or print out the website map here.

Talad Rod Fai Train Market Bangkok

Posted on October 25, 2013 by koomatzu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower Bangkok

Posted on October 13, 2013 by koomatzu

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bangkok Nightlife Area Guide

Posted on October 5, 2013 by koomatzu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, near Ekamai soi 10

Above Eleven Rooftop Bar Bangkok

Posted on September 15, 2013 by koomatzu

Nana Soi 11 is home to many of the more affordable rooftop bars of Bangkok, Above Eleven being among one of the best in this area. Above Eleven Rooftop Bar is located at the top of the luxurious Fraser Suites Hotel and boasts amazing cityscape views over Bangkok.

The bar provides an ambient, chilled out atmosphere with warm lighting and laid back classic pop and rock tunes. The background music isn’t too loud and intrusive so the bar is ideal for chatting and chilling without interruption. The first floor of the rooftop bar comprises of an enclosed bar top surrounded by tables lining the edges, with views overlooking Bangkok.

The whole floor is sleekly designed with patches of grass as the flooring and a hedge maze guarding the über chic toilets. Continue up the attic-style stair case and you’ll find industrial brick walls with cosy uplighting and spot lights brightening the rooftop bar. There are plenty of sophisticated and unique added touches such as tree structured pillars supporting the glass roof that part covers the bar. The upstairs offers inviting and cosy surroundings of comfortable leather sofas and tables.

The sleek and chilled out vibe of Above Eleven Rooftop Bar is a little similar to the neighbouring Nest rooftop bar, only a little more suited for relaxed chatting with friends as the music is quieter and lighting much better – It’s so dark at Nest that the waiters provide you with a torch to read the menu.

Above Eleven Menu

As for the menu at Above Eleven Rooftop Bar, many of the dishes have taken on an elegant Japanese twist. There are an extensive range of sushi dishes starting from 300 baht up to 550 baht per serving, plus an interesting menu of Peruvian Japanese fusion Tapas dishes ranging from 110 baht to 470 baht per dish. The menu mainly comprises of seafood dishes, however there are plenty of chicken, duck and vegetarian options as well.

Continuing the Peruvian/ Japanese theme, there are some very interesting and adventurous fusion cocktails but, at 350 baht per glass, they do not come cheaply. Soft drinks are priced at 90 baht a bottle while beers start at 170 baht per bottle and spirits at 180 per shot. Drinks aren’t that reasonably priced but are cheap compared to other Bangkok rooftop bars such as Banyan Tree and Sky Bar.

How to get to Above Eleven Bangkok

Take the BTS to Nana station and head to Sukhumvit Soi 11 just a couple of metres away from the steps of the station. Make your way down the road until you reach a T-junction, turn left and follow the road round as it bends to the right past the Q Bar. On the right hand side of the road you will find the Fraser Suites Hotel – follow the driveway to the back of the hotel and take the lift to the 32nd floor.

Witch’s Tavern Bar & Restaurant, Bangkok

Posted on August 26, 2013 by koomatzu

Witch’s Tavern is a popular and quirky bar-come-pizzeria on Thonglor Road. It’s particularly famous among Bangkok expats for it’s live music, special offers and happy hours; Happy Hour is everyday between 3pm and 9pm. Between 6pm and 8pm on Fridays you can enjoy free pizza with your beer, and on Wednesdays ladies can drink free.

The interior of Witch’s Tavern bar is very dimly lit with plenty of gothic candle lights and quirky decorations lightening the place up. A Witch’s pentagram marks the entrance while clouds and birdcages dangle behind the central bar. The whole building is decorated just like a typical old English pub with Victorian portraits lining the walls, dark wooden beams and floor boards throughout – Witch’s Tavern even smells like an English pub! (Is it weird that I noticed that?)

The atmosphere of Witch’s Tavern is great; the staff are super friendly and cheerful while vintage rag time and flapper music plays in the background for a real cosy feel. Witch’s Tavern regularly host live music performances, usually acoustic covers of popular, classic tunes that most people will love. One of their in-house live musicians plays some particularly good covers of Bob Marley, Beatles, Jack Johnson and other classics with a real creative and chilled out spin.

Prices are pretty reasonable, especially for Bangkok’s expensive Thonglor area, the great service and awesome entertainment. The Witch’s Tavern menu consists of a choice of mainly Thai food, Tapas, pasta, pizza, salads and burgers. Tapas dishes typically cost around 140 baht per dish, pizzas cost from 160 baht, pasta from 220 baht and burgers from around 240 baht. The menu at Witch’s Tavern also has desserts such as sticky toffee pudding, carrot cake and apple crumble, all prices starting from around 140 baht.

How to get to Witch’s Tavern Bar & Restaurant, Bangkok

To get to Witch’s Tavern, you can take the BTS to Thonglor and then catch a motorcycle or taxi from there. The bar is located on Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor Road) between Soi 8 and 10. You could walk it, but it would take maybe 15 minutes.

All in all, Witch’s Tavern is definitely worth a visit in Bangkok for the awesome live music alone.

On Nut Night Market & Beer Garden Bangkok

Posted on August 6, 2013 by koomatzu

On Nut is an area of Bangkok not particularly well known for it’s shopping or lively nightlife. However, come evening time when the Thai locals finish work, On Nut comes alive with clothes stalls, food, beer and live music. By Bangkok’s standards, the night market at On Nut is comparably tiny against the other mammoth sized markets of Bangkok, but cheap and cheerful nonetheless.

On Nut Shopping

The Bangkok night market at On Nut is heavily geared towards Thai girls heading out for some after-work bargain shopping. Sellers here are genuine and prices cheap, plus there are some cool clothes and shoes at On Nut night market. You can find men’s t-shirts here – but literally only about four stalls catered towards men, sorry chaps. For SuperDry fans, make sure to check out the knock off SuperDry stall which sells some cool knockoff SuperDry T-shirts for around 300 baht.

Prices vary from 100 baht for standard blouses and t-shirts, to about 1600 baht for custom made dresses and jump suits. On Nut night market is perfect for a relaxed bit of casual Bangkok shopping as opposed to the stress of delving into the bigger, gargantuan markets such as Chatuchak and Pratunam market. It doesn’t need any longer than 30 minutes to an hour to look around properly. It’s not all about the shopping at On Nut night market though…

On Nut Beer Garden

Facing On Nut night market from the road, head to the right until you come across more food stalls and less clothes and handbags; this is the On Nut beer garden. Well… I’m not sure if you could call it a beer garden, but the bar area at On Nut night market is basically an outdoor pub surrounded by a wall of food stalls and covered with a tent-like roof.

The atmosphere is super relaxed with a gathering of both local Thais and local expats. It’s not the sleekest and cleanest looking bar – it IS a local night market after all – but, as standard in Bangkok, it’s still table service and there is a live Thai band performance most evenings. Toilets cost 3 baht per use and are of the authentic squat variety… not everybody’s cup of tea and an obvious indication that this is not the glamourous place to dress up.

Beer is cheap at On Nut night market, costing from 40 baht per bottle to 100 baht per pint to 500 per 5L tower. There is loads of food to choose from, from 120 baht sushi sets, chicken katsu curry for 79 baht, Thai food for 40 baht and roti pancakes for 30 baht.

There are especially loads of Thai dishes and Thai desserts to drool over; it’s a great place to go and sample the local Thai cuisine without breaking the bank. And the sushi is surprisingly good – Upon realising that I was ordering raw fish from what was basically a shabby looking trolley, I did start to regret my decision, but it is actually really delicious (and I didn’t die after all).

On Nut night market is ideal for a dressed down, chilled out and cheap night out in Bangkok – Thai style!

How to get to On Nut night market

On Nut night market is easy to find in Bangkok – just take the BTS to On Nut and you can see the illuminated tents from the station. The market opens from around 6pm, seven days a week.

Iron Fairies Bar Thonglor Bangkok

Posted on August 3, 2013 by koomatzu

The Iron Fairies bar is a quirky and sophisticated bar and restaurant located in Thonglor, Bangkok. It’s distinctive wall of illuminated, potion-like bottles makes it stand out prominently on the main Thonglor road. Searching along the font for the entrance, you’ll find a mysterious, rustic wooden door which upon opening, leads you through to a rather ominous, dark curtained entrance and further into a very dimly lit, industrial blacksmith-meets-Victorian apothecary bar.

With quirky, ancient industrial-looking machinery dotted throughout the bar; cute touches such as tiny potion bottles of fairy dust cluttered around the surfaces; dilapidated, vintage wallpapered surroundings; and iron, gothic, spiral staircases leading to various floors upstairs, the Iron Fairies Bangkok bar boasts a very unique and enchanting, old English-dark gothic fusion atmosphere.

The trendy surroundings are complimented with vintage 20s flapper music and jazz; later on in the night, the Iron Fairies Bar features live bands performing swing music at the top of one of the spiral staircases. On the occasion I last visited, the Frank Sinatra voiced swing singer entertained from the spiral staircase while the band played on their very own balcony.

Iron Fairies Bangkok Menu

The menu at Iron Fairies Thonglor is impressive, with particularly amazing burgers averaging around 300 baht. The menu includes salads such as avocado and tuna for 240 baht, side dishes such as potato wedges and crab cakes for around 160 to 200 baht, steaks from around 695 baht and seafood such as salmon steak from 350 baht per dish. Everything on the menu at Iron Fairies is pretty much guaranteed not to disappoint and for the price, the food is very good quality.

Chunky burgers with brie, bacon, onions and mushrooms come served on a large chopping board pierced with a steak knife through the middle. Drink prices on the Iron fairies menu start from 100 baht for a fruit juice (sugar-free, pure juice – a rarity in Thailand), 300 baht for a cocktail and 350 baht for a glass of wine.

The Iron Fairies bar may be viewed as a tad pretentious and a little too trendy or superficial by some; It gets extremely busy on weekends and the clientele tend to be mainly rich, young Thais and expats. Sometimes, along with the sometimes fast jazz music and masses of people, the Iron Fairies Bangkok bar can be slightly stressful and not so relaxing. However, overall, The Iron Fairies Bar is ideal for a sophisticated night out with a quirky twist in Bangkok – just be prepared for it to get real claustrophobic on the weekend!

How to get to Iron Fairies Thonglor

Bangkok Iron Fairies is located on Thonglor 55, on the main road opposite Thonglor soi 13. You can take the sky train to BTS Thonglor, then catch a taxi to soi 13 for around 50 baht. You could walk it but it would maybe take 15 minutes and you’d end up pretty sweaty by the end of it.