Balco Rooftop Bar & Bar B-Q Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on November 10, 2013 by koomatzu

The Balco Bar and Bar B-Q is a rooftop bar in Bangkok very different to the other upmarket, chic rooftop bars of the city. Set on the riverside of the Chao Phraya river, the Balco Bar offers a much more casual atmosphere, with reasonable prices and a relaxed atmosphere. The Balco Bar isn’t just a rooftop bar, it offers an authentic, Thai dining experience with stunning cityscape surroundings.

A typical night at the Balco Bar

I don’t mean to generalise, but let’s face it, Thai people LOVE barbecues. Not barbecues as we know them in the west, but barbecues as in the Thai style of cook-it-yourself grilled meats. And shit loads more meats. That’s a Thai-style barbecue restaurant. And so the Balco Bar and Bar B-Q offers a pleasant, laid back atmosphere of contented Thais, grilling the crap out of their big, proud piles of meat.

Despite it’s rather exclusive location above the expensive River City Shopping Centre, there’s no need to worry about a dress code at the Balco Bar and Bar B-Q like at the other Bangkok Rooftop bars. Just turn up in flip flops and a t-shirt and no-one will bat an eyelid – they’re all too busy drinking their beer towers and incinerating their bacon.

Despite this chilled out atmosphere though, the service is superb and the charming staff are always on hand to help you with their superior barbecuing expertise.

A view from the Balco Bar

The Balco Bar and Bar B-Q is set among a myriad of foliage and hidden amongst it’s own rooftop garden. Being on the 5th floor of the River City Complex, it’s not as impressive as other Bangkok rooftop bars such as the 65th floor Sky Bar, however the Balco Bar does boast a different perspective with tranquil views of the river.

It’s a pleasant experience to sit and watch the boats go by amidst the cityscape backdrop along the Chao Phraya river. The Balco Rooftop Bar does however seem to have quite a few obstructions that hinder this romantic riverside view. On top of that, the bar area features live music in a popular Thai fashion; an entertainer in a sequin dress and cowboy hat, singing unpleasantly out of tune in a karaoke stylee – You get the picture. It does kind of ruin the mood a little, but it’s all in good fun.

Balco Bar and Bar B-Q Menu

The Bar B-Q menu at the Balco Bar Bangkok is very reasonably priced for a rooftop bar in the capital city. Prices start from 120 baht for your typical Thai dishes, however, as you may have guessed from it’s name, barbecue style food is more of it’s specialty. You can order sets for the barbecue or individual items such as bacon, seafood, steak, chicken, prawn, noodle and vegetables.

Individual items cost between 40 baht and 80 baht for a small portion (perhaps 4 or 5 pieces of meat, for example). Sets start at 245 baht for one person or 450 baht for two people. This includes a variety of meat, noodles and vegetables. In keeping with the authentic Thai style of dining, beer towers are also available at a very fair price as well.

How to get to Balco Bar & Bar B-Q

You can catch a ferry to River City from Sathorn Central Pier; take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and follow signs for the ferry. If you wait at the middle pier, you can catch a public ferry to River City for just a few baht. Make sure to get off at pier number 3, Si Phraya – on some ferry lines this is sometimes the first stop.

When you get off the boat, walk down the lane and turn left at the end, then walk past the Sheraton Hotel and you will see the River City complex. Alternatively, you just catch a taxi straight to River City. You will need to take the elevator inside River City to the 5th floor.

Steve Cafe & Cuisine Bangkok

Posted on November 7, 2013 by koomatzu

Off the beaten track and hidden among rickety, wooden plank pathways along the Chao Phraya riverfront, Steve Cafe & cuisine is truly a unique, hidden gem amongst the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. If you’re an expat wanting to try something different in Bangkok, or simply on holiday longing for somewhere a little more adventurous and local, the laid back Steve Cafe may be just what you’re looking for.

A journey to Steve Cafe

It’s certainly not an easy feat trying to navigate one’s way to Steve Cafe. Balancing your way along the maze of thin, creaky boardwalks; squeezing through drunken, saucy gangs of fishermen getting lairy on Sangsom; and dodging old locals hauling rice sacks on their backs is a mini adventure in itself. (It’s not that bad – I just got REALLY lost. Follow my directions below to avoid the rabble of local drunks)

Navigating your way to the little riverfront restaurant is all part of the fun of visiting Steve Cafe & Cuisine in Bangkok though. The quaint, little alleyways and energetic atmosphere of these riverside stilt houses represent authentic, local Thai culture perfectly.

The fruits of a successful search

When you arrive at Steve Cafe, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the contrastingly clean and inviting-looking riverfront building tucked away at the end of a winding alley of ramshackle, wooden planks. Greeted by a welcoming sign on the teak wooden doorway, you’ll be asked to remove your shoes and stow them on the homey shoe rack next to the entrance.

The layout of Steve Cafe is authentically casual, bright and airy: simple white furniture lines the terrace along the river front, while the inside section features cozy sofas and mismatched seating. The basic setting is complimented with the odd charming, subtle decoration such as rambling roses climbing pillars, minimalist Thai temple paintings on the walls, a typical Thai spirit house embellished with offerings of flowers, and random old stuffed toys in hanging cages… wait, wtf? Creepy.

As for the view at Steve Cafe, the opposite side of the river provides a rather sparsely populated view: void of impressive Bangkok high rises or grand, Thai temples as you might get at other famous restaurants on the Chao Phraya river like Amorosa. When visiting Steve Cafe, expect a more simple, broad riverfront setting – just sit back and appreciate the rare calm of the big city.

The soft, lapping sounds of the river, along with the decent mix of popular, easy going background tunes from artist’s like Jack Johnson, give Steve Cafe a pleasantly relaxing ambience. Furthermore, despite the humble surrounding landscape, it’s still fun to watch the little boats and ferries go by, and the giant, creepy river fish thrashing around in the water while the locals feed them from the busy neighbouring dock.

The menu at Steve Cafe

The menu at Steve Cafe is thickly packed with a huge range of both traditional and modern Thai dishes. Typical meals cost between 140 baht and 200 baht for simple dishes like Pad Thai & fresh prawns or Southern style sour soup with lotus stems & tofu; or up to the 400 baht mark for more elegant dishes such as deep fried sea bass with herbs.

Food is reasonably priced considering the decent portion sizes and quality – dishes are obviously cooked with love at Steve Cafe. You’ll find pretty much any Thai dish you can think of on the menu at Steve Cafe from dry curries, soup curries and sour soups, to veggie dishes, salads and stir fries.

How to get to Steve Cafe

Steve Cafe is set in a peaceful area, hidden behind a beautiful temple and museum through the local back streets. The best way to get to Steve Cafe is by ferry. You can take the BTS to Saphan Taksin pier, then take the ferry to pier no. 15, Thewet Pier. This should cost about 15 baht depending on which boat you board.

Once at pier 15, walk straight down the road for a couple of hundred metres until you reach a small bridge on the left hand side. Cross the bridge, turn left and follow the road around the u-bend. Just ahead on your left hand side there should be a narrow alleyway – walk down and turn left at the end. This will take you a temple entrance.

Make your way behind the temple until you come to a parking lot with a museum on the right hand side. Just past the museum is a wooden walkway towards the river that leads to Steve Cafe.

Website: www.stevecafeandcuisine.com

Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park Bangkok

Posted on November 4, 2013 by koomatzu

Hidden behind Chatuchak Park, far away from the busy main road, the Butterfly Park offers a tranquil sanctuary from the craziness of Bangkok city. If you fancy a peaceful bike ride amongst natural surroundings, a visit to the Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a must.

Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park

The park itself is surprisingly huge considering it’s hidden away location off the Bangkok beaten path, perhaps even bigger than the more famous Lumpini Park. You won’t find so many of the pretty flower displays like you’ll see in the standard public parks of Bangkok – the overall look of Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a little rough around the edges: overgrown and slightly hilly.

However, this wild, natural environment offers an inviting landscape of solitude with plenty of picturesque lakes to add to it’s beauty. As you wander around the spacious Bangkok park, you’ll notice the odd couple snoozing on the grass, workers taking a sneaky nap in one of the podiums and cheeky groups of local kids skiving off school.

At the northern entrance of the park, visitors can relax in the quiet cafe and restaurant which serves cheap Thai meals and smoothies. There is even a mini amusement park where kids can ride their bikes around a miniature track.

Cycling in Bangkok

The main focus of the Bangkok Butterfly Park is the large cycle path that runs through it; 99% of the people you come across in Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park will be riding a bike. It’s not ideal to explore the park on foot due to it’s huge size, but the flat landscape and wild surroundings make for an ideal bike ride in Bangkok.

Unfortunately, I never actually found where exactly to hire the push bikes that I saw everybody else riding. Apparently, if following my directions to the insectarium below, the bike hire area is located to the left of the bridge in the opposite direction to the Butterfly Gardens. I have a feeling they may be available from the Dream World amusement park pictured above.

Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium

As well as being ideal for cycling, Wachira Benthat also has it’s own butterfly garden and insectarium. The insectarium has some beautiful flower displays and a range of butterflies to admire and photograph. What’s best of all though, is that admission is free!

To get to the butterfly garden and insectarium, it is easiest to enter the park from Kamphaeng Phet 3. Enter the park through the large vegetable garden courtyard, then straight on across the right side fork in the path. You’ll notice a ‘relaxation area’ just ahead to your right: just past here is a rather ugly, metal bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right for a couple of hundred metres.

How to get to the Butterfly Park in Bangkok

The best way to find the Bangkok Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is to take either the MRT to Chatuchak Park or the BTS to Mo Chit – either way will take you directly to Chatuchak Park. You then want to make your way to the other side of Chatuchak Park from here – It can be kind of frustrating trying to find an exit so just try and make your way out at the opposite side first!

When you exit the park, you’ll find yourself on Kamphaeng Phet 3 road. Walk along this road to the right and you should pass a complex called Jatujak Green. Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the gates to a vegetable courtyard that leads to Wachira Benthat Park.

Asiatique Riverfront Market Bangkok

Posted on October 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$

Average clothes prices: 100 – 300 baht

Asiatique is a charming riverside market in Bangkok, very similar in layout to the designer shopping villages found across Europe. With it’s wide range of entertainment, bars, restaurants and unique boutique shops, Asiatique attracts a mixture of both local Bangkok Thais and tourists from all over the world.

Not only do the shopping arcades of Asiatique provide a romantic setting of quirky decorations and creative shop exteriors, but the riverside market also offers Thai cabaret shows and deluxe ferris wheel rides for 250 baht a go. As for the food at Asiatique, there is a huge choice of ice cream parlours plus pizzerias, kebab vans, chicken spit roasts, French gourmet and Japanese restaurants to choose from.

When it comes to the shops of Asiatique, the shopping experience is rather similar to that of Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak Weekend Market – plenty of cool, indie clothes and accessory shops; cute hand made jewellery boutiques; and numerous textile and souvenir shops. The only difference between the two markets really, is that Asiatique is considerably smaller than Chatuchak and therefore less frustrating. On top of this, the charming style and pretty lights also add to Asiatique’s more chilled out ambience.

Asiatique Market is conveniently divided into different sections: the first section closest to the Bangkok riverside is dedicated more to unique boutiques and fashionable clothing. Here, you can find cool dresses, casual tops, funky fedora hats, punky caps and cute, handmade jewellery. You can pick up a unique pair of elegant, hand made earrings from 95 baht; a pair of denim shorts for 99 baht; or a cool, printed men’s t-shirt from 150 baht a piece.

The other half of the shops at Asiatique, nearest the roadside of the shopping village, cater mainly to tourists. Shops in this section tend to sell a repetition of bohemian style clothing, ethnic jewellery, colourful bangles, soft furnishings and Thai trinkets.

There are a particularly high number of pashmina shops which sell beautiful scarves and wallhangings in this area. The only drawback with these, is that the salesmen are unpleasantly over-keen and, although the pashminas are high quality, the prices aren’t so cheap. Pashminas will typically sell for around 400 baht while wall hangings will cost from 1200 baht for an elaborately embroidered small size.

Do make sure not to accept the first price offered in these shops though, as the salesmen working in this chain of stalls tend to start at an extremely high amount – expect to haggle the price down a lot. They’re very greedy! You can’t really innocently have a nose and window shop at these stalls either – they’ll pounce on you as soon as you stop to take a sneaky peek. Shame, I do love to have a nose at pretty things…

Anyway, this roadside section is highly useful for souvenir shopping or buying home furnishings – there are some lovely ornaments, lights and soft furnishings kicking around. In this part, expect to pay from 20 baht for the cheapest pair of earrings, 150 baht for a standard scarf and from 60 baht for some of the wooden bangles. There is also a decent range of better quality, ethnic jewellery at a higher price too if you prefer – around 400 baht for a hand made leather and charm necklace, for example.

How to get to Asiatique Riverfront

Asiatique is open from 6pm until midnight, 7 days a week. The weekend gets super busy at Asiatique, however week nights at the riverside market are pretty quiet. The easiest way to get to Asiatique Bangkok is to take the free shuttle boat; this leaves from Sathorn Central Pier which also happens to be attached to the Saphan Taksin BTS station.

So, you can either take the BTS to Saphan Taksin or, if you’re staying near the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, you can catch a ferry to the central pier. The pier is very clearly signposted for the free shuttle boat – it runs from 6pm until 12pm.

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.

Artist’s House Cafe & Art Gallery Bangkok

Posted on October 21, 2013 by koomatzu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Thailand Vegetarian Festival

Posted on October 15, 2013 by koomatzu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Local Thai Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on October 9, 2013 by koomatzu

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…

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.

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

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