Party Guide for Bangkok

Our Local Expert Says:

Whether or not you're staying on Khao San Road, it is the ideal place to socialize with friend-starved travelers or outgoing locals. You can also pick up used copies of popular travel books for your next adventure.

Description:

Nestled in the old city is high-energy Khao San Road, famous for its reputation as a backpacker stomping ground. By day, the street feels rather quaint, with vendors selling comfortable clothes, regional crafts and trendy jewelry, but at nighttime the street brightens up with dozens of bars and clubs. Delicious, cheap street food is available at all times of the day and cobblestone alleys lead to CD stores and tailors. Khao San Road is also one of Bangkok's locales for affordable guesthouses and travel agents. The best way to tackle the street is to wander. Gems are lurking around every corner and meeting a character or two is guaranteed.

Our Local Expert Says:

Cheap Charlie's is the perfect place to start a night out in Sukhumvit. It's a very social setting, perfect for meeting new people, and the drinks are cheaper than almost any bar around.

Description:

Is it a bar or an alley? Who can be sure? A rope and marks on the pavement show where the fun begins at this standing-room only watering hole in Sukhumvit Soi 11. Decorated with loads of odd items from water buffalo skulls and tortoise shells to strings of colored lights, Charlie's is an eye-catcher. The drink prices live up to the name and this makes a great warm up for the pricey high-society Bed Supper Club down the street. Or better yet, skip the dress codes and just stay for the convivial crowd here. Street vendors and nearby restaurants can take care of your munchies. The BTS SkyTrain Nana station is just around the corner.

Our Local Expert Says:

Q Bar is the place to go to dance to the creations of top-notch DJs. They come from all over the world to spin at this famous club.

Description:

This is the second Q Bar to be opened by American photographer David Jacobson; the original was in Ho Chi Minh City. The lounge area contains plenty of black leather and open space for that social rendezvous, while the upstairs bar is the place to refresh those taste buds. Cocktail servings are huge. On 'Absolut Sundays' the specialties includes vodka cocktails. On 'Dictator Mondays' you will get a Havana cigar and an excellent Mojito.

Our Local Expert Says:

Bed Supper Club is one of Bangkok's most famed clubs. Due to its popularity among high-society Thais and foreigners, the cover charge is the steepest you'll find. To avoid paying the outrageous price, go for a late dinner first and just stick around.

Description:

This is one of the most unusual clubs you'll ever visit. Dubbed as a 'dining in bed experience', it is an amalgamation of a restaurant, club, art gallery, and theatre. The décor is stark white, which gives the place a zesty, futuristic look. At the restaurant, you can slip off your shoes and lie down. Dinner is served only once; so if you need to have some, make sure you arrive by 8:30p. On weekends, you can savor the four-course menu that serves up different food week after week. The bar has been creatively designed and looks exactly like the restaurant. Come here to lounge and enjoy the tunes of international DJs, such as Benjamin Diamond and Miguel Migs. If you're into hip-hop, then don't miss Tuesday nights.

Description:

If you are looking for a number of good entertainment outlets without a lot of time in between them, head to
Royal City Avenue or RCA. This private road near Rama IX (anyone passing through as a short cut pays a small fee) is a long collection of buildings, many of which house popular Thai clubs. This makes a good club hopping destination with some of the more popular establishments being Route 66, Overtone and 808. Taxi is your best bet for getting here.

Our Local Expert Says:

Although terribly crowded, Route 66 is one of the best clubs in Bangkok. Very popular among young, trendy Thais, it hosts some of the best DJs and live bands in town. No cover!!

Description:

Route 66 is divided into different wings, each blasting different music or featuring a live band. Animation and other visuals play on the walls and ceiling.

Description:

If by chance you can't dance, let the sound system in this place move you on its own. Located in the hip RCA entertainment zone, 808 Bangkok brings in some of the best international and local DJs which in turn bring in the young and stylish. Funky lighting puts a red tinge on the place and there is comfortable seating to the sides and in a mezzanine balcony overlooking the central dance floor. During the week catch hip hop, old school and house and expect big guests on the weekends. Sunday evenings mix up reggae, ska and dancehall.

Description:

Red Sky, Centara Grand Hotel's rooftop bar and restaurant, is a bit of a landmark. Two lighted arches morph through the colors of the rainbow along an open-air terrace on the 55th floor and are a conspicuous part of the downtown skyline. Red Sky serves a long list of cocktails with abundant martini options and wines from a two-story glass-enclosed wine cooler. Diners can choose from an air-conditioned indoor space (reservations required) or the open-air bar which offers excellent city views and some stars on a clear night. The menu offers some nice fish dishes, grilled meats and pasta. A smart casual dress code is enforced and prices are definitely upscale.

Our Local Expert Says:

The world's highest open-air restaurant

Description:

This is that moment you decide to splurge on a drink. Go 63 floors up over Bangkok to this open-air restaurant with its Skybar perched out over the edge. Sirocco, situated at The Dome at State Tower, gives a view that goes almost 360 degrees showing off the skyline and the Chao Phraya following its serpentine course. Drinks are good and pricey. A smart casual dress code is enforced. Make a reservation if you want to stay for dinner. Try to get here for sunset but expect people to line up at the bar early. Live jazz is commonly featured.

Description:

Located in the heart of the hip Thonglor neighborhood, Witch's Tavern has been around a long while. It is a serious pub with two floors of seating that packs in big crowds for the frequent live music. Bands range from jazz and blues to straight up rock. Jam sessions are held on Sunday nights. Guinness is on tap and a variety of Thai and International items are on the menu if you have the munchies. For less emphasis on music and more on food and drink, check out Witch's sister bar, Witch's Oyster Bar & Restaurant.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great perch overlooking Thonglor

Description:

This unusual hangout on the 4th floor at the popular J Avenue complex combines art and music with a full bar and lounge. Though Tease Gallery draws some of the hip players in Bangkok society such as rap star Joey Boy, the atmosphere is not stuffy and no one is turned away for their clothing selection. Drinks run in the 200-baht range and an outdoor balcony and reflecting pool with fish overlook Thonglor. What makes Tease Gallery so unusual, however, is that patrons are allowed to paint on canvases provided by the bar. Meanwhile a DJ sets a groovy mood that often moves the tables back for dance space by the end of the evening. Is it really a gallery? Well, guests have either bought their own paintings at the end of the night to take home or left them there to be sold. A few budding Picasos have earned some baht and a surprise phone call from the owners.

Description:

If you think you can down large amounts of beer and still have room for more, then you can test your strength at the Tawandang German Brewery. Each month an enormous quantity of around 40,000 liters of lager and other beers is brewed here. It also serves varied cuisines like Thai German and Chinese. Food is good, beer is better, but the live performances of local singers are the best. Bruce Gaston's Fong Nam Band regularly treats enthusiastic audiences with local and Western music. With Tawandang German Brewery's barrel like appearance and large quantities and varieties of beer, do ensure that you don't have to drive back home and book a cab in advance.

Our Local Expert Says:

Many people refer to this as a jazz club, but other genres are much more common.

Description:

Saxophone is a music-lover's hang out. The live music venue puts the band right at the center of the room for a very intimate setting with a mezzanine overlooking it all. Photos of jazz greats line the walls but jazz is hardly the only item on the music menu. Saxophone offers a lot of blues, rock and a popular local reggae band T-Bone every Friday. Thai food and some Western bar snacks are decent and the locals love the whiskey. The Saxophone Bar crowd is a good mix of foreigners and Thai, all focused on the music not on what you're wearing.