Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [136]
Live, loud and sappy music, cheap and spicy food, good friends and cold beer: To-Sit epitomises everything a Thai university student could wish for on a night out. There are branches all over town (check the website), but the Siam Sq location has the advantage of being virtually the only option in an area that’s buzzing during the day but dead at night.
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WINE WHINGE
If you’re a frequent imbiber of wine back home, you may feel obligated to temporarily shelve the habit while in Thailand. Import wine is subject to a litany of taxes (import, alcohol and luxury among them), making it among the most expensive anywhere in the world. A bottle of retail wine in Thailand typically costs 400% of its sticker price back home, or up to 600% if you’re drinking in an upmarket restaurant. Even domestic wines are subject to many of the same taxes, making them only marginally cheaper than imported wines.
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BANGLAMPHU PUB CRAWL
The Th Khao San of today offers Bangkok’s greatest number and diversity of watering holes. Rather than be prescriptive, we’ve put together a do-it-yourself pub-crawl guide that points you in the direction of the neighbourhood’s best drinking options.
Start your crawl with dinner and/or sunset drinks along Th Phra Athit. For Chao Phraya views try Old Phra Arthit Pier (Map; 0 2282 9202; 23 Th Phra Athit; 11am-midnight), an attractive wooden lounge-like bar and an open-air deck with intermittent views of the river, or Aquatini (Map; 0 2280 9955; 45/1 Th Phra Athit; 6.30am-1am), the riverside restaurant at Navalai River Resort.
From Th Phra Athit, turn into Soi Chana Songkhram where you begin Phase Two of your crawl: people-watching. Gecko Bar (Map; cnr Soi Chana Songkhram & Soi Rambutri; 6pm-1am) is a frugal and fun place to gawk at other patrons and passers by, or you can head over to Th Khao San where Center Khao Sarn (Map; 0 2282 4366; 80-84 Th Khao San; 24hr) offers front-row views of the human parade. Slightly cheaper are the two draught Singha stalls (Th Khao San; 4pm-midnight) along Th Khao San. For an entirely different perspective, the views from Roof Bar (Map; 0 2629 2301; 3rd fl, 183-185 Th Khao San; 7pm-1am) cannot be beaten.
If you’d rather listen than watch, a live acoustic soundtrack sets the pace at the numerous open-air pubs on Th Rambutri such as Molly Bar (Map; 0 2629 4074; 108 Th Rambutri; 8pm-1am), Suksabai (Map; 0 2629 0298; 96 Th Rambutri; 24hr) and Barlamphu (Map; 0 2282 2149; Th Rambutri; 11am-2am).
At this point you’re probably going to need a short blast of air-con, and Mulligans (Map; 0 2629 4477; 1st fl, Buddy Lodge, 265 Th Khao San; 8am-midnight), a tidy Irish-themed bar, hits the spot.
It’s now time to plant yourself at a proper bar for a while, and Hippie de Bar (Map; 0 2629 3508; 46 Th Khao San; 3pm-2am) boasts a great soundtrack and several levels of fun, both indoor and outdoor. If you prefer your music live, you could try Ad Here the 13th (opposite) for blues, or Brick Bar (opposite), for Thai pop and raucous ska. Alternatively, you could escape the Th Khao San scene altogether and cross Th Ratchadamnoen Nai to drink with artsy/indie Thai-types at Taksura, Phranakorn Bar or Lollipop.
If 1am is too early to call it a night, crawl over to Gazebo, a rooftop lounge and disco that stays open until morning.
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TUBA
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2622 0708; 30 Soi 21, Soi 63 (Ekamai), Th Sukhumvit; 6pm-2am; Ekkamai exit 1 & taxi
Used-furniture shop by day, Italian restaurant-bar by night. Oddly enough, this business formula is not entirely unheard of in Bangkok. Pull up a leatherette lounge and take the plunge and buy a whole bottle for once. And don’t miss the delicious chicken wings.
VINO DI ZANOTTI
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2636 3811; 41 Soi Yommarat, Lumphini; 5pm-midnight; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 4
A branch of the nearby Italian institution of the same name, Vino keeps it casual with a wine cellar–like atmosphere, a huge wine list and lots of delicious nibbles. A jazz quartet keeps diners