Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [141]
SAXOPHONE PUB & RESTAURANT
Map Pub/Restaurant
0 2246 5472; www.saxophonepub.com; 3/8 Th Phayathai, Ratchathewi; 6pm-1.30am; Victory Monument exit 4
Don’t leave town without a visit to this venerable music club. Whether you’re toasting distance from the band or perched in the 2nd-floor alcove, Saxophone’s intimate space draws the crowd into the laps of great jazz and blues musicians. The music changes each night – jazz during the week; rock, blues and beyond on weekends. Reggae-fusion sessions define Friday nights.
TAWAN DAENG GERMAN BREWHOUSE
Map Beer Hall/Pub
0 2678 1114; www.tawandaeng.co.th; 462/61 Th Narathiwat Ratchanakharin (cnr Th Phra Ram III), Greater Bangkok; 5pm-midnight; Chong Nonsi exit 2 & taxi
Despite its hangar-like girth, this Thai version of a Bavarian beer hall manages to pack ’em in just about every night. The Thai-German food is tasty, the house-made brews more than potable, and the nightly stage shows make singing along a necessity. Most people come for the Wednesday performance of Fong Nam (see Click here). Music starts at 8.30pm.
THREE SIXTY
Map Lounge Bar
0 2442 2000; 32nd fl, Millennium Hilton, 123 Th Charoen Nakhorn, Thonburi; 5pm-1am; Saphan Taksin exit 2 & hotel ferry
Feeling frustrated with Bangkok? A set or two of live jazz in this elegant glass-encased perch 32 floors above the city will help you forget some of your troubles, or at the very least, give you a whole new perspective on the city.
WINKS
Map Pub
0 2939 5684; cnr Soi 37, Th Phahonyothin, Greater Bangkok; 7pm-1am; Mo Chit exit 3 & taxi
Starting to wonder where the Thai people actually hang out? Join wannabe musicians, Kasetsart University students, the odd dah·rah (star) and any others who can’t be bothered with the Sukhumvit scene at this fun local boozer. The live bands aren’t quite as good as they are loud, but after a couple of drinks and some new friends, you’ll wish you could take the bar home with you.
WITCH’S TAVERN
Map Pub
0 2391 9791; 306/1 Soi 55 (Thong Lor), Th Sukhumvit; 6pm-1am; Thong Lo exit 3 & taxi
This spacious joint claims to be an English pub, but it’s closer to a hotel lobby geared toward down-to-earth Thai professionals. Jazz and folk bands start up around 8.30pm, and at 10.30pm the house cover band takes to the stage, accepting requests from the audience. Ballads get the biggest round of applause.
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CLUBBING
Fickleness is the reigning characteristic of the Bangkok club scene and venues that were pulling in thousands a night just last year are often only vague memories today. What used to be a rotating cast of hotspots has slowed to a few standards on the sois off Sukhumvit, Silom, Ratchadapisek and RCA (Royal City Ave), the city’s ‘entertainment zones’, which qualify for the 2am closing time. Most places don’t begin filling up until midnight and cover charges run as high as 600B and usually include a drink. You’ll need ID to prove you’re legal (20 years old); they’ll card even the grey hairs.
To keep the crowds from growing bored, clubs host weekly theme parties and visiting DJs that ebb and flow in popularity. To get an idea of current happenings around town, check out Dude Sweet (www.dudesweet.org), organisers of hugely popular monthly parties, the online mag Bangkok Recorder (www.bangkokrecorder.com), and local listings rags such as BK and the Bangkok Post’s Friday supplement, Guru.
70’S BAR
Map Club
0 2253 4433; 231/16 Th Sarasin, Lumphini; 6pm-1am; admission free; Ratchadamri exit 2
A tad too small to be a club proper, this retro-themed bar spins all the hits for Gen Y in the ultimate Me city. Like much of the strip, the clientele is mixed, but often verges on the pink side of the fence.
808
Map Club
0843 239 998; www.808bangkok.com;