Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [128]
Saxophone Pub & Restaurant (Map; 0 2246 5472; 3/8 Th Phayathai; Skytrain Victory Monument) This nightlife staple is the big stage of Bangkok’s live music scene. It’s a bit too loud for a first date, but the quality and variety of the music makes it a great destination for music-loving buddies on a night out.
Raintree (Map; 0 2245 7230; 116/63-64 Soi Ruam Mit, Th Rang Nam; Skytrain Victory Monument) This atmospheric pub is one of the few remaining places in town to hear ‘songs for life’, Thai folk music with roots in the communist insurgency of the 1960s and ’70s.
Ad Here the 13th (Map; 13 Th Samsen; river ferry Tha Phra Athit) Beside Khlong Banglamphu, Ad Here is everything a neighbourhood joint should be: lots of regulars, cold beer and heart-warming tunes delivered by a masterful house band starting at 10pm. Everyone knows each other, so don’t be shy about mingling.
Tawan Daeng German Brewhouse (Map; 0 2678 1114; cnr Th Phra Ram III & Th Narathiwat Ratchanakharin) It’s Oktoberfest all year round at this hangar-sized music hall. The Thai-German food is tasty, the house-made brews are entirely potable, and the nightly stage shows make singing along a necessity. Music starts at 8.30pm; take a taxi.
Brown Sugar (Map; 0 2250 1825; 231/20 Th Sarasin; Skytrain Ratchadamri) Plant yourself in a corner of this cosy, mazelike pub, and bump to Zao-za-dung, the nine-piece house band. The tables are so close that you can’t help but make new friends.
Bamboo Bar (Map; 0 2236 0400; Oriental Hotel, 48 Soi Oriental/38, Th Charoen Krung; river ferry Tha Oriental) The Oriental’s Bamboo Bar is famous for its live lounge jazz, which holds court inside a colonial-era cabin of lazy fans, broad-leafed palms and rattan decor.
Dance Clubs
Bangkok’s discos are largely fly-by-night outfits, and that really fun club you found on your last trip two years ago is most likely history today. To find out what is going on, check Dude Sweet (www.dudesweet.org), organisers of hugely popular monthly parties, and Bangkok Recorder (www.bangkokrecorder.com) for rotating theme nights and visiting celeb DJs.
Cover charges for clubs and discos range from 250B to 600B and usually include a drink. Don’t even think about showing up before 11pm, and always bring ID. Most clubs close at 2am. You’ll see more Thais out on the town at the beginning of the month (pay day) than other times.
Tapas Room (Map; 0 2234 4737; 114/17-18 Soi 4, Th Silom; Skytrain Sala Daeng, Metro Silom) You won’t find food here, but the name is an accurate indicator of the Spanish/Moroccan-inspired vibe of this multilevel den. Come Thursday to Saturday when the combination of DJs and live percussion brings the body count to critical level.
Club Culture (Map; 0 89497 8422; Th Sri Ayuthaya; 7pm-late Wed, Fri & Sat; Skytrain Phayathai) Housed in a unique 40-year-old Thai-style building, Club Culture is the biggest and quirkiest recent arrival on Bangkok’s club scene. Come to shake to internationally recognised DJs and the most-touted system in town.
Glow (Map; 0 2261 3007; 96/4-5 Soi 23, Th Sukhumvit; Skytrain Asoke, Metro Sukhumvit) Glow is a small venue with a big reputation. Boasting a huge variety of vodkas and a recently upgraded sound system, the tunes range from hip-hop (Fridays) to electronica (Saturdays), and just about everything in between.
Nung-Len (Map; 0 2711 6564; 217 Soi Ekamai/63; Skytrain Ekamai) Young, loud and Thai, Nung-Len (literally ‘sit and chill’) is a ridiculously popular sardine tin of live music and uni students on popular Th Ekamai. Make sure you get in before 10pm or you won’t get in at all.
Bed Supperclub (Map; 0 2651 3537; www.bedsupperclub.com; 26 Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; Skytrain Nana) This illuminated tube has been a literal highlight of the Bangkok club scene for a good while now. Arrive early to squeeze in dinner (Click here), or if you’ve only got dancing on your mind, come on Tuesday for the popular hip-hop nights.
Soi 11 is now also home to longstandingQ Bar (Map; 0 2252 3274; Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; Skytrain Nana) and newer