Good piece in the Guardian today.
Top 10 Bangkok bars
Whether you prefer a cold Chang beer or a shot of Thai whiskey, China Williams raises a glass to some of Bangkok's finest drinking spots
- <LI class=byline>China Williams <LI class=publication>Guardian Unlimited
- Thursday November 15 2007
Hit the roof ... Sirocco Sky Bar's vertigo-inducing views
After you've tired of Bangkok's temples, revive yourself through the 'spirit'-ual side of the city at these quintessential watering holes.
1. Sirocco Sky Bar
Of the rooftop bars that crown the city,
Sirocco's perch is truly breathtaking. An outdoor staircase seemingly ascends into the heavens and arrives at an open-air deck divided into an outdoor restaurant on one side and the Sky Bar on the other. The oval-shaped bar juts out over the edge of the building with barely a barrier to separate the imbibers from the street some 800ft below.
· + 66 (0) 2 624 9555; The Dome at State Tower, 1055 Silom Road; entry free
2. Cheap Charlie's
It is generous to call Cheap Charlie's a bar since it doesn't have a bathroom or a front door. Despite this, it is easy to see its virtues. First, there's the seedy setting amid Sukhumvit's massage parlours. Then there's the bar itself: just a shack, a few loaves bigger than a bread box. Seating is in the street on bar stools that must be moved should a car need to pass. And finally Cheap Charlie's delivers on its name, with cheap beers.
· No telephone; Soi 11, off of Sukhumvit Road; entry free
3. Phra Nakorn Bar
No one needs to tell you that Khao San Road is one of Bangkok's most enduring parties. But within stumbling distance of the famous street is a favourite chill-out spot for Bangkok university students. The bar occupies a four-storey building hosting music or art shows and is topped with a roof terrace overlooking the gleaming hilltop stupa of Wat Saket.
· + 66 (0) 2 222 0282; 58/2 Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, off of Ratchadamnoen Road; entry free
4. Water Bar
Head out to the outskirts of town and you'll find the original Thai cocktail at this creatively named bar — though you'll no doubt be swimming back. Each table orders a "whiskey set", which includes a bottle of Thai whiskey, Coke, soda water and ice. The waitress then fills the glasses to the tables' preference: most accomplished drinkers request two fingers of whisky, a splash of Coke, the rest soda water. A toast is offered up, ice cubes are liberally added and no one leaves thirsty.
· + 66 (0) 2 642 7699; 107/3-4 Rangnam Road; entry free
5. Molly Bar
It isn't your fault if you never migrate far off Khao San Road. A portion of the city's drinking population has battled traffic to get here, so why leave? Over on nearby Rambutri Road is this convivial spot where patrons settle into low-slung wooden armchairs in the outdoor courtyard and enjoy a post-beach afterglow. On the weekends, the colonial-style building is packed with young Thais who come to liquefy their hard-earned baht. Live bands work the crowd into a sweaty singalong.
· No telephone; Rambutri Road; entry free
6. Telephone
Old-fashioned telephones, looking more like furniture than handsets, adorn each table at this beloved
gay bar. These nifty table accessories are wired to each other and allow patrons to flirt with one another from the comfort of their bar stools. Should the line go dead, head to the outdoor patio and watch the honed bodies, she-men and other night creatures.
· + 66 (0) 2 234 3279; 114/11-13 Soi 4 off of Silom Road; entry free
7. Tawandaeng
A peculiar combination of cosmopolitan provincialism, this barnlike beer hall mixes a menu of German-style beer and sausages with Asian-style stage shows. The huge space is always packed with locals, mostly the middle-aged of the middle class, and the song-and-dance routines are undiluted Thai.
· + 66 (0) 2 678 1114; 462/61 Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road at the corner of Th Phra Ram III; entry free
8. Santika
It is hard to keep up with Bangkok's beautiful people: by the time a popular club gets translated into English, the Benzs and BMWs have made their getaway. But the kingdom's political uncertainty has kept the rich and famous parked in front of this sprawling club divided into various chambers dedicated to radio rap, live bands or DJs and a chill-out terrace.
· + 66 (0) 2 711 5886; 235/11 Soi 63/Ekkamai off of Sukhumvit Road; entry free
9. Raintree Pub
The arrival of the London-style lounge catapulted Bangkok into global party circles, but as the new millennium grinds on, these once chic clubs look more like remedies for homesickness. Instead, embrace this foreign land at this Thai "country" bar. Decorated with driftwood and buffalo horns, Raintree hosts bands playing "songs for life" classics, a rock protest movement born during the previous (but not most recent) military coup.
· + 66 (0) 2 245 7230; 116/63-64 Soi Rangnam, off Phahon Yothin Road.
10. Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Every voyage abroad requires a visit to the resident grand dame. In Bangkok, the stately Oriental Hotel occupies this position, having hosted famous steamship travellers to modern jetsetters. The riverside patio is a gracious date for sunset cocktails and the Bamboo Bar mixes a fine combination of colonial romanticism and tinkling ivories.
· + 66 (0) 2 659 9000; Soi 38/Oriental, Charoen Krung Road; entry free
Top 10 Bangkok bars | Travel | Guardian Unlimited
I've been to Cheap Charlies loads and it's great. The Water Bar is kinda ok but nothing special and the Raintree is pretty boring unless you like Issan music.
I'm not sure where Molly bar is? Maybe the place on the right at the foot of Rambuttri?? Never been to Phra Nakorn either. Tawandeng gets a mention though....doesn't deserve it though...it's not even a bar is it??
Walked past the Telephone bar on the way to Noreigas many times wondering which of the old boys in there was our TC
