Nightlife · Khaosan Road & Bangkok Old Town
24 well-known bars within about 5 km of Khao San Road, Bangkok: backpacker and live-music bars, Old City rooftops, and the Chinatown cocktail bars on Soi Nana. Details are paraphrased from travel and nightlife guides.
A mix of backpacker favourites, relaxed jazz spots and riverside cocktail bars.
Busy bar with regular live music and outdoor roadside seating in a white colonial-style building; popular with local students.
Basement live-music bar under Buddy Lodge Hotel, known for ska and Thai pop covers. Locals often outnumber tourists; weekends get crowded. Entry often includes a free drink coupon.
Relaxed, hard-to-find bar with retro 1980s-style music and decor, popular with Thais and visitors alike.
Red building with Indian motifs: curry, board games, a DJ playing Bollywood tracks and a rooftop terrace with shisha.
Four-story shophouse with a ground-floor bar, an art gallery and studio, and a candlelit rooftop. Drinks are priced for students.
Casual fifth-floor rooftop bar at ChingCha Bangkok Hostel, named after the Giant Swing that is visible below.
Small, lively blues bar with talented musicians, cheap beer and walls covered in record sleeves. Musicians usually start around 8 pm.
Dimly lit jazz bar with more than 20 years of history, moving into jazz-pop, funk, soul and R&B later at night. Closed Mondays.
Casual jazz spot started by lecturers from nearby Silpakorn University, serving Thai food and bar snacks.
Hidden craft cocktail bar reached through a heavy gate and a dim stairway to the third floor, in a small alley beside Brown Sugar. The menu changes monthly and uses local ingredients.
Low fifth-floor rooftop facing Wat Arun across the river, with Wat Pho behind. Best at sunset. Signature and classic cocktails and mocktails plus light bites. Open daily 4-10:30 pm per one listing.
Small, simple fifth-floor rooftop with a few tables and a quiet mood, facing the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew across the water. Reached by ferry from Tha Chang or on foot from Wang Lang Market.
32nd-floor rooftop with wide Chao Phraya views at sunset, next to ICONSIAM and often less crowded than expected.
Large 27th-floor terrace with plenty of seating, including sofas near the edge, overlooking the river across from Asiatique.
Shophouse bar behind a large wooden door with almost 80 gin drinks that change daily. One listing says it has been on Asia's 50 Best Bars several times.
Restored shophouse with Thai-fruit cocktails, house-infused Thai herbal whiskey, Thai tapas and nightly traditional Central Thai music.
Tucked-away drinking spot focused on exotic and foraged Thai ingredients, from the team behind Teens of Thailand.
Retro Hong Kong look with Chinese-style neon signage and an open front, known for Chinese-inspired cocktails.
Dark wood and vintage decor with jazz piano and craft beers at low prices.
Plant-filled rooftop with fairy lights and garden-themed cocktails, plus international dishes.
Upstairs cocktail bar above Potong restaurant, reached by a small elevator from the restaurant, which sits in an old pharmacy. Ranked No. 25 on Asia's 50 Best Bars (2026 list).
Tucked-away spot with strong tropical drinks, DJ nights and rum flights.
Slowly rotating top-floor venue with views toward the Chao Phraya and live piano.
Hotel bar at Anantara Siam, known for its 'Potions of the Garden' menu. A new entry at No. 48 on Asia's 50 Best Bars (2026).
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