Bangkok after dark: craft cocktails, drag shows and underground sounds

Bangkok’s nightlife reflects just how dynamic the city truly is. Whether you want to sip cocktails 50 floors up, dive into Asia’s liveliest LGTBIQ+ scene or explore the indie music scene, the Thai capital has an eclectic mix of venues that cater to every taste, budget and style.

Here’s our pick of must-visit spots when the sun goes down and the neon flickers on in Bangkok.

1. Mahaniyom

Best for craft cocktails with a Thai twist
Opening days/times: Tue-Sun, 5pm-midnight
Neighborhood: Charoenkrung

Ranked number 18 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2024, Mahaniyom is an essential destination for anyone looking to explore Bangkok’s dynamic cocktail scene. The bar team expertly riffs on Thai flavors, often focusing on a single ingredient and exploring it in multiple creative ways – an approach that has earned accolades for sustainability, too. Think dried squid and squid ink in a savory mescal-based drink, or brandy and red wine combined with browned butter, beef fat and blue cheese foam. The cocktails are inventive, the design visually stunning and the experience a must for all fans of good drinks.

2. The Stranger Bar

Best for drag shows and a LGBTIQ-friendly space
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 5pm-1am (or later)
Neighborhood: Silom

Led by Chakgai Jermkwan, aka Drag Race Thailand alum M Stranger Fox, this raucous nightclub is all about letting your hair down and having fun. The Stranger Bar puts on high-octane drag shows starting at 10pm each night – now in a larger space at the end of Silom Soi 4, the heart of Bangkok’s LGTBIQ+ district. The move to new digs has nearly quadrupled the size of the venue without sacrificing the cheeky, close-up performances that put it on the map in the first place, and it remains a safe space for everyone to let loose. If you’ve never experienced drag, The Stranger Bar is a great place to do it.

3. Jack’s Bar

Best for riverside vibes with zero frills
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 11am-11:30pm
Neighborhood: Riverside / Sathorn

This ramshackle dive bar has become a riverside institution. There are absolutely no frills here. The seating is cheek-by-jowl, the wood beams groan beneath you and you’re going to sweat. But there’s something about sitting beside the Chao Phraya River with a cold beer or glass of wine and watching the boats go by that’s hard to beat. No other riverside bar offers the same combination of location (beside the Shangri-La hotel), affordability (drinks start at about US$3) and energy (a jolly mix of expats, travelers and locals). Plus, the food – especially bites like larb moo tod (deep-fried pork balls) – is great.

4. Sing Sing Theater

Best for clubbing and creative shows
Opening days/times: Tue-Sun, 9pm-2am
Neighborhood: Sukhumvit

Among Bangkok’s crowded cast of nightclubs, Sing Sing stands out for its creativity. The decor, for starters, is one-of-a-kind, with an opium den aesthetic awash in dark reds and carved wood accents. In the center of the space, an imperial staircase leads down to the DJ decks and dance floor. From here, women clad in qipao regularly swing above the party pit, where Bangkok’s beautiful people come out to play all week long. This unique design sets the tone for immersive themed parties and performances – including burlesque – and eclectic DJ sets, ranging from house and EDM to hip-hop and global beats.

5. Octave Rooftop Lounge & Bar

Best for sweeping rooftop views
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 5pm-2am
Neighborhood: Sukhumvit / Thonglor

Bangkok has no shortage of rooftop bars, and choosing the right one to spend your time and money at often feels daunting. For a sure-fire thing, head to Octave. Occupying floors 45 to 49 atop the Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, the bar offers panoramic views over the posh Thonglor district, plus good cocktails, wines and light bites. When the sun sets, DJs keep the party going until late on the top level. Octave tends to be more relaxed than other rooftop bars, too, so you can leave your suit jacket at home.

6. Saxophone Pub

Best for live blues, jazz and more
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 6pm-2am
Neighborhood: Victory Monument

Since 1987, this hole-in-the-wall by Victory Monument has belted out live blues, jazz and rock and roll. But Saxophone isn’t just one of Bangkok’s oldest music venues. It’s also one of its best. Three or four acts take the stage each night, with a rotating line-up that includes ska master T-Bone and jazz maestros Koh Mr. Saxman and the Takeshi Band. The two-floor space is small, and the best seats on the ground floor go fast, so book ahead. Come hungry, too. While the cocktails are nothing to write home about, dishes like yam pla duk foo (crispy fried catfish with mango salad) and German-style pork knuckle are great.

7. United Peoples Brewery

Best for Thai-made craft beer
Opening days/times: Tue-Sun, 5pm-11:30pm
Neighborhood: Nonthaburi / Chatuchak

Brewing beer in Thailand is not easy. Until early 2023, small-scale brewing was criminalized. Even now, only a few lucky brewmasters have received licenses to do it. Despite the odds, the United Peoples Brewery – or UPB, a collective of former home-brewers based in Nonthaburi, just north of the Chatuchak district – have built a base for Thai beer that continues to grow and improve. UPB offers 12 beers on tap, most of which are brewed on site. IPAs, wheat beers, mead, stouts, sours and more – you’ll find a little of everything, including the occasional collaboration beer made by Thai and foreign brewers.

8. Studio Lam

Best for Thai and world music
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 6pm-2am
Neighborhood: Thonglor

Founded by legendary DJ, record store owner and musician Maft Sai, this unique bar has become the city’s hub for all music that exists outside the mainstream. Every night is dedicated to different sounds from around the world, ranging from funk, jazz and disco to live molam – roots music from the Thai and Lao countryside. Check the weekly schedule on Studio Lam’s Instagram page for upcoming shows and join Bangkok’s underground crowd necking bottles of cold Beerlao and cocktails made with ya dong (Thai herb-infused liqueurs) on the dance floor.

9. De Commune

Best for indie shows and vinyl nights
Opening days/times: Thursday-Monday: 6pm-2am
Neighborhood: Khao San

This club devoted to all things underground has moved and evolved over the years. At its latest location on Phra Sumen Road, around the corner from backpacker haven Khao San, its indie spirit feels right at home. De Commune hosts live acts that range from legendary Thai ska-reggae band Srirajah Rockers and dream-pop quartet Yonlapa to international acts like Alice Phoebe Lou. Its stage set-up is compact, but the sound system and lighting are great, promising intimate shows and remarkably high quality. If you want to tune into what’s going on in Thailand’s indie scene, this is the place to go.