30 editor picks across Thailand.
30 bars worth the trip across Thailand, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Thailand guides.
BKK Social Club in Bangkok's Four Seasons Chao Phraya is Philip Bischoff's Argentine-influenced cocktail counter, Asia's 50 Best Bars No. 3 in 2023.
TipReservations recommended. Walk-in option at the bar counter; the Argentine-inspired Negroni list is the through-line.
Mahaniyom in Bangkok's Si Phraya is Backstage Bar veterans Neung Kanivichaporn and Janz Bhumichitr's ingredient-led cocktail room above restaurant 100.
TipReservations advised after 20:00. The Cow build (brandy and red wine with brown butter, blue cheese air and Thai mulberry) is the headline pour.
Baba Nest at Sri Panwa on Cape Panwa, Phuket's south-east tip, is a square rooftop deck ringed by an infinity pool, pouring sunset cocktails above the sea.
Vesper in Bangkok's Convent Road is the Italian-aperitivo cocktail counter on the ground floor of an art-deco shophouse, Asia's 50 Best Bars regular.
TipSit at the marble counter for the bartender's view of the Italian-vermouth menu. Open from 16:00 for early aperitivo.
Rabbit Hole in Bangkok's Thonglor is a three-floor speakeasy whisky bar with a hidden entrance, Asia's 50 Best Bars regular, dark wood and bookshelves.
TipLook for the unmarked door on Thonglor. Reservations recommended for the upstairs lounges; the bar counter takes walk-ins.
Teens of Thailand in Bangkok's Soi Nana Chinatown is the gin-led cocktail counter from Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, the room that kicked off the Soi Nana craft-bar.
TipLook for the unmarked timber door. Tuesday is the quieter night; weekends fill the standing room by 22:00.
The Bamboo Bar in Bangkok's Mandarin Oriental opened 1953 as the city's first cocktail and jazz bar, Asia's 50 Best Bars regular, with live jazz nightly.
TipLive jazz from 21:00; arrive by 20:30 for a table near the band. Dress code smart casual, no shorts or open shoes.
The Fool Speakeasy fills a renovated three-storey building in Phuket Old Town, a candlelit tarot-themed bar where guests draw a card to choose the cocktail.
Tep Bar in Bangkok's Soi Nana Chinatown is the Thai-spirit cocktail bar with live mor lam music nightly, opened 2014 with ya dong herbal infusions.
TipLive mor lam music Wed-Sun 21:00; arrive by 20:00 for a counter seat. Vegetarian-friendly bar snacks.
Q and A Bar in Bangkok's Asoke is the speakeasy cocktail counter behind an unmarked door, opened 2014 by Suwincha Singsuwan with a custom-build approach.
TipCounter seats turn faster than tables; book a table for groups of three or more. Music shifts from jazz to old-soul through the night.
A tiny jazz institution by the North Gate whose Tuesday open-jam spills onto the street, the heart of Chiang Mai's live-music scene for over a decade.
A serious Nimman cocktail bar run by Thai First-rate champion Earth, mixing precise seasonal drinks that draw the city's competition-bartender crowd.
Kee Sky Lounge in Phuket sits on floors six and seven of The Kee Resort in Patong, a rooftop bar near Bangla Road that stays quiet above the crowds.
Shhh. Phuket hides behind what looks like a working key-cutting shop on Thalang Road, an underground speakeasy of theatrical cocktails in Old Town.
Sky Bar at Lebua in Bangkok's State Tower is the open-air rooftop on the 64th floor over the Chao Phraya, since 2003 and famously from The Hangover Part II.
TipDress code is smart casual, no shorts or open-toe shoes. Sunset slot books out; arrive by 17:30 for the best skyline views.
A hidden dessert-cocktail speakeasy above a Nimman ice-cream shop, a dim little room mixing pudding-inspired drinks for those who find the unmarked door.
DOXA Skybar sits on a skywalk-linked platform above Fira Phuket at Kata Noi, a mixology rooftop run by head bartender Guilherme Valdivieso, Phuket.
Dibuk House is owner-bartender Wynn Chaokitiwut's cocktail bar on Dibuk Road in Old Town Phuket, its big windows facing a muralled building next door.
Little Tribe on Boat Avenue's second floor is a beach-toned gin bar with over 50 labels, from Thai craft botanicals to premium tonics, aimed at G&T drinkers.
A John Wick-themed speakeasy reached through a bookshelf up two quiet Nimman flights, a plush hidden room of classic cocktails and cinematic mystique.
The rooftop of the Akyra Manor hotel and the best sunset perch over Nimman, a sleek deck pouring classic cocktails and wines as Doi Suthep turns pink.
Zimplex Mixology Laboratory in Old Town treats each cocktail as a small theatrical build, part bar and part science lab, made and filmed at the counter.
Bebop Live Music Bar on VELA's second floor at Yaowarat and Phang Nga is Old Town Phuket's best-known jazz room, a piano and house band playing most nights.
Estrela Rooftop Bar & Restaurant crowns the Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra above Phuket Town, pouring wine and cocktails with sweeping town views.
TipHappy hour runs 16:30 to 18:00 with buy-one-get-one on selected drinks; the back of the rooftop looks over the sea to Koh Sirey and its temple.
A stylish low-lit lounge atop the Art Mai Gallery hotel, a Bangkok-speakeasy feel over Nimman drawing a mix of locals, expats and travellers most nights.
An Old City cocktail bar leaning into Lanna herbs and Thai spirits, a low-key Samlan Road room for locally rooted drinks near Wat Phra Singh.
Overgrown Lounge inside La Green Hotel in Cherngtalay, Phuket, is a jungle-toned cocktail room with velvet seating and an early happy hour on the list.
Ska Bar sits under a huge old tree where Kata Beach meets the rocks, a small reggae bar with tables on the sand and a fire show on some evenings.
360 Bar and Lounge at The Pavilions Phuket is an open-air wooden deck in the hills above Bang Tao and Layan, looking over a bamboo grove to the Andaman Sea.
TipThe bar is not reachable by car; a buggy takes guests up from the front of the hotel. Order from the signature tapas menu with Western and Asian touches.
A vintage-styled Nimman cocktail bar of leather and old maps, mixing well-made classics for a relaxed crowd escaping the louder clubs down the soi.
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