7 Alternative Rooftop Bars in Bangkok

Wanderlust bar follows Bangkok’s obsession for fake plastic grass so much that they’ve even slapped it on top of some of the tables – nice eye-candy for your Instagram followers, though maybe not so good for balancing that cocktail glass. Bright artwork covers the walls, while the rattan chairs and dangling light bulbs complete the hip student bar vibes.

Pub food like fish 'n’ chips, burgers and ribs are available alongside a modest choice of beers and cocktails. Find it on the 5th floor of the Nakiya Japanese Restaurant Building on Thonglor Soi 13.

This once-hidden gem is becoming more popular by the day, with the Khao San crowd gradually realising that you don’t have to travel across town to experience a decent rooftop bar. Views from the top are nice (you can see the impressive Rama VIII Bridge and Phra Sumera fortress) along with plenty of other perks.

The cute fake-grass lawn at the very top is a nice gimmick with some comfy floor seating, and an in-house band play local covers as the sun sets over the Old City. To find it, enter Fortville Guesthouse just around the corner from Phra Arthit Road and take what seems to be the world’s slowest elevator to the 5th floor.

This Thonglor favourite has a distinct Middle Eastern/Bollywood theme, with the décor, menu and never-ending supply of shisha all helping to create the exotic vibes. Most of the space is inside, with the large room offering comfy floor seating, tables designed specifically to fit the shisha pipes and, more importantly, air conditioning.

Move outside and you’ll actually realise this is a rooftop bar. The views from the 7th floor are good, looking towards the high rises of Sukhumvit in the distance. Desi Beats is part of the Opus Building on Thong Lor Soi 10, also home to the similar Bombay Blues Bar on the 3rd floor.

A short taxi jump from Sathorn, Sky Moon Bar & Bistro on top of the Vanilla Moon community mall is about as Thai as it gets. This means an almost exclusively local crowd, a menu full of local dishes, pretties refilling your glass, and bands playing indie covers. Views from the 10th floor are good if you grab a city-facing table, and the whole outside patio area makes a good spot for cocktails.

Venture inside, however, and things get a bit weird. The small room resembles a cheap nightclub, with tacky plastic seating, florescent cityscapes painted on the walls and an overall colour scheme that’s almost tear-inducing. That said, we still think it’s worth a visit if you’re looking for a fun, cheap place to drink where you won’t be surrounded by tourists.