Bars · Our pick in Bangkok
High in the clouds: the rise of Bangkok’s sky bars, the back story
The back story
About High in the clouds: the rise of Bangkok’s sky bars, the back story
Rooftop bars are a barometer of a city’s confidence. Bangkok’s building boom left a skyline of towers, and from the early 2000s their crowns became bars and restaurants: none more famous than Sky Bar, on the 64th floor of State Tower, which lebua puts at 247 m.
State Tower
The gilded dome of State Tower, where Silom Road meets the river, holds lebua’s Sky Bar on the 64th floor and, above it, Mezzaluna; below, Chef’s Table. The circular bar, glowing at the edge of the terrace, became one of the city’s images, helped by a cameo in a Hollywood comedy (lebua.com).
The new heights
King Power Mahanakhon, the pixelated tower by the BTS at Chong Nonsi, now crowns the skyline with an observation deck at 314 m and a glass-floored SkyWalk, open from 10am to midnight (the tower’s website). Further east, rooftops crown the hotels of Sukhumvit and Ploenchit.
Go up for sunset, then come down to the speakeasies of Charoen Krung and Thonglor.
Below the clouds
Some of the city’s best drinking happens closer to the street: The Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental, with live jazz since the hotel reopened in 1947; Tropic City and Vesper in the old lanes off Charoen Krung and Silom; Rabbit Hole in Thonglor; and Lennon’s, on the top floor of Rosewood, built around a wall of vinyl.
What to know
Rooftop bars have dress codes (no shorts or flip-flops in the smartest) and close in heavy rain. Thailand restricts the hours in which alcohol is sold, and bars may close on Buddhist holidays.
Our advice: book a sunset table at the top, then take a taxi to the riverside for cocktails at ground level.
Why it's on our list
- State Tower
- The new heights
- Below the clouds
- What to know
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with High in the clouds: the rise of Bangkok’s sky bars, the back story before you go.