Rooftop Bars and Skyline Views in Bangkok
A visual guide from the Bangkok travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
Bangkok has more open-air bars above the fiftieth floor than almost anywhere else in Asia, largely because its hotel towers were built tall and its evenings stay warm enough to sit outside all year. The view changes character by district. From Sathorn you look down the river and across a forest of condominium towers; from Thonglor the skyline sits at a distance with the Sukhumvit corridor glittering below. Arrive around half past five, take the sunset, and stay on while the lights come up across the city.
Which rooftop
Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree on Sathorn is the purist's choice, 61 floors up with no glass and the wind included. Sky Bar at lebua sits beneath the gold dome at the top of State Tower and has the strongest river view along with the largest crowd. Octave at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, at the mouth of Thonglor, spreads over three levels with a full circuit at the top. For height alone, the MahaNakhon SkyBar on the 78th floor is generally reckoned the country's highest. Newer and livelier options include Tichuca on Sukhumvit 40, with its glowing canopy, and Cielo out at Phra Khanong.
How to do it well
Most hotel rooftops enforce a dress code after dark, ruling out shorts, vests and open shoes for men, and some refuse sandals outright. Cocktails at the marquee places typically run several hundred baht, with the newer Sukhumvit and Phra Khanong bars noticeably cheaper. Sunset falls somewhere between six and seven depending on the month, so aim to be seated an hour beforehand for a good table, and book at weekends. Rain closes open decks with very little notice during the monsoon, so keep an indoor plan. Attitude at Avani+ across the river is the place to photograph the skyline itself.