Bangkok is made more manageable by taking the sprawling metropolis one district at a time. After seeing the city’s initial must-see tourist sites, it’s time to get local and discover what lies beyond its soaring skyscrapers and traffic-packed streets.
Our suggestion? Start getting to know Thonglor, one of Bangkok’s hippest neighbourhoods. When staying in the City of Angels, this is the place to see and be seen. Here’s where to go.
Art, Culture & Retail Therapy
You could easily spend several hours at The Commons on Soi Thonglor 17. The creative shopping, dining, community space offers a little something for everyone — it’s even dog-friendly. Make sure to stop in at the darling Plant House shop on the second floor to choose some letterpress greeting cards or an eclectic bouquet. Back down on the ground floor, sample your way around global cuisine or pick up artisanal groceries to go. This high-end food hall and market includes outlets of several popular local restaurants for easy eating. For a quick pick-me-up grab a cup of joe at Roots, a speciality coffee roaster, before you go.
More delicious brews and organic treats can be found at Patom, a glasshouse oasis situated on Soi Phrom Pak. Patom offers a range of certified organic and sustainable body care, drinks, desserts and fresh produce that can all be traced back to the source. At its cafe-cum-shop in Thonglor, an impressive spread of daily baked goods, prepared lunches in Thai bento containers and healthy drinks make it a perfect midday stop. Nibble on a snack while stocking up on organic lotions to take back home.
Men who want to dress the part of Thonglor’s elite will love browsing the couture apparel and high-end accessories at The Somchai. The epitome of cool, with an extra dash of class, the sophisticated store offers suit tailoring and custom footwear along with a handpicked selection of men’s accessories. There’s also a barber on the upper level to get a clean, close shave complete with Italian Antica Barbieria Colla products.
When ready for a dose of culture, the 5-storey Thonglor Art Space curates a variety of performing arts experiences, live screenings, exhibitions and workshops. Check their calendar when in town to see what’s on.
Dining Hotspots
The streets of Thonglor come alive as people get off work and scurry to their favourite restaurant or watering hole to start their evening. You won’t be at a loss for what to eat while in the fashionable neighbourhood — the problem is choosing where to try first!
A plethora of international restaurants flank Sukhumvit 55 and the surrounding sois, particularly when it comes to Japanese and upscale Thai cuisine. For traditional Thai meals with a modern twist, make your way to Soul Food Mahanakorn. The retro shophouse restaurant serves classic dishes with some distinctly different ingredients, like smoked duck larb and green peppercorn curry with pork cheeks. The cocktails here are a must-try too.
Supanniga Eating Room is another spot popular with both locals and foreigners thanks to its unique blend of eastern and southern Thai cuisine served with style. For a special treat, however, you can’t beat a meal at Bo.Lan. Run by a husband and wife chef team, Bo.lan is recognised as one of Asia’s leading restaurants and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2017. The charming restaurant serves traditional Thai dishes that focus on only the highest quality ingredients and flavour while also staying committed to a zero-carbon footprint. While a la carte dishes are available for lunch, only set sharing menus are served at dinner.
Beyond Thai cuisine, the fun and aptly named Funky Lam Kitchen serves flavour-packed Laotian dishes in a funky atmosphere. Here, your taste buds will come alive not only when sampling the standout flavours of Laotian cuisine, which is packed with spiciness, bitterness, saltiness and distinct umami, but the creative cocktails designed to beat some of the heat coming from the food. For a more European experience, El Tapeo, a Spanish eatery and wine bar, offers a casual setting from which to savour Spanish pintxos, small sharing plates and freshly prepared paella paired with excellent vintages.
Thonglor is also known as a hub for Japanese expats. To satisfy that sushi craving, head to Thonglor Soi 13 to find a cluster of Japanese izakaya and bars.
Cheers to the Night
In Thonglor, signature cocktails are the drink of choice with several highly popular cocktail bars sprinkled throughout the vicinity. The concoctions at Rabbit Hole place a premium on small-batch spirits and the bar’s own infusions with an extensive menu identifying drinks as Spirit Forward, Dry, Refreshing, Fragrant and Savoury.
You can also stop into two of the city’s most iconic cocktail bars, The Iron Fairies, a darkly whimsical bar known for its creator, Ashley Sutton’s, quirky design aesthetic (think steampunk meets, well, faires) and the hidden J. Boroski. Though unmarked, finding J.Boroksi is worth the search. Once instead the moody speakeasy, the bar’s expert mixologists will craft a custom cocktail based on your personal preferences — there’s no menu.
For those wanting to get out of the dark bars and into the night, Octave Rooftop Bar in the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit is the place to be. Beginning on the 45th floor then rising even higher into the sky, the colourful outdoor rooftop lounge is always bumping with live resident DJs. While the bar is designed to be casual but cool, sleeveless shirts for men and sportswear is not allowed so dress accordingly!
Thonglor Guide
See
Thonglor Art Space — thonglorartspace.com
Shop
The Commons — thecommonsbkk.com
Plant House — planthouse.co
The Somchai — thesomchai.com
Sip
Rabbit Hole — rabbitholebkk.com
The Iron Fairies — facebook.com/ironfairiesbkk
J.Boroski — So secret it doesn’t have a website. To find the bar, head down the small half-alley right before Thonglor Soi 7.
Octave Rooftop Bar — facebook.com/OctaveMarriott
Roots Coffee — rootsbkk.com
Savour
Soul Food Mahanakorn — soulfoodmahanakorn.com
Bo.lan — bolan.co.th
Funky Lam Kitchen — facebook.com/FunkyLamKitchen
Patom Organic — patom.com
Supanniga Eating Room — supannigaeatingroom.com
El Tapeo — eltapeobkk.com
