The Top Ten Pubs in Bangkok

The Top Ten Pubs in Bangkok

Image sourced from creativecommons.org

There is some debate regarding just how long there have been any actual ‘pubs’ in Thailand, as there are often distinct differences between what might be considered ‘pubs’ and what might otherwise loosely be as termed ‘bars’ in the country.

However, with regard to western-style pubs, some of the more established ones have been operating somewhere in the region of between 10 and 30 years, although some are deemed to have popped up long before that during the post-Vietnam ‘boom’ era when many expats and foreign businessmen first started settling in the Thai capital.

And while some of the longer-standing establishments may well have undergone any number of revamps throughout their operating years, many, newer versions and takes on the pub theme have also continuously appeared in Bangkok over the last few decades or so.

Image by photogoddle sourced from wikimedia commons

These have included Irish bars, Sports bars, Aussie-style grill bars, etc., etc., (as well as a growing range of wine bars) until pretty much the full range of pub experiences has become available in the busy Thai capital.

Although the majority of western-themed public houses have usually, more often than not been found in what might be considered ‘expat’ or at least tourist areas, in recent years the Thais themselves have increasingly embraced the cozy pub theme idea.

This can be seen most obviously in young and trendy areas like Thong Lor on the Sukhumvit Road, which is usually the haunt of affluent young Thais in search of fine cuisine, cafes, and wine bars. But now you can find a growing range of pubs with names like ‘The Old English Pub’ and ‘The Beer Belly’ (both featured in this article), as crowds of more internationally-inclined Thais embrace the idea alongside tourists and expats.

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So in the following guide to what might loosely be termed ‘The Top Ten Pubs in Bangkok’ is included a range of slightly differing takes on some of the older and more recent pub establishments that have come to be in the city. Read on and enjoy…

1. The Huntsman

The Huntsman is one of the top established Bangkok pubs, offering something in the way of a welcome reminder of a traditional British pub atmosphere to many an expat or stressed-out tourist.

This Bangkok pub is easily found in the central city area of Nana, on the Sukhumvit Road, just a short walk from the Nana BTS station. It exudes something close to an authentic pub atmosphere, or at least as close to one as you are likely to get in Bangkok.

The Huntsman is a busy establishment well-known for its draught beer, cocktails, and authentic pub food along the lines of Fish & Chips and Steak & Kidney Pie, as well as its Sunday lunch and carvery, which often features special deals such as ‘2 eat, 2 eat free’.

Like most of Bangkok’s pubs and bars, you will likely find most top sporting events being shown live on the venue’s large screen TVs, along with live music performed of an evening by the pub’s house band.

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The Huntsman is a cozy and casual alternative to the heat and humidity of the city, although certainly not one of the cheapest options as it is located in the basement of a top five-star hotel, The Landmark.

Address: The Landmark Bangkok Hotel, 138 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110

Phone: 02 254 0404

BTS: NANA

2. The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is another one of the most popular and established pubs in Bangkok, and is renowned for its great food, entertainment and atmosphere, that has about it a typically ‘British’ feel.

This top Bangkok pub has been offering great service, food, and beverages for more than 2 decades, and has something in the way of an authentic, classic British pub feel. It is also a Bangkok pub that caters to much of the expat community, although its British-style hospitality is open to all-comers.

The Royal Oak’s manager is actually British, which might go some way to explaining the actual pub atmosphere and experience, which includes quiz nights and all other manner of activities for willing participants. Live sport and entertainment are also on offer alongside a very traditional-style pub menu.

Address: 595/10 Sukhumvit 33/1 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110

Menu and Reservations: royaloakthailand.com

Phone: 02 662 1650

3. The Old English Pub

The Old English pub in the trendy Thong lor area of Bangkok is one of the fairly recent additions to the city’s pub scene. Thong lor is traditionally more renowned among locals as a hip hangout area with a wide range of restaurants, wine bars and cafes.

But in recent years a few more traditional pub-style establishments have appeared and grown in popularity in this section of the city, with The Old English Pub being one of the prime examples.

This Pub is located just a short distance from the BTS station at Thong lor, and is a popular choice for tourists, locals and expats alike – anyone looking for a more authentic pub in experience in this high-end region of the city.

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The pub’s opening hours might vary somewhat compared to other establishments, with doors usually opening at 3pm until midnight, every day. The usual array of live sporting events and pub fayre are available, and this place does tend to be quite busy on weekends.

Address: The Maze Thonglor, Ground Floor, Room LG-05 148, Thonglor Rd, Klongton Nua, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Social Media: facebook.com

Reservations and information: oldenglishpubbangkok.com

Phone: 02 392 3361

BTS: Thonglor

4. The Beer Belly

Another of Thong lor’s recent additions to the more traditional-style pub establishment, The Beer Belly confers an expansive range of beers which includes 20 on tap, from local brands to imported craft brews.

This place comprises a trendy, ‘East-meets-West’ vibe which can be seen from some of the cuisine on offer like pork wontons alongside barbecue ribs. With traditional pub-style bar seating as well as outdoor tables and chairs, the larger indoor spaces offer opportunities for games like jenga and chess, available on the house, for willing participants.

Address: 72 Sukhumvit 55 Thonglor, Unit 4-6, G floor at 72 Courtyard Klongton Nua, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 11 am – 12 am

Information: www.72courtyard.com/brands/beer-belly

Reservations: lin.ee

Phone: 02 392 77970

5. The Londoner

Image by calfflier001 sourced from wikimedia commons

The Londoner Brew Pub is another top English-style pub & restaurant and is one of the oldest in Bangkok. The pub is comprised of an English pub-type bar, and there is also a bistro section with its own style of décor.

This place offers a range of both Thai and European cuisine, and to give some idea of the extent of the menu, there are almost 20 vegetarian options alone to choose from.

The large screen TVs cover all manner of sporting events, and The Londoner is the kind of place where you could just as well drop in for tea or coffee, or a snack, if you didn’t fancy an alcoholic drink.

 Hours: 11.00 am – 12.00 am (Monday – Friday) and 09.00 am – 12.00 am (Saturday – Sunday).

 Address: 1178 Pattanakarn Road Kwaeng Suan Luang 10250

Information and Menu: the-londoner.com

Reservations: the-londoner.com, chope.co

Phone: 02 022 8025

6. The Robin Hood

In a great location in city-central Bangkok, right next in fact to the BTS Phrom Phong station, is another well-established British-style boozer.

The Robin Hood, which is also directly opposite to one of Bangkok’s stunning city parks (Benjasiri), has all the delights of a typical pub experience on the menu such as Bodingtons on tap, giant racks of barbecue ribs, and full-on English breakfasts.

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Like many of the other pubs that cater to visiting foreigners and expats, you can flick through a range of Newspaper photocopies of The Sun, The Daily Mail and such like. Of course, any big match or other sporting event will likely be showing on a large screen TV in prime sight.

Address: 597/1-3 P.B Building 33/1 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 9 AM – 12 AM

Phone: 02 662 3390

BTS: Phrom Pong

7. The Sportsman

The Sportsman Bar and Restaurant is one of the best of a variety in the Nana area of the Sukhumvit Road. Established quite recently compared to some of the others, The Sportsman shows all major sports events on the big screen, and has 6 separate viewing areas which makes it possible  for up to 20 different sports to be viewed.

This gives some indication of the size of this establishment, which has over 30 staff and 6 chefs, as well as a western manager. The range of beers on offer is also quite substantial, and includes Craft beers, Irish beers such as Guinness and Kilkenny, German and Belgian beers, Brew Dog Punk IPA, Magners, and of course all the local beers that you could imagine.

Expect a full house during happy hour, which runs every day from 12 noon till 7 pm.

Address: 10 22 Soi Sukhumvit 13, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 7 am-12 am

Tel: 02 168 7241

BTS: Nana

Image sourced from pexels.com

8. The Kiwi Sports Pub & Grill

Another large pub in the vibrant middle Sukhumvit area somewhere in the region between Nana and Asok, The Kiwi Sports Pub & Grill is an inviting destination for both expats and tourists, and especially those looking for something of an Aussie-style pub experience.

The pub actually moved from its original premises to a somewhat smaller establishment just down the road to Soi Preeda, the first Soi 8 side street in the approach from Sukhumvit Road.

Apparently though, the ‘new Kiwi’ has proved to be even more popular, and is famous with many for being slightly more laid back than some of the other Bangkok sports-themed pubs. Naturally it is a favourite for some of the big NRL and Super Rugby matches, but it is not entirely devoid of its fair share of couples and families who come for the Sunday Roast.

The Kiwi has the obligatory huge TV screens which convey a wide range of sports, usually from the New Zealand and Australian regions, but not strictly confined to that.

With an opening time of 7 am, the Kiwi’s hard-core customers are able to catch NFL games live, and as it is also open until late, the Premier League matches from England are also on show.

Address: 4/4-5 Soi Preeda, Soi Sukhumvit 8, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 7 am-12 am

Menu: facebook.com

Phone: 02 653 3144

9. The Saxophone Pub

The Saxophone Pub & Restaurant is an established Bangkok Jazz & Blues Pub. In fact, it has been considered as, one of the best Jazz and Blues venues in Thailand for the last 25 years or so that it has been open.

The venue has won the ‘Best  Pub in Thailand’ Award before ( from UK Metro Magazine), as well as ‘Best Pub in Asia’ by Asiaxpat.com. It is decked-out with European-style decor, resplendent with an array of both Western and Eastern music instruments. Although the Saxophone Pub & Restaurant is an established favourite with locals, it has become popular with international travellers seeking high quality local live bands, which come along with  fine Thai cuisine, a range of beers, and  a variety of cocktails.

Image sourced from pexels.com

The establishment  is separated into 2 floors, and is  known as possibly the best  Jazz & Blues music venue in Bangkok by locals. The Saxophone Pub & Restaurant is very easily-accessed by BTS Skytrain, as it is just 5 mins from the Victory Monument Station ( Exit 4).

Address: 3/8 Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Victory Monument, Bangkok 10400

Hours:  6 PM-12 AM

Phone: 02 246 5472

 10. The Drunken Leprechaun

No self-respecting list of top pubs would be complete without at least one of the Irish variety being included.

The Drunken Leprechaun is a prime example of such an establishment, and is to be found at Four Points by The Sheraton Hotel, in the trendy downtown region of Sukhumvit Soi 15.

The venue oozes a cozy and welcoming vibe reminiscent of any decent Irish pub, with impressive, authentic-style décor and both indoor and outdoor seating areas where you can relax and take in the sights and sounds.

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The pub’s menu contains an impressive selection of international beers, wines, whiskeys, and cocktails, and huge TV screen features live sports events.

Hours: daily 10.00 am-12.00 am.

Tel: 02-309-3255

Address: Sukhumvit Soi 15, Bangkok 10110