I have a story about hip Bangkok nightlife over at The Wall Street Journal‘s Scene Asia.
The piece is called Bangkok’s Creative Watering Holes, and begins:
What looks like a saloon entrance leads to a low-lit cavern, and up the wrought-iron staircase, a sultry woman croons along with a jazz combo.
Downstairs, the well-heeled crowds sip elaborately crafted cocktails, seemingly unconcerned with the blacksmith tools scattered about.
This is a typical after-hours scene in Bangkok, or more specifically, Thong Lor, one of the City of Angels’ most cosmopolitan neighborhoods. A world away from the backpacker dives of Khao San Road and the city’s less salubrious red-light districts, the area—based around Sukhumvit Road’s Soi 55—offers edgy watering holes, craft brews on tap and pop-up music nights that cater to locals and expats alike, proving that it’s possible to have a night out in Bangkok without recreating “The Hangover Part II.”
I'm Newley Purnell, an American journalist whose work has run in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more.
I was based in Bangkok for six years and am now a