Best speakeasy bars in Bangkok

Set in a quasi-residential lane that connects soi Sukhuvmit 39 and 49, Bar 335—named after a song by American jazz-rock musician Larry Carlton—offers an escape from Sukhumvit’s more chaotic bar and club offerings. 

The peeps behind Sugar Ray, the city’s coolest hidden gem, have collaborated with the owner of old town speakeasy Ku Bar to open a jazz bar named after one of Chet Baker’s hit songs. 

Sugar Ray has just gone through a complete makeover, and it includes a new address on Sukhumvit Soi 24, tucked inside restaurant complex Octo Seafood Bar.

A brainchild of four award-winning Asian bartenders—Colin Chia of Singapore’s Nutmeg & Clove, Hidetsugu Ueno of Tokyo’s Bar High Five, Nick Wu of Taipei’s East End and our own Ronnaporn “Neung” Kanivichaporn of Backstage Cocktail Bar.

A secret watering hole by the four Asian superstar bartenders behind the popular The Locker Room in Thonglor are looking to change the area’s reputation with the opening of a new speakeasy that, this time, is hidden behind a photo booth.

Nestled on the third floor of an abandoned-looking building that sits behind a spirit house, Ku is the brainchild of Anupas “Kong” Premanuwat (an alum of famous NYC speakeasy Angel’s Share and a pupil of the barmaster Shingo Gokan) and Elaine Sun, a former barista and a wine enthusiast. This hidden den strikes a charming balance between comfort and mystery.

Located behind a wooden door next to Ainu Japanese restaurant, Rabbit Hole is a three-story bar that retains the rustic structure of its converted shop house shell but revels in a luxurious renovation involving polished copper and brass.

Q&A serves innovative cocktails within a setting reminiscent of a vintage train carriage. The bar is nestled inside a little alley on Sukhumvit Soi 21 with just a little sign above a green marble wall to give you a hint. 

Situated on party street, Sukhumvit Soi 11, Havana Social keeps itself unseen, hiding behind a telephone booth and requiring a secret code to get in. The interior presents an interpretation of pre-revolution Cuba in the ′40s.