8 Best Nightlife in Bangkok, Thailand

Beam is home to Asia's first "body kinetic" dance floor, shaking vibrations into dancer's feet during live techno and deep house gigs. The futuristic decor and throbbing lights fit perfectly with the progressive underground beats of DJs from Bangkok and abroad.

The entrance to this secret salsa lair is a fake telephone booth in a dark unsuspecting alley across from the Frasier Suites Sukhumvit. Inside you'll find a diverse crowd shimmying to Afro-Cuban beats, sipping Cubra Libres on leather couches, and smoking in the cigar lounge, harking back to Havana before the revolution. 

The views are staggering at the Banyan Tree Bangkok's 61st-floor alfresco bar, and the cost of cocktails is up there, too, but for the vistas alone it's worth the splurge. Come a bit before sunset—the bar opens at 5—to get the best view from the low-slung seating. If the weather is clear, you can stargaze using the bar's telescope. If the weather's bad at all, Moon Bar will be closed.

This downtown rooftop bar atop the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit is known for its 360-degree panoramas and for reasonable drink prices compared to other rooftop bars. 

There's nothing else quite like this bar on the 63rd floor of one of Bangkok's tallest buildings. Head toward the pyramidlike structure emitting eerie blue light at the far end of the restaurant and check out the head-spinning views. The place's most famous concoction, the Hangovertini, was made famous by the Hollywood film (The Hangover II) shot here.

The New York--born impresario behind the late Q Bar opened this unique establishment in a funky three-story corner building with spiral staircases that feels more Berlin or Paris than Bangkok. There's an open-air rooftop hangout and the second floor is sceney, but downstairs is the place to be to appreciate the French and Vietnamese antiques, the owner's impressive contemporary art collection, and the traditional absinthe spigots. Bartender Danny Yeung knows the classics but can improvise to taste. Jazz performances take place on the ground floor on Wednesdays and eclectic DJs spin on weekends. 

From this 12th-floor bar that overlooks the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, you can watch the horse races while sipping a Siam Mary, the Bangkok version of the Bloody Mary. The bar continues the age-old St. Regis tradition of Champagne sabering (opening a bottle using a saber), displayed nightly at 6. The afternoon tea here, with tiers of colorful treats, is also impeccable.

Hidden behind an old-fashioned Indian-style door in Chinatown, the gin bar Teens of Thailand has helped kick off a renaissance of trendy cocktail bars and art galleries in the area. Choose from a list of different gins and tonics for your perfect libation; otherwise the chalkboard cocktail specials change daily.