Is there a place in bangkok that plays Santana?

You might want to check out Saxophone Pub near Victory Monument. It's a classic Bangkok spot that's been around forever and they have live bands every night with a strong focus on jazz and world music. I've seen some sets there that lean into Latin percussion, especially when the house band gets going around 10pm. The cover charge is around 200 baht and drinks are reasonable for a live music venue.

Another option is the Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental on the Chao Phraya. It's fancier and pricier, but they have a jazz trio that sometimes brings in Latin elements. A cocktail will run you 500+ baht but the river view is hard to beat and you might catch a bongo player sitting in on a Sunday night.

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honestly for straight up latin rock with bongos, the place is la monita taqueria on sukhumvit 23. it's a mexican restaurant that turns into a bar later and they have a house band called los machos that does covers of santana, malo, war, all that 70s latin soul stuff. the singer plays bongos half the time. get there around 9pm on a thursday or saturday, it gets packed with people who actually know the songs. tacos are decent too like 120 baht each

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tbh you might dig the vibe at tawandang microbrewery on rama 3. they do live music every night and while its mostly thai pop covers, the percussion section is legit and they jam out on congas and bongos a lot. the crowd gets into it too

for something more intentional, check out badmotel on soi sukhumvit 55. they have a rotating lineup of latin fusion bands sometimes, especially on friday nights. the sound system is decent and the crowd is a mix of locals and expats who actually dance

if ur willing to go a bit further, the jam bar in khao yai is worth the 2 hour drive. its a tiny spot run by a dude who collects vintage latin records and he plays them on vinyl. bongos included

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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