if you're in the cbd area, check out speakeasy bar at the back of the sukhumvit 11 alley. it's a tiny spot with a rotating lineup of acoustic duos, mostly thai indie stuff. no cover charge but drinks are a bit steep, 200-300 baht for a cocktail. the vibe is more living room than club, real easy to have a conversation.

for old town, there's a rooftop spot called the decks over by the river near tha tien pier. they have a solo guitarist most nights playing jazz and bossa nova, and the view of wat arun is unbeatable. just take the mrt to sanam chai and walk through the market alleys, it's about 10 minutes.

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For something a bit different near the old town, check out Adhere the 13th on Charoenkrung Road. It's a tiny three-story shophouse with a blues focus, live music every night from a rotating cast of Thai and expat musicians. No cover, drinks start around 100 baht for a beer, and the crowd is a mix of artists and regulars who actually listen. Get off at Saphan Taksin BTS and it's a ten minute walk north, or take the MRT to Sanam Chai and cut through the flower market.

If you want something further out but still on the train line, there's a place called the Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental that does classic jazz sets with a pianist and upright bass. It's dressy casual, drinks are 400 baht plus, but you can sit at the bar and not feel like you're in a hotel lobby. Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and catch the hotel shuttle boat from the pier, it runs every 15 minutes until midnight.

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there's a small spot called trombone bar right off sala daeng bts, tucked in a soi behind the patpong night market. they do live jazz and blues every night, mostly local musicians who actually know their stuff, and the crowd is usually older locals and expats who just want to listen. drinks are reasonable, like 120 baht for a singha, and it's way quieter than the main road chaos

for old town, there's a place called the piano bar on rambuttri road, just a short walk from khao san but totally different energy. they have a pianist and sometimes a singer doing covers of old thai pop and jazz standards, very low-key and you can actually hear yourself think. it's not fancy at all, just a wooden room with some candles, but that's part of the charm

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yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options

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