Best-of list · Live Music
The 8 best live music bars in Bangkok for 2026, from Bamboo Bar jazz to Saxophone Pub and Adhere blues. Where the music matters, our editors' picks.
The short answer
8 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Bangkok plays live every night, from riverside jazz at the Bamboo Bar to Thai folk in Chinatown, Khao San ska and Samsen Road blues.
The Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental has swung since 1953, the oldest jazz room in Bangkok and still the best. International singers and house bands play nightly in a low-lit colonial space along the Chao Phraya. Dress is smart, the cocktails are precise, and sets run from 5pm late, to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Go for a martini before the late set, dress sharp, and book a table near the band.
Full listing & hours →Saxophone Pub has anchored Victory Monument for over 30 years, the heart of Bangkok live music. Blues, jazz, reggae and funk bands play across two floors every night, no cover, from 6pm to 2am. The crowd is locals, expats and musicians, packed tight by 10pm. Go upstairs for the balcony over the stage, order a Singha and a plate of spicy kaeng, and stay for the late jam when the room finds its groove.
Full listing & hours →Tep Bar brought Thai sound and Thai spirits to Chinatown, a short walk from MRT Hua Lamphong. Live folk bands play traditional instruments on weekends while the bar pours ya dong, the herbal moonshine, in shareable sets from 180 baht. The room is loud, communal and proudly local. Go on a weekend night for the live music, order the ya dong flight to share, and arrive before 9pm because it fills fast.
Full listing & hours →Jam sits in Sathorn near Surasak BTS, an underground room for music, film and art that changed hands in 2024 and kept its edge. The booking runs experimental: folk, house, drum and bass, lo-fi hip-hop, open-mics and screenings, Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm. It draws Bangkok's creative crowd over a sharp cocktail list. Go for whatever odd bill is on, order a house cocktail, and stay for the late set.
Full listing & hours →Brick Bar hides in the basement of Buddy Lodge on Khao San Road, where Thai ska, reggae and funk bands turn the room into one moving floor. There is no cover, beers run 150 to 180 baht, and the night goes 7pm to 1:30am. It pulls travelers and Thais who came to dance, not to watch. Go late when the headline band hits, grab a bucket, and squeeze toward the front.
The Rock Pub has flown the flag for rock and metal since 1987, a dark Phaya Thai room near Asia Hotel built for guitars. Local bands and the odd touring act play loud most nights from 6pm, closed Mondays. The crowd is leather, denim and loyal regulars who know every word. Go on a band night, order a cold beer, and plant yourself by the stage where the volume earns its name.
Check Inn 99 has held Sukhumvit Soi 33 since the 1950s, a survivor of old Bangkok with blues, jazz and rock most nights. The Sunday Blues and Jazz Jam from 2:30pm to 6:45pm is the draw, pulling the city's best players into one room. The decor is gloriously faded and the welcome is warm. Go for the Sunday jam, order a whisky soda, and settle into a booth for the long afternoon.
Adhere The 13th is a tiny blues bar on Samsen Road near Banglamphu, barely a dozen tables deep. Local bands play blues and jazz every night, warming up at 8pm with the main gig at 10pm, guest players dropping in often. Beers start at 100 baht, house whisky at 120. Go midweek when regulars and musicians fill the bar, order a cheap beer, and take a stool close to the band.
Full listing & hours →