Bangkok Rooftop Bar Guide
Choosing a rooftop bar in Bangkok comes down to three questions: do you want the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun below you or the Sukhumvit and Siam skyline around you, what time will you go up, and can you meet the dress code. These 8 rooftops differ in the direction and height of the view, the kind of seating and how far ahead you need to book — so the same word covers very different evenings.
#1The Rooftop Bar at Sala Rattanakosin BangkokView cruise If you want Wat Arun and the Chao Phraya beneath you, choose a riverside rooftop. The best window is roughly the half hour around sunset, when the temple lighting comes up while the sky still has colour — which is also why those seats go first. Riverside venues do not need to be especially tall, because the open water keeps the sightline clear even from a lower floor.
If you would rather look out over towers and traffic light-trails, head for the high-rise rooftops around Silom, Sathorn, Sukhumvit and Siam. Here height really is the view, so check which floor the venue sits on. Most Bangkok hotel rooftops turn away shorts, vests and open sandals, so plan on smart casual. In the rainy season a venue may move indoors or close at short notice, so confirm the wet-weather policy when you book.
River-and-temple outlooks are separated from city-skyline outlooks so two nights out do not show you the same panorama twice.
We favoured rooftops that follow naturally from Grand Palace and Wat Pho sightseeing on the river, or from shopping around Siam and Sukhumvit.
Sunset walk-in queues are long in Bangkok, so the list covers venues where a table or set menu can be reserved in advance.
MONKEYTRAVEL CRUISE PICKS
Compare riverside temple views against city skylines, floor height and seating, and each venue’s booking and dress-code terms.
Rank1
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forA riverside sunset facing Wat Arun head-on
The rooftop bar at sala rattanakosin looks straight across the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun, and the width of the river keeps the sightline open without needing a high floor. It follows naturally from a Grand Palace and Wat Pho afternoon; reserve around sunset, when the temple lighting comes on.
Check menus and booking terms
Rank2
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forTemple views with a full meal, not just drinks
Above Riva at Riva Arun Bangkok works as both rooftop bar and restaurant, so you can eat a full dinner with Wat Arun in front of you. Unlike drinks-only rooftops it covers the whole evening; note that a lunch booking shows the temple in daylight while dinner shows it illuminated.
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Rank3
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forThe landmark open-air view from the 61st floor
Vertigo on the 61st floor of Banyan Tree Bangkok is an open-sided rooftop with a full panorama over Silom and Sathorn — the landmark Bangkok view. Booking a set menu secures a table and avoids the sunset queue; because the height is the whole point, check the wind and wet-weather policy.
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Rank4
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forA Sukhumvit skyline within walking distance of Asok
Spectrum Lounge & Bar at Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit is the practical choice if you are already staying around Asok or Nana — almost no transfer time. It suits an evening added to an existing day rather than planned around, and the lounge-style seating works for sitting and talking.
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Rank5
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forAn easy first drink on a Sukhumvit rooftop
Sky on 20 at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 is smaller in scale but easy to reach, which makes it a good stop partway through a Sukhumvit evening. Treat it as a drink with a city view before or after dinner rather than a landmark high-rise panorama.
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Rank6
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forA high-floor dinner after shopping around Siam
Red Sky at Centara Grand CentralWorld continues directly from a Siam or Chit Lom shopping afternoon, and booking the set menu settles both the view seat and dinner at once. Its main advantage is that you go up from the mall itself, with almost no transfer.
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Rank7
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forA 32nd-floor view over Ratchaprasong
Sato San Rooftop Bar on the 32nd floor of Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong sits in the middle of the Siam and Chit Lom shopping district. It is smaller and more casual than the big hotel rooftops, and it closes out an evening without leaving the mall area if that is where you are staying.
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Rank8
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Best forA proper set-menu dinner in a rooftop setting
Belga Rooftop Bar & Brasserie at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit serves a Belgian brasserie set menu in a rooftop setting. It suits an evening where you want a seated dinner rather than a quick drink, and it is a short hop from most Sukhumvit hotels.
Check menus and booking termsEVENING STYLE
sala rattanakosin and Riva Arun sit directly opposite Wat Arun, which makes them an easy continuation of a Grand Palace and Wat Pho day.
Vertigo at Banyan Tree and Red Sky at Centara Grand are the classic top-floor Bangkok views over the whole city.
Spectrum at Hyatt Regency, Sky on 20 at Novotel and Belga at Sofitel are within easy reach if you are staying around Asok or Nana.
Planning a different kind of evening in Bangkok?
