3 Best Bars in Pathumwan, Bangkok

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 also offers a list of eight other Bloody Mary variations, including the original Red Snapper from St. Regis New York. At 6 pm nightly, the staff continues the age-old St. Regis tradition of Champagne sabering (opening a bottle using a saber). The afternoon tea here, with tiers of colorful treats, is also impeccable.

An unsigned door in the Velaa Sindhorn Village complex opens onto a lush lounge of tiered red velvet-and-brass settees facing a stage where jazz, funk, and R&B combos play live nightly. Skilled bartenders create an impressive list of potent bespoke cocktails such as the Sax & Drum, with Tanqueray, mezcal, chardonnay, and jasmine, and the Guatemala Old-Fashioned, made with Zacapa 23 Rum.

Inside the Conrad Bangkok, this relaxed yet sophisticated bar offers well-made cocktails, plus a good wine and Champagne selection. The 5 to 8 happy hour is popular with staff from local embassies. Jazz ensembles perform live nightly.