For cheap rooftop bars Bangkok has plenty: skip the famous towers, arrive before 7pm and order beer instead of signature cocktails. The grand rooftops charge roughly 350 to 700 baht a cocktail plus 17.7% service and VAT, while smaller hotel and neighborhood rooftops can cost far less for the same sunset. Same sky, same breeze, much kinder to your wallet.
Every punter has done it: climbed to the 60th floor, ordered two cocktails and watched the bill arrive like a second skyline. Money spent on a view is money not spent on the night that follows.
Below is how to work the system, which lower-key rooftops are worth a look and how to stop a high-altitude drink costing more than a low-altitude short time. For the full category, see the rooftop bars page.
How Do You Drink on a Bangkok Rooftop Without Going Broke?
Drink beer, arrive early and read the menu before you sit down. Those three habits cut a rooftop bill harder than any discount code.
- Go before 7pm. Many rooftops run happy hours in the late afternoon and early evening. Details change often, so ask or check the venue's page.
- Order beer, not cocktails. A bottle or draft beer is almost always the cheapest alcohol on a rooftop menu. Signature cocktails carry the markup for the view.
- Look for the ++. Prices marked "++" have 10% service charge and 7% VAT added at the end, about 17.7% on top of the number you read.
- Share a snack, skip the dinner. A plate of fries at altitude costs more than a full meal at street level. Eat first.
- Stay for one round, maybe two. The view does not improve with the third drink, only the bill.
Which Cheap Rooftop Bars in Bangkok Are Worth Finding?
Mid-height hotel rooftops and neighborhood spots are usually kinder than the supertall towers. The site's map data lists several, and the table gives the lay of the land. Prices change, so treat it as a guide to where to look first, not a price list.
Check a venue's current prices before you commit. If you would rather spend more for the headline views, my Sukhumvit rooftop guide and romantic rooftop guide cover the pricier end.
Where Can You Drink with a View Near Khao San and Chinatown?
Banglamphu and Yaowarat are the budget rooftop districts. Both sit in older parts of the city where land is cheaper and the bars price accordingly.
Around Khao San Road, small rooftops such as TYME Rooftop catch the sunset over low-rise Old Town, with a relaxed backpacker-district crowd rather than suits. In Chinatown, Chyna looks over Yaowarat's neon and street-food smoke, a skyline of signs rather than glass towers.
Neither area is a red-light district, so treat them as the wholesome half of your day. For where to head afterwards, the Bangkok guide maps out the other districts.
What Does a Cheap Rooftop Night Cost?
A modest rooftop session for one usually lands between 600 and 1,500 baht, depending on how many drinks you have and whether you eat. These are typical ranges at the time of writing, not quotes from any bar.
That last row is a rough estimate, since rooftop beer prices vary. The comparison that matters is simple: a tower cocktail costs about the same as an entire beer-bar session. My secret beer bars guide shows where to spend the money you have saved.
Are Cheap Rooftop Bars in Bangkok Worth It?
Yes, if the aim is a good sunset and a relaxed drink, not an Instagram trophy. Cheap rooftop bars Bangkok has are quieter, easier to get a table at and less likely to enforce a strict dress code. You will still want to look decent: closed shoes, trousers and a shirt with sleeves keep you out of trouble almost everywhere.
You give up the highest views and the polished cocktail menus. You gain a bar where you can hear your date talk, and still afford what happens afterwards. For solo men, see the rooftop bars for single men guide.
What Rooftop Tricks Save You Money?
A few small moves do most of the work, and none make you look tight.
- Check the bill before you pay. Look for ++ lines, a "table charge" or a minimum spend, and ask about them before you order.
- Take the shoulder hours. Late afternoon gets you the view, lower prices and the smallest crowd.
- Pace yourself. Heights and strong cocktails do not mix, so stay off the railings.
At any of the cheap rooftop bars Bangkok offers, never leave a drink unattended, keep your phone off the table edge and keep cash for the rest of the evening. Tourist Police are on 1155 if anything goes wrong.
