Girly Bars of Soi 22 The Best and The Rest

Soi 22 is best known as a casual and laid-back alternative to popular nightlife areas such as Nana and Silom. However, unlike these tourist hubs, and despite being quite well-known itself, it has managed to retain its ‘charm’ for the most part. This is the reason that it has both expats and tourists alike choosing to make the various bars on the street their local spot.

Girl Bars in Sukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok

Having said this, there is a whole relatively undiscovered ‘underbelly’ of Soi 22 that many people tend to unknowingly bypass. The general rule is to avoid the bars that are right at the start of the street and venture into the connected alleyways that host a network of low-key bars that are full of character, as well as some of the most friendly bar-girls that you will find in Bangkok (who can also speak pretty good English). So I’ll start with the ‘rest’ on the main street before moving onto the ‘best’.

The First Few Bars on The Street

As you enter Soi 22, you will find yourself faced with a series of bars that have a decent-looking girl in front of them who is friendly and flirtatious, welcoming you into the bar with promises of a fun time and to lavish you with attention. You fall for her charm and enter the bar, and are pressured by the same girl to order something fast which you do. As you take your seat at the bar stool, you look around, only to find that your girl has disappeared back to the street to hook the next unsuspecting victim, and all that is left in the bar is other farang men… and not the types you would like to have a drink with anyway!

Playing Pool Sukhumvit Soi 22

As you try and re-engage the same girl or even the older barmaid in a flirtatious manner, you are ignored and are left feeling like a chump!

Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, and there are fun times still to be had if you’re a social person, but my advice from personal experience is don’t fall for the bait and keep on walking, as just a little further on you will find exactly what you came for - friendly girls, good social spots, and cheap drinks.

After the first block of bars, you will encounter a glass and steel (more like aluminum) designed building on your right. This building is host to a unique bar called ‘Titanium’ that has two separate areas - one a normal bar area downstairs with some flirty hostesses, and the other section upstairs. an ‘ice-bar’ where you can enjoy the novelty of feeling freezing in Bangkok while having shots of a wide range of imported vodka. The resident musicians are an all-female band who perform a mix of Thai and western covers. You’ll find a mix of working and non-working girls in this venue, as well as other expats to have a drink with.

The Underbelly of the Beast - Queen’s Park Plaza

Further down Soi 22, you will encounter pink neon lights spelling out the words ‘Queen’s Park Plaza’. Without a doubt, Queen’s Park Plaza is a great value bar-area filled with character.

Queens Park Plaza inside Sukhumvit Soi 22

The first thing you will notice is that it has rustic street-bars propped up all over the complex. These are staffed mostly with pretty Issan girls who speak varying levels of English, but who nonetheless know how to have a good time. At these street bars, you become the in-house ‘Youtube DJ’ and can pretty much choose whatever you want to listen to. I’ve spent some whole nights just having drinks with friends at these ‘street bars’. There are even rumors that if a girl likes you, she will go back with you for free.

Sukhumvit Soi 22 Beer Bars

The other bars around Queen’s Park Plaza have a similar vibe, for the most part, however, they tend to be indoor establishments which is good if you need a break from the heat. Many of them also have pool-tables where you can practice your pool skills with the resident barmaids (who are almost impossible to beat !), this alone makes it a worthwhile visit.

You will find that some of the bars also offer a good selection of Thai and Farang food, which will satisfy the palettes of both you and your newly found mistress.

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