Sukhumvit 11 – The docile-by-day soi stretching north off of Sukhumvit Road, at the Nana BTS station, is (almost) literally a throbbing hub of nightlife supremacy, where tourists, expats and locals alike head to let loose, dance and wash away a week spent earning a bath in booze.

Bangkok lions and lionesses of the night, Soi 11 is now, more than ever, off-the-scale fun – and even more fun when the master of ceremonies is none other than the grand mythical lion itself, Singha (beer, that is).

For newcomers and old hands alike, Soi 11 can be overwhelming in the sheer number of options packed into such a short stretch of road, so let’s allow our Singha hosts take us on a pub crawl to highlight a few gems.

And we’re not going to just slip a “pub crawl” reference in there without some explanation. Although a pub crawl is not by any means the only way to explore Soi 11, it certainly was one of the better ways to pop in and out of our favorite spots. Singha has been hosting pub crawls as of late, and to great acclaim (they’ve done Khao San road, and have more in the pipeline) that combine just the right amount of organized activity (wrist bands, free snacks at each stop, consistent and impressively fast service for 99-baht bottles of Singha beer… and even a kickoff beer pong tourney) with hands-off enjoyment.

So, without further ado, let’s see where the night took us.

The Australian

Set about halfway down soi 11 is The Australian Bangkok Sports Pub and Restaurant. You can grab a seat outside on the patio and enjoy the best people watching in the world, or head inside where you can enjoy live music, live sports on the myriad screens or play a game of pool upstairs.

The service is exactly what you’d expect from an Aussie-themed pub (very friendly), the pub grub  hits the spot, and the beers are cold. This is just the place you want to stop before hitting the clubs. A belly well-fed is a belly well-behaved, and you’ll thank yourself in the morning

The fun at the Australian on our big night out happened to be a Singha-sanctioned beer pong competition. Full disclosure: We shuddered at the thought of reliving ill-conceived college days by bouncing a ping pong ball in an attempt to force opponents to drink beer – but, lo and behold, it was actually fun. Who would’ve thought?

Bonus: You don’t have to be Aussie to enter.

Zaks

Zaks is not to be mistaken as just being a wine bar, but, as the establishment itself advertises, it is “part restaurant, part bar, part club” and offers “exceptional wines at everyday prices”. Touché.

Wine didn’t strike us as appropriate for a pub crawl, so we stuck to our guns and continued sipping ice-cold Singhas. And this was fine.  We also have to comment on how well appointed the interior was with its high ceilings, light wood tones and open floor plan that looks out onto the patio. And upstairs, where there is a fully-stocked bar, with a fully-stocked dance floor. This place is big and well-appointed, and a great place to stop for a post-dinner, pre-mayhem drink.

Bonus: You actually don’t (contrary to what we expected) feel out of place with a beer bottle in hand rather than a wine glass.

The Nest

The Nest is aptly named. Not because the place looks, or feels like a nest, but because within there are “nests” with comfy cushions, tables for drinks, and the perfect place to chill to some good music and open air. Technically a rooftop bar, it’s not quite high enough to give commanding views of Bangkok, but that doesn’t matter.

What’s on offer here is great music, and a place where you can kick back as if you’re on a beach, dance like you’re in the heart of Bangkok, or simply sit at the bar and drink any one or all of the myriad cocktails and brews on offer.

Bonus: While classy and providing top-notch cocktails, The Nest isn’t as stuffy or, dare we say, pretentious as some other rooftop joints in the Big Mango.

Q Up

Formerly known as the Q Bar, a Bangkok institution that has repeatedly been recognized as the best nightclub in Bangkok, Q Up is the perfect place to get your drink/dance/drink on and round out your night on Soi 11.

The bartenders pour excellent drinks, the Singhas are on the go (yep, still on the pub crawl, and still lovin’ it), and the music is still world-class. In fact, we don’t know what else to say about the place because we were too busy dancing to the impressive beats of internationally-renowned DJ, Jessie Garcia, who kept the crowd alive until the wee hours.

Bonus: Among Bangkok nightclubs, Q Up draws a more diverse crowd – from young tourists, to expat professionals – which makes it all the more fun. You’re never too old to dance the night away.