Though most people go out to see pretty faces or meet interesting people, enjoying art with a drink is not a bad idea either.

Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand

Want to drink with journos? This is the place to do it. They also host rotating photo exhibits, mostly of the serious variety dealing with hard news stories. Can you handle that?
FCCT, Penthouse, Maneeya Center Bldg., 518/5 Ploenchit Rd., 02-652-0580/-1. Open daily 10am-11pm. www.fccthai.com.

Phranakorn Bar

This artsy venue featuring three floors and a rooftop bar not only boasts an art gallery showing the works of starving artists but is also priced for the young and skint. They have a good menu of drinks and Thai food. The music is a mix of Thai pop and jazz.
58/2 Soi Damnoenklang Tai, 02-622-0282. Open daily 6pm-1am.

Sripoom

Funky retro bar with cool furniture and eclectic music—no cheesy "El Nin Yo", no run-of-the-mill hip-hop. They also host cute painting and photo exhibitions.
95 Chakrapong Rd., Chanasongkram, 02-281-4445. Open daily 9pm-1am.

Traphic

A tiny bar with prices you haven’t seen in Bangkok in seven years. Paintings, photos, breakbeats, drum ’n’ bass—holy moly, this place is an intellectual traffic jam! Ah, so that’s where they got the name …
171 Tanao Rd., Phranakorn, 06-539-2510, 04-052-2723. Open Tue-Sun 4pm-1am.