Nestled on the fringes of Chinatown, beyond reach of Bangkok's BTS Skytrain network, Soi Nana is currently one of Bangkok's coolest nightlife neighborhoods. Once a sleepy residential street, the row of crumbling shop-houses has enjoyed a creative reinvention in recent years thanks to a wave of young bar and gallery owners that had grown weary of the commercial hubs of Sukhumvit and Silom.

Among the first nightspots to open in the neighborhood was El Chiringuito, a poky Spanish dive bar where the tables spill out onto the street, and the tapas dishes and Spanish Xoriguer gin always seem to be in full-flow. 

You'll often find the same hip-to-it crowd just down the soi at Cho Why, a  multi-disciplinary art space known for its raucous opening parties. Back when a group of creative types threw open the doors of this three-story corner shop-house in 2014, the "other Soi Nana" (not to be confused with its seedy namesake on Sukhumvit) was a far cry from the buzzing nightlife hub it is now. Since then they've hosted four years of exhibitions, documentary screenings, rooftop paella nights and other informal gatherings with arty leanings. 

One of Soi Nana's most popular drinking holes is Tep Bar—and it's easy to see why. This restored shop-house offers up a distinctly modern update on Thai culture. Here, you'll find potent cocktails mixed with Thai fruits, herbs and spices. There's also a good line of home-infused ya dong (Thai herbal whiskey) as well as a kitchen specializing in Thai tapas. Come nightfall, enjoy your meal while Thai musicians take the stage to play traditional music from the central region.