Motorcycle Emptiness Bar

394/1 Lad Phrao Soi 94, Tue-Sun 8pm-12:40am; Fri-Sat 8pm-2am
Way, way, way from the craziness of the center of town, this grungy bar, set in a former motorcycle repair garage, has become a go-to joint for live music enthusiasts. Named after a Manic Street Preachers song, they feature bands from indie record labels, many of whom are still working on their debut albums. Their six night line-up can range from indie pioneers like Stylish Nonsense or Ooh & The Ballyhoo to inter guests like Pussy & The Learjets.

Parking Toys

17/22 Ram Indra Soi 14, 02-907-2228. Open daily 6pm-2am.
Don’t be put off by this iconic place’s inconvenient location—it might be on the outskirts of Bangkok, but Parking Toys is well worth the drive, thanks to its nightly lineup of great live music. It draws in a diverse crowd from Fat Radio DJs to neighborhood music aficionados drawn by the eclectic musical styles on offer, ranging from electronic to rockabilly and jazz. And you don’t have to worry about dressing up because no one here really cares.

Prop Bar

1003/6 Pracha Chun Soi 30, 02-910-1128. Open daily 5pm-2am.
Trust us, if you’re not living around the Prachachuen area, you can easily get lost trying to find this place. Located in front of Soi 30, this branch of Prop Bar is the original. They have been closed for renovation for a couple of months but the bar officially reopened recently sporting more retro decor items. Apart from the nostalgic vibe, the appeal comes from the live band and a good mix of old school alt pop and rock tunes like Nirvana alongside the latest release from bands like Snow Patrol. There’s a perfect excuse to visit this week as Pongsit Kamphee will be playing live on Wednesday (Mar 14).

Twenty Something

Ekkamai-Ramintra Expressway. 083-156-2836. Mon.-Sun. 6pm-midnight. www.facebook.com/20somethingbar 
Located on the Ekkamai-Ramintra expressway as you head towards the CDC, this place recently turned one. The name comes from the title of the first album of The Mousses and, yes, Twenty Something is owned by these guys, in partnership with the band Better Weather, so there’s clearly a serious music vibe going on here. It’s a long drive but a visit to this home-turned bar is worth it for the regular live pop-rock sessions from many up-and-coming indie bands. The spacious outdoor seating is pretty chill and the Thai dishes are also yummy, too.

Talumbar

696 Prachachuen Soi 20. 0-2585-1614. Opened daily 6pm-2am. talumbar.com
Just 5 minutes from Prop Bar, Talumbar is another home-turned-bar worth visiting. While Prop Bar focuses more on international indie hits, here it’s all about live bands playing covers of Thai tunes. You can occasionally catch Jetset’er’s lead singer up on stage as he’s a friend of the owner and the band previously played here before doing the album. Aparft from the homey vibe and chill live music, there’s a huge screen outdoor for EPL fans to catch the matches on weekends.