Bangkok is so enormous that many of the good cafes are tucked away in not so obvious locations. In October I was able to spend a month here which gave me time to explore the city and go look for work friendly cafes with wifi. While the cafe scene here is not as digital nomad friendly as Chiang Mai or Saigon, there are still plenty of great places to work and get caffeinated. Here are the cafes I found.
re-cafe (bangkok)
re-cafe is a place you would never find by walking around. The soi (side street) leading to it is lined with luxury hotels and apartments and not an obvious place for a cafe. re-cafe is at the end of the soi in a building that time forgot. This is what I image much of Bangkok must of looked liked before the age of concrete and high rise. If the urbanity of Bangkok is getting you down then this is a good place to chill.
Location: Soi Mahadlek Luang 1, Ratchadamri Road, Patumwan.
Website: www.recafebangkok.com
Li-Bra-Ry Cafe
Li-Bra-Ry is another cafe that is tucked away off a long soi. I only found this place as I was staying at the end of the street on a previous visit. The cafe has tasteful 70′s themed decor (if you can say such a thing) and upstairs feels very homely as you have to take your shoes off.
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 24 (about about 500 metres down, then right).
Website: www.facebook.com/librarycafe
Roast Coffee & Eatery
This is a seriously stylish cafe in the well-to-do Thonglor area. The coffee is pricey for Bangkok (which is to say about the same price as a coffee in Melbourne), but it is worth it. Real. Proper. Coffee.
Location: SeenSpace Thonglor 13.
Website: www.roastbkk.com
Cafe Bicycle
This cafe is conveniently located next to Ploenchit BTS on the Sukhumvit line.
Location: Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit, Patumwan (BTS Ploenchit exit 2 and 4).
Website: www.cafebicycle.com
Coffee Cop
This cafe gets its name from being on the grounds of Thonglor Police Station, not from policing bad coffee. This little box of a cafe is set in a leafy garden with a lovely spirit house.
Location: Thonglor Police Station, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor Rd).
Bookends Cafe
Bookends Cafe is in the trendy Siam neighbourhood with all the little hipster boutique shops. I lived near here so I ended up here the most. The coffee is good and wifi reliable so which kept me coming back. I like the outdoor setting but if there is no breeze it can be sweaty work. They could use some ceiling fans to keep the air circulating.
Location: Siam Square 10 (next to ChulaBook), Vadhana.
Website: www.facebook.com/bookendsbangkok
Coffee Alley
Another little garden oasis amidst the concrete jungle of Bangkok. Indoors is air conditioned if you are not into sitting outside.
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 16, off Ratchadapisek Rd.
Zana’s Bean Coffee
A good option if you are staying in the Silom area as Surawong Road is the next street over.
Location: 75-177 Surawong Road, Sathorn.
Kofvino Coffee & Wine
A small cafe but well located on Sukhumvit Soi 24.
Location: 7 Sukhumvit 24, Khlong Toei.
Cafferino illy
If you are in the Khao San Rd area, I’m sorry. To console yourself you can go to this little cafe which serves real coffee.
Location: Arcade leading to Rikka Inn on Khao San Rd.
Thirsty Hungry
Another handy cafe if you are in the Asoke/Sukhumvit area.
Location: Sukhumvit Rd, near Soi 25.
Coffee Society
Cofffee Society is the best option on Silom and extra points for being open 24 hours. I ended up here early one morning when my apartment wifi went down.
Location: 12/3 Silom Road (Saladaeng BTS).
Website: www.facebook.com/CoffeeSociety
Ted’s Cafe
At the base of Asoke Tower, closer to Petchaburi BTS.
Location: Asoke Tower, Asoke.
cafe@work
Another cafe hidden away in an office tower, handy if you are in the neighbourhood.
Location: Ground Level, Charn Issara Tower II, New Petchburi Road.
The Third Place
The Third Place is a shared work space where you can buy daily or monthly membership. You can buy a day pass for 150 THB (about $5), which includes a drink, unlimited Wi-Fi and use of office appliances and meetings rooms. There is also monthly membership available for 899 THB (approx $30), which includes a gift voucher for the cafe of 250 THB. This is a good option if you would prefer more of an office environment. This place was just a bit far from my place to make it worthwhile to travel there every day, so I didn’t use it. If I was living closer to it I would definitely join this service. I hope more places like this start up as I would like to work in such a place.
Location: 137-137/1 Sukhumvit 63 (Thonglor 10).
Website: www.thirdplacebangkok.com
Love this resource! Thank you. So many amazing looking cafes in Bangkok. Wish I had been a coffee drinker when we lived there, I would have loved hanging out in some of these
Good reason to return then
This is fantastic James! I mostly stay cooped up in my apartment, but with your awesome recommendations, I may have to make some productive work and coffee trips out!
Thanks Mark, hopefully catch you at a cafe with you next time I am in Bangkok.
Wow, excellent resource! I’m heading to Thailand soon and will be sure to look a few of these places up. I don’t suppose any of these places have live music such as jazz, do they?
Hi Steve, I’ve just listed cafes that are suitable for working in on this list so these places don’t have live music. I know many bars do have wifi also.
Awesome…have to bookmark this. We are off to Bangkok next!
These are actually really cool cafes. The ones you have here are really intimate and soft too. I’m going to visit Bangkok next year and I can’t wait to check these places out.
Thank you! I’m at recafe now and it’s perfect! I love how you walk through an alley full of food stalls where all the locals (who work at all the luxury hotels nearby?) eat on your way here. It feels so secret and special.
And a damn good latte to boot!
Thanks Josh. I love how you get there through that passage of trees then there are all those local eateries. I’m guessing local workers as well. Glad you enjoyed as much as me
Not only cafes but there are some amazing restaurant also with best service, hospitality and delicious food. I have visited Bangkok before and enjoyed eat out at some of the cafes and restaurants. Especially I love the service of MBK Food Court. Cost of is affordable with best quality and great variety of food items. All of these cafes and restaurant makes Bangkok a tourist friendly city. Even some of the cafes plays cool music to entertain the customers.
James, awesome job as usual! I have not been to any cafes lately,except for Starbucks in Daytona Beach, Florida on Labor Day and one who’s name I forgot in Lake Mary, Florida on Halloween. However I just finished my last Britt coffee from Costa Rica and ground up some dark roast from Sumatra! I got to have my coffee! I also got some Kahlua liquor that came with a bag of arabica coffee beans that they make the liquor from. If your not familiar with Kahlua it is coffee liquor made in Mexico. Very good stuff! Thanks for the email. Brian.
hi James,
We was met several time at my cafe. I would like to say thank you muchly for your comment on our cafe.
We still new in this business but what make us happy are customer smile and feel good with our cafe.
We are welcome everyone, and wish to see you again.
Regards.
Thank you! I was so glad to find your cafe and I look forward to visiting again the next time I am in Bangkok.
So glad to hear that, welcome everytime and we wish you have safe and fun trip.
I HATE finding these posts a couple of months after I need them! I’ve tried three times to love Bangkok (albeit for only 48 hours at a time) and these are exactly the kind of places which would help me. Nice post, happy new year James.
Oh that’s poor timing, Christian. I didn’t know about many of these places myself until I put in a month in the city so I can understand the frustration of visiting with only a couple of days. Hope you get to have another chance at Bangkok.
Hi james,
Thanks for the resources.
Unfortunately when I browse the web for the “best coffee in Bangkok” the write ups seem to be focused on the quality of the cafes them selves rather than the quality of the actual latte or cappucino.
I’m only here for a few days so I don’t want to waste my time like I did yesterday by trying Agilico. ( The coffee is honestly an insult on all levels)
I want a good cup of coffee… I mean a really good cup of coffee. Something you’d find so easily in Melbourne, Sydney and now days in Bali!
Where can I get “that” cup of coffee in Bangkok?
Please help me
Thanks Beau
Hi Beau, I feel your pain! As a Melburnian I have given up on expecting coffee in Asia that is on a par with anything in Melbourne, so my listings are more for digital nomads looking for a cafe work environment. Having said that, the best coffee is probably at Roast or Bicycle.