Bangkok is one of the few cities in the world where you can order a cocktail from the water, watch longtail boats carve up the Chao Phraya below, and still be five minutes from a sky train station. The hotels here take their pools seriously — rooftop infinity edges, riverside terraces, swim-up bars — and the pool bar scene covers everything from lazy afternoon Singhas to serious sunset cocktail hours above the skyline. Whether you want a river view or a city panorama, a quiet float or a DJ night, there’s a hotel pool bar in Bangkok that fits.
Table of Contents
Bangkok Hotels
| 1. Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn Best BTS Access Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 2-minute walk to Surasak BTS via the hotel’s own sky bridge Guest Reviews: Infinity pool with jaw-dropping skyline panorama, Antito Italian restaurant directly poolside, staff among Bangkok’s most attentive, direct BTS access changes how you move through the city Best Room: Grand Executive Deluxe with Lounge Access Price: From USD $105 – $195 per night |
| 2. SO/ Bangkok Best Pool Party Scene Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 3-minute walk to Lumphini MRT station, overlooking Lumpini Park Guest Reviews: Water Club pool bar has full food and cocktail menu, monthly pool parties draw a strong crowd, Lumpini Park views from the 10th-floor infinity pool, four room design themes make the hotel feel genuinely different Best Room: Superior Room Park View Water Element Price: From USD $120 – $215 per night |
| 3. Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Best Sukhumvit Pool Bar Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 5-minute walk to both Asok BTS and Nana BTS stations, connected via bridge to Terminal 21 Guest Reviews: Liquide Pool Bar serves sunset cocktails directly on the 9th-floor pool deck, call buttons on sunloungers mean drinks come to you, rooftop Belga brasserie pairs well with a pool afternoon, French-Thai design is the most distinctive on Sukhumvit Best Room: Luxury Room Price: From USD $150 – $280 per night |
| 4. Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort Biggest Resort Pool Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: Free shuttle boat to Saphan Taksin BTS, 4-minute drive to Asiatique night market Guest Reviews: Loy Nam swim-up bar sits in one of Bangkok’s largest resort pools, 11 acres of riverside gardens make it feel nothing like a city hotel, free shuttle boat on the Chao Phraya doubles as a river experience, breakfast buffet draws consistent praise for variety and freshness Best Room: Deluxe Room Price: From USD $140 – $220 per night |
| 5. Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: Free shuttle boat to Saphan Taksin BTS and ICONSIAM, 5-minute walk to Si Phraya Pier Guest Reviews: Two outdoor pools with a swim-up bar in the garden, peacocks roam the riverside grounds between the pool and river, free shuttle boat makes the location far more connected than it looks, Thara Thong serves some of the best Thai food of any riverside hotel Best Room: Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, River View Price: From USD $130 – $200 per night |
| 6. The Davis Bangkok Hotel Best Value Swim-Up Bar Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: Free tuk-tuk shuttle to Phrom Phong BTS every 20 minutes, 5-minute walk to EmQuartier Guest Reviews: Rooftop swim-up bar on the 9th floor with open city views, two pools and four jacuzzis make it the most spa-like pool setup on Sukhumvit, Thai villa compound within the grounds is worth a wander, best value swim-up bar experience in this part of the city Best Room: Deluxe Room Price: From USD $85 – $135 per night |
| 7. Mode Sathorn Hotel Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: Directly opposite Surasak BTS station, 2-minute walk Guest Reviews: Heated infinity pool with built-in swim-up seats and city views, Pool Bar and 38th-floor rooftop bar give two very different drinking experiences in one hotel, marble bathrooms with skyline-facing tubs match the pool’s design ambition, best value swim-up bar in the Sathorn corridor Best Room: Deluxe Mode Room Price: From USD $90 – $145 per night |
| 8. InterContinental Bangkok by IHG Highest Pool Bar in Bangkok Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 2-minute walk to Chit Lom BTS, directly connected to CentralWorld shopping mall Guest Reviews: Oasis Pool Bar sits beside a free-form pool 37 floors above the city with panoramic views, fully renovated in 2023 so rooms and facilities feel genuinely current, four on-site restaurants including Michelin Guide-listed options, pool and bar exclusive to hotel guests which keeps it noticeably quieter than comparable rooftop venues Best Room: Deluxe Room Price: From USD $175 – $250 per night |
| 9. Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok Best River Views from the Pool Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: Free shuttle boat to Saphan Taksin BTS and ICONSIAM, 4-minute drive to Asiatique night market Guest Reviews: Flow Bar frozen Thai fruit cocktails served at the 35-metre infinity pool, river views from pool deck, all rooms have private balconies Best Room: Grand Deluxe Room River View Price: From USD $110 – $170 per night |
| 10. Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 10-minute walk to Asok BTS and Sukhumvit MRT, free shuttle to main road, walking distance to EmQuartier Guest Reviews: Poolside bar on the 9th floor gets full city views, Sky on 20 rooftop bar on the 26th floor gives a completely different perspective on the same stay, art deco design runs through the rooms and public spaces, breakfast buffet draws consistent praise for variety Best Room: Deluxe Room Price: From USD $75 – $120 per night |
| 11. INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit Most Unique Pool Bar Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Location: 2-minute walk to On Nut BTS, directly opposite Lotus supermarket Guest Reviews: Giant Swing Pool Bar on the 34th floor has a transparent-bottomed pool — from the tapas bar below you watch swimmers floating above your head, pool stays open until midnight which makes it Bangkok’s latest-closing pool bar, LUZ tapas bar brings a Spanish chef and authentic paella to a rooftop above the city Best Room: The Townhouse City View Price: From USD $90 – $150 per night |
What Makes a Bangkok Pool Bar Worth It
The city’s heat — regularly above 33°C from March through June — makes a cold drink at the water’s edge less of a luxury and more of a practical necessity. What separates the hotels on this list from the hundreds of others with a rooftop pool is a physically co-located bar: a counter, a tap, or a service point you can reach from the water, not a waiter who might appear if you wave long enough.
- The bar must be at the pool — A hotel listing “pool bar” as an amenity often means drinks service to sunloungers. A genuine pool bar has a physical bar structure you can order from in or immediately beside the water. Every hotel on this list meets that standard, which is why Bangkok’s well-known properties like Kimpton Maa-Lai, lebua at State Tower, and Avani Plus Riverside — all with excellent pools — don’t appear here.
- Riverside vs. rooftop changes everything — A pool bar at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort or Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok feels closer to a Southeast Asian beach holiday than a city hotel: breezes off the Chao Phraya, tropical gardens, longtail boats in the background. A rooftop pool bar 34 floors up at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit or 37 floors up at InterContinental Bangkok by IHG is a skyline experience — the city spread out below you, golden hour light hitting the buildings. Neither is better; they serve different moods.
- The swim-up bar distinction — Not all pool bars let you order from the water. Bangkok has a small number of genuine swim-up bars — counters you reach without leaving the pool — and several hotels on this list have them. If staying in the water while you drink is the priority, that narrows the field considerably. The section below breaks this down hotel by hotel.
Bangkok Pool Bar Hotels by Area
The city breaks into three distinct pool bar zones, each with its own character. Where you stay shapes not just the pool view but how the rest of the day unfolds.
- Riverside — Hotels along the Chao Phraya offer the most resort-like pool bar experience in Bangkok. Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok, and Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok all sit on or close to the river’s east or west bank, with gardens, shuttle boats, and a pace that feels deliberately slower than the rest of the city. The tradeoff is connectivity — all three rely on free shuttle boats to reach the BTS, which adds 15–20 minutes each way to any city excursion. For a trip centred on the pool, this is irrelevant. For a trip that mixes sightseeing with downtime, factor it in.
- Sathorn and Silom — Bangkok’s central business corridor runs along Sathorn Road and Silom Road, and several of the strongest pool bar hotels sit here. Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn connects directly to Surasak BTS via its own sky bridge. SO/ Bangkok is a three-minute walk to Lumphini MRT. Mode Sathorn Hotel sits directly opposite Surasak BTS. Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit straddles both zones — technically Sukhumvit but within easy reach of Silom. This area gives the best balance of pool bar quality and city access, with Lumpini Park, the riverside, and the main shopping districts all reachable within 20 minutes.
- Sukhumvit — Bangkok’s entertainment and shopping spine runs along Sukhumvit Road, with the BTS Skytrain threading through it. The Davis Bangkok Hotel, InterContinental Bangkok by IHG, Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, and INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit all sit along this corridor at different points. InterContinental sits closest to the centre at Chit Lom; INNSiDE sits furthest out at On Nut. The pool bars here are almost universally rooftop setups with city views rather than garden or riverside settings — a different kind of beautiful, but worth knowing before you book.
When to Go: Bangkok’s Pool Bar Season
Bangkok’s climate runs hot all year, but the pool bar experience shifts meaningfully across the calendar.
- November through February — The strongest months for pool time. Temperatures sit between 25°C and 32°C, humidity drops to its lowest point, and afternoons by the water are genuinely pleasant rather than punishing. These are also the peak travel months, so pool areas at popular hotels — particularly SO/ Bangkok and Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit — get busy on weekends. Book ahead if you want a cabana.
- March through May — Bangkok’s hottest months, with temperatures regularly hitting 36–38°C. The pool becomes less of a leisure option and more of a survival strategy. This actually makes the pool bar the best seat in any of these hotels — you genuinely want to be in the water, and the contrast between the heat and a cold drink at the swim-up bar is hard to beat. Rooftop pool bars like InterContinental Bangkok by IHG and INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit can feel exposed in the afternoon sun; riverside options with shade and a breeze — Anantara and Chatrium — earn their premium during these months.
- June through October — Monsoon season brings afternoon downpours, typically lasting one to two hours before clearing. Pool bars don’t close for rain, and the relief after a heavy shower can make late afternoon sessions unexpectedly atmospheric. Morning pool time is almost always clear. The upside of travelling during these months is that pool areas at every hotel on this list are noticeably less crowded, and rates drop across the board.
Swim-Up Bars vs. Poolside Bars: What’s the Difference
The distinction matters more than it might sound, and the two experiences suit different types of pool session.
- Swim-up bars — A bar counter you can reach from inside the pool, ordering drinks without leaving the water. Bangkok’s confirmed swim-up bars on this list include Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit (Liquide Pool Bar), Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort (Loy Nam), Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok, Mode Sathorn Hotel, and The Davis Bangkok Hotel. These setups work best for leisurely afternoon sessions where you genuinely want to stay in the water for extended periods. The swim-up format also tends to create a more social atmosphere — strangers strike up conversations at the bar in a way that doesn’t happen on sunloungers.
- Poolside bars — A dedicated bar counter or service point immediately at the pool’s edge, typically with seating both in the water on submerged stools and on the surrounding deck. SO/ Bangkok (The Water Club), Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok (Flow Bar), InterContinental Bangkok by IHG (Oasis Pool Bar), INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit (The Giant Swing Pool Bar), and Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 all operate this format. The pool bar at INNSiDE is the most visually striking — the transparent-bottomed infinity pool means drinkers at the LUZ tapas bar one floor below can watch swimmers floating above their heads.
- Which to choose — For a social, in-the-water drinking experience, the swim-up bars at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit and Anantara Riverside deliver the most complete setup. For the most photogenic and architecturally distinctive pool bar experience, INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit has no competition in Bangkok. For the best combination of pool bar and city view from a single spot, SO/ Bangkok’s Water Club and InterContinental Bangkok’s Oasis Pool Bar are the strongest picks.
Can Non-Guests Use Bangkok Hotel Pool Bars?
Several of the hotels on this list offer day passes that give non-guests access to the pool, pool bar, and often the gym and spa. This is worth knowing if you’re staying nearby and want to use a better pool than your own hotel offers, or if you’re in Bangkok for one day and want to make it count.
- SO/ Bangkok — Offers a Wellness Day Pass giving access to the infinity pool, The Water Club pool bar, gym, and sauna. Passes are available through the hotel’s own website and are capped at a daily limit, so advance booking is recommended during peak months.
- Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit — Offers a Day Pass with full food and beverage credit at the Liquide Pool Bar, along with pool, gym, and sauna access. One of the better-value day pass setups in the city given the quality of the pool bar.
- Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort — Day passes available, covering the pool and Loy Nam swim-up bar. Confirm current pricing and availability directly with the hotel, as these vary by season.
- INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit — The Giant Swing Pool Bar is technically open to all guests at the hotel level. The pool itself is for hotel guests, but Klook lists pool bar day passes periodically — worth checking before visiting.
- All other hotels on this list — Restrict pool access to hotel guests only. If access is a priority, confirm directly before visiting, as policies occasionally change.
Practical Tips for Bangkok Pool Bars
A few things that don’t appear in hotel marketing but matter once you’re actually there.
- Opening hours vary more than expected — Most Bangkok hotel pools open at 6am and close between 8pm and 10pm. The pool bar typically opens later — 10am to noon is the standard start — and closes before the pool. INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit runs the latest pool bar hours on this list, with The Giant Swing Pool Bar open until midnight. If a late-night swim with a drink in hand is the goal, this is the only hotel on this list that consistently delivers it.
- Happy hours are worth timing your afternoon around — Several hotels run structured pool bar happy hours that represent strong value. SO/ Bangkok’s Water Club runs regular afternoon promotions on cocktails and beer. Mode Sathorn Hotel and Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 both offer daily happy hour periods. Confirm current timings directly with each hotel, as these change seasonally.
- Floating breakfasts are a separate experience — Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn offers a floating breakfast served on a tray in the pool, which has become one of the most photographed pool experiences in Bangkok. This runs in the morning before the pool bar opens and requires advance booking through the hotel. It is worth doing once and bears no resemblance to the afternoon pool bar session.
- Dress codes apply at some hotels in the evening — Rooftop pool bars generally require swimwear during pool hours and smart casual after dark. Some hotels explicitly prohibit sleeveless shirts and swimwear at the bar once the sun goes down. Confirm with individual hotels before arriving in the evening expecting to order poolside in swimmers.
- Weekends fill up faster than you’d expect — SO/ Bangkok runs its monthly SO Pool Party on the last Saturday of each month, drawing a crowd well beyond hotel guests. Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok and Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort both see weekend families fill the pool area from mid-morning. Tuesday through Thursday delivers the quietest pool bar experience at every hotel on this list.
- Sunscreen and shade matter more than at beach destinations — Bangkok’s urban heat island effect means rooftop pool bars reflect considerably more heat than their floor level suggests. InterContinental Bangkok by IHG’s Oasis Pool Bar on the 37th floor and Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn’s 14th-floor infinity pool offer limited natural shade — plan to use the cabanas during the 11am to 3pm window if you’re sensitive to the sun. The riverside hotels benefit from more natural shade and consistent river breezes.
FAQs
1. What is the best Bangkok hotel with a pool bar for a first visit? SO/ Bangkok and Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit are the two strongest starting points. Both sit within walking distance of BTS or MRT stations, have well-programmed pool bars with full food and drink menus, and rate consistently above 8.5 across thousands of verified reviews. SO/ Bangkok edges ahead on pool size and atmosphere; Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit wins on location and the quality of surrounding dining and shopping.
2. Which Bangkok hotels have a genuine swim-up bar? The confirmed swim-up bars on this list are at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit (Liquide Pool Bar), Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort (Loy Nam), Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok, Mode Sathorn Hotel, and The Davis Bangkok Hotel. These are bars you physically reach from inside the pool, not poolside service delivered to a sunlounger.
3. Can you visit Bangkok hotel pool bars without staying there? Several hotels offer day passes. SO/ Bangkok and Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit both have structured day pass options that include pool bar credit, gym, and sauna access. Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort also offers day access subject to availability. All other hotels on this list restrict pool access to hotel guests. Confirm availability and current pricing directly with each hotel before visiting.
4. Which area of Bangkok is best for a hotel with a pool bar? Sathorn and Silom give the strongest combination of pool bar quality and city connectivity. Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn, SO/ Bangkok, Mode Sathorn Hotel, and Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit all sit within walking distance of BTS or MRT stations, making day trips easy without sacrificing the pool experience. The riverside hotels offer a more resort-like atmosphere but require an extra 15–20 minutes each way via shuttle boat to reach the main city.
5. Is Bangkok’s heat actually good for pool bars? The short answer is yes. Bangkok’s dry season heat from March through May — regularly hitting 36–38°C — makes the swim-up bar genuinely functional rather than decorative. The contrast between cool water and a cold drink at the Loy Nam bar at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort or the Liquide Pool Bar at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit is one of the more straightforward pleasures Bangkok hotels offer. The monsoon months from June through October bring afternoon rain but clear mornings, and pool areas empty out enough to feel genuinely private.
6. What time do Bangkok hotel pool bars open and close? Most pool bars on this list open between 10am and noon and close between 8pm and 10pm, with the pool itself often staying open an hour or two longer. The exception is INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, where The Giant Swing Pool Bar operates until midnight — the latest closing time of any hotel pool bar on this list.
7. Do Bangkok hotel pool bars have food menus? All of them do. The range runs from light snacks and Thai dishes at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok’s Flow Bar to full Mediterranean and tapas menus at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s Giant Swing Pool Bar. SO/ Bangkok’s Water Club serves sandwiches, pizza, pasta, burgers, and Thai dishes alongside cocktails and imported beers. For a full meal by the pool rather than snacks, Chatrium, SO/ Bangkok, and INNSiDE are the strongest options on this list.
8. Are Bangkok hotel pool bars worth it for sunset? Several are specifically worth timing for it. The rooftop pool bars at InterContinental Bangkok by IHG (37th floor, panoramic city views), INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit (34th floor, facing Bangkok’s east), and Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 all catch the late afternoon light well. For a riverside sunset, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok’s Flow Bar and Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort’s Loy Nam swim-up bar both face west across the Chao Phraya — the best orientation for watching the light drop behind the city.
9. What is the most unique pool bar experience in Bangkok? INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s Giant Swing Pool Bar has no direct equivalent in Bangkok. The 34th-floor transparent-bottomed infinity pool means guests at the LUZ tapas bar one floor below can watch swimmers floating above their heads through the glass. The pool bar itself sits beside a full-scale golden recreation of Bangkok’s historic Giant Swing — one of the few genuinely distinctive photo backdrops in a city full of them. It operates until midnight, which also makes it the latest pool bar session available anywhere on this list.
