BlackLight CNX

The blacklight gimmick could have been naff, but it works, mostly because it gives the room a look that nothing else on Ratvithi Road has. Everything glows, the place feels louder than it is, and people end up talking to strangers. That's the whole appeal. Backpackers, long-term expats and Thai regulars share the same bar, and the mix is what keeps it interesting rather than the drinks list.

Come for a night out, not a quiet one. This is drinks and music and staying later than you meant to, so if you want somewhere to read a book over a beer, walk on. It's casual in the way most Old City bars are, meaning nobody cares what you're wearing. My advice is to treat it as a second or third stop, once you've eaten and the evening has some momentum behind it. Turning up at six to an empty room won't sell you on the idea.