Salt Rooftop Bar at U Jomtien Hotel

Come for the sunset and stay through happy hour. That's the play here. The rooftop sits above the U Jomtien Hotel with the whole sweep of Jomtien Beach laid out in front of you, and the thing people keep coming back to isn't the drinks list so much as how quiet it is. If you've done the Bangkok rooftop circuit and left feeling like you'd queued for a photo, this is the opposite. Space between tables, room to sit for three hours without anyone hurrying you along.

Cocktails are what to order, and there are mocktails if you're not drinking. The food gets more praise than you'd expect from a hotel bar, with prices that regulars reckon compare well against street food. There's a two-hour happy hour worth building your afternoon around. Turn up around 4pm and you'll catch it, plus the light going gold over the water.

One caveat: it's an open rooftop in Chonburi. Arrive at one in the afternoon and you'll cook. Late afternoon onwards is the sweet spot.