Bangkok

Bangkok has one of Southeast Asia's most developed craft beer scenes, and it has changed character faster than almost anywhere else in the region. For years it ran almost entirely on imports, because Thai law made small-scale commercial brewing close to impossible — what the city lacked in local breweries it made up for in the quality of what it brought in. That is no longer the whole story. As the rules have loosened, a generation of Thai brewers has moved from homebrewing to licensed production and opened taprooms of their own. Chit Beer on the river island of Ko Kret has been the seed of much of it since 2012, training hundreds of the people now brewing commercially. Today you can drink beer made on the premises at United Peoples Brewery in Chatuchak, Call Me Papa Brewhouse over the boundary in Nonthaburi, and 12°Plato — while Burbrit pours its own Yangon-brewed range on Sukhumvit 22.

The import-led bars remain the backbone of the scene and are as good as ever: rotating taps and well-curated fridges drawing on Belgium, the US, Germany, Scandinavia, Japan and the UK, with a level of knowledge among staff and regulars that is genuinely impressive. The densest area is the mid-to-upper Sukhumvit corridor — Thong Lo, Ekkamai, Phrom Phong and Asok — which has become one of Bangkok's most interesting bar districts for everything from craft beer to natural wine and cocktails. Ari, on the northern BTS line, has a more local-neighbourhood feel with several excellent craft spots among its coffee shops and independent restaurants. Sathorn, Silom and the riverside are well served, and Phra Nakhon in the old city has developed a craft bar scene that suits anyone exploring Bangkok's historic centre. The BTS Skytrain reaches most of it without touching Bangkok's notorious traffic, though the breweries out at Chatuchak and across the river need a Grab or a ferry. Whether you are hunting a Belgian gueuze, a Thai-brewed hazy IPA, or just a decent beer after a day of sightseeing, use this directory to find the best craft beer bars in Bangkok.