In the room
The room
Song Wat Road runs along the river on the Chinatown side, the old town's trading street. Sober is on the third floor of the Merchant Gate Hotel, number 1162. From the street you may see the DJ first, playing out from the balcony above; from the balcony you watch Song Wat and the old town as the light softens. Time Out's summary is that it brings records, drinks and a strong sense of place together, and the place is doing most of the work.
The hours are the trick. It opens at 16:00, which makes it the only afternoon room on this list, and shuts at 23:00, which makes it the first stop of a Chinatown night rather than the last. Arrive before sunset. That is the whole instruction.
Who made it
The people
No source names the owners or gives an opening date. The hotel below is the Merchant Gate; the bar's phone is published and nothing else is.
An openly licensed photograph of the neighbourhood, not of the bar. The room has not supplied a picture yet.
Which night
The night
Any open day at sunset, with a cocktail carried out to the balcony. Weekends are busier along Song Wat. Thursday to Tuesday, 16:00 to 23:00, closed Wednesday, by Time Out's listing updated at the end of August 2026. When it shuts, Clutch at The Warehouse in Talat Noi is a short Grab along the river and runs later.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
Arrive before sunset and take the drink out to the balcony. It shuts at eleven, so make it the first stop, not the last.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
A record bar whose best instrument is the street below it: the DJ on the balcony, Song Wat Road going gold, and hours that make it the afternoon room of the set.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Any open day at sunset, with a drink on the balcony. Weekends are busier in Song Wat.
Hours
Thu to Tue 16:00 to 23:00, closed Wednesday (Time Out Bangkok, 24 Jul 2026, updated 31 Aug 2026). The afternoon room: it opens at four.
Getting there
3rd floor, Merchant Gate Hotel, 1162-1162/1 Song Wat Road, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100. MRT Wat Mangkon, about seven minutes on foot. Phone 089 133 1131.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Sober Record Bar?
On the third floor of the Merchant Gate Hotel, 1162-1162/1 Song Wat Road, Samphanthawong, Bangkok. About seven minutes on foot from MRT Wat Mangkon. Coordinates: 13.73888, 100.506141.
When is Sober Record Bar open?
Thursday to Tuesday, 16:00 to 23:00, closed Wednesday, per Time Out Bangkok's listing updated in August 2026.
What is special about it?
The DJ plays from the balcony above Song Wat Road, and it opens at four in the afternoon, earlier than any other vinyl room on these pages.
Do you need to book?
No. Walk in, and arrive before sunset if you want the balcony.
Why is Sober Record Bar in the Sonic Paths atlas?
A record bar where the street is the instrument: the balcony DJ, the old riverside road below, and hours that make it the afternoon room of Bangkok's set.
Sources (2)
- Time Out Bangkok, Sober Record Bar listing, 24 Jul 2026 (updated 31 Aug 2026)
- Time Out Bangkok, 14 vinyl record bars, 24 Jul 2026
Every fact on this page comes from one of these, read on 20 October 2026. Where two disagree, both are shown.
Keep going
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