Top Restaurant:
 
Harvey California Cuisine
Rating: 
Top Hotel:
 
Majestic Grande Hotel - Sukhumvit Soi 2
Rating: 
Top Bar:
 
Quake Restaurant & Bar
Rating: 
Top Shopping:
 
Savile Row Wedding Boutique
Rating: 
Top Attraction:
 
Wat Arun
Rating: 
Top Personal:
 
Never Say Cutz
Rating: 
Top Leisure:
 
Movie: Avatar
Rating: 

Tools and Info.
Cheap Charlie’s Bar
Published in Nana. Reviews
20_1_cheap-charlies-bar.jpg
  • : 3.0   
Address: Sukhumvit Road Soi 11

Getting There: Take a taxi to Sukhumvit soi 11 and look for the signs on the left of Soi 11. Not very far down soi 11. Or take the BTS to Nana station and walk down soi 11.

Pricing (Cheap Eats/Moderate/Expensive): Cheap
Hours: 4:30pm-1:00am
Phone: +66 (0) 2253 4648
Website:
Amenities: Drinks
changeformicon.gif

Review it!

You must login to Review an item.

5 Reviews for “Cheap Charlie’s Bar”


  1. 1 Chopsticks (Top Seeder)

    A fun place to start a night out on the town. Drinks are ridiculously cheap compared to other bars and clubs in the area. The crowd is mostly all foreigners and crowded it usually is. It can be hard to find room, even standing room, inside the yellow line early evenings on Friday and Saturday.

    A Bangkok instituion.

    • : 3   

    View all reviews by Chopsticks

  2. 2 nickd (Top Seeder)

    A fun little spot and as the name indicates, it’s cheap. It’s always pretty lively with friendly folks. The only drawback is it’s mostly a standing pub so you can’t really get comfortable but it does lend itself to a more social setting.

    • : 3   

    View all reviews by nickd

  3. 3 werewolf (Top Seeder)

    One of my favorite watering holes in Sukhumvit. Cheap Charlie’s looks like a pile of driftwood washed up in a small parking lot and someone got some nails and wire and made a temporary shelter.

    It’s a Bangkok institution that’s been around for 25 years. There is an old newspaper article from the International Herald Tribune (July 05) that is laminated and posted on the front of the bar, with a headline that reads, “Cheap Charlie’s Rules: stay inside the yellow line, no prostitution, and no number 2″.

    If you’ve been to Cheap Charlie’s before then you’ll understand the headline; if you haven’t then you need to go.

    Again, Charlie’s is a Bangkok institution in the same way that Harry’s Cafe de Wheels is a Sydney institution. A place that falls short of all expectations, and is so unique that it defies description. A place you’d never imagine until you’ve seen it. A place with the cheapest regular drink prices in town.

    Cheap Charlie’s is filled to capacity or beyond nearly every day, assuming it’s not raining. There’s a reason for that… it’s got ‘atmosphere’. It may sound unappealing to sit on a hard wooden stool, with a wobbly table for your drinks, inches from cars driving into a commercial parking lot in an outdoor bar that is totally exposed to the weather and offers no service beyond one middle-aged Thai man opening drinks and serving highballs from a wooden hovel, but somehow it works for me.

    The cheesy signs, the collection of items that has been accumulating for two and a half decades, and the homemade toilet are all part of what makes the winning formula in a place that lives up to it’s name.

    Cheap Charlie’s is the place you go when you don’t need to impress anybody, you just want a cheap, cold beer and a conversation.

    I go there often.

    • : 4   

    View all reviews by werewolf

  4. 4 markthepoint (Top Seeder)

    All drinks are around the 50 Baht (buck and a half or nearly a pound) mark which for that area is ridiculously cheap. Normally busy most days and only one slight drawback, there’s no roof or in fact anything there’s just a bar and some seats. Good to visit once

    • : 2   

    View all reviews by markthepoint

  5. 5 dreampipe (Top Seeder)

    What can I say? Not really my type of bar but when it comes to cheap, laid back and a good spot for people watching this place it hard to beat. I love all the trinkets and crap hanging all over the place.

    Would have to be the coolest outdoor bar in Bangkok.

    • : 3   

    View all reviews by dreampipe



Directory - All

Recently Added - All

Recent Reviews - All
dapperdan
I always went early in the morning and found WOW to be uncrowded. I hate when the customers sit on a machine and rest or talk on a telephone. I found the staff, other than the salespeople to be very freindly. But I never asked for anything special and other than checking in had nothing to do with them. I just checked in, changed, and went from machine to machine. It's very clean. I don't know what a Diamond Dual Membership is but I paid 8000 for 4 months, because I had to leave BKK for 5 months. I should have taken the year I guess. I guess I could have gotten and year for 8000. Next time I'll be tough. But I think I got my moneys worth any way. I got some good workouts in. If anyone has pointers about the membership, please enlighten me, because I'd like to join with the option of going to use the Pattaya WOW as well.
grundloyal
I went to the Pro Bridal Wedding Dress with my mum, and they were absolutely lovely, after a talk with the lady there, we were shown dresses which she felt would look best for me, and did she get this right, each one was just getting better and better. I liked them all and members of staff were very helpful in helping me and my mum choose. Each time I came out of the changing room my mum was in tears! I was treated like a princess. I know that I have found my dream dress. I will be getting everything from here, it was a joy and can't wait to go back and choose my bridesmaid dresses and for the fitting of my beautiful dress.
Khang
I have been eager to try this place since I read the review by Stevied on this site from back in Novemeber. He mentions that the salsas are hot, and that's the way I like it. Well, finally today I did try it, and I'm sorry I waited so long. Move over, Bangkok, there is actually real Mexican food here! I went with a friend today, and between the two of us, we shared soft and crispy tacos, burritos, a quesadilla and quacamole and chips with salsa. None disappointed. I personally did not think that the salsas were overly hot; they will only offend the most delicate of palates. As for me, I am insane about heat. And the wait staff was more than happy to adjust the heat to my tastes WITH FRESH INGREDIENTS. Simply delicious. Reasonable prices, too. The atmosphere? Well, it is not so flashy, kinda quaint actually. Our waitress was engaging .. well more than that, she was a lot of fun. Of course, not all is perfect. Today, the margaritas were on special, so they got by with it, but the normal price for beer and booze is too high. When I go for a relaxing meal, I want to sit back and enjoy it with a drink or four. It is hard to enjoy at 100+ baht for a 330 ml beer or 160 baht for a margarita. They should at least have a daily happy hour. (The margaritas are pretty darn good, though!) This food is perhaps the best Mexican in Bangkok. Best I have had, by far. So on that strength, it should rate a 5-star. But the expensive drinks and lack of a DAILY HAPPY HOUR do detract from the potential enjoyment factor. I rate this restaurant a 4-star.
elsuket
I'm usual to go there and the service has never been as bas as described here. This restaurant is not a place where you can have food quickly, it is a place to relax. Take a beer or a cocktail, which are cheap, and you'll have no wait for the food. You definitely can't say that the food is bland. I usally go for pad thai or massaman gkai, and they're OK.
drwingfield
I have a different view. I’m one of the people that frequents Sunrise Tacos. Many others like the food as well as many times I have to wait to sit down because all the seats are full. I have the same problem getting a seat at the Soi 12 branch and Paragon branches. If it was as bad as you say I would never have this wait. I never have had a bad meal there and my numerous friends feel the same. Just wanted to chime in that is why Sunrise Tacos always seems to be the busiest of the Mexicanj places. I’ve been to all of them and they all are different styles. Nobody beats Sunrise Tacos on price, the wide variety of free salsas they offer and portions. Taste is up to the individual but for my money, its right up there with the best. I’m from Texas so I should know. Oh another thing, love watching them make the fresh tortillas and the free salsa bar at Soi 12. Its a nice touch. The 24 hour delivery also is a good thing they got going.
mikeyroan
Out of many Bangkok tailors, you will find the legendary Savilerow in a chic hotel or sleek mall. But don't be fooled. These digs in humble, a tailoring hub, have hosted everyone from U.S. Embassy to soccer stars, movies stars , commissioners such as the Peter Thorn, elija woods, and Michael Di Rhodes. This former uniform tailor to the Bangkok hotel staffs. These tailors also make annual trips to Europe and North America. (Schedule updates are listed on the Web site). About two months ago, I went to visit Savile Row Clothiers, the travelling Bangkok tailors who happened to be one of the few with Newyork on their itinerary. I wanted to give them a shot to see if they would be a cheaper alternative to my tailor here in New york for basic items. I made a post about it, and a few people PM'd me asking for a review of the clothes once I received them because they were also thinking of using this service. This morning I woke up to find a snow covered box on my doorstep with Savile Row Clothiers printed across the top. So here's my review: Fabric: The selection of fabrics of available through Savile Row clothiers is quite extensive in terms of swatches available, For my experiment, I decided to go with a basic black with grey pine fabric which was Super 130's, but struck me as an average quality fabric in terms of appearance, softness, etc. Normally suits start at $150, but the one I selected was $350. The fitting: I went to their store at Rose hotel where it was crammed with people looking through swatch books and waiting in line to get fitted. I decided to remove a little bit of the guesswork by bringing my favorite fitting jacket and pants, a Hugo Boss Eagle jacket. I asked the tailor to use my measurements, but recreate the fit of those items as much as possible, which is quite trim. He happily measured me and my garments and made adjustments for where he thought my garments needed to be tweaked. He even measured the proportions of the lapels to make sure they were spot on. The results: Nine months on from my first Savile Row suit, I had tried six suits from other avenues before returning. I was very happy with my first Savile Row suit. But I wanted to make sure, before becoming a life-long subscriber to the Row, that I was completely comfortable in my justification for doing so. I didn’t want to live at the apex of personal tailoring for any pretence of grandeur. I would only want to subscribe to the Row if it provided the best value for money. I decided to return to the same Savile Row tailor. I wanted to test the theory that developing a relationship with one tailor would be of increased value in all subsequent suits. I hoped that continuing with the same tailor would allow him to assess his first suit and make improvements with the second. I am delighted to report that this is exactly what happened. I was surprised at home critical the tailor was of his first suit. I had arrived with a list of points which I wanted to address.He addressed each of my six points and two more which I had not thought of and couldn’t have then understood. I was also delighted to be informed that the tailor had since updated his pattern. The meant a slightly slimmer upper arm, slimmer middle-leg and slightly longer torso. I think this a very good and reassuring sign. The quite unexpected bonus, was that after the improvements for my second suit had been agreed, the tailor offered to take my first suit away and have it altered to reflect all of the agreed improvements. I was delighted! Further to this thread, I am very pleased with my choice of suiting and lining. I think I definitely made the right choice. If anyone has any questions about the suit, a beginner’s experience of Savile Row, or of personal tailoring in general, then please drop me a line any time. I would be pleased to hear from you. Thank you. Melons
rritke
Larry's has the best ribs in town and every Friday it is all you can eat. Every Friday they have all you can eat rib night for only 399 baht! I highly recommend it. The food and drinks are excellent.
Not Delia
We went there the other day and rated it 3 out of 5 on our foodie blog. Like several others here have said, the drinks were fine but the food left a lot to be desired. We described the breakfast as being "meagre". The fish and chips were OK, but they took an age to come and the place wasn't even busy. I'd go back again for a drink, but definitely wouldn't bother with the food again.
bobonzo
What was I doing here on a Monday ? Dance floor is closed on Monday. Took a date there who wanted to dance and found out too late no dancing on Mondays. Instead when upstairs to some 'chill-out' area. Couches and some DJ playing new-age jazz or some such shit. Had one beer and left. Altho very nice, not my scene.
bobonzo
I know I know..I said I wouldn't stay here again, but I needed a place for 1 night I it was easy and I didn't need a pool this trip. Same as before, I still like the near-ness to Cowboy. One good thing ...this time the internet connection was very very fast.