TEP Bar at Charoenkrung

Flew out to Krung Thep for 48 hours to see the friends for a quick bit. I'm always a tourist in Bangkok, but on this trip, I'm not a tourist, except for the staying in a hotel bit. 

I was going to stay outskirts at the motel nearer to their family homes, but they would be in town when I was there, so a hotel works. I didn't need to bunk in with the friends in their city apartment even. My preference is never to stay with friends even if it's for a night. Unless all I need is a hot shower and a quick sleep, and they have the space for me.

I ate easy and yummy six meals at very local restaurants. I had great filter coffee at local joints. I went to nowhere on TikTok or IG or Xiaohongshu popular lists. I did what I came here to do — reconnect with friends and check in with them after the passing of their 10-year-old dog. I know the dog too. It was all the more poignant because the dog passed on the same day as he was born, albeit 10 years later.

The friends insisted on taking me to TEP BAR. I was like... WHY. I don't need to go a bar! They said that I would love it. "We'll get you fried silkworms." They didn't tell me anything more about it and they told me not to google, and be pleasantly surprised. I tell you, only long-time friends could do this to me. They do know my preferences. I actually thought they're taking me to a metal gig. 

I could always hang out in bar, but I'm not a fan of cocktails. So none of these fancy bars or hip joints are memorable to me. However, TEP BAR left an impression. It has been around for nine years. It's very Thai and their IG posts and announcements are pretty much all in Thai. The best part — the live music bar hosts experimental Thai bands, and many of these bands play traditional Thai musical instruments and making new sounds to them. Which is awesome. So the new-to-me band tonight was Khamvisedth. I love their energy and enthusiasm tonight. Absolutely enjoyable! 

The best signage of the short trip came from tonight too, at the bar. LOLOLOL They wanted everyone to drink and party and have a good time, but FFS, hold your liquor well. NO PUKING. The bar is a tiny alley in hip Charoenkrung in Chinatown (Yaowarat), but this is not a get-drunk kind of place. They're not joking. I'm fairly sure that they would collected many 3500THB over the years. What a great way to pay the cleaning crew or add on bonuses for them. 

It's a very tiny bar and you gotta be comfortable with people knocking into you half the time you'd be there. I was like, whatever. Just don't bump me too hard or be rude. Also I had earplugs (as I always do), so I wasn't too bothered by the conversations or sounds. I could isolate the music, the conversation at my table, and focus on that. I also wisely avoided all award-winning cocktails made with Thai herbal liquor and stuck to gin all night.