Thailand’s rooftop bars turn sunset into the main event

There are sunset drinks, and then there are Thai sky bar sunsets with cheese, cava foam, tapas, infinity pools and wood-smoked Peking duck.

Across Thailand, three Meliá rooftop venues are giving golden hour a serious upgrade, each with its own flavour. In Chiang Mai, it is all about artisan Thai cheese and local wine. In Bangkok, Spanish-style social hours spill across a dramatic rooftop pool deck. In Pattaya, sunset comes with Gulf views and a Hong Kong-style Peking duck feast.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s MAI The Sky Bar

First stop: MAI The Sky Bar at Meliá Chiang Mai, where sundowners come with a distinctly northern Thai twist. From 6pm daily, the bar is serving an Artisan Thai Cheese & Wine Pairing, matching Thai wine from Monsoon Valley in Hua Hin with small-batch cheeses from Chiang Mai producer Jartisann.

The cheeses are made using locally sourced raw milk, with the selection changing according to seasonal availability. In other words, this is no standard hotel cheese board. It is a chance to taste Chiang Mai’s growing artisan food scene from 22 floors up.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s MAI The Sky Bar

The cocktails are just as playful. The signature MAI The Sky channels golden hour with lychee, vanilla and a cloud-like cava air foam, finished with a tiny aeroplane garnish inspired by aircraft passing overhead. Another cocktail, Temple, blends Siam Lanna Gin with a Niem-Sompoi cordial, drawing on botanicals associated with spiritual cleansing.

“Charcuterie Wine Glass Toppers” are served onWednesdays from 6pm-midnight.
A glass of red or white wine is artfully topped with a charcuterie set.

Recently named a 2026 Tatler Best Spotlight Bar by Tatler Asia, MAI The Sky Bar wraps around the hotel’s rooftop with 360-degree views. On one side is the Ping River. On the other, Doi Suthep Temple rises on the mountain. For those with a head for heights, a glass bridge links the bar’s highest seating areas.

In Bangkok, LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit (main pic) takes sunset in a more social direction. Its daily Social Hours run from 5pm to 7pm, with two-for-one selected wines, Chang draught beer and signature cocktails.

The cocktail list leans fun and inventive. The Tinto Sour mixes bourbon, red wine, lemon and sea buckthorn-rooibos honey, while the Cremoso folds together white rum, cava, tiramisu syrup, mascarpone and soy milk.

Crowning Thailand’s INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s
33rd and 34th floors, LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar

As the light fades, the rooftop comes alive across two levels. The 34th floor features a pool bar, outdoor lounges, sunbeds and a transparent infinity pool, creating one of Bangkok’s more unusual dining sights: guests on the 33rd floor can look up into the base of the pool above. There is also a modern interpretation of Bangkok’s famous Giant Swing, adding a local design flourish to the skyline setting.

Food is a major part of the draw, too. Madrid-born Chef de Cuisine Juan Ignacio García Racionero has introduced a new menu inspired by regional Spanish dining, from Basque pintxos and Madrid-style tapas to Andalusian seafood and rice dishes from Spain’s eastern coast.

Meliá Pattaya Hotel’s Yitong Chinese Restaurant & Sky Bar

For a coastal finale, head to Yitong Chinese Restaurant & Sky Bar at Meliá Pattaya Hotel. Set on the 12th floor, the venue serves its A Feast of Flavour experience from 5pm, built around traditional wood-smoked Peking duck, Hong Kong style, with classic accompaniments and sweeping views over the Gulf of Thailand.

Yitong means “together”, a fitting name for a restaurant inspired by Chonburi’s long-established Chinese communities, shrines and markets. The menu is designed for sharing, with dishes served family-style to encourage connection around the table.

Its drinks list continues the theme with Chinese ingredients and references. Sunset cocktails include Kuaile De, made with goji berry-infused gin, honey, lemon and cava; Chun Hou, with brandy, orange curaçao, rosella tea and rose syrup; and Tian De, featuring Campari infused with ginseng, Chinese liquor and brown sugar syrup.

Even the mocktails get proper attention. The Virgin Chit-Cha Toddy brings together oolong tea, lemon juice, ginger syrup and cinnamon for a thoughtful non-alcoholic option.

From the mountains of Chiang Mai to the rooftops of Bangkok and the coast of Pattaya, Thailand’s sky bars are proving that sunset is no longer just something to look at. It is something to taste, sip and linger over.

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