The cocktail bar joins the elite global hospitality guide, showcasing Thailand’s innovative drinks culture to the world

Bangkok’s cocktail bar F*nkytown has earned its place among the world’s finest hospitality venues, making its debut on the prestigious 50 Best Discovery platform. This recognition comes as part of 50 Best’s most ambitious expansion yet, with over 500 new venues added in February 2025, bringing the spotlight to emerging scenes in more than a hundred cities and towns worldwide. 

The latest refresh introduces over 240 exceptional restaurants, 100 innovative bars, and 170 distinctive hotels to the platform, raising 50 Best Discovery’s global showcase to an impressive 3,700+ venues. Each establishment, including the distinctive F*nkytown, earned its spot through rigourous evaluation by the expert Academy members who shape the 50 Best’s globally respected rankings.

Since bursting onto Bangkok’s vibrant cocktail landscape in November 2023, F*nkytown has redefined local drink culture through its audacious approach. Under the visionary leadership of Group Beverage Manager Pae Ketumarn, who honed his craft under cocktail legend Shingo Gokan at The SG Club and The Sober Company, F*nkytown has transformed into a true culinary destination that reimagines Bangkok’s – and the larger Southeast Asia’s – cocktail landscape. By seamlessly integrating the city’s rich food heritage into its drinks programme, the bar elevates cocktail experiences beyond mere libations, creating a journey that reflects Thailand’s intrinsic culture, where eating and drinking are inseparably intertwined.

The bar’s revolutionary “Funk Scale” (ranking drinks from Level 1 to 5) democratises experimental flavours, guiding guests from approachable sips featuring familiar local fruits to boundary-pushing concoctions that challenge conventional cocktail norms. Signature creations like the Winter Melon Fizz with chicken fat-washed gin and the transformative Tom Yum Highball exemplify F*nkytown’s commitment to translating Thai culinary heritage into innovative liquid experiences.

“This recognition isn’t just about our cocktails—it’s validation of our vision to create a space where 21st century Bangkok comes alive in a glass,” says Pae Ketumarn, Group Beverage Manager at F*nkytown. “We’re bridging worlds—between food and drink, between tradition and innovation, between local ingredients and global techniques. Being acknowledged by 50 Best Discovery proves that pushing boundaries while honouring your roots resonates with drinkers worldwide.”

Technical innovation lies at F*nkytown’s core, particularly in its groundbreaking savoury cocktail programme. The Kimchi cocktail showcases this mastery, marrying kimchi juice with gochujang butter-washed spirits and Korean perilla leaf. Meanwhile, the Pain au Matcha exemplifies practical sustainability, transforming croissant off-cuts from sister operation Sarnies into distinctive orgeat—just one facet of the bar’s comprehensive closed-loop philosophy that extends to their acclaimed house-made vintage plum wine programme.

50 Best Discovery stands as the definitive resource for discerning global travellers, with recommendations curated by over 3,000 industry Academy members who are intimately familiar with their local dining, drinking, and hospitality landscapes. This ensures that followers of 50 Best Discovery receive guidance from the world’s foremost connoisseurs. While operating as an extension of the annual 50 Best rankings, the platform is not itself a ranking, with 50 Best maintaining ultimate responsibility for database curation. Importantly, venues cannot apply for inclusion—selection comes solely through expert recommendation.