There is an unassuming little bar that is nestled between the Iron Bridge, the Ping River and a high-rise hotel building. Bus Bar is an outdoor place with soft lighting, cheap drinks, and nostalgic 90's music. The atmosphere encourages long conversations with friends while watching tourists ride their bicycles across the bridge, or the groups of Thai students chatting, eating takeaways and taking photos of each other. The view of the river by night calls for photo-taking, as do the massive lights from the bridge which constantly drift from pink to blue to green to purple. And did I mention the bar itself is an old red bus? That's another reason to spend a relaxing evening at this little gem of a place.

Bus Bar Breakdown:

Drinks:	All the drinks at Bus Bar are well-priced. You can expect large beers to start at ฿70 for Chang Draft, and ฿75 for Leos. Buckets of ice are ฿20.
Food:	The food ranges between ฿50 - ฿100 per dish, and is typical Thai fare with plenty of seafood dishes thrown in. The usual dishes are authentically spicy, which is a welcome change from the dulled-down-for-foreigners food you find at many Thai bars or nightclubs.
Pros:	- Excellent ambiance. The coloured lighting in the area is beautiful, and it's hard to keep from zoning out at the views of the calm river and night-scenes on the bridge. - Service is laidback and not bothersome at all. It's nice to be in control of your table for once, and feels more intimate when you get to pour your own drinks at your own pace. - The bathrooms are clean and functional. - Location. Sometimes you just don't feel like going to the other side of the city for drinks. It's close to the river and the old city, but at the same time it's tucked away from the tourists and bustle. - Music. At times it can be on the cheesy side, but at other times you and your Western friends will be crooning along to old school tunes you haven't heard in ages. It's also a great opportunity for your Thai friends to make fun of you and question your music taste. - Mix of people. Some nights will oddly feature more falangs than other nights, when there might only be a few other tables with Thai couples or a few friends sharing food and drinks, like we usually do.
Cons:	- The location. If it rains, Bus Bar is a very unpleasant place to be. Also on the more chilly nights it can feel a bit miserable shivering at a metal table next to the river. - No drinks specials or promotions.  - Mosquitoes. Lots of them! However, the staff do provide mosquito coils.

Bus Bar, facing the Iron Bridge.