Party in Bangkok, Chill Out in Krabi

Actor, producer, and director Lex Luther gives us his tips on the best places to party in the city and to relax by the beach.

By Lucie Barke

Actor, producer, and director Lex Luther is a well-known face in Bangkok’s party scene. Born in Germany, he has lived in Thailand for the past 10 years. He worked his way up through the ranks both in front of and behind the camera, on major Hollywood productions such as “Hangover II,” “Scorpion King III,” “Marine II,” “Shanghai,” and many more, also creating, producing, and directing TV shows, music videos, TV commercials, and corporate videos.

When it comes to nightlife, Lex says he used to enjoy SuLkhumvit Soi 11 a lot, especially when Bed Supperclub still existed. After the “Bed Club” closed, things changed, according to him. “One can still have fun there at some places like the Qbar (34 Sukhumvit Soi 11, www.qbarbangkok.com), Levels (1 Sukhumvit Rd), or Bash (37 Sukhumvit Soi 11, www.bashbangkok.com),” he says. “And, recently, KU DÉ TA opened its doors, and it has became a really famous club.” So, yes, when in Bangkok, you might often see Lex around these places.

He assures us that he has seen a huge change in the party scene since his first days in Thailand: “Ten years ago, there was not really much happening at certain spots.” He lived at Thonglor at that time, and says that that area was “pretty much dead” when it came to nightlife. “But now, it’s booming! So many nice, stylish, and cool places to hang out,” Lex explains. Some of his favorites are Iron Fairies, Seen Space, Clouds, Brew, and Tuba, to name just a few. “Also, lots of sky bars recently opened up. Besides lebua, where we filmed for ‘Hangover II,’ Red Sky and Horizon are really nice sky bars with spectacular city views, and great chill out places.”

When Lex is not out partying, his favorite place to relax is Krabi. “It’s stunningly beautiful, relatively unspoiled and undeveloped, and it has so much to offer,” he says. He shot several movies there and admits productions always took him to the nicest places. “There is this 200-meter-deep turquoise pond in the middle of the jungle; the breathtaking limestone rock islands; beautiful beaches, and so on. There are good diving spots, you can do rock climbing, but also the regular tourist stuff like riding elephants, jungle-trekking, and what not.”

A few weeks ago, Lex went there to take some aerial shots of Koh Phi Phi, located in Krabi province, for an English documentary about a woman who lost her husband during the tsunami in 2004. “They were only married for eight days and celebrating their honeymoon at this stunningly peaceful island. Her husband went out to get something when the tsunami struck, and never came back. She returned to Koh Phi Phi last month to set up a children’s charity and build a school. This is so touching: she lost the love of her life at that place … she’s my hero,” he admits. This experience, together with all of Krabi’s natural beauties and possibilities, has given the province a special place in his heart. Here are his tips for enjoying it the way he does.