Okay so maybe you went too hard in Thonglor. Maybe it was that last shot that did you in. Now you're here reading this: awake. Sort of. Head pounding, mouth like sandpaper, possibly still wearing last night’s clothes.
No judgement here, just solutions. Here’s your rescue list. Can’t promise miracles depending on how deep you went, but it’s a start.
Carbs, fat, protein = the holy trinity of baseline human recovery. Your body’s screaming for sustenance and this is it. Doesn’t matter if it’s from a diner, bodega-ish spot or elsewhere – if there’s bacon, cheese and egg on something bread-adjacent, you’re good. The grease coats your stomach, the salt replenishes what you sweated out on the dance floor.
My Bangkok move: head to Toby’s on Sukhumvit 38 and get their ‘bacon rules’ brekkie: two eggs cooked your way, properly crispy bacon and sourdough toast. Then cold-pressed pink lady apple juice. Honestly, any of their cold-pressed range does the job. And if you’ve ventured out of Sukhumvit, you can catch them at Noble Play Ploenchit or at Lazy Toby at Villa Market Nanglinchee.
Alternatively, in the Silom area, try Antico Fornaio. For something a little more elevated, try the Parma Breakfast Focaccia. Parma ham, creamy avocado, soft scrambled eggs, inside golden house-baked focaccia.
My goofy friends call it nature’s Gatorade. You’re dehydrated and regular water feels too virtuous right now. Coconut water brings electrolytes, potassium and just enough sweetness to make chugging it actually pleasant.
The Bangkok move is hitting up local vendors within reach. They’ll have it cheap (around B30 for one young coconut). Or look for the Pure coconut water brand at any local market or 7-Eleven (B25 for ready-to-drink bottles, cartons won't go over B80). It’s affordable, easy to find and some are supposedly pure without added sugar. If it’s store-bought and looks a little too fancy, you’ll need a bit of faith that it’s the real deal with full restorative potency. The uncs and aunties at no aircon markets are still your best bet for authenticity.
Pho, ramen, porridge, whatever brothy situation you can get your hands on. The steam clears your sinuses, the salt rehydrates you and the warmth is soothing. Add all the chilli oil and lime you want: the spicy grease can jerk you awake. The key is getting something with actual depth of flavour so you can taste it through your hangover fog. Don’t get embarrassed to order extra broth if you’re the type to have that urge to drink it straight from the bowl like the desperate creature you currently are.
The Bangkok move is to head to Jok Prince in Bangrak. This hole-in-the-wall spot serves the city’s most restorative rice porridge and a Michelin Bib Gourmand backs that up. Century egg porridge is the move. Get it with their secret recipe pork balls, don't skip the ginger and load up on spring onions. A few steamy spoonfuls in and it's rise-and-shine all of a sudden. It’s the knockout cure for hangovers, jet lag or those brutal mornings with an unexpected pounding headache.
Another Bangkok move is to get yourself to Tang Jai Yoo in Yaowarat (Chinatown). Mornings are mellow at this long-standing Teochew spot, but it's a different story once the sun dips. This place has the self-declared holy trinity of hangover cures. Here’s the rundown: first up, the stewed fish maw and bamboo mushroom soup: silky, comforting and just rich enough to revive both body and mind. Next, the steamed snapper in soy sauce: tender, savoury and greasy enough to jolt you back to life. And for the grand finale, sticky rice topped with creamy stirred taro and buttery ginkgo nuts.
Then there’s Korean haejangguk, literally ‘hangover soup’. Shoutout to the Koreans who named a whole soup category after hangovers – that’s commitment. Haejangguk comes in different styles but they all involve a rich, beefy broth with vegetables and sometimes congealed ox blood (stay with me here). It’s hearty, warming and designed specifically to cure what ails you. The spice wakes you up, the protein grounds you and there’s something about eating a soup literally called ‘hangover soup’ that feels cosmically right.
Personally, the Bangkok move is to head to Dong E at Sukhumvit Plaza for this very thing. They’ve got other soups too and you can be assured of the authenticity across all dishes.
Now, this is kind of the trust me tier. These sound weird, look weirder, but sometimes you just gotta have faith. Also some of these require you to actually get up and do something. We know. It’s a lot. But sometimes movement is medicine.
We’re not saying it’s healthy. We’re saying it sometimes works. The whole hair of the dog thing is basically giving your body a tiny bit of what caused the problem in the first place. Your body is in mild alcohol withdrawal when you’re hungover, so a small amount can ease the shakes and jitters while you sort yourself out properly with actual food and water.
The Bloody Mary is the socially acceptable version of this questionable strategy. It’s vodka, sure, but it’s also tomato juice with lycopene, potassium and vitamins, hot sauce to wake your system up, celery for hydration, crunch and fibre, olives for salt and healthy fats and usually a squeeze of lemon. If you really want to convince yourself, add extra veg. Pickles, cucumber, even a prawn or two dangling off the rim.
Mickey's Diner at Gaysorn Amarin does a good bloody mary if you need one spot dropped on you. We’re not nutritionists, but we know this much: stop at one. This is a recovery drink, not a let’s get back on it situation.
Pickle juice is loaded with sodium and electrolytes. It’s vinegary, sharp and somehow exactly what your dehydrated, regretful body needs. Take a shot of it, the irony is not lost on us, pull a face and wait about ten minutes. People have been doing this forever – athletes, bartenders, my weird uncle. They’re all onto something.
Does it taste good? To some. Does it work? Yes. When you finish the actual pickle bits, keep the jar in the fridge for emergencies. You’ll feel silly until the moment you really need it.
You can find it at most supermarkets. A personal favourite is Villa Market with their solid selection of dill pickles.
Cool aromatherapy towels and targeted pressure point work will clear that mental fog and ease the tension weighing down your ravaged body.
Cool aromatherapy towels and targeted pressure point work will clear that mental fog and ease the tension weighing down your ravaged body.
Our connection with water as a natural element brings us here. This might be some next level masochism, but hear us out. Two minutes in ice cold water and suddenly your hangover is not the only weird thing happening to your body. The shock wakes you up, the cold helps reduce inflammation and there is something about voluntary suffering that makes the involuntary suffering feel less unbearable. You’ll emerge feeling weirdly alive.
Fast & Fit Bangkok on Sukhumvit 32 has proper ice baths if you’re feeling committed, along with infrared saunas and other recovery bits.
Or just be in any body of water. A pool, a bath, whatever is available. It’s restorative. Plus you’re getting clean, which is probably overdue. The only rule is don’t go alone in case your coordination is still questionable. And wear sunscreen if it’s a pool you choose, because a Thai sunburn on top of a hangover is truly too sad.
Find a patch of direct sun (backyard, by the pool, balcony, park bench, that sunny spot in your living room) and just lie there. The warmth is healing. The vitamin D helps. You'll either fall asleep and wake up feeling better, or you’ll just vibe with your eyes closed. Make sure you have zero responsibilities for the next hour or two. Bonus points if you're near grass or on a lounger. Become one with the sun!
This is the hero’s journey of hangover recovery. You could order in and stay horizontal, but something about physically walking to get food makes you feel like you’ve earned it. The fresh air, the movement, getting your blood flowing, the small sense of achievement when you successfully navigate there and back.
You’ll probably wear sunglasses and move slowly, possibly stopping to lean against things. But you’ll get there. And the food will taste better because you suffered for it. This is penance and getting fed rolled into one activity.
Water between drinks
Alternating alcoholic drinks with water will prevent about 60% of your suffering. But you’re having too good a time. We get it. You won’t, but you could.
Drunk you taking vitamins before bed for sober you
B vitamins, vitamin C, maybe some electrolytes if you’re really on top of it. Take them before you pass out. Some people keep a vitamin stash with a water bottle on their nightstand specifically for drunk you to find.
Not mixing liquors
Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. Or is it the other way round? We know variety is the spice of life, so it’s on you to choose. But your body can process one type of alcohol more efficiently than it can handle wine at dinner, cocktails at the bar and tequila shots your friend insisted on. Remember, tomorrow felt far away then. It isn’t now.
Pre-empt the hangover at Saengchai Phochana on Sukhumvit 47
This Chinese Thai spot is where many flock post clubbing. Their knockout dish is the savoury stir-fried minced pork with pickled plum. If you need something soupy, go for the tangy sour salty minced pork soup with pickled mustard greens and preserved plums. For something a bit rarer, try the stir-fried creeper flowers with egg and mung bean noodles. Anything off the menu over steamed rice is a win.
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