It’s not just Japan that has a plethora of cool theme cafes, as I learnt during my latest trip to Thailand. I was seriously wowed by how much Bangkok had developed in the past 10 years — it seemed much more hip and cyberpunky than I remembered. And MD-82 Cafe is hands-down one of the coolest theme cafes I have ever visited. Not only because of the dedicated airplane-theme and nice waitresses, but also because it is one of the few places in the world you can legally enjoy a 420 drink.
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Cool point #1: Housed in an actual disused airplane
Strictly speaking, MD-82 Cafe is not airplane-themed. Rather, an airplane has been repurposed into a cafe called MD-82.
The entrance, marked as a terminal, creates the sensation that you are entering a boarding gate to take a flight.
Inside is a counter selling drinks and cakes, presumably for takeaway, although there are airplane seats for customers here as well.
A carpeted staircase leads up to the entrance of the airplane, where you enter a moodily-lit and clean cafe complete with all the furnishings of the real thing.
While most of the seats are normal airplane seats, there are also luxurious, rounded sofas.
You can also see retro-style oxygen masks used as part of the interior decoration.
Even the toilets are consistent with the theme.
And the experience doesn’t stop at the furnishings…
Cool point #2: Staff dressed as flight attendants
All the staff are dressed as flight attendants, providing the attentive and polite service one would expect during a journey in the skies. They also all wore masks, accurately simulating the post-COVID travel experience. (I jest, since mask-wearing still seems pretty prevalent in Thailand in general).
Unfortunately, most of the staff don’t seem to speak much English, but with Google Translate anything is possible. Our waitress spoke a little English and was extremely patient in explaining about the items on their menu.
She was also more than willing to oblige with photos.
Cool point #3: Cannabis-infused beverages
Besides the airplane-theme, the main feature of MD-82 Cafe is its brazen cannabis branding, with its logo even containing the recognizable leaf. “Boarding” the plane, you can see a potted cannabis tree in plain view.
As of September 2022, the cafe only serves cannabis-infused drinks, with all the food on their menu — ranging from pizza to Japanese to Thai — just normal food.
Specifically, only the drinks on these two pages contain cannabis, although the staff were pretty flexible if you wanted to add doses to drinks on other pages.
After returning to Japan, I messaged the cafe asking just how much cannabis they put in one dose, but couldn’t get a clear answer in terms of milligrams. They just said they use food grade CBD oil and cannabis leaf containing less than 1% THC.
In addition to an Hawaiian pizza and Japanese shrimp katsu set, we ordered a herb tea (containing cannabis) to share. I also got Forever Young, a lychee and pineapple mocktail, with one cannabis dose for good measure.
To be honest, I had not expected the drinks to affect me in any notable way, but it seems I greatly overestimated my tolerance as a cannabis-n00b. Or the amount contained in one dose.
You can read about my first experience getting stoned here >> Trying Cannabis for the First Time in Thailand.
Cool point #4: Flight simulator
The other thing that makes this cafe unique is that it also includes a flight simulator. While I did not try it myself, I read that you can fly the plane virtually in 15 minute blocks (for a fee, of course). This unusual feature is sure to delight airplane otaku and those with little kids alike.
Cool point #5: Near the airport
Rounding up the full aircraft experience is its location. The cafe is located only around a 15 minute drive away from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, making it a convenient place to chill during a layover. Unfortunately, it is not located near any MRT or Airport Rail Link station, so you will need to get a Grab or taxi to head there.
Our waitress at MD-82 Cafe was kind enough to help us call a taxi to take us back to the airport after no Grab drivers were available through the app.
There are also some interesting installations around the plane — namely a phone booth, clock tower and a strange armored figure — to add to your Instagram adventures while waiting for a ride.
Address: 324 ถ. อ่อนนุช แขวง ประเวศ เขต ประเวศ กรุงเทพมหานคร 10250
324 On Nut Rd, Prawet, Bangkok 10250, Thailand
According to the cafe’s Facebook page, it is open from 11am to 11pm daily, except for Sundays when it opens at noon. On Monday and Wednesdays it closes at 9pm. You can message them on Facebook to confirm times; they usually respond in a few hours and English is okay.
While I didn’t get a chance to spend much time in Bangkok this round, I’m glad I did at least get to visit a cool place like MD-82 Cafe. The next time, I will be sure to explore more interesting spots the Thai capital has to offer!
If you’re looking for more interesting theme cafes, particularly in Tokyo, check out the full list of my reviews.
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