The best things to do in Bangkok this November

Bangkok has another reason to stay out late. After being named the World’s Best City for Nightlife 2026 by Time Out, the Thai capital gets its own celebration with the inaugural Time Out Bangkok Nightlife Awards 2026, taking over the historic Hua Lamphong Railway Station for a night dedicated to the people and places that keep the city going after dark.

The awards cover 30 categories, from cocktail bars, rooftop spots and underground clubs to listening bars, live music venues and late-night restaurants. The people behind the scenes get their share of recognition, too, with awards for bartenders, DJs and bands.

Rather than handing out trophies based on reputation alone, the awards use a panel of experts and nightlife enthusiasts who conduct anonymous, on-the-ground reviews. It’s a chance to recognise the places worth staying up for, whether that means a tiny bar with a carefully chosen playlist or a dance floor that’s still busy in the early hours.

And this isn’t a ceremony reserved for industry insiders. The public can buy tickets and join the party at Hua Lamphong, where the station’s historic halls will host DJ sets, live music and surprise performances alongside the award announcements. Complimentary drinks and canapés are also on the menu, so you can catch up with Bangkok’s nightlife crowd between sets.

Consider it a good excuse to dress up, meet the people behind your favourite spots and find a few new places to visit after the awards. Bangkok’s nights are getting their moment in the spotlight, and everyone’s invited.

November 18. 6pm-11pm. General admission B1,000, including drinks and canapés. Hua Lamphong Railway Station. Ages 20 and above only. Book through Nightify

Bangkok Art Biennale returns for its fifth edition with Angels and Mara, pairing Bangkok’s City of Angels identity with Mara, the Buddhist figure associated with temptation, desire and inner conflict. The announced programme brings together 72 artists and collectives from 29 countries, with more than 200 works exploring technology, spirituality, identity and the modern life’s contradictions. Eleven main venues spread the art across the capital, while BAB Plus and BAB Fringe partners extend the programme to Thonburi, Samut Prakan and Suphan Buri. Use the organiser’s venue guide to plan a manageable route.

October 29 2026-February 28 2027. Free biennale admission; check individual venue entry arrangements and opening hours. Eleven main venues across Bangkok. 

The ten-headed demon, the monkey army, the epic battle between good and evil: the Ramakien has plenty of familiar scenes. This year, the SUPPORT Foundation puts Sida at the centre of its annual khon production, following the woman whose love, separation and loyalty shape the story. Based on King Rama I’s royal composition, the masked dance-drama combines live narration and elaborate costumes with handcrafted masks, sets and stage decorations that showcase generations of Thai artisanship. 

November 5-December 10. Regular tickets B600-B2,000; designated student performances B200. Main Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre. Check performance times and book through ThaiTicketMajor.

A decade is a long time in pop music. 5 Seconds of Summer finally return to Bangkok after their 2016 show, bringing the Everyone’s a Star! World Tour to UOB LIVE. The Australian quartet arrive with their sixth studio album, Everyone’s a Star!, and a catalogue that stretches from their teenage pop-rock beginnings to more reflective songwriting. Newer material joins the arena-sized anthems that kept Thai fans singing through the wait. 

November 9, 8pm. Standard tickets B2,800-B6,800; VIP package B8,900. UOB LIVE, sixth floor, EmSphere. Book through  ThaiTicketMajor. 8pm

It’s about time, honestly. Los Angeles indie-pop duo LANY return to Bangkok with the Soft World Tour, led by vocalist Paul Jason Klein and drummer Jake Goss. Their catalogue includes ‘ILYSB’, ‘Malibu Nights’ and ‘Thru These Tears’, the kind of songs that stick whether you mean them to or not. With Soft adding newer material to those familiar heartbreak anthems, the duo have plenty to draw on for a crowd that rarely holds back. 

November 10, 8pm; doors open 6pm. Standard tickets  B2,800 or B3,800; VIP packages B5,550 or B9,000. UOB LIVE, sixth floor, EmSphere. Book through  ThaiTicketMajor.

Bangkok’s theatre scene gets its annual get-together as the Bangkok Theatre Festival returns for its 24th edition. The programme brings emerging artists and established performers together for 103 performances, with  theatre, movement and music sharing the bill with puppetry, likay and contemporary experiments.Shows take place at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and TK Park at centralwOrld, as well as T. Namcharoen Playhouse in Bang Pho and Tai Siam at Siam Square. It’s a chance to catch work that doesn’t always reach the city’s mainstream stages.

November 14-29. Ticket prices and showtimes vary, with selected free performances. Check the festival programme, including its ‘Foreigner Friendly’ labels, before booking. 

Book lovers, consider this your excuse to make a little room on the shelf. The Neilson Hays Library Book Sale returns to Bang Rak with pre-loved fiction and non-fiction, mostly in English, from B20. Familiar classics and contemporary reads come from community donations and books withdrawn from the library’s collection, with a smaller selection in other languages. Proceeds support the upkeep of the historic Surawong Road library and its educational and arts programmes. Bring a tote bag, leave time to browse and see what turns up.

November 14-22, 9.30am-5pm; closed November 16. Free entry. Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Road, Bang Rak. More details.

Fancy a film night with a Latin American twist? Latin American Film Week brings screen stories from nine countries to The Bangkok Club, with free admission and English subtitles. Organised by the embassies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru, the programme spans different genres and includes Guatemala’s documentary miniseries True Guatemala, screening on November 19 at 7pm. Participating countries also share food and cultural offerings. Seats are limited, so choose your screening and register in advance.

November 16-20. Free admission; screening times vary. The Bangkok Club. Register online.

It's been more than two decades since My Chemical Romance first stitched eyeliner into the cultural fabric. Now, after years of rumour, rupture and reunion, they’re finally heading to Thailand. For anyone who spent adolescence tucked inside a hoodie, humming ‘Helena’ under their breath, this has the makings of collective catharsis. Born out of post-9/11 disillusionment in New Jersey in 2001, the band’s current core members are Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro and Frank Iero. Their sound fits between theatrical and feral: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge took them into the mainstream, then The Black Parade etched their name into eyeliner-stained lore. They split in 2013 and returned for a Los Angeles reunion show in 2019 before taking that dark magic back on tour.

November 17, 8pm. IMPACT Challenger Hall, Muang Thong Thani. Listed ticket prices B2,500-B12,000; several tiers are sold out. Check Megatix for remaining availability.

Song Wat Week gives the historic riverside neighbourhood another four days in the spotlight, a short walk from Ratchawong Pier. Activities, creative projects and brand collaborations share the street with long-running spice shops, traditional shrines and independent businesses. The full programme is still to be announced, but the neighbourhood is worth exploring while you wait. Last year’s Made in Song Wat: The Longtable dinner involved chefs and 21 local restaurants and cafés, with more than 24 dishes telling the area’s story through food; its return has not been confirmed. Given the street’s food scene, arriving hungry remains a sensible plan.

November 19-22. Song Wat Road. Public street access is free: event hours, activity prices and the programme are to be announced. Follow programme updates.

The Ploenchit Fair returns for its 69th edition, bringing food stalls, market shopping and fairground games to Bangkok Patana School, with live music and the Grand Raffle to keep you hanging around. There’s a charitable purpose, but no need to arrive with a game plan: grab lunch, let the kids loose on the rides and stay for the draw. Since its first outing on the British Embassy grounds in 1957, the fair has raised more than B70 million for projects including education and healthcare in communities across Thailand 

November 21, 10am-9pm. Bangkok Patana School, Bang Na. Advertised early-bird tickets are B200 for adults and B100 for children aged 12 and under, ahead of the October 31 cut-off;  check Ticketmelon for the rate applying when you book.

Horses, hounds and a spot of bargain hunting make an unusual day out at Princess’s Cup Thailand. Equestrian competitions take over the 2nd Cavalry Division, King’s Guard, at Sanam Pao, while the announced Supreme Dog Show 2026 brings canine contenders competing for a royal trophy. Between events, browse lifestyle stalls and find something to eat or drink. You don’t need to know your dressage from your show jumping to enjoy the occasion. 

November 23-29. Free admission. 2nd Cavalry Division, King’s Guard, near BTS Sanam Pao. The Weekend & Lifestyle market is separately advertised for November 27-29, 1pm-10pm; check the organiser’s schedule for competition and dog-show times.

Joji brings his brooding alternative R&B back to Bangkok with Solaris, following his 2022 Smithereens show and 2023 VERY Festival appearance. The tour stops at IMPACT Exhibition Hall 5. This year’s album, Piss in the Wind, keeps the melancholy but roughens the production, with a rollout that uses a lookalike model in music videos while Joji himself stays out of frame. That playful visual misdirection gives the sombre songs a stranger edge. 

November 24, 8pm; doors open 5pm. IMPACT Exhibition Hall 5, Muang Thong Thani. Live Nation Tero currently lists the show as sold out. Face-value standard tickets B3,000-B4,600; VIP packages B8,400 or B12,100. Check ThaiTicketMajor for official ticket releases.

Ari is good for a café crawl, but Think Fest 2026 gives you a few more reasons to stray from your usual spots. The festival’s second edition spreads across more than 40 locations, with art installations, book clubs and workshops joining flea markets, talks and a few secret parties. Under the theme ‘Remember Me’, the programme looks at the neighbourhood and the memories people make here. Walk between venues, stop when something catches your eye and see where the day takes you.

November 27-29, 10am-midnight. Ari Soi 1, 2 and 3, Soi 4 North and Soi 5 South. Fees and booking requirements vary by activity; check the full programme via BrandThink on Instagram. Nearest station: BTS Ari, Exit 3.

A bowl-cut wig is entirely optional, but it might help you blend in when Atsuko Okatsuka makes her Bangkok debut. The award-winning comedian brings The Big Bowl Tour to Union Hall for dry, offbeat stand-up about family, marriage and everyday awkwardness. Her previous Full Grown  tour sold out more than 200 shows across over 100 cities, according to the promoter, while her HBO special The Intruder won a Gracie Award. Her clips have racked up millions of views, and fans have worn wigs modelled on her haircut to earlier shows. A few matching fringes would hardly be a surprise.

November 27, 7pm; confirm doors and showtime when booking. Union Hall, Union Mall, Lat Phrao. Tickets are provisionally B2,500-B3,500; check current prices and book through Ticketmelon.

Koktail Magazine brings its food event series back to Bangkok with the Koktail Workshop Kraft Food & Drink Market, taking over The Forum at Gaysorn Amarin on October 31-November 1. Expect tasting plates from chefs and restaurants, alongside local makers and Bangkok’s growing craft food and drink crowd. The two-day market also features live music, hands-on workshops and chef-led sessions, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied between bites. Bring friends and come hungry!

October 31-November 1. Free entry. Gaysorn Amarin Forum. Sat: 10am-8pm, Sun: 10am-7pm

Give yourself time to rummage at NIC Factory Vintage Flea Market. Mid-century tables, classic chairs, home décor and harder-to-find collectables sit alongside one-off pieces from different eras and cultures. The setting is part of the draw: NIC Factory Charoenkrung 74 occupies a former tobacco warehouse by the Chao Phraya River, with weathered industrial details that suit a day of vintage hunting. Arrive early if you want first pick.

Book Expo Thailand returns to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for 10 days across Halls 5-7. Its zones cover fiction, BL and yaoi, comics, children’s books, second-hand titles and foreign-language books. The theme, ‘Unread Messages’, nods to the titles still waiting on your reading list. For a sense of the crowds, the 30th National Book Fair drew more than 1.5 million visitors over 11 days and generated over B474 million in sales, with Gen Z accounting for more than seven in 10 visitors. Bring a tote bag and allow time to browse.

October 23-November 1. Free entry. Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Halls 5-7. 10am-9pm

For anyone who has shared a home with a pet, Beyond the Rainbow offers a thoughtful look at the bond formed through everyday routines, from the first hello to the difficult goodbye. Spread across more than 1,000 square metres, the exhibition has three experiential zones: a Memory Wall, playful recreations of familiar pet rituals and a quieter section developed with psychologists to explore grief and self-care. Pets are welcome in strollers or carriers, so your four-legged companion can come too. Tickets are available at the door, with no advance time slot required.

September 18-November 22. B150-200 via here. River City Bangkok. 10am-8pm

In less than a year, Dib Bangkok has earned international attention, including a place on TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2026 list. Its new exhibition ‘Giving Life’ brings together more than 160 works by 33 Thai and international artists, with Alexander Calder among the headline names. Known for his suspended mobiles, Calder turns sculpture into moving forms that respond to air and passing visitors. His work shares the gallery with artists from Thailand and across Asia, alongside pieces tracing key developments in the Thai art scene during the 1970s. It’s a chance to see how different generations approach movement, space and making.

September 26-May 3. B150-700 via here. Dib Bangkok. 10am-7pm