The best things to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 8-11)

Le Cafe des Stagiaires Bangkok has turned an ordinary night into a social experiment. Boards sit between bodies, pieces nudged while feet shift to the music. It is playful rather than precious, the sort of setting where concentration slips easily into conversation. Alex Zaldua is behind the decks, shaping a soundtrack that nudges the room forward without demanding attention. Tracks stretch and loosen, giving players time to stare down a rook or abandon the board altogether. Someone wins, someone loses, nobody keeps score for long. The appeal lies in the overlap, where strategy meets rhythm and strangers become temporary teammates. You leave slightly lighter, mildly smug and already planning a rematch.

January 8. Free. Le Cafe des Stagiaires Bangkok, 7pm onwards

Salin Cheewapansri’s story bends away from the expected. Raised in Thailand, she left for North America at 20 with a suitcase and a stubborn sense of direction, landing within Canada’s jazz circles as a drummer, producer and songwriter. You might recognise her from that KEXP session, seated behind the kit in traditional Thai dress, tradition and modern rhythm sharing the same frame. Early 2025 marked a homecoming, when she stepped back onto Bangkok stages during Design Week and quietly stole attention. Since releasing her album, she has taken the music across the US and Europe, returning with Rammana, a new project folding afro-jazz, funk and Thai folk together. The result feels personal without trying too hard, which perhaps explains her nod as a CBC 2025 Revelation Artist.

January 9. B1,500-1,800 via here. Lido Connect, 7pm

Born in Isan and shaped by stories passed mouth to mouth, the sound carries memory, humour and grit. The khaen sighs, voices stretch and the groove settles somewhere between ritual and release. You dance because it feels natural, you sing because everyone else does. Molam to the World brings that spirit to Bangkok Island with a sense of curiosity rather than spectacle. Traditional forms brush against contemporary rhythms and global accents without losing their accent. The Thai phin chats with an Indian sitar, African djembe drums add warmth and everything stays grounded in local flavour. Borders blur gently. What remains is identity, shared and slightly reimagined, for one long, generous evening.

January 9. B200 via here and B300 at the door. Bangkok Island, 6pm-midnight

Bar Temp. hands over the room to a mix of international and local guests, the sort of night where introductions happen mid-track and nobody asks what time it finishes. The crowd arrives curious, stays chatty and slowly rearranges the furniture with their bodies. Etchar, Jakes Hid and Elaheh share the decks, each bringing their own logic without fighting for attention. Selections stretch, overlap and occasionally surprise, keeping the floor alert but relaxed. One moment leans percussive, the next turns melodic, then slips sideways again. Drinks sweat on the bar, conversations drift and regroup. It feels informal in the best way, like being invited to a friend’s flat where the sound system happens to be very good. You leave knowing everyone’s name, or at least their face.

January 9. B400 before midnight and B500 after midnight. Bar Temp., 9pm onwards

Dry January tends to arrive with good intentions and a mild sense of regret. After weeks of late nights and louder mornings, the body asks for a softer plan. Bangkok Bestival 2026 answers that request without preaching. Running across Benjakitti, Lumphini, Benjasiri and Pathum Wan Anurak parks, the fourth edition spreads itself gently across the city’s green pockets. The idea centres on the first happiness of the year, small and deliberate. People stretch under trees, follow slow yoga sessions or lie still while sound therapy hums nearby. Others wander through nature walks, join hands-on workshops or browse local goods between shaded paths. Music drifts across lawns, casual rather than commanding. It feels like a collective exhale, shared with strangers who also decided the year should begin kindly.

January 9-11. Free. Benjakitti, Lumphini, Benjasiri and Pathum Wan Anurak parks

Hailing from the Northwest of England, Mr Mowgli has already spent more than a decade coaxing people away from the bar and back towards the floor. It shows in the way he plays. Nothing feels rushed, nothing screams for attention. Disco warmth slides alongside Balearic ease, house selections arrive with a light touch rather than a hard sell. At Le Cafe des Stagiaires Bangkok, the night feels guided rather than driven. Tracks unfold patiently, giving space for conversations to finish and feet to catch up. 

January 9. Free. Le Cafe des Stagiaires Bangkok

Raumtester lands at HORN with a backstory that reads like a long night well spent. Raised on enthusiastic EDM in a small Russian town, he grew into a key figure within collectives that reshaped the country’s electronic scene, from Resonance Moscow to System108, Mutabor and Popoff Kitchen. Since 2015 he has also built his own party series, learning how rooms behave when music is treated as conversation rather than command. Now based in Berlin, new räume surround him, each one waiting to be tested. The night is supported by MAY TAE, Beatforest Festival founder and a DJ who treats sound as autobiography. Alongside her, 5.5MM stitches acid grooves, diva house, dark disco and hypnotic techno with queer wit and otherworldly confidence. Expect curiosity, generosity and a floor that listens back.

January 9. B500 via here. HORN, 10pm onwards

Cards are laid not to tell you who you are, but to reflect what you already carry, gently turned outward and examined from a safer distance. The process works from the outside in, using imagery and symbolism as prompts for deeper soul work rather than neat answers. Questions surface slowly. Patterns appear where you were not looking. The year ahead begins to feel less intimidating, more legible. Healing arrives without ceremony, clarity without pressure. It suits anyone feeling slightly stuck, mildly curious or simply tired of rushing towards resolutions. You leave with insight that lingers rather than instructions to follow. 

January 10-11. B2,200. Reserve via Line OA: @libraandpisces. Slowcombo, 1pm-6.30pm

Bangkok welcomes 2026 with a knowing wink as Muse Anime Festival sets up at JAM SPACE, a familiar meeting point for pop culture devotees. This is less trade fair, more shared obsession. Fourteen anime titles spread across 17 photo zones turn fandom into a walk-through experience, complete with oversized sets and scenes designed for lingering rather than rushing. Expect towering inflatables of Momo and Okarun from DAN DA DAN plus Rimuru, the eternally cheerful slime, looming large for cameras. Beyond the visuals, shelves fill with officially licensed pieces and harder-to-find imports, tempting even the disciplined collector. Food gets its own moment too, thanks to a themed cafe riffing on SPY x FAMILY and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. 

January 10-March 29. Free. 4/F, MBK Centre, 11am-9pm

Jungle Jam BKK opens 2026 with a proper marker moment, celebrating 30 years of Playaz and reminding Bangkok why drum and bass still matters. It brings DJ Hype back to centre stage, three decades after shaping a sound that refuses to age quietly. He is joined by DJ Hazard and DJ Tyke, both known for sets that feel physical, playful and slightly unhinged in the best way. MC Inja hosts alongside MC Ell Gee, steering the night with wit rather than shouting. This feels less like a booking list and more like a lineage lesson. Jungle Jam has a habit of honouring milestones, and this one lands with confidence. 

January 10. B500-600 via here and B700 at the door. Jungle Jam BKK, 10pm onwards 

The plan here is refreshingly modest. Step away from the street, find a patch of grass and let the afternoon slow its own pace. The idea is simple enough: Bangkok locals turn up to soften the mood, breathe a little easier and spend time with live music under open skies. Yusu Jazz Band sets the tone, light and generous, good for moving your feet or staying put with a drink as the sun starts to slip. At 4pm, a free beginner swing class welcomes anyone curious, no partner or experience required, just a willingness to try. After that, the lawn becomes a shared living room where people chat, stretch and linger. Everything is free, including the expectation to perform. Comfortable shoes are encouraged, urgency is not. The schedule flows easily, leaving space for the best part, unplanned moments with familiar faces and new ones.

January 10. Free. Rot Fai Park, 4pm onwards

The second solo exhibition by Thai artist Krittin Kaewyongphang, better known as Condo Ceramics, feels like a quiet conversation rather than a statement. Curated by Jason Yang, the show leans on ceramics and illustration to talk about memory, self-acceptance and the value of taking one’s time. Titled Fire Me Slowly, the work reflects Krittin’s own path as an LGBTQ individual, shaped by gradual understanding rather than sudden revelation. Ceramic figures appear soft yet stubborn, joined by monster-like characters that refuse neat labels or fixed identities. They exist comfortably, without apology or explanation. Nothing here asks to be hurried. Growth unfolds at its own speed, gently and without pressure. The exhibition suggests that arriving is overrated anyway. Staying present, slightly unfinished and fully yourself, might be the point worth holding onto.

January 10-February 9. Free. GalileOasis Gallery, 9am-8pm

Bar Temp hosts a night that is carefully considered, with TODD sharing the booth alongside resident DOTT. Known as one of the creative minds behind Trommel Music, TODD carries a reputation built on curiosity and consistency. Years of playing across the city’s key clubs have sharpened his instincts, especially when reading rooms that prefer subtle shifts over grand gestures. His selections sit between house, techno, garage and minimal, never settling long enough to feel predictable. Lines blur gently, tracks converse and the floor responds without being told what to do. With DOTT guiding the mood from the inside, the pairing feels natural, almost inevitable. Expect a steady night where attention drifts, returns and lingers, the sort of session that rewards staying longer than planned and leaving quietly satisfied.

January 10. B400 before midnight and B600 after midnight. Bar Temp., 9pm onwards

Wolf Alice returning to Bangkok feels a bit like bumping into an old friend who’s somehow become much cooler since you last met. The band haven’t played Thailand since headlining Mangosteen Music Festival back in 2018, which now feels like another era entirely. Since then, two albums have landed, a Mercury Prize has been picked up for Visions of a Life and their reputation as one of Britain’s sharpest live acts has only hardened. This Asia run stops in Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore, folding songs from the recent ‘The Clearing’ alongside beloved older cuts. Ellie Rowsell remains the quiet force at the centre, slipping from tender reflection to snarling guitar drama without warning. Expect moments that feel intimate, followed by stretches that leave the room slightly breathless and very loud.

January 11. B2,200-2,400 via here. Ambience Space, 7.15pm

Sunday evening gets a generous dusting of sparkle, guided by the magnificent Amadiva, who hosts with warmth and a knowing wink. The night unfolds through a run of drag performances from Amora, SHORTGUN, Lady Judy, Nonny Majoriga and Sasha Lee, with the promise of surprises keeping everyone alert. Shows land at 9.30pm, 10.30pm and 11.30pm, leaving just enough time to refill a glass and gossip. Earlier hours lean social. From 5pm-8pm, selected handrolls and drinks arrive in generous pairs. Expect spicy salmon, maitake tempura, maguro zuke and indulgent wagyu variations, washed down with gin, beer, wine, vodka or umeshu. It is celebratory without being forced, glamorous without trying too hard. The sort of Sunday that reminds you Monday can wait.

Every Sunday, Free. Reserve via 088-665-9986. Kaiwa, 5pm onwards