Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Summer lands in Bangkok’ April with a bit of force, and it has everyone hunting for shade come mid-afternoon. Parks and gardens start looking fuller and greener, though the real action's happening indoors – galleries are filling up with fresh exhibitions just as Songkran creeps closer. The city feels busier without being louder, just more switched on to what's about. Ditching the aircon at home suddenly makes proper sense. Most galleries give you somewhere cooler to breathe, and something decent to look at that isn't glowing at you from a screen. Drifting from one space to another becomes a bit of a routine. Not sure where to kick off? A few exhibitions are standing out across the city right now, each with its own rhythm and point of view. It's worth popping back regularly since new shows crop up steadily, giving you yet another excuse to get outside even when the heat's doing its best to keep you in. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of top things to do this April. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just art-curious, these are Bangkok’s best spots to live the art life. From alleyway masterpieces to paint-splashed corners you might walk past without noticing, here are our top spots to see street art.

Right, it's the first weekend of April. The sky's gone soft, the heat's settled in and Songkran's just around the corner. The city's loosening up a bit – pavements are filling out, parks are stretching their legs and plans are starting to pile up without you even trying. There’s plenty of culture to put in your diary. Kick things off gently at Sea Life Bangkok, which has been reworked with low-lit installations and a quieter, almost dreamlike route through the tanks. Then switch gears at Red Bull Dance Your Style, where freestylers hold the entire crowd with their unexpected moves. Fancy something slower? Thai Book Fair gives you long aisles of paperbacks and those small conversations that tend to stick around. If you're feeling social, Bangcork Wine Fair is all about easy tastings and shared bottles, while The Hope Fair folds shopping, charity and Songkran rituals into one tidy afternoon. Elsewhere, Music in the Park keeps your evenings gentle, with jazz and orchestras drifting across green spaces. Common Art Club shifts things slightly – installations and talks by day, then a proper dance floor once the sun goes down. Pick a spot that sounds good, see where the day takes you and let the weekend happen on its own terms. Trust us, you won't regret it. Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of the top things to do this April. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free Time O

It's probably not time to ditch the AC just yet, but April is still the month where you can wave goodbye to the old year in the Thai calendar without shedding a tear. Thai New Year is here, which means the city starts to properly wake up – parks get busier, restaurant tables spill out onto pavements, and suddenly there's a flood of festivals and events worth getting excited about. Summer is long here, and with it comes Songkran, the festival everyone's been waiting for. Bangkokians are more than ready to make a celebratory splash, and that long holiday? Perfect timing to explore the city's stunning parks, museums, galleries and – let's be honest – its night life scene. Things are hotting up now, so it's time to shake off that winter hibernation and get stuck into what Bangkok does best: fantastic green spaces, world-class museums and galleries, plus restaurant and bar offerings that are genuinely unbeatable. There's loads happening this month, and we've rounded up some of the best bits to help you make the most of it. Trust us, you won't want to spend April indoors. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok newsletter and get the very best of the city delivered straight to your inbox.

We're always updating this piece to keep things fresh and on point, so feel free to swing by whenever you fancy the latest. And if you're after a few more spots to explore, have a look at our best listening bars for even more musical inspiration. Ever tried making a martini at home? Chuck two and a half ounces of gin or vodka and half ounce of dry vermouth into a cocktail shaker, add cubed ice and give it a proper shake for 10 seconds. Job done. Except it never quite tastes the same as when you're perched at a bar, does it? We tried, and out of frustration, we ended up in Soi Nana. Not the notorious soi just off Sukhumvit, but Chinatown’s version – a narrow lane that used to be all apothecaries and aunties selling dusty jars of ancient remedies.  These days it's transformed into a brilliant strip of neon lights, roadside conversations and the satisfying clink of glasses. Most of the shophouses have converted to bars, and if you're wondering where to start, don't worry. We've got your back. The spots included here aren't just about perfect cocktails, though you'll definitely get those. What makes a truly good bar? For us, it's simple. A menu of genius drinks matters, obviously, but so does the overall vibe. There's absolutely no point sipping the perfect negroni if you're stuck in a bar that smells like bin juice. To earn a place on this list, a bar has to be fun, friendly and inclusive, whilst looking and tasting the part. No exceptions. Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok

Let’s be honest. The old stereotype of glasses wearers being nerds or overly serious types just doesn't hold up anymore. These days, glasses have turned into fashion-forward confidence boosters that say just as much about you as any piece of jewellery. Picking the right pair isn't just about matching your face shape anymore either. They need to work with your whole vibe: your outfit, your hair, the way you live your life. Even on those days when you're after a little something extra to pull your look together, glasses do the job perfectly. Finding frames that work for both everyday wear and special occasions used to feel like a mission, but not anymore thanks to the dozens of  Thai eyewear brands out there that get it.  To help you find your next pair of super specs, we've rounded up five Thai eyewear brands worth knowing about. Each one offers a mix of classic and contemporary styles with designs that actually stand out, and we've chosen them because the quality speaks for itself. No gimmicks, just well-made frames that do what they're supposed to do.

We keep this article updated regularly to make sure everything stays accurate and current, pop back anytime for the latest or check out our best bar list for 2025 if you’re looking for some more to add to your list.  New year, new bars to explore. With such great feedback last year, we asked the folks at Paikapai (@paikapai.official) back to help us put together this year's guide to Bangkok's best new bars, and their enthusiasm for the project never gets old. Their story isn't complicated. What started as regular 'post-work drinks’ with mates turned into a whole community. The name literally means 'let's go!' in Thai, which pretty much sums up their approach to how they check out new bars and share with their audience. When they're deciding if a bar makes the cut, they always look past the menu first. For Paikapai, atmosphere matters most – does it feel welcoming? Can you actually relax here? Then come the cocktails, which need to be excellent, and service that feels warm rather than rehearsed. Those elements together make somewhere worth returning to. Bangkok's bar scene feels particularly alive right now. Bartenders are getting creative with local ingredients, making Thai gin and rum something to seek out rather than overlook. You get drinks like Wasteland's 'fossil fuel' that you won't forget in a hurry. Entire neighbourhoods transform too. Soi Nana in Yaowarat has gone from ‘quiet street’ to ‘global drinking destination’ in just a few years. That energy makes sense when y

Updated March 2026: We’ve refreshed our best spa list to bring you the best in new openings around the city. Auriga Spa takes pole position, with its huge collection of hydrotherapy pools, while wellness market leaders PAÑPURI add an organic spa to the offerings of Park Hyatt. Bangkok's spa scene is heating up – and not just because of all the new onsens.  With so much to choose from, if you don’t know where to look, start here. Whether you're after a luxury treatment or something decent that won't completely empty your wallet, the city's packed with places promising to fix your aches and melt away that work stress. Thai massage has a reputation for good reason, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another city where getting a massage feels as essential as grabbing lunch. It's just part of life here, but there’s far more to spas than your typical yogic stretch. We've pulled together the best spots across the city for when you're feeling utterly knackered or your shoulders are screaming at you after too many hours hunched over a laptop. From full luxury experiences to brilliant mid-range finds, these are the places that'll actually leave you feeling human again. So, whenever the stress gets too much or your body starts staging a protest, you know exactly where to go for some relief.Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok newsletter and get the very best of the city delivered straight to your inbox.

We're always updating this piece to keep things fresh and on point, so feel free to swing by whenever you fancy the latest. And if you're after a few more spots to explore, have a look at our best listening bars for even more musical inspiration. In a city where the rhythm of life never stops, jazz in Bangkok is more than just a musical genre. It's the breath of a community, the roots of culture and a current of melody and lyrics woven through people's lives. Whether you're a traveller enchanted by the notes you've been following for years, or simply someone willing to let the saxophone carry your imagination beyond the familiar, the capital offers countless hidden nests and clubs to experience its true spirit. From improvisation stages in classic shophouses – where every note is raw and fresh – to legendary hotel bars gracefully perched along the Chao Phraya River, each venue tells its own story. For Bangkokians, jazz continues to shine and captivate. Each place stands strong with its unique character, providing spaces that release the day's fatigue and allow music to take centre stage, narrating the night's story. Here are 15 venues across Bangkok that continue to play unforgettable jazz, keeping the music alive in everyday life, without boundaries or rules. Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok newsletter and get the very best of the city delivered straight to your inbox. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok.

Sometimes, moments of quiet sensory attention can feel almost radical. Yet scent has a strange way of interrupting that rhythm. A trace of jasmine drifting through evening air. A faint hint of wood lingering in a hallway. The soft sweetness of a room spray that appears without warning and suddenly rearranges memory. Long before sight or touch, fragrance reaches the emotional part of the brain. It reminds us of people, places and moments we thought we had forgotten. Perhaps that is why scent remains one of the quietest forms of emotional therapy. It is also the central language of Ganda Saitum, founder of Ganda Scent & Object. Her practice does not treat perfume simply as a cosmetic product. Instead it functions more like a library of emotions. Each fragrance captures a moment, a mood or a fragment of memory.   “Scent is something very honest, it speaks before we have time to explain it.”   Interestingly, Ganda did not originally plan to become a perfumer. Her career began in publishing, working as a beauty editor during the era when print magazines still held  sway. Those years exposed her to countless products and perfumes. She spent long days reviewing fragrances and analysing trends. Creation arrived later. ‘One day my husband, Surasak Ittirit, joked that maybe I should start making something of my own,’ she recalled. ‘He said: “If you only review things, you will become a very good critic’’.’ The comment stayed with her. Photograph: Ganda Saitum Soon afterwards she enro

This list is from 2024. Our latest ranking for 2025 is live here. In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is

This list is from 2025. Our latest ranking for 2026 is live here. People who don’t live in cities will tell you they’re busy, lonely and expensive places. But there’s a reason so many people choose to live in them: with world-class art and culture, unbeatable food and nightlife, buzzing neighbourhoods and a dizzying amount of stuff to do and see, there’s simply no better place to be.  Every year, we take the pulse of city living by quizzing thousands of locals across the planet about life in their hometowns. This year, more than 18,500 city-dwellers shared their insights on everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and the overall city vibe. When urban living can sometimes feel isolating and costly, this year we wanted to get a sense of what, exactly, makes a city feel like home. Sure, the nightlife is great, but is the city safe and walkable? Is good quality food and art available at a reasonable price? Is it easy to make friends, find love, and access nature?  Livability was a key factor in our ranking this year. But a great city to live in is, naturally, a great city to visit. So, along with the thousands of responses from locals around the world, we asked Time Out’s global network of city experts to vote on the places they think are particularly exciting right now. After crunching all that data, here we are: Time Out’s definitive ranking of the world’s best cities in 2025. Read on to see how your hometown fared… RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The coolest n

Anyone who's been going out in Bangkok knows that queer nightlife never stays still for long in this city. Bar-hopping and clubbing are already among the top things to do in Bangkok, but LGBTQ+ nightlife here? It takes things to the next level. The Thai capital is fast becoming a proper mecca for queer parties, with venues that cater to pretty much every taste going. Whether you're after sweaty dancefloors, intimate cocktail spots or something a bit more leftfield, there's a place for you. So we've rounded up our picks of the brightest spots lighting up the scene right now. Add them to your Bangkok to-do list, but remember to party responsibly, look out for your mates and keep those good vibes flowing. See our best nightclubs in Bangkok if you want to dance the night away.

Craft here reads like a way of staying present. The exhibition looks at time across Thailand and Southeast Asia as something layered and cyclical, shaped by ritual, labour and shared experience rather than strict progression. Makers move between past and present with a quiet ease, holding inherited knowledge while adjusting to what now demands. Objects carry that negotiation, each one marked by repetition. Slowness becomes intentional, offering an alternative to constant speed and easy consumption. Nothing feels rushed, yet nothing stands still either.  April 30-16 August. Free. Jim Thompson Art Center, 10am-6pm

Thanwa Huangsmut’s Self-Sovereignty turns away from the familiar framing of the female form as something simply admired. His paintings reclaim that space with a sharper sense of agency, shaped by instinct and a confident, deliberate hand. Figures hold their ground, not posed for approval, but fully aware of themselves. Colour carries much of the weight, vivid yet controlled, moving across the canvas with a kind of contained intensity. The question lingers throughout: do we ever fully own our lives, or do we negotiate that idea daily? What stays is a sense of self-possession, expressed without spectacle. These works suggest strength not as performance, but as something steadier, built from within and held with care. Until May 3. Free. Joyman Gallery, 11am-6pm

Marc Butler’s latest solo show, disappear here stepping through a cracked mirror. He builds a world shaped by human appetite, where spectacle teeters on the edge of collapse, never quite settling. Sculptures appear raw, almost unsettled, filled with distorted figures, hybrid symbols and fragments that feel oddly familiar. His material language stays direct, refusing polish, which gives each piece a kind of restless energy. Installations spread outward, forming spaces that feel immersive yet slightly uneasy, as if everything exists on repeat. References to consumerism, power and stylised violence slip through without announcement. Moments of dark humour sit beside something more pointed, asking quiet questions about participation.  April 21-May 23. Fakafei Gallery, 10.30am-6.30am

A group of artists gathers around a shared belief: making can sharpen understanding, even when certainty goes distant. Each contribution reflects a different path, shaped by lived experience, where doubt quietly gives way to something clearer, though never fully fixed. Works shift across visual forms and sensory elements, yet remain loosely aligned, circling an inner journey that questions what we tend to accept. Familiar ideas begin to loosen, making space for something more personal, more grounded in how each artist sees the world. Viewers bring their own histories, meeting these pieces halfway, finding meaning that rarely matches another’s. Until April 11. Free. Ming Artspace, 10am-7pm

It centres on palimpsest, where time never sits neatly in place. Davisi Boontham works with orihon sketchbooks, drawing loosely across each page before folding them back on themselves. Images that once stay apart now meet, overlap, and shift, forming narratives that refuse a single viewpoint. Past and present sit side by side, not quite settled, carrying traces that stretch across years. The city appears in fragments, remembered and reworked, never entirely whole. What begins within the folds soon exceeds them. Personal histories slip through the paper, shaped by attachment and a quiet sense of longing.  Until April 19. Free. PLAY art house, 10am-5pm

Kan Limsathaporn takes River Flows in You by Yiruma as a starting point, letting its familiar melody settle across a series of landscapes shaped by water. Rivers and streams stretch across the canvases, never fixed, always shifting, as if the scene refuses to stay the same for long. Each painting holds a small pause, though nothing truly stops. Colour drifts, edges soften, and time slips past almost unnoticed.  Until April 16. Free. M Floor, Maison Hotel Bangkok, 10am-8pm

Peakkyboo’s solo show follows Booky, her hooded, ghost-like figure, drifting through memory with a quiet insistence. Booky never quite arrives anywhere, instead circling moments that feel close enough to touch yet remain out of reach. This time, the character settles by Swan Lake, tucked deep within a forest where people take the form of swans, not by force but by choice. The shift matters. The familiar ballet reference softens, turning from fate to intention, from loss to a kind of staying. Paintings lean heavily on greens and blues, brushed quickly, almost instinctively, as if feeling leads and technique follows. Some scenes blur behind a misted surface, like recollections half-remembered. Until April 21. Free. m Galleria 2, River City Bangkok, 10am-7pm

‘Preserve, Maintain, and Extend’ sounds almost instructional, yet the White Elephant Art Competition treats it as an open question. Artists answer in their own language, moving freely across form and surface. Among the works that linger, Branches of the Era by Theerapol Seesang carries a steady gravity, while Doi Ang Khang by Boonmee Saengkham leans closer to memory and place. Recognition matters, but it never overwhelms the wider conversation. Each year, this show marks a subtle shift, where technique evolves and ideas stretch, leaving visitors with something to sit with long after. Until May 17. Free. Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 10am-8pm

Few names carry the same weight in rock as Jim Marshall, whose amplifiers shape decades of sound without much compromise. At Marshall Livehouse, that legacy feels close enough to touch. Doors open to anyone curious, from seasoned players to those still figuring out their first chord. Stage and rehearsal rooms stay available free of charge, giving you time to try models like the JVM410H, JCM800 or the 1960 series without pressure. The experience stays hands-on, less showroom, more shared practice space. Later, Marshall Amplified runs from 5pm to 7pm, where people who know these machines well talk through their history, techniques and the details that shape such recognisable sound. April 5. Free. Marshall Livehouse, midday-8pm

Thanwa Huangsmut takes familiar expectations and quietly pulls them apart, piece by piece. His paintings rely on instinct as much as discipline, balancing assured brushwork with colour that feels almost unruly at first glance. Figures seem caught mid-shift, held between movement and control, as if testing how much space they can claim for themselves. The question lingers without insisting on an answer: do we truly own our lives, or simply perform within inherited limits? Each canvas suggests a different response, shaped through texture, rhythm and carefully measured composition. What stays with you is less a conclusion and more a feeling, a quiet encouragement to stand firm, to choose deliberately, and to carry that choice with a certain grace. Until May 3. Free. Joyman Gallery, 11am-6pm

Bangkok handles coffee parties with ease, so an art-led gathering feels like the natural next step. The format stays refreshingly simple: spend the day moving between seven interactive installations, pausing for talk sessions where artists speak plainly about their process and what drives each piece. A busy art market fills the space with prints, small objects and things you didn’t plan to buy, while workshops invite you to make something rather than just observe. Food stalls keep things casual, easy to dip in and out of between conversations. As evening settles, the mood shifts without warning. Lights drop, DJs take over, and the gallery reworks itself as a dance floor. It feels slightly surreal, like stepping through different scenes in one day, without ever needing to leave. April 4. B150 at the door. 515 Victory Hall, Victory Hotel, 11am onwards

Evening air in Bangkok finally softens. Parks begin to fill not with runners, but with people stretched across the grass, waiting for the first notes to carry across the lake. Music in the Park returns throughout April, settling into familiar green corners like Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park and Wachirabenchathat Park. Weekends shift in tone: smooth jazz drifts one evening, a full orchestra follows, then indie bands and easy pop keep things light. Bangkok Big Band and Bangkok Metropolitan Orchestra bring a sense of polish, while newer acts from the Talent Everywhere project keep it grounded.  April 1-26. Free. Various parks across Bangkok.

Let's talk about Ratchada Train Night Market – because it's finally back. The market closed down in July 2021, but as of last Friday March 27 it reopened at the same spot behind Esplanade Ratchada. It runs daily from 5pm to 1am. So what's all the fuss about? Well, it's a bit of a shopping paradise, really. Clothing comes ridiculously cheap – a t-shirt will set you back around B100. You can pick up shoes, phone accessories and loads of random bits that make decent gifts or souvenirs if you're stuck for ideas. Photograph: Train Night Market Ratchada The layout works a treat. One side of the market focuses on fashion, vintage finds and trinkets for the casual browser, while the other side belongs entirely to food. And there's an absolutely staggering amount of it. Serious foodies will have a proper field day wandering through the stalls. Fair warning though: you won't get through everything in one visit. There's simply too much to try. Whether you know exactly what you fancy or you're happy to follow your nose and see where it takes you, the market delivers. Just don't rush it – you've got until 1am, after all, so take your time and enjoy yourself.

If you don't fancy baking in the sun doing absolutely nothing this weekend, here's a better plan: escape the heat and fill up on muanjoy at the Muanjoy Market or E-sarn Flea Market. There’s craft works, art pieces, proper food and live phin and khaen (mor lum instruments) music filling the air. Photograph: GalileOasis Running this Saturday and Sunday, the whole thing brings a contemporary folk e-san vibe where you can actually let loose in a garden setting. There are cute workshops to try, craft and handmade bits to browse, booths serving up delicious local grub, local liquor and products to taste, and live music from phin and khaen players and artists doing live portrait drawings. You can genuinely just stroll around at your own pace. Come wander, eat, drink and shop for good local lifestyle products – decorations, clothes, handmade pieces – alongside drinks and seriously tasty food. Special shout-out to anyone wanting to try satho, and there are local products like rice, roselle, cantaloupe and lime to sample at the event.  Muanjoy Market runs from April 4-5, 10am-6pm at GalileOasis. Entry is free.

Right, let's talk about Thai Tay – because if you've got any spare cash burning a hole in your pocket this summer, this is exactly where you want to spend it. The Tay Flea Market crew are back for their 26th season and they're doing things properly Thai-style this time. We're talking a full-on cultural takeover at Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park from 2-5 April, and admission is free. Photograph: trys_ter The whole thing's decked out like a proper Thai shabby chic dreamscape. There’s temple fair neon lights, balloon dart booths and over 200 vendors flogging everything from vintage threads and accessories to second-hand cameras, vinyl records and retro home bits.  Now, here's what you absolutely cannot miss. The Lucky Paladkik Tower is already blowing up online – it's this brilliant mash-up of Thai spiritual vibes and street art that everyone's queuing to photograph. Then there's Resindrome's amulet art workshop, which is strictly limited. They turn traditional Thai amulets straight onto fine art pieces, and you won't find that anywhere else. Fancy ditching those boring digital photobooths? Get yourself sketched live by top artists as a vintage Thai cartoon instead. Live DJs are spinning throughout all three days – neon-lit street party energy with decks set up on red plastic crates.

In a city where everything seems to move faster every day, Friend's Room Market is a small attempt at hitting pause. It's a cosy-sized festival that brings together books, art, music, food and creative activities in one place, all built around the idea of popping round to a mate's house for books, music and stories. It’s an event from Book Festivals – this time they're doing things differently. Instead of a massive market or an all-day affair, they've created a space where you can actually sit and read without rushing, listen to music, browse handmade goods at your own pace or join small workshops to try something new. Photograph: Book Festival There's a book zone with discounted surplus books at special prices, an art and craft market showcasing handmade works, craft drinks and food to keep you going, acoustic music throughout the day, creative workshops and a reading lawn tucked into green space where you can settle in with a book. Every bit of it is designed to create those small moments where you can actually connect with yourself and the people around you. It's not about ticking off a massive list of things to see or racing through stalls before closing time. It's about slowing down, even if just for an afternoon, and remembering what it feels like to browse, linger and enjoy things at a gentler pace. Friend's Room Market runs from April 2-9, 1pm-9pm at Supalai City Resort Charan 91. Entry is free.

Thai Book Fair's nearly done, but if you need another big event to get excited about, stick April 2-5 in your diary. Thailand Toy Expo lands at CentralWorld's first floor Eden zone, and it's Asia's largest toy fair for a reason. This year also has Hong Kong Art Toy Story within the event, which brings 20 Hong Kong artists whose stuff normally sells out before you've even refreshed the page. They're bringing over 300 pieces –ultra rare collectables, fresh-off-the-press releases and those massive art toy sculptures that make you stop and stare. Photograph: CentralWorld You actually get to meet the artists, have a proper chat and hear about the work firsthand. And there are limited edition drops and brand collabs that serious collectors have been waiting months for. Here's the catch though: it works on a first come, first served basis. Early birds get first dibs on reservations, so if you're serious about snagging something, don't faff about.

Thailand's just moved one step closer to hosting WorldPride 2030, and honestly, the timing couldn't be better. A full year on from making history with that marriage equality bill, the nation's now advanced to the first round of the selection process. The global spotlight is well and truly on. But before all that, there's homegrown pride to celebrate. Bangkok Pride Festival is coming up under the concept 'Patch the World with Pride', featuring a parade on a brand new route from Chong Nonsi to Rama 1 – that's 4.8 kilometres of pure, unapologetic celebration. Photograph: Jaksuwong – Time Out Bangkok This year's showstopper? A giant rainbow flag stretching over 300 metres, longer than any year before, laid out across the entire Silom Road area and waved along the route. Over at the Pride Stage in Suphachalasai Stadium, legendary mor lam ensemble Rabiab Wathasin will be bringing the spirit of Thai culture to life through performances that reflect the struggles and resilience of local LGBTQ+ communities. And that's not all. Drag Bangkok Festival and Thailand's Drag Star are happening alongside everything else, making this year's celebration one of the biggest yet for Thailand's drag scene. Prepare your best outfit if you want to be spotted, but remember what history taught us. 

There’s another major cause for celebration in the Thai art and architecture scene right now, and this one’s worth getting excited about. Dib Bangkok has just landed itself a spot in TIME magazine's freshly announced 'World's Greatest Places of 2026' list, which is one of the biggest global nods you can get as a gallery. Or anywhere else for that matter. Photograph: Dib Bangkok TIME magazine is particularly impressed with the design work by Kulapat Yantrasast, the Thai architect behind Dib’s creation who’s currently based in Los Angeles. He manages to transform what was once an old concrete warehouse from the ’80s, with over 75,000 square feet of space, into something that embraces natural light and showcases some of the best art Thailand can get its hands on.  The standout feature has to be the sawtooth skylights roof that filters sunlight in gently, whilst also protecting the artworks from Bangkok's notoriously harsh rays. And before you ask, this TIME recognition isn't simply about beautiful buildings. It looks at places holistically, confirming that Bangkok is stepping up not only as an architect's paradise, but also as an art hub, trending towards becoming a major art centre for the whole Southeast Asian region. If you want to know more about the other 99 places on the list, have a read here. 

If you've been missing that handy shortcut between Benjakitti Park and Lumphini Park, here's some good news. Green Bridge is finally making its comeback on May 1, and it looks nothing like what you remember. That single shade of green that gave the bridge its name? Completely gone. The 1.6 km surface now sports red, purple and yellow instead, with non-slip materials designed for long-distance runners who want a scenic route between Bangkok's two favourite green spaces.   Photograph: BMA The new setup includes dedicated cycling lanes (courtesy of Sport Surfaces), granite stone walkways and lighting that runs the whole way across. And if you've been desperate to cycle between the parks again after months of annoying detours, you're actually in luck. The path's been open for trial use since November 30, so you can test it out right now. Photograph: BMA Previously you'd have to leave through the park gates to reach the bridge, but the Bangkok Environment Department removes the Badminton Association of Thailand's courts to create a proper entry point. Soon you walk or cycle straight from one park into the other, with new recreational spaces and running paths added in. Photograph: BMA Construction sits at around 74 percent complete at the moment, a collaboration between BMA and several design firms. When May 1 rolls around, Bangkok gets not just a more functional route but a landmark that's worth visiting on its own.

We just had Post Malone announce his Big Ass World Tour, and now there's another one to get excited about. Daniel Caesar – the 30-year-old soul and R&B artist who's been nicknamed ‘the man with the voice of heaven’ – is bringing his Son of Spergy Tour to Bangkok. He lands at Impact Arena on June 9, and if you've been sleeping on him, now's the time to wake up. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daniel Caesar (@danielcaesar)   Caesar first starts turning heads back in 2014 with his early EPs, but it's his debut album Freudian that properly launches him. Singles like 'Get You' and 'Best Part' become instant favourites and earn him Grammy nods. Since then, he works with a handful of big names and quietly cements his place as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary soul. His latest album, Son of Spergy, sees him stretch his sound further – weaving together soul, folk and experimental textures while digging through themes of faith, identity and the messy bits of being human. On tour, that means fresh material sits alongside reimagined versions of his classics, giving both die-hard fans and newcomers something to latch onto. Expect new tracks like 'Who Knows', 'Have A Baby (With Me)' and 'Emily's Song', plus fan favourites from Never Enough and earlier releases. Yes, that includes 'Superpowers', 'Always', 'Cyanide', 'Japanese Denim' and, of course, 'Best Part'. Ticket prices, seating plans and VIP packages get announced soon. Register for pre

April isn't just about dodging water during Songkran – you've also got to fight for a spot at the Post Malone concert. His Big Ass World Tour hits Bangkok this September, and he's bringing Don Toliver along for the ride. The Bangkok show lands on September 22 at Rajamangala Stadium, part of a massive Asian run that takes in Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul and Tokyo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @postmalone If you caught his 2023 Bangkok show, you already know he just keeps levelling up. The 9x diamond-certified global superstar has massive hits like Circles, Sunflower, rockstar and Congratulations, and they're just the start of a back catalogue that refuses to stand still. Now, here's where it gets tactical. The fanclub presale starts on Monday April 6 from midday to 11.59pm. Mastercard holders get special access too. Their presale runs from Tuesday April 7 at midday through to Thursday April 9 at 12pm. Head here for the details. Trip.com users can grab tickets before everyone else through the app, same window: Tuesday April 7 at midday to Thursday April 9 at midday. Live Nation Tero members get their turn on Thursday April 9 from 2pm to 11.59pm. Membership's free if you sign up through their website. General sale finally opens on Friday April 10 from midday via Thai Ticket Major. Set your alarms, make your coffee strong and good luck – you're going to need it.

So, remember all that talk about the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) building a Hawker Center beside Lumpini Park? Now, the BMA confirms the project's nearly done and set to open this May. Photograph: BMA The Lumphini Park Hawker Center sits at Gate 5 along Ratchadamri Road, just opposite Chulalongkorn Hospital. It comes as two semi-outdoor buildings with gable roofs, connected by a green space running through the middle. There's room for up to 88 vendors, each with a compact two-by-two metre stall that includes water, electricity and sanitation. Waste zones stay separate from dining areas, which makes keeping everything clean much easier and more organised. Photograph: BMA This whole thing is part of the BMA's effort to 'organise street food' – raising standards around cleanliness, safety and how public spaces get used. Lumpini Park serves as the trial run before they consider rolling it out to other districts later on. Opening hours run from 5am to midnight in two shifts – mornings cover 5am till 2pm, evenings go from 4pm to midnight. The BMA reckons this setup works for everyone, from dawn joggers to midnight snackers, whatever your schedule looks like.

April brings something special: timeless Studio Ghibli works retold through a spectacular live performance at Phaya Thai Palace, one of Bangkok's most elegant ancient architectural treasures that's absolutely brimming with historical stories. The show takes you through Ghibli's world of imagination, with vocals that hit you right in the feels and live music that brings back all those childhood memories. Every melody's crafted to pull you back through those legendary films, whether it's the warmth, the dreams or that nostalgia you didn't realise you'd been carrying around. Photograph: Phya Thai Palace There's a special guest too: Music BNK48 (aka Praewa 'Music' Suthamphong) who's lending her distinctive voice to the mix, adding an extra layer of emotion to an already pretty moving night. It’s a journey back to moments you'd forgotten you loved, where music connects you to endless imagination in a space that's absolutely dripping with its own magic and history. April 28-30, from At Thewarat Sapharom Hall, Phaya Thai Palace. Tickets are B1,500-4,500 (book tickets)