Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Post-Songkran calmdoesn’t last long. Bangkok is already back in motion, with a run of events that make staying in feel like a missed opportunity. Start with Sea Reverie, where Passakorn Pachana’s shifting seascapes sit somewhere between memory and horizon, offering a quieter reset before the weekend gathers pace. Film fans have Moviemov Italian Film Festival on the calendar, bringing a tightly curated slice of contemporary Italian cinema to local screens. Things pick up quickly from there. Record Fest BKK returns for crate digging and live sets, while DJ Spiller lands for a one-night session that still carries serious disco-house weight. Over on Charoen Krung, The International Jazz Celebration spreads across multiple venues, moving between standards and newer sounds in a neighbourhood that already knows how to hold a groove.  If you’re easing into things, Little Market keeps it low-key with crafts, food and small finds worth lingering over. Bangkok Art Walk pushes things further, taking over streets across several dates with a mix of art, vinyl, books and outdoor activities that reward a slower wander. Pick one or try a few. Either way, the city wastes no time reminding you it’s fully awake again. Get ahead and map out the rest of April with our guide to what’s on. Stay ahead of the curve with our pick of Bangkok’s best things to do.  Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, delivered straight to you.

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.

The Italian film industry doesn't do subtle. It rocks up like a Fellini fever dream – all sweeping gestures, crumbling palazzos and someone in outsize sunglasses chain-smoking whilst quoting Sartre. But occasionally it loosens the collar, ditches the silk scarf and lets a few fresh voices slip through. MovieMov – Italian Film Festival is one of those moments. Running April 21-24 at House Samyan, with English and Thai subtitles, the lineup brings just enough introspective angst to properly derail any plans for easy viewing. These aren't your standard arthouse exports either. The festival grows from initiatives involving students, young professionals and local institutions.

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.

2026 makes one thing obvious: Thailand’s music scene sits at an all-time high. Big concerts get announced months, sometimes a year, ahead. Artists keep releasing new albums without pause. Across Bangkok, the livehouse scene steadily spreads, pulling more people out on weeknights. Music culture right now looks lively, busy and hard to ignore.  What makes today’s livehouses stick is their intimacy, a rarity in large concert halls. You stand just a few steps from your favourite artists and catch every move on stage up close. The atmosphere stays relaxed and open. Come alone, bring a date, or gather a group of friends, it all works. Many venues sit within easy reach of BTS or MRT, and ticket prices stay friendly enough not to sting. Live music, suddenly, feels far more within reach. So here’s the plan. Time Out lines up 15 venues and livehouses across Bangkok, from cosy indie spots to full-production stages. Get your ears ready and start ticking them off – your next favourite band waits somewhere on this list. RECOMMEND: Bangkok’s top concerts of 2026

We keep this article updated regularly to make sure everything stays accurate and current, pop back anytime for the latest. So 2025 was pretty huge for live music in Bangkok, wasn't it? We had Doja Cat, BLACKPINK, TV Girl, The Smashing Pumpkins and Tyler, The Creator all gracing stages across the city. Not a bad lineup. The good news? 2026 is looking just as packed. Alright, Oasis might not be on the cards just yet, but there's still a serious roster of artists lined up to play Bangkok stadiums and arenas over the coming months. And rumour has it even more big names are yet to announce tours like BTS. Givēon, Central Cee, Taeyong, Kraftwerk... the list goes on. Whether you're into R&B, grime, K-pop or electronic legends, there's something coming your way. Here are the best major gigs heading to the capital this year. RECOMMENDED: Confirmed: Tomorrowland Thailand officially debuts on December 11-13 After 12 years, Studio Lam is closing with an epic 49-night farewell party

Bangkok doesn't really do slow. The city runs hot – always another plate to try, another bar to find, another corner of the night to chase down. Sometimes you just need out. Not far, but far enough: somewhere the air is cooler, the pace drops and the view stretches past concrete and neon. Chiang Mai answers that call. Head north and the landscape shifts, mountains roll in, the Ping River winds through and centuries of Northern Thai culture sit quietly on every corner. The food up here has its own character too: bold, rooted and built on recipes that haven't needed fixing. This guide is put together by the Koktail Thailand Restaurant Guide, spotlighting restaurants where mountain panoramas and riverside vistas do more than set the scene – they're part of the meal itself. Local ingredients take centre stage, each dish a small piece of the larger story that Northern Thailand has been telling for a very long time. RECOMMEND: Best egg noodles in Bangkok Bangkok’s top 13 steakhouses Confessions of a Bangkok food voyeur

April comes with the long-awaited holiday, a beloved Thai tradition, has returned once more. While many joyfully embrace the water-splashing festivities of Songkran, the Thai New Year, others may choose to stay dry and sit out the soaking celebrations for their own reasons. If you're not exactly interested about being drenched during this chaotic water fight of a festival and are wondering how to make the most of the holiday, fear not. We've put together a list of activities designed for those who'd rather not become walking puddles, along with some personal recommendations from our team of writers (who clearly love staying dry). Hopefully, this will give you a few ideas on how to enjoy the Thai New Year without needing to dry off every five minutes. Here’s wishing you a fantastic and dry holiday ahead!   READ MORE: Where to get soaked in Bangkok this Songkran Where to eat Thai summer must-have 'khao chae' in Bangkok Best juice bars around Bangkok to beat the heat 6 Thai fashion brands for a stylish Songkran outfit

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.

Dial a number and poetry answers. Dial-A-Poem Thailand gathers 35 Thai artists working across text, image, film, sound and performance, pushing  poetry well beyond the page. Access is  simple – call to +66 97-531-0708 or use the fixed telephone installations at Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest. Each call connects you to a random recording, creating a one-to-one exchange that lasts only as long as you stay on the line. Voices range from intimate messages and algorithmic speech to chance compositions and ritual sound, with street calls, Muay Thai commentary and regional dialects sitting alongside monastic chants. The result is a layered sonic map of contemporary Thai expression. April 24 onwards. Free. Bangkok Kunsthalle. 2pm-8pm

Sunday morning plans sort themselves here. A breezy tai chi session trades rigid routines for something looser, set to DJ GUNGUN’s selections. The session runs in two slots – 10am-10.30am and 11am-11.30am – so you can ease in at your own pace. It starts with fan decorating led by Studio Cantalove, giving you a personalised prop before moving into a guided flow where everyone finds their own rhythm. Afterwards, stick around for matcha tasting by Seven Suns and a bit of easy conversation.  April 26. Free. Register via here. The Commons Thonglor. 10am-11.30am

Market Things returns with a weekend edition at The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit, set along the Chao Phraya in one of the city’s older quarters. The setup stays relaxed – the kind of market you dip in and out of between coffee stops – with stalls covering handmade books, woven bags, recycled jewellery, photography and small-scale art. Workshops run throughout the day for anyone keen to get involved rather than just browse.   April 25-26. Free. The StandardX. 10am-7pm

Vinyl Palooza takes over The Warehouse Bangkok for a three-day Record Store Day stretch with the pace shifting naturally from afternoon crate digging into late-night dancing. The headline moment lands on Friday at Clutch, where DJ Spiller steps up, joined across the weekend by a rotating local lineup. Friday brings DJ Soisipsee and Dave Soul, Saturday hands the booth to Tom FKG and Ruggero, while Sunday closes with DJ Vim and JDJ. Alongside the music, Mahajak rolls out audio gear from AlphaTheta, JBL and Denon, giving you the chance to test  serious sound while digging through records. April 24-26. Free. The Warehouse Bangkok. 2pm-10pm

A familiar name lands at The Warehouse Bangkok as DJ Spiller takes over the decks. More than two decades since Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) helped redefine disco-house, its influence runs through dance floors worldwide – and yes, it still hits. Spiller arrives from Italy with a catalogue that sits comfortably between classic and current, built on warm basslines and clean, uplifting hooks. Expect a set that moves naturally, weaving recognisable moments with deeper cuts. The stripped-back space and proper sound system at The Warehouse give the music room to breathe, keeping the focus exactly where it should be.  April 24. B800 via here. Clutch. 6pm onwards

Record Fest BKK returns just in time to test your self-control. Framed around Record Store Day under the banner ‘Spin the Culture’, it brings crate diggers, collectors and casual listeners together under one roof. The Collector Garage leads the charge, with more than 40 booths stacked with vinyl, tapes, CDs and music-adjacent finds, alongside labels dropping fresh pressings. Whether you’re hunting for something rare or just  browsing, it’s easy to lose track of time. Elsewhere, DJ sets, mini gigs, fan signings and talk sessions led by DJ Sonny keep the energy moving. Hands-on options include crafting NFC keychains or painting old records, while the Vinyl Library lets you test turntables and dip into a 500-strong archive. Come light – you won’t leave empty-handed.  April 24-26. B200 at the door. NEX HALL. Siam Paragon. 10am-10pm

A blues dance night lands at The O.S.S. Bar with connection at its core and just enough encouragement to step outside your comfort zone. The evening opens with a beginner-friendly workshop before live music carries the room from first steps into a slow, late-night sway, followed by a DJ set that keeps things moving. The roots trace back to blues as a language shaped within African American communities in the southern United States, carrying stories of movement, longing and identity that still resonate in every note. On the floor, dance becomes a direct response to sound. Come solo or with friends  – either way, you’re likely to leave having met a few new people along the way. April 23. B500 via here and B700 at the door. The O.S.S. Bar. 6pm onwards

Burapa Eastern Thai Cuisine and Bar at Sukhumvit 11 has built a following for its unapologetically bold eastern Thai flavours, and now it opens daily, making spontaneous visits far easier. The  new lunch set (11am-2pm) is designed as a proper midday reset, with each menu rooted in recipes from Thailand’s eastern provinces, plated with a lighter, modern touch. Expect a main with up to three sides – sharp salads, warming soups or punchy relishes – followed by tea, coffee or dessert. Prices start at B550 (B530 for vegetarian). If time is tight, the Drink & Snack pairing (B380) lands twice daily, matching cocktails like bussaba quince, honey ginger or pomegranate with bites such as crispy three-flavour chicken or grilled pork jowl salad. Burapa Eastern Thai Cuisine and Bar. Open daily 11am-11pm

Coffee in Italy rarely stands alone. It arrives with ritual, design and a certain sense of theatre, and Passione Italiana: L’Arte dell’Espresso leans fully into that idea. Curated by Elisabetta Pisu with Distortion Studio, the exhibition brings historic espresso machines together with sculptural objects that trace how coffee shapes daily life. Alessandro Mendini’s playful designs sit alongside rare pieces from the Mumac museum, each carrying its own story of craft and innovation. Talksopen up conversations around culture, sustainability and ritual, with speakers including Tomaso Mannu and Massimiliano Marchesi. In the evenings, the mood softens into Jazz & Coffee sessions, where Bruno Brugnano joins the Bangkok New Trio for sets that pair sound with aroma in a quietly absorbing way. April 24-May 12. Free. Nextopia, Siam Paragon. 10am-7pm

Passakorn Pachana turns his gaze seaward with Sea Reverie, a solo show that hovers between recollection and shifting tide. Each canvas captures a fleeting state – a storm gathering, a lull settling, light changing by the hour – so the view never quite holds still. Colour does most of the emotional work, moving from brooding swells to calmer stretches, while the shoreline slips between the tangible and the imagined. Anemones, shells, fish and birds thread through like half-remembered details. Spend time here and the horizon begins to echo something closer to home, as if each scene carries a mood you recognise but can’t quite place. Until May 3. Free. KYLA Gallery and Wine Bar. 3pm-midnight

Early mornings start to pay off this weekend. From April 19-23, Mars, Mercury and Saturn gather low in the eastern sky, visible from around 5am until sunrise. Astronomers call it a planetary grouping, though the term hardly captures the quiet thrill of spotting three distant worlds sharing the same stretch of sky. You step outside, eyes adjusting, and suddenly they’re all there, subtle but unmistakable. Bring a camera if you’re keen, though it works just as well without one. Moments like this don’t demand much, only a willingness to wake early and look up. The rest takes care of itself, slowly brightening with the day. April 19-23. Free. The sky, 5am onwards

A spinning needle still holds stories that streaming skims past. Format BKK teams up with Swee Lee for ‘The Untold Tracks’, a conversation tracing Rasmee Isan Soul from its earliest sketches to its place in today’s shifting music landscape. It stays close to the source, with reflections that move between memory, method and meaning. Expect a look at studio moments that test patience, where sound takes shape slowly before reaching vinyl. Isan roots sit firmly at the centre, carried across global influences without losing their weight. Analog arrives as more than format, a deliberate choice that shapes mood and connection in ways digital rarely matches. Paeng Rasmee also reflects on performance beyond music, where acting sharpens perspective and adds depth to every story she chooses to tell. April 18. Free. Register via here. Format BKK Ari, 4pm-6pm

So, the news everyone's been waiting for: Bangkok's Hawker Center at Lumphini Park is finally open – well, soft-opened on April 10, with the full thing kicking off properly in May.  It's pitched as a ‘central hub for street food’ slap bang in the heart of the city, running on a ‘not for profit’ model that's meant to benefit urban residents rather than make anyone rich. Photograph: BMA Head to Gate 5 along Ratchadamri Road and you’ll find it, taking heavy inspiration from Singapore's hawker centres – which, if we're being honest, might feel a bit odd for Thais who love street food exactly as it is: messy, spontaneous, brilliantly chaotic. In fact, netizens have shown a cautiously optimistic response, excited about the set-up, but also worried about the fate of other street food zones in the city. Photograph: BMA Vendors rotate in morning shifts (5am-4pm) and evening shifts (4pm-midnight), pulling together the local favourites people already know from around the park. There's infrastructure now: clean water, drainage, dishwashing stations, standardised seating. Natural ventilation keeps energy use down, trees get relocated then replanted and private partners like delivery platforms offer digital payments to help vendors earn more. Photograph: BMA So here's the thing: does organising street food this way strip out what makes it special? The organisers reckon it doesn't replace the charm, it just gives vendors a cleaner, safer space while keeping their flavours intact. Pho

Bangkok's finally giving its bus stops a long-overdue upgrade. You know the ones – faded shelters where you’re never quite sure if the bus is late or if you’ve imagined the route entirely. Photograph: BMA The city plans to overhaul more than 1,100 stops, split between 600 getting a full redesign and 500 going digital. Out of roughly 5,199 stops across Bangkok, it’s a meaningful first step towards something that actually works for commuters. Photograph: BMA The redesigned stops focus on clarity. Expect clearer bus line information, proper route details and a new ‘Walking Map’ feature showing your exact location and what’s nearby. It’s a small shift, but one that should make navigating unfamiliar areas far less guesswork. The digital stops aim to fix the bigger problem – timing. Real-time arrival displays will link to GPS data from the transport system, replacing hopeful estimates with actual bus timings. There are also plans to connect these with navigation apps down the line, which could make getting around the city noticeably easier. Photograph: BMA Each stop will be adapted to its surroundings, whether it’s in a busy commercial area or along a quieter stretch of road. Information panels will also highlight more than 30 nearby landmarks and attractions, giving you a clearer sense of what’s within walking distance. The first upgraded stops are expected to roll out from May, with the full project set to run through to the end of 2026.

Lumphini Park – Bangkok’s long-standing green lung and one of its most lived-in public spaces – turns 100 this year, and the city is marking it properly.  For a century, this stretch of green has held the rhythms of daily life. The recently reopened Lumphini Hall brings back a touch of old-world charm, while a wave of upgrades shows the park is still evolving.  From May 1, the revamped Green Bridge will fully reopen, linking Lumphini and Benjakitti for an easy cross-park wander. There’s also a new Japanese-style dog park  – a generous off-leash space that’s likely to draw a regular crowd – plus a newly opened Hawker Center if you’re after something quick to eat. Or keep it simple and do what most peopl.e come here for: find a shady spot by the lake and watch the pedal boats drift past. Photograph: สวนลุมพินี 100 ปี The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), together with the government, is marking the centenary with six days and nights of celebrations that lean into both history and atmosphere. Expect an exhibition tracing the park’s past, retro ballroom dancing, and performances from leading orchestras. The focal point lands at the redesigned clock tower, where a light and sound show takes over after dark. Food runs throughout too, with around 50 of the city's top eateries settingup across the grounds. Come for the celebrations, stay for the feeling of a place that’s been part of the city’s everyday life for a full century. Lumphini Park (MRT Lumphini or Silom). April

Music fans across the globe have every reason to get excited right now. Fujii Kaze, arguably J-pop's biggest name at the moment, announces his new world tour, ‘Prema World Tour,’ and Thailand makes the list. The concert happens on December 26, at Suphachalasai Stadium. The tour comes off the back of his first English-language album Prema, which also happens to be his third full-length release. It's been massive in growing his international following. Thai fans already have a soft spot for him after he picks Chiang Mai as the backdrop for his music videos, showing off Thailand's natural beauty and culture to viewers worldwide. Just recently, Fujii Kaze performs at Coachella 2026, one of the planet's most prestigious music festivals. It's clear he's evolving as a global artist. What makes this Bangkok show particularly special is the serious upgrade in scale. Previous concerts happen in halls, but this time he's going stadium-sized, with space for roughly 35,000 people. Fans can expect a far grander, more complete live experience. The tour also hits Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and North America. Keep an eye on Live Nation Tero for updates, because this is shaping up to be one of the year's unmissable concerts. 

This is properly good news if you're a regular on Bangkok's electric trains: the B40 flat fare ticket is happening. One payment gets you unlimited trips across every single line and route, capped at B60 for the whole day. The policy kicks off on January 1 2027. Anyone who uses Bangkok's train system knows the faff. Multiple operators mean multiple fares, and switching between lines adds up ridiculously fast. A typical day of hopping around town easily pushes past B100 before you've even thought about it. This flat-rate deal sorts that whole mess out. Here's the breakdown: trips under 40 minutes cost B40. Anything longer and you pay an extra B20, capping your daily total at B60. You can jump between any line or colour without getting charged again, and there's no limit on trips during operating hours. For short hops of two or three stations where the normal fare sits below B40, you just pay the actual fare. You'll need to use an EMV contactless card, and stick with the same card all day since the system tracks your journeys. Heading back the same way? The system refunds any excess automatically, keeping your total at B60 maximum. Foreigners can use it too, as long as they're paying with an EMV card. For anyone who's spent years doing mental maths at ticket machines or avoiding certain routes because the fares stack up too quickly, this is a massive relief. Just tap in and get on with your day without constantly checking your wallet.

Wallet feeling a bit heavy lately? Well, it's time to lighten it. The vinyl-digging event of the year is back. Record Store Day returns, that annual pilgrimage for music lovers held worldwide during the last week of April to celebrate analogue music culture and independent record shops. This year it lands in Bangkok as Record Fest BKK, scaled up and more diverse under the concept ‘SPIN THE CULTURE.’ Photograph: Record Fest BKK The main draw? The Collector Garage zone, where enthusiasts with serious stashes showcase their prized possessions and pass them on to new owners hunting for rare finds. We're talking vinyl records, tapes, CDs and music lifestyle merch. This time, more than 40 booths are taking part, plus record labels debuting their latest vinyl releases at the event for the first time. The event packs in mini concerts, DJs, fan sign sessions and workshops. Another highlight is the Talk Sessions hosted by DJ Sonny. Photograph: Record Fest BKK   Workshop fans can try their hand at making NFC keychains and painting vinyl records. You can also swing by the Vinyl Library to test out record players and borrow rare albums from the Public Relations Department's archive of over 500 records. Tickets at the door cost B200. Fancy it? Drop by from April 24-26, from 10am-10pm at NEX HALL, fifth floor, Siam Paragon, for three full days of proper vinyl heaven.

In the middle of Bangkok's relentless pace, Charoenkrung just hits differently. This weekend, April 25-26, the beloved creative hub Charoen43 Art & Eatery throws open its doors for Little Market, a compact yet brilliantly curated gathering that's all about taste, craft and good company. The market runs from afternoon through to early evening and brings together nine independent shops tucked along a single alley, each one offering something worth stopping for. Fancy getting stuck in? The Suncatcher workshop by Jomo Joyy lets you make your own light-catching piece, while Kumchom Studio's Flower Bar invites you to build a bouquet that feels entirely yours. Over at Memo Sticker Shop, you can mess about with designs and walk away with something properly one-of-a-kind. Photograph: ren.bkk On the food front, Homer Brunch Cafe serves up warm, homey Japanese-Western dishes that hit just right. Ren Bkk pours premium matcha for anyone who takes their tea seriously, and I'm Baking Up With You delivers soft cookies so good they make your Saturday afternoon feel like an actual treat. Photograph: Charoen43 But this isn't just about shopping and eating. Music threads through the whole thing – Entertainment Project Bkk stocks vinyl records, Bangkok Mojo Club brings proper club energy, and BicycleBoys Bike Shop turns browsing bikes with fellow cyclists a surprisingly social affair. Every corner of Charoenkrung 43 holds a moment worth your time. The market runs 1pm-7pm both days. Entry's fr

Right in the heart of Seacon Square's MunMun Srinakarin – normally all craft markets and design studios – something unexpected is taking over. The scent of sweat, the spirit of fighters and the raw energy of Muay Thai are about to completely transform the space. P.K. Saenchai Muay Thai Gym, one of the world's leading boxing camps, is bringing a whole new way of experiencing Thailand's national sport, and it's nothing like your standard fight night. Photograph: ONE Championship This isn't just about watching people punch each other. The exhibition decodes what makes a fighter tick, exploring Muay Thai through culture and lifestyle rather than pure combat. You'll get a four-dimensional glimpse at the fighter's world – from rare cultural artefacts tracing the sport's roots to behind-the-scenes moments captured just before stepping through the ropes. It's all that focus, belief and ritual that makes fighters stronger than their physical form, laid bare for you to witness. Photograph: P.K. Saenchai Watch P.K. Saenchai's crew perform a proper ‘Muay Thai dance,’ then have a crack at training yourself with professional coaches from the camp – completely free, even if you've never thrown a punch before. Browse the marketplace too, where traditional Muay Thai gear gets reimagined as something genuinely cool and contemporary. Brands like Long Nuam Boyz, Mahanakhon and those brilliant Muay Thai shorts inhalers prove the sport's aesthetic has well and truly evolved. The main event? Si

Imagine you're wandering down a Bangkok street where artists work right in front of you, jazz drifts through the air and you can actually stop for a proper chat about what they're creating. Photograph: owen.cassette_1960 Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, art lovers have something to look forward to at the end of this month. The fourth Bangkok Art Walk returns to Chakraphong Road and Lan Luang Road, bringing together art, collectibles, home decor, music and fun activities all in one place. Better yet, it runs across six weekends this time round. The event kicks off on April 25-26 and May 2-3 with art, books, vinyl and cassette shops where you can browse and pick up a few treasures. Photograph: owen.cassette_1960 Come May 16-17 and May 23-24, street art takes centre stage alongside fashion stalls and wellness activities like city running and cycling for those who fancy staying active. The final two weekends – June 13-14 and June 20-21 – wrap things up with an art market featuring plant shops for sprucing up your space, plus stores selling pet-related goods and supplies.

Hotel Art Fair is back in Bangkok after a two-year break, and this time it's checking in somewhere special. From June 5-7, the festival that turns hotel rooms, cabinets and beds into gallery spaces is setting up shop at Kromo Bangkok. Photograph: Hotel Art Fair If you've been before, you'll know the drill: each edition takes over a different hotel, and this year's pick is a beauty. Kromo is a Hilton-affiliated spot inspired by the nine gemstones tucked away in Bangkok's full ceremonial name – which happens to be the longest city name in the world. That inspiration runs through everything: the façade, the lobby, the restaurant and bar, the guest rooms, even the pool. It's design with a story, basically. Photograph: Hotel Art Fair There's also an exclusive party where you can meet fellow art lovers, music fans and anyone else who's drawn to the creative side of Bangkok's social scene.  Hotel Art Fair 2026 runs from June 5-7 at Kromo Bangkok. Keep an eye on the Hotel Art Fair Facebook page for updates and details.

Bangkok is about to witness another grand phenomenon in music and contemporary art. TagTEAMS 2026, organised by the Thai ElectroAcoustic Music Society (TEAMS) in collaboration with Bangkok Kunsthalle, marks a genuine first for Thailand, bringing together music and contemporary art in a way the city hasn't seen before. Running April 17-19, 11am-9.30pm, the festival takes over Bangkok Kunsthalle with 26 speakers arranged inside a cubic room, sending sound moving through space in every direction, ambient noise reimagined as something you could almost reach out and touch. But first – what actually is electroacoustic music? Simply put, it takes the sounds already around us, speech, location recordings, everyday noise, and reconstructs them into works of art. Over 70 artists from across the globe feature in the programme. Trevor Wishart takes the most mundane objects – whiskey glasses, say – and stretches them out into sonic worlds you wouldn't expect. Curtis Roads goes the opposite direction, zooming so far into sound that individual particles become the whole point. Elsewhere, works blur the line between sound art, digital art and installation, the cross-disciplinary programme that pulls in experimental art lovers and the creative-minded. Tickets start at B300 per day for concerts, B500 for a one-day pass and B1,000 for the full three days. Students get 30 percent off concert tickets with code STUDENT2026 – just bring your student ID on the day (undergraduate and below only). Get

Look, we all know the feeling: your reading list grows taller by the week whilst your phone pings away, pulling your attention in seventeen different directions at once. Actually sitting down with a book properly, without distractions – has become something of a lost art. Which is exactly why Read Me Again's 'Books I Haven't Finished' happens. This Sunday, Nextopia and A Keen House are turning an ordinary afternoon at Siam Paragon's fifth floor from a sacred space for readers who just want to get stuck in without the constant buzz of notifications. Photograph: A Keen House Here's the best bit: you hand over your phone at the door. The whole afternoon becomes genuinely distraction-free – tackling that novel you've been meaning to finish for ages, or cracking open something new you picked up from a book fair. Bring whatever you fancy. Your current read, a sketchbook, even a diary for jotting down thoughts in peaceful silence. It's open to anyone craving a proper break from screens and a chance to remember what paper actually means, surrounded by people who get it. Photograph: readmeagnn If your 'pile of shame' has been giving you grief, or you simply fancy living at a slower pace right in the heart of the city for a few hours, this is your answer. Grab your books and we'll see you at A Keen House, Nextopia 5th floor Siam Paragon, this Sunday April 19 from 11am onwards. Time to turn some pages.