Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Some drinks work like a key. Ask any writer hunched over a keyboard at midnight, chasing the messy business of being human, and you may hear something similar: sometimes the second glass loosens what the first one couldn’t. Literature and drinking have long kept close company. Some writers turned bars into second homes. Others wrote about them as places of exile, romance, loneliness, glamour or escape. And a few, before the books made their names, worked behind or around the bar themselves. So here's a round-up, inspired by Koktail Kuisine's list, of Bangkok bars with a literary streak. Some wear the theme boldly. Others keep it tucked into the wallpaper, the music, the mood or the way a cocktail arrives like a sentence someone has worked on for hours. Book lover? Cocktail snob? These are your places.

The rain is arriving  almost every evening now, which means Bangkok's wet season is properly under way. Looking for a good excuse to dodge another downpour? Spend a few hours gallery hopping instead.  July's art calendar is packed with reasons to head out, from major new openings and long-awaited reunions to interactive installations and quietly compelling solo exhibitions. A few fresh creative spaces are also welcoming visitors for the first time, while several standout shows continue their run.  Whether you have an hour between coffee stops or a free Saturday afternoon to fill, these are the exhibitions worth catching across the city this month. Need more ideas? You can also fall back on our guides to Bangkok's best bars, restaurants, parks, and galleries, or work your way through our bucket list of the best things to do in Bangkok. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just art-curious, these are Bangkok’s best places to get your culture fix. From alleyway murals to paint-splashed corners you might walk past, here are our favourite spots to see street art in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok newsletter and get the best of the city delivered straight to your inbox.

It's July. Congrats, everyone: we've made it to month seven. Another working week is almost done and Bangkok's weekend line-up seems determined to keep you out of the house. Rain clouds may still be loitering overhead, but grab a brolly and crack on – the city has more than enough going on. Art runs the show this week. Public Garden returns with independent designers, artists and studios from Thailand, Singapore and across Asia for two days of browsing, chatting and beautifully made things. At Queer Art Thailand, Patch the World: Between the Seams, Beyond the Surface gathers 30 artists from Thailand and Taiwan for a thoughtful exhibition that reads LGBTQ+ life through photography, performance, video and the everyday objects we live alongside. Prefer notebooks to new clothes? The Barter Market – Stationery Trade at TCDC Bangkok ditches cash altogether, giving pens, stickers and sketchbooks a fresh start through proper old-fashioned swapping. Art Island Festival, meanwhile, serves riverside views with workshops, handmade crafts, food stalls and live music before DJs commandeer a moored boat for an open-air psytrance session after dark. Fancy a slower gear? Lumphini Park hosts Sit and Stare Without Doing Anything, and the brief is gloriously simple: 30 minutes of silent sitting followed by a loose natter afterwards. Want something louder? Delirium Series welcomes Krijka and Sunju Hargun for a long night of minimal, techno, trance and goa that keeps the floor moving until the sma

July is when Bangkok settles properly into the rainy season. It is also one of the fullest stretches on the city’s cultural calendar, so whether your idea of a good weekend involves live music, contemporary art, independent cinema or an afternoon rummaging through second-hand books, Bangkok gives you plenty of reasons to head out. Book lovers should start at Bangkok Book District Fest, which spreads across historic neighbourhoods including Phan Fa, Tha Tien and Nang Loeng. Independent bookshops open their doors, readings and gatherings run through the day and there are plenty of titles you are unlikely to find in chain stores. Film fans should also make room for the Taiwan Documentary and Film Festival, back with a line-up of hard-to-find documentaries and narrative features screening in Bangkok and Khon Kaen. By the river, Awakening Song Wat lights up one of Bangkok’s oldest riverside quarters after dark, placing light installations and digital artworks between warehouses, shophouses and narrow lanes you can cover in one evening. Music gets a strong showing too. Colorists Music Festival returns with a line-up spanning indie favourites, newer alternative acts and bigger crowd-pleasers, while JUST KIDS keeps things close-up with rising hip-hop artist Zambug and a community-minded approach to live shows. July looks busy, then. Carry an umbrella, keep some cash for books and merch and expect your weekends to fill up quickly. Keeping track of what's coming next? Our Bangkok  conc

When it comes to art and exhibitions, Bangkok has a lot. From poky little independent spaces to avant-garde galleries and the big crowd-pleasing museums, the city brims with shows that perplex, challenge, inspire, educate and leave you thoroughly awestruck. The trouble is, there's an absolute mountain to get through. Too much, you might say. So we're here to tell you where to spend your precious time. Whether you're a bona fide art connoisseur or simply the type who likes to stand about looking pensive in front of a canvas (we've all done it), these galleries promise to inspire and entertain in equal measure. So if you're wondering what's genuinely worth a trip across town, start right here. Have a browse through the best museum exhibitions and art in Bangkok at the moment, take your pick and make a day of it. We refresh this list regularly, so do pop back regularly for our latest and greatest picks.Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. 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.

Lesbian venues aren't exactly a dime a dozen in Bangkok. The city does a roaring trade in bars and clubs that pull a mainly gay and bi male crowd, yet permanent spaces built for queer women, or trans and non-binary folk, remain frustratingly thin on the ground. You can count the long-running ones on one hand and still have fingers spare. Happily, the tide turns. Social media crowns this the year of the 'Lesbian Renaissance', and Bangkok plays its part with gusto. A growing roster of roving club nights now fills the gap, popping up across Sukhumvit, Silom and beyond the usual haunts, each one carving out a proper safe space where queer women party on their own terms. Discrimination gets left firmly at the door, the line-ups skew fresh and local and the welcome runs warm. Some come monthly, some quarterly, a few keep their locations hush until the last minute, half the fun is the chase. So whether you fancy sweaty basement raves, sapphic disco or a low-key spot to nurse a beer and make connections, the scene finally delivers. Hunting for your new favourite haunt? Here's our pick of the bunch. These venues span everything from dancing clubs to cosy bars and they're all genuinely welcoming to all genders

We arrive on Decho Road in the afternoon, the sun still strong outside but the air pressure dropping, hinting that rain is on its way. It is unusual to be here before opening time, so we slip in through the back door and climb the stairs to a wine bar. In this wine bar, a small cinema is hidden behind curtained walls on the floor above and the dusty smell of old parquet fills our senses. That, near enough, is the whole idea. Photograph: Lalitphat BumrungkarnSala Saneha At a moment when independent picture houses around town are quietly going dark, Natchanon 'Vana' Vana, Pakapol 'Meang' Srirongmuang and Dit Thanasresthavilai have chosen to walk the other way. They have taken things they love – movies, wine, food and books – and poured them into a close-to decade old building, with help from more than a dozen friends drawn from the world of entertainment and art.  The result is Sala Saneha, a place built on the faintly old-fashioned conviction that going out to the pictures ought to feel like romance again. Photograph: Lalitphat BumrungkarnSala Saneha I met the three of them upstairs in the bookshop, on soft chairs among the wood – cladding the walls, forming the bookshelf, the floor, the table, the chairs – and as the early afternoon light came through the leaves just outside the windows, we began to talk. Photograph: Lalitphat BumrungkarnSala Saneha A building with several past lives What was clear, is how exact they are about the conditions. The venue could not disturb

June marks the official start of Pride Month, though anyone paying attention knows the celebrations rarely stay contained to four weeks. Across Bangkok, galleries, clubs, restaurants and public spaces roll out programmes honouring LGBTQIA+ communities while making room for protest, conversation and the simple joy of taking up space together. Some gatherings lean political. Others just want you dancing under disco lights until midnight. Both matter. This year's line-up covers everything from large-scale parades and drag showcases to film screenings, speed dating nights and art festivals built around queer storytelling. One evening might find you watching voguing performances above the city skyline, another screaming sapphic pop lyrics in a crowded bar off Silom Road. Rainbow branding arrives right on cue every June, but Pride carries far more weight than a seasonal marketing campaign. Its history is political, personal and deeply tied to communities still fighting for safety, visibility and equality. So whether you’re here for the parties, the performances or the people, these are the Pride events worth adding to your calendar this month. Joining the Bangkok Pride parade? Here's everything you need to know before showing up.

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.  

June in Bangkok means sweaty afternoons, sudden downpours and permanently questionable hair, but the city rarely lets a bit of rain ruin its social life. Between storm clouds and iced coffees, the calendar quickly fills with riverside markets, free music festivals, film screenings and enough vintage shopping to destroy your budget before payday arrives. PUBPEAB Zine Fair returns with handmade books, risograph prints and crafty workshops for anyone romanticising a life spent making tiny publications. Music lovers are spoiled too. A free festival inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique spreads across One Bangkok and Alliance Française with more than 30 acts covering indie, jazz, hip-hop, mor lam and Ballroom performances celebrating Voguing culture. Elsewhere, the EU Film Festival 2026 brings thoughtful cinema from across Europe to venues including House Samyan and Lido Connect – completely free if you arrive early enough. Vintage hunters should make time for the riverside slow market and the latest Made By Legacy gathering at Pat Arena, where stylish crowds rummage through rails of secondhand fashion, vinyl and deeply unnecessary collectibles. Prefer something slower? Bangkok’s  laid-back Books and Beers festival happily encourages both reading and day drinking. Frankly, June stays packed. Keeping track of what's coming next? Our Bangkok  concert roundup for 2026 stays updated with the latest gigs worth adding to your calendar. Stay one step ahead and map out your month with o

What’s your weekend looking like? Club nights, bar-hopping or a slow wander through a flea market?  If the latter sounds more your speed, you’re in luck. Three flea markets are on the horizon, each bringing its own mix of vintage finds, handmade pieces and low-key people-watching. Here’s the breakdown of what’s coming and where you’ll want to be.

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

‘A spy-themed Sala Daeng bar so slick even James Bond would slide in and order his martini shaken, not stirred.’ Built around the mythology of spies, secrets and Ian Fleming-style glamour, Rogue Affair carries the hush of somewhere official agencies might quietly pretend not to know about. It’s a stylish sanctuary hiding in plain sight, with just enough theatre to flatter your inner double agent. Order the Osaka, the Janitor or the Excommunicado and you get a taste of the bar’s obsession with coded lives, hidden motives and names that sound as if they belong in a classified file. It’s sleek, playful and very knowing. But, much like a certain tuxedoed Englishman, you may find yourself circling back to the classic. The martini. Shaken, not stirred. Ice-cold, faintly ceremonial and still the drink that started the whole myth. So slide onto a stool, keep your voice low and your intentions lower. Nobody's watching. Or everybody is. Either way, the martini is on its way. Saladaeng 2, inside PASSA Hotel, 5th Floor. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 6pm-1am. Entry is free. Call 082 852 7999

'A bistro-bar steeped in Hemingway's Paris years, where the cocktails keep things simple but suggest plenty beneath the surface.’ Ernest Hemingway is one of literature's great understaters, a defining voice of the Lost Generation, the phrase Gertrude Stein used for the disillusioned writers and artists drifting through Europe after the First World War. His sentences look simple. They aren't. Every plain line hides something deeper, which is exactly what he meant by his famous iceberg theory. He wrote The Sun Also Rises while working as a foreign correspondent in Paris, tapping away between café sessions, horse races and late nights with other expats. The novel follows a group of Americans and Britons moving through a world they no longer quite belong to, with Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley carrying the ache beneath all the surface cool. Which brings us to Hemingway Bangkok. Now in the thick of Sukhumvit Soi 11, the bar-bistro still channels the writer’s Paris years through its easygoing dining room, leafy terrace and travel-worn charm. There's wine, champagne, beer and gin, but cocktails are the reason to lean into the theme. Try the Basil Bellini, Tik Tok Thai or Mexican Moondance, though in honour of the man himself, the daiquiri feels like the order that makes the most sense. Soi Sukhumvit 11. Open daily, 11am-2am. Entry is free. Call 02 653 3900

'A literary mystery cocktail bar drawing on Dickens, packed with Pickwickian escapades and drinks named after his characters.' Tucked down a Bangkok side street, The Pickwick Chronicles makes a strong claim to being the city's most bookish bar. Wooden shelves line the walls, hardbacks pile up everywhere and the lighting stays just low enough that make the menu feel like part of the mystery.  The name nods to The Pickwick Papers, or The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club if you want the full Dickensian mouthful. First published in serial form, the novel follows Samuel Pickwick and his companions as they leave London to chronicle life around England, stumbling into comic trouble as they go. That literary streak carries through to the drinks. Order an Augustus Snodgrass Teddy Bear, a Tracy Tupman, Mr Wardle's Tiki Drink, Samuel Pickwick's Martini or Nathaniel Winkle Vol II and you can drink your way through the cast. The cocktails arrive with proper care, garnishes and all, and the bartenders are happy to explain which character sits behind each glass. A love of English literature helps. A soft spot for Dickens helps even more. 76/10 Lang Suan Road, Lumphini. Open Monday-Saturday, 5pm-2am. Entry is free. Call 098 494 6727.

South Korean textile and mixed-media artist Julie H.C. turns the spotlight on cloth as a keeper of personal and cultural history in this new solo exhibition, curated by Camilla Russell. Working with archival Jim Thompson fabrics, she stitches, folds and layers vintage textiles into sculptural works that shift between art object and heirloom. A recurring fan motif threads through the gallery, drawing on Korean visual traditions while reflecting a life shaped by time spent across Korea, North America and Southeast Asia. Expect thoughtful craftsmanship, rich textures and plenty of reasons to look twice. June 10-August 10. Free entry. West Eden Gallery. 1pm-6pm

Anyone who has spent hours collecting EXP in a favourite game will recognise the idea behind this group exhibition. Drawing inspiration from video game mechanics, the show treats each gallery as a new level, with artworks introducing fresh characters, unexpected encounters and small challenges along the way. Painting, sculpture and installations reflect on how experience builds gradually rather than arriving all at once. Instead of chasing a grand finale, visitors move from room to room picking up new perspectives, much like working through a game one stage at a time. Until July 23. Free entry. RCB Galleria 3. 10am-8pm

Sleep rarely stays simple in Pare Patcharapa's latest solo exhibition. Drawing on time spent between Thailand, New York and Italy, the artist considers the restless space between home and elsewhere, where memory blur with everyday experience. Her paintings linger on empty rooms, passing landscapes and traces left by people on the move, building quiet narratives from familiar sights rather than grand statements. Each canvas invites a  slower look, asking how places shape us and what we continue to carry long after moving on. June 27-August 2. Free entry. THIS IS UNLIMITED. 2pm-6pm

Bright colours, familiar faces and a healthy dose of imagination fill Neon Dreams, Paper Saints, a group exhibition bringing together nine contemporary artists including Jirapat Tatsanasomboon, Bobby Leash, BYME and YISLOW. Painting, sculpture and mixed-media works draw on pop culture, personal memories and invented folklore, each artist taking a different approach to storytelling. Expect playful imagery, carefully arranged symbols and plenty of visual details that reward a second look. Seen together, the collection offers a lively snapshot of how contemporary artists continue to reshape pop art in distinctly personal ways. July 4-24. Free entry. ART JEWEL Gallery. 10am-10pm

Fairy tales, myths and bedtime stories rarely end the same way once they pass from one person to another, and this group exhibition asks exactly why that happens. 10 artists revisit familiar tales through painting, sculpture and mixed-media works shaped by their own memories and experiences. Some challenge long-held beliefs, while others reflect on love, freedom, nature or identity without offering neat conclusions. Wander from one gallery wall to the next and each artwork presents another perspective, proving that every story changes depending on who tells it and who listens. Until July 26. Free entry. PLAY art house. 10am-6pm

Hidden along one of Yaowarat's narrow lantern-lit lanes, Adult Material opens its permanent gallery with Against the Grain, a confident first exhibition bringing together artists from Thailand and overseas. Sculpture, photography, installation and design sit side by side, each questioning familiar ideas around identity, masculinity and cultural traditions. Domestic objects, clothing and architectural details reappear in unexpected ways, encouraging a closer look at how everyday life shapes personal experience. Keep an eye out for works by Shen Wei, Oat Montien, Dylan Chan, Gregor Jahner and Thyme Neelaphanakul. June 18-August 15. Free entry. Adult Material. 1pm-6pm

If your camera roll is full of memes, cartoons and oddly familiar internet images, MIMIC speaks your language. The exhibition gathers paintings inspired by the pictures we scroll past every day, borrowing visual cues from viral jokes, nostalgic toys and online culture. At first glance the works are witty and easy to read, but spend a little longer with them and they begin to question how images change meaning each time they are shared, copied and reworked. It is a smart look at the visual habits that shape contemporary life in Thailand. Until July 26. Free entry. L.O.F Gallery. 4pm-6pm

Artist Carbonn Black turns personal memories into colourful characters for Arcadia, a solo exhibition that mixes playful imagery with stories drawn from everyday life. Bright paintings and installations borrow the language of children's books, yet each work quietly reflects moments of uncertainty, hope and growing up. Rather than spelling everything out, the exhibition leaves room for visitors to make their own connections as they move through the gallery. Spend a little time with each piece and the cheerful surfaces gradually reveal a more thoughtful side to the artist's world. Until August 8. Free entry. KICHgallery. 10am-6pm

The debut did the thing every promoter dreams of. It made a remarkable impression, drew an overwhelmingly positive response and sent people out onto the street still humming. So Ghibli Live at The Palace comes back, this time as a restage concert, and once again it invites audiences through the world of Studio Ghibli's animated films by way of live music. Photograph: ETC Studio BKKGhibli Live at The Palace The setting matters as much as the programme. The Thewarat Sapharom Throne Hall at Phaya Thai Palace has just reopened after a full restoration, and this run is one of the first real reasons to step inside. Built in the early 20th century, the hall stands a short walk from Victory Monument, all high ceilings, pale stonework and the hush of a building that has watched a century go by. Music and memory come together here again, and the room gives them the space to do it. Photograph: ETC Studio BKKGhibli Live at The Palace The line-up gathers Studio Ghibli's best-loved film scores, reworked and performed by a company of skilled musicians. You'll know the melodies before you know the titles. The soft ones from My Neighbour Totoro that reach back somewhere quiet. The bigger, hopeful pieces from Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle that catch people off guard every time. Most of it comes from Joe Hisaishi, whose long partnership with Hayao Miyazaki is the reason these tunes have outlasted the films they were written for. Heard live, in a hall this size, they land properly.

This late July, if a proper city stroll is calling your name, point yourself towards 'Charoen CITYZEN: Charoen Edition' – an event that hands you the run of the Talat Noi-Charoen Krung neighbourhood along a route stitching together food, art and the stories of the people who actually live here. It takes an ordinary afternoon on foot and turns it something closer to a treasure hunt, letting you read one of Bangkok's most quietly cinematic districts from angles you'd never clock on a normal day. Here's how it works. You collect your CITYZEN ID & Journal, check in as a fully fledged Charoen Citizen and set off. The eating alone earns the trip. Charmkrung, Tae Lao Chin Seng, Kway Teow Roo Talat Noi, Rice9Gelato Shop, Sunset Coffee Roasters, Envies and Jittawilai Photo Studio all throw open their doors, each serving up signature plates and the small, stubborn personalities that give this pocket its charm. View this post on Instagram A post shared by THE CORNER HOUSE (@thecornerhouse.bangkok) Then come the flourishes. You gather stamps from shops and the hidden spots dotted around the community, wander the 'Served with Art' mini gallery at Charmgall and catch a set from the DJ Random Pop-ups somewhere along the way. Play it right and the Charoen CITYZEN Lucky Draw sends you home with a prize. So whether you're a devoted foodie, a cafe obsessive or simply the type who'd rather read a city through its pavements, this one rewards taking your sweet time. Chat to the

Fresh off the roaring success of the craft beer festival that took over the historic shophouse streets of Song Wat Road – and armed with a mission to hoist Thai local wisdom and homegrown ingredients onto the international stage – Sip Thai by Song Craft returns once more from July 6-12 at Parkside Hall on the G floor of Dusit Central Park. For Song Craft, they're not simply pouring pints. They're a community built to grow Thai craft drinks and community spirits, redefining the whole category as something they call 'Liquid Art' – a heady blend of creativity, music and contemporary art that turns beverages as something worth lingering over. Photograph: songcraftfestivalsThailand's craft beer festival So what's actually on? Plenty. Quality craft producers and brands from every region of Thailand converge under one roof, ready and waiting for you to sip your way through. There are knowledge talks too, where industry insiders spill the real stories behind the bottle. Every single day brings DJs on the decks, and live music takes over on July 10-11 . Then there are the promotions, special offers from the vendors that live and die within this one glorious week. So clear the diary. Sip Thai by Song Craft runs July 6-12, 11am-10pm, at Parkside Hall, G floor, Dusit Central Park. Free entry.

All month, Hua Takhe Old Market gets the full floral treatment. The old riverside neighbourhood in Lat Krabang, usually runs on canal breezes and afternoon quiet, throws its shophouse doors open for Rakdok Floral Weeks 2026, a flower exhibition back for another go under the theme 'Flower to Spread Smiles'. Come down, take a slow amble through the lanes and let this lovely, slightly time-warped pocket of the city wrap itself around you for an afternoon. Photograph: Arthy PhotoRakdok Floral Weeks The event first blooms in 2020 as a plain flower-arranging show. This year it grows up. What you once simply looked at now asks you to come closer, to touch, to linger among the works and the weathered timber walls that hold them. Artists and locals make it together, these are the stories of Hua Takhe, told fresh. The vision belongs to Chayawas 'Joe' Panjaphakdi, florist and founder of Rakdok, who reckons a flower has no business sitting prettily in a vase and calling it a day. It can belong to a place, a person, an ordinary Tuesday morning. So he scatters blooms across the market like punctuation, nudging people back to a corner of town that earns the visit. 20 installations wait for you. 11 come from competition entrants, eight from the Rakdok team and one from a visually impaired artist, each with its own tale. Some stop you in your tracks. Some make you grin. Some might have you falling for the place all over again. There are workshops and craft sessions too, the warm hands-on so

Travel And Tour World has released its Top 50 Medical Tourism Destinations for 2026, and Thailand has taken second place, pipped only by Türkiye and finishing ahead of a global field. The ranking weighs the things that matter most to patients travelling abroad for treatment: trusted care, specialist expertise, modern medical technology, competitive pricing, shorter waiting times and somewhere appealing to recover afterwards. On those counts, Thailand clearly makes a strong case.  Here's the top 20 medical tourism destinations for 2026: Turkey Thailand India Mexico South Korea Malaysia Costa Rica Singapore United Arab Emirates (UAE) Colombia Spain Czech Republic Germany Brazil Japan Panama Taiwan Greece Canada China Medical travel is growing up fast, and patients now compare destinations carefully, looking at accreditation, transparency,  surgeon reputations and value before they book a flight. Demand continues to grow across cardiology, oncology, fertility, orthopaedics, dentistry, cosmetic work, rehabilitation, precision medicine and wellness therapies. For Thailand, the ranking is not just about scenery or soft-power appeal. It reflects the hospitals, specialists, recovery services and hospitality infrastructure that have helped make the country one of the world’s most established medical tourism hubs. Travel And Tour World has released its Top 50 Medical Tourism Destinations for 2026, and Thailand has taken second place, behind only Türkiye and ahead of destinations from

After setting a fresh benchmark for unforgettable fun last year, the Monster Music Festival  2026 edition returns bigger, bolder and more complete than anything the city has thrown before. This is the ultimate metropolitan music weekend, the one that gathers every scene under a single roof. Indie, pop, hard rock, whatever moves you, this is where you lose yourself in sound from the first light of day right through to the final shimmer of night. And the opening wave of names arrives with real swagger. Big Ass, Bowky Lion, Ink Waruntorn, Jeff Satur, Taitosmith, Three Man Down and YOUNGOHM lead the bill across two glorious days. More than a hundred artists still wait backstage, so clear your calendar now and thank us later. Photograph: Monster Music FestivalQueen Sirikit National Convention Center The music is only half of it, though. Monster runs sunrise to small hours, and the spaces between sets carry just as much magic. A properly curated spread of food and drink you'll happily queue for, merch booths that reward the true obsessives, quiet corners where you catch your breath before the next act reels you back in. Bring your mates, bring your person or fly solo. Nobody blinks, everybody stays till the lights come up. Four editions deep, the festival earns its place as one of the city's most coveted dates. Now year five lands with everything turned up. Production, lighting, visuals, sound, a running order that glides from daylight to dark without a single dull moment. You al

More than 200 guests from Bangkok’s hospitality, business, diplomatic, media and social communities gathered in mid-June 2026 at the 32nd floor of SKYVIEW Hotel Bangkok to celebrate the grand opening of Madura Rooftop Bangkok, a new restaurant and bar showcasing the cultural diversity of Miami’s Latin American heritage. Photograph: SKYVIEW Hotel BangkokMadura Rooftop Bangkok Cooking at Madura is centered on an open-fire – in fact guests are actively encouraged to explore the open kitchen and cooking stations and interact with chefs. Coupled with elegant surroundings and dramatic cityscapes as a backdrop, it makes for a dynamic and social dining experience. The menu features fresh seafood, premium meats, tacos, wonderfully zesty ceviche and vibrant sharing plates influenced by culinary traditions that stretch from Mexico, Peru and Argentina to Cuba and Colombia. A curated selection of heady tropical cocktails, wines and spirits inspired by the laid-back drinking culture of Miami and the Americas perfectly complements the cuisine. Photograph: SKYVIEW Hotel BangkokMadura Rooftop Bangkok This is one of those rare venues where culinary treats, entertainment and nightlife make a naturally happy convergence from the get-go and we particularly liked the way the atmosphere evolved as the evening unfolded, transitioning effortlessly from a relaxed dining experience to a vibrantly louche setting.  Madura Rooftop Bangkok. 32nd Floor SKYVIEW Hotel Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 24, Khlong Toe

Just hearing the name tells you everything. 'KFC Run 2026' is the Colonel's cheeky break from the traditional fun run. This one's built for proper fried chicken devotees, the rare morning where you mind your health and pocket the ultimate reward at the same time, the Colonel's famous crispy bird, completely guilt-free. Forget the races that leave you clutching nothing but a medal and a foil blanket. This course promises happiness, sunshine and the unmistakable scent of something sizzling up ahead. Cross the line and a plate of legendary spicy zabb wings waits to bring you back to life, crisp skin glistening, your aching legs immediately forgiven. Now that's motivation. Run while picturing that first bite and you might find your trainers moving quicker than they ever have, the whole stretch a blur of drumsticks and adrenaline. Image: KFC RunStadium One Pick a distance, 5km for the casual jogger or 10km for the genuine show-offs, then warm up those hamstrings and mark the calendar. Runner or glutton or a bit of both, this one's got your name on it, and the finish line might be the most delicious in the city. It all happens at Stadium One on September 6. Registration opens here on July 6 from 9am, with a strict 2,000 spots going and not one more.  Dawdle and you'll lose both the run and the wings, a tragedy on two fronts. Follow the KFC Run Facebook page for everything else, then start training. Or at least start thinking about it.

Some of the cool art comes from the worst nights. Pillow, the debut solo show from Sittha Jantharawong – the artist who goes by HOMMES.HOM, takes the small, sleepless hours most of us would rather forget and turns them gently inward. A restless mind. Insomnia. The little bottle of sleeping pills on the nightstand. He gathers all of it up and makes a sanctuary out of it. Photograph: MMAD GalleryPillow: HOMMES.HOM HOMMES.HOM is a former advertising creative, which makes a strange kind of sense. Adland is a job of watching, studying how people behave, how they speak to each other, what they hide. He brings that same trained eye to the feelings we bury deepest: the anxiety, the unspoken stuff, the things we swallow before bed. His work coaxes them out and gives them somewhere to sit. A room where you can stop, breathe and find yourself again. That is the whole idea. Healing by embracing the very self you have been fighting. He doesn't dress up the difficult years, the racing thoughts, the long nights, the reliance on medication – so much as transform them, asking you to pause and look honestly at your own. Photograph: MMAD GalleryPillow: HOMMES.HOM If you want the artist's company, he's hosting a conversation about the work at the opening on Saturday July 11, from 5.30pm-7.40pm at MMAD Gallery 1, second floor of MunMun Srinakarin (Seacon Square). Pillow is one of five shows under the 'MMADness is Calling' banner, a project that hands the word 'madness' to contemporary artists

Singapore's cult shopping event finally packs its bags for Bangkok. After more than two decades championing independent design through Boutiques Singapore, founder Charlotte Cain brings the concept overseas for the first time with Boutiques Asia: The Bangkok Edition 2026, landing at ICONSIAM from July 24-26. Photograph: Boutiques AsiaThe Bangkok Edition 2026 Across three days, more than 120 designers and labels from around Asia will gather under one roof at the riverside destination – emerging talent, established names and retail buyers all hunting for something a little less ordinary. Fresh collections roll in from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, with craftsmanship, functionality and thoughtful production firmly at the core. Photograph: Boutiques AsiaThe Bangkok Edition 2026 Photograph: Boutiques AsiaThe Bangkok Edition 2026 Among the highlights making their Bangkok debut: Indonesia's WN White Noise, known for hard-wearing travel gear crafted from Japan-certified recycled nylon; Rocket Eyewear, whose timeless polarised frames are designed specifically for Asian facial features; Anaya's natural leather care range; GRAYE, the gender-neutral Singapore label celebrated for minimalist, utilitarian clothing and lifestyle pieces built for everyday wear; and SOJAO, the sustainable lifestyle name behind 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton bedding, towels and loungewear. Photograph: Boutiques AsiaThe Bangkok Edition 2026 Photo

Bangkok loves a contradiction. Shrines sit beside shopping malls, street food rubs shoulders with skincare counters and the sacred is rarely far from the spectacular. So it feels only right that Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 is leaning into the push and pull of opposites. The citywide art festival has announced a fresh wave of 27 artists for this year’s edition, bringing the total line-up to 42 artists from Thailand and around the world.  The theme is 'Angels & Mara',  a broad look at the forces that tug between light and dark, hope and despair, virtue and temptation. In other words: big questions about belief, power and identity, set against some of Bangkok’s most recongisable spaces. Photograph: BkkArtBiennale2026 Among the newly announced names are Indonesia's Arahmaiani, Japan's Nobuyoshi Araki, French duo Pierre & Gilles, Canada's Sin Wai Kin and American Max Hooper Schneider. Thailand is strongly represented too, with Channatip Chanvipava, Naraphat Sakarthornsap, Tawan Wattuya and Udom Taephanich among the names joining the bill. More artists, exhibitions and public programmes will be announced closer to opening, but there is already plenty to start plotting around. The biennale will unfold across 10 landmark venues, from riverside temples and major museums to shopping centres and university art spaces. Photograph: BkkArtBiennale2026 Mark the calendar: Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 runs from October 26 2026 to February 28 2027. Follow Bangkok Art Biennale on Facebook for th

A landslide is a landslide, but 1.44 million votes is a clear love letter. That's roughly the number of Bangkokians who put their cross beside Chadchart Sittipunt on June 28, handing the broad-shouldered engineer a second term and smashing the record he set himself four years ago. The man fondly nicknamed 'Hulk' cycled to his own polling station, because of course he did. And the message from the city reads plainly enough, keep going. Photograph: BMAChadchart wins second term as Bangkok governor For four years the slogan 'Work, Work, Work' did the heavy lifting, and the receipts back it up. More than 100 finished projects, fresh pockets of green, knotty old problems finally starting to loosen. Yet a megacity this size always keeps a few wounds open.  Floods still come. Traffic still crawls. The air still stings on a rotten day. But this second term looks like a victory lap – another chance to mend what the first four years never quite completed. Or maybe it’s just proof that a city is never truly finished. If you missed it, we interviewed Chadchart last year, seeing what he was proud of and what he had yet to address. Check out our video interviews here. Photograph: BMAChadchart wins second term as Bangkok governor This time round Chadchart and his crew don't reach for the same playbook. They raise the bar across four strategic pillars, each one a promise to reshape how Bangkok runs: A livable city: People-first policies that look after residents of every age, body and