Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Well, the rain hasn’t fully packed its bags yet, but daylight hours have thankfully spared us for now, which means Bangkok’s streets are wide open for the weekend. And we’re here to tell you to rally, because there are plenty of reasons to get excited about this weekend in Bangkok. Bangkok Illustration Fair returns for its fifth year, wandering the aisles and discovering tiny sketchbooks, limited-edition prints and live drawing sessions where you can meet the artists behind the work. It’s a little like scrolling through your favourite Instagram feed, but real and messy, and way more fun. For something bigger, Blackpink’s Deadline World Tour lands in the city. Whether you know every lyric or just want to feel the energy, the stadium vibrates with choreography, lights and collective euphoria. Skyline Film Bangkok teams up with Asiatique The Riverfront for screenings that feel quietly magical. Films by the water, lanterns glowing and shorts you won’t see anywhere else. Wrap yourself in a blanket, grab some popcorn, and let the evening turn into a low-key ritual of cinema and conversation. And for those drawn to the strange and whimsical, the Thai Spooky Art Market has eerie, playful creations from local artists. Candles flicker, shadows stretch, and every stall feels like a little story you can take home. Between illustration, music, film and art, Bangkok makes the weekend feel fully alive. Trick out your Halloween with our guide to the city’s top spooky events and experiences i

Planning Halloween already? It maybe a little early, but the nights are drawing in, the air feels cooler, and before long, the season’s most mischievous celebration will be upon us. Thailand may not have the same obsession with ghosts and ghouls as other countries, but Bangkok knows how to throw a night worth remembering.  Soon enough, downtown Bangkok will shift into a carnival of costumes, flickering lights and characters that seem plucked from another world. Streets, bars, galleries and rooftops will offer everything from quirky pop-ups to immersive experiences, leaving little excuse not to get involved. It’s never too early to start plotting your own night of mischief, assembling your coven, or deciding which haunted corners of the city you’ll explore. Looking for something strange, eerie or delightfully absurd? Time Out Bangkok has your back. While we might not carry proton packs, we know where the best thrills are hiding. From haunted bars and rooftop rituals to costume competitions and spooky markets, our ever-growing guide will keep you informed and entertained. By the time the last lanterns flicker and the city’s ghosts retreat, you’ll know that Bangkok’s Halloween is not just a night on the calendar – it’s a festival of mischief, style and just enough fright to make it unforgettable.

In Bangkok, the music scene has transformed over the past few years, led by crews of DJs and collectives – both Thai and international, who are tackling imbalances in the industry by carving out their own creative corners. These collectives do more than play music: they build communities, experiment with sound and space, and create opportunities for voices too often overlooked. And the number of groups pushing this forward is far greater than most realise. Collectives are the empowering force. DIY at heart, they share resources, skills and ideas, providing spaces free from discrimination and harassment. Each crew has its own identity: some focus on multidisciplinary arts, others on workshops and mentoring, and some simply craft nights that feel electric and alive. What unites them is a vision of equality, inclusivity and diversity – for their members and for everyone who joins. Detour is the one for those chasing tracks you hear once and immediately need to know more. RomRom bends genres and expectation, from Bhangra to Brazilian hip-hop, creating nights defined by atmosphere rather than label. Non Non Non gives a queer sanctuary, where electronica, EBM and techno collide and the crowd feels at home. Kleaning Service turn up once a month with their offbeat 'cleaning' sessions, a tongue-in-cheek disguise for nights that refuse to behave predictably.  Transport, meanwhile, are a softer, warmer embrace of the dancefloor. moor brings underground international talent rarely seen i

October arrived with a bit of rain, but Bangkok doesn’t really do dull seasons. The city thrives on contrast – traffic outside, white-walled calm within. It’s a place where art lives in every possible corner: vast museums with echoing halls, hidden rooms above coffee shops, galleries that look like they might collapse yet hold works that could floor you. If you want to be confused, delighted, unsettled or quietly moved, this city rarely disappoints. The variety is unruly. One evening you might stumble across a show where neon tubes light up the politics of migration, the next morning you’re staring at a centuries-old portrait that feels impossibly alive. There’s contemporary work that questions what it means to exist in a city like this, modernism reinterpreted for the present, and the occasional old master hanging with surprising confidence. What complicates things is choice. With new exhibitions opening constantly, picking where to spend an afternoon can feel like work in itself. So think of this less as a definitive guide and more as a starting point – a way to orient yourself in a city that refuses to stop making, showing and questioning through art, no matter the weather. 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 October. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just art-curious, these are Bangkok’s best spots to live the ar

October in Bangkok doesn’t tip-toe in. As the rains finally turn polite and the air dries, the city arms itself with spectacles that crackle in neon, shadow and trembling melody. Museums open new worlds. Theatres unfurl fresh tales. Bars and cafes welcome midnight whispers. On the music front it’s chaos of the best kind. The Smashing Pumpkins return after nearly three decades, giving a set that could flicker from 1979 to their new rock-opera. Mariah Carey is back too, hair flips intact, marking 20 years since The Emancipation of Mimi with seven-octave theatrics Bangkok hasn’t seen in years.  Sean Paul finally touches down for his Thai debut, bringing the riddims that once soundtracked every school disco. Connan Mockasin drifts in with his woozy dream-funk, while Blackpink stage a three-night stadium takeover that will probably sell out faster than you can open a group chat. Over at the Contemporary World Film Series, Something Like an Autobiography plants its flag. Penned by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and his actress-wife Nusrat Imrose Tisha during lockdown, it folds their marriage into fiction, even as Farooki steps in front of the camera for the first time. It’s a quietly radical piece about memory, identity and how lives unspool when we least expect. And for those who sleep with their lights off: the Junji Ito Collection Horror House turns dreams into architecture. Over 1,500 square metres, you might find Tomie’s cursed beauty, balloon-headed predators or Souichi’s mischievous

Here we are again, only this time we’ve landed at Funky Lam Kitchen – a modern Laotian menu that doesn’t flinch from bold, full-throttle flavours. The cocktails and the wine list aren’t there to soothe but to spar, chosen deliberately to hold their ground against the fire. Step inside and you’re in a space that feels like someone’s memories turned into design: a renovated shophouse lined with old BMW motorbikes, walls hung with images that hint at histories both personal and political. Funky Lam isn’t simply another addition to Bangkok’s dining map. It’s the dream realised by Sanya Souvanna Phouma – the man who gave the city Bed Supperclub, Maggie Choo’s and Sing Sing – alongside his fellow Laotian partner Saya Na Champassak, whose grandmother, once the princess of the south, was famed for menus devised with the palace chef for royal tables. Together, they’ve built something more than a restaurant: a love letter to Lao cuisine, a revival staged with funk, grit and affection. Photograph: Funky Lam Kitchen And that’s why I’m here, to ask how two men who grew up in Paris, haunted by both French kitchens, the stories tucked between plates of olam and glasses of Beer Lao and Laotian memories, ended up here. The inheritance of nightlife and airways ‘It’s in my DNA,’ Sanya says when I ask if his father’s club influenced him. His father, Prince Panya Souvanna Phouma – Harvard graduate, son of a Prime Minister, head of Royal Laos Air – once co-owned The Third Eye, a psychedelic club

Let us tell you straight off: if someone in Thailand says they’ve never heard of Arak ‘Pae’ Amornsupasiri, I’d raise an eyebrow. He’s lived through so many chapters – starting out as a guitarist in Slur in the late ’90s, then branching into solo music and acting, and lately daring to helm his own films. His debut The Stone: Phra Tae Kon Ke didn’t just stir the Thai scene – it went international. We found a fitting place to talk in one go: REC.Bangkok, the sleek Wireless Road bar we’ve taken over for the afternoon. Its dim lights, sharp corners and relaxed energy felt like the perfect backdrop for Pae’s many facets – cool, intense, playful.   Photograph: STYLEdeJATE Each role, a fresh mountain to climb Pae isn’t someone you can pin down to one job description. Singer, actor, director – each title could be its own full-time career, yet he insists on doing all three. Not out of some restless inability to choose, but because every role offers him a new kind of friction to wrestle with. And he seems to enjoy the fight. What links these identities is a stubborn urge to not simply meet expectations but to vault quietly over them. As an actor, he’s always battling that silent question: how do you satisfy the director, the writer or the creative who hired you? Sometimes their request is modest, almost underwhelming. Yet Pae wants to push further, or at the very least match the depth of what they had in mind. When he switches to music, the challenge shapeshifts. He asks himself: how

If you wanted to make a film, how would you promote it? A trailer, perhaps. A poster campaign. A carefully timed festival debut. What you probably wouldn’t think of – unless you’re Note Pongsuang – is opening a bar. I’m sitting inside Doi Dum Punk, the small bar decorated with bits of art on the wall, newspaper pasted as wallpaper and a guitar that looks like it’s never been touched. Outside, a tag hangs on an electric post declaring, almost gleefully, ‘fun fact, punk is dead’. Before sitting down, Note handed me a hand-drawn tag with a list of movie roles to choose from: a lonely punk boy, a heartbreak monk, a drunk tourist or a mountain zombie. Of course, I go for an ‘undercover prostitute’. Now, with a gin and tonic in hand, I watch him talk through this improbable scheme with the easy certainty of someone who has, more than once, bent Bangkok nightlife into new shapes. Photograph: Note Dudesweet Photograph: Note Dudesweet Note is the founder of Dudesweet, a name still uttered like an inside joke that turned into a generational movement, and of National Bar, a space that looks like it tumbled out of his Silpakorn sketchbooks. As a living archive of the city’s indie scene, and for me – someone who grew up hearing stories of early-2000s warehouse parties with badly photocopied flyers – it feels like slipping behind the curtain of a myth. His legend is well known, but Doi Dum Punk, a pop-up bar designed to fund and promote a screenplay, is the reason I’m here with a came

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

These days, the vegan scene feels impossible to ignore, especially in Bangkok. From hidden street stalls to refined fine dining, plant-based food has become a way to explore the city differently, to taste its traditions without compromise. That’s how we stumbled across Lokal Vegan, an Instagram account devoted not just to food, but to the culture, stories and communities behind it. At the helm is Vladislav ‘Vlad’ Tolokontsev. He’s not only running Lokal Vegan, he’s also the mind behind Vegan Guide: Street Food in Bangkok and an intricate map of the city’s plant-based eateries. His work isn’t simply about listing restaurants – it’s about uncovering the city’s hidden gems, spotlighting family-run stalls, and showing that eating vegan can be adventurous, delicious and connected to local culture. Photograph: lokalvegan It’s a neat parallel to what we do at Time Out – telling our readers where to go, what to eat and what makes a city tick – but through Vlad’s lens, Bangkok’s flavours and stories are filtered entirely through plant-based living. We caught up with him to talk about why he stayed, how he navigates the city’s complex food scene and the dishes that continue to surprise even the most seasoned vegans. Photograph: lokalvegan A mission beyond the plate ‘I want to change people’s perception of vegan food,’ Vlad begins, almost apologetically, though he needn’t. ‘I want to show how delicious, diverse and affordable it can be, so that more people choose plant-based options

These days, the vegan scene feels impossible to ignore, especially in Bangkok. From hidden street stalls to refined fine dining, plant-based food has become a way to explore the city differently, to taste its traditions without compromise. That’s how we stumbled across Lokal Vegan, an Instagram account devoted not just to food, but to the culture, stories and communities behind it. At the helm is Vladislav ‘Vlad’ Tolokontsev. He’s not only running Lokal Vegan, he’s also the mind behind Vegan Guide: Street Food in Bangkok and an intricate map of the city’s plant-based eateries. His work isn’t simply about listing restaurants – it’s about uncovering the city’s hidden gems, spotlighting family-run stalls, and showing that eating vegan can be adventurous, delicious and connected to local culture. Photograph: lokalvegan It’s a neat parallel to what we do at Time Out – telling our readers where to go, what to eat and what makes a city tick – but through Vlad’s lens, Bangkok’s flavours and stories are filtered entirely through plant-based living. We caught up with him to talk about why he stayed, how he navigates the city’s complex food scene and the dishes that continue to surprise even the most seasoned vegans. Photograph: lokalvegan A mission beyond the plate ‘I want to change people’s perception of vegan food,’ Vlad begins, almost apologetically, though he needn’t. ‘I want to show how delicious, diverse and affordable it can be, so that more people choose plant-based options

Thailand’s music calendar has been playing coy this year. Rumours of cancellations, whispered talk of comebacks, line-ups teased then quietly reshuffled – it’s been messy, but in that very Thai way, somehow the beat goes on. Even with the uncertainty swirling around some of the city’s biggest names, Bangkok remains blessed with an embarrassment of festivals, from single-day marathons to sprawling weekend escapes. It helps to be strategic. Do you want a sunburnt afternoon by the sea or a midnight rave in a warehouse? Do you tolerate camping, or does the idea of queuing for a shower fill you with dread? Whether you’re loyal to one genre or happy to let the algorithm of chaos decide, there’s something with your name on it. Beachfront chill-outs, rooftop hip-hop sessions, jazz in the park, electronic odysseys that stretch until sunrise – Thailand does it all, often in the same week. And if you’ve been slow on the tickets, don’t panic. Festival season here stretches itself thin, spilling across months like an endless afterparty. Hip-hop, afrobeat, rock, disco, experimental electronica – you can take your pick, or try them all, until your ears give up. Thailand isn’t short on sound, only on weekends. So yes, it’s chaotic, sometimes unpredictable, but it’s also glorious. Have a scroll through our guide, circle a date and prepare to swap the city’s traffic jams for something infinitely louder. RECOMMENDED: Bangkok’s best upcoming concerts in 2025

The fourth instalment of Food Baby lands this Sunday, turning Allso Bar Bangkok into a playground for flavours. Donavin blends Indian and Thai cuisines across seven inventive courses, each bite unpretentious, daring and perfectly spiced. The bar shuts for the night, seating only 30, so it feels like a private dinner with your closest, slightly reckless foodie friends. Drinks are a work-in-progress flight, guaranteed to warm and amuse, while the kitchen turns spontaneity into something deliciously memorable. Doors open at 7pm, dinner begins at 8pm sharp. The evening celebrates cooking as an act of love, messy, generous and communal. It’s an invitation to show up, taste boldly, and maybe leave with a literal food baby as proof that good company, great flavours and a shared laugh make all the difference. October 26. B1,500 (B500 non-refundable deposit required). Reserved via Instagram: @allsobangkok. Allso Bar Bangkok, 7pm onwards

Tom Harris, better known as Hidden Spheres, first drew attention with The Bloos on Detroit’s Moods & Grooves before his breakout EP Waiting became a modern classic. Since then, he has released on Rhythm Section, Church, Scissor and Thread and Oath, while curating his own label and NTS show, Fruit Merchant. His sets weave house, disco, jazz and broken beat into dance floors defined by warmth, inclusivity and effortless groove. For one night, he brings that same energy to the floor, shaping moments that linger long after the music fades. Opening the night, Kunanon from High Wire lays down hypnotic house and stripped-back minimal, while Matt Harris blends electronic, house and breaks, crafting a layered soundtrack that moves between intimacy and abandon, inviting the crowd to lose themselves without feeling lost. October 25. B200 via here and B400 at the door. Beamcube, 9pm onwards

Jamz Supernova turns sound into storytelling. The BBC 6 Music host, Future Bounce label head and globally respected tastemaker has spent over a decade championing underground beats and cultural movements. Her sets move effortlessly through broken beat, UK funky and bass, each transition crafted with curiosity, emotion and a sense of shared experience. From festivals like We Out Here and Worldwide Sete to main stages across Europe, she brings the same energy that has cemented her reputation as one of the UK’s most influential selectors. Warming up the night, Soulectric Jams – a collaboration between Pam Anantr and Isaac Aesili – layers world grooves, soul and deep house with live trumpet and percussion, delivering chemistry, heart and moments that linger long after the last note. October 25. B300 via here and B500 at the door. Beam, 9pm onwards

Reconnect with roots through exhibitions, local products and music by turning a weekend into a gentle journey of discovery. Conversations focus on returning home, tracing personal and cultural identity, and imagining how communities can grow while staying true to their origins. Walking through the displays, it’s easy to get caught up in the textures, colours and stories, each one quietly reminding you of the ties that shape us. Musicians provide a subtle soundtrack, bridging generations and perspectives, while workshops invite hands-on participation that feels unexpectedly personal. By exploring the past and celebrating heritage, the event doesn’t just look back – it nudges you to consider how understanding where we come from can guide the way forward, creating a sense of connection that lingers long after leaving. October 25-26. Free. Slowcombo, 1am-8pm

Oktoberfest returns to Old German Beerhouse Bangkok for two nights of Bavarian revelry. On Wednesday, October 22 at Sukhumvit Soi 13 and Friday, October 24 at Sukhumvit Soi 11, the venue fills with the sounds of the Anton Show Band, live and lively. Each ticket comes with a 0.5-litre Special German Oktoberfest Beer, a gentle nudge to kick things off properly. Dress up in dirndl or lederhosen and join a crowd ready for flowing beer, hearty plates and a celebration that feels simultaneously authentic and effortless. The evening fills with energy, where strangers become companions over clinking steins and shared laughter. Between the music, the mugs and the unmistakable taste of Germany, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the joy, even if only for a couple of hours. October 22 and 24. B500. Old German Beerhouse Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 11 and 13, 7pm onwards

Velco Dar, author of the forthcoming Neuraleap: How BCIs Will Redefine Communication, Business and Governance, brings his ideas to Bangkok for a private session. The talk explores how brain-computer interfaces could reshape the way we connect, work and make decisions, blurring the line between thought and action. With big tech names like Apple, Meta, Sam Altman and Elon Musk all racing into BCI technology, the conversation feels urgent, speculative and a little thrilling. Attend to catch a glimpse of the near future, where human cognition meets machine precision. For anyone curious about how innovation could remap society, or simply fascinated by the idea of controlling tech with a thought, it promises to be a rare, intimate encounter. October 24. B360-500 via here. JustCo, Silom Edge, 12.30pm-1.30pm

More Rice joins forces with Ransom Note to celebrate 15 years of the London collective, finally bringing their legendary energy to Bangkok. Known for giving underground sounds a home through their platform, parties and label, the collective turns the city into a temporary hub of rhythm and attitude. The line-up blends familiar names with fresh local talent, from Tia Cousins and Matt Cowell to Kieran A., while Sarayu and DOTT hold it down for the homegrown scene. Moving through the crowd, it’s easy to forget you’re in Bangkok; for a few hours, it feels like the collective’s London streets have taken over. October 25. B400 via here and B600 at the door. Bat Temp., 9pm onwards 

Buckle turns ten this year. The exhibition charts a decade of the Buckle collection, tracing the spark of its rebellious beginnings and its evolution into a streetwear staple. Each corner of the space tells a story, from early sketches that defied convention to bold pieces that carved their own rulebook. The archives invite a closer look at the textures, cuts and unexpected details that made Buckle a fixture in fashion capitals, while moments of the collection are frozen in display, like snapshots of style history. Walking through feels like wandering through someone else’s diary, only one filled with attitude, creativity and a knack for making the ordinary feel unapologetically iconic. Until November 16. G/F, Central Embassy, 10am-10pm

CHAVANA marks a remarkable milestone, edging closer to 111 years with this exhibition. The show traces the dialogue between light and time, transforming these fleeting moments into intricate forms of high jewellery. Visitors wander through the signature Ray of Light collection, where each piece captures delicate reflections and subtle shadows, a quiet testament to Thai craftsmanship. Live demonstrations reveal the meticulous handwork behind every creation, while curated displays unpack the ideas and inspirations shaping the designs. For those who like to feel rather than simply admire, the Touch & Try Experience is in the book, wearing and studying the pieces up close, turning an exhibition visit into something unexpectedly intimate and personal. Until October 26. Free. 4/F, Central Embassy, 10am-10pm 

Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok brings a burst of colour and celebration this Halloween, with a weekend inspired by Mexico’s Día de los Muertos. Life, culture and tradition collide across two events designed to linger in memory. Friday night, Bar.Yard’s rooftop transforms into a dazzling festival of skulls, flowers and flickering lights. Guests are invited to channel their inner La Catrina, with face paint and costumes rewarded with a welcome drink and complimentary artistry from 6pm-9pm. The party runs until 2am, DJs keeping the rooftop alive as the city lights flicker below. Earlier in the day, Stock.Room offers an immersive Latin brunch, where bold flavours meet rhythmic beats. By nightfall, Halloween feels more like a celebration than a date, unforgettable and brilliantly alive. October 31. Free. Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, 5pm-2am

Dudesweet returns, and this year it’s paying homage to Radiohead. The familiar walls of Mischa Cheap host a night that feels like a secret shared among friends, where the speakers hum with melodies you’ve memorised and lyrics that somehow still surprise you. Expect a crowd that knows their favourites by heart, swaying together through the highs and lows, the experimental turns and haunting refrains. The space has the same charm as before – dim lights, sticky floors, and a sense that this is a ritual rather than a gig.  October 31. B250 at the door and B400 after 9pm. Tomyumkung Restaurant, 7pm onwards

Halloween drifts down the Chao Phraya this year, and Bangkok Island is the boat you want to be on. The night sails between shamanic rituals, live sets, and DJ beats that could probably raise the dead – or at least keep them dancing. Costumes are encouraged, the wilder the better. Think mischievous spirits, lost sailors, glittering ghosts clinging to the railings as the river glows beneath them. Between dance battles and a costume contest that rewards pure audacity, it’s part séance, part rave, and entirely unforgettable. As the city lights flicker on the water, you start to wonder whether the spirits are watching, or maybe joining in. Either way, Halloween on the river feels less like a party and more like a spell. October 31. B350-450 via here and B500 at the door. Bangkok Island, 6pm-midnight  

It's not hard to see why Thailand's long-awaited high-speed rail project has turned into such a drawn-out saga. The promise is grand: sleek trains hurtling north from Bangkok to Nong Khai, crossing the Mekong into Laos, then gliding on to Kunming and eventually Beijing. In theory, it's the stuff of glossy tourism videos and diplomatic speeches – a link between kingdoms and economies. In practice, it's a work in progress that's dragged on for over a decade and is still only halfway there. Officials now say the first leg, a 253-kilometre route from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, could open by 2028. The second phase, stretching to Nong Khai, might follow in 2031, with a bridge linking Thailand's network to the Laos-China line. The numbers are staggering – B434 billion, 609 kilometres, years of revisions – but the stakes are higher still. This isn't just a transport story; it's about whether Thailand can keep pace with its fast-developing neighbours. 'High-speed rail is expensive to build and operate,' says Thomas Bird, Time Out Bangkok's resident train expert and author of Harmony Express: Travels By Train Through China. 'It is not always profitable and some lines – as is the case in the People's Republic of China – have to be subsidised by the government. However, there are many economic benefits associated with modern rail. Fast and efficient connections can expedite trade and tourism. As China is Thailand's biggest trade partner and most important source of tourists, this is a

Halloween obsession comes closer. Not only do we have to plan the outfit, but also the party, and Time Out Bangkok has already picked the best one for all in a single list right here. And Halloween outdoor? This year, Banthat Thong Road is once again summoning the spirits with the second Banthat Thong Freedom Street For All, a street-long celebration where spookiness, street food and sheer creativity all come out to play. On October 30-November 1 2025, this stretch of Bangkok’s Banthat Thong Road that is usually busy with students, steaming bowls of noodles and late-night dessert queues, gets a seasonal glow-up.  Chula Soi 16 becomes the centre of attention, where Nueng Nom Nua hosts a haunted installation designed to unsettle even the most daring. Ghost storytellers weave through the crowd, delivering spine-tingling tales that somehow feel as engaging as they are unsettling. Around them, a cosplay competition nudges the boldest to outdo each other, crafting costumes that range from the ingeniously eerie to the gloriously grotesque. Street food vendors line the road, serving up smokey bites and sweets that blur the line between comforting and uncanny, while performers and interactive installations pop up in unexpected corners, ensuring no moment is entirely predictable. Families, friends and solo wanderers alike find themselves swept along, laughing at the absurd, jumping at the startling and marvelling at the creativity on display. Highlights: – Haunted house, roadside editi

This is a city that builds towers just to add rooftop bars on top, that paints motorbike helmets with glitter, that treats traffic like performance art. So of course it’s now taking its flirtation with the future literally skyward. This week, EHang – a Chinese aviation firm best known for turning sci-fi sketches into machinery – launched Thailand’s first Advanced Air Mobility Sandbox. It’s a government-approved test zone that lets pilotless air taxis float legally above the city, rewriting what Bangkok traffic might mean in the next decade. The star of the show, the EH216-S, looks like something from a designer’s dream sequence. The launch drew a mix of aviation officials, local engineers and curious onlookers who watched the aircraft complete its test loops without so much as a wobble. It wasn’t the spectacle of technology for its own sake, but a public rehearsal for something bigger – a move towards making air taxis part of the city’s everyday rhythm. The Ministry of Transport pitched it as a step toward smart urbanism and carbon-free travel, which could link high-rise life with island escapes in a single glide. If the next stages go as planned, these aircraft could soon be hovering between Bangkok and its weekend playgrounds – Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui – replacing ferry queues with flight paths. And while it all sounds a touch futuristic, it fits Bangkok’s logic perfectly: the city where wires tangle, towers shimmer and the impossible feels entirely plausible.  Up here, a

Anyone passing through the MRT station by Samyan Mitrtown might notice the usual underground passageway has taken on a strange new life. Well, the place, not far from Time Out Bangkok’s office, once again adds a splash of city colour. What once felt like a corridor between trains and shopping now stretches like a shadowed woodland, draped in deep reds and greens, as Samyan Mitrtown transforms it into a cursed forest tunnel for this spooky season. Photograph: Samyan Mitrtown Photograph: Samyan Mitrtown The path winds past gnarled branches and moss-draped walls, leading to a corner that feels like a witch’s hidden cabin. Inside, shelves bristle with jars of mysterious powders and bubbling potions, and the dim red lighting flickers across the tunnel, casting long, eerie shadows. Walking through, you might get the chill of wondering if something could leap from the darkness, or if a whisper might brush past your ear.  Samyan Mitrtown has a tradition of turning this stretch of Samyan Mitrtown-MRT Tunnel into a seasonal spectacle, and this year’s Into The Woods still nails it.  The cursed forest tunnel is open daily, free of charge, from October 20-31. Let's have the unexpected delight, and once you do, it’s hard to forget the way the red light dances across the twisted trees and the bottles of glittering mystery on their shelves.

In recent years, documentaries have slipped from niche fascination to mainstream pastime for Thai audiences. What was once considered too earnest or academic has found new life through platforms like Netflix and the Documentary Club, whose screenings turn truth-telling into a form of entertainment. These days, a well-made documentary can rival a blockbuster for emotional impact, proving that reality, when framed with care, can be just as gripping as fiction.  Once confined to tucked-away art houses and university halls, documentaries now, again,  share the same screens as blockbusters. You might spot a nature film wedged between superhero sagas or an experimental piece showing beside a romcom. The genre has found a new rhythm in Thailand’s cultural scene, echoed in film festivals, talks and workshops that bring creators and viewers face to face. Photograph: Taiwan Documentary Film Festival in Thailand Photograph: Taiwan Documentary Film Festival in Thailand Among these is the Taiwan Documentary Film Festival, a relatively young but significant fixture on the calendar. It doesn’t shout for attention; it invites it, through portraits of Taiwanese lives that reveal both distance and closeness. Each film unpacks something we might recognise – a family ritual, a political ache, a city caught between nostalgia and change. Returning from November 12-16, the event stretches across Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Songkhla, weaving connections between audiences in different regi

If you’ve ever found solace in the sound of a pencil dragging across paper, or spent hours lost between the folds of a sketchbook, October in Bangkok might feel like home. The Bangkok Illustration Fair returns at Central World from October 23-26, a four-day collision of colour, paper and perspective that has grown from a small creative gathering into one of Southeast Asia’s most beloved art events. The event is now in its fifth year, and it’s a living sketchbook. 200 artists from 17 countries have been selected to show their work, from Thailand to Japan, Italy, Greece and Taiwan. The fair resists hierarchy, letting new illustrators share the same space as veterans. More than 50 reviewers, from studios and agencies across the world, roam the aisles each year in search of artists who catch their attention. And it’s not just the on-site booths and sales for those chosen; every artist who applies gets their own corner to showcase work on BangkokIllustrationFair.com. Photograph: Bangkok Illustration Fair For the first time, the fair introduces ‘International Alliance’, a new zone dedicated to cross-border collaboration, giving artists who have only met through screens a chance to talk, share and perhaps start something new. Other familiar corners return too: ‘B2A (Business to Artist)’, where illustrators meet potential clients, and ‘Portfolio Review’, where a ten-minute chat might quietly alter a career. Photograph: Bangkok Illustration Fair The highlight, though, hides in the

Bangkok has a habit of reinventing itself, sometimes faster than its residents can keep up. A month ago it was all about Dusit Central Park, the glossy new Silom shopping complex with a rooftop garden called Dusit Arun. Then came Cloud 11, the soon-to-open creative hub in South Sukhumvit promising to gather artists, filmmakers and tech dreamers under one enormous sky garden. Both places share a certain ambition – vast open-air spaces suspended above the city, designed to make Bangkok look up again. But while the architects and designers have had their moment, December will belong to the music. At the tail end of the year, central Bangkok will welcome FVTURE Bangkok, Southeast Asia’s largest hyperclub – a phrase that sounds like marketing exaggeration until you see the blueprints. Designed to hold 6,000 people, this isn’t a club so much as a city within one. Imagine if Ibiza’s Amnesia, Berlin’s Berghain and a spaceship collided somewhere over the Chao Phraya – the result might look something like this. The idea was born from a team that knows the industry inside out. Victor Wang, who has spent years running nightlife operations across Asia, leads the project with Michele Wang, a detail-obsessed operator focused on long-term sustainability rather than short-lived spectacle. The music direction falls to Pablo Vas, the DJ and curator behind Bangkok’s Down Temple and Tucan, both known for turning sound into ritual. Together, they seem determined to give the city something it hasn’

We get it. New Year’s Eve can be a bit of a trap. All that talk of glittering countdowns and once-in-a-lifetime parties, and yet somehow you end up in the corner, clutching a flat drink, wondering if midnight’s really worth the wait. So imagine swapping the confetti cannons for waves, sequins for sand, and the city skyline for an island where time doesn’t really care what day it is. Now in its 12th year, Fly To The Moon keeps going. Set on Koh Mak, one of Thailand’s last unspoiled islands, it trades the usual noise for the quiet confidence of nature doing its thing. No shopping streets or neon signs, just coconut groves, soft light and locals who actually know your name by the end of the night. The island’s eco-minded approach means fewer people, smaller crowds and intimacy that’s become rare in the festival circuit. Photograph: Fly to the Moon Those who return every year say it’s about greeting the first sunrise together, a collective exhale before the year begins. You don’t just celebrate the new year here, you let it find you, somewhere between salt air, sound, and a sky still holding last night’s stars. Thinking of going this year? Here's the lowdown on tickets, stages, who’s playing and accommodation. When is the Fly to the Moon Festival 2025? This year's festival will take place from December 28-January 2 2026. Where is the Fly to the Moon Festival 2025? This year’s festival will once again be held on Koh Mak Island in Trat. When are the tickets on sale? You can grab

Contemporary art has a strange way of appearing just when a city starts to lose its sense of self. It slips through the cracks – between glass towers and back alleys – reminding us that culture isn’t a luxury but a survival instinct. In Bangkok, that reminder takes shape as Ghost 2568: Wish We Were Here, a month-long art festival that doesn’t just exhibit work, it disturbs the air around it. This month marks the final act of Ghost, the video and performance art series that’s haunted Bangkok since 2018. Curated by Amal Khalaf, Wish We Were Here gathers more than 30 artists whose works speak in fragments, melodies and spectral gestures that refuse to fade. Photograph: Ghost2568 From October 15-November 15, Ghost spreads across eight venues – an art trail stretching from boxing rings to galleries, temples of reflection to late-night experiments. The first two curators, Christina Li and Korakrit Arunanondchai, return with their own afterlives of ideas, joined by Pongsakorn Yananissorn, who brings back Host, a learning platform that doesn’t teach so much as listen. Photograph: Ghost2568 Photograph: Ghost2568 This year’s theme feels like a sigh caught mid-song – a hymn to survival in cities that keep swallowing their own stories. Along the Chao Phraya, artists trace what’s been erased: a memory of belonging, a shared language, a body that no longer fits the shape of its past. Ghost isn’t tidy. It’s about what remains when the lights go down and what resists when everything el

Festival season in 2025 has had its fair share of ups and abrupt endings. Some lineups are on pause (farewell for now, Rolling Loud). But next year already looks bright. Beatforest is set to return, inviting us once again to wander into the woods and listen. Built around ideas of community, movement and regrowth, it’s a weekend where music, nature and people meet on equal ground. Music may be the anchor, but it’s far from the only rhythm here. You can plant a tree between sets, cycle through the greenery, or simply wander and let the lights guide you. The stage itself isn’t a monument of steel and screens; it’s shaped by the environment, its lights playing gently against the branches instead of blinding them. Photograph: Beatforest Beatforest doesn’t posture as revolutionary, but perhaps that’s its quiet rebellion – a reminder that electronic music can coexist with nature, that dancing and caring for the planet aren’t opposites, and that sometimes the best beats are the ones that echo through the trees long after the crowd’s gone home. Heading there this year? Here’s everything you need to know about the fest, from tickets, lineup and gate times to the shuttle bus. When is Beatforest Festival 2026 in Khao Yai? This year's festival lands on January 31, for one night only. Where is Beatforest Festival 2026 in Khao Yai? This year’s festival heads to the scenic Bonanza Community Park in Khaoyai, Nakhon Ratchasima. When are the tickets on sale? You can snag your tickets now – th

Now, October arrives with a drizzle that can’t quite make up its mind. A little rain here, a grey morning there, but we’d still call it a promising start. This is the season everyone waits for, when Bangkok trades its damp heat for a whisper of coolness, and you can finally unearth that jumper that’s been gathering dust for months. Last year, we woke to mornings of 16C, which felt almost otherworldly for a city that treats humidity as a birthright. According to the Meteorological Department, winter will take its time this year, beginning towards the end of October and hanging around until late February 2026  a fortnight later than usual. The cold won’t bite quite as sharply either. Bangkok is forecast to see an average minimum of 21C, up slightly from last year’s 20.7C. Hardly freezing, but enough to convince us that the seasons still exist. And with the cooler air comes the urge to actually leave the house. Luckily, there are a bunch of outdoor activities we’ve rounded up, including art exhibitions and the best things to do in Bangkok across the city in October. Chilling by the river with Skyline Film might be a good idea too; they’ve got a line-up of classics that culminate in a Halloween favourite. The return of breezier evenings makes the city’s open-air spots feel almost cinematic – markets lose their stickiness, cafe patios regain their charm, and long walks through the old town start to sound less like a punishment. Head further south, though, and the weather tells ano

Every other year, Bangkok morphs into something a bit surreal. Not in the dreamy, ‘let’s get a tuk-tuk and see where the night takes us’ kind of way – more like walking in a shopping mall and suddenly finding yourself face to face with a massive sculpture about climate collapse.  It’s Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) – and it’s back in October 2026, a citywide collision of the sacred, the strange and the spectacular. The fifth edition lands in October 2026 with the theme ‘Angels and Mara’ – a poetic tug of war between light and shadow. It’s an idea that fits our moment a little too well, exploring how hope and conflict coexist in a world that feels like it’s constantly negotiating its moral compass. This year’s chapter brings together artists from 39 countries, each interpreting that tension in their own language. Photograph: BkkArtBiennale   Among the first announced are names like Mandy El-Sayegh, Mel Chin, Gerard and Kelly, Sonia HamZa, Yasumasa Morimura, Htein Lin and Manit Sriwanichpoom – a line-up that promises as much provocation as poetry. They’ll unveil more than 200 works across eight venues that tell very different stories about what it means to be human in this moment. Photograph: BkkArtBiennale Eight places worth having on your map: Wat Arun – yes, that Wat Arun – where sacred architecture meets subversive installations right by the river. Wat Pho – more than just reclining Buddhas; art meets ancient sculpture in one of Bangkok’s most storied temples. Wat Prayuraw