Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Three weekends remain before the calendar tips towards 2026, which sounds dramatic until you remember how Bangkok handles endings. Christmas and New Year can wait. Right now, the city feels busy in a good way, stacked with reasons to leave the sofa and mark the final stretch. If you’re so inclined, start with BUTT X Bangkok, unapologetically queer and pleasantly unruly. Keep that mood going with La Emperatriz y los Lagos Del Dragón on its Asia tour, where voice, ritual and performance meet somewhere between intimacy and ceremony. For something quieter, Thomas Bird’s book reading of Harmony Express: Travels By Train Through China offers stories shaped by train windows, long journeys and attention to detail. Outdoors types should make time for the Nai Lert Flower and Garden Art Fair, where winter is suggested rather than promised. Illustration fans will feel at home at Illust Fusion Expo Winter, packed with small works, charming obsessions and very good stickers. Over at Toma Y Toma, the first guest shift with Bar Not Found brings colour-led cocktails and a sense of mischief without trying too hard. Art lovers can slow things down at (In)visible Presence at Dib Bangkok, a thoughtful opening that leans on memory, scent and what lingers after you leave. None of it feels like filler. Now, enjoy! Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of the top things to do this December. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to

Bangkok nights are always lined with choices, but New Year’s Eve turns the dial up to 11. With a dizzying number of rooftop countdowns, pulsating club nights and luxurious riverside dinners, the sheer volume of options can be genuinely overwhelming. Tempted to just stay in with a playlist and a few drinks? We get it. But trust us: if you're ready to ring in 2026 with a bang, the capital has lined up a well-rounded roster of parties for you to peruse. Whether you're after a fancy champagne-fuelled affair with views over the city or a sweaty club night that goes until sunrise, there's genuinely something for everyone this year. The only catch? You'll want to sort yourself out pretty sharpish. New Year's Eve tickets in Bangkok have a habit of vanishing faster than anything, and trust us, FOMO on January 1 hits different. So before you end up refreshing sold-out event pages at 11pm on December 30, have a look through our picks for the best ways to spend December 31 in the Thai capital. From riverside countdowns to club takeovers, here's how to say farewell to 2025. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of where to find Christmas magic in Bangkok.

Even though Christmas and New Year are just around the corner, Bangkok's cultural scene shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, things are ramping up, with galleries and museums packing their schedules with exhibitions that deserve your attention before the year wraps up. If you're wondering what's actually worth your time, start here. We've rounded up the best museum exhibitions and art shows happening in Bangkok right now, from contemporary installations to historical retrospectives that'll make you rethink everything you thought you knew about Thai art. There's plenty to see across the city, whether you're into cutting-edge contemporary work at MOCA Bangkok, intimate gallery shows in Charoenkrung or major exhibitions at the National Gallery. The variety is impressive, and the quality? Even better. Can't make it to everything? Don't worry. We're updating this list with the latest openings and must-see shows, so you'll always know what's hot and what's not in Bangkok's art world.  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 December. 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.

There are many ways to unpick a person's listening habits. Some people journal, others overanalyse dreams, but most of us simply wait for that neon billboard masquerading as self-reflection: Spotify Wrapped. It arrives every December like a digital horoscope announcing that your personality is apparently built on Scandinavian synth pop and whatever you played once by accident in March. This year they're even telling you your listening age, my friend at 25 got told she has a 70-year-old’s taste in music. I don't get one from Spotify. I'm the stubborn Apple Music holdout who refuses to migrate, so I must accept my sonic identity will remain unquantified forever. And that is what eventually led me, in a knotty roundabout way, to Da Minot. If you've never pressed play on Indian folk before, especially the intricate lineage from the Khasi and Jaintia hills, prepare your ears for something ungoverned by genre categories. India-born artist Hammarsing Kharhmar's ensemble Da Minot does not simply borrow from heritage. It treats ancestral rhythm as oxygen, using instruments like the duitara, bom and various bamboo flutes to carve out a sound that feels older than language and newer than the internet's attention span.   Before this interview, while waiting for him to reply to my email, I returned to their songs again. I told myself I'd listen to one track, then fell straight into another, then another. They have that effect. A pull that is both meditative and defiant. T

Hard to believe December has slipped in again, but here we are, watching Bangkok swap its usual gleam for something a little more golden. No snow here, obviously, but there's still plenty of sparkle once the fairy lights go up along Sukhumvit and those enormous Christmas trees start appearing in every mall atrium. Jangly carols drift through night markets, bars get that extra twinkle and the whole city shifts into celebration mode. With everything happening at once, the season can feel a bit overwhelming. Luckily, Time Out is here to guide you through everything you need to make your yuletide in Bangkok a truly merry occasion.  If you fancy a proper Christmas dinner without the stress of brining, basting or staring into your oven wondering if you've just ruined everything, Bangkok's got you sorted. The city's mastered the art of letting you celebrate without any of the usual chaos. Grand hotel dining rooms roll out gleaming roasts and generous spreads, cosy pubs do turkeys to perfection, neighbourhood spots serve up comforting plates and even curry houses create festive specials that feel wonderfully familiar. Consider this your starting point for finding the brightest, warmest corners of Christmas spirit across Bangkok, places where the season feels effortless, inviting and just indulgent enough to make December worth savouring.  Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of the top things to do this December. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans

There are corners of photography you tiptoe into, and others you breach with a steady breath and a sharpened sense of responsibility. The naked form sits stubbornly in the latter. For decades the unclothed body, especially the female one, populated magazines like wallpaper. Familiar, unchallenging, endlessly posed. Today, many of those images read as dated relics, tinged with voyeurism and a faint whiff of something that doesn't sit quite right anymore. The female nude once felt like a default, a visual shorthand for seduction. Now it often feels like a reminder of an era when the camera wasn't always kind. The male nude, by contrast, has always been trickier. Less culturally sanctioned, less expected, shadowed by stigma yet charged with a different kind of electricity. Contemporary photography has swung the doors wide open, and the male body has entered the room with a force that feels both overdue and disarmingly intimate. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj This is where Ohm Phanphiroj steps in. Or perhaps more accurately, where he has stood all along, in that uncomfortable sweet spot where desire, danger and vulnerability meet. An international, award-winning photographer, filmmaker, educator, former fashion director and self-declared chronic observer, Ohm has carved a body of work that traces sexuality, identity, exploitation and the unvarnished male form across continents. His images are not polite. They're tender in one moment and confrontational in the next, as if caught bet

The final stretch of 2025 arrives with that familiar Bangkok mood shift, when the heat finally backs off and the city gets a touch sentimental. It's the season when everyone pretends to slow down yet somehow ends up saying yes to every gathering, screening and gig that pops up on the calendar. Christmas may hover at the edges with its twinkly soundtrack, though the months ahead promise far more than festive cheer. Suan Luang's botanical fest returns with flowers blooming across the park, turning the grounds into a weekend escape of soft scents and slow wandering. TV Girl drops by with their dreamy melancholy that somehow suits Bangkok's late-year evenings better than it should. Doja Cat storms in with her first show in Thailand, a spectacle that feels long overdue. Black Country, New Road bring their shifting, knotty sound to a crowd that likes its emotions served with a side of distortion. If you prefer something gentler, the Dutch Thai jazz night folds brass and breezy improvisation together, while Goodhood and Goodfood host a neighbourhood do that feels like stumbling upon a block party that actually knows what it's doing. The Bangkok Art Book Fair comes back with its usual crush of zines, prints and people comparing tote bags.  This is when the city reveals its many pockets of delight. Bangkok, as always, saves its best for the year's edge.  Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok.

There's a peculiar silence that follows when you tell someone 'I don't drink'. It lands awkwardly, like you've just admitted to something vaguely embarrassing. But that silence has been shrinking lately. Gen Z are leading a quiet revolution, choosing clear heads over hangovers and questioning why socialising has to revolve around a bottle. After lockdown rewired our habits, old rituals started looking a bit naff. Drinking less isn't just about health anymore – it's cultural. Which raises an obvious question: if you're not drinking, where the hell do you go in a city that's built on the mythology of nights out? That's how I ended up deep inside Sammakorn Village, a residential labyrinth in Bangkok that's home to more than 6,500 households and, rather improbably, one of the most unusual bars in Asia. STØCKHØLME Sober Bar is Thailand's first alcohol-free bar and the first in Asia. It opens from 2pm-10pm, welcoming everyone from the sober-curious to families who rock up with dogs and teenagers in tow. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taste of The Place (@jiranarong2) I'd expected earnest kombucha, wellness lectures and maybe a queue of yoga mats. Instead I walked into something warm and surprisingly mischievous, where cocktail shakers were working overtime and two people, Korranath 'Oak' Thamamnuaysuk and Weeree 'Wee' Yomjinda, greeted me like friends determined to prove that sobriety has never meant boring. What followed was two hours of tasting,

Music still does that thing where it brings people together and tears them apart simultaneously. Some reckon punk's dead, just a relic from when rebellion meant eyeliner and leather jackets. But rock and roll – that stubborn bastard – won't lie down. It morphs, it sweats, it relocates. And in Thailand, surprisingly, it's still kicking. That’s where The Young Wolf comes in. A band so saturated in colour you'd think the 1970s never ended. Their gigs are proper fever dreams – shimmering jackets, hair that crackles with static, the sort of sound that makes your chest hurt in a good way. Their cover of a certain Led Zeppelin track racked up over four million views, and suddenly Bangkok had something new to shout about. I wanted to know who they actually were underneath the sequins and sweat. So I sent over some questions – the type that start simple and end up unpicking what makes a band tick. The sort that remind you rock and roll isn't just noise. It's how you survive. Photograph: The Young Wolf The howl begins 'We met through the small gig circuit in Bangkok,' they tell me. Five strangers who kept running into each other across sticky floors and dim bars. 'We jammed together in a rehearsal room. It was chaos until one night it wasn't. The gear clicked, the room caught fire, and The Young Wolf was born.'   The five-piece – Jonathan on vocals, Jimmie Petzh and Nonney on guitars, Song Song on bass, Little on drums. A lineup that would become something more than the sum of its pa

Mention Song Wat and most people picture weathered shophouses with Chinese-style storefronts. What they don't realise is that tucked between these century-old buildings, something rather brilliant has been happening. The younger generation has been slipping bits of modernity into every corner, and it's now become one of Bangkok's most interesting districts to explore. Song Wat isn't just about the food, though there's plenty of that. The art scene here is properly thriving. Shopkeepers and artists have been working together, turning the whole district into a sprawling outdoor gallery. The recent buzz has given confidence to people who actually care about preserving history and culture in old commercial areas. Support it to grow with the times and what you get back is architecture that future generations can still see with their own eyes, not just in history books. Photograph: rongklannuea What's Song Wat known for? Song Wat has basically become Bangkok's hipster area without really trying. Art is everywhere throughout the district. Street art on walls, designer bits in unexpected shops, galleries that range from big impressive spaces to tiny rooms down alleyways or tucked behind coffee counters. If you love art, Song Wat is brilliant. You just need to know where to look. Right now there are loads of new places opening. Restaurants, cafes, galleries, bars worth staying in until late. If you fancy a change of scene and want to walk around taking street photos, stopping for sn

As the country mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, Bangkok's tempo shifts. Venues stay open and music still plays, but with a quieter grace. It's a month of small joys and thoughtful gatherings before the year slips away. Anyway, we're almost there – one month until NYE. November brings slightly cooler air, though 'cool' is pushing it. The 11th month unfolds with a gentler energy, making space for moments that feel both present and reflective. Kick things off with Ghost2568: Wish We Were Here, a surreal blend of art, nostalgia and light that lingers somewhere between memory and dream. Or escape reality altogether with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert, where the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra breathes life into John Williams' score beneath a 40-foot screen. For something warmer, TYLA's We Wanna Party Asia Tour lands in Bangkok – all amapiano shimmer and attitude. Transport stretches a disco-lit day across 14 hours of pure movement at Chang Chui. Then swap sequins for strings at the Southeastern Old Time Gathering, a weekend of bluegrass, Irish trad and old-time tunes that feel like they've travelled across centuries to reach you. Get out there, enjoy! Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok.

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.

Walking through this exhibition feels a bit like being handed the keys to Chatchai Puipia’s inner universe, only to realise it’s far bigger and stranger than you imagined. His work has shaped contemporary Thai art for decades, stitched together with sharp humour and an eye that never flinches. What unfolds here is a long conversation about identity and memory, delivered through imagery that lingers long after you’ve moved on. More than 140 pieces chart his shifting moods and methods, from commanding canvases to sculptures that feel almost theatrical. Tucked between them are notes, photographs and fragments of his process that reveal how he thought, worried and wondered. The result is less a retrospective and more a guided wander through a mind still questioning the world and its stories.   Until February 15 2026. Free. 8/F, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, 10am-8pm 

(In)visible Presence opens Dib Bangkok with a quiet confidence. Think a painted gust of wind, music shaped by half-remembered summers and the soft trace of herbal medicine lingering longer than expected. The show asks how we hold on to what matters when it cannot be seen, while also nodding to the many people, some now gone, who helped turn this museum from idea to place. Drawn from a collection built across three decades and widened through fresh collaborations, the exhibition gathers 81 works by 40 contemporary artists, several new to Thailand. Sound, scent and light do much of the talking. Across three floors, everyday materials shift, memories blur and imagination fills the gaps. A special focus on Montien Boonma closes the journey, offering space for reflection, healing and a slower way of looking. December 21-August 3 2026. B150-700 via here. Dib Bangkok, 10am-6pm

Music in the Park returns after last year’s strong showing, slipping back quietly. As part of Road to BEATFOREST 2026, the Park Edition keeps things relaxed, built for slow afternoons and unhurried listening. Bring a mat, bring a friend, or come alone and let the grass do the work. The soundtrack comes from Krit Morton, RomRom and Suburb Sound, each adding their own shade to the day without demanding attention. It’s the kind of line-up that rewards staying put rather than hopping around. Alongside the music, organisers are giving away small potted plants, a gentle souvenir that feels more thoughtful than merch. Only 200 are available, so timing helps. Mostly, though, it’s an excuse to spend a few hours outdoors, listening together and pretending the week can wait a little longer.   December 20. Free. Near Dog Park entrance, Benchakitti Park, 4pm-7pm

EMERGE returns for its fourth year, continuing a long-running effort to give new photography voices proper room to be seen. Launched in 2022, the project has already supported over 120 emerging artists, helping them step from classrooms and bedrooms towards galleries and wider audiences. This edition widens the frame with three connected exhibitions that hint at where Thai photography is heading next. An open call at BACC pop up invites artists aged 18-25, selected by figures who know the field well. The Editions at HOP Photo Gallery gathers standout thesis work from 2024-2025, full of risk, doubt and fresh perspective. Over at HOP CLUB, a zine showcase celebrates small publications as quiet records of the moment.    December 20-February 22 2026. Free. 2/F, MunMun Srinakarin, 11am-7pm

Netflix turns Song Wat Road strange in the best possible way with One Last Adventure in Thailand, a free tribute to Stranger Things as the series edges into its final episodes. Each evening from 5pm-10pm, the neighbourhood becomes a walkable love letter to Hawkins. Start at Chaoren Watana Warehouse, refashioned as Castle Byers, complete with the Christmas Light Wall that still raises hairs. Nearby, the I Wanna Bangkok sign flips expectations, while Nurry Chestnut Ice Cream plays double duty as The Palace Arcade and Scoops Ahoy, sailor outfits included. The mood darkens at The Foundry O with Vecna’s Mind Lair, before Sit in Soi delivers Floating Max, unsettling and oddly tender. It all ends at Chang Parking Lot with the WSQK van, a nostalgic farewell to a story that has followed us since 2016.   December 20-28. Free. Song Wat Road, 5-10pm

For one night only, Foam and Game from Bar Not Found slip behind the bar at Toma Y Toma, promising an evening that feels mischievous in the right way. Known for a cocktail menu built around Pantone shades, the team treats colour as both flavour and feeling. Each drink arrives with its own mood, less about bravado and more about quiet personality. Bar Not Found has built a reputation for playful precision, where technique hides behind charm and nothing feels forced. Expect combinations that surprise without showing off, leaning on texture, temperature and memory rather than gimmicks. Toma Y Toma’s space shifts subtly for the takeover, giving the night a borrowed identity that suits it well. Come curious, stay longer than intended and let the colours do the talking. It is a brief collaboration, but the kind that lingers after the last glass is cleared.   December 20. Free. Toma Y Toma, 8pm onwards 

IFEXPO arrives at year’s end for the first time, wrapped in a theme called ‘Welcome from the Warm Side’. Think winter suggested rather than borrowed, carried through colour, design and a festive mood that feels generous without shouting. The fair works as a gentle hunt for gifts that mean something, from one-off artworks to limited handmade pieces meant for people you actually like. Supporting Thai artists comes baked in rather than announced. This edition brings together work from 834 creators across 1,150 booths each day, drawing a crowd led by young women aged 16 to 30, students and early-career adults with sharp eyes for illustration and Korean-leaning cuteness. Bestsellers skew small and charming: die-cut stickers, pins, postcards, keychains and accessories. Food, desserts, cats, cheeky quotes and wide-eyed girls dominate, familiar enough to smile at, personal enough to take home.   December 20-21. B120-220 at the door. 5/F, Siam Paragon, 10am-8pm

The Empress and the Dragon’s Lakes arrives for 1 night only, shaping an evening built around voice, ritual and performance that sits somewhere between concert and ceremony. Live music shares space with workshops led by Daniel López, performing as La Emperatriz, alongside Vietnamese performance artist Hoan Doan. Mornings are given over to practice, with vocal ensemble work and body movement sessions running from 9am to midday, before everything gathers again for a 5pm concert. La Emperatriz is López’s musical alter ego, a form grown from years of composition, piano training and touring with alternative rock band Danicattack. Born in Bogotá and trained across Colombia and Barcelona, his work turns towards gender, memory and emotional inheritance. Tarot symbolism threads quietly through the performance, offering something intimate rather than theatrical. Expect an atmosphere that asks for attention, openness and a willingness to feel slightly undone by the end. December 20. B800 for the concert via here and B1,600 for the workshops via here. The Fig Lobby Bangkok. 9pm-midday for the workshops and 5pm to 7pm for the concert.

JonnyVicious has been shaping nights in Kuala Lumpur long enough to feel woven into the city’s after-dark memory. His story starts in 2011 at Monsoon+ Records, where he cut his teeth as assistant music director, helping build parties that leaned towards the stranger edges of house and techno. Those early experiments set the tone for a DJ career driven by curiosity rather than hype. A later chapter saw him step up as Music Director at Pisco Bar KL, a fixture for electronic music lovers and a place where taste still mattered. Jonny’s selections favour mood and patience, rewarding listeners who stay a little longer. Expect sets that unfold rather than announce themselves, guided by experience and instinct. The night comes with support from Kornnlee, keeping things cohesive without crowding the room.   December 19. B300-500 via here. Bar Temp., 9pm onwards

After months behind closed doors, the gallery finally switches the lights back on with an art fair that feels more like a reunion than a relaunch. The programme gathers 10 contemporary artists working across screens, objects and everything in between, including Dittawat Ajmanwra, Maria Zakioso, Aftertest_Bangkok and WISHULADA. Each brings a distinct way of looking, giving the space a sense of conversation. Beyond the artworks, a small market takes shape with independent names such as Huntress Closet, Trash Pearl and Yellow Fever, plus food projects worth lingering for. The timing helps if you’re quietly hunting for Christmas gifts without the panic. Opening night keeps things loose with prosecco on free flow, a DJ set by Unix and a temporary snow installation tucked inside the gallery. Consider it a gentle reset, equal parts art, browsing and catching up.   December 20-21. Free. AGNI Gallery, midday-10pm

International Human Rights Day is marked with an open-air screening at the Netherlands Embassy Garden, a setting that feels deliberately calm for a film that is anything but comfortable. State of Silence follows Mexican journalists who keep reporting despite knowing the risks rarely end well. Since 2000, more than 160 reporters have been killed and dozens remain missing, punished simply for doing their jobs. Almost none of those responsible have faced consequences, a fact the film never lets you forget. The documentary sits within the Movies that Matter programme, a Dutch initiative using cinema to open difficult conversations around justice and accountability. Watching these stories unfold outdoors, surrounded by polite greenery, sharpens the contrast. It is not an easy evening, but it is a necessary one, asking viewers to sit with courage, fear and the cost of telling the truth.   December 18. Free. Register via here. The garden, the Embassy of the Netherlands, 7pm-9pm

Baan Park Nai Lert spends a few days pretending Bangkok has decided to dress up for winter. The Nai Lert Flower and Garden Art Fair takes over the grounds, turning the old residence into a carefully staged escape that feels more playful than polite. The front courtyard becomes a maze threaded with light and sound, while the gardens fill with floral displays that reward slow wandering rather than hurried selfies. Step inside the greenhouse and the mood shifts again, with winter blooms sitting beside clean energy ideas that feel surprisingly at home here. After 6pm, Garden Illumination changes the temperature entirely, washing paths and trees in soft lighting with soundscapes that encourage lingering. Food arrives via a dedicated zone, led by Park Nai Lert’s chefs and familiar restaurant names. Workshops, craft sessions and a lifestyle market round things out nicely.   December 18-21. B100-150 at the door. Ban Park Nai Lert, 10am-10pm

Diehard Disneyland fans might not have to leave the country to get their fix of the Magic Kingdom after all. The government's dropped a pretty big update: plans have shifted, and instead of that original entertainment complex proposal, they're now exploring the possibility of bringing Disneyland to Thailand. Yes, you read that right. The earlier proposal was all about creating this massive entertainment complex to boost tourism and pump up the national economy. We're talking theme parks, water parks, sports stadiums, concert venues and even a legal casino, quite the lineup. But now the focus has switched to landing a Disneyland theme park instead of that casino-led vision. Officials have instructed the EEC Office to start scouting suitable land, so things are moving. Photograph: Disneyland Tokyo The ambitious plan includes a world-class theme park and an 80,000-seat international stadium within the Eastern Economic Corridor. Infrastructure upgrades are key here, especially that high-speed rail linking three airports, which would make getting around a lot easier for tourists. Right now, authorities are checking out sites across four provinces to attract global investment. Don't expect Mickey Mouse tomorrow though, completion may stretch beyond the current government term, but at least the groundwork's being laid. Worth noting that Asia already has three Disney resorts. Tokyo Disney Resort was the first outside the US and includes the only ocean-themed Disney park in the worl

If you're looking for a music and lifestyle community event and a proper treat for vinyl heads. On December 20-21, Format BKK organises Where Hidden Grooves Spin, starting from 2pm.  Format BKK made waves last month with their Grooves and Goodies Market, where crate diggers descended to hunt through rare vinyl. This round they've stepped things up, making their Ari spot a full-on music community base for the weekend. Think of it as an open house where you can listen to records, catch live music and geek out over turntables with fellow enthusiasts. Photograph: Format BKK The folks at Format BKK have called in reinforcements from CUFFS Suite, Swee Lee, Ciao! and Gadhouse Thailand, so if you've been eyeing up a record player but want to test one out first, this is your chance. No pressure, just good vibes and plenty of kit to browse. Throughout both days, a rotating cast of DJs will be spinning records: MIGHTY NP, SUBNET, DJ TO-RU and more are all on the decks. The real highlight though is the exclusive live set from T-bone on December 20 from 8pm-9pm, bringing their aRootstic style to the mix. Door Plant will also be performing live across the weekend. The whole thing kicks off at 2pm and runs until 9pm on both days. Where Hidden Grooves Spin, December 20-21, 2pm-9pm. Format BKK, Ari. Free entry.

Come out for an art world stroll, chat with artists and discover collectible works from over 50 creators. Bangkok Art Walk takes over both sides of Ong Ang Canal on December 19-21 from 4pm-10pm each day. If you've not been to Khlong Ong Ang lately, it's basically become one of the city's best-kept secrets. The canal's lined with murals from some of Thailand's top street artists, and when the fairy lights and colourful bunting come out, the whole stretch turns into something quite special, especially once the sun goes down. This year's event is a collab between Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Phra Nakhon District Office, L'On Gallery and the Saphan Lek community. They're bringing together over 50 Thai and international artists who'll set up shop along the canal's Phase 1 stretch in the Saphan Lek area. You can talk directly with the artists at their booths, see their work up close and even pick up something collectible if you fancy taking a piece home.   Photograph: Ong Ang Canal There's loads going on. Watch live painting sessions as artists work their magic in real time, or get stuck in yourself at one of the art workshops. The street art along the canal is worth the trip alone, with everything from landscape pieces to mixed media works in styles that'll surprise you. And because this is Bangkok, there's obviously food involved. Over 100 vendors will serve up Phra Nakhon street food favourites, plus you'll find community product shops dotted about. It's the event that

Look, if you're after a low-key way to see out 2025 without the usual stress of navigating traffic or draining your wallet, these park concerts might just be the ticket.  From December 20-28, the city's got you covered with 'Music in the Park’. Just grab a mat, pick whichever park's closest to home and let the music, cool breeze and green surroundings do their thing. It's Bangkok's way of helping everyone wind down the year properly, and it’s completely free. Photograph: BMA What makes this year's lineup particularly interesting is how it mirrors Bangkok's own diversity. You've got the full spectrum here: the Bangkok Metropolitan Orchestra bringing orchestral grandeur, traditional Thai Ponglang ensembles, and well-known pop artists like TJ and Kob Songsit. Photograph: BMA Programmes and lineup: Saturday December 20 - Beatforest group at Benjakitti Park - Bangkok Metropolitan Music Band at Chalerm Phrakiat 80th Birthday Anniversary Park, Bangkok Noi Sunday December 21 - Jerguntee band at Benjakitti Park - Violin Haus Sinfonietta at Benchasiri Park Saturday December 27 - TJ Mac band at Benjakitti Park - Bangkok Metropolitan Ponglang ensemble at Seri Thai Park Bangkok Metropolitan- Music Band at Queen Sirikit 60th Birthday Anniversary Park Sunday December 28 - Bangkok Metropolitan Orchestra at Benjakitti Park All events kick off from 5pm onwards.  Time Out tip: get there early and bring a picnic.

Clear your schedule for mid-December as Siam Street is back with Bangkok's biggest free street performance festival.  On December 19-21, Chulalongkorn University Property Management is back with Siam Street World Stage. Now in its ninth year, the event has built a reputation for bringing world-class street acts to the heart of Bangkok from midday-10pm, the performances you'd normally need to fly halfway across the globe to see. This year's 'Go Big' theme isn't just talk either: the lineup is absolutely stacked with rare international talent. Photograph: Siam Street Prepare yourself for Skybike, an aerial motorcycle show that'll have you holding your breath, and Solanpo-Solan, which combines massive aerial fabric work with juggling skills that defy logic. There's also Asterisk Nova performing death-defying balancing acrobatics, Japanese magician Izuma who's bound to leave everyone mesmerised, and Kento Yoshikawa bringing comedy and circus tricks together in the best possible way. But it's not all about sitting back and watching. They've created a Giant Board Games zone right in the middle of Siam Square where you can take on mates or complete strangers at supersized versions of Jenga, Chess and Connect Four. If you'd rather get physical, head to the Basketball All Around court for a casual shoot-about in the city centre. And for anyone who's ever wondered what it takes to be a street performer, the Street Lab offers hands-on workshops where you can have a go yourself. Siam S

If you don't fancy trekking out to Suan Luang Rama IX, there's a flower paradise popping up right in the heart of Bangkok near Chidlom this month. Baan Park Nai Lert is transforming its grounds into a spectacular floral wonderland for the Nai Lert Flower and Garden Art Fair, running December 18-21, 10am-10pm. Sure, we can't promise this cold spell will hang around until the end of the year, but what we can guarantee is that flower enthusiasts are going to absolutely love this. The historic Ban Park Nai Lert residence is pulling out all the stops for their annual festival, turning the front courtyard into a replica maze complete with light and sound shows. It's immersive stuff. Photograph: Nai Lert Flower & Garden Art Fair The flower exhibitions sprawl across the front gardens, whilst inside the greenhouse you'll find winter blooms alongside clean energy products to browse. Come evening time from 6pm onwards, the whole place shifts gear as the Garden Illumination zone kicks in, bathing everything in atmospheric lighting with accompanying soundscapes. If you're more of an evening event person, you'll be in your element. Hungry? No worries. There's a whole food zone featuring special menus whipped up by Park Nai Lert's own chefs, plus dishes from well-known restaurants and cafes who've created exclusive offerings just for the festival. You can also get stuck into small workshops covering everything from Thai fabric crafts to dried flower arranging, and there's a lifestyle mark

Bangkok's cool season should mean evening strolls and outdoor drinks, but instead it brings back that unwelcome guest: PM2.5 dust. Early December sees the capital in stagnant air mode once again, with dust levels climbing and facemasks making their grim return. For a while there, it feels like groundhog day: same pollution crisis, different year. But this time around, things are shifting. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has actually started moving with some urgency, with Governor Chadchart keeping close tabs on the situation and rolling out Work From Home measures to cut down traffic, one of the city's biggest dust culprits. And it looks like these proactive steps are beginning to pay off, giving those of us living here a bit more breathing room. Here's what's happening on the ground and why this year might just be different. Photograph: BMA WFH actually works: traffic down 8.5 percent, lungs saved on stagnant days Credit where it's due. The WFH cooperation measures announced by BMA on December 4 have genuinely made a difference. The numbers don't lie: working from home cuts average hourly vehicle traffic by up to 8.5 percent, which leads to a noticeable drop in accumulated dust, particularly on those stagnant air days when the stuff just hangs around at street level like an uninvited houseguest. It's a reminder that tackling the dust problem isn't just down to government agencies. Everyone has a role to play, and this shows that the authorities are finally tr

Netflix is making the Upside Down a very real thing in Bangkok with One Last Adventure in Thailand. Running from December 20-28, the streamer takes over Song Wat Road with One Last Adventure In Thailand, a free event tribute to Stranger Things as the cult sci-fi horror series gears up for the finale of its fifth and final season. Every night from 5pm-10pm, you can wander through adventures and activities inspired by all five seasons of the show. Photograph: netflixth First stop is Chaoren Watana Warehouse, reimagined as Castle Byers, where you'll check in and get up close with the iconic Christmas Light Wall (cue the goosebumps). From there, snap some shots at the I Wanna Bangkok sign: Upside Down Photo Spot before heading to Nurry Chestnut Ice Cream, which has been decked out as both The Palace Arcade and Starcourt Mall's Scoops Ahoy, complete with sailor uniforms and a nostalgia overload. Things take a darker turn at The Foundry O, where you'll venture into Vecna's Mind Lair. Feeling brave? Over at Sit in Soi, you can meet the Floating Max in what's sure to be one of the more unsettling photo ops you'll encounter this year. The adventure wraps at Chang Parking Lot with The WSQK van and One Last Ride Together, a fitting send-off for a series that's had millions of us glued to our screens since 2016. One Last Adventure in Thailand takes place on Song Wat Road from December 20-28, 5-10pm.

Bangkok's finally caught a breeze again, and just in time too. Cool season means you can actually enjoy being outside after dark, and there's something rather lovely about exploring Rattanakosin's quieter streets once the daytime crowds thin out. Old town at night hits different anyway, but throw in some ambient light art and you've got yourself an evening out. Between December 12-21, Phra Nakhon's about to glow with Awakening Bangkok's return. Light installations are sprawling across the old town's historic bones, turning temples, shophouses and even mosques into canvases for digital art. The best bit? It's completely free. This year's theme is LOVEVERCITY (yes, all one word), exploring different takes on love through light art tucked into the district's atmospheric corners. The streets will fill with love in all its forms. The main action centres on five key areas: the original Pak Khlong Talat and Sam Yot zones, plus two fresh additions: Saphan Phut and Wang Burapha. Everything kicks off at 6pm and wraps by 9pm, which gives you a solid window to wander without rushing. Here's the good news for anyone worried about logistics: the whole route's walkable in one evening. No need for taxis or elaborate planning. You can genuinely tick off all 14 installations on foot without breaking a sweat (well, metaphorically speaking, this is Bangkok). Here’s the map:   Photograph: Awakening Festivals If you fancy seeing what's on before you go, images are available online. Otherwise, ju

Green Bridge has been doing the hard graft of connecting Benjakitti Park and Lumphini Park for more than 20 years now, giving walkers and cyclists a convenient 1.6-kilometre shortcut between two of Bangkok's best green spaces. After months of being closed for renovations, the bridge partially reopened on December 1, and it's looking rather different from your memories. Gone is the single shade of green that gave it its name, the new 1.6km surface comes in red, purple and yellow, with non-slip materials designed specifically for long-distance runners who fancy a scenic route between the two parks. All pic - Photograph: BMA The bridge has been shut since February 2025 for a makeover, and while work is still  around 45 percent complete, the bits that have reopened are already making life easier for everyone. There are ramps now for wheelchairs, prams and bikes, solving the issue of those awkward high stairs that used to make the old bridge a bit of a faff. It's all part of a Universal Design approach, so the bridge actually works for everyone who wants to use it. The stretch now features a dedicated cycling surface (courtesy of Sport Surfaces), granite stone walkways and lighting along the entire route. If you've been itching to cycle between the parks again after months of detours, you're in luck, the path's been open for trial use since November 30. All pic - Photograph: BMA   The remaining renovations are set to wrap up by May 2026, and the bridge isn't the only thing get

Missed the last super full moon? Here's your chance to make amends with a stargazing session at Bangkok Planetarium on December 19-20. The planetarium throws open its doors in the evening as part of the Night at the Museum Festival, an annual event that sees 53 museums across Thailand stay open late for nighttime learning. Since Bangkok Planetarium doesn't usually do evening sessions, this is one of those rare opportunities to visit after dark. You'll get to explore the sky in two ways: inside the planetarium dome itself and through proper telescopes set up outside by the Astronomical Society of Thailand. Members will be on hand to guide you through real-time sky observation from early evening right through to late night, pointing out constellations and planets you might otherwise miss. There are over 20 free activities to get stuck into throughout the evening, so even if you're not an astronomy buff, there's plenty to keep you occupied. If you fancy catching one of the planetarium shows inside, you'll need to book tickets in advance. Special showtimes run on Friday December 19 at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm, with extra sessions on Saturday December 20 at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. Tickets are remarkably cheap at B30 for children and B50 for adults, and can be purchased through the planetarium's website.  Head to the Bangkok Planetarium to stargaze on December 19-20, 6pm-8pm.

In just a few weeks we'll be counting down to 2025 before most of us have even caught our breath. Bangkok's hit its year-end mode, and nature's still got one more gift for us before the year ends. If you missed this year's two major super full moon events, the Harvest Supermoon on October 6, glowing away in the middle of harvest season, and the Beaver Supermoon on Loy Krathong night, November 5, which was the closest full moon of the year, don't worry. Tonight's your last chance to catch up. On the night of December 4, we'll see the final super full moon of 2025. The moon will swing closer to Earth at about 357,219km, much nearer than the usual distance of roughly 380,000km. This makes it appear about 30 percent brighter and around 10 percent larger, easily visible to the naked eye without any fancy kit. If the sky's clear, the moon will rise above the eastern horizon as soon as the sun sets and will hang about in the night sky until dawn.  If you've got nothing on tonight, try heading out with someone you love, mates, family or your father before Father's Day arrives tomorrow. Pick somewhere with a fairly open sky where light pollution isn't too brutal, like Benjakitti Park or Lumpini Park in the centre, or along the Chao Phraya River where there's a decent breeze.  You could even catch it alongside the Vijit Chao Phraya, with its lights, colours, sounds and romantic nighttime atmosphere by the water. Just standing by the river watching the moon rise above the tall buildings