Kaweewat Siwanartwong

You’re hot and you’re cold. Pretty much Bangkok’s entire personality right now. One minute the city’s drowning under dramatic rain clouds, the next everyone’s melting beside a motorbike taxi queue. Still, slightly unhinged weather rarely stops anyone here from making weekend plans, and staying home sounds far less interesting. Start with Busui Ajaw, where an entire Akha house rebuilt inside a gallery quietly traces disappearing traditions and northern Thai identity through personal objects and worn timber surfaces. Afterwards, cool down at Dessert Exchange Vol.3, a sugar-heavy gathering soundtracked by music references, homemade cakes and the kind of conversations that usually happen after two brownies too many. If you prefer fresh air between rain showers, Happitat’s lawn festival with GROUNDCONTROL offers picnic blankets, mushroom installations and enough market stalls to justify wandering around for hours pretending you’re ‘just browsing’. Meanwhile, Bangkok’s anime crowd descends on Anime Festival Asia at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center for cosplay, concerts and very serious merch shopping. End the weekend staring at the sky during Saturday’s Blue Moon, which sadly arrives nowhere near blue, but still gives everyone a decent excuse to grab rooftop drinks and romanticise cloud formations for an evening. Map out the rest of the month with our guide to what’s on, and keep an eye on our picks of Bangkok’s best things to do. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the be

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've hit month five now, and yes, May marks the start of rainy season. But rain or shine, events don't wait around. Plans roll on regardless, and this month's looking pretty packed. Bangkok Pride Festival leads the charge with its city-spanning parade and proper programme, joined by Drag Bangkok Festival and Thailand's Drag Star. Coffee gets equal billing as World of Coffee Bangkok lands alongside Thailand AeroPress Championship, bringing brewers, baristas and plenty of caffeine-fuelled buzz. The music lineup's strong this month. Kraftwerk rocks up with a full multimedia show, whilst Hanumankind stops by on his Asia tour. Reggae gets its moment through Reggae Rumble Thailand Tour, and J.I.D delivers sharp lyricism on the God Does Like World Tour. Then Laufey adds a gentler touch with her Bangkok date. Away from the stage, the annual Neilson Hays Library Book Sale offers a slower pace – shelves of secondhand finds inside one of the city's most elegant buildings. Keeping track of what's coming? Our Bangkok’s top concert roundup for 2026 stays updated with the latest gigs worth marking in your diary. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free Time Out Bangkok newsletter and get the very best of the city delivered straight to your inbox.

May lands, rain follows, and Bangkok shifts gear. Showers start to roll through, parks turn lush, and the city picks up a quieter kind of energy. Staying in sounds tempting, but galleries aren't having it. Doors stay open, lights stay on, and new exhibitions keep popping up across town. This month's properly busy without trying too hard. Spaces fill with fresh work, each show offering something different – reflective painting here, more experimental setups there. You can dip between them over a few afternoons, ducking out of the rain when you need to, then heading back out once it clears. Not sure where to start? A handful of exhibitions are worth your time right now, each for different reasons. Keep an eye on listings too, as new openings turn up steadily. Consider it a decent excuse to step outside, even when the weather's telling you otherwise. 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 May. 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.

Want the luxury experience without the eye-watering price tag typical of 5-star hotels in major cities around the globe? Bangkok is home to some of the world’s leading hospitality brands offering levels of service perhaps unmatched elsewhere. But here’s the twist: Bangkok is also incredibly great value for money. Joining the ranks among Time Out’s best cities list, seasoned travellers will be quick to notice that it stands out for being one of the best places to visit in the world at far less than you might expect to pay elsewhere. So we set ourselves a challenge: find the best hotels in Bangkok where a night typically costs B10,000 or less, but the experience feels far beyond the room rate. In places like London, New York or Paris, this price point might barely get you a decent boutique room, but here that same budget unlocks a very different level of hospitality.  Sprawling suites, river views, award-winning dining, museums, galleries and parks all within arms reach – the options are vast but our criteria are simple: exceptional rooms that feel more luxurious than the rate suggests and something you can brag about when you get back home. So, whether you’re visiting the city or planning a blowout staycation, these hotels prove that Bangkok might just be the best place in the world to experience a city stay without that eye-watering check-out bill.  

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. Four 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.

This will be the first time a Marley heir has performed alongside Thailand's top reggae artists, which is pretty monumental when you think about it. Julian Marley, the son of Bob Marley himself has linked up with The Uprising for what’s shaping up to be a milestone gig. He and Alexx Antaeus just scored a Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording with their amapiano take on ‘Jah Sees Them’. When he talks about dabbling in different genres, he makes it sound completely natural, like it's just part of the journey. And his father's influence? Still there, always present, guiding everything he does. It's not just Julian Marley taking the spotlight. You've got some Thai reggae legends on this bill too. JOB2DO are there with all the tracks everyone knows and loves, doing what they do best with that easy, laidback feel. Malaiman Downtown bring their own unmistakable  flavour, and then there's INJA, who basically shows up to set the whole place on fire. Jamaican reggae heritage meets Thailand's homegrown talent, all on one stage. If you plan to go, here’s what you need to know before the night starts. When is Julian Marley performing in Bangkok? Julian Marley is set to play a one-night-only live show in Bangkok on Friday 22 May. Where is Julian Marley performing in Bangkok? Julian Marley brings his signature sound to the stage at UOB LIVE, located within Bangkok’s EM District and perched atop the Emsphere. The venue can host up to 6,000 guests, accommodating concerts, entertainment

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

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

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

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

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

Thailand’s street dance scene gets another major spotlight moment when Red Bull Dance Your Style returns to Bangkok for its third year. The competition kicks off the search for the country’s top freestyle dancers, with 12 finalists and four wild cards battling for a place at the World Final in Zurich this October. There’s plenty of high-stakes face-offs, inventive routines and the sort of crowd reactions that can make or break a round in seconds. More than 3,000 spectators are expected to pack the venue, while special performances from MILLI, Joke iScream and Bangkokboy keep the energy high between battles. May 30. Free entry. Hua Lamphong Train Station. 6pm

Bangkok’s indie crowd gets a properly cosy night out when Yellow Fang headlines Step Off Track, a live music gathering built around laid-back energy and good company rather than packed festival mayhem. The beloved all-female trio brings its dreamy guitars and hazy melodies to a more intimate setting, giving longtime fans and curious newcomers a rare chance to catch the band up close. From tiny indie venues to international festival stages, Yellow Fang continues carving out its own lane without chasing trends, which probably explains why the group still sounds so distinctive years later. Opening the evening is Laugh Laugh Laugh, serving bright indie-pop hooks and youthful charm before the main set begins. May 30. B250 via here. Marshall Livehouse. 6pm onwards

Set your alarm early. A 5km neighbourhood run traces the river’s edge before crossing the unmistakable Krungthep Bridge, trading traffic for soft morning light and open views. The group meets at Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel at 6.15am, with Rolling Run Club and lululemon setting the pace, inviting everyone to celebrate Pride this year through movement, connection and a bit of self-love. Once the route wraps, don’t rush off. A guided recovery session follows, led by lululemon’s crew, easing tired legs with proper stretches rather than guesswork. Coffee lands, music picks up and the crowd settles at SEEN Restaurant & Bar for a laid-back post-run hang. Schedule runs as follows: 6.15am-7am warm-up, 7am-8am run, 8.30am-midday stretch session and coffee rave. May 30. Free. Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel. 6.15am. For more information, please contact avaniplus.bangkok@avanihotels.com.

Durian season gets a late-night soundtrack at HORN, where cult favourite radio collective Durian Radio throws a party dedicated to Thailand’s most divisive fruit. Expect DJs, drinks and a crowd united by questionable cravings and good music, all wrapped up in the sort of gathering that starts casually and somehow ends at closing time. Organisers promise ‘voices of durian farmers’ alongside plenty of playful energy, with the whole thing landing somewhere between underground club night and surreal community fair. The lineup features Bunnyman, JWP., La Yumar and UN!X. One ticket gets you one drink, though durian and alcohol remain strictly separated for obvious reasons. May 30. B300 via here and B500 at the door. HORN. 10pm-3am

Forget rushing through gallery spaces and pretending to understand everything after a quick glance at the wall text. This new public programme encourages visitors to slow down, spend time with contemporary art and actually talk about what they’re seeing. Set within (In)visible Presence, the museum’s current exhibition exploring sound, scent, light and unusual materials, the session centres around Hiroshi Sugimoto and his celebrated Theaters series. Conversations circling photography, cinema, memory and the strange way time stretches inside darkened theatres. The small-scale format keeps things intimate too, with space for only 15 participants, making it closer to a thoughtful group discussion than a formal museum tour. May 29. B550 for Thais and B770 for non-Thais. Tickets here. Dib Bangkok, 3pm-3.30pm

Asia’s biggest food trade fair returns on an even larger scale this year, spreading across 12 exhibition halls and bringing together more than 3,300 exhibitors from 60 countries. THAIFEX – Anuga Asia draws everyone from global suppliers to independent brands, all chasing the next big shift shaping how the world eats and drinks. A new innovation-focused hall puts future food technology, fresh market launches and rising startup talent front and centre, while the European Union steps in as official partner region with a showcase centred around sustainable food and beverage products. Another notable addition arrives with PLX Asia, Southeast Asia’s first B2B platform dedicated to private label and contract manufacturing, launching with an executive seminar on May 29. May 26-30. Free entry. IMPACT Arena. 10am-6pm

Northern Thailand arrives in Bangkok for a weekend at Nerb Nerb Market, a relaxed gathering organised by craftspeople and independent makers from Phrae Province. Making its first pop-up appearance in the capital, the event brings together more than 26 vendors selling handmade goods, community products and small-batch creations shaped by the slower pace of life up north. Expect woven crafts, thoughtful design pieces and locally sourced drinks alongside comforting food from Kham Pa, the northern Thai restaurant known for hearty dishes that remind plenty of diners of home. May 29-31. Free entry. PA PRANK. 11am-8pm

Factories, pipelines and scarred coastlines sit at the centre of this striking photography exhibition by Sukrit Patjuntadusit, which examines the environmental cost carried by Rayong Province. Human presence lingers quietly throughout the series, whether through industrial structures, contaminated water or damaged landscapes altered over time. What sets the show apart is Sukrit’s use of the ‘film soup’ technique. Wastewater gathered from real industrial sites becomes part of the film development process itself, allowing chemicals to stain, corrode and warp the negatives. Pollution doesn’t simply appear as subject matter here – it physically reshapes the photographs. A free documentary screening and discussion session also takes place on Saturday June 6 from 1pm to 3pm. Now-June 23. Free entry. 2/F, Fotoclub BKK. 11am-8pm

An entire Akha house now stands in the middle of Bangkok, carefully dismantled from a village in northern Thailand and rebuilt piece by piece inside an art gallery. Roof panels, woven bedding, timber floors and weathered household objects all carry marks of the people who once lived among them, quietly tracing a way of life that grows more fragile with each passing generation. The Akha are an Indigenous ethnic group whose communities are spread across the mountains of northern Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and southern China, known for their intricate textiles, spiritual rituals and deep connection to land and ancestry. In recent decades, migration, tourism and rapid development have reshaped many of those traditions. Through memory, craftsmanship and personal histories, The Preservation of Fire by Busui Ajaw keeps those stories alive a little longer. May 15-November 1. Free entry. Bangkok Kunsthalle. 2pm-8pm

Pride Month matchmaking lands at Shake Shack Thailand this month as OMG Matchmaking rounds up more than 50 LGBTQ+ singles for an evening of burgers, flirting and surprisingly competitive ice-breaking games. The concept is simple: less awkward swiping, more actual conversation. Guests move through more than 10 speed-dating rounds before sticking around to mingle until 10pm. Pride-only snacks also make an appearance, including the new French onion burger and a brightly coloured Pride milkshake made specially for the event. Expect group games, instant connections and the kind of cheerful oversharing usually reserved for after midnight. June 6. B1,099 via here. Shake Shack One Bangkok. 6pm-9pm

Sapphic Pride Fest has dropped its entertainment line-up and suddenly cancelling plans seems sensible. Expect low lights, loud singalongs and a dance floor packed with people screaming every word to queer pop anthems all night long.  ZYMONE takes centre stage with a set full of teasing, flirting and crowd-working energy, while Drag Peppae – best known as Bangkok’s resident Chappell Roan superfan – commands the decks from 8pm to 9pm. Later on, DJ Yui Truluv keeps things moving with tracks from Fletcher, Charli XCX, Hayley Kiyoko and G Flip. Essential for anyone treating sapphic pop playlists like sacred text. May 30. Free entry. FV39. 9pm onwards

Anyone living for a dirt-cheap airfare deal might want to brace themselves. Airports of Thailand (AOT) has officially confirmed a hefty rise in the international passenger service charge, better known as airport tax, which means flying abroad from Thailand soon costs noticeably more. Right now, travellers pay B730 per person for international departures. From June 20 2026, that jumps to B1,120 – an extra B390, or roughly a 53 percent increase. The charge already comes folded into ticket prices at checkout, so nobody escapes it at the payment screen. Domestic flights stay put at B130 per passenger, which at least spares local weekend getaways. The revised fee applies across AOT's six major airports handling international routes: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) Phuket International Airport (HKT) Hatyai International Airport (HDY) Photograph: Rainer Viertlböck, Gauting (DE)Departure Tax Increasing So whether it's a quick Tokyo city break, a Seoul shopping weekend or a long-haul summer holiday, the added cost quietly tags along. Even with the increase, Thailand still ranks among Southeast Asia's more affordable travel hubs. But for anyone already plotting post-2026 holidays, this is a good nudge to watch airfare prices before they creep up. Booking early, cashing in airline miles or locking in a promotional fare sooner rather than later suddenly sounds

The rain spends most of the week dumping extra baggage on your shoulders. Work stacks up, messages go unanswered, your mood drops somewhere between the flooded pavement and the grey sky outside the office window. By the time Sunday rolls around, Bangkok starts looking less like a city and more like a giant excuse to stay horizontal all day. Still, hiding under the duvet only works for so long. This Sunday afternoon, June 14, STØCKHÖLME opens the doors for Friends, Records & Sober, a gentle gathering built for anyone craving a slower pace before Monday barges back in. Good records, alcohol-free drinks and a room full of people who genuinely enjoy sitting around listening to music properly. View this post on Instagram A post shared by STØCKHÖLME (@stockholmebkk) Guests browse stacks of vinyl, swap recommendations and take turns spinning records across the afternoon. A few collectors and music obsessives stick around to chat analogue sound, hidden gems and beloved albums that somehow always sound warmer through old speakers. You don't need a rare Japanese pressing tucked under your arm, either. Curious first-timers fit right in. While the weather outside does its dramatic rainy-season thing, mellow DJ sets drift from soul and funk to downtempo grooves. Soft lighting, the crackle of vinyl and a decent sober cocktail later, Sunday suddenly seems much easier to handle.

Remember when indie festivals meant spending an entire day sprinting between stages, sweating through your shirt and accidentally discovering your next favourite band? Bangkok's music crowd gets that hit again this July as Colorists Music Festival returns for its fifth edition, taking over UNION HALL with a stacked line-up across two stages. Four years in and the festival comes back bigger, louder and far more ambitious. Organisers What The Duck and H.U.I. Team Design sharpen the production this time around, with a booking list that swings comfortably between established names and newer acts still quietly gathering cult status through late-night playlists and packed club gigs.   Photograph: ColoristsFestivalTime Out Bangkok Expect singalong moments from Polycat, dreamy melancholy from Safeplanet and polished pop-rock theatrics courtesy of The Parkinson. Purpeech, Dept and Mirrr bring softer moods before veterans Silly Fools inevitably turn the volume right back up. Whal & Dolph, UrboyTJ, Yented, Yonlapa, Cornboi, Television Off, Ayla's, WAV, Loserpop, Pami and Pae Arak round out a bill that leaves very little room to breathe. Colorists Music Festival 5 lands on July 4 at UNION HALL. Tickets are B1,500 with no extra fees.  Pre-sale kicks off May 29 at 10am via TrueMoney only, with general sale opening May 30 through Eventpop. For more details, follow Facebook: ColoristsFestival or Instagram: coloristsmusicfestival.

Ari spends this weekend turning its streets, cafes and community corners into one giant neighbourhood get-together. Think Fest, billed as the area's biggest hopping festival yet, spreads across the district with art installations, live music, workshops and enough reasons to keep you wandering long after sunset. The whole idea is simple: making Ari more walkable, social and connected, while spotlighting the creatives, small businesses and community groups that already give the neighbourhood its personality. Among the standout events is Swap Weekend, a three-day trading session that swaps shopping bags for second-hand treasures and neighbourly small talk. Each day follows a different theme, so the line-up changes as quickly as the crowd passing through. Friday kicks off with a T-shirt swap. Bring along clean, wearable tees you no longer touch and exchange them for someone else's forgotten favourite. One shirt in, one shirt out. Anyone happy to travel lighter can leave extras behind for donation. Saturday shifts to kitchenware – plates, mugs, cooking tools that deserve more than sitting untouched in cupboards. Sunday wraps things up with a book exchange, offering everything from dog-eared novels to coffee-table finds another reader might love. Once the swapping winds down each evening, the garden outside Tempo The Social Bar keeps going with intimate concerts and casual talks. Just another excuse to stick around for a drink and a chat, really. Swap Weekend runs May 29-31 from 4p

Bangkok rarely encourages you to slow down, which is probably why weekends spent sitting on grass suddenly feel wildly appealing. This May, The Field Society takes over Happitat at The Forestias in Bangna, turning the leafy space around for a couple of weekend escape. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Happitat Thailand (@happitatthailand) More than 80 vendors will spread across the lawns and shaded walkways, covering everything from handmade crafts and independent clothing labels to home décor, coffee and comfort food. Easy-listening DJs soundtrack the day while visitors stretch out on picnic blankets beneath the trees or drift between stalls at whatever pace suits. Photograph: Happitat ThailandThe Field Society What sets The Field Society apart from your average market is  its quiet rejection of Bangkok's usual weekend routine. Instead of air-conditioned malls and endless screen time, you get a few slower hours spent eating well, chatting with friends and pretending your inbox does not exist. The appeal speaks for itself. The event takes place at Happitat's Festie Town Buildings and  Forest at The Forestias on Bangna-Trad Road across May 23-24 and May 30-31, 2026. Entry free, though advance registration is required. Register here.  

Almost everyone carries a Disney memory somewhere. Maybe it's Saturday mornings spent watching cartoons before school, a worn-out DVD played so many times the case cracks, or the childhood fantasy of meeting Mickey Mouse somewhere far beyond the television screen.  This July, that nostalgia gets a Bangkok address. Disney Run Thailand 2026 lands at Rama VIII Bridge for the first officially organised Disney running event in the country, with sunrise stretching across the river and thousands of runners expected to turn up in mouse ears before dawn even breaks. Photograph: DisneyDisney Run Thailand 2026 Set for Sunday July 19, the race takes over the bridge and neighbouring parkland with two distances on offer: a 10K starting at 4am and a 5K kicking off an hour later. Registration costs B1,000 and B800 respectively, though this one sits somewhere between fun run and proper sporting challenge. The cut-off times are fairly strict – two hours for the 10K and one hour for the shorter route – so anyone planning endless castle poses and TikTok stops may need to pick up the pace a bit. Still, with more than a month left before race day, even casual runners have enough time to build stamina. A run-walk strategy should comfortably get most people across the finish line. Photograph: Walt Disney StudiosDisney Run Thailand 2026 Photograph: Walt Disney StudiosDisney Run Thailand 2026 Water stations and medical teams appear every two kilometres, while Runrio TH handles logistics alongsid

Calling all dessert lovers from every soi in Bangkok: clear some space in your weekend plans, because Dessert Exchange by Baketimestory returns this June with another afternoon dedicated to sugar, strangers and slightly unhinged baking ideas. The third edition, themed ‘Your Dessert Playlist’, lands at Marshall Livehouse on June 28 from 2pm, bringing together the city's cake people for a sweet swap soundtracked by good music and plenty of chatter. Photograph: baketimestory.thDessert Exchange by Baketimestory The concept stays charmingly simple. Everyone rocks up with a dessert inspired by a song, artist, album or musical memory, then spends the afternoon trying what everybody else brings along. One person might show up with a velvet cake inspired by Fleetwood Mac, another with brownies named after a breakup anthem. Homemade bakes share table space with favourite bakery finds, and honestly, nobody's too fussed about whether your masterpiece comes from your kitchen or your regular cafe. Each guest needs to bring at least one dessert. Cakes and pies must measure six inches or weigh one pound minimum, while smaller treats such as cookies or brownies require at least 12 pieces. Allergens need listing too, with ingredient cards available during registration. Dessert Exchange Vol.3 runs from 2pm-6pm on June 28. Tickets cost B550, with entry including access to all shared desserts. Register via LINE.  

What began as a quick five-day December getaway has grown well past festival season. Wonderfruit celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, and the mood's shifted since then.  The chat doesn't just wrap up when the stages go quiet anymore. Throughout the year, the programme spreads out through installations, workshops, residencies and quiet cultural experiments that gently rework what a festival can actually be. Photograph: WonderfruitWonderfruit guide The next chapter takes things overseas. From October 22-25, Wonderfruit touches down in Kyoto for an intimate gathering capped at 100 guests. Set across private gardens, hidden temples and mountain landscapes during late autumn, the experience follows Myō, a Japanese philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhist teachings.  Back to Thailand, looking forward to this year’s music spectacle? Here’s everything you need to know about Wonderfruit 2026, including dates, ticket prices and travel details.   Photograph: WonderfruitWonderfruit guide When and where is Wonderfruit? Wonderfruit returns for its 11th year from December 3-7 at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Chonburi. The site is around a 30-minute drive from central Pattaya and approximately 150 kilometres, or two to three hours from Bangkok. Timings Gates open at midday, but your arrival time might depend on the type of ticket you hold. Keep in mind that the Main Gate and Box Office don’t operate around the clock – if you turn up after midnight, you won’t be allowed in until they reo

Mention Thonglor and most Bangkok residents immediately picture late-night supper spots, cocktail bars hidden above parking garages and a stream of people bouncing between cafes, gyms and galleries before midnight even arrives. Few neighbourhoods manage to pack so much city life onto one road. Fewer still make daily life look this convenient. Photograph: Noble DevelopmentTime Out Bangkok Right in the middle of that ever-busy stretch sits Noble Form Thonglor, the newest flagship development from Noble Development.  The project plants itself firmly within central Thonglor, a district where apartment hunting usually comes with eye-watering prices and impossible compromises. Here, the pitch stays surprisingly straightforward: a high-rise address with proper access to the neighbourhood people actually want to spend time in. Photograph: Noble DevelopmentTime Out Bangkok The tower rises 46 storeys above Sukhumvit's tangled skyline, claiming the title of tallest condominium in central Thonglor.  Its square silhouette keeps things clean and restrained rather than flashy, though closer inspection reveals layered detailing across the façade and structure. Noble calls the concept ‘One Form’ – built around the idea of gathering every part of urban living under one roof. Although it sounds ambitious, the result is refreshingly easy. But the real draw may well be just how practical the location proves once you step outside. Photograph: Noble DevelopmentTime Out Bangkok A few minutes o

The European Union just made future city breaks, countryside train rides and spontaneous summer escapes a lot easier for Thai travellers. Under the newly introduced Visa Cascade system, frequent visitors with a clean travel record can gradually qualify for longer-term Schengen visas, cutting down the annual embassy paperwork marathon many holidaymakers know far too well. More importantly, this changes the way people travel. Weekend dashes across five countries can finally give way to slower trips with actual breathing room. The scheme encourages travellers to spend more time understanding local customs rather than racing through landmarks with a packed itinerary and three hours of sleep. Photograph: gokitetoursSchengen Visa The new visa progression works like this: A one-year multiple-entry visa for travellers who previously received and properly used one Schengen visa within the past two years A two-year visa for those who correctly used a one-year visa within the past three years • A five-year visa for travellers who properly used a two-year visa within the past four years Of course, the rules still matter. Even holders of a five-year visa can only stay within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and illegal employment remains strictly banned. The entire system runs on trust, rewarding visitors who respect immigration laws and local regulations. For Thai travellers, this opens a genuinely exciting chapter. Keeping that door open depends less o

As dusk settles over the river, Song Wat slowly switches character. Neon flickers across century-old façades, alleyways glow in shifting colour and the historic trading quarter stays awake long after sunset. For ten nights this July, the neighbourhood transforms completely as Awakening Song Wat 2026 returns for its second edition. Photograph: Awakening FestivalAwakening Songwat 2026 Running from July 3-12, the light and digital art festival spreads across Song Wat and nearby Sampeng, filling the district with large-scale installations, projection mapping and contemporary works from artists across different disciplines. This year's theme, SON(G)EVITY: Continuity of Legacy, centres on the idea of longevity – not in the sense of standing still, but through stories, traditions and communities carried forward across generations. That idea suits Song Wat perfectly. Few parts of Bangkok hold onto their history quite like this stretch by the Chao Phraya River. Old shophouses still line the streets, family-run businesses continue trading beside newer cafes and galleries, while Chinese, Thai and immigrant influences remain stitched across daily life. Even with its recent popularity among younger crowds, the district never loses its rough-edged charm or sense of memory. Photograph: Awakening FestivalAwakening Songwat 2026 Throughout the festival, visitors wander past glowing installations tucked between warehouses, hidden courtyards and narrow lanes that most people walk past during

Big news on the gig front: David Byrne lands in Bangkok this August. Yes, that David Byrne. The art rock architect and former Talking Heads frontman confirms a one-night stop as part of the Who Is The Sky? Tour, and you can feel the buzz already. Fresh from a headline-grabbing set at Coachella, he brings the same precision and theatrical punch. Expect a proper stage production: choreography, visuals, a band in constant motion. The sort of performance that sticks with you long after you've left the venue. Photograph: IMDb The setlist pulls from his latest record, Who Is The Sky?, a reflective collection that wrestles with questions of purpose, creativity and what keeps an artist going. It sits alongside older material, and Byrne's catalogue has always been about evolution. Quick refresher: he led Talking Heads between 1975 and 1991, folding art rock, funk and global sounds together long before anyone else caught on. Generations of artists still trace a line back to that era. He plays at UOB LIVE at EMSPHERE on August 10. Tickets start from B2,800. Presale opens May 7 at 11am, with general sale from May 8 at 10am via ThaiTicketMajor. Seating details drop soon, so keep checking.