Things to Do

Old Town Bangkok makes you move like you have all the time in the world. It sits in the Phra Nakhon district, which literally means ‘royal city’. Here, things move at their own inherited pace, not the calculated slow of somewhere trying to be quaint, but the rhythm of a place that’s simply always existed this way. Rattanakosin Island, as it’s also called, sits snugly between the Chao Phraya and a maze of canals. Before Bangkok became the kind of city where ancient temples back onto phone repair shops, this was ground zero. Since 1782, lives have been building up here, one generation on top of another. The density’s part of the charm. This neighbourhood still holds its weight – you can feel it was once the centre of everything.   Photograph: Maksim Romashkin The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun: the big three temples holding down the district, the giant guardians still on duty. Holy ground that hasn't been museumed. There’s a faint smell in some alleys, jasmine mixed with coconut from street snacks that’ve been made the exact same way for decades. Tuk-tuks navigate impossibly narrow passages. They shouldn’t fit, but they always do. Bangkok’s racing ahead naturally, but somehow nothing that shaped this corner ever really disappears. The river flows. The flower market opens before dawn, same as it has for generations. People here just move differently, so you end up flowing through the neighbourhood in an oft-paused, wandering manner. You don’t even realise you’re doing it. What’s it known for?   Photograph: Wisnu Phaewchimplee A spiritual island. Old Town with a time zone of its own, held there by the water. Glass towers shot up everywhere else in the city, but this place didn’t fight it. Didn’t make a big show of staying the same either. Motor shops upgrade their equipment. New coffee spots and international restaurants squeeze in between the old storefronts. All of it peaceful, moving slow, together. Why do locals love it? Mostly because the real texture lives in the mundane rituals: shophouses keeping their original bones while cracks of change let modern concepts in. It’s a place where people hunt down a specific person for that specific something, with no aesthetic agenda, just the ordinary machinery of days cycling forward. Walkability exists here too. You just end up on foot somehow, navigating the area. And that matters more than it sounds, especially in a city like Bangkok, where sprawl keeps pushing everything further apart and highways and high-rises slice the map into isolated fragments. Being able to walk from point A to B without a strategy session is rare. How do I get to the area? First option is to take the MRT and get off at Sanam Chai station, where the design itself references temple architecture, a design choice that telegraphs location before anyone’s cleared the escalator. The boats matter though. There’s something about pulling up to Old Town by river that has this half-awake quality to it, riverside living with clothes airing out to dry, longtail boats and those wake patterns they leave when passing you. Walking then water, or the reverse, either direction opens up the neighbourhood properly.  Chao Phraya Express Boats run on coloured flags: blue for visitors, orange for everyday commuters, yellow for peak-hour runs and green-yellow for selective stops. Anyone can board any line, though blue boats angle themselves towards exploration: B150 unlocks unlimited pier-hopping for the day, or it’s B30 for a one-way shot. Tha Tien, Tha Chang and Tha Phra Athit are among the pier names worth knowing. Taxis and Grab handle the broader streets until the lanes pinch down to barely two people wide. Bicycles are everywhere! Locals navigate by instinct. Rental bikes lean against corners, green Anywheel scooters are lined up in their zones. If you could only do one thing A longtail boat ride through the khlongs while Bangkok’s water neighbourhoods are still rubbing sleep from their eyes. At Tha Tien or Phra Athit pier: you’re looking at B1,500-2,000 per boat. Most operators stick to their 9am schedules, timed for tour groups. But ask around a day early and a few cool captains will meet you in the dark and take you along on their everyday rides.

If getting lost is a prerequisite to good travel, Songkhla disorientates in all the right ways.  Ramvithi Road, where mini-vans drop off travellers from Hat Yai for B34, looks like any main road in Thailand. But as you stroll into the Old Town, you’ll soon be wondering which country, and into which century, you might have stumbled. North of the City Gate, past the golden-domed Banbon Mosque that anchors a community where Thai-Chinese and Muslims live side-by-side, rows of antique shophouses simply ooze charm. The Taoist temples and clan academies signpost the old Chinese quarter, while Wat Yang Thong, a redolent Thai temple complex near the city walls, marks the northern periphery of old Songkhla.  Photograph: Thomas Bird This unique cosmopolitanism is the product of commerce and conquest down the centuries. First established as the seat of the ancient Malay kingdom of Langkasuka, between the 10th and 14th centuries, Singora, ‘the lion city’ as it was known, emerged as an entrepot, attracting traders from India, Java, China and Persia. By the early 17th century, the Sultanate of Singora had taken shape, flourishing until 1680, when a protracted war with the Siamese saw the besieged city abandoned.    Under Siamese suzerainty, a settlement grew-up just across the strait from old Singora, which has subsequently thrived as a hub of fishing, attracting Chinese merchants to its bountiful shores.  Although Hat Yai has surpassed Songkhla in size and prestige, the provincial capital’s heritage and unique location on an isthmus between the Gulf of Thailand and Songkhla Lake, lend it a new lease of life as a tourist locale.

Bangkok holds its breath a little tighter through this January 10-15 stretch, said to be the worst of it. The air isn't moving, ventilation is weak and everything just hangs there: car exhaust, emissions, all of it stagnant and heavy. Authorities say PM2.5 levels will keep climbing until winds from the Gulf push through around January 17-18 and clear ‘some’ of this out. On the maps many districts show up orange bleeding into red, which means hazardous for everyone, not just those with asthma or underlying conditions. The worst-hit district as of January 12 is Pathum Wan at 49.9 micrograms per cubic metre. To put that in perspective, the World Health Organization (WHO) sets a health-based guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre for 24-hour exposure. See the districts taking the hardest hit here. So, we adapt. It's about keeping your lungs intact but also keeping those orange-to-red maps from consuming every waking thought. Right now the numbers stay put until the winds shift. Here's the adaptation playbook so far.

Go on first dates today, be coupled up by Valentine's! We know first dates can feel like a soft performance, so you might as well choose a decent stage. Let the pilot episode lean rom-com, not horror. You want somewhere with enough going on. Places with things to look at, little moments that naturally spark conversations. It should feel intimate enough for a blink-and-you-forget-the-rest-of-the-world moment, but not so secluded it gets weird. Sometimes the best dates cost nothing, just like the best people! Here's where to go when you're actually trying to see them again (and again).

New year, new you. Sure. But what about that anger you’re still hauling around? The stuff that didn’t get the fresh start memo. It’s just sitting there, or worse, popping off at random over something small that you know isn’t even the actual issue. You could journal it out. Meditate. Talk to someone. But if you need to actually move the feeling through your body, that’s what this list is for. Important note: nobody’s condoning actual violence here. But there are places built specifically for this – controlled, legal, supervised. Bangkok and the surrounding areas have spots where you can smash things designed to be smashed, hit bags that exist to be hit, move hard and fast enough that the anger just flies out.  Here’s where to take it when the talking part stops working. Better than letting it leak out sideways into your actual life where people don’t deserve it!

We were honoured when Time Out tapped us to curate this definitive guide to Bangkok’s best new bars. Our story is simple: what began as an after-work ritual of sharing drinks organically grew into the Paikapai (@paikapai.official), or ‘Let’s go!’ community. It started as a way to answer friends’ constant questions – ‘Where is that beautiful bar? Are the drinks any good?’ – and remains a way to share the places we genuinely love. Our process is just as organic. We don’t rely on insider tips; our main tool is our own two feet. We walk the city, pay attention to a corner of a soi under construction, and feel the buzz of something new. When it opens, we’re there as regular customers – first and foremost. Even our photography follows this ethos. We always order a drink first, soak in the atmosphere, and only when the artistic mood strikes do we capture the moments we love, simply on our phones. This isn’t a job for us – it’s our lifestyle. Every day brings a different mood, and for each one, a bar is often the answer. It’s in these spaces that we’ve learned the most, simply by observing the incredible ‘diversity’ of people. By watching the focused bartenders, the diligent staff, and the customers’ stories unfold, we’ve realised you’re never truly alone in a good bar. You’re surrounded by friends – some you know, and many you just haven’t met yet. So when assessing a bar for this list, we look beyond the menu. The primary criterion is the atmosphere – does it feel cosy? Is it a place you can truly relax? After that comes excellent cocktails and warm, genuine service, which tie the whole experience together. Right now, the city’s bar scene is electric. We’re seeing a wave of creativity, with bartenders championing local ingredients in Thai gin and rum, and pushing boundaries with cocktails like the unforgettable ‘Fossil Fuel’ at Wasteland. We’ve also seen how great bars can transform a neighbourhood – just look at Soi Nana in Yaowarat, which has blossomed into a global destination. We believe this energy comes from a core part of our identity: Thais love to gather, and when combined with the city’s cosmopolitan vibe, it creates a cocktail culture that’s truly world-class. It’s with this in mind – as observers, customers and lovers of this city – that we share our list. Let’s go! Want to know why these bars made the cut? A dedicated podcast drops in October. Subscribe to our new YouTube channel to be the first to know.

Time Out asked me to write a list of my favourite new cafes, and as I started to put it together, I found myself thinking back on how this all began. For the past eight years, my passion has been exploring Bangkok’s coffee scene. It started simply because I’ve always loved coffee. When I had a full-time job, I'd spend my weekends searching for interesting new cafes. Every time I discovered a place with delicious coffee or beautiful decor, I felt a spark of inspiration and didn't want to keep it to myself. Sharing those moments on Instagram became my way of documenting these small, joyful discoveries. It’s been my personal gallery, and I'm still amazed that so many people have followed along on this journey with me. Over the years, people have always asked me, ‘How do you find all these new cafes?’ There's no one answer. Back in the day, I was part of a group of ‘cafe hoppers,’ and we’d share new spots with each other. I'm also lucky to have friends in the design world who sometimes give me a heads-up about a new project they're working on. For everything else, it’s a mix of my own methods: scouring hashtags, checking my social media feeds, and sometimes, I just stumble upon a new place while I’m out exploring. Visiting so many places has taught me a lot. The most important lesson is that passion is an incredible source of energy. I love talking to baristas and owners, and in those conversations, I always see the dedication that drives them. Whether it’s their love for coffee, their meticulous attention to detail, or the sheer courage it takes to open a cafe in a city as competitive as Bangkok, that passion is what makes a place special. When I evaluate a cafe, the coffee always comes first. That’s the key factor that determines if I’ll go back. It's not just about a delicious flavour; I look at the creativity of the menu and the thought process behind the selection of beans. The ambiance comes second, because I truly believe that great coffee tastes even better in a great atmosphere. I've seen firsthand how a beautiful cafe can transform a neighborhood. The Song Wat area is a perfect example. It used to be a quiet, historic neighbourhood, but now, with over 20 cafes and more on the way, it's buzzing with life. These cafes have shone a spotlight on the area, drawing in new crowds, from young people to tourists. This small change has brought a new energy to the community, and it's inspiring to see. My photography is something I’m often asked about, but honestly, there's no fixed technique. I just feel a connection with a certain angle or moment and I take the shot. I try to capture a sense of naturalness and movement. I look for the perfect timing, like when the light hits the room just right, or a barista is pouring a perfect latte. I love warm, brown tones – they just feel right for cafes. My style is also heavily influenced by the movies I watch, especially the work of directors like Wes Anderson, whose use of symmetry and composition I find really inspiring. So what motivates me to keep exploring almost every day? It’s simple: I have fun. The city is always changing – the light, the colours, the mood of the people. And every time I discover a new corner or a new cafe, it feels like I've found a fresh burst of inspiration for my own life. Bangkok’s love for coffee isn't just a trend; it's a reflection of the city itself. In a place that’s often chaotic and stressful, a cafe is a small space to breathe. It’s a moment of simple happiness. A cafe isn't just a place to buy coffee; for many of us, it’s a safe space to work, read, meet friends, or just be alone with our thoughts. This love for cafes also speaks to a new generation's appreciation for quality and experience. We no longer just drink coffee; we choose it. We choose it based on the origin, the brewing method and the story of the cafe itself. And of course, social media plays a huge role. A beautiful cafe and a great cup of coffee have become a part of our lifestyle that we want to share. This has pushed cafe owners to pay even more attention to every detail – the lighting, the design, and the entire customer experience. I'm excited to share my list with you and hope you find as much joy in visiting these places as I did in discovering them.

The Museum Star 2025 awards have just been launched by the National Discovery Museum Institute to spotlight the venues that truly shine. The winners were chosen not just for their collections, but for their overall vibe – from excellent service to a truly unique and welcoming experience for guests. Only 10 pioneering Bangkok institutions made the inaugural list, giving them a well-deserved badge of excellence. Consider your next cultural outing sorted.  Here are 10 award-winning spots to check out now.

Finding a proper bagel in Bangkok used to be a real mission according to my dad and uncle, self proclaimed ‘bagel scholars’. Now they reckon ‘we're spoilt for choice’, which is great news! New York’s thick chewy bad boys and Montreal’s sweeter rings are everywhere now plus some wildcard geniuses doing Thai fusion.  The bagel situation escalated quickly. You’ve got the OGs who gambled on bagels when nobody even knew if Bangkok cared, the pandemic bakers who got a bit too into their lockdown hobby and never looked back and the Singaporean vets with battle-tested recipes. Here are all the bagel joints you knead to know.

Bangkok’s climbing scene is having a moment and the city’s walls are no longer reserved for hardcore climbers. With a new wave of urban bouldering gyms and sleek rope walls opening across the city, the sport’s appeal is clear: physical challenge, mental focus and a social vibe that spin classes can’t quite touch. Whether you’re a total noob looking for a weekend thrill, on the search for a quirky first date idea, or already chalking up for your next V6, there’s a gym out there for you.  

When it comes to art and exhibitions, Bangkok has a lot. From poky little independent spaces to avant-garde galleries and the big crowd-pleasing museums, the city brims with shows that perplex, challenge, inspire, educate and leave you thoroughly awestruck. The trouble is, there's an absolute mountain to get through. Too much, you might say. So we're here to tell you where to spend your precious time. Whether you're a bona fide art connoisseur or simply the type who likes to stand about looking pensive in front of a canvas (we've all done it), these galleries promise to inspire and entertain in equal measure. So if you're wondering what's genuinely worth a trip across town, start right here. Have a browse through the best museum exhibitions and art in Bangkok at the moment, take your pick and make a day of it. We refresh this list regularly, so do pop back regularly for our latest and greatest picks.Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just art-curious, these are Bangkok’s best spots to live the art life. From alleyway masterpieces to paint-splashed corners you might walk past without noticing, here are our top spots to see street art.

What is it? Thailand’s first international contemporary art museum occupies a converted 40-year-old warehouse, making a bold statement as a new art landmark in the heart of Bangkok. Led by Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah, Founding Chairman, with Dr. Miwako Tezuka as Director, Dib Bangkok brings Thai and international contemporary art to audiences across Thailand, Southeast Asia, and beyond through its collection of more than 1,000 works by over 200 artists. Its architecture, shaped by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, gives the former warehouse new life as a museum. Why we love it: The building tells its own story. Its original industrial shell now forms a three-storey main gallery, preserving the character of the old warehouse while bringing the space firmly into the present.  Keeping the bones while rewiring everything else is no small feat, and Yantrasast knows the brief, having shaped major galleries the world over. As a non-profit, Dib Bangkok gives the city a new kind of cultural destination: a place to slow down, spend time with art and architecture, and see Bangkok through a more contemporary lens. TIME magazine lists it among its World's Greatest Places 2026, a roll call of 100 destinations worth crossing oceans for and Time Out has rated it one of the best places to visit when in Bangkok. Time Out tip: Catch the opening show, (In)visible Presence, before it’s gone . It features 81 pieces by 40 artists – with plenty making their Thai debut – leaning on sound, scent, light and everyday  materials to help you sense what the eye misses. Now until August 3. Sukhumvit 40. Open Thursday-Monday, 10am-7pm. Entry is B550 for Thai citizens and B700 for non-Thais.

What is it? A nine-storey, cylindrical cultural hub that opens its first phase in August 2005 and reaches full completion in 2008. Inside you find exhibition rooms, a cinema, a library, art storage, meeting spaces, shops and restaurants, all of it easy to reach and easy to spend an afternoon in. Why we love it: The clever bit is the architecture. From the sixth floor up, a gently sloping walkway spirals around the building, so you wander through the displays in one unbroken loop rather than doubling back through endless corridors. Natural light pours in, which makes the place a magnet for anyone with a camera and a soft spot for a good interior shot, yet the design is canny enough to keep that sunlight off the artwork itself. For art lovers chasing a bit of inspiration, few spots in the city pull it off so neatly. Time Out tip: Start at the top and let the spiral carry you down, drinking in the daylight as you go. Leave time for the ground-floor shops and cafes, where you can rest your feet and mull over what you've just seen.Rama I Road, Pathum Wan (at the Pathumwan Intersection). Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-8pm. Entry is free for all visitors.

What is it? A four-storey, 3,000-square-metre art centre planted in the middle of the city, a stone's throw from BACC. Inside the Jim Thompson Art Center you find a cafe, a library, a gallery and a restaurant, all pulling together to make art feel a little less daunting for the rest of us. Why we love it: The place wears its mission lightly, setting out to bring both contemporary and traditional work within easy reach without ever lecturing you about it. It's grown into a proper community hub for central Bangkok, the sort of spot where you can catch a rotating exhibition, settle in with a coffee and lose an afternoon without really meaning to. The real charmer is the rooftop, a leafy, photogenic perch that's as good for a quiet sit-down as it is for a sneaky photo or two. Add the easy access and the genuine range on offer and you've got somewhere that suits the dedicated art lover and the casual drifter alike. Time Out tip: The galleries need a ticket, but plenty of the building doesn't. The open-air plaza, the rooftop garden, the design shop and the lovely William Warren Library on the second floor are all yours for free. Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Road. Open daily, 10am-6pm. Entry is B50 for adults (or B250 for a combined ticket with the Jim Thompson House Museum).

What is it? A long-standing riverside hub for art and antiques that draws collectors and enthusiasts from Bangkok and well beyond. River City packs a run of galleries with rotating exhibitions, many of them sticking around for a good while, alongside four floors of shops trading in art, antiques and rare collectibles. Why we love it: The appeal lies in the sheer breadth on offer. You can move between galleries showing all sorts of styles and mediums, taking in contemporary and traditional work in a single visit, then turn your attention to the shops if a rare find is more your thing. Spreading across four floors gives the place real depth, so serious buyers and curious browsers get plenty to sift through without bumping into the same thing twice. The mix of exhibitions and trade keeps the atmosphere busy and purposeful, and the riverside setting makes the whole outing feel like a proper occasion. For anyone chasing genuine art and artefacts in the city, it remains a reliable first port of call. Time Out tip: Many of the exhibitions run for extended stretches, so you needn't rush a visit to catch them. Pair your wander with the riverside location and arrive by boat for an easier, more scenic approach. Charoen Krung 24. Open Monday-Sunday, 10am-8pm. Entry is free, though ticket prices vary for special exhibitions.

What is it? A cultural venue that rises from an old printing house, abandoned for more than 20 years after a fire gutted it. The brainchild of art patron Marisa Chearavanont, it's steered by director Stefano Rabolli Pansera, formerly of Hauser & Wirth, and spans art, cinema, music, architecture and plenty more. Why we love it: There's something irresistible about a building brought back from the dead, and this one wears its second life beautifully. Rather than sticking to a single discipline, the place throws open its doors to all sorts of creative work, the idea being to let different forms of expression bump up against one another and spark something new. That cross-pollination is the real draw, turning what could have been just another white-walled gallery into a genuine hub. Behind it sits serious backing and serious pedigree, yet the focus stays firmly on the art rather than the names attached to it. For anyone who likes their culture broad and a touch unexpected, it's a quietly thrilling addition to the city. Time Out tip: Aim to arrive around 4pm, this lets you experience the exhibitions with fewer crowds and catches the golden hour light hitting the raw concrete façade. Pantachit Alley (Chinatown). Open Wednesday-Sunday, 2pm-8pm. Entry is free for both Thai citizens and non-Thais.

What is it? A contemporary gallery that opens in 2018 and backs emerging and established names from Thailand and further afield. Spread across 325.16 square meters and split into two exhibition rooms, it runs on a guiding mantra of 'Joy and Join', a nod to creativity, modern culture and the bond between makers and the people who turn up to look. Why we love it: The remit here is refreshingly broad, taking in urban and street art, pop, new surrealism, contemporary abstraction and a healthy dash of digital and mixed media. That spread keeps the programme lively, with shows built around themes that actually speak to city life rather than floating off into the abstract. An experienced curatorial team holds it all together, so the displays feel considered rather than thrown up at random, and the work tends to land whether you're a seasoned collector or simply curious. The gallery doesn't stay put either, popping up at art fairs across the year, which lends the whole operation a restless, outward-looking energy. Time Out tip: Set aside 30 minutes to an hour to do the two floors justice. That's enough to wander both spaces at a gentle pace, grab a few photos and actually stop to read the curatorial notes rather than breezing past them. Maha Chai Road, Phra Nakhon. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm. Entry is free.