Photograph: Sereechai Puttes / Time Out Bangkok

Nielson Hays Library Garden Cafe

Item: Nielson Hays Library Garden Cafe | Art in Surawong, Bangkok
Author: Tita Honghirunkham

Art
Surawong

Friday March 13 2026

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Written by Tita Honghirunkham

Feature Writer, Time Out Thailand

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Time Out says

Behind a century-old European-style building on Surawong Road, connected by a glass-house corridor, the Nielson Hays garden is one of the loveliest reading spots in the city – not only because it’s in a part of Bangkok sans traffic.

The library is a living piece of the city's international cultural history, founded by the expatriate community in the early twentieth century; holding fiction, non-fiction, children's books and magazines alongside a rotating gallery of Thai and international art.

The garden café space is now home to the team at FIX BKK, who have taken over the cafe on the library grounds. Whether you're stopping in for books, a proper coffee, or both, it makes for one of the more charming retreats in the city – though you'll still want to bring your own book.

195 Surawong Rd. Garden Cafe. Open daily 9am-6pm. Day visitor and membership access available

Details

Address: 195 Surawong Rd, Suriya Wong, Bang Rak; Bangkok; 10500

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What’s on

Neilson Hays Library Bi-Annual Book Sale – pre-loved finds in a historic setting

Twice a year, one of Bangkok's most beautiful heritage buildings turns into a book lover’s playground. The Neilson Hays Library’s biannual sale spreads hundreds of titles across its neoclassical interiors, with prices starting from just B20. Stock covers fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, cookbooks and more, in both Thai and English. The smart move is to go more than once – titles rotate daily, so what’s not there today might appear tomorrow. Even if you leave empty-handed (unlikely), the setting alone is worth it. Founded in 1869 and housed in its current building since 1921, the library still carries its original details – from wooden shelves to ceiling fans – alongside more recent recognition, including a UNESCO conservation award. When: May 16-24 (closed May 18), 9.30am-5pmWhere: Neilson Hays Library, SurawongPrice: Free entry

May 16May 24, 2026