Hobbymaxxing in Bangkok: A date with your notebook

The best part of starting any new hobby? Supply shopping. 

We’re taking a little trip down memory lane and going back-to-school shopping for a notebook and pen. Sure, there’s a fair few pretty notebooks collecting dust at home but those are too nice to write in. They’re part of the pretty notebook to-not-be-written-in collection we all secretly have.

And skip the tablet too. Journalling is all about the physical process, and as we all collectively lose our cursive muscle memory, this helps save some handwriting skills for when they may be needed.

Seeing an entire wall of notebooks in every shade imaginable, alongside a sea of pens (who knew there were that many?), stationery shopping might become the new hobby itself. You’ll mostly see students dressed in the Thai school uniform of white button-ups and pleated skirts, which is probably all the proof you need that this place means business. Browse the extensive collection of leather-bound and lightweight paper notebooks, then try not to lose an hour among the international stationery brands and pens that’ll make you even more excited to start journalling. 

Three locations at Sutthisan, Mahatun Plaza and One Bangkok

If you’ve visited Japan, you’ll probably recognise LOFT, the ‘everything lifestyle store’ that’s made its way to Bangkok. If you’re after a bigger selection and a guaranteed case of decision paralysis, head straight for the stationery corner. Warning: try not to get distracted by everything else. The selection leans into that very Japanese combination of minimal, cute and practical, with plenty of character collaborations, like Snoopy and Miffy. 

Two locations at Siam Discovery (second floor) and ICONSIAM (third floor)

This is one of my favourites and probably the least stationery-focused of the three (oops). This multi-store and community space brings together stationery, art prints, handmade ceramics and accessories from local Thai illustrators and independent artists.

You’ll definitely find things you’ve never seen before, and at least one object you didn’t come in looking for but won’t be able to resist taking home with you. Still, don’t forget the essentials: a notebook, something to write with and maybe some stickers and washi tape for good measure.

325 Yaowaphanit Road, Songwat. Open daily from 10am-7pm

In theory, anywhere – at home, on the MRT (when it’s NOT rush hour) or on the back of a Grab bike if you’re a local. But this is Bangkok we’re talking about, home to café culture and creative community spaces that seem to pop up overnight.

This bookstore has cats. I could probably leave it at that, but it also has that neighbourhood feel where the barista definitely knows the regulars’ coffee orders by heart. Natural light pours in through the front windows, with plants tucked into every corner – the sort of space where you can imagine Shakespeare sitting around with writer’s block. 

Pull up one of the mismatched chairs and settle in at one of the many desks dotted throughout the space. Unlike those tiny, picture-perfect café tables where you have to choose between setting down your notebook, drink or dessert, there’s actually room to spread out here. Books line the grungy industrial metal shelves, which somehow look very cool here but considerably less so in your dad’s garage.

721, 723 Samsen 17 Alley, Thanon Nakhon Chai. Open Tues-Sun noon-7pm, with weekends until 10:30pm (for those late night ideas)

Sometimes dropping a few hundred baht every time you have an intrusive thought isn’t in the budget. Open House at Central Embassy is a multi-purpose creative and community space – part bookstore, reading lounge and café. The open space, high ceilings and warm wood tones make it feel more like a library where everyone is doing their own thing. There’s something nice about getting your social fix from being around people without having to actually talk to anyone (guilty as charged). Head there early and make sure to snag a window seat to journal with a view.

Central Embassy (sixth floor), Lumphini. Open daily 10am-10pm

For those brave enough to sweat through Bangkok’s heat, Benjakitti Park is the perfect place to pair journalling with a little time in nature. Have a picnic on the grass, grab one of the lawn chairs by the water or make your way into the forest park and find a shady spot among the trees. Once you’ve finished brain-dumping, take a stroll around the park and call it a two-for-one wellness session.

Ratchadaphisek Rd, Khlong Toei. Open daily from 4.30am-10pm

The key to sticking with a hobby is riding the post-supply-shopping high and not letting your new supplies sit buried in a drawer for months until you forget about them. Nothing keeps you quite as accountable as setting a date and time – and a room full of strangers waiting for you. Don’t worry, there’s no going around the table and sharing what you wrote (I hope).

Pintage Studio

Although not the type of club that’s most infamous in Bangkok, this one also brings all the action (if you can call writing ‘action’). From first-timers to those already on their fifth notebook, everyone’s welcome, with guided prompts and snacks to get the creative juices flowing. Keep an eye out for their next scheduled event by following their socials.

I found bits club 

That plane ticket from three years ago you’ve been holding on to? That first-date movie stub? Collect those scraps and turn them into a collage of memories in this workshop. Minimalists who keep everything in their iCloud don’t worry – the workshop comes with cute decorative cards, stickers, scraps of paper and everything you need to ‘junk journal’, including the ‘junk.’ It’s a good way to trade stories and reflect on all the good ol’ memories while making new ones. Workshops come and go, so grab your slot for B590 when the next one rolls around.

Kear Store

Convinced journalling is your new go-to hobby? Then your notebook definitely needs a personalised leather cover to protect it, rain or shine. This workshop offers plenty of ways to customise it and make it your own, from cross-stitching and leather punching to hot-foil stamping (whatever that means, but you’ll find out soon enough). 

Workshops run daily for B990 and take about two hours. You might even pick up your next hobby. Leatherworking, anyone?

The point isn’t to become a writer (ironically, for me). It’s just to jot things down, process some backburner thoughts and notice the little things you might otherwise miss. Here are some prompts ranging from light-hearted ones to things that’ll make you put on your thinking cap:

What’s the most Bangkok thing that’s happened to me this week? 

What’s my dream dinner party guest list?

Would I rather sweat jelly or cry hot sauce? (Mine’s sweat jelly. I won’t elaborate.)

What would my warning label say?

What’s the weirdest thing I’ve Googled lately?

Three pages. First thing in the morning. No rules, no editing, in fact, no thinking. Just write. What you dreamed about, all the things you need to get done today, why your neighbour’s dog is barking at 6am – anything. The point isn’t to write something profound but to get everything out of your head and onto the page.

Unfortunately, this one does involve a five-year plan. Not just one, but three different versions:

1. ‘What would your life look like five years from now if you continued down your current path?’
2. ‘What would your life look like five years from now if you took a completely different path?’
3. ‘What would your life look like five years from now if money, social expectations and reputation were irrelevant?’

But this is all just food for thought, unless it inspires you to make actual change, then that’s fine too.

Friend count: 0. Journalling supplies +16. Recommend? Absolutely.