Our picks for the best things to do in Bangkok this weekend

Cats, and then more cats. Millions of CATS and ONE CAT by Niam Mawornkanong starts playfully enough, before turning quietly unsettling. Rows of near-identical felines gather across the canvas, repeated, rearranged, slightly off. What reads as cute at first glance soon sharpens, becoming a study of sameness, systems and the strange comfort of blending in. Set against a backdrop of algorithm-led imagery and machine-made aesthetics, the work questions how identity holds up when everything starts to look alike. Each figure acts less as a portrait and more as a unit, part of a wider pattern where individuality slips and repetition takes over. Until May 22. Free. Art Jewel Gallery, Siam Paragon. 10am-8pm

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

First staged in Cheongju Craft Biennale, this group exhibition arrives in Bangkok following a debut as the Invited Country Pavilion in Cheongju, South Korea. The project grows from an ongoing exchange between Thailand and the Republic of Korea, setting craft alongside contemporary art across Southeast and East Asia. At its core sits ‘Elastic Time’, a curatorial thread that questions how time behaves across the region. Forget neat timelines. Here, past, present and future overlap, repeat and quietly reshape one another. The Cheongju edition sets the tone as a cross-cultural conversation, where material, process and memory carry equal weight. Artists approach craft not as something fixed, but as a way to consider what unfolds now, and what might come next. Until August 16. Free. Jim Thompson Art Center. 10am-6pm

Re:Turn Market makes a convincing case for spending an entire afternoon underground. Set inside Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station, the air-conditioned market gathers more than 80 shops under one roof, mixing vintage clothing, streetwear, toys, accessories, art pieces and small-label finds without forcing everything into the same aesthetic lane. The best part is the pace. You can wander slowly without melting in the heat or making emergency rain dashes between stalls, and the mix stays broad enough that even casual browsers usually leave carrying something unexpected. May 15-17. Free entry. Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station. 11am-9pm

The annual sale at Neilson Hays Library returns for 2026, and regulars know the drill: arrive early, bring a sturdy tote, and prepare to leave with more than planned. Set against the library’s quietly elegant architecture, the event offers shelves of secondhand titles in Thai and English, covering novels, art books, children’s stories, older prints and the occasional rare find, with prices starting from B20. Selections come partly from the library’s own collection, alongside books gathered specifically for the occasion. Every purchase supports the upkeep of the historic building, so it’s shopping with a purpose. Word is, a small surprise also waits for visitors this year, a gentle thank you for turning up and browsing. May ​16-24. Free. Neilson Hays Library. 9.30am-5pm

Back behind Esplanade Ratchadaphisek, Ratchada Train Night Market slides straight back into rhythm after its March return. From May 15-17, the sprawling bazaar folds free live music into its usual mix of vintage stalls, smoky grills and ice-cold beers. Landokmai opens the weekend on May 15 with hazy guitar pop before Mirrr takes over later that night. May 16 shjifts into luk thung and molam territory with Arpaporn ‘Hi’ Nakhonsawan and Paradise Bangkok, while Yented and Fellow Fellow close things out on May 17 with a softer indie finish. May 15-17. Free entry. Train Night Market Ratchada. 5pm-1am

Bangkok’s underground circuit gets a new late-night address with DUAL, which takes over from Kangkao Collective space inside Trinity Complex. The focus here stays firmly on electronic music, with Southeast Asian selectors sharing the booth alongside visiting international names. The room keeps things stripped back and intimate, letting the sound system carry most of the atmosphere while the crowd settles in for long sessions rather than quick drop-ins. Anyone familiar with the old Kangkao spirit will recognise the easy camaraderie immediately, just with a sharper edge and slightly heavier energy. Open Friday-Saturday. B300-500 via here. DUAL, Trinity Complex, Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 3. From 9pm

Craft here reads like a way of staying present. The exhibition looks at time across Thailand and Southeast Asia as something layered and cyclical, shaped by ritual, labour and shared experience rather than strict progression. Makers move between past and present with a quiet ease, holding inherited knowledge while adjusting to what now demands. Objects carry that negotiation, each one marked by repetition. Slowness becomes intentional, offering an alternative to constant speed and easy consumption. Nothing feels rushed, yet nothing stands still either.  April 30-16 August. Free. Jim Thompson Art Center, 10am-6pm

HOMU’s latest seasonal collaboration with crafted pistachio milk café brand Pista& feels aimed squarely at people who want coffee and dessert to quietly merge into the same thing. Everything lands soft, nutty and creamy without tipping into overload. Matcha pistachio cloud layers cold whisked matcha with salted butter notes and a pistachio kinako cloud, while pistachio kinako milk leans deeper into roasted flavours with thick kinako milk and an unexpectedly rich pistachio topping.  Meanwhile, the pistachio soymilk pudding layers silky soymilk pudding with smooth pistachio paste, finished with kinako and pistachio powder. Rich but controlled – exactly the sort of thing Bangkok cafés are fully obsessed with right now. Now until June 30 or until sold out. HOMU, Sathorn 2. Open daily 9am-6pm

Colour takes the lead in CHROMATIC: A Journey Through Neighborhood Color, a photography exhibition tracing people, culture and daily life across three central Bangkok districts: Song Wat, Pak Khlong Talat and Phahurat. Here, colour works as more than surface detail, linking identity, memory and place across each frame. The images capture movement across streets shaped by trade, vendors and long-standing routines, where community life unfolds in steady rhythm. Expect scenes that shift between quiet observation and busier moments, each grounded in everyday experience. The exhibition forms part of WALKK: Bangkok Re-Birth, a wider programme inviting visitors to trace stories shaped by time, changing ways of life and the city’s historic quarters. Until May 31. Free. TAY Songwat. 9.30am-5.30pm