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

Marc Butler’s latest solo show, disappear here stepping through a cracked mirror. He builds a world shaped by human appetite, where spectacle teeters on the edge of collapse, never quite settling. Sculptures appear raw, almost unsettled, filled with distorted figures, hybrid symbols and fragments that feel oddly familiar. His material language stays direct, refusing polish, which gives each piece a kind of restless energy. Installations spread outward, forming spaces that feel immersive yet slightly uneasy, as if everything exists on repeat. References to consumerism, power and stylised violence slip through without announcement. Moments of dark humour sit beside something more pointed, asking quiet questions about participation.  April 21-May 23. Fakafei Gallery, 10.30am-6.30am

Coffee in Italy rarely stands alone. It arrives with ritual, design and a certain sense of theatre, and Passione Italiana: L’Arte dell’Espresso leans fully into that idea. Curated by Elisabetta Pisu with Distortion Studio, the exhibition brings historic espresso machines together with sculptural objects that trace how coffee shapes daily life. Alessandro Mendini’s playful designs sit alongside rare pieces from the Mumac museum, each carrying its own story of craft and innovation. Talksopen up conversations around culture, sustainability and ritual, with speakers including Tomaso Mannu and Massimiliano Marchesi. In the evenings, the mood softens into Jazz & Coffee sessions, where Bruno Brugnano joins the Bangkok New Trio for sets that pair sound with aroma in a quietly absorbing way. April 24-May 12. Free. Nextopia, Siam Paragon. 10am-7pm

Passakorn Pachana turns his gaze seaward with Sea Reverie, a solo show that hovers between recollection and shifting tide. Each canvas captures a fleeting state – a storm gathering, a lull settling, light changing by the hour – so the view never quite holds still. Colour does most of the emotional work, moving from brooding swells to calmer stretches, while the shoreline slips between the tangible and the imagined. Anemones, shells, fish and birds thread through like half-remembered details. Spend time here and the horizon begins to echo something closer to home, as if each scene carries a mood you recognise but can’t quite place. Until May 3. Free. KYLA Gallery and Wine Bar. 3pm-midnight

sits firmly in the category of places you keep having to return to. But this time, it feels different. The concept leans on the ocean after dark, when sunlight disappears and whole ecosystems carry on unseen. You wander through shifting light, sometimes above the waterline, sometimes beneath it, with bioluminescent creatures flickering softly around you. Details keep catching your eye. A neon wall answers your touch with imagined marine life. Seahorses glow under tinted light, rainforest corners bloom with luminous flora, and a quiet full moon hangs over goldfish. In the shark tunnel, silver ripples mimic night tides, while Gentoo penguins stand beneath drifting northern lights. Even the familiar route feels refreshed, with a small stamp trail guiding the way. Until September 20. Starts at B449 via here. SEA LIFE Bangkok

What is it? The Mandarin Oriental's khao chae is led this year by Chef Pom Patchara, who draws on family recipes passed down through generations. The jasmine rice is smoked with ob tien – a traditional Thai aromatic candle used to infuse a delicate, smoky, floral fragrance – before being floated in cool, flower-scented water. The side dishes follow a classical royal-court sequence: luk kapi, pounded yison fish caramelised to a deep sweetness, stuffed green pepper in its delicate egg-net wrapping and sweet shredded pork.  Why we love it: The presentation across both available formats – a gift box and a traditional pinto lunch carrier – reflects the hotel's understanding that the experience of khao chae extends well beyond the table.  Time Out tip: Advance orders are required. If you're giving this as a gift, the pinto carrier is the move – it travels beautifully and arrives looking considered. Four branches are available if one location doesn't suit you. The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Available at four Bangkok branches – Siam Paragon, Gaysorn Village, The Emporium and Park Silom. Daily from March 16-May 15.

A contemporary exhibition and workshop programme takes on questions of security and precarity within today’s art landscape, focusing on those often left at the edges. The project centres Thai artists aged 40-plus who continue working without institutional backing, whether overlooked by selection systems or quietly stepping away from formal circuits out of necessity. The programme creates space for these voices without dressing them up, pairing exhibitions with workshops that favour exchange over instruction.  Until May 31. Free. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, 10am-8pm

Closing the summer season with a bang, Sarran and Kaenkrung have put together a limited-run tasting built around khao chae – Thailand’s very unique royal summer dish – and the history of the Wat Arun neighbourhood. The experience plays out as a multi-course set, starting with traditional snacks before moving into the hero khao chae course, inspired by the architecture and prangs of Wat Arun, a long-standing symbol of Thonburi. From there, the meal continues through classic Thai elements, ending on a more decorative, dessert-led note. It is as much about storytelling as it is about the food, with each course echoing a piece of local history or cultural reference. May 2-3. Early bird B1,950 per person, regular B2,500. Kaenkrung, Arunamarin, Bangkok Noi. Advance booking required. From 5pm

For something more decadent, Consul Caviar Club turns Sunday afternoons into a drawn-out affair with a caviar-focused tea set paired with champagne and cocktails. The menu moves between light pastries and richer bites, from blinis and smoked Tasmanian salmon to wagyu puffs and seafood-led snacks, with caviar carried through the experience in different forms. You can keep things classic with tea and a glass of something sparkling, or take it further with cocktail pairings or a bottle of champagne if the mood calls for it. This works best when you are not in a rush, more about letting the afternoon stretch on its own terms. From B3,200++ per person. The Consul Club, 30/F, JLK Tower. Advance booking recommended. Every Sunday, 1.30pm-5pm

‘Preserve, Maintain, and Extend’ sounds almost instructional, yet the White Elephant Art Competition treats it as an open question. Artists answer in their own language, moving freely across form and surface. Among the works that linger, Branches of the Era by Theerapol Seesang carries a steady gravity, while Doi Ang Khang by Boonmee Saengkham leans closer to memory and place. Recognition matters, but it never overwhelms the wider conversation. Each year, this show marks a subtle shift, where technique evolves and ideas stretch, leaving visitors with something to sit with long after. Until May 17. Free. Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 10am-8pm

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