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

Towering over Sanam Luang with arms folded and eyes shut, the 18-metre COMPANION figure doesn’t so much demand attention as absorb it. It marks the latest stop in a journey that’s spanned continents – from Tokyo’s neon calm to Melbourne’s open sprawl – and now settles, briefly, in Bangkok’s historic core. Brought together through a collaboration between Kaws, AllRightsReserved and Central Embassy, the installation feels less like an event and more like a grand occupation. The setting matters. Here, beneath shifting clouds and flocks of tourists, the sculpture takes on a different gravity. Its stillness is deliberate, a kind of monument to introspection. Rather than disrupt, it lingers – a surreal presence folding global pop into local rhythm, inviting passers-by to look up, pause and wonder. May 13-25. Free. Sanam Luang, 7pm-10pm

To mark its second anniversary, Slowcombo is hostsing a month-long unfolding of food, music and small pleasures. In the aptly named Foodroom, a rotating cast of vendors serves up an ever-shifting landscape of flavour, from experimental desserts to street-style reinventions. Each week brings a new ensemble, making repetition impossible and discovery inevitable. The atmosphere hovers somewhere between low-key gathering and quiet celebration. Live music drifts in – DJs on one night, brass and bass the next – never overpowering, always lingering. It’s less about spectacle, more about shared rhythm. May becomes a stretch of gentle rituals: eating with strangers, listening in passing, finding comfort in the ordinary made thoughtful. May 7-27. Free. Foodroom, Slowcombo, 10am-8pm 

In Mit Jai Inn’s world, a canvas doesn’t sit politely on a wall. It spills, folds, stretches, unravels. His latest exhibition, anchored in the concept of 'Scroll’, fuses Eastern scroll painting with Western traditions, only to unpick them entirely. Works pulse with layered pigment and movement, rejecting the idea of a fixed perspective. They’re less images, more surfaces in flux. Then there’s Floor Work – not a series so much as a provocation. These pieces abandon the wall altogether, sprawling across the ground in thick, textured layers. They turn viewing into something spatial, even physical, asking you to tread carefully, literally. Mit Jai Inn isn’t offering neat stories or tidy frames. His art resists resolution. What you get instead is colour, contradiction and a quiet refusal to stay still. Until Jun 9. Free. Central Chidlom, 10am-10pm

Doraemon fans, this one’s for you. The 100% Doraemon and Friends Tour arrives in Thailand for the first time, following stops in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai. The event celebrates Fujiko F. Fujio’s 90th anniversary with life-sized manga figures. Inside, expect two key zones. The first is a manga-inspired space with life-sized figures of Doraemon and his crew – each standing at 123.9 cm, just like in the comics. The second includes a themed cafe and pop-up store with items exclusive to the tour. A giant inflatable Doraemon – the world’s largest – will also debut by the Chao Phraya River, adding a surreal new landmark to Bangkok’s riverside. May 1-June 22. B199-1,790 via here. Attraction Hall, Icon Siam, 10.30am-9pm

Bangkok’s beloved Neilson Hays Library invites book lovers, collectors and curious visitors to its much-anticipated Bi-Annual Book Sale, running from May 17-25, 2025 (closed Monday May 19). Hosted at the library’s iconic home at 195 Surawong Road, the event promises a rich selection of affordable books and media, set in one of the city's most historic and architecturally celebrated buildings. Entry is free, and all are welcome. The sale offers a chance to browse hundreds of pre-loved and ex-library items in both English and Thai, with prices starting at just B20. Whether you’re looking for the latest thrillers, history hardcovers, Thai-language titles, children’s books, cookbooks, magazines, CDs or DVDs, there’s something for every taste and age. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags to help reduce waste, though beautiful Neilson Hays Library tote bags are also available for purchase. More than just a book sale, the event helps fund the preservation and maintenance of the historic library, as well as a wide array of community programs. These include children’s storytime, literary talks, exhibitions, school outreach, writing competitions and more – initiatives that keep the library’s mission of literacy and lifelong learning alive. Founded in 1869, the Neilson Hays Library began as the Bangkok Ladies’ Library Association, a groundbreaking initiative started by thirteen expatriate women from the US and UK. At a time when public spaces led by women were virtually...

The exhibition unfolds not with noise but with stillness, asking viewers to unlearn the instinct to categorise. Across a sequence of photographs, identity is presented not as fact but as feeling – shifting, unresolved, defiantly uncoded. What begins as a quiet meditation soon reveals itself as a layered refusal. The binary – once a seemingly stable structure – is dismantled image by image. Here, the influence of digital language is clear: 0 and 1 reimagined, not as limits but as endless combinations. Bodies blur, gazes linger, definitions fall away. Some portraits are bold, others barely there. All resist the neatness of X or Y. Rather than offering answers, the exhibition suggests another way of looking – one that doesn’t require certainty, doesn’t expect sameness and has no interest in choosing sides. May 1-29. Free. Ming Art Space, open Fri-Sun, 10am-7pm

It’s part book sale, part quiet act of preservation. For a handful of coins – B20 onwards, if you’re counting – you can sift through tables stacked with pre-loved titles and ex-library oddities in both Thai and English. Dog-eared novels, forgotten cookbooks, possibly a dictionary last opened in 1994. But beneath the paperbacks and fading spines, there’s a larger story: proceeds go toward maintaining the historic library itself, along with the programmes that keep its heart beating. Storytime sessions for restless toddlers, talks for bookish grown-ups, school visits, writing contests, exhibitions – the kind of soft infrastructure that rarely makes headlines but quietly shapes lives. It’s not just a sale. It’s a small investment in curiosity, chaos and the stubborn magic of public space that still believes everyone belongs. May 17-25. Free. Neilson Hays Library, 9.30pm-7pm

An exhibition by seven artists brings together traditional and modern Thai art in a celebration of the essence of cultural heritage. In Phra Nakhon, an area rich in history, timeless architecture and artistic treasures from the Ayutthayan to the Rattanakosin eras remain a testament to Thailand’s enduring identity. This unique showcase blends classical and contemporary styles, offering a fresh interpretation of the nation’s artistic legacy. Set on Phra Arthit Road, a historic and cultural hub, the event highlights the creativity and spirit of Thai culture. Visitors, both local and international, are invited to explore the connections between past and present while gaining a deeper appreciation of the artistic traditions that continue to shape the country. Apr 1-May 31. Free. 10 10 Art Space, 10am-7pm

This immersive, interactive digital art exhibition themed "Nature and Wildlife" highlights the beauty of ecosystems and biodiversity through advanced techniques like projection mapping, laser art and high-quality media. Spread across nine rooms at King Power Mahanakon, each space presents a distinctive experience reminiscent of a fantastical zoo. Notable features include the Kaleidoscope zone, enveloped in a variety of flowers that serve as food for butterflies; a laser projection room showcasing the majesty of predators; and an interactive underwater world. Youngsters can also enjoy a colouring activity and have their creations appear on the walls. A special surprise awaits with the appearance of Moo Deng, the famous pygmy hippopotamus from Khao Kheow Zoo, who awaits in different rooms to delight you. Until Jul 31. B350 via here and B1,000-1,200 including the Sky Walk via here. Fourth floor, King Power Mahanakon, 10am-9pm

Manit Sriwanichpoom’s latest exhibition invites us to peer into a future carved by human ambition and technology. Through a striking blend of photography and video, the works are generated by artificial intelligence, weaving prompts and big data into a visual narrative. Mars, once a red desert, is rendered in an unsettling shade of shocking pink, offering a jarring contrast that mirrors the environmental and social upheavals we face on Earth. It’s a future where the lines between the real and the imagined blur, raising questions not only about our impact on this planet, but on the ones we’ve yet to touch. The result is a chilling vision of what might await, a quiet warning wrapped in an almost surreal beauty. Until Jun 28. Free. Kathmandu Photo Gallery, 11am-6pm