The best things to do in Bangkok this weekend (April 23-26)

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

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

MOVIEMOV returns to Bangkok at the closing chapter of a year-long programme that has built momentum through workshops and collaborations with students, emerging creatives and local institutions. What lands now is a film festival that carries that shared energy with it. The line-up leans into contemporary Italian storytelling without the usual arthouse distance – films move easily between humour, tension and everyday detail, offering glimpses of modern life that feel both specific and unexpectedly familiar. Tickets an hour before showtime at the box office on the fifth floor of Samyan Mitrtown.

Until  April 24. Free. House Samyan

Burapa Eastern Thai Cuisine and Bar at Sukhumvit 11 has built a following for its unapologetically bold eastern Thai flavours, and now it opens daily, making spontaneous visits far easier. The  new lunch set (11am-2pm) is designed as a proper midday reset, with each menu rooted in recipes from Thailand’s eastern provinces, plated with a lighter, modern touch. Expect a main with up to three sides – sharp salads, warming soups or punchy relishes – followed by tea, coffee or dessert. Prices start at B550 (B530 for vegetarian). If time is tight, the Drink & Snack pairing (B380) lands twice daily, matching cocktails like bussaba quince, honey ginger or pomegranate with bites such as crispy three-flavour chicken or grilled pork jowl salad.

Burapa Eastern Thai Cuisine and Bar. Open daily 11am-11pm

A blues dance night lands at The O.S.S. Bar with connection at its core and just enough encouragement to step outside your comfort zone. The evening opens with a beginner-friendly workshop before live music carries the room from first steps into a slow, late-night sway, followed by a DJ set that keeps things moving. The roots trace back to blues as a language shaped within African American communities in the southern United States, carrying stories of movement, longing and identity that still resonate in every note. On the floor, dance becomes a direct response to sound. Come solo or with friends  – either way, you’re likely to leave having met a few new people along the way.

April 23. B500 via here and B700 at the door. The O.S.S. Bar. 6pm onwards

Record Fest BKK returns just in time to test your self-control. Framed around Record Store Day under the banner ‘Spin the Culture’, it brings crate diggers, collectors and casual listeners together under one roof. The Collector Garage leads the charge, with more than 40 booths stacked with vinyl, tapes, CDs and music-adjacent finds, alongside labels dropping fresh pressings. Whether you’re hunting for something rare or just  browsing, it’s easy to lose track of time. Elsewhere, DJ sets, mini gigs, fan signings and talk sessions led by DJ Sonny keep the energy moving. Hands-on options include crafting NFC keychains or painting old records, while the Vinyl Library lets you test turntables and dip into a 500-strong archive. Come light – you won’t leave empty-handed. 

April 24-26. B200 at the door. NEX HALL. Siam Paragon. 10am-10pm

A familiar name lands at The Warehouse Bangkok as DJ Spiller takes over the decks. More than two decades since Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) helped redefine disco-house, its influence runs through dance floors worldwide – and yes, it still hits. Spiller arrives from Italy with a catalogue that sits comfortably between classic and current, built on warm basslines and clean, uplifting hooks. Expect a set that moves naturally, weaving recognisable moments with deeper cuts. The stripped-back space and proper sound system at The Warehouse give the music room to breathe, keeping the focus exactly where it should be. 

April 24. B800 via here. Clutch. 6pm onwards

Vinyl Palooza takes over The Warehouse Bangkok for a three-day Record Store Day stretch with the pace shifting naturally from afternoon crate digging into late-night dancing. The headline moment lands on Friday at Clutch, where DJ Spiller steps up, joined across the weekend by a rotating local lineup. Friday brings DJ Soisipsee and Dave Soul, Saturday hands the booth to Tom FKG and Ruggero, while Sunday closes with DJ Vim and JDJ. Alongside the music, Mahajak rolls out audio gear from AlphaTheta, JBL and Denon, giving you the chance to test  serious sound while digging through records.

April 24-26. Free. The Warehouse Bangkok. 2pm-10pm

Now in its fifth year, this three-day, three-night programme (Apr 24-26) lands at Siwilai Sound Club with a clear idea: jazz belongs everywhere. The lineup brings together international and local artists across wildly different styles, tracing a sonic arc from the swing-heavy 1930s through to the freer rule-breaking edges of the '50s and '70s. Improvisation drives everything here – not polished sets playing it safe, but musicians responding to each other in real time. If you've never experienced live jazz that genuinely moves, this is a strong place to start.

April 24-26. B700-1,800 via here and B900 at the door. Siwilai Sound Club. 9pm-midnight

A small alley on Charoen Krung 43 turns into an easy weekend wander, bringing together nine independent shops that reward a slower browse. Hands-on elements keep things lively – Jomo Joyy hosts a Suncatcher workshop, Kumchom Studio sets up a Flower Bar for custom bouquets, and Memo Sticker Shop lets you experiment with designs and leave with something personal. Food covers all bases, from Japanese-Western comfort plates at Homer Brunch Cafe to carefully whisked matcha at  Ren BKK and soft, just-baked cookies from I’m Baking Up With You. Music drifts through the space too, from vinyl at Entertainment Project BKK to club-leaning sounds via Bangkok Mojo Club, while BicycleBoys Bike Shop doubles as a social stop for passing cyclists.

April 25-26. Free. Charoenkrung43. 1pm-7pm

Market Things returns with a weekend edition at The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit, set along the Chao Phraya in one of the city’s older quarters. The setup stays relaxed – the kind of market you dip in and out of between coffee stops – with stalls covering handmade books, woven bags, recycled jewellery, photography and small-scale art. Workshops run throughout the day for anyone keen to get involved rather than just browse.  

April 25-26. Free. The StandardX. 10am-7pm

This one leans deliberately accessible. SWEETS Jazz Community brings together a swinging mix of standards, classics and popular tracks reworked with a soulful edge, all landing at The Commons for what they're calling their biggest music event of the year. Expect good food, easy grooves and a crowd that’s there as much for the atmosphere as the music. Proof that jazz doesn’t need a barrier to entry.

April 25. Free. The Commons Thonglor. 7pm-midnight

Chakraphong Road and Lan Luang Road pick up energy as the fourth Bangkok Art Walk returns, with artists working in plain sight and jazz drifting between stalls. The programme stretches across six weekends, evolving as it goes. It opens on April 25-26 and May 2-3 with art, books, vinyl and cassette shops for unhurried digging. Midway, on May 16-17 and May 23-24, the focus shifts to street art, fashion and outdoor activities including city runs and cycling routes. June rounds things off on 13-14 and 20-21 with plant sellers and pet-friendly finds. It’s less a single event than a series of reasons to keep coming back.

April 25-June 20. Free. Chakraphong Road and Lan Luang Road. 2pm-10pm

Sunday morning plans sort themselves here. A breezy tai chi session trades rigid routines for something looser, set to DJ GUNGUN’s selections. The session runs in two slots – 10am-10.30am and 11am-11.30am – so you can ease in at your own pace. It starts with fan decorating led by Studio Cantalove, giving you a personalised prop before moving into a guided flow where everyone finds their own rhythm. Afterwards, stick around for matcha tasting by Seven Suns and a bit of easy conversation. 

April 26. Free. Register via here. The Commons Thonglor. 10am-11.30am

Dial a number and poetry answers. Dial-A-Poem Thailand gathers 35 Thai artists working across text, image, film, sound and performance, pushing  poetry well beyond the page. Access is  simple – call to +66 97-531-0708 or use the fixed telephone installations at Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest. Each call connects you to a random recording, creating a one-to-one exchange that lasts only as long as you stay on the line. Voices range from intimate messages and algorithmic speech to chance compositions and ritual sound, with street calls, Muay Thai commentary and regional dialects sitting alongside monastic chants. The result is a layered sonic map of contemporary Thai expression.

April 24 onwards. Free. Bangkok Kunsthalle. 2pm-8pm

A slow Sunday with a literary twist. This book fair draws on Barcelona’s Saint George’s Day tradition, where books and roses are exchanged as small, meaningful gestures. Now in its fifth year, the festival brings that spirit to Bangkok with stalls covering books, prints and small crafts, attracting design-minded browsers as much as dedicated readers. Organised by Myriam Rueda of MESA 312 alongside the Spanish Embassy in Thailand, it nods to Barcelona without overplaying it. Midday adds an extra incentive – free Spanish paella from La Cava Phuket, served between 1pm-2pm, giving you a reason to linger before heading home with something new to read.

April 26. Free. GalileOasis. 10am-7pm

Songkran wraps, but not everything disappears with the last splash of water. Thai art stays put, holding the centre a little longer than expected. Towering sculptures by internationally recognised Thai artists remain scattered across the city. Earlier moments of artist talks and hands-on workshops pass, leaving behind quieter encounters with each installation. What lingers now is space to take your time, to look properly, to notice details that might have slipped by during the rush of the festival. Even the stamp-collecting frenzy fades, replaced by something slower, more reflective.

April 16-30. Free. Entertainment Plaza, Lumpini Park, 10am-8pm

Noo Monthip moves across disciplines with quiet ease, shaping voice, music, fashion and image without ever insisting on attention. This exhibition gathers what she leaves behind, assembled by family and friends who understand that her work speaks best when given space. ‘Wind’ becomes a gentle thread. You don’t see it, but you feel its presence in motion, much like memory that lingers, shifts and returns in unexpected ways. The ground floor, Baan Sailom, invites a slower pace, a place to sit and reflect. Upstairs, her life unfolds through sound, images and objects that feel deeply personal. A music corner hums beside fragments of writing. Another level brings fashion and collaborations, offering a fuller sense of how she connects with others, softly but unmistakably.

Until April 30. Free. Museum Pier, 10am-6pm

Pets remember everything, even when their vision begins to fade. That quiet heartbreak sits at the centre of 24 Eyes of Hope, an annual CSR campaign by Thonglor Pet Hospital that focuses on restoring sight for dogs and cats living with cataracts. This year, the programme selects 12 animals, offering surgery for 24 eyes at no cost to owners who face financial limits or lack access to care. Applications open through personal stories, either a short video or written piece shaped around a simple prompt: if sight returns, what should they see first? It’s direct, a little emotional, and hard to ignore. Entries are submitted via the hospital’s Facebook page or LINE @jaothonglor, where each story carries the weight of something deeply personal.

Until April 30. Free. Thonglor Pet Hospital.

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

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

Thanwa Huangsmut takes familiar expectations and quietly pulls them apart, piece by piece. His paintings rely on instinct as much as discipline, balancing assured brushwork with colour that feels almost unruly at first glance. Figures seem caught mid-shift, held between movement and control, as if testing how much space they can claim for themselves. The question lingers without insisting on an answer: do we truly own our lives, or simply perform within inherited limits? Each canvas suggests a different response, shaped through texture, rhythm and carefully measured composition. What stays with you is less a conclusion and more a feeling, a quiet encouragement to stand firm, to choose deliberately, and to carry that choice with a certain grace.

Until May 3. Free. Joyman Gallery, 11am-6pm

Grey rarely settles comfortably within beauty. It lingers between light and dark, feeling and logic, never fully choosing a side. In In the Midst of Gray, Chainarong follows that in-between state through Chawky, a character who carries the quiet weight of growing up without quite knowing how to answer their own emotions. Encounters pass, connections form, affection deepens, then shifts. Not everything finds resolution. Some moments blur, others stay unexpectedly sharp. Chawky moves through this uncertainty with a kind of soft detachment, as if standing just outside their own story. The works feel reflective without becoming heavy. They ask simple questions that don’t quite settle: which memories stay brightest, and why do certain feelings refuse to fade, even as everything else slowly recedes?

Until May 3. Free. Supples Gallery, 11am-6pm

Seven voices meet on the same wall, each shaped by different cities yet speaking through the same visual code. Artists from Thailand, France and Switzerland treat graffiti less as rebellion and more as a shared language, one that carries stories of ambition, missteps and quiet persistence. Styles shift from sharp lettering to loose, almost instinctive forms, but a sense of dialogue holds everything together. Youth lingers here, with all its uncertainty and small acts of bravery. Misjudgments sit beside moments of clarity, neither cancelling the other. What stays is the belief that expression matters, even when direction feels unclear, and that instinct often knows before certainty catches up.

March 20-May 3. Free. Maison JE Bangkok, 11am-7pm

Bangkok does not always demand skyscraper gazing. Sometimes it hands you a pocket-sized booklet and suggests a long walk. The BAC Passport returns with its Winter Edition 2026, turning the city into a living sketchbook where each stamp is an achievement. You pick up the passport, roam between art spaces, collect marks and trade them for souvenirs created by actual artists. It plays out like a cultural scavenger hunt, only with better stories to tell afterwards. This season gathers 27 destinations and splits them across four routes, from Old Town corners to riverbank hideouts. Pick up your passport at one of seven locations, including Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center, Bangkok City Library, Chula Museum, River City Bangkok, Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music, Asvin or Numthong Art Space. You have until May 31 to complete the journey.

 Until May 31. Free. Art spaces across Bangkok.

Call it a citywide fixation: One Piece takes over Bangkok with surprising ease. Fans who once followed Luffy on small screens now find those stories stretched across real space. Netflix brings a slice of the Grand Line to Lumpini Park, yet ICONSIAM answers with something more immersive: a 600-square-metre pop-up café that plays like a living archive. Scenes from past arcs reappear as walkable sets, while newly issued wanted posters chart the crew’s long evolution. A stamp trail links ten zones, gently guiding visitors across the space. At the centre, a five-metre Gear 5 Luffy looms with cartoonish confidence, slightly surreal, unmistakably designed for photographs and quiet disbelief.

Until 31 October. Free. ICONSIAM, 10am-8.30pm