The best things to do in Bangkok this weekend (August 20-23)

Siam Paragon celebrates Thailand’s long-standing ties with Japan this August with Siam Paragon The Wondrous Japan Heritage 2026, a cultural festival running from August 20-30. Head to Parc Paragon from August 20-23 for live samurai swordsmanship, ninja performances and hands-on workshops, with plenty to see even if you only have an hour between shopping stops.

From August 20-23, the main stage hosts Awaken the Samurai between 2pm and 5pm, featuring sword school Shidenryu Tokyo and performers from Iga, known for its association with Japan’s ninja tradition. There are also demonstrations exploring the discipline and techniques behind these historic warrior cultures.

Craft sessions cover origami, maneki neko making and the strategy board game Samurai. For something quieter, Living Hall presents A Living Legacy of Time, a bonsai exhibition featuring seven prized masterpieces, including one more than 500 years old. Guided tours happen on weekends, while bonsai workshops take place on August 22 and 29.

The wider programme also brings Japanese food, fashion, books and design to the mall, with familiar names such as Kinokuniya, Loft and Nintendo alongside Japanese restaurants and cafes. Admission to the main festival activities is free.

August 20-30, 10am-8pm at Siam Paragon

Thailand’s underground electronic scene gains an international platform this August as Dudesweet, supported by the Department of Cultural Promotion, launches ThaiBeats. More than 380 tracks arrived from artists nationwide; 12 made the final vinyl compilation, which will be distributed to DJs and music-industry figures overseas.

The launch lands at Speakerbox Livehouse on August 20, opening with a panel titled ‘What’s Next for the Thai Electronic Music Scene?’ featuring Maft Sai, Tul Apartment Khunpa, Note Dudesweet and Pascal Karier of Germany’s Kerala Dust. Two selected artists perform before Tapejam closes with a cassette-only set. Further showcases follow at Melt Livehouse and Cloud 11 on August 21, then The One on Khaosan Road on August 22.

August 20-22. Free. Tickets here. Speakerbox Livehouse, Melt Livehouse and The One.

Groovy Doopy heads to Buddha & Pals for a special Isaan Groove session, blending the region’s khaen and phin traditions with jazz, soul and laid-back funk. Nueng Saran plays khaen and phin, while Rachael McMillan brings rich, soulful vocals, joined by special guest Joel David. Sunny on keys, March on bass and Palm on drums keep the groove moving. Grab a drink, settle in and let the musicians do the rest.

August 20. B350 at the door. Buddha & Pals. 9pm-11pm

Jazz and art meet in Jazz Conversation, an exhibition of oil paintings inspired by the look and atmosphere of the post-World War I era. Deep black, brown, indigo, rusty orange, wine red, muted yellow and olive green give the show its vintage character. The standout works explore  ‘Rawness’, using thick, forceful brushstrokes and distorted figures to capture the physical freedom of improvising musicians. Rather than simply recording a performance, the artist uses movement, colour and texture to suggest what happens when players abandon a fixed structure and respond to one another in the moment. 

August 16-September 6. Free. Joyman Gallery. 11am-6pm

The Bangkok International Children’s Theatre (BICT) Festival returns for its 10th edition with theatre, circus, dance and hands-on play for kids and grown-ups with the theme of Play Attention: Look Who's Growing Up! 

Bringing together 11 performances by artists from Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, these are not sit-still-and-watch performances but audiences are encouraged to interact, explore and get involved alongside the artists.

Highlights include IYKYK, an interactive parking-lot performance that whisks audiences aboard golf carts into a world of light and shadow created by DuckUnit, Plock!, a Belgian contemporary circus show that turns movement into a living painting inspired by Jackson Pollock; and Frolic, a contemporary dance work performed by disabled and non-disabled artists. Afterwards, keep the playdate going at TBC, a new interactive playground built from recycled materials by artists from Singapore and Taiwan in collaboration with the Mirror Foundation.

August 21-30. Free entry with ticketed performances here. Across various venues at One Bangkok, Goethe-Institut Thailand and Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts

Sunday nights can feel peculiar, especially with Monday waiting around the corner. House of Films returns with Somewhere to Belong, a five-film season exploring  loneliness, relationships and the search for a life worth getting up for. Across three evenings, catch  American Beauty (August 21), Into the Wild and Bridget Jones’s Diary (August 22), and Cast Away and Up in the Air (August 23). From suburban dissatisfaction and romantic mishaps to deserted islands and endless flights, the line-up gives you plenty to ponder after the credits roll. 

August 21-23. B250. The Corner House Bangkok. Book here and check the full schedule here.

Printmaking might sound like a relic of the newspaper era, but the craft is very much alive. Under the theme ‘From Process to Perspective’, Thailand Printmaking Festival 2026 brings artists, studios and schools to Central Chidlom for a closer look at the journey from ink and paper to finished print. Rearrange an artwork in Kitikong Tilokwatthanothai’s The Red Puzzle, watch artists at work during Live Print & Talk or browse emerging talent at the Young Print Showcase. Make your own piece in the Interactive Zone, then see GROUNDCONTROL transform everyday textures into zine designs. Before leaving, browse handmade works and highly tempting paper goods from more than 16 studios at the Printmaker’s Market.

August 21-30. Free. The Event Hall, Central Chidlom (second floor). 11am-10pm

Forget queues and departure boards: for three days this August, MY Playground turns Hua Lamphong Railway Station into a free hangout filled with live music, street food and a sizeable flea market. Organised by TRYSTER under the theme ‘Too Chill Not to Share’, the festival gathers vintage and second-hand clothing, handmade crafts and locally made goods, so leave room in your tote bag. Free concerts run throughout, with bands and DJs performing beneath the station’s soaring roof. It’s a fresh way to experience one of Bangkok’s best-known heritage buildings – especially if browsing old clothes between sets sounds like your kind of weekend.

August 21-23. Free. Hua Lamphong Railway Station. 2pm-11pm

This literary gathering brings together fellow bookworms who find comfort and joy between the pages of a book with author talks, panel discussions, workshops, a book and craft market and an offline reading session. 

Featuring four acclaimed authors from Thailand, China and the UK including Veeraporn Nitiprapha, the first woman to win two Southeast Asian Writers Awards; Regina Kanyu Wang, the award-winning Chinese science fiction writer; Katalina Watt, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Saltswept; and Apinuch Petcharapiracht, author of Death and the Maiden, published by Penguin Random House SEA – the festival offers a behind-the-scenes look at how some of your favourite books came to life.

Make sure to also check out the book and craft market with plenty of bookish finds, from second-hand books and zines to stationery and handmade creations by local artists. Even if you resist adding another book to the collection already gathering dust on your shelves, chances are you'll head home with plenty of inspiration and a longer to-be-read list.

August 22. Free. Register here for an exclusive festival freebie. Bangkok Kunsthalle, Pom Prap. 10am-6pm

Saturday lunch gets a rooftop upgrade at Upper Deck Sports Bar, where the weekly BBQ party lays on an all-you-can-eat spread from midday to 6pm. Fill your plate with quarter chicken, pork ribs, wagyu skirt steak, lamb short-loin chops and Polish sausages, plus salads, baked beans and mac and cheese. Two hours of free-flow soft drinks are included, giving you time to settle in. For an upgrade, add a 250g Australian premium ribeye for B495. Entry costs B695 for adults and B395 for children under 12, while under-fives eat free. Prices exclude seven percent government tax.

Every Saturday. B495-695; ribeye add-on B495. Book here. Upper Deck Sports Bar. Midday-6pm

Movie night gets a dinner-table upgrade with La Famiglia Legacy: Table and Screen, a collaboration between Century Theatre Sukhumvit and Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok. The evening pairs The Godfather with an Italian meal, letting you watch Michael Corleone navigate the family business as plates arrive. Begin with a welcome drink before settling in for pasta, cannoli and other Italian dishes from Avani’s kitchen team. The film supplies most of the drama; the setting stays relaxed. If you’ve ever wanted to watch a mafia classic while eating what its characters might order, here’s your excuse.

August 22-September 13. B1,550-1,650.  Book here. Century Theatre Sukhumvit. 7pm-10pm

Maha Niyom revives its DIY Cocktails session, with Marina Kishida taking over the bar for an afternoon of shaking, stirring and hands-on mixing. Born in Yokohama, Kishida began her career in the corporate world before moving into food and beverage. A barista job introduced her to coffee cocktails and eventually bartending; now she brings that experience to Bangkok for a one-off session where guests can make drinks alongside her. Since opening in 2022, Maha Niyom has built its cocktail menu around Thai ingredients, local produce and traditional craft, proving flavours such as lemongrass and chilli belong at the bar.

August 22. From B1,350. Maha Niyom. 2pm-5pm

Remember when games came with chunky controllers, scratched discs and menus that took forever to load? Blindspot turns that digital nostalgia into a party, using old-school games, projectors and light installations to evoke the internet and media we’ve left behind. Screens and interactive installations become part of the night rather than mere background decoration, tapping into the strange pleasure of rediscovering things that once felt ordinary. Accidental District, Em-J, mellecvm, Reilly, savemekilly and Tom Aquilina provide the soundtrack. 

August 22. B300 at the door. AVVE. From 10pm

Fotoclub BKK welcomes Varun Gupta of Chennai Photo Biennale and CPB Darkroom for a conversation about how photography communities grow, connect and create opportunities for artists. Gupta has spent more than a decade developing one of India’s leading photography platforms, bringing photographers, artists and audiences together in Chennai. The free morning session, ‘Community Beyond Borders’, focuses on community-building rather than camera settings or technical tips. That afternoon, a limited Infinity Photo Walk takes participants through Bangkok; the film will be processed and scanned by CPB Darkroom in Chennai, then returned as finished images – a simple exchange between two photography communities thousands of kilometres apart.

August 22. Free; registration required via Fotoclub BKK. 2/F, Fotoclub BKK. 11am-1pm

Jelly Roll Jazz Club turns Lumphini Hall into a classic swing ballroom, with international jazz acts, beginner classes and some friendly competition. Never danced before? This is your chance to give it a go, with free beginner classes led by professional instructors – who knows, maybe you’ll even be ready to enter the competition later (but no pressure). 

The night features live jazz from Thai and international artists, including Thailand’s Yusu Jazz Band, Japan’s Clap Stomp Swingin’, Eyal Vilner from the US, The Brothers Arntzen from Canada and Steven Coombe representing the UK, with the ‘Swing Era Cadets’ closing out the night with one final swing performance. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early before the hall fills up. 

August 23. Free. Register here. Lumphini Hall, 4pm-7pm