The best things to do in Bangkok this weekend (October 22-25)

Southeastern Gathering 2026 returns for its third year, expanding to six days of bluegrass,  Irish and old-time music with players from Thailand, the US, Japan and Ireland. The line-up includes banjo player Tray Wellington, 2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize recipient, Tokyo’s Bluegrass Police and Irish musicians Luke Coffey and Cameron Mather. Choose from a penthouse concert for 20 people, a welcome jam, a six-hour main gathering and a brunch with live music and stories.

October 20-25. B999-3,299. Public House Bangkok. Programme starts at 7pm. Tickets here

 Bangkok can be a lot, so a free evening of music and a patch of grass sounds pretty good. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s The Night by Amazing Thailand Season 2: Music in Memory brings 12 evenings of performances and wellbeing activities to the lawns outside Lumphini Park’s Entertainment Building under the theme ‘Harmony of Healing’. More than 46 acts feature across the programme, from Moderndog and ZAZA to The Palace and Mocca Garden, with music ranging from orchestral performances to luk thung, reggae and ’80s hits. Art installations, sound experiences and yoga give you more to explore between sets, while free workshops and massages have limited places. Check the daily line-up for your preferred performers.

October 16-27. Free entry. Lawns outside the Entertainment Building, Lumphini Park. 4pm-9.30pm

Need a break from work without booking a spa day? Quiet Room, a pop-up by SUBSOLUM on the 39th floor of T-ONE Building, makes doing absolutely nothing the whole point. The space feels like a friend’s living room, with a bird’s-eye view of Bangkok, books to read, puzzles to tackle and room to stretch out for a nap. White noise plays in the background, and laptops stay off the agenda. The slogan says it all: ‘Nothing Loud. Come up do Nothing.’ Newstand’s neighbouring drinks pop-up supplies refreshments when you’ve worked up a  thirst from all that inactivity. 

Until November 5. Free entry; drinks charged separately. T-ONE Building, 39th floor, 8 Sukhumvit 40. Mon-Wed 10am-7pm, Thu-Sun 10am-10pm. Details:  @subsolum.bkk.

Anime fans, this one's for you. Japanese singer-songwriter Ai Higuchi brings her first solo concert to Thailand, giving Attack on Titan fans a chance to hear the voice behind ‘Akuma no Ko’ in person. Released in 2022 as the ending theme for Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2, the song reached number one on Apple Music’s J-pop charts in 91 countries and regions, according to the concert’s ticketing page. Higuchi spent years touring Japan before her major-label debut in 2016, at one point playing more than 150 shows a year. Her classically trained background comes through in an intimate, piano-led sound.

October 23. Advance standing B1,999, seated B2,399 and VIP B3,499; door standing B2,399 and seated B2,699. B5,999 VVIP tickets are sold out.  Tickets. The Street Hall, fifth floor, The Street Ratchada. 6pm-10pm

Book Expo Thailand 2026 returns to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for 10 days across Halls 5-7. Browse general books and fiction, the Wonder Y section for BL and yaoi, Book Wonderland for comics and teen reads, children’s and educational books, second-hand titles and foreign-language editions. The theme, ‘Unread Messages’, nods to the books still waiting for your attention. For a sense of the scale, PUBAT reported around 1.5 million visitors and B474 million in sales over the October 2025 edition’s 11 days, with Gen Z making up about 70% of visitors. Bring a tote bag and give yourself time to browse.

October 23-November 1. Free entry. Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Halls 5-7, LG floor. 10am-9pm. MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Exit 3

Property launches don’t usually come with a glass of wine and a DJ set. Over the Chulalongkorn Day weekend, Alom Ari opens the space between its houses for Sip & Sound, three afternoons and evenings of wine, music and art. Communal tables sit against terracotta walls, with more than 10 vendors pouring over 100 labels from France, Italy, Chile, Germany, Russia and Thailand. Thai craft beer and local spirits join the drinks list, while neighbourhood restaurants supply small bites. DJs rotate through house, organic house and nu-disco, while art installations, wine masterclasses and workshops spread across the houses. Pets are welcome.

October 23-25. Regular online tickets B800; five-person package B3,500. Online packages include three tokens and a Lucaris wine glass per person.  Tickets. Alom Ari, 58 Soi Suyppharat 1, Samsen Nai. 3pm-10pm

Thailand’s skoy subculture gets a dress-up party of its own at Skoy Society – Express Your Inner Skoy, organised by @thelinks.bkk. Take inspiration from the familiar looks of skoy girls in high heels and dek waen in flip-flops, then make the outfit your own. Thai pop-culture references and bold styling set the mood, with the party reclaiming ‘raet’ as an invitation to be daring and unapologetic. A subculture often judged from the outside gets space for playful self-expression. The outfit brief leaves room for interpretation, but this is an evening to come dressed to be seen.

October 23. B699 via here. The Warehouse Bangkok, Talad Noi. 9.30pm-1.30am

Small, personal and often made in limited numbers, zines reward a proper rummage.  The Basement Zine Fair brings more than 14 writers and artists to Arai Arai for handmade books, artwork and ideas you won’t necessarily find in a chain bookshop. An open call also invited creatives outside Bangkok to submit work for sale free of charge, widening the selection beyond the city. Talks, live music and DJ sets run alongside the stalls, while The Basement TH launches The Basement Magazine Vol. 3: Khao Yak Mak Paeng (‘The High Cost of Living’). It’s the collective’s first zine fair, with rising living costs giving the weekend its theme.

October 23-25. Free entry. Arai Arai, Chinatown. 1pm-8pm

The Bangkok Bar Show brings bartenders, bar owners, drinks professionals, international guests and cocktail fans to Anantara Siam for two days. Drop in for tastings, cocktail sessions and industry talks, then chat with the people behind the bar about what they’re pouring. It’s a good chance to try a drink you might otherwise pass over, whether you work in hospitality or just enjoy a well-made cocktail.

October 24-25. B360-1,150. Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel. Noon-7pm. Tickets here

If your shelves already hold a few Thai BL paperbacks, the Thai Queer Book Fair (TQBF) gives you plenty more to browse. The one-day event takes over TK Park on centralwOrld’s eighth floor on Saturday October 24, welcoming readers of all genders. Independent publishers and artists bring romance, poetry, fantasy, non-fiction, handmade zines and limited-run prints, including work rarely stocked by big bookshops. Panel talks, book clubs and writing workshops fill the afternoon, with opportunities to meet the authors and illustrators behind the pages. Bring a tote bag. You’ll probably need it.\

October 24. Free entry. TK Park, eighth floor, centralwOrld. Noon-6pm

Watching photographers work is one thing; seeing them race the clock is another. Photo Concept: Altered Horizons brings five photographers to CALM BKK – Grill & Guinguette for a live shooting and editing challenge. The format is billed as 20 minutes to shoot, followed by another 20 to edit in front of the audience. Unusual angles, inventive framing and custom props are part of the fun, but you get a say in the result: the audience votes for the winner, who takes home B5,000. Watch the process, compare shots and chat over food and craft beer in the outdoor garden. 

October 24. Tickets listed at B350-690; check current options on Megatix. CALM BKK - Grill & Guinguette. Doors 5pm, photography challenge 6pm

Tiffany Young is bringing her Edge of Calm Tour to Bangkok, marking 10 years since the Girls’ Generation singer launched her solo career in 2016. Born in San Francisco, Young moved to Seoul as a teenager and joined the group before its rise to global fame. Bangkok is one stop on an Asian itinerary that also includes Hong Kong, Jakarta, Singapore, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul. With a decade of solo releases behind her, there’s plenty of material to draw on, though the Bangkok setlist hasn’t been announced.

October 25. B2,900-6,600. Tickets. UOB LIVE, sixth floor, EMSPHERE. 6pm

The 2026 Contemporary World Film Series closes its programme with two Asian films: Japan’s Sunrise Sunset on October 25 and Malaysia’s Padu on October 31. The announced programme includes an introduction by each country’s ambassador and an embassy-hosted reception after the respective screening, giving audiences time to discuss what they’ve watched. If independent cinema is your thing, start with Sunday’s Japanese film and put the Malaysian screening in next weekend’s diary. Seating is limited, so reserve ahead.

October 25 and 31. Screenings free; B20 TK Park admission for non-members. Reservations: filmforum17@gmail.com. TK Park, eighth floor, centralwOrld. 4pm 

Lumphini Park’s walkers and tai chi regulars share their green space with evening aerobics fans and visitors filming water monitors by the lake. Sunday mornings add another crowd: Lumphini Sundae, a weekly roller-skating meet-up open to all levels. Everyone gathers near Gate 1, beside the drinks stall, from 10am to noon. Expect nervous beginners, nostalgic quad-skate owners and experienced riders practising their moves, with the park’s 2.5km loop offering room for a few laps. Bring water and knee pads if you’re rusty, and check @thailandsliders_skaters for updates before setting off.

Every Sunday. Free entry. Gate 1, Lumphini Park. 10am-noon

Need a break from staring at screens and overthinking every little thing? Duemdum Space’s 1 Day Mini Retreat combines movement, sound meditation and mindful eating and drinking in sessions limited to six people. Start by moving your body and turning into your senses, then settle into music and breathing before turning your attention to the flavours, textures and aromas of each bite and sip. The listed sessions last two hours  – enough time to put your phone down without surrendering the whole day. 

October 15-November 1. B800; book via @duemdumspace. Duemdum Space. Tue-Fri, 10am-noon and 6pm-8pm, Sat-Sun, 10am-noon and 4pm-6pm. Confirm your session and what the price includes when booking.