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

DIAGE Festival’s October 31-November 1 music programme has finished, but its post-festival installation exhibition is listed to continue at Cloud 11. The highlights include NONOTAK’s 66 beams of light cutting through fog to a percussion soundtrack, Fabrizio Di Salvo’s rotating musical machine and Wit Pimkanchanapong’s woven structure playing with light and shadow. Other installations tackle air pollution and the pace of modern life. Go on, have a play – check which of the seven advertised works remain available before visiting.  November 2-15. Cloud 11, second floor. Listed as free entry, noon-10pm.

Bangkok Art Biennale returns for its fifth edition with Angels and Mara, pairing Bangkok’s City of Angels identity with Mara, the Buddhist figure associated with temptation, desire and inner conflict. The announced programme brings together 72 artists and collectives from 29 countries, with more than 200 works exploring technology, spirituality, identity and the modern life’s contradictions. Eleven main venues spread the art across the capital, while BAB Plus and BAB Fringe partners extend the programme to Thonburi, Samut Prakan and Suphan Buri. Use the organiser’s venue guide to plan a manageable route. October 29 2026-February 28 2027. Free biennale admission; check individual venue entry arrangements and opening hours. Eleven main venues across Bangkok. 

Life doesn’t always come with a script, and MMAD invites you to write your own. Running from November 12 to January 10 2027, four exhibition explore how we navigate everyday life. LIFE THEATRE, by illustrator PYH, looks looks at dreams and purpose through paintings and a walk-in Toy Theatre. Korrakot Lordkam’s 1,080,000 Seconds asks what makes our time valuable, while TAMSTER’s MAD MASK uses 16 distorted mask sculptures to explore difficult emotions, memories and the subconscious. Finally, HAVE A GOOD TRIP turns life’s choices into a game of possibilities. Expect playful ideas and plenty to think about afterwards. November 12-January 10 2027. Free entry. MMAD Gallery, 2/F, MunMun Srinakarin, Seacon Square Srinakarin. 11am-7pm

ตามรอยความเชื่อมโยงที่คาดไม่ถึงระหว่างผีเสื้อกับปลา Pi-near นักวาดภาพประกอบและนักเล่าเรื่อง ร่วมกับ papeterie ศิลปินนักตัดกระดาษ ชวนมาค้นหาจุดเชื่อมโยงในนิทรรศการ 'Butterfly & Fish' ผลงานวาดเขียนและกระดาษตัดฉลุถูกนำมาใช้เพื่อถ่ายทอดเรื่องราวของการเติบโต การเปลี่ยนแปลง ความทรงจำ และเรื่องราวที่ถูกรวบรวมไว้ระหว่างการเดินทาง ในขณะที่ผีเสื้อลอกคราบและเติบโตอยู่เหนือพื้นดิน ปลาแหวกว่ายอยู่ใต้ผิวน้ำ ผลงานศิลปะเหล่านี้ได้นำพาสองเส้นทางที่ดูเหมือนจะแยกจากกันอย่างสิ้นเชิงให้มาบรรจบกัน ผ่านห้วงเวลาเล็กๆ และประสบการณ์ที่ใช้ร่วมกันอย่างอบอุ่นและลึกซึ้ง  ที่ Soko Gallery (สุขุมวิทซอย 32) เข้าชมฟรี จัดแสดงวันที่ 29 ตุลาคม – 24 พฤศจิกายน 2569 (เปิดวันพฤหัสบดี-อังคาร 11.00-18.00 น. ปิดวันพุธ)

French artist and illustrator Julie Stephen Chheng brings Fortune Teller to One Bangkok, with interactive projections and augmented reality that reward a little curiosity. Presented with Alliance Française Bangkok, the exhibition introduces eight nature spirits linked to water, fire, sky, earth, thunder, shadow, light and green leaf. Download the free Fortune Teller AR app to search for hidden characters around the complex, then explore creative workshops covering paper crafts, ceramic painting and DIY keychains. A book corner curated by The Independent Print Club rounds out the programme. Check the workshop schedule before visiting if you have a particular activity in mind.  October 2-November 15. Free exhibition entry. Second floor, The Storeys, One Bangkok. 10am-8pm.

A typical test drive takes place on a quiet road with a salesperson pointing out the cup holders. This one takes place above One Bangkok. MINI Go-Kart on the Roof returns with a specially designed driving course that puts the brand’s much-touted ‘go-kart feeling’ to the test. The idea is to experience the sharp handling and responsive steering that MINI likes to make a fuss about, without having to negotiate Bangkok traffic crawling along below. Reservations are required. November 13-15. Free registration. MINI Roof Track, Amphitheatre, One Bangkok Park. 4pm-10pm. Register online or call MINI Contact Center on 1397.

Being human is hard enough without the pressure to have everything sorted. Human After All at Art Jewel brings together figurative paintaings by eight artists, exploring exhaustion, insecurity, fear and the occasional mistake through portraits and personal narratives. Presented by Joyman Gallery and M Contemporary, the show gives the less polished side of everyday life some wall space. Notody gets it right all the time.  October 21-November 16. Free entry. Art Jewel, fifth floor, Siam Paragon. 10am-10pm.

Can a photograph capture the scent of a flower? Can paper ever return to its original shape after years of folding? Italian artist Renato Leotta takes those questions into Gift to Entropy at Bangkok Kunsthalle. Curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, the installation exhibition uses concealed flower films and folded paper slowly relaxing under gravity to explore nature, memory and time. Leotta works across photography, film, sculpture and installation, paying attention to shifting light, tides and landscapes. This residency project also offers a first look at ideas behind his forthcoming work at Khao Yai Art Forest.  October 30-December 30. Free entry. Bangkok Kunsthalle. Wednesday-Sunday 2pm-8pm; closed Monday-Tuesday.

Bangkok’s theatre scene gets its annual get-together as the Bangkok Theatre Festival returns for its 24th edition. The programme brings emerging artists and established performers together for 103 performances, with  theatre, movement and music sharing the bill with puppetry, likay and contemporary experiments.Shows take place at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and TK Park at centralwOrld, as well as T. Namcharoen Playhouse in Bang Pho and Tai Siam at Siam Square. It’s a chance to catch work that doesn’t always reach the city’s mainstream stages. November 14-29. Ticket prices and showtimes vary, with selected free performances. Check the festival programme, including its ‘Foreigner Friendly’ labels, before booking. 

Talking about death might not be everyone’s idea of a weekend well spent, but MEMENTO MORI hopes to change that. Presented by Carenation at Slowcombo, the three-day event explores life and mortality through 15 mainstage talks, seven art therapy workshops and a free exhibition titled Life Like a Dream. Expect conversations about living well, facing difficult questions and making sense of mortality, alongside hands-on sessions that give visitors something to take away beyond food for thought. One workshop even invites participants to record their life stories on cassette tape. November 13-15. Free exhibition entry; workshops B499; Death Ticket B399. Living Space, 1/F and Creative Space, 3/F, Slowcombo, Sam Yan. 10am-7pm daily. Advance registration recommended.