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

Glass rarely gets top billing in an exhibition, but Thai artist Jakapan Vilasineekul makes a convincing case. His latest solo presentation gathers a new series of kiln-formed works made from layered float glass, the same material commonly found in office towers, shopfronts and apartment blocks across the city. Across the gallery, geometric forms, coloured panels and carefully arranged grids shift as daylight changes and visitors move around the room. Shadows fall across walls and floors, becoming part of the display. Drawing on architecture and the way glass shapes everyday experience, Vilasineekul turns a familiar building material into a quiet study of light, space and perception. June 13-July 11. Free entry. Richard Koh Fine Art Bangkok. 4 pm-7pm

Cute, crafty and proudly DIY, PUBPEAB Zine Fair returns for its third edition with stacks of handmade books, indie publications and collectible oddities from artists across the community. This year’s theme, ‘The Zine Factory’, transforms the venue into a playful production line where visitors can experiment with making their own zines while picking up new techniques along the way. Fabric-printing specialists Studio2B and risograph masters Haptic Editions also join the programme with workshops and open sessions under the banner ‘The Make Space’. Fancy showing your own handmade publication? Applications for exhibitors are now open here, so aspiring zinesters should probably start scribbling. July 4-5. Free entry. GalileOasis Theatre. 11am-6pm

This year, why not spend the Fourth of July on a boat? No tea tossing required. Bangkok Island – our city’s most famous party river club – is serving up a lively cookout aboard deck with great food, drinks and waterfront vibes as standard. Best of all, the event is free and everyone is welcome – no catches, but reservations are encouraged in case it reaches capacity. Don't worry if you can't swim or tend to get motion sickness, the boat will stay docked all night, so you can enjoy the atmosphere without ever having to set sail. The only splash will be made by DJ Pableroy (Lyrical Lunacy) and Mackyvely (Afro Kommunity) bringing hip hop, high-energy sets to keep the night alive. July 4. Reserve here. Bangkok Island, Yan Nawa. 6pm-Midnight

Tony’s may be an Italian-American restaurant but its Fourth of July party is pure Americana. Start off strong with a menu you can’t go wrong with like smoked BBQ and smash burgers – but why only eat when you can compete? Take part in the hot dog eating contest, beer pong and biggest burger challenge to test your patriotism and even win a prize. Once you can’t eat anymore, join the country dance lessons and dance the night away. Come ready for some fun and friendly competition and don’t forget to wear red, white or blue to join the hourly giveaways. July 4. Tony’s, Sukhumvit Soi 11. 12pm-midnight

A riverside stroll gets a creative twist at the Art Island Festival, where artists, musicians and independent makers take over a stretch of the Chao Phraya for the weekend. Browse stalls filled with original artwork, handmade goods and limited-run pieces, then join a workshop and make something of your own. Between activities, settle by the water with a drink and watch ferries and longtail boats pass as the afternoon drifts by. After dark, DJs take over a moored boat with an open-air psytrance set that keeps the riverfront busy well into the evening. July 5. Free entry. Bangkok Island. 4pm-11.59pm

Pride Month brings a thoughtful group show to Bangkok as Queer Art Thailand joins forces with 30 artists from Thailand and Taiwan for Patch the World: Between the Seams, Beyond the Surface. Using photography, video, performance and everyday objects, the exhibition considers how LGBTQ+ lives are shaped by memory, relationships and the quiet work of carrying on through imperfect circumstances. Spread across three thematic sections, the works shift from deeply personal stories to shared experiences, asking how people mend, adapt and make space for one another in everyday life. Until July 5. Free entry. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. 10am-8pm

Calling all book lovers and drink enthusiasts.  Bangkok’s chillest book festival returns with free entry across  10 leisurely days of reading, browsing and casual day drinking. Vistors are encouraged to settle in with a book and a cold drink while exploring craft markets, workshops, live music sessions and talks from fellow literary obsessives. Honestly, it feels less like a festival and more like a very well-organised excuse to keep adding books to your already dangerous reading pile while staying pleasantly hydrated.  June 26-July 5. Singha Complex. 11am-10pm

What does craftsmanship look like when you strip away the finished object? This exhibition at Bangkok Kunsthalle, presented with Bottega Veneta and curated by Somsuda Piamsumrit, puts that question to four Thai artists. Taking the fashion house's signature Intreccio weave as its starting point, the show looks at skill, labour and techniques passed down through generations, explored through contemporary artworks rather than leather goods. Expect texture,  detail and the sort of quiet work that rewards a slower look, then stick for artist talks that keep the conversation going beyond  the gallery floor. June 10-July 5. Free entry. Bangkok Kunsthalle. 2pm-8pm

There is something about a good hotel brunch that slowly wipes out the rest of your plans for the day, and Waldorf Astoria Bangkok seems fully aware of that. The hotel has launched a monthly Saturday Brunch at The Brasserie, running on the first Saturday of every month from noon-3pm, built for the sort of weekends where nobody is in any particular rush to leave. The seafood section lands first and unapologetically big, with towers stacked with oysters, lobster, river prawns, scallops alongside a roaming caviar trolley. Waldorf Astoria’s signature eggs benedict makes an appearance too, while foie gras stations and carving counters keep the whole thing firmly in leisurely celebration territory. From there, the menu shifts between international mains and richer Asian comfort dishes. Pan-seared snow fish, smoked duck breast, sous vide beef short rib and creamy crab capellini sit alongside Peking duck, suckling pig and barbecue pork. Dessert keeps the momentum going with a chocolate fountain, pastries, lychee-yuzu creations and enough cake to justify quietly cancelling your evening plans afterwards.From B3,550++ per person. The Brasserie, Waldorf Astoria Bangkok. Advance booking recommended. First Saturday of every month, 12pm-3pm. Upcoming dates include June 6, July 4, August 12 (special H.M. The Queen Mother’s Birthday edition), September 5, October 3, November 7 and December 5

Fatty’s Bar & Diner is a Wisconsin-American themed ‘dive bar’ in Din Daeng and is as American as it gets. As you’d imagine, their Fourth of July party would make any lobster blush, with live music all day featuring Moons and Dust, Lonestar Lament and Matthew Fischer – three classic Americana rock bands to keep freedom flowing. Alongside corn dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and plenty of other classic American comfort foods, this full day of music, food and laid-back celebration proudly brings a taste of the Midwest to Bangkok. Come see for yourself whether or not they’ve got the stereotypes correct. July 4. Fatty’s Bar & Diner, Din Daeng Road. 11am-Midnight