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

The long-awaited flea for vintage lovers returns with BANAKÉ x MICHELUI 2026 EP.2, and this round goes bigger, bolder and more iconic by design. The setting shifts from PAPAYA Studio to Hua Lamphong Railway Station, one of the city’s most storied landmarks, giving the whole thing a cinematic edge. Inside, it runs as a full vintage community. Spend hours moving between furniture and home décor zones, rare finds and pieces that verge on one-of-a-kind. Fashion gets a strong showing too, with tightly curated rails aimed at serious collectors. Food and drink stalls keep things ticking from afternoon until midnight, making it easy to stay longer than planned, meet people and catch a soundtrack that carries the night through. May 1-4. B200 via here at B250 at the door. Hua Lamphong. 2pm-mignight

Vintage shoppers, take note – and bring cash. Hey! Thrift returns to its original riverside spot at Mahapho Riverview on Song Wat Road, and it’s every bit as packed as you remember. Anyone who caught the first round knows the drill: racks loaded with secondhand clothing, plenty of solid finds at prices that don’t sting, plus accessories and small home decor pieces scattered throughout. Food and drink stalls line the edge, with views across the Chao Phraya River keeping things easygoing. Already planning a wander around Song Wat? Add this to your route. May 1-3. Free. Mahapho Riverview. 2pm-9pm

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

First staged in Cheongju Craft Biennale, this group exhibition arrives in Bangkok following a debut as the Invited Country Pavilion in Cheongju, South Korea. The project grows from an ongoing exchange between Thailand and the Republic of Korea, setting craft alongside contemporary art across Southeast and East Asia. At its core sits ‘Elastic Time’, a curatorial thread that questions how time behaves across the region. Forget neat timelines. Here, past, present and future overlap, repeat and quietly reshape one another. The Cheongju edition sets the tone as a cross-cultural conversation, where material, process and memory carry equal weight. Artists approach craft not as something fixed, but as a way to consider what unfolds now, and what might come next. Until August 16. Free. Jim Thompson Art Center. 10am-6pm

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

Lumphini Park runs a little busier right now as it marks its 100th year, with International Jazz Day arriving at just the right moment. While celebrations spill across the city, International Jazz Day: In the Key of Peace keeps things grounded with an open-air gathering shaped around access and community, organised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Music Division with UNESCO Bangkok. The programme moves from emerging talent to established names, featuring Horwang School Big Band (Horwang Music Academy), Casean Consonant and Bangkok Big Band, each offering their own take on jazz’s wide repertoire. Two guest performers close the bill: Koh Mr. Saxman with his smooth phrasing, and Saxpackgirl bringing a more contemporary edge. May 3. Free. Lumphini Hall. 3pm onwards

Cheeze Pop-up Market returns with a fresh excuse to update your wardrobe, pairing fashion finds with live sets at Flea Spirit – Market & Music. More than 80 vendors set up shop, covering everything from clothing, shoes, bags and accessories to vintage pieces, home décor and plenty of low-key gems worth a closer look. Take your time with it. The layout suits an easy wander, with stalls that reward a bit of patience. This round adds a stronger music line-up, with carefully picked artists stepping up for live performances that carry the evening forward. Once you’ve secured a few new favourites, stick around, grab a drink and let the soundtrack take over for the rest of the night. May 1-4. Free. MunMun Srinakarin. 10.30am-9pm

Marc Butler’s latest solo show, disappear here stepping through a cracked mirror. He builds a world shaped by human appetite, where spectacle teeters on the edge of collapse, never quite settling. Sculptures appear raw, almost unsettled, filled with distorted figures, hybrid symbols and fragments that feel oddly familiar. His material language stays direct, refusing polish, which gives each piece a kind of restless energy. Installations spread outward, forming spaces that feel immersive yet slightly uneasy, as if everything exists on repeat. References to consumerism, power and stylised violence slip through without announcement. Moments of dark humour sit beside something more pointed, asking quiet questions about participation.  April 21-May 23. Fakafei Gallery, 10.30am-6.30am

Hard techno takes centre stage for one night, with Max Durante landing in Bangkok for the first time. A long-standing figure of the underground, he steps up for a two-hour vinyl set, no shortcuts, no digital crutches. Max starts his DJ career in 1987, later becoming a resident at Tresor Berlin in 2017, and has played across global stages since the early 90s. His reputation rests on raw selections and a stripped-back approach that stays true to techno’s roots. Expect him behind the decks in his signature balaclava, a look he wears long before it becomes a trend. Two hours, all vinyl, all focus – a rare chance to catch one of the originals at full force. May 2. B300-350 via here. BERLIN BKK. 8pm

Closing the summer season with a bang, Sarran and Kaenkrung have put together a limited-run tasting built around khao chae – Thailand’s very unique royal summer dish – and the history of the Wat Arun neighbourhood. The experience plays out as a multi-course set, starting with traditional snacks before moving into the hero khao chae course, inspired by the architecture and prangs of Wat Arun, a long-standing symbol of Thonburi. From there, the meal continues through classic Thai elements, ending on a more decorative, dessert-led note. It is as much about storytelling as it is about the food, with each course echoing a piece of local history or cultural reference. May 2-3. Early bird B1,950 per person, regular B2,500. Kaenkrung, Arunamarin, Bangkok Noi. Advance booking required. From 5pm