Kaweewat Siwanartwong

Planning Halloween already? It maybe a little early, but the nights are drawing in, the air feels cooler, and before long, the season’s most mischievous celebration will be upon us. Thailand may not have the same obsession with ghosts and ghouls as other countries, but Bangkok knows how to throw a night worth remembering.  Soon enough, downtown Bangkok will shift into a carnival of costumes, flickering lights and characters that seem plucked from another world. Streets, bars, galleries and rooftops will offer everything from quirky pop-ups to immersive experiences, leaving little excuse not to get involved. It’s never too early to start plotting your own night of mischief, assembling your coven, or deciding which haunted corners of the city you’ll explore. Looking for something strange, eerie or delightfully absurd? Time Out Bangkok has your back. While we might not carry proton packs, we know where the best thrills are hiding. From haunted bars and rooftop rituals to costume competitions and spooky markets, our ever-growing guide will keep you informed and entertained. By the time the last lanterns flicker and the city’s ghosts retreat, you’ll know that Bangkok’s Halloween is not just a night on the calendar – it’s a festival of mischief, style and just enough fright to make it unforgettable.

Friday October 23 is Chulalongkorn Day. If that means three days off for you, Bangkok has very little reason to let you spend them on the sofa: free concerts in Lumphini Park, handmade zines and talks at Chinatown’s Arai Arai, queer books at TK Park and more than 100 wines at Alom Ari. The Night by Amazing Thailand Season 2: Music in Memory runs until October 27, with music, art installations and wellbeing activities from 4pm. Moderndog and The Palace feature across the festival’s programme, though check the daily schedule before heading over for a particular act. Over in Chinatown, Arai Arai hosts The Basement Zine Fair, bringing handmade print, talks and DJ sets together with no entry fee. On Saturday, the Thai Queer Book Fair fills TK Park on centralwOrld’s eighth floor with poetry, BL paperbacks and small-press titles. Arrive early for first pick of the limited runs. On the holiday itself, Skoy Society takes over The Warehouse in Talad Noi. Thai street style sets the theme, so dig out your platform heels or scruffiest flip-flops. Prefer a glass of wine to a costume change? Sip & Sound at Alom Ari pairs house and nu-disco with neighbourhood food and bottles from France, Italy, Thailand and beyond until Sunday. Planning ahead? Map out the rest of October with our monthly events guide and find more things to do in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, straight to your inbox.

Bangkok hides some of its best galleries down side streets and up quiet staircases, right in the thick of its busiest neighbourhoods. This October, follow rain-soaked streets through Alain Callebaut’s photographs at Old Town Gallery, step into Korakrit Arunanondchai’s Love After Death at Bangkok CityCity Gallery in Sathorn or watch painters race the clock at Art Battle Bangkok at The Fig Lobby in Khlong Toei. There’s plenty to linger over – and, in the galleries, perhaps another visitor’s tote bag to dodge. Memory runs through Nostalgia Surfer at KICHgallery, where airbrush paintings revisit old images, sounds, colours and places, and A Place Within a Place at L.O.F Gallery in Samyan, where familiar surroundings take on different meanings. At River City Bangkok, Munins explores emotion, memory and decision-making in STILL : ON, while Kitti Narod’s A Place We Share fills phone-shaped canvases with everyday life and ideas of equality at Tang Contemporary Art. Over at 6060 Arts Space, the lotus becomes a symbol of persistence through difficult circumstances.  Pop Mart marks 20 years of Molly, Kenny Wong's pouting art toy, at Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. The semi-outdoor display pairs early sketches and original works with Thai craftspeople’s interpretations in Benjarong ceramics and lacquerwork. Check the visiting arrangements , then walk over to Banthat Thong for noodles. For a full crawl or a gallery stop between showers, pick a neighbourhood, pack an umbrella and

Bangkok is a city of contrasts.  Glass towers stand tall next to temples, old mansions and shophouses that have stood for a century or more cosy up to modern cafes and stores. Look past the traffic (and the malls) and you'll find a lot of history still standing.  Much of Bangkok’s oldest buildings are predictably found in neighbourhoods like Silom, Bang Rak and Rattanakosin Island, where the old and the new sit side by side on the same street. Similarly, a lot of them are easy to miss. Some of the best buildings hide down a narrow lane or behind a market, while others sit right on a busy corner or in a green garden of their own, waiting for you to notice them. What's good is how many are still in use. Plenty have been saved from the wrecking ball and given a second life as cafés, bars, galleries, hotels and libraries, with their original bones left on show. A former printing house is now an art space, a sawmill has become a theatre and a machine shop pours coffee. The work behind each one keeps a bit of the city's past alive rather than clearing it away, something of a trend right now and we can’t deny we’re all for it. Below we've picked our favourites in and around the city. Here are 17 old buildings that have been revived and are worth a visit. When in doubt, turn to our guides to Bangkok’s best bars, restaurants, parks, galleries and interviews, or work through our bucket list of the best things to do in Bangkok. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, s

Say Song Wat and you might picture old shophouses, Chinese lettering above the shutters and sacks of dried chillies by the door. They’re all still here. Along its roughly 1.2km stretch beside the Chao Phraya, spice wholesalers now trade alongside Song Wat Coffee Roasters, Thai restaurant e-ga, independent shops and bars with river views. Come hungry, but keep your eyes off your phone between stops. Belgian artist ROA’s upside-down elephants cover a car-park wall, PLAY art house occupies a former shoe warehouse and smaller artworks turn up in alleys and shop windows. Made in Song Wat, a local collective that began with 10 businesses in 2022, has since grown to more than 60 members.  The road’s name refers to King Rama V drawing its route on a map. That history is part of the pleasure of walking here: Song Wat still works as a trading street, even as its old buildings find new occupants. Photograph: rongklannuea What's Song Wat known for? Street art helped draw visitors here before the café queues arrived. Now galleries sit among wholesalers, design pieces appear in unexpected shops and restored shophouses hold restaurants, bakeries and bars. You can spend an afternoon photographing the walls and grazing your way down the road, then stay for dinner and a drink. Photograph: rongklannuea Why do the locals love it? Song Wat rewards a slow look. Family-run businesses still sell chillies, star anise and coffee beans from open-fronted shops, while murals cover peeling walls and

This list is from 2024. Read our 2025 ranking or check out our latest ranking for 2026 here. In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality.

For Bangkokians, October is the month of transitioning monsoon weather and warm temperatures all at once. The sun shows up by day, the rain takes over at night, so plan accordingly. Still, why let that stop us. The Weeknd takes over Rajamangala National Stadium for three nights, Jason Mraz plays BITEC Live and Avenged Sevenfold returns to Thunder Dome. Between gigs, browse the NIC Factory Vintage Flea Market in Charoenkrung, follow Bangkok Climate Action Week across the city or try Thai craft beer at Topgolf Megacity Bangna. At NIC Factory, mid-century furniture, homeware and odd collectables fill a former tobacco warehouse by the Chao Phraya. Go early for first pick. DIAGE Festival brings digital art, live coding, workshops and electronic music to Cloud 11 in Phra Khanong, including a live reworking of Cyndi Seui’s ‘Continental Affair’. There’s plenty beyond the big shows: Southeastern Gathering fills six days with bluegrass, Irish and old-time music, Book Expo Thailand takes over QSNCC and the Bangkok Bar Show gathers the city’s drinks crowd at Anantara Siam. One Beer: Hole in One pairs more than 50 Thai craft breweries with golf challenges, while the Derby Day Charity Luncheon raises funds for The Freedom Story. For more ideas, browse our guides to Bangkok's best bars, restaurants, parks, galleries and interviews, or dip into our bucket list of the best things to do in Bangkok. Planning further ahead? Keep an eye on our updated Bangkok concerts roundup for 2026. For more o

We keep this article updated regularly to make sure everything stays accurate and current, pop back anytime for the latest. So 2025 was pretty huge for live music in Bangkok, wasn't it? We had Doja Cat, BLACKPINK, TV Girl, The Smashing Pumpkins and Tyler, The Creator all gracing stages across the city. Not a bad lineup. The good news? 2026 is looking just as packed. Alright, Oasis might not be on the cards just yet, but there's still a serious roster of artists lined up to play Bangkok stadiums and arenas over the coming months. And rumour has it even more big names are yet to announce tours like BTS. Givēon, Central Cee, Taeyong, Kraftwerk... the list goes on. Whether you're into R&B, grime, K-pop or electronic legends, there's something coming your way. Here are the best major gigs heading to the capital this year.  

According to psychology (the hangout edition), that amber-coloured glass with its soft, smooth foam has the power to soothe exhaustion after a hard week, revive you from that post-project slump and give your body a refreshing boost of energy. And in Bangkok, where the working day rarely finishes on time, beer drinking is now a long way from a casual afterthought. These days it comes with good music, sharp interiors and a proper crowd. You step off a hot, busy street, the door swings shut, the air-con hits and someone behind the bar is already pouring your first of the night. So whether you know your DDH IPA from your vanilla porter or simply want a cold pint, decent music and somewhere comfortable to spend the evening, these are 20 of the best beer bars in Bangkok. Also worth bookmarking: our guides to Bangkok’s best bars, restaurants, parks and galleries, plus the best things to do in Bangkok.Map out the rest of this month with our guide to what’s on, and keep an eye on our picks of Bangkok’s best things to do. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, straight to your inbox.

News of club closures and sober youngsters might have you thinking that nightlife is dead. We’re here to tell you – with proof! – that you couldn’t be further from the truth.  The way we go out might be different, but people are by no means staying in. Cities are adapting to our changing nightlife habits: as summers get hotter, street parties and rooftop raves are bigger than ever. Rather than heading to one or two big-name venues, locals are flocking to new nightlife districts for an evening of bar-hopping and curbside drinking. And, trust us, the nightclub isn’t going anywhere – in fact, communities and local governments have successfully rallied to save historic nightlife venues (in Berlin’s case, they’ve even managed to grant techno UNESCO-listed status). So, we’re here to celebrate going out in the city. From Bangkok to Berlin, Medellin to Mexico City, Time Out’s Best Cities for Nightlife with Intrepid Travel is the ultimate guide to today’s after-hours capitals. To curate the ranking, we went straight to the people who know their city best – the locals – and asked them to tell us all about the nightlife scene in their hometown right now. We asked them about everything from clubbing to cocktail bars, how affordable it is to go out at night, the overall quality of nightlife in their city, how easy it is to find community, and how safe, exciting, welcoming and diverse their city is. After crunching all that data, a panel of nightlife experts – Time Out’s city editors, cult

You might never have met Ray MacDonald, but if you grew up in Thailand in the 1990s he was part of your week all the same, on the telly after school, up on the big screen with your mates, or talking you through a train ride halfway across the map. Ray, one of the most recognisable faces of a generation of Thai youth, died on August 19. His career runs close to three decades and takes in film, television and the travel programmes that sent a lot of us reaching for an atlas. Plenty of people first know him from the show Teen Talk; others picture him in O-Negative, Dear Galileo or Phobia 2. And for a whole crowd of viewers he plays a travelling companion they never actually meet, someone whose journeys make the wider world seem that bit closer from the sofa. So his story runs richer than the word 'actor' lets on. Over the years he turns up as a shy young man, a hitman, a monk, a graphic designer and a traveller, each part catching a particular moment in his life and the times around it. Here are 14 of his screen roles, from his first day on set to the work that still brings him to mind.   Fun Bar Karaoke Photograph: Fun Bar Karaoke, 2540Ray Macdonal Ray's first screen appearance comes in Pen-ek Ratanaruang's debut feature, and it wins him Best Actor at the Suphannahong National Film Awards straight out of the gate. He plays Noi, a shy convenience-store worker who turns hitman the moment he falls asleep. The character is odd, cheeky and quietly lonely, and you can already hear

This year hands us more choice than we know what to do with, the parties rolling on til the end of December. A little strategy pays off. The schedule stretches from gentle seaside sets in the cooler months to giant year-end send-offs, so plan ahead.  Do you want a slow day by the water or a midnight thrash in a warehouse? Can you handle a tent, or does the shower queue alone put you off? Loyal to one sound or happy to gamble on whatever lands next, one of these has your name on it. Sandy chill-outs, rooftop hip-hop, jazz under the trees, all-night electronic marathons that run til dawn – Thailand serves the whole spread, often across a single week. From Bangkok venues to island beaches and jungle clearings, the map fills up quick. Yet to book? No stress, because we keep this rundown current with day parties still holding tickets. Get moving before you miss the big names. 808 Festival, DIAGE Festival, Wonderfruit and Tomorrowland Thailand all touch down on Thai soil in the months ahead. Give our guide a scroll, refreshed constantly as new line-ups drop, and pick out whatever grabs you. Still undecided? You can always turn to our guides to Bangkok’s best bars, restaurants, parks and galleries, or consult our bucket list of the best things to do in Bangkok. Map out the rest of the month with our guide to what’s on, and keep an eye on our picks of Bangkok’s best things to do.  Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, straight to your inbox. 

Fancy a night of stand-up? Comedian Sammy Obeid returns to Bangkok for a one-night-only show at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, bringing a brand-new set to the city. Obeid has appeared on Conan, America’s Got Talent and Last Comic Standing, and is also known for his record of performing comedy for 1,001 consecutive nights. His jokes have earned millions of online views and a following of more than 1.3 million on Instagram. If you fancy an evening of live laughs, this is a chance to catch the touring comic in person. October 31. B1,000-1,200 via here.  The Westin Grande Sukhumvit. 8pm

Halloween brunch gets a drag makeover as W Does Brunch returns to The Kitchen Table for a special edition with free-flow drinks, a buffet and live performances. Drag Race Thailand Season 3 winner Frankie Wonga joins Jai Sira, Morrigan, Shortgun and Amadiva, while DJ Peppae handles the music. The food spread includes Fine de Claire oysters, rock lobster, sushi and sashimi, paella, slow-roasted striploin, Salmon Wellington and smoked Wagyu brisket. Campari cocktails round off the drinks list. Dress up for Halloween, grab a plate and settle in for an afternoon of drag, seafood and cocktails. October 31. B3,700. Book your spot here. W Bangkok. 12.30pm-3.30pm

Halloween gets a mansion makeover as Mustache Takeover returns to The House on Sathorn for one night of techno, house and disco. The heritage building hosts three stages, with techno on the first floor and house and disco taking over upstairs. DJs include Jade B3B Fernisa B3B Berry, Theo DGL B2B Jules Blons, Anchan, Jxnixr, Ruggero and Drexel Jr. Bar Sathorn serves cocktails and bar bites, while a makeup artist offers free Halloween looks until 10pm, on a first-come, first-served basis. Costumes are encouraged, so consider this your excuse to dress up properly. October 30. B900 via here. The House on Sathorn. 6pm-1am

Halloween calls for a night of spooky films, candlelit tables and a little twisted romance. This annual mystery movie night keeps the main attraction under wraps, so you won’t know which scary film is playing until you arrive. Expect a Halloween makeover for the dining room, themed music, a special menu and a silent horror film projected on the wall while you eat. Bring a date, round up a few friends or simply come for the film and the seasonal setting. The only way to discover what’s showing is to turn up and take a seat. October 31. Reserve your spot here. Nothing Sacred. 7pm onwards

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 

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

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

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

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

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

Illustration fans, make room in your calendar. Bangkok Illustration Fair (BKKIF) returns for 2026, bringing together artists from Thailand and overseas to showcase and sell their work, from character design to picture-book illustrations. The International Alliance zone connects visitors with illustration communities across Asia and beyond, while a new Taiwan Pavilion introduces four popular characters, including Bugcat Capoo and Miho Nyanko. There’s plenty for aspiring artists, too, with portfolio reviews, industry networking and hands-on workshops. Grade 12 students can also apply for free portfolio guidance through a special programme with Central Tham.October 22-25. B150 via here and B200 at the door. centralwOrld PULSE, centralwOrld. 11am-8pm

American artist Trey Hurst presents a solo exhibition of paintings exploring memory, relationships and the way time changes what we remember. Sitting somewhere between abstraction and recognisable human forms, his figures emerge through layers of paint, with details that appear and disappear across the canvas. Memory is the starting point for the work, rather than a story told in a straightforward way. Look closely and you’ll find shapes that hint at familiar people or moments, leaving room to consider how our memories shift, and which details stay with us long after an experience ends. Now-November 8. Free entry. PLAY art house. 10am-8pm

Maybe you first heard ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ as Natalie Portman crossed a London street in Closer. Maybe ‘Cannonball’ came on a mate’s burnt CD, or ‘Cold Water’ got you through a rough breakup. However it found you, Damien Rice’s debut album O turns 25 in early 2027, and he marks the occasion with a Bangkok show on February 20. O very nearly didn’t happen. In 1998, Rice quit his band Juniper and the record deal that came with it. He spent time in Tuscany, then busked around Europe before returning to Ireland the following year with a batch of new material. He wrote, recorded and produced the album himself, mostly at home, with Lisa Hannigan’s vocals on ‘Volcano’ and ‘I Remember’. When it came out in 2002, he figured it might be his first and last. Bangkok is one of 25 cities on his anniversary world tour, which focuses on those early songs. If his last visit is anything to go by, expect a stripped-back night. At Union Hall in June 2023, his first Bangkok gig in seven years, he admitted he had no setlist. He sat on the floor at one point and asked the seated crowd to stand and move closer to the stage. By the closing number, the whole room sang along. This time, he plays KBank SiamPic Hall on the seventh floor of Siam Square One, a short walk from Siam BTS. General sale opens on October 23, so set a reminder. And pack tissues. Nobody gets through ‘Amie’ dry-eyed. Damien Rice’s O 25th Anniversary Tour comes to KBank SiamPic Hall, Siam Square One, on Sat Feb 20 2027. Tickets co

Bangkok’s social calendar gets crowded once the cool season rolls round, but one date stays circled for locals and expats alike – the Ploenchit Fair. Yes, it raises money for charity, though most visitors simply come for a cracking day out. The 69th edition returns to Bangkok Patana School on Saturday November 21. Photograph: Ploenchit FairBangkok Come hungry. Food vendors serve dishes from around the world, shoppers browse market stalls and youngsters queue for rides and fairground games. Bands fill the main stage, and the Grand Raffle draw keeps thousands of visitors hanging on until the final number is called. The name comes from the fair's first home in 1957, the grounds of the British Embassy on Ploenchit Road. Proceeds go to the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN), which backs grassroots education and healthcare projects in underserved areas. The event's running total stands at more than B70 million. Last year, the money funded medical check-ups for 730 kindergarten children and vocational training for 250 women, plus upgraded classrooms, meals and childcare for 300 pupils and their families. This year's partners include the Bright Dawn Foundation, which runs health programmes in rural schools, the Thailand Hilltribes Education Project and the Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities. Photograph: Ploenchit FairBangkok ‘The fair is simply a great day,’ says BCTFN president Derek Stamp. ‘Come with friends, bring the kids, eat

Good news – the Golden Mount Temple Fair is back at Wat Saket for 13 days and 13 nights, November 17-29. The date to circle is November 17. Following the opening ceremony, a procession carries a long red cloth up Phu Khao Thong and wraps it around the bell-shaped spire, a ritual passed down through generations. Join the crowd tackling the 300-odd steps to pay respects to the Buddha relics enshrined there, then catch your breath on the terrace overlooking the Old Town. Photograph: KAMOL KHAMHANGBangkok Back at the bottom, the compound fills with stalls and charcoal smoke. Graze your way past moo ping skewers, crispy hoi tod sizzling on griddles, khanom krok straight from the pan and plastic bags of sugary cha yen with a straw poking out. Between snacks, flick through racks of cheap T-shirts, throw darts at balloons for an oversized teddy or squeeze aboard the rickety rides your parents probably remember. Turn up after dark, when the heat eases and the bulbs flicker on. Wear comfy shoes, bring small notes and pace yourself – you'll want room for dessert. The Golden Mount Temple Fair runs November 17-29 at Wat Saket, Bangkok.

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and share a few precious moments of reunion with Penfolds’ limited-edition Bin 389 and Bin 407 gift sets. Boxed in red and gold, they’re easy to hand over at the door as the whole family squeezes around one big table. They also settle things when an auntie asks why you turned up empty-handed. The Adelaide-born producer to The Australian winemaker picks two of its best-known reds for the occasion, and the packaging is sturdy enough that someone’s mum is bound to keep it for storing receipts once the last glass is poured. Photograph: PenfoldBangkok Bin 389 has the backstory. It dates back to 1960, when chief winemaker Max Schubert first blended it. Fans call it ‘Baby Grange’, as part of each vintage matures in barrels that previously held his more famous creation. Photograph: PenfoldBangkok Bin 407 is the easier-going sibling. Shaped by the same techniques as Bin 707, the label’s top-tier cabernet, it’s medium-bodied with bright berry fruit and a gentle hint of spice.  Both sit on shelves at supermarkets and wine shops across Thailand, so grab one on the way to dinner. Bring a story along too. Penfolds began in 1844, when English doctor Christopher Rawson Penfold made fortified wine as a tonic for his patients at The Grange, the family cottage in Magill. Penfolds’ limited-edition Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz and Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon Mid-Autumn Festival gift packs are available at supermarkets and fine wine retailers nationwide f

Pack a mat, grab the mosquito spray and keep your Friday night free, because the Chula Open-Air Cinema Festival returns for its third edition next month. As before, a big screen goes up on the sloping lawn of Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, the green space off Banthat Thong Road that was built to hold rainwater during heavy downpours. The grass can still be damp from late-season showers, so that mat earns its keep. Photograph: chulaklangplaengBangkok The films are only part of the programme. Between screenings, folk singers and full bands share the stage, tarot readers set up on the grass and artists sketch live while curious passers-by peer over their shoulders. Some of the activities also tackle social issues, so you get something to think about along with the popcorn. Fancy getting involved? The team still accepts proposals from musicians, artists and anyone else with an activity to share. Head to Chulaklangplaeng for the application link, but be quick – submissions close at 8pm on October 20, and selected bands are announced the next day. The Chula Open-Air Cinema Festival takes place on November 6 at Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. Keep an eye on the organisers’ Instagram for the full line-up.

Is life a bit much right now? take note. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has a fix in the middle of Bangkok. The Night by Amazing Thailand Season 2: Music in Memory runs under the theme Harmony of Healing, with music, art, light and calming activities on the lawns outside the Entertainment Building in Lumphini Park. The best bit? It costs nothing to get in on all 12 nights. Lumphini is already where Bangkokians go to switch off, and this time TAT wants a space where anyone can slow down for a few hours. The tagline sums it up: ‘music to heal the body, melodies to heal the heart’. More than 46 acts play across the run, and each evening has its own theme. Expect jazz, full orchestras, ’80s and ’90s hits, luk thung, luk krung, pop, reggae and contemporary sounds. Moderndog, ZAZA, The Palace, Kai-Jo Brothers and Mocca Garden are on the bill, and Princess Ubolratana is scheduled to sing on October 21. Photograph: Amazing ThailandBangkok Away from the main stage, art installations and interactive lighting brighten the paths after dark. Try sound and scent therapy or a handpan sound healing session, or kick off your shoes on the grass for grounding therapy. Yoga classes and talks on emotional wellbeing run on a rotating schedule, while DIY workshops give your hands a job and your head a rest. Free massages are on offer too, but numbers are limited. Food and drink stalls keep you going as you wander. Aim to arrive around 5pm, when the joggers finish their laps of the lake a

Property launches usually mean a sales rep, a glossy brochure and a polite nod at the kitchen island. Lesmo Plus skips all that. Over the Chulalongkorn Day weekend (October 23-25), it opens the space between the houses at Alom Ari for Sip & Sound, three evenings of wine, music and art. Photograph: MIA Made In AriBangkok ‘This time, we aren’t asking anyone to imagine,’ says Bell Wongchindawest from the developer. Photograph: MIA Made In AriBangkok Communal tables sit against terracotta walls, while more than 10 vendors pour from a list of over 100 labels. Expect natural wines alongside bottles from France, Italy, Chile, Germany, Russia and Thailand, plus Thai crafted beer and local spirits. Neighbourhood restaurants bring small bites, and DJs rotate nightly with house, organic house and nu-disco.  Art installations appear across the site. Expect wine masterclasses and workshops to explore in each house.. All pets are welcome. Photograph: MIA Made In AriBangkok Online tickets cover all 3 days and include 3 tokens (B300) and a Lucaris wine glass worth B450. Early bird costs B700 (first 100, until October 18), regular B800 and a five-person team pack B3,500 (15 tokens, one wine glass each). Walk-ins pay B200 on the day for a single token, with glasses B300 extra. Sip & Sound takes place October 23-25, 3pm-10pm, at Alom Ari, 58 Soi Suparaj 1, Samsen Nai. Grab tickets via Zipevent. Parking is limited, so take the BTS to Ari.

On a weekday, Lumphini Park belongs to office workers doing lunchtime laps and retirees practising tai chi by the lake. Lately, though, Bangkok’s first public park draws a much younger crowd. They join the evening aerobics sessions by the main entrance, crouch down to greet the resident cats and film the water monitors sunbathing on the canal banks. Part of the appeal is simple geography. Lumphini sits a few minutes’ walk from Sala Daeng BTS and Silom and Lumphini MRT, and its 2.5km loop suits anyone chasing a daily step count in the name of living longer. Tourists come for the lizards, now the unofficial mascot of a green space that turned 100 last year. Photograph: Thipsuda RuengsiribhaksakunaBangkok Sunday mornings add a new set of regulars. From 10am to midday, a group going by the very punny name of Lumphini Sundae laces up for a weekly session. Anyone is welcome, so expect first-timers clutching a friend’s elbow, thirtysomethings dusting off the quad skates they had at school and a handful of serious riders training for competitions. Everyone meets near Gate 1, next to the drinks stall, before setting off together. Rather go it alone? Official rules allow bikes and other wheeled kit between 10am and 3pm, so you can carry on at your own pace once the Sundae lot head home. Bring water, since it’s properly hot by 11am, and pack knee pads if you last skated at a roller disco in the early 2000s. Prefer to stay on foot? Grab a bench and stare at nothing for 30 minutes inste

If your bedside table already wobbles under a pile of Thai BL (boys’ love) paperbacks, you’re well ahead of us. For everyone else, the Thai Queer Book Fair (TQBF) is the place to start. The one-day event takes over TK Park, the public library inside centralwOrld, on Saturday October 24. Its message is straightforward. Queer writing is for anyone who enjoys a good read, whatever their gender. Expect long tables laden with romance novels, erotic short stories, poetry and fantasy, plus non-fiction on human rights and a generous spread of zines, prints and handmade publications. Independent publishers, small presses and printmakers run the stalls, so you’ll spot plenty of titles that rarely reach the big chain bookshops. Bring a tote bag. You’ll need one. Browsing is only half of it. Panel talks, book clubs and writing workshops fill the afternoon, and queer artists take the stage. You can also chat face to face with the authors and illustrators behind the work, which is usually how we end up going home with three more books than planned. The timing makes sense. Same-sex marriage became legal in Thailand in January 2025, and local BL and GL (girls’ love) series, many of them adapted from web novels, now draw fans across Asia. This fair shifts attention to the people who dream up those stories, and Thai writers get top billing. From BTS Chit Lom, follow the skywalk straight to the mall and take the lift to the eighth floor. Arrive early for first pick of the limited runs. The Thai

Doing the Bangkok Art Biennale properly means plenty of Grab rides, sweaty walks between sites and a phone full of half-read wall texts. City to River, a one-off outing on Sunday November 1, hands the planning to the team behind the show. It starts at 2pm at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), opposite MBK, where curators walk a small group up the spiralling ramps to a handful of highlights. Some of the artists come along, so you can ask them what they had in mind. Next comes Wat Pho at 4.30pm, home to the 46-metre reclining Buddha with mother-of-pearl soles. New work sits among its tiled chedis and cloisters of gilded statues, which is half the appeal. Cover your shoulders and knees. Photograph: Siri Sala Private Thai VillaBangkok From there, you hop aboard a private boat on the Chao Phraya around sunset. The skipper turns off at Khlong Bangkok Noi, where wooden houses on stilts have steps running down to the water, and pulls up at Siri Sala Private Thai Villa for drinks and dinner with everyone you’ve met along the way. The route nods to this year’s theme, Angels & Mara. Bangkok’s Thai name begins with Krung Thep, or City of Angels, while Mara is the demon who tried to distract Siddhartha from enlightenment. The fifth edition runs from October 29 until February 28, 2027, with 72 Thai and international names across temples, museums and public spaces. Apinan Poshyananda leads as chief executive and artistic director, alongside a curatorial team of Adulaya Hoontrakul,

Lumphini Hall is having a busy year. After years of sitting quiet, the old hall in the middle of Lumphini Park now runs a regular line-up of Thai arts, including a free evening of khon and classical dance back in July. The next date for your diary is October 18. More than 80 young volunteers from the Mathurasin and Siam Rak Silp troupes perform Youth Khon 2026 at Lumphini Hall, the old hall in the middle of the grounds. Ballroom dancers packed its floor in the 1950s and ’60s, and after years of sitting quiet, it now hosts Thai music and dance again. Photograph: MathulaslipKhon Show The chosen episode, Akhra Nari Sida, translates roughly as ‘Sida, the Supreme Lady’. Most Ramakien retellings follow Hanuman’s mischief or Phra Ram’s battles, but this one stays with Sida after the war in Lanka, when accusations about her faithfulness force her to prove her dignity and honesty. In the classic version of the epic, that test sends her walking through fire. The heroine also takes centre stage in this year’s royal khon production from the SUPPORT Foundation, so consider this a handy primer. Never seen khon live? The staging does most of the explaining. Expect gold-threaded costumes, hand-carved masks, slow and precise hand movements and a steady clang of gongs and drums. Doors open at 4.30pm and it’s free. MRT Silom Exit 1 puts you at the southwest corner, a short stroll away. Youth Khon 2569 is at Lumphini Sathan, Lumphini Park, on Sun Oct 18, 4.30pm-7pm. Entry is free. The nearest

Anyone who still hums ‘Glue Song’ on their morning commute can start counting down, because beabadoobee returns to Bangkok next year. The Filipino-British singer-songwriter, real name Beatrice Laus, heads to UOB Live at Emsphere on April 2 2027 as part of The Powerlines Tour. It marks her third Thai show since the Beatopia tour first brought her here in 2022. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Live Nation Tero (@livenationth)   Photograph: Pylonbeabadoobee This time she arrives with a new record. Pylon, her fourth album, is out now and follows This Is How Tomorrow Moves, which gave her a first UK number one in 2024. The title refers to the electricity pylons she watches pass along the roads between gigs. For her, they're reminders of the family and friends she leaves behind whenever she tours.   Photograph: beabadoobeeThe Powerlines Tour Most of the 14 tracks begin as diary entries, written on the road and during breaks at home, about homesickness and the uncertainty of time away from the people she loves. ‘A lot of the songs on this record are things I wish I could have said to someone,’ she says. The guest list is strong too. Paramore’s Hayley Williams sings on ‘Nothing to Prove’, Turnstile’s Brendan Yates joins her on ‘Powerlines’ and the 1975’s Matty Healy and George Daniel produce ‘Write Me A Letter’. Expect older favourites like ‘the perfect pair’ and ‘Coffee’ alongside cuts from Pylon, including lead single and opening track ‘S