Tita Petchnamnung

Bangkok's chess scene is a thriving mix of sharp strategy and easy camaraderie. On the same evening you might find a Grandmaster deep in a rated blitz game while, a table away, someone is learning their very first opening over a cold drink. Casual yet serious, often all in one place – which is to say, very Bangkok. Believe it or not, the city's relationship with the game runs deep. Thailand's own Suchart Chaivichit brought home individual gold from the 1988 Chess Olympiad and today Prin Laohawirapap – the country's first and only International Master – carries the flag for new generations.  Meanwhile, Bangkok’s very own open – aptly named ‘The Bangkok Open’ – has drawn the likes of Nigel Short and Jan Gustafsson, with the latter calling it ‘by far the best tournament in the world.’ So beyond the bars (and in them too), the city’s chess scene is officially thriving, with the infrastructure growing as much as  the ambition. Here are eight venues to know if you’re looking to get back into the world’s most timeless board game.

'Coffee might be the reason we walk into a cafe, but community is the reason we want to come back.' Last year, we invited Khun Wa (Thananop Eimsunthorn), a cafe curator with a radar for cool spaces all across Bangkok, to reveal his map of must-visit spots. So many that you cafe hoppers could barely keep up, quite honestly.  This year, he’s back by popular demand with a 2026 update on new openings and must-trys – because it seems that 'just good coffee' no longer cuts the mustard.  'I feel honoured and excited every time,’ says Khun Wa. ‘It's like getting to explore the city all over again. Every place I visit sparks new conversations and ideas that really help refresh my creative energy.' From 'technique' to 'lifestyle,' he sees this year's vibe as cafes moving away from showcasing technique (think roasting profiles or latte art) and toward creating living spaces that connect more deeply with specific communities. We've seen the rise of cafes for runners, matcha cafes and spaces with clearly defined workshop areas. Today's cafes aren't just selling drinks. They're selling a worldview and creating a shared sense of belonging. When we asked why food, baked goods and various activities have become central this year, Wa offered a sharp insight. 'Great coffee is the core that gets people through the door. But craft menus like homemade sourdough, activities like run clubs and design events, are the tools that make people want to come back. These elements give a cafe its story and t

The tuna melt has a more storied past than its modest reputation suggests. Born in American lunch counters and greasy-spoon diners sometime in the mid-twentieth century – the exact origin is contested, though a 1965 diner in South Carolina is often cited – it was always a practical sandwich: canned tuna, mayonnaise, cheese, heat.  Bangkok's relationship with the tuna melt has followed the city's broader love affair with Western cafe culture. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, tuna melts were largely the preserve of hotel coffee shops and expat haunts, serviceable but rarely memorable. The shift came with the sourdough revolution – when a new generation of Bangkok bakers started obsessing over fermentation schedules, imported grain varieties and slow-proofed loaves, suddenly the bread underneath the tuna started to matter as much as what was on top of it. Today, the city's best tuna melts are genuinely worth seeking out: inventive, technically precise and occasionally spectacular. If you're eating your way through Bangkok's sandwich scene more broadly, our guide to Bangkok's best sandwiches covers the city's most compelling offerings across every style and bread type. And for a spin on the classics with a chewier canvas, our best bagels in Bangkok guide is worth bookmarking before your next lunch run. Now, back to the matter at hand. Many lunches went into this. We ordered widely, asked the people with strong sandwich opinions and returned when something pulled us back. These

There's a version of fashion week that ends at the afterparty, spilling into some hotel corridor at 2am. And then there's this – something more considered and frankly more interesting.  Venue hire is no longer enough. Bangkok’s hotels want creative credit – a seat at the creative table, a point of view, a sense of place stitched into the fabric, sometimes literally. What's been building across Bangkok's luxury properties is a different kind of collaboration entirely. Not a venue hire with a press release attached. Not a runway moment borrowed from a ballroom. We're talking co-designed capsules, guest experiences built around the clothes.  Internationally recognised names and homegrown designers are arriving at the same conclusion from opposite ends of the map. The right hotel offers something no showroom, runway or concept store can. Specificity. Atmosphere. A fully formed world you can step into and linger in. It signals a new fashion status symbol. The most compelling pairings do not feel like collaborations at all. They feel inevitable, as though the brand and the property were always meant to meet. Right now, Bangkok is making a convincing case for itself. Here are five we have been loving.

Making a 'best of' list for Bangkok is a particular kind of hubris.  With roughly 30.3 million international visitors in 2025, according to Euromonitor International’s 2025 index, the city sits at the top of the global arrivals chart. On any given Saturday night, you are dancing among strong opinions. Everyone has a favourite. Everyone has a story. So we did the rounds and stayed late. Bangkok’s nightlife has a reputation for spectacle. Spectacle and energy, though, are not the same thing. Let’s be precise about what this list is and is not. If you have read our 12 Best Nightclubs in Bangkok, think of this as the tighter sibling. Not the most Instagrammed rooms. Not the longest guest lists or the hardest push on bottle service. This one is about dancing – floors that fill, nights that run long and leaving with sore feet and no memory of checking your phone. In a city this size, that is a narrower brief than it sounds and it took real fieldwork to get right. Some were logged across multiple visits. Some came from a single night that ran longer than planned. A few required going back to confirm the first time was not a fluke. What they share is simple: the floor fills, people move and you leave actually spent. The eight clubs below are the ones that left us with sore hips.

  This list was built the slow way. We started at fairs, then followed the breadcrumbs to the people making sure ink and paper still matter. Call it a zine. Call it a studio, a shop. At its core, this is about recognising rooms full of people with ink on their fingers. The five entries here do not answer to the same name. Some are things you read and look at. Others are the infrastructure that makes it all possible. We in cluded both because a scene is an ecosystem, not just its output. What qualified anything for this list was simple: does it matter to Bangkok's independent print world? Is it made with intention? Is someone's creative vision driving it? If the answer to all three was yes, it's here. Bangkok's zine scene didn't arrive fully formed. It showed up super humbly along Phra Athit Rd – small, a bit rough around the edges, passed between people who'd found each other through punk music and photocopiers and a quiet agreement that the world needed more weird little magazines in it.  Photograph: CTDzine - Thailand Cherish the Darkness, widely considered the first Thai zine, was already loose in the world. So were the Xerox machines, the long-arm staplers and the ink-stained afternoons that always ran longer than planned. For a while the internet made things complicated. By 2004 the energy had shifted – not dramatically, just the way things reorganise when something faster and cheaper shows up. The scene didn't disappear so much as take longer naps between growth spurt

An Austrian locksmith. A drive to capture better hiking shots. A lifelong grip on a PlayStation controller.  Simon Frühwirth was 24 when he bought his first drone. Nothing grand about it – he just wanted better shots from his hiking trips. A way to capture the mountains the way they actually felt, not just the way a camera pointed upward would see them. He started with standard drones. Then FPV came along. First Person View (FPV)  is exactly what it sounds like. Goggles on, live feed straight to your eyes. It shifts a bit from control to immersion. From steering to actual flying. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SIMON FRÜHWIRTH ● DRONE PILOT (@simon.frwt) FPV is now his signature. You might not recognise his face – he's almost always behind the goggles, controller in hand – but you've almost certainly seen the work.  A drone moving through Thai hotels in one long unbroken take. Down corridors, across pools, up staircases, entire spaces mapped without a single cut. Effortless on screen. Anything but in practice. Now 31, drifting between cities but always somewhere in Southeast Asia and always booked solid, Simon Frühwirth is still chasing what he calls ‘the flow state’. The same feeling he first found on an Austrian hiking trail with a brand new drone and not a care in the world. This is how the right hobby, in the right hands, under an open sky, can make a life.   Let’s rewind to the moment you first picked up a drone

คุกกี้ การ์ตูน และของสะสมเข้ามาปะทะในบ่ายวันหนึ่งที่ออฟฟิศ Time Out กล่อง Super Cookie Friends ปรากฏตัวขึ้น! เมื่อเปิดดูในถุง คล้ายกับกล่องจุ่มสุดฮิต  และสิ่งแรกที่เราเห็นคือด้านบนของกล่อง ‘ได้เวลาออกมาทำหน้าที่คุกกี้ที่ดีที่สุดกัน!’ Photograph: Super Cookie Friends เราหยิบกล่องออกมาแล้วไล่สายตาตามงานภาพสีสันน่ารักไปรอบๆ จากนั้นเจ้าก้อนกลมยิ้มแฉ่งโผล่มา และนี่คือ ‘Chunk’ แห่งเมือง Cookie Town นั่นเอง และถ้าคุณมองดีๆ จะเห็นว่าโปรดักต์และประโยคน่ารักๆ วางซ่อนอยู่ต่อหน้าต่อตา แล้วก็เห็นหน้าเจ้า Chunk อีกครั้ง บินทะลุอวกาศกลับมาพร้อมเพื่อนขนมปังขิงของเขา Photograph: Super Cookie Friends เปิดกล่องขึ้นมา คุณจะได้เจอกับเจ้า Chunk (หลายก้อน) ‘สวัสดีเพื่อนยาก ตอนนี้คุณคือเจ้าของกล่องคุกกี้สุดพิเศษ ที่ถูกทำขึ้นด้วยมือเพื่อคุณโดยเฉพาะ’ พร้อมทั้งภาพประกอบแนะนำวิธีการกินให้ได้อรรถรสที่สุด คุณจะสังเกตเห็นปีกข้างกล่อง เปิดออกแล้วฉากก็ขยายต่อเนื่องออกไป เป็นดีเทลสนุกๆ ที่ถูกค้นพบ มองเข้าไปในตัวจะเห็นคำว่า ‘พาฉันไปยัง Cookie Town’ และลิงก์ไปยังชุมชนสะสมแต้ม ความสนุกของ Super Cookie Friends ได้เริ่มต้นขึ้นแล้ว Photograph: Super Cookie Friends มาถึงตัวคุกกี้ พระเอกของเรา ถูกเรียงจากซ้ายไปขวาที่จัดวางอย่างตั้งใจ สิ่งที่ผู้สร้างเรียกว่า ‘กองทัพความอร่อย’ และผู้อยู่เบื้องหลังความสนุกนี้คือ David Fine ชาวลอนดอนโดยกำเนิด ผู้มีพลังสร้างสรรค์แบบฉุดไม่อยู่ ที่มักพาเขาเลี้ยวออกจากเส้นทางเดิมที่เคยคิดไว้ เขาเคยเป็นหลายอย่างในชีวิต ไม่ว่าจะกราฟิกดีไซเนอร์, ผู้ช่วยช่างตัดเสื้อที่ได้รับ Royal Warrant to the Queen, ดีเจเฮาส์และเทคโน, ผู้ก่อตั้งค่ายเพลง, แฟชั่นบายเออร์, และนักวางกลยุทธ์แบรนด์, และตอนนี

‘Seven hours,’ she answers. Not seven hours for anything with a mood board sign-off or a production crew – seven hours of concept, outfits, steaming said outfits, filming and then the editing, which is where Jaynjangle truly loses track of time and finds it completely worth it.  ‘The magic is always in the micro details,’ she says. Her comment section would agree. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JJ (@jaynjangle) Before we get into the edits and outfits – and we will – there's one detail that sets the tone for everything else. When Jaynjangle and her partner decided to move to Bangkok, they had never visited Thailand.  Not once. No scouting trip, no cautious long weekend to confirm their instincts, no boots-on-the-ground reconnaissance of any kind. Just a decision, a digital nomad visa and a shared appetite for the unknown. ‘The thought of living in a new country was scary at the time,’ she admits. ‘But when Thailand announced the DTV, it felt like perfect timing – like all the stars aligned.’ She'd been wanting to live somewhere new for years. The idea was always there, waiting for the right conditions to show up. Then they did and she moved. Just like that. Jaynjangle’s career as a content creator back in New York made it logistically possible – the flexibility, the income that travels with her – but framing the move as a lifestyle brand decision would be selling it short. It was more personal than that. A want, held for a long time, fina

Cookies, comics and collectibles collide one evening at the Time Out Bangkok office. The Super Cookie Friends boxes materialise. Peeking into the bag, the first thing we saw was the top of the box: 'Out here, just trying to be the best cookie I can be.' We went – who said that? Photograph: Super Cookie Friends We took the box out and followed the artwork around. Then this round, beaming Chunk guy showed himself. Oh, it's Chunk. Cookie Town below him. And if you look closely there are clues – products and lines not yet out, hiding in plain sight. Then Chunk again, flying back through space with his gingerbread friend. Photograph: Super Cookie Friends Open it up and you're back with Chunk(s). 'Hello, Friend. You're the proud owner of a special box of cookies, created by hand for you.' Illustrated instructions for getting the most out of them. Then you notice the side flaps – open those and the scene keeps going, extending outward, which is a fun thing to find. Look inside the box itself: Take Me Down To Cookie Town and the link to the rewards community – Super Cookie Friends Friends. We'll get to that. Then the cookies. Lined up left to right at a very deliberate angle, what their creator calls 'tasty soldiers.'  Reader, we demolished them. Chuck got early access to our February 19 to 25 edition of Table Talk in Bangkok, our weekly roundup of the capital’s must-know culinary happenings. But here’s how deep the Chuck cosmos really goes. Photograph: Super Cookie Friends The

We update this article regularly to ensure the information remains accurate and current. Please check back for the latest updates. Dating apps are losing steam. What's taking over? Running crews. They've somehow figured it out – how to turn a massive city into a place to exercise, socialise and be social… sometimes even romantic.  This is Bangkok’s running club phenomenon. You're running through the city with strangers and then they  stop being strangers. Someone syncs up with your stride. You start talking between breaths. Small stuff at first. Then real stuff. And suddenly you're not just doing cool-down stretches, you're making plans for Wednesday. Finding your people transforms from this exhausting hunt into something that just... happens. The shift sneaks up on you – showing up stops being about discipline and becomes about not wanting to miss it. About who might show up. What story someone will tell.  And just like that, the ritual replaces the routine. The reps fade into something realer. And you realise you've accidentally built a life while you thought you were just trying to stay in shape. The proof's in the numbers. Strava's 2025 Year in Sport report shows new clubs nearly quadrupled this year – 1 million worldwide. Running clubs shot up 3.5 times. Club events climbed 1.5 times. The numbers are wild. 37 percent of people now think run clubs are actually where it's at for meeting someone. People are calling it the new dating craze, the new third space – which basica

For a long time, brides looked elsewhere for the beautiful white dress. Paris, Milan, New York. The assumption was that the best had to come from somewhere far away – as if beauty and craftsmanship couldn't possibly exist here. But they do. They always have. Thai designers understand the weight of tradition without being confined by it. And perhaps most importantly, there is something meaningful about entrusting your wedding dress to hands that understand your context, your story and your visual language, whether you have lived here your whole life or chosen Bangkok as home. Bangkok is not playing when it comes to bridal. Push open an unassuming workroom door and you will find heritage embroidery, stitched patiently by hand. A few streets over, the scene flips. Sleek studios. Clean lines. Romance on one end, razor sharp minimalism on the other and everything in between. The best part is you are not scrolling through samples or waiting on updates from another continent. You are sitting across from the designer. You are touching fabrics, pinning ideas, changing your mind. It is collaborative. It is personal. It is made around you. Here are 10 Thai bridal brands to know – especially if that big day's on the horizon.

This one’s a more serious chess academy, although it comes with the benefits of a genuinely open-door club scene attached. BRCA Chess Club members meet every Sunday at 1pm and Wednesday at 4.30pm for game sessions and small rated tournaments – and walk-ins are welcome at both. Big Rook also runs after-work chess tournaments throughout the year, which do exactly what they say: give working adults a structured, social evening of chess without any of the stuffy chess-style formality. The academy has become one of Thailand's most active chess organisations, partnering with the Thailand Chess Association to host international opens and running youth development programmes alongside adult sessions.  Time Out tip: The Sunday afternoon club session is the most sociable entry point for newcomers. Single entry is B200. Big Rook Chess Academy. 15 Pattanavet 11, Pridi Bhanomyong 26, Vadhana. B200. Club sessions Sun 1pm, Wed 4.30pm. bigrookchess.com

Bangkok's oldest and most storied chess club has called The Royal Oak home for decades and Friday nights here have become something of a local institution. Players begin drifting in around 7pm for casual games and conversation. By 8pm, blitz tournaments are underway and the atmosphere shifts up a gear. Expats, locals, titled players and curious beginners all rub shoulders at the same tables. What makes it special is the range. With over 200 active members representing dozens of nationalities, you're as likely to face a Grandmaster as you are someone who only just found out the pawns can jump two squares. The BCC also organises the annual BCC Open – one of Asia's most prestigious chess tournaments, drawing players from across the globe – but none of that pomp makes Friday night feel anything other than easy and welcoming. Time Out tip: Arrive before 7.30pm to get a casual warm-up game in before the tournament starts. First-timers are always welcomed – just walk in and they’ll show you the ropes. Bangkok Chess Club. The Royal Oak, Sukhumvit 33/1, Phrom Phong. Free. Every Friday from 7pm

This is the competitive backbone of Bangkok’s professional chess scene. Red Knight is a chess academy that regularly hosts FIDE-rated tournaments open to registered players (FIDE, the sport’s international governing body, oversees the global rating system). It is the city’s go-to address for anyone serious about putting an official number on their game. The club regularly co-organises major open competitions and its roster of coaches works with everyone from promising juniors to adult improvers. Red Knight also organises the annual NIST Chess Championship – one of the biggest open tournaments in Thailand – held at NIST International School once a year.  Time Out tip: Check redknightchess.com for the monthly tournament calendar. FIDE-rated Rapid events fill up fast. Red Knight Chess Club. Prasarnmit Plaza, Sukhumvit 23, Watthana. See website for schedule. redknightchess.com

For those who want to enjoy the professionalism of Red Knight but in a more relaxed, drop-in setting  – then their very own chess cafe is where you’ll find boards embedded in tables open for beginners and pros alike. Every Saturday from 7pm, the cafe hosts a ‘Casual Chess Evening’ with a free 7-round Swiss blitz tournament running from 8pm to 9.30pm, open to absolutely anyone who knows the basic rules. The winner walks away with a B300 cafe voucher; everyone else walks away having had a good time. If you’re more of a morning person, Wednesdays bring ‘Coffee, Chess and Croissants’ – a relaxed adult meetup from 10am to noon, with optional coaching sessions for those who want to ‘get good.’ Time Out tip: The Saturday tournament caps at 26 players and, just like the coffee, is first come, first served. Red Knight Chess Cafe. Bambini Villa, Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Toei. Free, cafe spend encouraged. Saturdays 7-10pm (tournament from 8pm), Wednesdays 10am-noon

What is it: The project from chef Chalee Kader – the Thai-Indian Michelin-associated chef behind Wana Yook – and the team at Fran's Brunch and Greens. Where Fran's original Sathorn location leans into leisurely weekend brunch, Downtown by Fran's is calibrated for the working week: faster service, sharper portions and a sandwich programme at the centre of everything. Why we love it: Daily baked bread – sourdough, focaccia, baguette and brioche all produced in-house, and tuna melt sandwich is evidence of what that discipline produces. The tuna filling is considered without being precious, the bread structural enough to hold it together and the whole thing is seasoned with the kind of attention you'd expect from a kitchen with serious fine-dining references. Set inside Dusit Central Park, it has an unusual polish for a sandwich counter: all-day hours, a clean interior and easy access from Sala Daeng BTS or Lumphini MRT. Time Out tip: The sandwich and coffee set at B250 is the smarter order – tuna melt alone is B180, so coffee effectively costs you B70. Also, don't leave without trying smoked eel on brioche either: it's the more technically ambitious item on the menu and one of the more unusual things you can eat for lunch in this city. Downtown by Fran's. Tuna Melt Sandwich B180 (sandwich and coffee set B250). G/F, Dusit Central Park, Bang Rak. Daily 8am-10pm.

What is it: A family-run sandwich and salad shop on Sukhumvit Soi 36 – a handful of cosy tables inside, a few more out front and a menu that covers more ground than the size suggests. Why we love it: Tuna melt is built on a fresh baguette baked daily – crisp outside, soft through the middle – and loaded with tuna mayo, mozzarella, cheddar, pickled jalapeños and a homemade garlic sauce that ties it together. Ask for the pickles on the side; they're not automatic but very much worth it. Coffee and cookies round things out if you're staying a while. Time Out tip: The salad menu is a proper reason to order both — the chicken with tahini dressing pairs well with whatever sandwich you're getting. Dylan's Craft Sandwich. Tuna Melt Grilled Sandwich B240. 81 Sukhumvit Soi 36, Khlong Toei. Tue-Sun 9am-6.30pm. Closed Mon.

What is it: A coffee roastery and cafe with mid-century modern bones – warm timber panelling, blue-toned walls, pendant lights – that built its following on specialty coffee before expanding its food menu to the point where the sandwiches now hold their own as a reason to visit. The brand has since grown beyond its original Phatthanakan location, with a second branch on Sukhumvit extending its reach. Why we love it: Never Snooze keeps the tuna melt simple and clean – good bread, proper cheese melt, no unnecessary additions – and it sits naturally alongside the house dirty coffee and matcha lattes that draw most of the regulars in. It’s a sandwich that mirrors the cafe’s easy rhythm. Unhurried, reliable and roughly B90 in house, with delivery app prices sometimes dipping lower. Time Out tip: Check the current bundle deals before ordering – the cafe regularly pairs the tuna melt with a coffee at a combined lower price. Never Snooze. Tuna Melt B90. 2903 Phatthanakan Rd, Suan Luang; also Sukhumvit branch. Daily 7.30am-4.30pm.

What is it: A compact, independent deli in Ekamai operating with the energy of a neighbourhood institution: small, opinionated about what goes on a sandwich and loyal to its regulars. OG Tuna Melt is the house classic. Why we love it: In a city where tuna melts are increasingly elaborate constructions, the OG at Pinki's holds its ground by just being really good. Tuna with shiso pesto, wholegrain mustard, cheddar, mozzarella, red onion and a hit of lemon – every element accounted for, nothing superfluous. The Ekamai setting suits it: the neighbourhood has a slower pace than Thonglor or Phrom Phong and this is that kind of sandwich. Time Out tip: Beyond its Earth Ekamai home base, Pinki also makes pop-up appearances. Right now it is at Central Embassy until April 30. Pinki's Deli. OG Tuna Melt B250. Earth Ekamai, Ekamai, Watthana. Daily 7.15am-4pm (last order 3.30pm).

What is it: A whole-foods kitchen that started as a meal-delivery operation – founders hand-packing and hand-delivering everything themselves – before growing into a proper restaurant brand with locations at Sathorn Square, Rama 9 and Yard 49. Tunacado is one of its most ordered items. A viral style pressed sandwich with tuna mousse, avocado, pesto and tomato on toasted bread, rebuilt around the brand’s commitment to unprocessed ingredients. Why we love it: Every component is made from scratch using natural, minimally processed ingredients and Good Roots is unusually transparent about it – detailed nutritional information on every menu item, portraits of the local farmers they source from on the wall. The tuna here is fragrant and soft, the avocado ripe and properly sliced rather than mashed and the bread has that slight, satisfying chew of real sourdough. Most dishes clock between 20 and 45 grams of protein, which is part of the appeal for the sports-science crowd that frequents the Sathorn location. Time Out tip: If you're coming in post-workout, pair it with one of their high-protein smoothies. The peanut butter one is worth the extra baht. Flavours range from vanilla and chocolate to a strawberry PB&J chicken shake. Good Roots. Tunacado B320. 1/F Sathorn Square, Rama 9 and Yard 49. Daily 8am-6pm (hours vary by branch).

What is it: A Scandinavian-inspired sourdough cafe with multiple Bangkok locations – Sukhumvit, Sathorn and Asok among them – that has built one of the city's most devoted sandwich followings since the opening of its first Sukhumvit outpost. Grilled tuna melt is the item that converts first-timers into regulars. Why we love it: Bartels bakes every loaf in-house, with a 24-to-48-hour fermentation process that produces sourdough with genuine character – a tangy, open crumb and a crust that crisps clean when pressed. The tuna itself is worked into a mousse: smooth, generously portioned and layered with green pesto and pickled jalapenos, which cut through the richness with a heat that builds pleasantly. The whole thing is finished with a Parmesan crust pressed onto both outer faces of the bread – salty, lacquered and crunchy in a way that plain toasted sourdough rarely achieves. It's a tuna melt that takes its structural responsibility seriously. Time Out tip: Order it to eat in and ask to sit near the open bakery counter – watching the loaves pulled fresh throughout the day makes the wait feel considerably shorter. Bartels. Grilled tuna melt B260. Multiple locations including Soi Suan Phlu, Sathorn; Sukhumvit Road (between Thonglor and Phrom Phong BTS). Daily 7am-8pm (hours vary by branch).

What is it: A newly opened panini cafe inside President Tower Arcade on Phloen Chit Road – convenient for the Ploenchit BTS crowd and the gym-goers from Cubic next door – built around a griddle press and a short, considered menu.  Why we love it: Melting tuna is the signature: tuna mousse, melted cheddar, jalapeños and homemade pesto pressed into a crispy panini. The press does what open grilling can't – even contact heat across the full face of the bread, a crust that caramelises consistently edge to edge and a cheese pull that doesn't pool in the middle. The jalapeños and pesto do the heavy lifting on flavour: the heat builds without overwhelming the tuna mousse and the pesto ties it together rather than competing with it. East meet west panini has its own following if you want to work through the rest of the menu. Time Out tip: Pistachio matcha latte alongside is the call – something of a house pairing among the regulars. Griddle Panini & Smoothie. Melting Tuna B330. Unit G99-1, President Tower Arcade, 973 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan. Daily 8am-6pm.

Music: Hip-hop, R&B, trap and club anthems – not shy about going commercial when the moment calls for it, with many DJs on rotation on a busy weekend. What is it: Formerly Milley ISC, now sharper and more focused. Mil Social Club draws a specific demographic – the international school set, grown up, grown out and very much on a Wednesday. The sound system is taken seriously and the DJ bookings reflect that. The light and sound setup keeps the energy going across the night without flagging. Why go: Because it's the Thonglor club that the Thonglor crowd actually claims as their own, which is harder to earn than it sounds in a neighbourhood this saturated. The energy peaks late and the room moves together – genuinely rarer than it sounds in a city full of spaces where everyone is doing their own thing in parallel. Time Out tip: Friday and Saturday the line builds quickly and the room hits capacity. Dress to impress – the door is not too casual about this. 3/F J Avenue, 15 Soi Thong Lo, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana. Open Thu-Sun 9pm onwards. Reservations via LINE @mil.socialclub.

จากผู้ตอบแบบสำรวจกว่า 2,600 คนทั่วภูมิภาค กรุงเทพฯ ติดท็อป 3 ถึง 4 ใน 5 ตัวชี้วัดด้านความโรแมนติก ตั้งแต่ความถี่ในการมีเซ็กซ์ การออกเดต การจีบ ไปจนถึงจำนวนคืนที่พัฒนาความสัมพันธ์ พูดง่ายๆ คือเมืองนี้ไม่ได้แค่มีคนออกไปข้างนอก แต่มีอะไรเกิดขึ้นจริง และกรุงเทพฯ ไม่ได้เป็นแบบนี้เพราะ ‘คน’ อย่างเดียว แม้ว่าสถิติจะบอกว่าพวกเขามีเสน่ห์และเปิดรับโอกาส แต่ ‘เมือง’ เองก็มีส่วนสำคัญ ตั้งแต่บาร์ที่เซ็กซี่ที่สุดออกแบบมาให้บทสนทนาไหลลื่น หรือร้านอาหารที่เหมาะกับเดตแรก ไปจนถึงจังหวะชีวิตที่เปิดพื้นที่ให้การพบกันเกิดขึ้นได้อย่างเป็นธรรมชาติ นี่คือเมืองที่ไม่ได้บังคับให้ความสัมพันธ์ต้องเกิดขึ้น แต่ทำให้มันเกิดขึ้นได้อย่างง่ายดาย แน่นอนว่าตัวเลขเหล่านี้สะท้อน ‘ปริมาณ’ ไม่ใช่ ‘เคมี’ เพราะแต่ละเมืองมีภาษาของแรงดึงดูดเป็นของตัวเอง บางเมืองเคลื่อนไหวเร็ว บางเมืองใช้เวลา แต่กรุงเทพฯ ชัดเจนว่าอยู่ในจังหวะที่แอกทีฟกว่าใครส่วนใหญ่   กรุงเทพฯ อยู่อันดับไหนบ้าง อันดับ 2: สำหรับความถี่ในการมีเซ็กซ์ กรุงเทพฯ เฉลี่ยอยู่ที่ 9.1 ครั้งต่อเดือน เป็นรองมาเก๊าเพียง 9.2 และมากกว่าเมืองอื่นทั้งหมดในเอเชีย อันดับ 2: สำหรับจำนวนคืนที่นำไปสู่ความสัมพันธ์โรแมนติก เฉลี่ยอยู่ที่ 7.4 คืนต่อเดือน เป็นรองเพียงมาเก๊า แต่ยังนำหน้าเมืองใหญ่อย่างกัวลาลัมเปอร์และปักกิ่ง อันดับ 3: สำหรับการออกเดต กรุงเทพฯ เฉลี่ยอยู่ที่ 6.9 ครั้งต่อเดือน ติดท็อป 3 ของภูมิภาค อันดับ 3: สำหรับการจีบ กรุงเทพฯ อยู่ในอันดับต้นๆ ของเอเชียในเรื่องการจีบ ไม่ใช่แค่พบกัน แต่มีการส่งสัญญาณบางอย่างต่อกันอย่างลึกซึ้ง อันดับ 6: สำหรับแนวโน้มการพบคนที่น่าดึงดูด แม้อาจจะไม่ใช่อันดับ 1 แต่เมื่อดูจากอันดับอื่นๆ กรุงเทพฯ เป็นเมืองที่ชัดเจนว่า ‘ไม่ปล่อยโอกาสผ่านไปเฉ

Time Out Loud's latest dating and romance survey has Bangkok sitting sexy at the top of the rankings – and we've got the juicy breakdown. Based on over 2,600 Time Outers across Asia (plus 1,300 in Australia, analysed separately), the data identifies the spiciest cities in the region for dating and desire. A little tease before we show the whole ranking: Bangkok ranks in the top three across four of five romance metrics – we're talking categories that measure real romantic momentum: how often people are having sex, flirting, dating, nights out with steamy action potential. It's partly the people here – the stats say they're attractive and game – but the city creates the conditions too. Bangkok's infrastructure works in your favour: the spaces, the social rhythms, the sensory pull. Dim-lit spots that feel inherently sexy, first dates that don't default to bar stools. And this shows, to an extent, how Bangkokians actually date, flirt and build romantic lives, a vital slice of the full spectrum of human connection. The scoreboard tracks volume, not voltage. Every city writes its own erotic grammar, its own clockwork and courtship dance. Some pounce, others prowl. Statistics tally encounters, not electricity!   Bangkok’s rankings Have sex: Second place  Again just behind Macau (9.2 times monthly versus Bangkok's 9.1) and ahead of every other Asian city listed. Have a night out that might lead to romance: Second place  Only Macau ranks higher. Bangkok clocks in at 7.4 nights per mo

Just when you thought Lisa couldn’t possibly squeeze anything else into her schedule, she’s gone and bagged herself a lead role in a Netflix Notting-Hill-style romantic comedy, according to sources. And yes, we’re absolutely holding out hope that Thailand might just sneak its way into the frame. Netflix dropped the news on February 5 that Lisa will star in an as- yet- untitled rom-com penned by Katie Silberman, the writer behind Set It Up and Booksmart. Translation: – this one’s going to be good. Lisa is also reuniting with David Bernad, the executive producer she bonded with on the set of The White Lotus season three, which, let’s not forget, was filmed right here on our gorgeous shores in Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok. Photograph: ShutterStock According to reports, the entire concept for the film was born during those six months of filming in Thailand. Lisa and Bernad apparently spent their downtime gushing over Notting Hill, the 1999 Julia Roberts classic about a famous actress falling for a regular bloke who runs a bookshop. They loved it so much they decided to create their own version, tapped Silberman to write it and now here we are. So the big question – will any of this film actually be shot in Thailand? Netflix is keeping plot details locked down tighter than a vault, but the inspiration tells us plenty. If they’re riffing on Notting Hill, we’re looking at a celebrity meets normie romance. And where better to set that than a country that’s already proven itself as

The Bangkok City Challenge blew up around luk thung singer Kratae Rsiam's track repping the capital's energy - a song that became the soundtrack as she and thousands of others posted videos in brightly coloured sabais thrown over jeans at Bangkok intersections and tourist spots across the city. The trend's hit millions of views, launched a challenge with over B200,000 in prizes and pulled in Thai influencers, actors and regular people all recreating the look. The sabai – a silk shawl about a foot wide, draped diagonally across one shoulder with the tail flowing behind – has been around for centuries. It came out of cultural exchange with Indian textiles and Southeast Asian traditions, worn historically by noblewomen and in royal courts. By the mid-20th century, it had settled into ceremonial use – classical dance performances, formal events, special occasions – rather than everyday wear. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicole Nam (@nicolenamxo) So why pair it with denim? Because the mix is actually doing something interesting – and kind of necessary. What emerges is a visual language that holds two things at once: irreverence and respect, without either one cancelling the other out. It's not cosplay. It's definitely not pastiche. It's contemporary Thai identity sorting itself out in real time on social media – the kind of thing that happens when tradition finds room to breathe in everyday life again. And it's here because people want to act

There’s something deliciously cruel about realising you spent your twenties on the wrong person, isn’t there? Givēon knows it and he’s dragging those Long Beach heartbreaks straight to Bangkok. He peddles a particular kind of devastation as a singer – what many call velvet-smooth heartbreak, wrapped in a deep baritone. The seven-time Grammy-nominated R&B singer has announced his first ever Thai concert at UOB LIVE at EmSphere on Monday February 2 2026. It’s part of his Dear Beloved Tour, named after his second studio album Beloved, which dropped last July to critical praise and reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200. His breakthrough hit ‘Heartbreak Anniversary’ turned post-relationship misery into streaming gold and his new album Beloved continues mining that same vein. Tracks like ‘Twenties’ and ‘Rather Be’ explore the peculiar pain of wasted time and hindsight regret, all delivered in that signature baritone. Givēon told Rolling Stone that Beloved ‘was made live, so it’s made to be performed live’. He’s planning to bring strings, horns, background vocals and a full eight- to ten-piece band to create what he describes as a ‘movie-like world’ on stage. Bangkok has every sign that it will be part of that promise. Pricing and where to purchase Mastercard and Live Nation Tero member presales have ended. General tickets are now available at Thai Ticket Major in two price tiers (all standing): B2,500 and B3,200. Photograph: Live Nation Tero Event details Date: Monday February 2 202

You know that bit in the California rapper’s hit Taste where he’s ticking off cities? LA gets a taste, Miami gets a taste, then New York, Chicago, Houston and Portland get their shoutout. Well Bangkok's next on his worldwide roll – Ekamai to be exact. Photograph: salonedivita SALONE DI VITA’s hosting the whole thing with Hennessy behind it, launching their X.O La Carafe at the venue. So there's your excuse to feel fancy before inevitably losing all composure to ‘Rack City’.   The details:  When: Friday January 2 2026  Where: SALONE DI VITA, Sukhumvit 63 (Ekamai)  Reservations: LINE @salonedivita or call/WhatsApp +66 83 982 6262 Entry is table reservations only. No tickets sold.

Thailand just officially declared its native cat breeds a national symbol. Not metaphorically anymore, but cabinet-approved, stamped and sealed – these cats are now part of the kingdom’s official heritage. The fab five of Thai feline culture Suphalak Photograph: Maewboran A rare reddish-brown beauty that’s been prowling Thai soil for centuries. Pure native bloodlines are increasingly hard to find. Korat   Photograph: Veda Napha Naramit The silver-blue good luck charm. One of Thailand’s oldest breeds, traditionally given as gifts to bring prosperity and happiness. Siamese (or Wichienmaat)   Photograph: Elite Veterinary Care Perhaps the most famous globally, but thoroughly Thai at heart. Temple cats of ancient Siam, documented for over 700 years. Konja   Photograph: The Thai Cat Center The sleek black beauties with a rich history in Thai folklore. Native to the region and revered in traditional beliefs. Khao Manee   Photograph: Octavio.hgc Those stunning odd-eyed white cats that look like they're judging your life choices. Once exclusive to Thai royalty, they’re ancient symbols of good fortune. These cats have been padding around Thai homes, temples and manuscripts for centuries. There’s literally an ancient text called the Tamra Maew (basically a mediaeval cat encyclopaedia). They’re woven into local beliefs, good luck charms and cultural folklore – the whole nine lives, if you will. Why this matters (beyond the obvious cuteness factor) Sure, it sounds like the Thai

Your last call on a night out in Thailand might be pushed later into the night as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is pushing hard to scrap the country’s alcohol-zoning rules, extend closing times to 4am nationwide and axe the ban on selling alcohol between 2pm and 5pm. If all goes to plan, these changes will roll out in January 2026. Right now, only certain licensed zones get to party past 2am: Silom, RCA and Ratchadaphisek in Bangkok, as well as hotspots like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Ko Samui. Everyone else has to shut down at 2am, no exceptions. It’s a system that’s been criticised as outdated and a bit arbitrary. Many say why should geography determine when you can order another round? The proposed reforms would level the playing field. Instead of jumping through hoops to get entertainment venue licensing, all alcohol vendors could register directly with the Ministry of Interior as liquor outlets for that ‘simple, streamlined’ structure. The government’s motivation isn’t purely altruistic, of course. Extended hours and fewer restrictions are expected to pump up tourism-related numbers and generate hundreds of billions of baht in additional tax revenue.  Both the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Public Health have been tasked with figuring out the logistics of actually killing off these zoning regulations through ministerial channels. As mentioned, it’s early days, but if the cabinet thinks this is the way to go, Thailand’s hospitality industry (and anyone w

Halloween’s creeping up and the city’s got spooky activities lined up for this haunting season on every major soi (full lineup here). But before you reach for the witch’s hat or vampire cape, here’s a thought: why not dress up as Bangkok itself – its beloved faces, its everyday heroes, its homegrown icons? Bangkok has more personality in one street corner than most places have in their entire downtown. It’s colourful, unpredictable and iconic, so wear that energy on your sleeve, literally. Be the one at the party who thought outside the box, or in this case, outside Chatuchak’s costume stalls. Here’s some inspo to get you started: Tuk-tuk  Photograph: TAT Start strong with a local icon. Go DIY by grabbing a large cardboard box, paint it that unmistakable blue and red combo, strap it around your waist. Throw on a short-sleeved button-up (bonus points if it’s slightly faded) and you can optionally layer a vest over it to give that motorbike jacket energy. Khaki or dark blue work trousers keep it authentic. Maybe tuck a mini Bangkok map in your pocket. Finish with worn trainers or sandals and, really important, a neck towel for that ‘I’ve been driving all day’ effect. What you need: Cardboard box, blue and red paint, short-sleeved button-up (any colour, faded preferred), dark vest, khaki or navy work trousers, folded map, neck towel. If Thailand could win Best National Costume at Miss Universe 2015 with a tuk-tuk, we’re betting hard you’ll win best dressed at your Halloween pa

Friday October 3, the very same day The Life of a Showgirl hits streaming, Sukhumvit 31 goes shimmering-naughty for Bangkok’s Swifties with a Nightify Bar Crawl: Taylor’s Version. The long night includes five crawl stops, three all-night sanctuaries and DrinkAid keeping watch in the backroom, which means every ticket comes with hangover support.   Photograph: nightifyth   The route:  Soho House – 5pm onwards Backstage energy. Listening party. Screening. Eras Tour atmosphere at maximum saturation. Peppina – 6.30pm-8pm Italian food with Taylor-inspired drinks. Special pricing on à la carte cocktails. Treehouse Cafe and Bar – 8pm-9.45pm Trivia warfare. Deep cuts. Lyrical forensics. Pin 31 – 10pm-10.45pm 10 percent off cocktails. Projections. DJ sets. OFTR – 11pm-late Live bands. Complimentary shots keeping momentum vertical. Afterparty. All-night sanctuaries: Luka Buy-one-get-one cocktails and Suntree beers. Taylor bingo rewarding album knowledge with shots. Kenny’s Set menu, drink specials, themed decor, Taylor soundtrack on loop. C.A.L.M. Live band covering her greatest devastations from 8pm-11pm. Outdoor seating, food, cocktails, stars overhead. Basically, you get: Taylor-coded cocktails and bites at every venue. Trivia that separates casual fans from vault-track scholars. Photo ops and projections turning walls into Taylor moodboards. Live bands reimagining her catalogue. DJs spinning remixes until dawn. Free DrinkAid to keep you going. Plus surprise discounts, shots and p

So, there’s a performative male contest happening at Thammasat Rangsit University on October 1, put together by @sl4y3rr.rika, @sapphostirical, @ingmaroan, @ptricica, speakableherb and the Toa Hin On (โต๊ะหินอ่อน) collective. It’s part of a bigger phenomenon that started in America, famously in Seattle, then San Francisco joined in. The events drew hundreds. Sponsors even stepped in, funny enough a matcha label. Then colleges got FOMO: Cornell, University of Florida, Memphis, Yale, everyone wanted their piece of the action. And now Bangkok’s being Bangkok: a city where all gender expressions feel natural, where global movements find fertile ground and grow into something distinctly Thai. And it’s happening at Thammasat Rangsit Campus, Thailand’s progressive intellectual institution, where student movements were born and never really stopped. The place practically runs on boundary-pushing. Always has. So when the winds of change blow through, Thammasat makes it matter.   Photograph: @sl4y3rr.rika, @sapphostirical, @ingmaroan, @ptricica, speakableherb and the Toa Hin On (โต๊ะหินอ่อน) collective The invitation post reads: ‘Everyone’s welcome! This is a lighthearted event organised by students. Come join us for fun and entertainment! P.S. Don’t forget to bring all your performative essentials – books, matcha latte, wired earphones, your favourite CD and any literature! See you Wednesday October 1 at the SC1 Hall.’ Still, the contest’s poster makes clear the matcha latte can’t b

Sony Pictures just handed one of their biggest rom-com properties to Thailand’s GDH. If you’re not familiar, this is the Bad Genius studio, the same house that got How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies Oscar-shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. This Thai production powerhouse now claims 50 First Dates.   Photograph: GDH The 2004 Hollywood original is a pure amnesia romance. Drew Barrymore’s Lucy wakes up memory-wiped daily while Adam Sandler’s Henry relives the same courtship ritual. Love on permanent reset yet still choosing each other every sunrise. But in Thailand’s version, love rewinds in a whole new way: he forgets, she recalls.   Photograph: Sony Pictures The casting doubles down on surprises. Thai-born I-DLE’s Minnie Nicha leaps from K-pop stages to her first film role.    Photograph: min.nicha   Opposite her is Nadech Kugimiya, Thailand’s eternal heartthrob and box office guarantee, whose film Death-Whisperer 2 became the highest-grossing Thai film of all time in 2024, raking in B825 million.    Photograph: kugimiyas   Behind the camera is Mez Tharatorn, whose credits include co-writing How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies as well as hits like The Little Comedian, The Con-Heartist and I Fine… Thank You… Love You.   Photograph: Content Thailand   Since the announcement, everyone’s talking about cultural translation. GDH rarely does shallow remakes and we already see them reshaping the core story. What changes whe