Kaweewat Siwanartwong

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

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

After a weekend of flooded sois and soaked trouser hems, October opens under clearer skies. A handful of events are postponed, but most of the city's calendar carries on, from bargain paperbacks and indie screenings to a reading circle in the park and a late one on the dancefloor. Big Bad Wolf marks its tenth anniversary in Thailand with more than 1 million English-language and international books across two floors of Platinum Pop, opposite centralwOrld, with discounts of up to 95 percent. Bring your biggest tote and try to remember how much unread fiction is already waiting at home.  Prefer to read what you’ve already bought? Under the Tree Club asks you to bring a book, switch off your phone and claim a patch of grass in Lumphini Park. Afterwards, readers can swap a favourite line, plot twist or passing thought in Thai or English. Register ahead, pack snacks and bring an umbrella – October is still rainy season. Cinephiles also have a new hangout at Cloud 11, reached by skywalk from BTS Punnawithi. Doc Club & Friends has a 34-seat cinema for documentaries and independent releases, plus a lounge and a shop selling film books, posters and merchandise. Drink Club & Friends serves coffee and cocktails, giving you somewhere to dissect the ending after the credits roll. Come Friday night, head to Thong Lor for Eric Duncan, aka Dr Dunks and one half of Rub N Tug. His Siwilai Soundsystem set spans disco, house, funk and Balearic records. Wear comfortable shoes. Still undecided? Bro

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.  

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

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. 

Craving ice cream? Course you are. Bangkok has a way of sending even the most grown-up among us in search of something cold and sweet  – and the city’s gelato scene has never offered more ways to cool down, dairy-free included. The only problem is choosing. We’ve rounded up the spots worth seeking out, whether you fancy a cone or cup of the good stuff, soft-serve that actually delivers, a cheeky ice cream sandwich or a sundae big enough to share (or not). The choices border on absurd, in a good way: brioche and tacos, fairy floss clouds, candied bacon, charcoal, sea salt and ube. However you roll, here are 16 of the best gelato and ice cream spots across Bangkok and the greater metro area. 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. Subscribe to our free newsletter for the best of Bangkok, straight to your inbox.

Fine lines, etched marks and layers of ink build strange combinations of people, animals, buildings and symbols in the prints featured in Awakened Being at Union Mall. The images sit somewhere between everyday reality, dreams and imagination, leaving room for your own reading rather than following a fixed narrative. Look closely at scraped surfaces and the traces left during printing: each mark records a stage of making, so the process becomes part of the story. Prophecy here is framed as noticing what lies beneath the surface rather than predicting the future.  Until January 3 2027. Free entry. Union Co-Art Space, fourth floor, Union Mall. 11am-9pm

A lotus has to grow through muddy water and survive changing conditions before its flower reaches the surface. Diligent Mind at 6060 Arts Space uses that familiar Thai cultural symbol, sometimes called the ‘queen of aquatic plants’, to consider persistence in everyday life. People begin with different circumstances and face different obstacles; the exhibition draws a parallel between their efforts and the plant’s growth towards the light. It’s a familiar idea, given a recognisable starting point in the lotus. October 5-30. Free entry. 6060 Arts Space, Black Building. Noon-8pm.

Ever walked into a room and had a particular light, sound or smell suddenly remind you of somewhere else? Piyada Na Badalung’s A Place within a Place at L.O.F. Gallery explores those ‘overlapping spaces’, where physical surroundings meet personal memories, perceptions and feelings. A café, street corner or old building can mean something completely different depending on who’s there and what they remember. The works consider how one place can hold several versions of itself, shaped by the people who pass through it. Until October 25. Free entry. L.O.F Gallery, Soi Chulalongkorn 50, Samyan. 11am-7pm.

Munins’ solo exhibition STILL : ON at River City Bangkok explores the work going on behind our thoughts, memories, emotions and decisions. Three processes shape the show: Emotion Encoding, how emotional experiences are recorded; Signal Selection, what we choose to retain; and Neural Pathway, how we see and make sense of what’s in front of us. Familiar moments of tiredness, confusion and quiet reflection connect those processes to everyday life. The artist also considers the changes happening around us, from accelerating technology and information to the human impact on the environment. The invitation is to slow down and consider what your mind is doing, even when you think nothing much is going on. October 2-November 15. Free entry. RCB Galleria 5, River City Bangkok. Daily 10am-8pm.

Kenny Wong’s pouting character takes over a semi-outdoor space at Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park for MOLLY 20th Anniversary Exhibition – Bangkok, themed The Little Galaxy. Early sketches, original paintings and collectible figures trace two decades of MOLLY, alongside contemporary works and interpretations by artists and craftspeople from different cultural backgrounds. The Bangkok display brings Thai craftsmanship into the picture through Benjarong ceramics and lacquerwork. The project links art with education, communities and tourism in Bangkok, though the draw for visitors is the work itself. Wong was advertised for artist meetings on September 26-27; those dates have passed, so plan an October visit around the exhibition rather than a meeting with its creator. September 24-October 25. Tickets from B300 via Trip.com. Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. Check current exhibition hours and package options when booking.

What if you could revisit a memory without changing what happened? Nostalgia Surfer at KICHgallery follows a fictional traveller through old images, sounds, places, objects and colours that still linger. The character reflects the artist’s return to painting after more than a decade away, using an airbrush to look at familiar experiences from a present-day perspective. Some memories emerge clearly, others are faded, distorted or partly imagined. The paintings ask what stays with us and why certain moments keep pulling us back. October 10-November 14. Free entry. KICHgallery, Soi Ruamrudee 2. From 3pm; check closing time with the gallery.

After more than 20 years working together across art, design, fashion and architecture, the creative duo behind L’Odyssée turns to personal memories. Developed for ATT 19 with an open brief, the exhibition explores moving countries and the things we carry with us, from photographs and objects to cultural references and emotions. Both artists work on the same surface to make the central two-metre-square pieces. They call these works ‘walls’, where colours, gestures and memories overlap, disappear and return. October 8-November 29. Free entry. ATT 19. 11am-6pm.

Art Battle Bangkok turns The Fig Lobby into a live painting competition, with artists starting from blank canvases and racing to finish each round in 20 minutes. Move around the easels with a drink, watch the work take shape to music and vote for your favourite when the brushes stop. The audience decides who advances and the finished paintings go up for auction. Keen to take an easel yourself? Apply online for a place rather than assuming you can join on the night. October 17. B300 early bird, B350 advance, B450 at the door; B99 student tickets. Tickets. The Fig Lobby Bangkok. Doors 7pm; painting starts 8pm.

Kitti Narod returns for his first solo exhibition in Thailand in five years with A Place We Share at Tang Contemporary Art. The familiar 9:16 proportions of a phone screen become large canvases filled with everyday scenes, pets, gender diversity, marriage equality and reworked mythology. His elongated figures and soft pastel colours turn ordinary moments and personal vulnerabilities into visions of a more equal society. A painting of life with his partner and cats makes that idea particularly tangible. Represented by Tang Contemporary Art, Kitti has exhibited in London, Manchester, Dublin, Melbourne and Singapore. Until October 18. Free entry. Tang Contemporary Art Bangkok, second floor, River City Bangkok. Tuesday-Saturday 11am-7pm.

Belgian photographer Alain Callebaut brings two bodies of work to Old Town Gallery. Bangkok Raw moves beyond familiar temple-and-skyline views into rain-soaked streets, narrow alleys, markets and bridges, catching everyday moments between the crowds. His second collection, Make Women Happy All Over the World, uses light and shadow to explore the human form, with the upstairs display of fine art nudes restricted to visitors aged 18 and over. A share of merchandise sales will support emerging local artists. Head to the October 4 opening from 3pm-6pm for a chance to meet Callebaut, or visit during the gallery hours throughout the month. October 4-31. Free entry. Old Town Gallery. 10am-6pm; opening October 4, 3pm-6pm

Dib Bangkok’s second exhibition, Giving Life, brings together 160 works by 33 Thai and international artists, with Alexander Calder among the headline names. His suspended mobiles respond to air currents, turning sculpture into shifting forms. Elsewhere, salvaged machines, living plants and repurposed materials explore change, vulnerability and renewal. Calder’s work sits alongside Thai and Asian art, with pieces tracing developments in Thailand’s art scene during the 1970s. The museum has already earned a place on TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2026 list; give yourself enough time to see why people are paying attention. September 26 2026-May 3 2027. B150-700, depending on ticket category; check eligibility when booking. Tickets. Dib Bangkok. 10am-7pm on opening days

Filmmakers, producers and critics from South and Southeast Asia gather at Alliance Française Bangkok for The Future in the Frame, an afternoon of queer cinema and regional film exchange. Organised by QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab with the Embassy of France in Thailand, Alliance Française Bangkok and Purin Film Fund, the programme starts with a 2pm screening of A Useful Ghost, followed by a panel on building a sustainable queer film scene. Emerging and established practitioners discuss developing new talent, connecting filmmakers with the industry and creating opportunities for collaboration across borders. Entry is free, but register ahead. October 3. Free entry: register here. Alliance Française. From 2pm  

Most Bangkokians expect a wet September, but plenty say this year is worse. After more than 330mm of rain from Thursday to Sunday, all 50 districts carry disaster status and floodwater reaches around 52,000 households. Out east, residents wade knee-deep across a supermarket car park, towing belongings in plastic tubs. Some convenience stores run short after a weekend rush, and hundreds of city schools stay shut today. For anyone who needs to leave home, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) runs temporary shelters in temples and classrooms, now housing almost 4,900 people. At one in Kheha Romklao, families rest on camp beds with their dogs in the corridors. The downpours should ease this week, though canal levels remain high. Stay safe and check on your neighbours. Photograph: ThairathBangkok   Here the full list by district: Khlong Sam Wa District Rattanaprachark Hospital Wat Bua Kaeo School Bang Chan School Wat Khu Bon School Pracharat Uppatham Wittaya School Su Raho Khlong Nueng School Klang Khlong Song School Ban Nong Rahaeng School Wat Paen Thong School Wat Phraya Suren School Su Raho Sam Wa School Wat Phraya Suren Khan Na Yao District Chinda Bamrung School Khan Na Yao School (Tharin Charoen Songkroh) Chatuchak District Chandrakasem Rajabhat University Ban Lat Phrao School Sena Nikhom School Wat Thewasunthon Prachanivet School Mathayom Prachanivet School Wat Thewasunthon School Wat Samian Nari School Don Mueang District Phahon Yothin School Wat Don Muean

Clear a shelf, cancel your weekend plans and find the roomiest bag you own. Big Bad Wolf, Thailand’s largest sale of English and international books, returns to Platinum Pop (the venue formerly known as The Market Bangkok) from October 2-13. To mark its tenth anniversary, the organisers bring more than 1 million titles, all at hefty discounts. Book hoarders already know the drill. Doors open at 10am and close at midnight, and even a full day of browsing rarely covers every zone. Regulars turn up with wheeled suitcases or a stack of sturdy totes. Anyone hoping to dodge long queues at the tills should aim for a weekday evening rather than a Saturday afternoon. Wear comfortable shoes too, because you spend hours on your feet. Photograph: International Book SaleBangkok The event started in Malaysia in 2009 and now tours cities around the world, which explains the range on the tables. Children’s picture books sit next to photobooks, cookbooks and design tomes, alongside translated fiction in several languages and unsold stock from independent publishers abroad. Prices come in well under what you’d pay at a mall bookshop, so it’s easy to load up on things you’d never normally pick up. Our favourite corner, though, is the merchandise section. Expect Game of Thrones board games, special-edition box sets and audiobook CDs, and word has it this year’s haul includes wizard’s chess sets from the Harry Potter series. Collectors, you know what to do. Big Bad Wolf Bangkok runs Oct 2-13, 1

Good news for anyone who missed out first time round: The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour reaches Bangkok this October and demand is so high he's added two more shows. This is the second time the tour has come to Bangkok. Abel Tesfaye built it around a trilogy that came to define an era – After Hours (2020), Dawn FM (2022) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025). It already ranks among the best-attended and highest-grossing tours ever staged, and more than two dozen dates still remain before it wraps in October 2026. Off to see The Weeknd? Chasing a last-minute ticket? Here's everything worth knowing about the After Hours til Dawn Tour, from stage times and the setlist to what's left on ticket availability.       Photograph: theweekndThe Weeknd Tour   When is The Weeknd playing Bangkok?What started as a one-off on October 11 is now a three-night stand. Organisers have confirmed The Weeknd's After Hours Til Dawn Tour plays October 11, 12 and October 13, well beyond the single date first put on sale. Where is The Weeknd playing in Bangkok?For a show on this scale, he takes to Rajamangala Stadium – home of the Thailand national football team and the biggest sports venue in the country by capacity. Can I still get tickets?Yes! The October 11 and 12 shows have sold out, but tickets for October 13 are still up for grabs at Ticketmajor. Prices run from B2,835 to B5,225, rising to B11,935-B21,935 for the VIP zones. When do doors open?Gates open at 5pm on the remaining date. When does The W

Got plans on Sunday night? You will have one more. On October 4, Saturn reaches opposition, when the sun, Earth and the ringed planet sit in a straight line. That places it directly across the sky from our star, so it stays up until morning and makes its closest approach of the year. The gap still measures roughly 1.26 billion kilometres, meaning the light you see set off about 70 minutes earlier. When to lookSaturn rises in the east at dusk, peaks around midnight and sets in the west before dawn. The moon doesn’t come up until late, which keeps things properly dark for the first few hours. How to spot itFind a balcony, rooftop or park away from streetlights and give your eyes 10 minutes to adjust. You want a steady, creamy-yellow dot that doesn’t twinkle like the stars surrounding it. It’s the most distant planet you can see unaided. The ringsFor these, you need a telescope, though even a small one with 25x magnification picks them out. Edge-on and barely there in 2025, they now tilt open again. They also shine brightest at opposition, with sunlight hitting the icy particles head-on and bouncing right back. That faint speck close by? It’s Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Borrow a telescopeObservatories and astronomy groups host public viewing sessions, usually with a queue waiting for a turn at the eyepiece. Check the forecast first, as thick cloud is the only real spoiler. Saturn’s opposition falls on Sun Oct 4, with the planet visible to the naked eye all night, weather permi

If you check the Asian Games medal table on your phone between meetings, you’re not the only one. Japan is just two hours ahead of Bangkok, so most finals from Nagoya air at a sensible time back home, and Thai fans have plenty to cheer about. With the Games in their final stretch, the national team is doing far better than most of us expected. The latest standings, updated on October 1, put Thailand fifth with 12 golds, 10 silvers and 12 bronzes, 34 medals in total. The only nations above are China (150 golds), Japan (50), South Korea (24) and Uzbekistan (16), which is serious sporting company. Still, the tally only tells part of the story. Behind those numbers are long droughts ending, records falling and a brand-new sport Thailand already rules. Here are the results worth knowing about. Photograph: Teqball Association of ThailandAsian Games 2026 TeqballThe sport makes its Asian Games debut in Nagoya and Thailand wastes no time, taking top spot in three of the five events. Pakphoom Detcharoen and Suphawadi Wongkhamchan win the mixed doubles, Suphawadi returns with Jutatip Kuntatong to claim the women’s title and Sorrasak Thaosiri and Jirati Chanliang finish the job on the men’s side. All three finals, against Japan, Myanmar and Lebanon, end 2-0, which means Suphawadi now has two golds to her name. Sepak takrawFew sports matter more in Thailand, and the men’s team regu final delivers the fixture everyone hoped for, with old rivals Malaysia on the other side of the net. The

Still got ‘Blinding Lights’ on repeat? Make space in the wardrobe for one more hoodie. Complex sets up an After Hours Til Dawn pop-up at Carnival One Bangkok from Thursday October 1 until October 13, the last of The Weeknd’s three nights at Rajamangala National Stadium. Photograph: XOThe Weeknd pop-up store   Photograph: XOThe Weeknd pop-up store Official tour merch and albums share the rails with a Weeknd x Complex collaboration, plus collections from Wildside Yohji Yamamoto, the designer’s more relaxed sub-label, and graphic artist Verdy, the man behind Girls Don’t Cry. Fan activities take place throughout, and an early visit gives you the best chance at your size. Carnival started as a small sneaker shop in 2010, and its two-storey flagship at One Bangkok, open since July, is the Thai brand’s biggest yet. The pop-up takes a room on each level, and the coffee bar downstairs comes in handy if your friend can’t decide between two T-shirts. Photograph: XOThe Weeknd pop-up store Then comes the main event. The Canadian singer plays Rajamangala on October 11, 12 and 13, with Creepy Nuts, the Japanese hip hop duo behind ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’, opening. The Sunday and Monday shows are sold out, but tickets for Tuesday start at B2,835. Gates open at 5pm, and security can refuse bags larger than A4, so drop your haul at home first. 🎫 Before you go, read our ultimate guide to the concert for the setlist and the full list of banned items. Photograph: XOThe Weeknd pop-up store

Most Saturdays in Bangkok come with a brunch booking, a pop-up market in Ari, an exhibition opening across town and a phone that buzzes through the lot. Under the Tree Club asks far less of you. The idea comes from YEP Academy, an outdoor learning outfit based in Phnom Penh, and the first session is on October 3. You arrive at 3.30pm with a book you love, pick a patch of grass under one of Lumphini’s wide rain trees and settle down beside strangers doing the same. Nobody expects small talk and nobody minds whether you’ve brought Murakami or manga. Photograph: tripadvisorBangkok Phones go off for the afternoon, which leaves you free to notice the park properly. Joggers clock laps of the path, pedal boats drift across the lake and the odd monitor lizard hauls itself up the bank to sunbathe. Water refills are provided but snacks aren’t, so pack your own. It’s still rainy season too, and an umbrella in your tote is a wise shout. Once the pages close, everyone forms a small circle to swap whatever stuck with them, whether that’s a single line or a whole plot twist. Sharing is optional and conversation happens in Thai and English. Afterwards you can hang around to chat or slip off towards Sala Daeng BTS for dinner in Silom. The plan is to meet monthly, with a new activity each time. Same shade, fresh format. Under the Tree Club takes place at Lumphini Park from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on the first Saturday of every month, starting Sat Oct 3.  Entry is free but places are capped at 30, s

On the final day of eventing at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Thailand sits third, 12.6 penalties behind the home side. Typhoon Dujuan has already shuffled the schedule, pushing cross-country to the last phase at Tokyo Equestrian Park. Three riders then go clear around the 3,640-metre course, adding nothing to their score of 109.90, and the title is safe before Japan’s final horse even leaves the start box. The hosts settle for second on 115.20, with South Korea taking bronze on 143.50. The winning four are Korntawat Samran on Billy Elmy, Supap Khaw-Ngam on Vinetto 3, Woraphat Sittiju on Uster de Chanay and Weerapat Pitakanonda on Carnival March. Woraphat adds individual silver on 30.10, behind China’s Alex Hua Tian, and the result gives the country its fifth gold in Japan. Weerapat has ridden Carnival March for eight years, including at the Tokyo Olympics at the same venue, and he knows who deserves the credit. ‘I also have to thank the horses, the best part of the sport,’ he says. Thailand’s previous win in the team event dates back to Bangkok in 1998. What follows is 28 years of building and waiting, with bronze in Jakarta and Hangzhou along the way. Getting back to the top of Asia says plenty about the persistence of the national federation, the riders, every horse and the grooms, vets and coaches behind the scenes.

If you missed out on Khon tickets at the National Theatre last time round, here's your second shot. The Fine Arts Department's Office of Performing Arts brings back Khon Ramakien: Ramavatar Episode for four weekend matinées this October and November, backed by a full lighting and sound production. Khon, Thailand's masked dance drama, has been on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list since 2018. The dancers never speak. Narrators and a chorus deliver every line from the side of the stage while a piphat ensemble of xylophones, gongs and drums keeps time. The performers tell the story through posture and precise hand movements. Monkey warriors and demon kings wear lacquered masks, and the costumes are heavy with gold thread and sequins. Photograph: Office of Performing ArtKhon Ramakien This chapter comes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of India's Ramayana, and follows the god Narai as he takes human form as Phra Ram. National Artist Pakorn Pornpisut directs a cast from the department's own company. The venue sits beside Sanam Luang, a short walk from the Grand Palace, so a bowl of noodles in Banglamphu before the 2pm start makes sense. Prices begin at B100, each performance has 1,000 seats, with 700 sold online and 300 at the box office. Khon Ramakien: Ramavatar Episode is at the National Theatre, Phra Nakhon, on Oct 11, 17 and 25 and Nov 1 at 2pm. Tickets cost B100-400 and go on sale Wed, Sep 30 from 9.30am at the box office and via the Fine Arts Department website.

Bangkok picks up another Southeast Asian first pop-up this month. The Swiss house DAVIDOFF opens its debut men's leather accessories pop-up in the region, and it sets up on the first floor of King Power Rangnam, so you don't need to squeeze it in before your next trip. Photograph: King Power RangnamDAVIDOFF King Power Rangnam is one of the busier travel retail destinations in Asia, the sort of place where you pass shoppers from a dozen different cities in a single afternoon. That mix is exactly why the brand sets up here. 'King Power brings together travellers from across the region and the world, making it the ideal place to introduce our men's accessories collections,' says Adrian Meili, CEO of Zino Davidoff SA. The opening also shows how much DAVIDOFF now counts on Asia-Pacific shoppers, a market it keeps coming back to as it grows. Photograph: King Power RangnamDAVIDOFF At the heart of DAVIDOFF's audience is the 'Gentleman Explorer' – a contemporary man defined and marked by a compelling presence, an inquisitive mind and refined style. Worldly and discerning, he loves to travel, values quality and craftsmanship, and wants to live life to the fullest. Photograph: King Power RangnamDAVIDOFF Two collections lead the display. MOTION Collection is the more expansive of the two, bringing together contemporary pieces in Italian leather for men who want refinement without the fuss. Look closely and you spot the details that set it apart, from the signature pizzicato seam to

Going home for New Year or planning a trip by train? Get ready to book. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) opens advance bookings up to 90 days ahead for journeys between December 25 and January 3 2027. Seats for the first travel date go on sale on September 26 at 8.30am, through the D-Ticket app or at station ticket counters. Holiday trains sell out fast, and lower berths on the long routes usually go first, so send this to the family or friends’ group chat and book together. How far ahead you can reserve depends on how much of the route your trip covers. Advance booking by distance: Under 25 percent of the route, one day before Between 25 and 59 percent, 30 days before 60 percent or more, up to 90 days before Travel dates and when to book: December 25, book from September 26 December 26, book from September 27 December 27, book from September 28 December 28, book from September 29 December 29, book from September 30 December 30, book from October 1 December 31, book from October 2 January 1 2027, book from October 3 January 2 2027, book from October 4 January 3 2027, book from October 5 Only the longest trips get the full 90 days, so a quick hop up to Ayutthaya opens just the day before. Whoever’s quickest on the app gets the bottom bunk. Tickets for December 25 go on sale at 8.30am on September 26 via the D-Ticket app and at railway station counters.

And the Season 21 winner of America’s Got Talent is… Nene Royal! This is huge. A dream comes true for Thai fans as the Phuket teenager takes the crown. Her run begins in the second round of auditions, a day before her sixteenth birthday. She plugs in an electric guitar, sings the Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ and taps out a two-handed solo halfway through. All four judges say yes. The clip becomes the most-watched audition of the season, passing 20 million views on the show’s YouTube channel. After a few notes from Howie Mandel in the callback round, she returns with Muse’s ‘Hysteria’, which racks up 2.1 million plays within 24 hours of going online on August 8. Then comes Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun’ at the live quarterfinals on August 25, and Mel B hits the Golden Buzzer, sending Nene through to the final without a single public vote. Back home, even the government gets behind her, with a deputy spokesperson publicly wishing her luck. For the first night of the final on September 22, she chooses the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, adds a solo of her own and wears a dress with ‘Nene Thailand’ printed across it. Simon Cowell misses the finale while recovering from back surgery, so YouTuber KSI takes his seat, and Howie tells viewers to give her the million. America listens. On results night she performs ‘The Emptiness Machine’ alongside Linkin Park. Magician Geno Ploeger finishes second and South Korean illusionists Hundred Fingers take third. Nene walks aw