Kaweewat Siwanartwong

January does tend to drag on a bit, doesn't it? But honestly, it's not feeling quite so brutal this year. The cool air's easing up, the PM2.5 levels are dropping and stepping outside no longer feels like you're negotiating with the weather gods. The days are there to be filled and Bangkok's serving up plenty of reasons to get out. Music's always a good place to start. Fire EX. celebrates its 25th anniversary with the show that turns collective shouting into something oddly comforting, the sort that reminds you how long a song can properly stick with you. Meanwhile, Cross Culture: Chiang Mai brings northern flavours down south, translating memory through food that goes for depth over drama. Jazz fans should make their way to Salaya for the Thailand International Jazz Conference, where John Coltrane's centenary anchors a week of listening, looking and staying just that bit longer than you'd planned. Weekends open up even further. Made By Legacy Flea Market takes over an elevated park, mixing vintage finds with fresh discoveries you'll keep coming back to without quite realising why. You wander, stop for a drink, buy nothing or return home lugging something heavy. For quieter moments, New York Darkroom offers a different kind of time travel. Jesper Haynes' photographs look back at downtown New York with honesty, keeping the city close without turning it into myth. None of this magically fixes January, but that's not really the point. Filling your diary gives shape to the weeks,

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.   RECOMMENDED: Confirmed: Tomorrowland Thailand officially debuts on December 11-13 After 12 years, Studio Lam is closing with an epic 49-night farewell party

No matter what time of year you visit Bangkok, this teeming, eccentric and buzzing city will always be filled with events, culture and things to do. And right now we're talking about books. Bangkok is a bookworm's paradise with readers tucked away in corners all across the city. In fact, there's so much going on that you'll inevitably experience a bit of decision paralysis. Hey, we've been there too, but Time Out has your back.   Ready to start turning pages? Here are three reading events in Bangkok. And if you're more of a borrower? Head to these lovely Bangkok libraries.

Bangkok nights are always lined with choices, but New Year’s Eve turns the dial up to 11. With a dizzying number of rooftop countdowns, pulsating club nights and luxurious riverside dinners, the sheer volume of options can be genuinely overwhelming. Tempted to just stay in with a playlist and a few drinks? We get it. But trust us: if you're ready to ring in 2026 with a bang, the capital has lined up a well-rounded roster of parties for you to peruse. Whether you're after a fancy champagne-fuelled affair with views over the city or a sweaty club night that goes until sunrise, there's genuinely something for everyone this year. The only catch? You'll want to sort yourself out pretty sharpish. New Year's Eve tickets in Bangkok have a habit of vanishing faster than anything, and trust us, FOMO on January 1 hits different. So before you end up refreshing sold-out event pages at 11pm on December 30, have a look through our picks for the best ways to spend December 31 in the Thai capital. From riverside countdowns to club takeovers, here's how to say farewell to 2025. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of where to find Christmas magic in Bangkok.

Hard to believe December has slipped in again, but here we are, watching Bangkok swap its usual gleam for something a little more golden. No snow here, obviously, but there's still plenty of sparkle once the fairy lights go up along Sukhumvit and those enormous Christmas trees start appearing in every mall atrium. Jangly carols drift through night markets, bars get that extra twinkle and the whole city shifts into celebration mode. With everything happening at once, the season can feel a bit overwhelming. Luckily, Time Out is here to guide you through everything you need to make your yuletide in Bangkok a truly merry occasion.  If you fancy a proper Christmas dinner without the stress of brining, basting or staring into your oven wondering if you've just ruined everything, Bangkok's got you sorted. The city's mastered the art of letting you celebrate without any of the usual chaos. Grand hotel dining rooms roll out gleaming roasts and generous spreads, cosy pubs do turkeys to perfection, neighbourhood spots serve up comforting plates and even curry houses create festive specials that feel wonderfully familiar. Consider this your starting point for finding the brightest, warmest corners of Christmas spirit across Bangkok, places where the season feels effortless, inviting and just indulgent enough to make December worth savouring.  Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of the top things to do this December. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans

It sounds almost too good to be true, but here we are. One of the world's biggest pop stars becomes a tourism ambassador and suddenly the entire internet is paying attention to Thai handicrafts. That's the Lisa effect for you. The BLACKPINK member has this uncanny ability to turn literally anything she touches into a global sensation. Remember when she posed with a Labubu doll? That once obscure collectible became an international must-have overnight. A casual Instagram story featuring a snack? Expect it to sell out within hours. Now the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has officially tapped Lisa (full name Lalisa Manobal) as their Amazing Thailand Ambassador for 2026. It's a pretty savvy move considering her influence extends far beyond the music charts. The TAT has now taken things further by spotlighting specific Thai food and fashion items that Lisa has already turned into viral moments. Rather than starting from scratch, they're capitalising on products she's naturally gravitated towards, the ones that have already sparked conversations and sent fans scrambling. It's an interesting approach to soft power. Let one of your most famous cultural exports casually showcase local products, then amplify what's already working. In the bizarre economy of modern fandom, where a celebrity's offhand choice can reshape entire markets, Thailand is playing it smart.  Here are eight picks that Lisa has put on the map.

We're officially saying hello to 2026, the Year of the Horse. According to the Chinese zodiac, it's meant to be dynamic, energetic and full of fresh starts, a calendar page that  nudges you towards action rather than hesitation. Whether your 2025 resolutions made it past January is beside the point. Abandoned lists don't cancel out ambition, and new ones can be written anytime – preferably without self-judgement. If one of your goals this year is to get out more often, you're in luck. We've rounded up some of the best things happening across Bangkok this January, and there's plenty to tempt you off the sofa. The music scene is particularly busy this month. Till Lindemann brings his industrial theatrics to town, Tyga hits up a Bangkok venue, Salin performs and Wolf Alice are back doing what they do best. But it's not all about gigs, there's loads more going on. So whether you're after live music, cultural happenings or just fancy trying something new, read on for our pick of January's highlights. Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok.

There is a certain cruelty to early fame in Thailand. It sticks, fossilises and refuses to move on even when the person inside the image does. We know NOTEP or Note Panayanggool as an artist, an influencer, a brand, a woman who seems to operate somewhere between sound bath and electronic music. Yet the country first met her as something else entirely – Note The Star, runner-up on a televised talent show, ukulele in hand, smile fixed in place. That version of her lingered longer than she wanted. For years, she tried to outrun it, forming an indie band, leaning away from pop sweetness, pushing herself towards edges that felt less tidy. But reinvention is rarely a clean cut. There were fractures along the way, moments where ambition and expectation collided hard enough to rattle her sense of self. Eventually, the noise inside became louder than the one outside. She stepped back and began what she now describes as a spiritual journey, not in a hashtag sense but as a necessity. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip Today, Note Panayanggool feels like a complete picture. Or at least closer to one. She is a Thai artist, musician and environmental advocate whose work moves across disciplines, often blurring where one ends and another begins. Since starting out as a singer in 2010, she has expanded her practice into sound design, installations and collaborations that orbit environmental causes. Music is still the anchor but it is no longer the destination. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip From hyp

Even though Christmas and New Year are just around the corner, Bangkok's cultural scene shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, things are ramping up, with galleries and museums packing their schedules with exhibitions that deserve your attention before the year wraps up. If you're wondering what's actually worth your time, start here. We've rounded up the best museum exhibitions and art shows happening in Bangkok right now, from contemporary installations to historical retrospectives that'll make you rethink everything you thought you knew about Thai art. There's plenty to see across the city, whether you're into cutting-edge contemporary work at MOCA Bangkok, intimate gallery shows in Charoenkrung or major exhibitions at the National Gallery. The variety is impressive, and the quality? Even better. Can't make it to everything? Don't worry. We're updating this list with the latest openings and must-see shows, so you'll always know what's hot and what's not in Bangkok's art world.  Stay one step ahead and map out your plans with our round-up of the best things to do in Bangkok.   Get ahead of the game and start planning your month with our list of top things to do this December. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just art-curious, these are Bangkok’s best spots to live the art life.   From alleyway masterpieces to paint-splashed corners you might walk past without noticing, here are our top spots to see street art.

There are many ways to unpick a person's listening habits. Some people journal, others overanalyse dreams, but most of us simply wait for that neon billboard masquerading as self-reflection: Spotify Wrapped. It arrives every December like a digital horoscope announcing that your personality is apparently built on Scandinavian synth pop and whatever you played once by accident in March. This year they're even telling you your listening age, my friend at 25 got told she has a 70-year-old’s taste in music. I don't get one from Spotify. I'm the stubborn Apple Music holdout who refuses to migrate, so I must accept my sonic identity will remain unquantified forever. And that is what eventually led me, in a knotty roundabout way, to Da Minot. If you've never pressed play on Indian folk before, especially the intricate lineage from the Khasi and Jaintia hills, prepare your ears for something ungoverned by genre categories. India-born artist Hammarsing Kharhmar's ensemble Da Minot does not simply borrow from heritage. It treats ancestral rhythm as oxygen, using instruments like the duitara, bom and various bamboo flutes to carve out a sound that feels older than language and newer than the internet's attention span.   Before this interview, while waiting for him to reply to my email, I returned to their songs again. I told myself I'd listen to one track, then fell straight into another, then another. They have that effect. A pull that is both meditative and defiant. T

There are corners of photography you tiptoe into, and others you breach with a steady breath and a sharpened sense of responsibility. The naked form sits stubbornly in the latter. For decades the unclothed body, especially the female one, populated magazines like wallpaper. Familiar, unchallenging, endlessly posed. Today, many of those images read as dated relics, tinged with voyeurism and a faint whiff of something that doesn't sit quite right anymore. The female nude once felt like a default, a visual shorthand for seduction. Now it often feels like a reminder of an era when the camera wasn't always kind. The male nude, by contrast, has always been trickier. Less culturally sanctioned, less expected, shadowed by stigma yet charged with a different kind of electricity. Contemporary photography has swung the doors wide open, and the male body has entered the room with a force that feels both overdue and disarmingly intimate. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj This is where Ohm Phanphiroj steps in. Or perhaps more accurately, where he has stood all along, in that uncomfortable sweet spot where desire, danger and vulnerability meet. An international, award-winning photographer, filmmaker, educator, former fashion director and self-declared chronic observer, Ohm has carved a body of work that traces sexuality, identity, exploitation and the unvarnished male form across continents. His images are not polite. They're tender in one moment and confrontational in the next, as if caught bet

There's a peculiar silence that follows when you tell someone 'I don't drink'. It lands awkwardly, like you've just admitted to something vaguely embarrassing. But that silence has been shrinking lately. Gen Z are leading a quiet revolution, choosing clear heads over hangovers and questioning why socialising has to revolve around a bottle. After lockdown rewired our habits, old rituals started looking a bit naff. Drinking less isn't just about health anymore – it's cultural. Which raises an obvious question: if you're not drinking, where the hell do you go in a city that's built on the mythology of nights out? That's how I ended up deep inside Sammakorn Village, a residential labyrinth in Bangkok that's home to more than 6,500 households and, rather improbably, one of the most unusual bars in Asia. STØCKHØLME Sober Bar is Thailand's first alcohol-free bar and the first in Asia. It opens from 2pm-10pm, welcoming everyone from the sober-curious to families who rock up with dogs and teenagers in tow. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taste of The Place (@jiranarong2) I'd expected earnest kombucha, wellness lectures and maybe a queue of yoga mats. Instead I walked into something warm and surprisingly mischievous, where cocktail shakers were working overtime and two people, Korranath 'Oak' Thamamnuaysuk and Weeree 'Wee' Yomjinda, greeted me like friends determined to prove that sobriety has never meant boring. What followed was two hours of tasting,

For queer communities, dreaming works as a form of practice rather than escape. It shows up through imagination, divination and half-remembered thoughts, offering ways to picture futures. Paradiso: Reverie, curated by Oat Montien, holds space for that process. The programme brings together performances and screenings by contemporary Queer Asian artists and close collaborators, sharing work that feels speculative, intimate and deliberately unfinished. Each piece asks how collective visioning might look when certainty feels overrated. Presented at Bangkok Kunsthalle, the series grows from an ongoing collaboration with Rosalia Namsai Engchuan through the Futures Observatory, grounding the ideas without fixing them in place.    January 25. Free. Bangkok Kunsthalle, 6pm onwards

FUSE makes his Thailand debut with IGNITE, a solo exhibition that sits between cultures without trying to smooth the edges. Born in 1985 and now based in Tokyo, he works through oil paint, folding Japanese and American pop references into images that feel familiar yet slightly unsettled. At the centre is LOOKA, a recurring figure shaped by cloud-like lines that never quite settle. The form shifts from canvas to canvas, hovering between character and idea. Guided by the notion of seeing with the mind’s eye, LOOKA looks back at a world crowded with information, searching for something steadier underneath. Clouds stand for freedom, though they also blur vision, turning clarity into mist. That tension runs quietly through the work. Nothing here offers easy answers, only a reminder that truth often hides behind soft edges and patient looking.   Until February 8. Free. KYLA Gallery and Wine Bar, 3pm-midnight

Asoke Sports Club marks its fifth anniversary with a volleyball and pickleball tournament that is as social as it is competitive. Set on a rooftop, the day mixes serious play with a relaxed, open atmosphere. Members of Thailand’s national team, fresh from a silver medal at the SEA Games, share the court with elite sides from across the region, raising the standard without killing the fun. Between matches, live music drifts across the space while food and drinks circulate easily. Vendor stalls add colour, giving spectators reasons to linger even when the games pause. Players cheer for rivals, friends shout encouragement from the sidelines and strangers start talking over shared shade. It reads less like a formal competition and more like a neighbourhood gathering, one that celebrates movement, teamwork and the simple pleasure of showing up together. January 24-25. For volleyball, B3,000-4,400 via here and for pickleball, B1,200-1,500 via here. Asoke Sports Club.

Public House Hotel hosts a Saturday that keeps things simple and generous, built around music and shared time. Irish flute player and singer Shannon Heaton leads the day, bringing her easy authority and quiet warmth to Bangkok. The afternoon begins with an open workshop, welcoming acoustic instruments of all kinds. She teaches a tune by ear, paying attention to rhythm and lift rather than technical display, and the room listens closely. As evening settles, Heaton returns for an intimate solo set, moving between songs, flute melodies and stories that feel spoken rather than performed. The night then loosens its collar. Musicians drift back in, instruments appear and an informal Irish session carries on without fuss. Some people play, others listen and nobody rushes off. It feels like a small pocket of elsewhere, briefly and happily shared. January 24. B300 via here. Free workshop (registration needed). Public House Bangkok, 4pm and 6pm

Jesper Haynes presents a photography exhibition that looks back at downtown New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s with clear eyes and no soft focus. Faces feel close, streets feel tight and the city shows itself without asking for permission. Featuring figures like Andy Warhol and Naomi Campbell, the work traces Haynes’ long fascination with street life, sparked when Warhol invites him to New York as a teenager and quietly changes his direction. Haynes earns a reputation for photographing the edges of urban life with honesty that never feels staged. His black-and-white images read like pages torn from a private notebook, raw but deliberate. Often described as a rebel diarist, he documents nights, friendships and passing moments that refuse nostalgia. What stays with you is the intimacy, as if the city leans over to tell you a secret and trusts you not to interrupt.   January 24-February 14. Free. Chaloem La Art House, midday-6pm

Bangkok gets its own late-night talk show, only nothing is written down and nobody knows what happens next. A host sits behind a desk, guests wander on and the rest is decided in real time, shaped by audience suggestions shouted without overthinking. Interviews twist, games derail and musical moments appear when someone feels brave enough. Everything stays live and unapologetically unpolished. The format borrows the bones of a classic chat show, then bends them with improv instincts and a sense of play. Think Whose Line Is It Anyway? raised on after-hours television, slightly feral and very self-aware. What works is the closeness. You watch performers listen hard, react faster and trust each other completely. Some jokes land, some wobble and that is the point. The night feels shared, like a conversation that just happens to have a spotlight. January 23. B400 via here and B550 at the door. The Comedy Club Bangkok, 8pm onwards

Made By Legacy returns with its idea of a ‘New Old Community’, set high above the city in an elevated park that feels quietly removed from street level. For three days, Bangkok’s newest creative corner hosts a careful mix of vintage and lifestyle finds, shaped by memory but never stuck there. New sellers join familiar names, adding a cooler edge to the line-up without losing its warmth. Over 250 handpicked vendors fill the space, offering vintage clothing, designer pieces, ceramics, vinyl, books, art and furniture chosen with real intent. Food stalls and cocktail bars sit among fresh greenery, while DJs and live musicians keep the mood easy. Families wander, friends linger and dogs nap in the shade. It feels less like an event and more like a weekend habit worth keeping.   January 23-25. B160 at the door. Sky Park, Cloud 11, 1pm-11pm

January marks a century since John Coltrane was born and Thailand International Jazz Conference is marking the moment with the kind of attention it deserves. Jazz musicians from every corner are heading to Salaya, bringing reverence rather than nostalgia. A dedicated exhibition follows Coltrane’s path from bebop discipline to spiritual searching, mapping how one artist kept asking bigger questions. The centrepiece arrives at Prince Mahidol Hall. A Love Supreme is reimagined for full orchestra and jazz ensemble, performed by the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra with Donny McCaslin as soloist. Elsewhere, the main stage stretches comfortably between eras. Joey Calderazzo appears in trio form, Seamus Blake returns with a tight quartet and Luca Filastro offers stride piano flair, courtesy of the Italian Cultural Institute of Bangkok. For a few days, Salaya feels like home for anyone listening closely. January 23-25. B500-3,000 via here. College of Music, Mahidol University, various times.

The House on Sathorn at W Bangkok opens its doors to Cross Culture again, this time turning its attention north. The focus lands on Chiang Mai, a place that wears its Lanna heritage lightly but confidently, shaped by mountain mornings, old rituals and kitchens that still cook with patience. The food traditions here favour fragrance over flash, guided by seasons and hands that know when to wait. This chapter of the series brings that sensibility south, led by Chef Khun Apisit Jessadaporn of Maaterr. His cooking feels conversational rather than showy, built on memory, spice and a clear respect for where ingredients come from. Served at Paii Restaurant, the menu reads like a quiet love letter to Chiang Mai, translating its landscapes and habits for Bangkok diners without sanding off the edges that make it feel real. January 23. Reserve via 02-344-4025, email [email protected] or here. Paii, The House on Sathorn, 7pm-11pm

Fire EX. began life in 2000, growing up alongside the docks of Kaohsiung, where noise carries and feelings tend to stay close to the surface. Fronted by Sam Yang with Orio, JC and KG, the band learnt their early lessons from Japanese melodic punk mainstays like Hi-Standard and HUSKING BEE, then bent that sound around Taiwanese lyrics that read like private diary entries shouted across a room. Since then, their story has travelled far beyond home. Shows at CMJ in New York, CMW and SXSW in Canada, plus Summer Sonic and Fuji Rock, have added new chapters, as have collaborations with 10-FEET, locofrank and MONOEYES. Now, they arrive in Bangkok as part of their Asia tour, carrying that same sense of camaraderie. Back home, founding FireBall Festival, Taiwan’s first punk gathering, felt less like a career move and more like setting the table for everyone who ever felt understood by a loud guitar. January 22. B1,800 via here. Artspace@Bantadthong, 8pm onwards

Reading in the Park returns for its third chapter after EP2 quietly proved that strangers will happily sit together and read if given the chance. More than 500 people turned up last time, which says a lot about how hungry Bangkok feels for slower forms of company. EP3 continues that gentle idea through the Bangkok Offline Reading Club, inviting people to step away from feeds and notifications and show up properly. Cooler weather helps, making grass seating and long chapters feel like a small luxury rather than a test of stamina. Over 200 readers have already signed up, each bringing a book or e-reader and agreeing to keep phones tucked away. Swapping titles is encouraged, whether planned or spontaneous. The aim isn’t networking or productivity, just shared quiet. A small note of care remains around PM2.5 levels, so pace yourself and listen to your body. January 24. Free. Register via here. The Amphitheatre in Benjakitti Park, 4pm-6pm

Start the year by giving your bookshelf a gentle refresh at Read Fest, a reading festival that treats books as shared pleasures rather than homework. The fair returns with a programme designed to suit every age, encouraging families to wander, linger and discover titles they didn’t know they needed. This edition follows the theme Reading Journey, unfolding inside Hua Lamphong Station, a place already shaped by departures, arrivals and quiet anticipation. Words travel well here. Across the festival, conversations sit alongside live music, hands-on workshops, exhibitions and an art and craft market that invites slow browsing. A dedicated Reading Space turns the station hall into an open library, welcoming anyone to sit with a book for as long as they like. It feels relaxed and generous, reminding visitors that reading doesn’t need rules, just time, curiosity and a comfortable place to pause.   January 23-25. Free. Hua Lamphong Railway Station, 10.30am-10pm

It's not too soon to talk about Valentine's. The month of love is nearly here, and Skyline Film Bangkok puts on a selection of classic romantic films for the occasion.    If you're after something special to do with your other half this Valentine's, watching movies on River City Bangkok’s rooftop with views of the Chao Phraya River at night sounds pretty romantic to us. Have a look at what's showing and see if anything grabs you. Photograph: Skyline Film February 12 5.30pm – Chungking Express 8.30pm – Romeo and Juliet (1996)   February 13 5.30pm – 10 Things I Hate About You 8.30pm – Mr. and Mrs. Smith   February 14 5.30pm – No Strings Attached 8.30pm – Pride & Prejudice   February 15 5.30pm – 50 First Dates 8.15pm – Brokeback Mountain   If you haven't been to Skyline Film yet, this is an outdoor cinema from Taiwan that locals call 'movies in the field'. The whole thing centres around screening films in spots with a gorgeous atmosphere and stunning views. They show the kind of movies you can happily watch again and again, and the setup is seriously good. Photograph: Skyline Film You get beach style chairs that adjust however you want them, so you can sit up or lie back properly for maximum comfort. Everyone gets personal wireless headphones that block out background noise whilst keeping the film sound from bothering anyone nearby. It's clever kit that makes the whole experience feel more immersive.   Your ticket includes free drinks too, and they lay on special bits for di

Clear your diary, round up your friends and get your tastebuds ready because the beer glass you've been looking for all year might just be waiting for you. The Beer People team has announced its annual gathering for anyone who likes drinking. People Festival lands at ChangChui Creative Park on March 6-8, running from 11am-11pm each day. It's become a snapshot of how a new generation is changing what drinking means. Gone are the days when it was all about drowning sorrows or quick weekend relief. Photograph: beerpeoplefest We're talking about a shift from drinking to escape or unwind into drinking to understand flavours, learn backstories and meet the people behind each glass. Every brewery that rocks up has a story worth hearing, origins to share and genuine reasons why their brew tastes the way it does. That's what makes wandering between the stalls so much more interesting than your average beer garden session. Photograph: beerpeoplefest The big change this year? They've dropped 'Beer' from the name entirely. What used to be Beer People Festival is now simply People Festival, and that matters. The focus has expanded well beyond Thai craft beer to welcome natural wine from local producers, craft cocktails and community spirits into the mix. It's a celebration of everything happening in Thailand's drinks scene right now.   There's even a cheeky mini-election running throughout the festival where you can vote for your favourite brands and tipples.   People Festival 2026, M

Bangkok's reputation as a genuinely queer-friendly city is pretty well-established, but this Sunday there's an event that wants to push that even further. If you're up for joining a gathering that's all about creating an even more queer future, this one's worth knowing about.   Photograph: Andrew Thomas Huang     Paradiso: Reverie happens on Sunday January 25, from 6pm-9pm at Bangkok Kunsthalle, and it's completely free. After last year's first edition went down a storm, artist Oat Montien has curated this follow-up as a space for dreams in all their forms. Think subconscious visions, waking dreams and everything in between, all explored through contemporary art in the Kunsthalle's atmospheric setting.   Photograph: Phitthaya Phaefuang    The whole thing invites people to contemplate diverse gender experiences through poetry, performances, film screenings and rituals that blur the lines between art and ceremony. It goes beyond just celebrating queer identities, weaving in themes of healing and care that reach everyone in the room. The boundaries of gender division and cultural norms get transcended, basically. Photograph: Max Napat Oat Montien, who scooped the Pride Value Artist 2025 award and founded Bodhisattava Gallery, has gathered more than 10 ASEAN queer artists for the event. They all create work exploring the spiritual dimensions of diverse gender identities, rallying under the rather beautiful slogan ‘A dream I never dared to dream, quietly wished for, and fina

So how do most people get around Bangkok? Private cars, buses, motorcycle taxis, sky trains or just walking. But, have you ever considered hopping on a bicycle?   The idea of cycling in Bangkok sounds a bit mad to most people. Even for regular city explorers who love wandering the streets on foot, the thought of pedalling through Bangkok traffic can feel pretty intimidating. The fear of accidents and not knowing how to navigate these roads safely puts most people off. Photograph: Anywheel But here's the thing. Bangkok has quietly rolled out a bike-sharing scheme that's actually pretty decent. Right now there are 350 docking points scattered across the city with over 1,500 bicycles ready to go, which you can check here. You'll find them in key areas like Rattanakosin Island, along Sathorn Road and Silom Road, over on the Thonburi side following the riverside road from Sathorn Bridge up to Rama eight Bridge, plus at various train stations including MRT Sam Yot, BTS Chong Nonsi, BTS Sala Daeng and BTS Asok.   Bike sharing isn't exactly new to Bangkok. Services have been floating around for more than a decade. The city brought the scheme back last year and now there are three or four main providers you'll spot around town including Leo, Anywheel, GCOO and HelloRide.   Photograph: Anywheel Getting set up takes about five minutes. Download whichever app looks good to you, punch in your details and sort out how you want to pay. If you reckon you'll use it regularly, linking a cr

Got plans to travel this year? If you're hunting for the best place to visit, you don't need to look too far. Bangkok has just landed a massive endorsement.  The New York Times has dropped its annual travel list, a sprawling 52 destinations for 2026, and Thailand's capital has snagged third place. Great choice for a city that's been grafting to shake off its reputation as one of Asia's least green urban centres. Photograph: Sereechai Puttes Here's what's caught the NYT's attention. You can now walk between two of Bangkok's central parks, Benjakitti and Lumphini, along a brand new 20-acre green corridor that's dotted with sculptures. The city has also added a mile-long suspended walkway at Benjakitti Park where you can wander above lotus ponds and mangrove forests.   Photograph: Dib Bangkok Then there's the art scene. The paper namechecks Dib Bangkok, a slick new contemporary art gallery showcasing 70 years worth of work from multiple continents. It's the first venue of its kind in Thailand, which is pretty significant. These are the top 10 places to travel in 2026, according to the New York Times Revolutionary America Warsaw Bangkok Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica Bandhavgarh, India Dallas Oran, Algeria Route 66 Saba, the Caribbean Poblenou, Barcelona  The ranking comes down to more than just pretty parks and a thriving contemporary art scene. Key factors such as improvements in public transport from AI-managed traffic and electric buses were also praised. The BMA sa

Thailand's night markets are some of the best in the world. If you want proof, here it is. Travelbag puts three of the city's night markets in the top 10 of the world's most searched and shared destinations. The study looks at what actually matters when you're hunting for the perfect night market experience. Things like how safe you feel wandering around after sunset, how much buzz the place gets on social media, and what real visitors have to say about their visits. Put it all together and you also get a guide to where the best street food action happens globally. Photograph: TAT Taking the top spot is Chatuchak Weekend Market. This sprawling Bangkok institution is genuinely one of the largest markets anywhere, with more than 15,000 stalls packed into its maze of alleys. You can find pretty much anything here, from sizzling street food and fresh tropical fruit to vintage clothing and quirky homeware. For anyone who lives to eat, Chatuchak is basically paradise. The air fills with the smell of crispy pork with kale being tossed in giant woks, vendors scoop creamy coconut ice cream into coconut shells, and endless rows of grilled skewers send smoke spiralling into the Bangkok night. The numbers back up the hype too. Over 368,000 people search for this market online every month, and there are more than 14,600 TikTok posts of travellers filming themselves taste testing their way through the stalls and sharing their favourite finds. Photograph: Jodd Fairs Night Market Not far

The Haçienda first opened its doors back in 1982 in Manchester, and pretty much changed clubbing forever. The legendary venue didn't just define the music scene of its era but helped spread dance music culture across the entire world. Everything that makes a great club today can be traced back to The Haçienda. That energy you feel on the dancefloor, the forward-thinking programming, the commitment to diversity, it all started there, and clubs in cities everywhere are still copying the blueprint. Photograph: fac51_thehacienda Now FAC51 The Haçienda is bringing that iconic spirit to Bangkok with an impressive lineup of artists and DJs. The event's supported by the crew behind Maho Rasop, Bar Temp, Transport and Bangkok Community Radio, so you know it's in good hands.   Photograph: fac51_thehacienda Only 2,000 tickets are up for grabs though, so if you're planning to go you'll want to sort yours out sharpish. Need the lowdown on tickets, the lineup and what stages to expect? Here's everything you need to know about The Haçienda coming to town. What is Haçienda? It’s the legendary Manchester club that basically defined acid house and rave culture. The baggy, dance-focused ‘Madchester’ sound of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s was born here and now, the Haçienda experience will be reborn in Bangkok for one night only.   When is Haçienda in Bangkok? This iconic Manchester club comes to Bangkok on January 24. Where is Haçienda in Bangkok? The event takes place at Ambience Space, a

Walk up to the fourth floor of The Warehouse Talat Noi and you'll stumble upon something that looks like it's been beamed in from a sci-fi film. Electric Sheep is a Mediterranean restaurant that takes its name from Philip K. Dick's dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the 1970s fiction later adapted into Blade Runner.   The spot is the brainchild of Yoan Martin and Amerigo Tito Sesti, two chefs who spent seven years working together at J'AIME, the Michelin-awarded French restaurant in Sathorn. One day they both clocked the state of the planet and decided to open somewhere properly sustainable. Electric Sheep was born with a mission to use Thai ingredients in every dish. As the chefs put it, they're going 'back to nature, through culture, dreaming future'. Photograph: Electric Sheep Chef Yoan hails from the south of France while Chef Tito grew up in northern Italy. Different countries, sure, but both rooted in Mediterranean food culture, which they've brought here and paired with local produce.   Photograph: Electric Sheep Photograph: Electric Sheep The space itself is brilliantly moody. Dim neon lights glow against bare concrete walls, and there's a small room at the front with shelves and pink twilight lighting that feels like some sort of experimental lab. Even the menu system is unusual: instead of paper, you get film sheets in a box with a tiny light projector at each table. Slide them in one by one to see what's on offer, then send your choices to

If your phone starts buzzing with alerts mid-way to work this morning, don't worry. There's actually a pretty good reason for it. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has just rolled out a new real-time PM2.5 air pollution alert system using Cell Broadcast technology. The clever bit is that you don't need to download anything at all. When you wander into areas with red level dust, your phone will ping you automatically with a warning. And judging by today's readings, you might be hearing from it quite a bit. The city's average PM2.5 level has hit 58.5 87.2 µg/m³, with 50 areas across Bangkok showing orange level pollution (anything above 37.5 87.2 µg/m³e breaks the safety threshold). Photograph: TQM Insurance Brokerb Here's where the air is particularly grim right now. Top five PM2.5 levels by district in Bangkok. Bang Rak District: 87.2 µg/m³ Sathon District: 74.6 µg/m³   Chatuchak District: 74 µg/m³ Pathum Wan District: 72.6 µg/m³ Prawet District: 71.7 µg/m³   If you're heading out today, we recommend wearing a PM2.5 mask, skipping your outdoor run and keeping tabs on air quality through the AirBKK app.  The administration says it's committed to protecting public health and tackling air pollution through coordinated action. In the meantime, maybe that work from home request doesn't sound so unreasonable after all.

Bangkok is getting a pedestrian bridge across the Chao Phraya River and it could become one of the city's most exciting new landmarks.  The project connects two historic neighbourhoods and gives locals and tourists a fresh way to experience the river without hopping on a boat or dealing with traffic. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is pushing ahead with plans to build the bridge between Phra Pokklao Bridge and Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Maharat Bridge. It'll link Tha Wat Thong Thammachat Pier on one side with Tha Sawat Pier in the Song Wat Road area on the other. For those who don't know, Song Wat is one of Bangkok's oldest trading and cultural districts, so this location isn't random. Right now the project is in the detailed design phase and officials are preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment report. The goal is to wrap up all the planning by the end of this year so construction can kick off soon after. Photograph: BMA What makes this bridge interesting is that it's not just about getting from point A to point B. The design treats it as a public space where people can actually hang out, take in river views and experience the Chao Phraya from a completely new angle.  The bridge will make life easier for residents, students and business owners who currently have to take longer routes or rely on short boat trips to cross between Phra Nakhon and Thonburi sides. It's all part of a bigger push to give riverside areas back to the people and create a more walkable city

Anyone going to Beatforest, take note. The festival just threw out a curveball. The festival has moved its entire date forward by a day to avoid election alcohol restrictions that would seriously kill the vibe. The event was supposed to happen on January 31 2026 but now takes place on January 30 instead. It's all because of Thailand's election timing, with early voting kicking off on February 1. Thai law bans alcohol sales for 24 hours before election day, which means a bone-dry finale to what's meant to be a proper weekend party. So yes, it's now a Friday instead of a Saturday. Not ideal if you've already booked a hotel for the original date, but the organisers reckon it beats having a completely dry festival. What makes Beatforest worth the hassle anyway? Music is obviously the main thing, but there's more going on than just standing in front of a stage. Between sets you can plant trees, cycle around the grounds or wander through installations where lights weave through the natural surroundings rather than drowning them out. The stage itself works with the environment instead of fighting it, designed so the lighting plays off branches rather than blasting over them. Anyway, the festival team apologises for changing the plan and offers two options. You can get a full refund or roll your ticket over to the 2027 edition. Refund requests need to be in by today, December 30, so don't hang around if you want your money back. It's annoying about the date shuffle, but at least they

If you've got plans to leave Bangkok but don't fancy travelling far, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is a solid option. It takes just an hour to get there. Anyone who loves Thai performing arts, khon, folk performances and traditional theatre, needs to pin Chaiwatthanaram Temple in their diary. The historic site hosts Ayutthaya Nava: International Port Under the Royal Blessing, a major year-end event that brings legendary performing arts to the ancient ruins at night, with spectacular lights and sounds that bring the old temple back to life. The highlight is watching khon, drama, music and various folk performances against the nighttime backdrop of Ayutthaya. You can wander the temple grounds, browse the international ancient market or snap photos of the ruins bathed in coloured lights from every angle. The event runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from December through to February 2026, so you can come multiple times and catch different shows. Here's what's on: December performances December 26 – Lakhon nok, story of Phra Aphai Mani December 27 – Khon Ramakien, episode Jong Thanon December 28 – Retro ramwong and Thai music December 29 – Lakhon phantang, story of Rajadhiraj December 30 – International music December 31 – New Year's Eve chanting January 2026 performances January 1-2 – Thai music January 3 – Children's khon Ramakien and Phra Lo January 4 – Thai music January 9 – Lakhon nok, story of Sang Thong January 10 – Luk thung singing January 11 – Ngiew performance, story