Your ultimate guide to Bangkok

Go on first dates today, be coupled up by Valentine's! We know first dates can feel like a soft performance, so you might as well choose a decent stage. Let the pilot episode lean rom-com, not horror. You want somewhere with enough going on. Places with things to look at, little moments that naturally spark conversations. It should feel intimate enough for a blink-and-you-forget-the-rest-of-the-world moment, but not so secluded it gets weird. Sometimes the best dates cost nothing, just like the best people! Here's where to go when you're actually trying to see them again (and again).

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 Lisa’s home and a certified Netflix darling? Thailand has been absolutely killing it as a filming destination lately. The White Lotus season three brought international attention and a reported 40 per cent jump in hotel rates at the Four Seasons Koh Samui, casually. Netflix’s Mother of the Bride showcased Phuket’s Anantara resorts to 26.7 million viewers worldwide. The Thai government has been sweetening the deal with cash rebates of up to 30 per cent for film productions, while tourism officials have practically been rolling out the red carpet for international projects. Lisa herself is Thailand’s not- so- secret weapon. She’s an official Amazing Thailand Ambassador, she’s spoken repeatedly about her pride in showcasing Thai culture and she literally thanked Mike White for letting her ‘share my culture and show the beauty of Thailand to the world’ after The White Lotus wrapped. Given that this rom-com idea germinated on Thai soil while she was doing exactly that, it would feel almost poetic if the film circled back to where it all began. Lisa will executive produce alongside Alice Kang from her management company LLOUD and Silberman has an exclusive multi year deal with Netflix, signalling just how invested the streamer is in making this work. Production is expected to kick off later this year, though no release date has been confirmed yet. Will we see Lisa falling in love against the backdrop of Bangkok? A meet-cute at a floating market? A significant moment at a rooftop bar overlooking the Chao Phraya? We can speculate and stay hopeful. But with Lisa’s track record of making things happen and Thailand’s proven appeal to international filmmakers, those dreams might not be that far fetched. Watch this space. And maybe start scouting romantic Bangkok locations, just in case Netflix comes calling.

Out we walk from the bookstore chains. In we go to the independent spots, with dog-eared pages and well-worn spines. Bangkok Design Week's on right now and a big part of it is the Bangkok Book District Fest – folks are calling it the city's first proper 'Book Town'. Running through to February 8 2026, it turns Banglamphu and Rattanakosin into a neighbourhood where books are the common thread. Here's the lot – the Book Town stops and the everywhere else scattered throughout the capital. The Book District (Banglamphu & Rattanakosin) Photograph: bkk.bookdistrict

You know you're allowed to take yourself out, right?  Flying solo is light, fun and comes with zero compromise on where to eat or how long to linger. Just you and eight million Bangkokians who are way too preoccupied to judge your table for one. This is a city guide to romantic solitude for Valentine's, or whatever day you decide deserves it.

Breathing deeply in central Bangkok isn't always the easiest thing to do these days. But the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is gradually giving public space back to the city, from launching a booking website for creative spaces to doing up parks so they actually work for people who use them.   The latest addition is a big one. The 80th Birthday Anniversary Park of His Majesty the King in Sathorn District opens again after a massive renovation, sprawling over 27,000 square metres. The revamped green space is ready for exercise fans, people after some peace and quiet and anyone looking for somewhere to spend their time that isn't another shopping mall. Photograph: Prachachat.net The park opens to the public now and even though there's no official ribbon-cutting ceremony yet, everything inside already works. You get a waterside walkway, nature study trail, healing garden, children's playground, jogging track and exercise path, plus an outdoor stage. There really is something for everyone and you can use it from morning right through to evening.   If you fancy a jog or just want to escape into some actual greenery, grab your trainers and head to Soi Ngam Duphli. The more green spaces the city gets, the more breathing room we all have. Just imagine breaking away from the towering buildings and traffic chaos to find yourself in a park that's actually pleasant to look at and be in, right in the heart of Sathon. Photograph: Prachachat Whether it's a weekend wander or an after-work escape, this slice of green makes for a welcome refuge from Bangkok's relentless pace. And honestly, the city needs more of this.   80th Birthday Anniversary Park of His Majesty the King, Soi Ngam Duphli, Sathorn (MRT Lumphini Station, Exit 1). Open daily 5am-9pm.

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 actually wear the thing, not just preserve it behind glass. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gina Virahya (@ginaa.24) The trend sidesteps both sterile preservation and shallow appropriation – there's reimagining at play here, a recalibration of where it fits in daily life, pulling it out of ceremonial corners and into the Bangkok of right now. That it's all happening through a challenge tied to a song about the city's energy just drives the point home: this is cultural soft power, sure, but it's also just people having fun with their wardrobes. Kratae's also hosting a gathering on February 5 from 4pm at Vintage Vespa Thailand in Songwat – an open invitation for anyone who loves Thai culture to wear the sabai, create content and celebrate the trend. The aim is to capture this 'Thai dress fever' moment and champion the kingdom's soft power through Bangkok City – all alongside 100 classical Thai dancers performing a ceremonial offering dance. Schedule 3.45pm  – Brahmin blessing ceremony4pm       – Thai classical dance performance (100 dancers in ceremonial offering)4.20pm  – Bangkok City event: 'Thais in sabai' unite5.30pm  – Artist and celebrity interviews Where to get the sabai For full costume rentals with the sabai included, try SENSE OF THAI on the second floor of Tha Maharaj Mall (walk-in or book via KKday) – they've got over 1,000 designs and will style you up.  Siam Crown in Chinatown does walk-ins with no booking needed.  Charis Thai Studio near Sanam Chai MRT offers premium packages with hair and makeup. If you're buying silk to DIY your own, hit The Silk Zone of Old Siam Plaza – dozens of independent vendors selling authentic Thai silk, including ready-made shawls, at fair prices (B500-800 per metre for quality stuff).  Jim Thompson has locations across Bangkok (Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, The Emporium) for higher-end silk scarves and wraps.  Phahurat Market in Little India is bargain-hunting heaven if you want to compare prices.  Chatuchak Weekend Market also has silk vendors scattered through the stalls. Whether this becomes a lasting shift in how traditional Thai garments show up in contemporary fashion or just stays a zeitgeist moment tied to one very catchy song, it's too early to call. But it's safe to say the sabai's thriving right now, denim and all.

You know that moment when you're watching a brilliant performer and you realise you haven't heard a single word, yet you've understood everything? That's the magic of Silent Theatre Festival. No subtitles needed, no language barriers, just pure storytelling through movement, rhythm and the kind of physical comedy that makes your sides hurt. Photograph: Silent Theatre Festival The festival lands at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on March 21-22, taking over the Studio Room on the fourth floor. House of Mask and Mime theatre group put the whole thing together, gathering artists from Japan, Czechia and Thailand who prove that sometimes the best stories are the ones told without words. This year brings four different shows, each with its own flavour of wordless brilliance. Photograph: Silent Theatre Festival Zeroko's teatime is Japanese artist Zeroko's contemporary mime piece built around a tea ceremony. Sounds simple, right? Except every tiny gesture carries weight, every movement invites you into this strangely relaxing world. The show shifts with each performance too, as Zeroko improvises based on the room's energy and what the audience brings. You leave feeling like you've just had your favourite brew, that warm fuzzy feeling lingering long after. Photograph: Silent Theatre Festival Silly Little Things comes from Trygve Wakenshaw, one of Europe's top mime artists. The Czech-based performer digs into life's tiny moments that somehow lead to friendship, awkwardness or absolute hilarity. His work ranked among the top five funniest shows at Edinburgh Fringe, and his tickets regularly sell out at festivals worldwide. There's a reason for that. Photograph: Silent Theatre Festival THE SHOW brings four ridiculously cheerful Japanese performers from to R mansion who throw mime, magic, dance and comedy into a blender. You get sharp-nosed Pierrots, headless men and talkative Madames creating chaos and laughter. Proper family-friendly stuff that works for everyone. Photograph: Silent Theatre Festival   GEEK GAG GO 2: Lon Mon Du Sier sees the return of three Thai performers who made waves at the 2024 festival. They're back with a completely new show, turning everyday chaos into wordless comedy through songs, sound design and performance styles that are equal parts funny and heart-warming. All shows are family-friendly, and tickets cost B490 at silenttheatrefest.com/stf-2026.

Running a hotel, restaurant, cafe, or bar can feel like an endless juggling act. There's the startup stress, finding suppliers who actually show up, dealing with staff shortages and watching costs creep ever higher. But here's the thing – innovation and tech are genuinely making life easier for operators, and if you went to THAIFEX – HOREC Asia last year, you'll be pleased to hear it's back. This massive trade show gathers the best innovations for the hospitality and foodservice sector under one roof. Running from March 11 to 13 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Challenger Hall 1 and 2, the event brings together thousands of products from over 600 brands across more than 40,000 square metres. That's a serious amount of ground to cover between 10am and 6pm across three days. Photograph: THAIFEX - HOREC Asia The whole point is making restaurant, bar, cafe and hotel operations easier while boosting profitability and keeping pace with global trends. Instead of chasing multiple suppliers or burning time on trial and error, everything comes together in one place. You get kitchen equipment, front of house tech and connections with brands and operators from over 80 countries (that's more than 20,000 industry professionals). Visitors gain fresh inspiration, practical knowledge and access to the latest products and innovations, all of which can be applied directly to their own businesses, all in one event. Here's what you'll find across the zones. Bakery and Ice Cream dives into equipment and products from leading Italian brands. Cafe and Bar lets you try out everything from the world's top coffee grinders to wine coolers before buying. Kitchen is where things get interesting, with intelligent cooking robots that handle 500-plus menus and sushi machines cranking out over 4,600 pieces per hour. Photograph: THAIFEX - HOREC Asia Other zones include Tech (AI systems and management tools), Wellness (spa equipment and health tech), plus Cleaning and Laundry, Dining, Furnishing and Services. Another big draw is THAIFEX – HOREC Academy and Workshop, where over 70 experts share practical insights and industry know-how. Speakers include: Panuwat Wattanakitrungroj, CEO and Co-Founder of JIAN CHA Thanapong Wongchinsri, Founder of Penguin X Chef Willment Leong, Director of Worldchefs Asia Chef Justin Tan, Renowned Pastry Chef and Co-Founder of Second Nature Agency Thaptai Rittaprom, CEO and Co-Founder of HAAB Puree Akkrapolpanich, Assistant Managing Director, Grab Thailand Nattapon Muangtum, founder of Everyday Marketing Alongside many other industry leaders, speakers will share real-world experiences, practical advice and actionable insights to help operators adapt and stay ahead in an ever-changing industry. The programme is further complemented by hands-on workshop zones, featuring live sessions in cooking, coffee, pastry and cocktail-making, led by top professionals in the field, all free to join for the full three days. Register for your free pass now at thaifex-horec.asia THAIFEX – HOREC Asia 2026, March 11-13 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Challenger Hall 1-2, 10am-6pm.

Anyone who's tried booking government premises for events in Bangkok knows the pain. The endless back and forth, the weeks of waiting (sometimes months), the approvals that arrive only to find the actual staff on site haven't been told what's happening. It's enough to make anyone want to give up. Photograph: Music in the Park But things are changing. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been working to turn urban spaces into actual public spaces again, the kind people can genuinely use rather than just walk past. First they compiled data on what spaces exist and started making the whole application process less of a headache. Film crews got to try it out first through a One Stop Service, then BMA opened things up to festivals and all sorts of activities across the city. The result? Events popping up all over Bangkok, bringing proper life back to shared spaces that have sat empty for too long. Now, BMA has launched an official public space booking platform that handles everything in one place. The website cuts out most of the faff, sorting applications and coordinating with the agencies that manage each space before your event day even arrives. This means organisers can actually plan things properly and the city gets to host new ideas without everyone losing their minds in the process. Here's how the booking works: Photograph: Better Bangkok For film shooting (BFMCC) Submit your application with all the documents attached (staff review them within one to three working days) Wait for consideration and pay any service fees if there are any (this takes about seven to 14 working days) Access the shooting space on your reserved day and time, and pay fines if there are any Photograph: Better Bangkok For music performance in parks Submit your audition work to get the right to perform music in parks Book your space, date and time according to available slots (you need to do this a month in advance) Perform music at the space according to your reserved time Photograph: Bangkok Street Performer For busking artists (Bangkok street performer) Submit your audition work to get busking rights Book your space, date and time (at least three days in advance) Perform music at your reserved space (you perform for about an hour and 45 minutes and return the space within 15 minutes) Photograph: The Hop For organising creative activities Submit your application with all the documents attached (staff review them within one to three working days) Wait for consideration and pay any service fees if there are any (this takes about seven working days) Once you get approval, go ahead with your activities on the reserved day and time (if there's a fine, you can pay it later) The streamlined system makes organising genuinely easier than before. But there's one thing that still needs proper attention and that's sound. Music events and concerts don't keep their noise within neat boundaries. The sound travels, hitting residential areas and affecting people who live nearby and didn't ask for a gig on their doorstep.  Every event needs to come with clear regulations on sound levels that everyone actually follows. The city can be vibrant and full of life without making things miserable for the people who actually live here. You can book spaces at publicspace.bangkok.go.th.

If you're still scrambling for Valentine's plans, here's a thought. Instead of the usual dinner date, how about wandering through a romantic film set under the stars? Maya City, a historical replica of Thailand's golden age of cinema, is opening its gates for evening visits this February 13-15, 5pm-9pm. Photograph: Thai Film Archive Night@Maya City Maya Ratri is back for its sixth year, making the Thai Film Archive an after-dark hangout. The event runs across three evenings and lets you explore Thai cinema history in a completely different mood to the usual daytime visits. Photograph: Thai Film Archive You'll find a mix of things to do here. There's the Thai film history museum (atmospheric at night, naturally), live music performances, exhibitions dotted around the grounds, craft stalls selling handmade bits and bobs and food booths serving up tasty treats. Activities run throughout the evening, so you won't be stuck wondering what to do next. Photograph: Thai Film Archive The real draw is the outdoor film history replica city itself. There will be old medicine carts from classic Thai movies, vintage railway carriages, the Black Maria studio and Star Plaza where legendary Thai actors have left their handprints. It's basically an Instagram dream for cinema lovers, but genuinely interesting even if you're not glued to your phone.   Photograph: Thai Film Archive This year's edition gets an extra boost with live performances from Thee Chaiyadej on February 13 and Pijika Jittaputta on February 15. Student bands from around the Salaya campus will also be playing throughout, adding a lovely soundtrack to your evening stroll.   Night@Maya City Maya Ratri, Film Archive, Phutthamonthon Sai 5, Salaya. February 13-15, 5pm-9pm. Free entry.

Bangkok is evolving into a city where pets can come along for the ride. Cafes are setting out water bowls, shopping centres are relaxing rules and public spaces are beginning to open their gates. Benjakitti Park already has a dedicated dog park and Lumphini Park is preparing one of its own, signs that the capital is slowly learning to make room for our fur babies. In this changing landscape, a few pets have become unlikely ambassadors, none more recognisable than the stars of the page Eyebrows are the Crown of Calorie. The appeal goes beyond dramatic brows, glamorous wigs and runway-ready outfits. At its heart is a story about responsibility, creativity and the bond between a man and his dogs. For Prompirya ‘Black’ Batmabisek, adopting a dog was never part of the plan. He loved fashion and design and pets were new territory, until one ordinary day and an unexpected visit that changed everything. Photograph: nesmailova What inspired you to get your first dog?I’ve always loved fashion, creativity and design, but I’ve never raised a pet before. One day I accompanied a friend to buy a dog and saw a tiny Chihuahua sitting alone with an injured leg. I felt sorry for him and decided to take him home myself. The seller told me he would stay small – which turned out not to be entirely true. Calorie had weak muscles and needed acupuncture for almost a year before he could walk normally. That was four years ago and it was the start of everything. How did the idea of the ‘dog with eyebrows’ begin?I started putting my own personality into Calorie by dressing him up, giving him wigs and most importantly, drawing eyebrows. Unlike the soft, gentle brows many people paint on pets, Calorie’s eyebrows had to be sharp and confident. His face shape and human-like eyes made the look fit perfectly and the eyebrows became his signature. Photograph: nesmailova When did the page ‘Eyebrows are the Crown of Calorie’ start?Before TikTok was popular, I posted photos in a Chihuahua lovers group on Facebook with more than 200,000 members. People kept asking me to open a dedicated page so they could follow Calorie’s fashion and eyebrows every day, so I did. When did the page really become popular?After about a year, the content expanded beyond simple outfits and eyebrows. The turning point was when I started making fashion covers, dressing Calorie like celebrities on red carpets and beauty queens on stage. Because my family already worked with sewing, we could design outfits quickly and people began to follow closely. Photograph: iam.calorie Which post was the biggest?Probably the post recreating Blackpink Lisa’s comeback look. It created a lot of buzz and even some drama and that helped the page reach a much wider audience. How did sponsorships begin?The first real job was a dog shampoo product review. It went viral with around five to six million views in a single day – because at that time no one was making pet content with wigs and eyebrows in this style. Photograph: nesmailova How did Casper join the family?Casper came from a rescue page looking for homes for dogs. He has three legs and was abandoned by a puppy farm. The organisation already knew Calorie’s page and trusted us, so they asked if we would consider adopting him. Casper’s grumpy expression soon became famous, especially after he appeared at Major Dog Day with the Bangkok governor. What’s the relationship between Calorie and Casper like?They connected naturally. Calorie can be a bit aloof, while Casper is playful and often leans on Calorie for comfort. Without any effort, they became inseparable. What is daily life like for them?Every morning they go to the garden, eat fresh meals prepared by mum and walk around the village with dad. We even moved from a condo to a house so the dogs would not feel stressed and have more space. Do they dress up at home too?Yes, they wear outfits almost every day because we enjoy sewing and designing. But at home I don’t usually take photos – I just like seeing them well dressed as I walk by. Photograph: nesmailova What do you think about Bangkok becoming more pet-friendly?It has improved a lot compared with four or five years ago. Back then I was often criticised for bringing Calorie into malls. Now shopping centres, restaurants and even airlines are more open and pets can experience more of the world. How do you balance content creation with the dogs’ mental health?Their wellbeing always comes first. I post less – around four videos a week – and if the weather is hot or they seem uncomfortable at events, I remove the outfits immediately. Any tips on reading dog emotions?It’s difficult, but if they shake and run to be held, that usually means fear. If they approach others calmly and sniff, that means happiness and curiosity. What should a real pet-friendly place be like?There should be clearly separated areas so both pet owners and non-owners feel comfortable and pets do not disturb others. Photograph: iam.calorie How do you travel with them?Only by car. I avoid public transport and would never put them in airplane cargo for safety reasons. What essentials do you bring when going out?Wet wipes, dry wipes, poop bags, water, treats, a leash and a carrier, always prepared for any situation. Photograph: nesmailova What are your (four-legged) future goals?I want to create a YouTube travel channel for dogs and would love to see Calorie appear in a movie or on television one day. Follow the adventures of Calorie and Casper on Facebook and Instagram @iam.calorie

‘I only see red, black, white and a scale of grey.' Fabio Brugnolaro – the Italian-born head mixologist at Penthouse Bar and Grill – tosses this out so breezily you'd think he hadn't just dropped the sort of detail that rewrites human creativity itself. All those jewel-toned cocktails with their fussy little garnishes, yet 'I've never seen the blue sky,' he says. 'When people go on about how blue it is – I haven't got a clue what they mean.' His story starts like this. Photograph: penthousebangkok The revelation arrived on the first day of primary school in Turin, Italy. The assignment: draw your house. Fabio drew his mum, his dog, the garden. The sky came out brown. The floor, blue. The dog, purple. The roof, inexplicably yellow. 'The teacher rang my mum the next day,' he recalls. 'She said, I think your son is colour-blind.' His mum started labelling markers with colour names – teaching him to navigate a world he couldn't quite see the way others did. But when he announced he wanted to be an artist, she drew the line. 'She said no, no, no, you're going to technical school.' Art, she reasoned, was hard enough: 'Art whilst colour-blind?' Fabio did it anyway. He worked nights as a waiter to fund his illustration degree. Tried tattooing for a spell – 'maybe 20 people'. His professor at university noticed his work looked off – too bright, a little discordant. When he explained, she handed him three books on colour theory. Mathematical equations for mixing pigments. Primary colours broken down into percentages. 'It's basically a mathematical calculation,' he explains. 'By that, I can actually calculate mathematically which colour I'm producing. So putting this much of this, I can make colours that you like, that you can see.' The formula stuck. Not just for painting, but for everything that followed. When he transitioned from art to hospitality – floor manager at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Milan, then behind the bar – the logic travelled with him. 'I already know a balance for colour,' he says. 'So for me, percentage, also for liquid, it's been very easy to become a mixologist. Because I can mix anything at the perfect percentage to make it balanced.'  There's a particularly dramatic chapter. A half-Thai girl. A move to Bangkok built on love and slightly reckless optimism. Years grinding through speakeasy bars, even opening his own place for a bit. Now, he's head mixologist at Penthouse Bar and Grill, mixing drinks the way he's done everything else – against the odds. Fabio's new cocktail line-up is called 'A Journey Through Art in Every Sip'. Nine cocktails, each inspired by the art throughout Park Hyatt Bangkok, home to Penthouse Bar and Grill. Let's go glass by glass.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Crimson Illusion takes its cue from 'Party' hanging in the lobby. Bourbon fat-washed with mango and passion fruit, goji berries, honey cordial, Lillet Blanc, finished with a silky pour of Shiraz. 'It captures the balance between profound joy and hidden affliction,' the menu reads.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill     'When I create a cocktail, I start thinking which ingredient I want to use and which spirit I want to pair with,' he explains. 'I start making combinations in my mind. Then I go on paper and when I'm thinking of this, I start drawing.'       Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill     His place is all notebooks – sketches of glasses, garnishes, ideas half-formed. 'The drawing process is just for me to work through what I'm going to do,' he says. 'From the drawing, I go through the shape of the cocktail, then the garnish. Which glass, which garnish.' It's almost ritualistic – the way he thinks with his hands before he thinks with bottles.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill In Bloom takes inspiration from the lobby's 'Go with the wind, not the bamboo' sculpture.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill     A clarified milk punch built on Japanese whisky, Strega Alberti herbal liqueur, cantaloupe, nori cordial and sencha tea. The menu waxes lyrical about creation as inward journey, meditative practice, Buddhist philosophy – the whole transcendental bit.     Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill 'Because I like cooking, I know how many things taste – the spirits and food and fruits and ingredients,' he says. 'I start making combinations in my mind.' It's all connected: the cooking, the drawing, the mixing. A synaesthetic approach to bartending where texture matters as much as flavour.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Dark Horse is a tribute to Fernando Botero, named after the 'Freddy the Horse' sculpture stationed in front of the hotel.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Homemade aguardiente, two types of Plantation rum, star anise, cold brew coffee liqueur, cream. Smooth, sweet, spirit-forward.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill       Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill   Ripple Tipple is inspired by paintings of the Thames and Chao Phraya rivers. It brings two waterways together in a gin infused with bael, English Breakfast tea, Earl Grey, apple cinnamon, lime juice and egg white. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Served alongside a tiny cracker with homemade apple jam. 'This cocktail connects tradition with playful elegance,' the menu reads. 'Sometimes we have a pairing,' Fabio explains. 'We decide what to pair with the cocktail. In this case, it's served with a mini cracker with apple jam on top of it and the apple jam we do ourselves.' Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill   The pairing is deliberate. Fabio thinks about texture, temperature, the way a bite of something sweet and crisp plays against the warmth of spice. It's the cooking thing again. Everything connects.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Miang Kham takes its name directly from the traditional Thai snack and is inspired by Chatchai Puipia's painting 'Rainy Night'. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill It's built on coconut rum, golden falernum, betel leaves juice, miang kham syrup – essentially everything that makes Thai street food magic, now slightly tipsy.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Ghost Rider is inspired by the BMW motorcycle parked at the entrance to Penthouse Grill, it's a mashup of two drinks – the Sidecar and the Vieux Carré – served flaming over ice.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Cognac, rye whisky, pear liqueur, vermouth rosso, Angostura bitters. The menu describes it as 'a turning spectacle, capturing attention instantly', which rather undersells how dramatically it arrives at your table in a theatrical blaze. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill 'The Ghost Rider combines two legendary drinks into one, delivering boldness, vigour and sophistication with each sip,' Fabio says. 'It's served as a turning spectacle. Served warm over ice, it slowly dilutes to release the full fragrance of the refined spirits and is paired perfectly with honeycomb and apple chips.' Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Jasmine takes inspiration from the Pagoda Mirage – a ceiling installation that floats above the ground floor, often used for wedding ceremonies. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill The cocktail captures that auspicious moment with jasmine-infused gin, Lillet Rosé, peach and honey cordial, mezcal, lime juice. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill 'Peach and honey resemble the sweetness and mutual care of a new union, whilst the subtle smokiness of mezcal represents the complexity inherent in shared moments of life.' Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Snake Bite is Inspired by the Naga ceiling installation, channeling the two-headed Thai serpent – both guardian and tempter. Sotol and bacanora (two obscure Mexican spirits), Isan rum, Thai brown sugar syrup, Campari, strawberry juice and homemade burnt bell pepper and coriander tincture. Topped with Raven IPA beer. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill To make the tincture, Fabio burns red capsicum whole, completely black, scrapes off the charred skin, blends it with lime and coriander, filters it, blends it again with raw capsicum for intensity, filters again, then reduces it down until it's thick and deeply savoury. The combination with strawberry sounds mad on paper. Sweet fruit meets smoke meets bitter meets umami, all tied together with the hoppy punch of IPA. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill 'People are really scared to order this,' Fabio laughs. 'But when they do, they will reorder.'  But always, there's a tightrope he walks between innovation and accessibility. Push too far and guests baulk. Play it safe and there's no point. 'Yes, that's a challenge for me,' he admits. 'When people are willing but they don't know, they are a bit afraid they're not gonna like it, I always push to say, try. Because we use some kind of ingredients, but we know how to balance it.' Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill The final drink on the menu is The Penthouse – a New York-inspired riff named after the bar itself.   Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill Bulleit bourbon, clarified orange juice, citrus oleo saccharum cordial, raspberry, Sauvignon Blanc, topped with Johnnie Walker Ruby whisky foam. Photograph: Penthouse Bar and Grill It's designed to reflect the stunning environment of the cocktail bar, the rooftop, The Depth of Blue whiskey bar. A silky whiskey foam crowns it all, delivering a refined Scotch finish that mirrors the sophistication of the space itself. Fabio keeps his menus tight. Never more than 10 cocktails, though this one clocks in at nine. 'It's quite tough to keep the standard and quality high when you have a lot of preparation to do,' The rule at Penthouse is simple: those nine drinks are always available: 'People who come here, at least these nine, they have to always be available.' When he's not at Penthouse, Fabio keeps mostly to himself. 'Not particularly a social guy,' he admits. But when he does surface? There's a map.  For the Thonglor commute, it's Dry Wave or Rabbit Hole – the latter for their classics, which he says fiercely: 'Their classic is legit!' Or it's BKK Social Club in Sathon or Vesper in Silom. And recently, it's Citadel, slipped just behind EmQuartier, owned by a Japanese bartender named Yoshimitsu Obara. 'He reminds me of myself when I have my own bar,' Fabio says, voice going soft and a bit dreamy. 'Super cool energy – he's always laughing, always happy.' Back at his Penthouse, the rooftop and restaurant buzz – but the bar is Fabio's whole world. Things get closer, more intimate. Nine cocktails arranged like gallery pieces. And Fabio, crafting away in his gleaming bar, becomes the tenth masterpiece – the living, breathing kind. Location: 35/F, Park Hyatt Bangkok, 88 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

GAWDLAND is loud, proud and RuPaul-approved.  The Northern-born, Bangkok-based queen stormed Drag Race Thailand season 3, became a Silom staple and is now the only Thai queen on RuPaul's Drag Race VS The World season 3 – the international all-stars showdown in front of Mama Ru herself. Here's her gag on Thai pride, Gen Z fire and what going versus the world really means. So, GAWDLAND – where does the name come from? Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn   It's from my real name! Tharathep, which in Thai means 'god of the land' – like the big boss of the earth. And then I thought, you know what? Let's make it queer. So instead of 'God' (G-O-D), I made it 'GAWD' (G-A-W-D). Just GAWD-ed it up. What makes GAWDLAND... GAWDLAND? What's your signature? "Loudness. Volume. I'm like a firecracker – you know those little ones we see when Chinese New Year comes around? Small, compact, but the impact is massive." Every time I step into a space, people have to turn and look. Some love it, some find it annoying, some find it jarring – but you will notice me baby! That's guaranteed. People define drag in so many ways – art, activism, entertainment so what is it to you? Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn "All of it. And more. It's art, it's entertainment, it's activism – it's life itself." My entire life is driven by drag. I wake up thinking about it, I go to sleep thinking about it. It's always: how do I become a better drag queen? It's in my head constantly. It's my life force, honestly. It's what keeps me going. I can't even describe it properly – it's just everything. How does a look come together?  It depends on the assignment, really. Whether it's a photoshoot, a fashion moment, a performance – whatever the purpose is. I get the brief, then I pull in my drag identity and weave it into what's being asked of me. Most of the time, I'm working to a brief. There's always a theme. Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn Drag always has parameters, every runway has a theme. You get the creative brief and then it's up to you to interpret it, inject yourself into it and deliver something that's both you and what they're asking for. Tell us about your early creative process. Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn I grew up in the north and my family wasn’t exactly open to queerness. But I remember sneaking around, watching traditional dance performances, trying to copy them in front of the mirror when no one was looking. My parents caught me once and yelled at me for it. But I've always felt connected to performance, especially the local, traditional kind – the Thai classical dances. That really inspired me. I wanted to be a performer from such a young age. And now, here I am, doing it professionally. Thai culture is both deeply traditional and incredibly modern – tell us about your balance. Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn "I'm a Gen Z drag queen, so one foot's in the algorithm, one in the archive." I want that fresh-off-the-timeline energy – to show who I am, to be relatable and reachable, never stale or dated. But I also bow to the queens who built this, who came before me. I take reference from that lineage.   Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn So when I was preparing to represent Thailand on the show, I knew I had to merge the traditional with the contemporary. That's the whole concept: old meets new.  P' Art Araya is my creative director – a Thai drag icon, designer, and stylist who's worked in fashion for three decades and judges Drag Race Thailand. She oversees everything from start to finish. She's older, I'm younger. The collision of those perspectives created something balanced and fresh while honoring roots that run deep and still showing my individuality that couldn't be more Gen Z Thai. "It's a generational crash, but it's all glitter and rainbows and garlands and awesome Thainess. And I'm confident we pulled it off beautifully." And now you're on the biggest stage in drag – RuPaul's Drag Race VS The World. What does that feel like? Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn "It's a huge responsibility. I'm not just representing myself – I'm representing Thailand, Thai drag, the Thai community, Thai entertainers. It's a national thing." Even if I tried not to think about it, it's always there in the back of my mind: I'm here to represent my country. I'm so honoured. I'm proud to do it. And honestly, on an international stage, Thai culture does stand out. It's so rich, so distinct. I felt proud showing that to the world. You remix tradition, dig past the stereotypes. Concerned some won't get it? If people don't get it, they can always look into it themselves – that's part of the journey! Sometimes I'm not doing it straight (pun intended!). I'm taking it, blending it, making it modern, making it campy. It's going to be so queer and so me and so good. That's spreading Thainess in such beautiful ways – making people curious and inviting them to discover it in their own time and on their own terms.   Tell us about the day you got the call about VS The World. Photograph: Laliphat Bumrungkarn I got a call. They asked if I was interested first, because Drag Race Thailand season 3 was still airing. They were worried I might not be ready. But I didn't even think. I just said yes immediately. No hesitation. And when it was confirmed, I was over the moon. For so many drag queens, meeting RuPaul is the pinnacle. And for me, it's confirmation that I'm doing good, going well and making Thailand proud. Pangina Heals was the first Thai queen to step onto this stage. What did watching her journey teach you? She's a legend. The first queen from Southeast Asia to represent us on a global stage – she didn't just crack the door open for Thailand, she kicked it wide for all of us. That's her legacy forever. But I also learnt from her in ways you might not expect – the highs, yes, but also the weight that comes with carrying a whole region on your shoulders. "So yes, I'm representing Thailand. But I'm walking in as myself. To spread love, positivity, to inspire people, to show the art I believe in." I'm going for me – and Thai is already woven into everything I do. That realisation? It lifted so much pressure off my shoulders. One of your most viral moments was going full drag to your graduation at Chulalongkorn University – what's the story there?   Photograph: Gawdland (Laughs) Yeah, that was fun! Chula is a very prestigious institution and I studied journalism, so I learnt critical thinking, how society is constructed, gender, politics, queer art – all of it. Drag is political. Journalism is political. My degree makes my drag better, honestly. Like, no one expected me to show up to my graduation in full drag – but that's a political statement. "Both drag and journalism are about crafting stories that matter"     Photograph: Gawdland     Give us GAWDLAND's guide to going out in Bangkok Massage first. Always. Anywhere. Oil massage, foot massage – I'm obsessed. Then food. Na Rueang Lao (ณ เรื่องเหล้า) near Chao Phraya – super chill, local vibes, the food slaps. Also Tahona in Sukhumvit  for dinner dates – classic Thai flavors reimagined with contemporary cooking methods and plating. For drinks, I'm all about Long Islands at Hippie de Bar in Khao San.  If it’s a day date, we’re starting at a museum or a temple – Wat Pho, Wat Arun, something. Gotta test the vibe!   Now, my queer venue roll call! Photograph: beef.bkk Silom Soi 4, always. That's home. If I'm not performing, I'm in the audience. The list goes: House of Heals, Eau de Toilette, The Stranger Bar, Beef – they're all on this magical stretch of Silom. You can literally stumble from one to the next, like a full gay bar crawl situation.   With all of this coming at you fast and hard – the fame, the scrutiny – how are you feeling right now? The world is bigger than I knew. I understand people better now. Being on screen, being constantly perceived, being visible – you realise you can't make everyone love you. You can't make everyone like you. All you can do is ask yourself: am I happy where I'm standing? Did I come here for the right reasons? And my answer is yes. I get to do the art I love. I get to inspire people and be inspired back. I get to show that dreams do move closer. The world stage once felt far, now it’s in my palm. It’s not impossible. I’m living proof, guys, girls and gays. GAWDLAND is competing on RuPaul's Drag Race VS The World season 3, streaming January  27 2026.

Coming back to poke Bangkok where it already aches is perhaps not how most creative projects like to announce themselves. Yet that is precisely how Bangkok Pains feels when it returns, slightly smug, knowingly sharp and irritatingly accurate. Invisible Ink, the Creative Agency behind last year’s Bangkok Pains board game, is back with another affectionate assault: Bangkok Pains – The Alphabet Poster. It scratches the same itch as its predecessor, the kind that only appears after years of living here, when affection and exhaustion start sharing the same sentence. This time the medium is deceptively gentle. A Kor Kai to Hor Nok Hook alphabet practice sheet, the kind that once hovered above childhood desks, learning corners and dusty classroom walls. The familiar cadence of Thai consonants is still there, but the meaning has been quietly rerouted. Gor Gai has left the coop. Hor Nok Hook has flown off somewhere quieter. In their place come readings written by the city itself, spelling out daily irritations with the precision of someone who has been stuck at Asoke junction long enough to observe everything else happening around them. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Invisible Ink (@invisibleink.asia) I approach the poster with the particular defensiveness of someone who has lived in Bangkok long enough to recognise themselves in the joke. Some letters make me laugh out loud. Others make me stare for a moment longer than expected. It is funny, yes, but not in the way a punchline is funny. It is funny in the way shared discomfort becomes bearable once named. Invisible Ink understands that instinct well. Their work has always taken lived experience, polished it just enough and handed it back, asking us to read it aloud. It is about learning Bangkok letter by letter, about irritation as a creative tool and about why this city, even at its most draining, still insists on being home. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink No such thing as an ordinary Tuesday Before Bangkok Pains became a poster, a board game or a shared language of complaint, I wanted to know what Bangkok felt like to them on an ordinary Tuesday. The answer arrives quickly, and predictably, rejects the premise altogether. There is no such thing as routine here. Even the act of leaving the house feels slightly improvisational. They describe moments that could barely exist elsewhere: a king-size mattress balanced heroically on the back of a motorcycle, a woman selling fruit from a pickup that passes their office every day, familiar yet still faintly surreal. Bangkok rewards attention. Miss a day and you miss a story. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink That unpredictability is not merely tolerated but central to the city’s appeal. ‘There are no ordinary Tuesdays in Bangkok,’ they add. ‘Every day brings something unexpected, good and bad.’ It is the quality that people both complain about and quietly defend. The thing you curse while stuck in traffic, then miss the moment you leave. I recognise this instinct immediately. There are days when Bangkok feels like it is actively testing you, stacking minor inconveniences until patience becomes a scarce resource. Yet there are also days when the city compensates generously, with a perfectly timed meal, an accidental conversation or a moment of collective absurdity that reminds you why you stayed. Invisible Ink’s work lives in that tension. Rather than smoothing the city into something aspirational, they let the edges show. Irritation is not something to escape but something to observe, catalogue and occasionally laugh at. That sensibility underpins everything that follows.   Photograph: Inviåsible Ink When irritation becomes a shared language Invisible Ink have always had a knack for turning lived experience into sharp ideas. I ask when everyday irritation stopped being something to endure and became a creative resource. Their response is blunt and revealing. ‘We draw upon experiences for much of our creative work,’ they explain. ‘Shared negative experiences unite people as much as, if not more than, positive experiences. Rather than get angry, we’d rather highlight the negative issues.’ It is an approach that feels particularly suited to Bangkok, where complaints are often communal, exchanged casually with strangers while waiting, sweating or negotiating small delays. Humour becomes a survival skill.   “You have to have a sense of humour to live in Bangkok.”    ‘There’s plenty to get angry or frustrated about and if you can’t find the funny or joyous ridiculousness in it, it could become a pretty overwhelming place to live.’ Bangkok Pains began as social media posts, small observations that found immediate recognition. Those posts evolved into a board game, which then made space for the alphabet poster. Each iteration expands the same idea, offering new formats through which irritation can be shared. The choice of the alphabet feels particularly loaded. Memorising all 44 Thai consonants is already a challenge. To layer frustration on top of that difficulty feels almost mischievous. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink ‘Our goal with the poster was less about finding more ways to make more Bangkok Pains products,’ they insist, ‘and more about creating a piece of artwork that was functional, had a purpose and hopefully made you smile while you tried to remember all those letters.’ That balance between function and commentary matters. The poster is not merely decorative. It invites participation, asks to be read aloud, demands engagement. In doing so, it turns individual annoyance into something collectively legible.   Photograph: Inviåsible Ink Alphabetising the city Why the alphabet, specifically? Why organise discomfort A to Z when a slogan or campaign might be simpler? The answer circles back to familiarity. The Kor Kai to Hor Nok Hook poster is one of the first visual systems many Thai people encounter. Rewriting it feels both playful and subversive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Invisible Ink (@invisibleink.asia) ‘Bangkok Pains began with social media posts focused on individual topics which led to the board game,’ they explain.    “From the board game, we plan to continue exploring and expanding the theme.”    The alphabet offered structure without flattening complexity. Each consonant got a story, or a joke, or something that just sits there hurting quietly. Some letters are funny. Others cut. Ngor Ngoo, snake is now Ngor Ngern Duan, salary, with its parenthetical reminder ‘never enough’, feels painfully specific. Or Thor Taharn, soldier is now Thor Taxi conjures an entire emotional arc in a single syllable. And For Fun, teeth is now For Foon, PM2.5, dust, floats somewhere between satire and resignation. Deciding where the joke ends and the truth begins was a collective process.    “The truth hurts but laughter is the best medicine so we definitely tried to sugar coat things”   The team shares a reasonably dark sense of humour, but diversity within the agency meant constant negotiation. ‘With a pretty diverse team it meant the final selection was made collectively,’ they say. ‘We left a lot on the cutting room floor but hopefully it’s brought balance.’   Photograph: Inviåsible Ink Some topics hovered dangerously close to the line. ‘There are a few topics in Thailand that are off limits if you know what we mean,’ they write, laughing digitally. The rule of thumb was simple: if the press can get away with it, it’s fair game. Staying close to the edge without tipping over requires restraint, something the poster demonstrates quietly. Reading them out loud feels weird. Confessional, almost. Like admitting something you'd been pretending not to notice. The city’s frustrations, once named, stop being background noise. ‘Laughter is the entry point,’ they explain, ‘but it’s not the end goal.’ The aim is acknowledgement. Naming something gives it weight, makes it discussable, maybe even changeable. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink Playing the city back at itself The board game came later, originally as an April Fool’s joke. Too many people asked for it to become real, and Invisible Ink could not resist the challenge. Translating Bangkok’s emotional rhythm into gameplay required precision. ‘Getting the balance right was crucial,’ they recall. ‘Too much gain and the game loses tension. Too much pain and it stops being fun.’ Life here swings wildly. Generous one minute, petty the next. The game does the same, setbacks, small wins, and you just keep moving because what else are you going to do? Familiar objects anchor the experience. Fish sauce bottles, small plastic chairs, things you recognise before you even roll the dice.   “We wanted the game to be an authentic tribute to our city, the details matter.”   The 80 cards draw from personal experience, overheard stories and shared memory. Everyone has lived some version of these moments. Even those new to the city feel their weight quickly. The feedback surprised them. People bought the game and carried it back to other parts of Asia or Europe. Some asked for versions set elsewhere. Bangkok Pains, it seems, travels well. I ask whether working so closely with the city’s frustrations has changed how they move through it. The answer is unexpectedly calm. ‘No, not really,’ they say. What has changed is perspective. Collaborating with organisations focused on climate action and social change on other projects revealed how many people care deeply about Bangkok, pushing for improvement quietly and persistently. Avoiding cliche remains central. ‘Simply by creating something we would want to see, read and play,’ they say. Bangkok is too often reduced to surfaces. Invisible Ink wanted to speak to those who live through the discomfort, not skim it. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink Why it still feels like home Personal projects carry risk. The scariest decision, they admit, was producing the board game at all. Time, energy and resources disappeared quickly. Ideas multiplied. Suddenly there was copy to write, illustrations to finish, even a jingle recorded with traditional musicians. Everyone in the agency became involved. When the first batch sold out in 24 hours, relief arrived alongside pride. Collaboration, patience and letting go of control are lessons Bangkok teaches regardless. ‘Nothing teaches you patience quite like Bangkok,’ they say. Struggling against the same problems only leaves you stuck longer. Adaptation becomes instinctive. Photograph: Inviåsible Ink Relevance, in such a fast-moving creative scene, is not something they chase. Bangkok’s creative community is strong, crowded with talent. Standing out requires honesty rather than strategy. Invisible Ink approach their 14th anniversary not by chasing trends but by reinforcing a reputation for adventurous work. If someone new played the board game before ever living here, they would receive what the team calls a baptism of fire. It would make more sense with Bangkokians nearby, offering context, filling in gaps. Yet many themes resonate elsewhere. Urban frustration, after all, is not unique. I end where I began, asking what reminds them, on the most exhausting days, that Bangkok is still home. The answer is simple.   “That sabai feeling, easy-going people, food that never disappoints, a sense of comfort that persists even when energy runs low.”   As I sit with the alphabet poster again, reading letters I thought I knew, I realise that Bangkok Pains works because it refuses to sentimentalise discomfort or dramatise it unnecessarily. It simply notices. In doing so, it gives shape to something many of us feel daily but rarely articulate. The city, spelt out consonant by consonant, becomes readable again. Maybe that's what makes this work. It doesn't try to fix Bangkok or change it into something else. It just sees the irritations as part of what the city is. To say, gently and with humour, that learning this city never really ends. You just keep reading, out loud, hoping the next letter makes you laugh rather than wince.

Thai-British chef John Chantarasak is sitting at the back of the ceremony hall in Glasgow at the Michelin Guide Ceremony 2025, 'stomach in knots, looking around, seeing every Michelin-starred chef in the UK is here.' One hour of preamble before they start calling names. Just 10 days ago, he got an email. Stark, giving nothing away but unmistakably Michelin – an invitation to the ceremony with a plus-one. He’d called his wife, Desiree, immediately.  ‘We need tickets to Glasgow. Holy shit. Maybe we’re winning a star.’ Photograph: AngloThai AngloThai is now London's only Michelin-starred Thai restaurant. ‘You hear your name and it’s a very surreal moment,’ he says now. ‘When I first started cooking, the dream was to open a restaurant. We achieved that. Winning a Michelin star felt like an unattainable thing we should always pursue. But it was really the icing on the cake.’ Processing it took longer than expected. In the aftermath, John got a bit lost. ‘We’d spent so much time and effort trying to open and then we won the star and I was like, well, what happens now? I’ve kind of done all this stuff and I’m confused.’ That moment lasted a couple of days before clarity returned. You keep getting better. You make the restaurant better every day. Maybe one day you push for another star. ‘I think that’s a good thing, to always have a target in mind.’ But leading to this there was a guy playing music in a Welsh village, who’d taken an economics degree, who’d worked in the city for two years feeling not quite right and who’d bought a ticket to Bangkok because at least here he could eat well while figuring things out.  

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 hyperactive to hypnotic The shift from mainstream television to meditative soundscapes feels so drastic it almost reads like fiction. When I ask what her younger self would never believe, she doesn’t hesitate. ‘That one day I’d be producing works that are very calming and mindful,’ she writes. ‘I used to be super messy and hyperactive leaning on the intense side hahaha.’ It’s easy to forget how radical calm can be, especially for artists who grew up equating success with volume. Her current work often sits somewhere between electronic rhythm, ancient instrumentation and field recordings gathered from forests, oceans and places far from the club. This hybrid did not arrive fully formed. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip ‘It was definitely intentional and gradual,’ she explains when I ask if the idea arrived in a sudden flash. ‘A lot of research, deep self-reflection and yes many late-night epiphanies. It came from wanting to reconnect with something deeper and primitive inside me and translate that into the modern world.’ There is something quietly defiant about that word, primitive, especially within a music industry obsessed with futurism. Her compositions resist neat structure, preferring slow evolution. It mirrors her own process. When she talks about her album Metamorphogenesis, the language shifts into something more personal. ‘It was therapy for me,’ she admits.  “Creating without the pressure to please anyone. Just pure dialogue with my inner self.” I find myself pausing there, aware of how rare it is to hear an artist speak so plainly about removing the audience from the equation, even temporarily. In a city like Bangkok, where scenes mutate overnight, that refusal feels almost rebellious. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip When sound becomes a conversation Watching footage of her live sets, it’s hard to categorise what’s happening. People sway, dance, sometimes lie down. There are moments of stillness that would terrify most DJs. Her performances operate more like environments than shows. ‘The audience can always feel when something is happening in real time,’ she says. ‘When sound becomes a conversation instead of a script.’ Photograph: Vivi Suthathip There is planning involved, she insists, but only at the edges. The introduction, the ending, a loose narrative thread. Everything else is left open, guided by instinct and whatever the room offers back. Improvisation keeps it alive, she tells me, and it keeps her interested too. Field recordings play a central role in these experiences. I ask about the most unforgettable sound she’s ever captured, expecting something poetic. Instead, she delivers the kind of answer that punctures any lingering pretension. “From random farts to toads having orgies, the world has a wild sense of humour if you really listen.” It’s a reminder that nature is not a wellness moodboard. It’s chaotic, funny and occasionally grotesque. Her work doesn’t sanitise that. It invites it in. When I ask how she balances hypnotic repetition with movement-friendly rhythm, her answer avoids technical jargon. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip ‘It’s a mix of intuition and rhythm,’ she says. ‘Knowing when to build tension and when to let it breathe. I listen to how the body naturally wants to move, not just the ears. Feel first, think later.’ That line sticks with me. Feel first. Think later. It feels like an ethos that runs through everything she does now. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip Activism without the burnout Note’s environmental work is extensive, spanning collaborations with Greenpeace, UNDP and Coral Gardeners. It would be easy for this to slide into branding territory but she remains cautious, even sceptical, of scale for its own sake. ‘If it’s for a cause I believe in and I have the bandwidth, I’m always down no matter the budget or size,’ she explains. ‘If it’s rooted in intention, it’s already worth it.’ Photograph: Vivi Suthathip That emphasis on bandwidth comes up repeatedly. Burnout, she believes, is creativity’s quiet killer. In her studio routine, meditation and exercise are non-negotiable. She stops working by 10pm. Screens are avoided. Discipline, here, is an act of self-preservation rather than productivity. Her project High On Your Own Supply centres on self-sufficiency, a philosophy she weaves into performances without sermonising. ‘I want people to feel inspired, not lectured,’ she writes.  “If you can make people laugh, dance or feel deeply they’ll naturally get the message.” When I ask which environmental project made her feel like she was actually making a difference, she refuses to rank them. ‘All of them,’ she says. Each reconnects her to purpose in a different way, whether through coral planting, community building or simply starting conversations through sound. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip This resistance to hierarchy feels intentional. Activism, for her, isn’t about saviour narratives. It’s about sustained attention without self-destruction. ‘You can’t save the world alone,’ she reminds me later. ‘Protect your energy, stay informed but not consumed. Joy is part of the resistance.’ Photograph: Vivi Suthathip Quiet futures and staying put Bangkok’s cultural scene is notorious for its speed. Trends flare and vanish before you can decide how you feel about them. When I ask how she stays relevant without losing herself, her answer is disarmingly simple. ‘By not chasing trends,’ she writes. ‘Trends fade but authenticity doesn’t.’ Photograph: Vivi Suthathip Recently, she’s been immersed in Japanese ambient music, drawn to its restraint. Minimalism, she says, at its best. It aligns with her growing preference for calmer spaces where people are truly listening rather than performing attention. Her relationship with crowds remains fluid. Having played across Asia, she refuses to generalise.    "Every crowd is its own organism, quiet rooms can be deeply emotional, loud ones sometimes turn inward without warning"   Wonderfruit, the Thai festival she has played multiple times, holds a particular place in her memory. Not for the spectacle, but for sunrise in the fields. ‘I’m a total grandma,’ she admits. Nature, she adds, is always the real headliner, whether through rain or dust storms. When I ask about hidden Bangkok spaces that nurture her experiments, she lights up. Brownstone studio, with its rare synths and unpredictable collaborations. Temp in Sept’s shop, filled with cacao and tribal instruments. Places where you might arrive for rehearsal and leave with something entirely new. Photograph: Vivi Suthathip Towards the end of our exchange, the questions turn softer. What if music and activism disappeared? She imagines painting by the sea, running a small cafe and workshop space. It sounds plausible, even likely. Perhaps the most revealing answer comes when I ask about misconceptions. ‘That I’m a party girl or an extrovert,’ she says. ‘I’m actually an introverted grandma who loves tea, quiet nights and personal space. My wildness just expresses differently.’ Photograph: Vivi Suthathip By the time I reach her final line, it reads less like a slogan than a gentle instruction manual. ‘It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Be present, celebrate the small steps and never forget how far you’ve already come.’ I realise that this is what her work ultimately offers. Not escape, not spectacle, but permission to move at your own pace. In a city addicted to acceleration, that might be the most radical sound of all.

If you have ever found yourself deep in a YouTube wormhole researching Bangkok’s history, chances are you have stumbled across a man in a wig playing a noir detective, or a bloke enthusiastically pointing out a train in Lad Phrao. This is Bangkok Pat. In a digital sea of daily vloggers complaining about the heat or sensationalising 'bar girl' scams, Pat stands out as a calm, knowledgeable and often eccentric archivist of the Thai capital. Pat’s channel is a treasure trove of the city’s past, present and future. He explores 'Vanishing Bangkok', interviews local characters in 'One Baht Wisdom', and platforms fellow creators in 'YouTube Stories'. But who is the man behind the lens (and the occasional disguise)? We sat down with him to discuss the art of the deep dive, the tragedy of losing architectural gems, and why Tao Poon might just be the next big thing. The accidental historian 'I didn’t think I would get anywhere with YouTube anyway, so it didn’t bother me,' Pat admits, reflecting on his low-key start. The moniker 'Bangkok Pat' wasn’t a branding masterstroke; it was a nod to his friend, a former teacher known locally as 'Bangkok Phil'. His first foray into content creation wasn’t about viral fame. It was born from a desire to show a side of the city that most expats – and indeed many locals – overlook. 'I called it "Secrets of Lad Phrao",' he says. 'Basically, I was copying the format of a guy called Geoff Marshall, who does British-based transportation content, mostly trains. I thought, I’ll use that.' Armed only with a tripod and a curiosity for the mundane, Pat ventured into the streets. 'I was going around and thought, "Shit, I really want to show this. I have to share this with people".' That first video, exploring the nooks and crannies of Lad Phrao, garnered a few hundred views – a modest start, but enough to spark a realisation: there was an audience for the unusual. Vanishing Bangkok Perhaps the most poignant series on his channel is 'Vanishing Bangkok'. Here, Pat documents the structures and communities facing the wrecking ball of development. It is a role he takes seriously, often spending days researching old photographs from Thai Facebook history groups and translating comments to piece together a building’s narrative. He speaks with genuine sadness about the changes to the city’s skyline, specifically the iconic Robot Building in Sathorn. Designed by Sumet Jumsai in the mid-’80s to reflect the computerisation of banking, it underwent a renovation that erased its character. 'To sort of strip it down to its bare concrete and then cover it up… it’s a travesty, really, to hide that,' Pat says. Through his videos, he managed to connect with the original architect, validating the importance of recording these structures before they are lost to glass facades and advertising boards. 'It’s great because people can relate to a lot of it,' he says of the series. He recently covered the NASA Spacedrome, a legendary disco from the ‘90s. The video reached the son of the original owner. 'He said, "Wow, I’ve shown it to my dad and he loves it".' Photograph: Bangkok Pat The man of many faces Pat is not just a historian; he is a performer. In a landscape where 'authenticity' often means shaky cam footage and unedited rambles, Pat puts on a show. His most popular video features him narrating a character on the run from the law, weaving a narrative about drug smuggling. 'For my next story, I didn’t want it to be a storytelling video like other guys do, just sat there telling you the story. I thought, that’s going to get boring,' he explains. 'So how about I actually play the character? But don’t make it so obviously me. So I’ll disguise myself.' The result involves wigs, costumes and a noir-style persona that allows him to inject humour and visualisation into the history. He is currently filming a sequel, promising cameos from other well-known Bangkok YouTubers. It is a creative risk that pays off, separating him from the 'point and shoot' crowd. Navigating the 'slop' Pat is vocal about the state of modern content creation, particularly the rise of AI-generated 'slop' – videos with robotic voiceovers reading scraped Wikipedia articles. 'You can tell those right away... it’s artificial content,' he says, noting with satisfaction that platforms are starting to demonetise low-effort AI uploads. He is equally critical of the 'scam' genre that plagues Thailand-based YouTube channels. You know the type: red-faced men ranting about how they were swindled by a bar girl. 'If you dig deep, he’s not a victim. He’s brought it on himself,' Pat argues. He recently released a podcast suggesting that these 'bar girl scam stories' are, in fact, scamming the viewer – recycling cliches for clicks rather than offering any real insight into the culture. A slow burn love affair Unlike many who land at Suvarnabhumi and fall instantly under the city’s spell, Pat’s relationship with Bangkok was a 'delayed reaction'. He moved here over 23 years ago, settling in a rough-around-the-edges spot on Phetchaburi Road. 'It was a strange place... the only way in and out was really the buses,' he recalls. It was a steep learning curve, navigating the city on a budget, working teaching gigs in Samut Prakan before the Skytrain reached that far, and DJing house music at venues like Faith Club. 'I think I didn’t really get Bangkok until I’d moved here... you’ve got to go through this to see what’s there.' This 'slow burn' approach informs his advice to visitors today: 'Don’t believe too much social media. Don’t get wrapped up in other people’s comments.' To find the real city, you have to disconnect from the forums and walk the streets. Photograph: Bangkok Pat Pat’s perfect day When he isn’t filming, Pat offers 'walking trips' – distinct from rigid tours – where he tailors the itinerary to the guest’s interests. If he were to design a perfect day for a friend, it wouldn't involve the Grand Palace. 'I’d do the tours over walking,' he says, mentioning a recent trip that involved canal boats, the backstreets of Khlong Thom, and the quieter side of Chinatown. For a cultural hit, he suggests looking just beyond the main tourist traps in the Old Town. 'Like the temple with the Royal Cemetery [Wat Ratchabophit]... it’s a really beautiful temple, and then from there, there’s the canal and the moat. Really, really lovely parts in those neighbourhoods.' For those looking to escape the city buzz without leaving the capital, he recommends the electric boat service on Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem. 'It’s the nearest you’ll get to Amsterdam... it’s all nicely renovated. It’s slow and it’s free as well.' The future of the city Having tracked the city’s changes for two decades, Pat is optimistic about Bangkok’s evolution, particularly the transport network. 'The skyline has got higher... the rail network is expanding, the neighbourhoods are getting connected,' he observes. 'Someone who lives in Bang Na can now commute to Siam in a reasonable amount of time.' So, where is the next hotspot? Pat points to Tao Poon. 'It’s near the river, there’s two MRT lines and it’s largely untouched by expats,' he whispers – perhaps regretting letting the secret out. 'You’ve got Bang Sue train station... you’ve got the old lady whose shop has been there for 80 years, they make their own ice cream. And until people actually go there and look around, they don’t realise what a great area it is.' He is also keeping an eye on Muang Thong Thani, the 'Golden City' that stalled after the 97 Asian Financial Crisis. With the new Pink Line monorail, he believes it might finally fulfil its potential, and he is currently midway through a deep-dive documentary on the area. Photograph: Bangkok Pat The verdict Bangkok Pat isn’t just making videos; he is curating a digital museum of a city that changes faster than almost any other. Whether he is in a wig, on a boat, or digging through archives, his mission remains the same: to show that there is more to Bangkok than the cliches. 'Bangkok is welcoming, adventurous, and... value,' he concludes, struggling to sum up the metropolis in just three words. But his work speaks for itself. In a city of constant reinvention, Pat is making sure we remember what was there before.

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. The sensation of stepping through a door into someone else's memory.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Da Minot (@da_minot)   So we caught up with Hammarsing Kharhmar, Shillong-based musician and the founder of Da Minot, a project that grew from cultural instinct, community and a quiet insistence that local stories are worthy of global conversation. His journey has taken him from Shillong to Delhi to Boston to New York and back home, where he has now built a contemporary sound rooted in the cosmology he grew up with. What follows is our full conversation, shaped over email with moments that made me pause, laugh or stare at the ceiling wondering why so many creative breakthroughs only arrive after circling back to your own beginning. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir The spirit, the city and the first shift I begin with the obvious question, though his answer is anything but. What would you say to someone who has never heard your music before? 'Our music is rooted in the traditional rhythms and stories of our home which is in the state of Meghalaya in North East India,' he writes.    “We build a contemporary sound on this timeless foundation.”   It's a neat description, though what he means reveals itself only when you hear a song like ‘Ka Hok Ka Shikyntien’, where layered percussion and breathy flutes twist through harmonies that feel suspended in ceremony. Shillong has long been crowned the rock capital of India. Growing up in a place where Led Zeppelin blasted from taxi radios and Bob Dylan lived rent-free in teenage bedrooms, I ask when music shifted from backdrop to life plan. 'I went to study music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston after I completed a degree in Economics in Delhi. That's when things changed drastically. Music was no longer just a passion. It became a responsibility.' Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir I picture the moment: a young man leaving Shillong armed with a guitar, a degree he perhaps wasn't fully committed to and a hope that somewhere in Boston's practice rooms he'd understand where sound actually comes from. Shillong musicians, he once said, spent years mimicking Western bands. So what pushed him towards building something original rather than copying yet another Iron Maiden solo? 'I always thought creating your own style was the most important thing. It's really hard to do but it's absolutely necessary to try to achieve it, for art to keep moving. Along the way, inspiration will be found.' There's something comforting about that: inspiration is inevitable if you keep your eyes open long enough. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir His father played guitar. Gatherings ended the way all good ones do, with voices layering over each other. How much of his identity comes from those early moments? 'They were integral and still are to my musical identity. It was the energy that grabbed me most and still does.' It's never the technical precision that stays with you. It's the feeling of being held inside a room full of noise that belongs to everyone. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir Reclaiming sound, reclaiming self Today there is an entire wave of young artists in Shillong singing in Khasi and digging into tribal rhythms. What sparked this shift? 'I think it was a simple realisation that the biggest and deepest pool of inspiration to create from was right there in our own beats, melodies and stories,' he writes. 'This sense of reverence and pride combined with our exposure to the world is a perfect mix for young artists to lift off from.' It feels like a cultural renaissance disguised as a music trend. Self-respect turned into a movement. Da Minot's work is rooted in Khasi-Jaintia cosmology, ancestral guidance and a memory that exists outside linear time. So how does he know he's honouring heritage rather than romanticising it?   “Our songs honour and romanticise. It's fine to do both. We're sharing what we know and have learnt about our heritage with the world.”   I love this. The refusal to split authenticity from emotion. Why pretend those things are separate? In November 2025 at the Global Indology Conclave he received the Bharatiya Dharohar Puraskar award for cultural preservation. What was the unfiltered thought when he heard?  'I never had expectations of receiving an award for what I honestly consider a duty. That being said, I'm really proud of the award and delighted that it's actually brought more focus to the subject matter, rather than to me. That's important.' Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir It's very Shillong to fear attention but embrace the responsibility that comes with it. His journey has taken him from the hill station to Boston to New York and back. What's the one lesson the road gave him that school never did? 'You realise that music isn't only about how good you are at your instrument. It's also really important to keep meeting people; constantly absorbing, learning and evolving while still staying true to who you are.' I've never been a touring musician, but the idea resonates: art is people watching filtered through a pulse only you can feel. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir Returning home, rebuilding sound When he looks back at the young guitarist who left Shillong for Berklee, what does he think that kid underestimated about the industry? 'Looking back, I realise that I actually had no real idea of what I was getting into. I almost have panic attacks when I think of the young musician that landed up in Boston. It's been one hell of a ride but I'm really glad I went and I'm also really really glad I'm back home now. A whole new cycle is in motion.' Cycles matter. You leave, you return, you remake yourself with the pieces you collected on the way. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir I ask whether Da Minot came together by destiny or creative disorder. The truth is beautifully unromantic. When he moved back to Shillong in 2017 he wasn't keen on continuing music. New York had numbed him, he admits. But traditional music pulled him back. Dance festivals, where melodies shift like weather and drummers move with ritual precision, reminded him why sound matters.   “I slowly fell in love with music again.” He had drafted songs in New York based on rhythms he remembered but didn't yet fully understand. Returning home allowed him to study them properly. That is when he met the members who would form Da Minot. Some came from their earlier band Ṅion. Others arrived through instinct and timing. Singer Priyo Laloo, with whom he worked on the demo for ‘Ka Hok Ka Shikyntien’, helped spark the beginning. Multi-instrumentalist Dajied Sing Kharkongor, flutist Marwan Rymbai and traditional drummer Swissco Sunn formed the core. Three younger members later joined: Melvyn Kharumnuid, Airailang Kharakor and Piston Khonjee. 'We immediately knew that we had something different and most importantly, something meaningful,' he adds. Every collective has internal logic. What keeps Da Minot from becoming a creative free-for-all? “Mutual respect and a consciousness that each part has its own beauty and uniqueness.” He writes. 'I do, however, have to rein in things from time to time to keep the creative process from stalling or slowing down. However, all ideas are heard and tried, even the mistakes, which often turn out to be the best parts.' There it is: the secret ingredient is room for mistakes. Visual language, global crowds and the art of the stage Their music video ‘Ri Shongpdeng Pyrthei’ is visually thick with symbolism. What was the hardest part to translate? 'The ninth member of Da Minot is a young filmmaker and videographer Sankirang L Khongwir. It's his talent in this realm that enables the translation of abstract words into cinematic, powerful and peaceful images.' It's a generous acknowledgement. Some musicians gesture towards their visuals. Da Minot lives inside them. If someone watches the video without any cultural reference, what detail does he hope they catch? Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir 'I hope they feel enriched and are curious to learn more about the people and the land in the video. I also hope they feel a familiarity and discover some parts of themselves in the music, words and visuals too.' That universal particularity again, local story, global echo. Their sound blends rock lineage with ancestral rhythm. How would he explain it to a confused Thai customs officer? Photograph: TEP Bar 'I'd say we are like the bands that play at TEP Bar, except we get a lot heavier.' As someone who has spent many evenings at TEP Bar nursing tamarind-based drinks and watching musicians improvise under neon light, I laughed out loud. Da Minot is about to play Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Wonderfruit. What is he anticipating? 'We're so excited. I've been to Thailand several times before but this tour will be the first time to Bangkok and Chiang Mai for the rest of the band. It's going to be an incredible experience. Our focus is mainly on delivering our songs as best as we can. Please come say hi at the shows!' Photograph: Wonderfruit Chiang Mai's venue is known for its presence. How does a space like that shift performance? 'Intimate venues often are more memorable and intense but there's also that incredible energy that comes from a big crowd. If you're excited and proud about playing your music, the energy and focus needed to adapt comes naturally no matter where you play.' Touring with Albert Hammond Jr taught him that Argentina and Mexico are volcanic. Japan is quiet but devoted. Shillong surprised him the most. 'A sea of young people sang along to every word of several of our songs, including a few that haven't been recorded yet.' There is nothing more disarming than realising your hometown finally hears you. Is there a particular song he expects will land differently in Thailand?   “I think the Thai audiences are going to be pleasantly surprised to find a strange connection with many elements in all of our music.”   Does he feel a responsibility performing outside India? 'This time there is definitely a pressure to represent our relatively lesser-known part of India responsibly. It is a huge honour for us to play the venues on the poster. But this is the power of music. It can transmit feelings and emotions like no other medium.' Photograph: hammarsing Rock stars, relevance and the studio fears that never go away He has performed on major late-night stages including Jimmy Kimmel Live. What did that teach him? 'Everything goes by super fast and every minute can feel like forever. Those performances made it clear that you can't take your instrument or art lightly. Once the song starts even if your mind wanders your fingers have to deliver.' It's the most honest description of performance anxiety I've read. From a kid in Shillong to working with Albert Hammond Jr, what did that collaboration reveal about his sound? Photograph: hammarsing 'He had his own thing going. When he strummed his guitar the sound was unmistakably his. I knew I could play all his songs easily but I also knew I would have to work really hard to "really" play them.' He describes this period as more educational than all his semesters at Berklee. Before returning home he also collaborated with Julian Casablancas on a track called ‘No One There’. 'This was also a life- and perspective-changing experience.' Trends travel fast. How does he keep his work relevant?   “I've never been more excited and inspired about making and playing music as I am now. I feel liberated from all the unnecessary pressures that weighed me down before.”   There's a new clarity in him, I notice. A refusal to measure relevance by speed. What frustrates him about the way musicians are romanticised? 'I think most people don't understand the amount of energy, time and emotion that goes into making a song, especially one that isn't there simply to entertain.' Photograph: hammarsing He adds that he senses young listeners wanting more sincerity again. After everything: awards, tours, cultural responsibility. What still scares him? 'I always worry about rushing my parts in the studio. I also worry that I might ruin the perfect take by overthinking how good the take is going in the middle of the take.' It's oddly reassuring. Even the most seasoned artists still panic halfway through a perfect take. Photograph: Sankirang L Khongwir The road ahead What strikes me most about Hammarsing is not the scale of his experience but the way he returns to the same truth: sound doesn't live in achievement. It lives in memory, community, ritual, the people who taught you how to listen long before you owned an instrument. Da Minot's rise is not the story of a band finding its footing in the industry. It is a story of remembering one's starting point and turning it into a compass. There is something almost cyclical about what he says, as though every city he has lived in was simply a way of circling back to the rhythm already vibrating under his childhood. His work feels carved from history yet unafraid of the future. Heritage not as museum artefact, but as a living, breathing engine. And for anyone curious enough to see this world unfold on stage, Da Minot is stepping into Thailand with a line of shows that promise to be loud, tender and rooted in the land they come from. Catch them live at: December 12 – Wonderfruit Festival, PattayaDecember 14 – Wonderfruit Festival, PattayaDecember 16 – North Gate Jazz Co-op, Chiang MaiDecember 17 – Mellowship Jazz, Chiang MaiDecember 18 – Bangkok Mojo Music Lovers Club, Bangkok If you've never listened to Khasi folk before, this might be your doorway. If you already have, this might feel like home. Either way, go. Let them show you where their sound begins.

If you live in Bangkok, you know the sensation well. It is the specific, heavy exhaustion that hits you at 6pm on a Friday. You are stuck in the back seat of a Grab on Sukhumvit, the sky is a bruised purple, the neon signs are flickering on, and the humidity is fogging up the windows. You are tired. You are dreaming of being anywhere else. It is in this precise moment – between the office and the home, between the reality and the dream – that Pacific Salaryman exists. Over the past year, the digital artist (real name Teerapatra Rundhasevi) has become a viral sensation in the Thai creative scene. His art hits a nerve because it does something impossible: it makes the chaotic, sweaty, tangled mess of Bangkok look slick. He takes our everyday eyesores – the tangled overhead wires, the rusty corrugated iron of a street food stall, the blinding fluorescent glare of a convenience store – and filters them through the nostalgic, pastel lens of 1980s Japanese city pop. In the winter world of Pacific Salaryman, snow falls gently on the grilled pork (moo ping) carts. Icicles hang from the awnings of Cafe Amazon. It is a visual shock that offers an ‘emotional cooling down’ for a city that is perpetually overheated. We caught up with the man behind the monitor to discuss the art of escapism, why the ‘Bangkok Salaryman’ is a different breed from the Japanese original, and where to find his hidden work in the wood-carving district of Bang Pho. Photograph: Pacific Salaryman The origin of the ‘Pacific Salaryman’ The name itself sounds like the title of a lost vinyl record found in a crate in Shibuya – mysterious, breezy, and contradictory. For Teerapatra, the persona is a carefully constructed intersection between his two lives. ‘The name actually started with my obsession for the word “Pacific”,’ he tells Time Out. ‘It’s not just a direction on a map to me – it’s the name of an ocean with this magnetic, endless charm. I’ve lived my life on the Pacific side, and every time I look out toward that horizon, it feels like the ocean is quietly recharging me.’ But then comes the second half of the name: the anchor. ‘“Salaryman”, on the other hand, is me embracing the reality of modern life,’ he says. ‘The deadlines, the grind, the routine – but without letting go of the artistic heart that grew up on late-’80s city pop aesthetics. Neon lights, warm synth pads, quiet car rides home, that feeling of being tired but still dreaming… that’s the world I come from.’ His Instagram contains a poignant manifesto: ‘A salaryman is tired from the real world.’ It’s a phrase that resonates deeply with those who clock in and clock out every day. But Teerapatra insists his art isn’t a violent protest against capitalism; it’s a survival mechanism. ‘A lot of it is a reaction – not in a dramatic, smash-the-desk kind of way, but more like a quiet rebellion that only people who’ve lived the 9-to-5 grind really understand,’ he explains. ‘Instead of fighting the punch-clock loudly, I slip out the side door and build a world where I can breathe. It’s rebellion, but in a soft, very Japanese way – more “I’ll escape into my own neon-drenched universe” than “burn the office down”.’ Photograph: Pacific Salaryman The Bangkok hustle vs the Tokyo grind The term ‘Salaryman’ is, of course, a Japanese export. But Teerapatra believes the Bangkok version of the corporate warrior is a unique species. While the Japanese salaryman culture is built on rigid hierarchy and ritualistic devotion, the Bangkok experience is defined by its beautiful madness. ‘Bangkok intensity is chaotic,’ he says. ‘It’s heat, traffic, deadlines, LINE group chats that never sleep, and a city that moves faster than you can mentally process. You can go from a boardroom to a street market to a sky bar in the same hour.’ This environment creates a different kind of worker. ‘A “Bangkok Salaryman” survives in a different rhythm – less about hierarchy, more about hustle; less about formality, more about adaptability. Where the Japanese salaryman fades into the crowd, the Bangkok salaryman is constantly shape-shifting.’ It is this chaos – the ‘messy, loud, energizing’ nature of the capital – that provides the raw material for his art. Photograph: Pacific Salaryman Winter in the tropics Perhaps the most striking series in the Pacific Salaryman portfolio is his collection of winter scenes. Seeing a classic Thai 7-Eleven storefront buried in snow, or a Chai See Bamee Kiew noodle cart battling a blizzard, triggers a double-take. It’s surreal, funny, and oddly comforting. ‘I think “coldness” hits Thai people on two levels,’ Teerapatra muses. ‘On the surface, yeah – it’s the heat. We live in a place where stepping outside sometimes feels like opening an oven door, so seeing Bangkok wrapped in snow instantly feels refreshing.’ But the psychological impact is stronger. ‘Deeper than that, cold imagery gives us a sense of stillness that’s hard to find in this city. Snow, even in imagination, slows everything down. It softens edges, quiets noise, and makes familiar places feel gentle again. Snow over a street cart isn’t just funny – it’s a kind of emotional reset.’ If he could choose one Bangkok landmark to give the winter treatment to next? ‘I think Hua Lamphong Railway Station would be the most fun to transform into a winter scene. Its classic architecture, wide arches, and nostalgic atmosphere would look incredible under a blanket of snow.’ Photograph: Pacific Salaryman City pop meets Isan food The aesthetic glue holding these images together is ‘city pop’ – the 1980s Japanese genre of music and art associated with economic boom times, coastal drives and urban melancholy. Why does a style from 40-year-old Tokyo resonate with modern Bangkokians? ‘I think the 80s Japanese aesthetic resonates with modern Bangkok because both worlds share this mix of optimism and exhaustion,’ says Teerapatra. ‘People here are hustling harder than ever, juggling ambition and burnout… The city pop look captures that vibe perfectly: warm tones, soft lights, urban loneliness and a bittersweet kind of hope.’ Teerapatra’s genius lies in applying this high-gloss, curated aesthetic to ‘lo-fi’ Thai subjects. He cites legendary Japanese artists like Hiroshi Nagai as influences, masters who stripped scenes down to their quietest elements. ‘When I look at a messy noodle stall or a pole tangled with wires, I’m not seeing the clutter – I’m searching for that same sense of space,’ he says. His favourite creation? The larb shop signs. ‘They have this unexpected Western vibe in their typography and layout, yet the word “ลาบ” (Larb) is so deeply tied to Thai identity. That contrast hits perfectly. It’s iconic, humorous and oddly beautiful.’ Photograph: Pacific Salaryman The Pacific Salaryman guide to Bangkok While his art features dreamscapes, Teerapatra’s life is grounded in the real city. We asked him to break down his personal favourites for a ‘Pacific Salaryman’ approved day off. The drink: Forget craft cocktails or natural wine. The signature drink of the Pacific Salaryman is ‘an ice-cold Japanese lager. Clean, crisp, no nonsense’. ‘Beer is honest,’ he says. ‘It’s the universal language of tired office workers everywhere. There’s something poetic about that first sip – the way it cuts through the noise… It’s not fancy. It’s not curated. It’s just real.’ The sunset spot: His art is famous for ‘golden hour’ lighting, and in real life, he chases that same glow by the water. ‘Golden hour in Bangkok hits different when you’re by the river. My favourite spot is probably Asiatique, or honestly any of the tall buildings lining the Chao Phraya,’ he recommends. ‘But if you want something a little more grounded, walking around Pak Khlong Talat or Song Wat during sunset is just as magical. The mix of old shophouses, warm street lights and fading sunlight creates a mood you can’t fake.’ The playlist: You can’t create city pop art without the soundtrack. Teerapatra lists three essential tracks for the vibe: ‘Telephone Number’ by Junko Ohashi: ‘Upbeat, playful, and instantly lifts the energy.’ ‘Crystal Dolphin’ by Kingo Hamada: ‘Hypnotic in the best way.’ ‘I CAN’T STOP THE LONELINESS’ by Anri: ‘A song that always makes me think of the ocean… touches of seaside loneliness.’ Photograph: Pacific Salaryman Where to buy the art: A trip to Wood Street While Pacific Salaryman lives online, his physical presence is hidden away in one of Bangkok’s most interesting old-school neighbourhoods: Bang Pho. Known historically as the ‘street of wood’ for its timber yards and furniture craftsmen, Bang Pho has recently seen a surge of creative energy. Central to this is POLL.Projects, a community space and shop where Teerapatra sells his prints and merchandise. ‘I connected with POLL.Projects through a really good relationship we built last year,’ he says. ‘It’s one of those spots where you walk in for a look and walk out feeling inspired.’ For Time Out readers looking for an off-beat weekend excursion, he highly recommends the trip. ‘POLL.Projects brings together three things that rarely coexist so naturally: art, good tea, and genuinely kind people. It feels more like a creative hangout than a formal gallery.’ What to buy: If you make the pilgrimage to Bang Pho, look for the Pacific Salaryman Cap (‘a clean and simple design… that quiet, understated vibe’) and the just-released 2026 Calendar, which weaves the city pop atmosphere into every month of the upcoming year. Teerapatra also notes a hidden perk of visiting the shop: ‘The real surprise is the sunset by the Chao Phraya River right beside their shop. You wouldn’t believe how stunning it is… golden light spilling over the water, calm air, and this peaceful moment you don’t normally expect in Bangkok.’ Photograph: Pacific Salaryman The future is quiet In an era where every creative is trying to build an empire, launch an NFT, or pivot to video, Teerapatra’s ambitions remain refreshingly humble. He doesn’t want to quit his day job. He doesn’t want to be a celebrity. ‘My ultimate dream is actually much simpler than people expect. I’m just a salaryman who happens to create illustrations – not an artist chasing a big gallery show,’ he admits. ‘I don’t really dream of having my own exhibition or some grand artistic milestone. What I want is the small, human happiness of finishing a long day of work, cracking open a beer, and drawing something that feels good to make.’ For the Pacific Salaryman, the art isn’t a ladder to climb. It’s a window to open. ‘I don’t need to retire to the sea or reinvent my life. I just want to keep creating in my own rhythm… If that brings someone else joy too, then that’s basically the dream fulfilled.’ Where to find him: Instagram: @pacificsalaryman Shop: POLL.Projects, Bang Pho (Pracha Narue-mit), Bangkok. Vibe: 5pm sunset, a cold lager, and city pop on headphones.

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 between confession and dare. His new photobook Desire is the reason I'm here, hunched over my screen, reading his email replies at an hour when sane people have closed their laptops. I feel a strange tug – curiosity and mischief, because few artists talk about attraction with this kind of audacity. In some answers he's almost whispering, in others he's ripping the plaster straight off the wound. At one point he writes,  “I want my subjects to be as real, as imperfect and as fucked up as life itself.” And because of that, Desire makes you want to look, sit with it, maybe dance a little just to shake off the heat. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj What sparks a desire Let's begin with Desire. What set this project in motion? What made you circle back to the eroticised male body now? 'Desire brings together everything that has defined my artistic journey: beauty, vulnerability and sexuality,' writes Ohm. He describes his new book not as a return but a continuation, a slow fire he has tended for years. Heterosexual men have always fascinated him, he tells me. Not because they're forbidden, but because they prompt questions he can't resist poking at. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   I can feel the pulse of that in the way he phrases it: 'I place myself in their presence to challenge myself, and to challenge them.' The whole project feels like a high-wire act between curiosity and confession. Trust forms the backbone – long stretches of time spent building enough intimacy for someone to stand bare in front of him without armour. What surprises me is that he isn't chasing provocation. He's chasing permanence. 'I want them to look back and feel proud of that moment,' he says. 'Proud of their courage.' For him, the book becomes a kind of archive, a record that outlives the fragility of time. And when I ask whether Desire is a confession, a study or a rebellion, he simply answers, 'All of it.' A mirror to the world inside him, where longing, uncertainty and self-examination fold into one another. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   Light, flesh and the art of catching ghosts I tell him there's a tension in the images, an almost impossible mix of closeness and detachment. 'What comes first for you. Aesthetic or emotion?' I ask. He replies that his instinct is always to immortalise, to create something that resists erosion. He wants the men he photographs to exist untouched by time, even if the world around them is falling apart. The light, the lines, the shadows – they matter, but they're secondary to what he calls 'the soul of the person in front of me'. There's a quote I read twice: 'I simply feel it.' He's describing the moment when everything in the frame aligns, when desire flickers before vanishing again. This, he says, is where the magic happens. A kind of cosmic timing born from waiting, watching, knowing how quickly the spark can slip away. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   Imperfection fascinates him more than symmetry. Tattoos, scars, uneven skin – he calls them 'evidence of a journey'. It's here I catch glimpses of self-portraiture disguised as observation. Ohm isn't just documenting bodies. He's studying himself through them. When I push him about his attraction to so-called controversial subjects – male sex work, gender fluidity, the raw male nude – he counters with something disarmingly honest: 'I'm not interested in shock. I'm interested in truth.' Representation, for him, is a kind of care. Even when it demands intrusion. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   Cities, critics and the beautiful mess of belonging Bangkok surfaces often in his replies, not merely as a setting but as a character. 'A treasure trove,' he calls it. A place where rot and beauty lie in the same alley. I know exactly what he means – Bangkok seduces and bruises in equal measure. I tell him it feels like his camera thrives in that unpredictability. Would Desire read differently if shot entirely here? Absolutely, he says. Bangkok is in his blood. “I'm both predator and prey.” New York and Berlin sharpen him in other ways, yet he remains the outsider there. In Bangkok he feels everything more viscerally. When I bring up the accusations of exploitation that have shadowed some of his Bangkok projects, he doesn't flinch. 'I welcome harsh critics,' he writes. His argument isn't defensive but unsettlingly clear: life itself intrudes. He sees his role as illuminating what people would prefer to ignore, even if that illumination comes at a cost. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   Then there's the chapter of his life in Idaho – a story he recounts with a tone that swings between wicked amusement and quiet ache. His dresses, Prada sunglasses, leather bags and unapologetic presence caused an academic meltdown. Students complained. Colleagues whispered. Yet one line stays with me: 'It taught me resilience and audacity.' Sometimes belonging isn't a place but the refusal to shrink. Bodies, myths and the versions of ourselves we outgrow Masculinity, in Desire, feels both ancient and strangely modern. The men become something like Greek ephebes under strip lights, luminous in their own vulnerability. I ask if masculinity has evolved, and he shakes that idea off immediately. What has changed is the way we look at it, he says. It's almost a lament, almost a celebration. And that tension permeates the book. His relationship with his own body has softened over time. He writes about bullying, insecurity and the slow acceptance that comes with age. Wrinkles, grey hair, imperfections. These have offered him a different clarity. A wiser kind of eroticism. I understand that shift intimately. Your body becomes less a battlefield and more a loyal witness. When I ask if there's ever been a photograph he refused to take, his answer is immediate: 'My mother.' Too delicate, too immense. Some truths stay off the record. We talk about movement – Atlanta, New York, Germany, Jamaica, and he insists desire is universal. Cultures shift, landscapes change, but the spark remains the same. A fleeting exchange of glances, an unspoken risk. Something shared and lost within seconds. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   The legacy of wanting If Desire were a film, Ohm already has the opening shot in his head: a long road, an uncertain destination, a shirtless hitchhiker, a brief collision of two lives trying to decode each other. It reads like a metaphor for his entire practice. Two strangers meeting in a moment that feels like fate. I ask him what photography has taught him about being human, and he answers with the kind of blunt poetry that feels like an ending: 'We are all fucked up.' But because of that, he adds, we have the capacity to change things, to imagine differently, to create something that outlasts us. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   Recognition used to matter, he admits. Not anymore. Now it's about making work that makes his heart beat. Something that leaves a mark on the world rather than on his CV. So what does he hope a newcomer feels when opening Desire for the first time? Heat. Tension. Longing. A spark that follows them beyond the page. “I hope it awakens something raw inside them.” And truly, it does. Hours after closing his email, I find myself lingering on the photographs again. The men stare back with the kind of unguarded honesty you rarely see in real life. Ohm's camera doesn't flatter them, nor does it pity them. It simply reveals, with a tenderness that borders on dangerous. Desire isn't a book you flick through once and abandon on a shelf. It stays with you. It pricks, teases, unsettles, occasionally soothes. It reminds you that wanting is both primitive and sophisticated, that beauty is rarely clean and that vulnerability is a form of power. Photograph: Ohm Phanphiroj   More than anything, it urges you to look. Really look. At bodies, at strangers, at yourself. At the parts we hide and the parts we hope someone will notice. And maybe that's the quiet brilliance of Ohm Phanphiroj: he shows us that desire isn't just an emotion. It's a  story we tell with our eyes long before we dare to speak it aloud.    

They don't call Thailand the Land of Smiles for nothing. In Bangkok though, those smiles graduate into real laughs when punchlines are attached to mics. The comedy scene's really become its own serious thing – intimate spots, real community, international acts rubbing shoulders with Bangkok's own while you sit close to the action with a cold one watching the barbs land softly here, harshly there. Either way, a good laugh is promised. If this sounds good, here's where to go.

  Photograph: Exotic Originals The interview wrapped, but Dave Milligan of Exotic Originals stuck around to drop his personal poster hall of fame on us. Before anything else, here’s Dave being honest: ‘It’s my personal top ten, though the order isn’t set in stone or anything. It might change tomorrow or even the day after because it's hard to narrow things down!’ With that preface, what follows are Dave’s current right-this-second rankings, courtesy of today’s Dave. Tomorrow’s Dave might shuffle the deck, swap out entries, or flip the order entirely. That restless, ever-shifting perspective is exactly what makes Exotic Originals worth circling back to. 1. Apocalypse Now (1979) Photograph: Exotic Originals Right out of the gate, we’re going nuclear. This is ‘a huge, stunning two-sheet piece by Thailand’s greatest cinema poster artist of all time’ – a certain Tongdee Panumas – and if that sounds like overblown praise, the list will make believers out of you. Quick fact drop before you go hunting on the usual online listings: ‘it was never a regular Thai size one-sheet, that’s a well-known fake’, so if someone’s peddling that story to you, run. Now, about acquiring one of these. Deep breath. ‘It’s extraordinarily rare and has changed hands for crazy money. I’m not going to state a price range here, because I think it’s massively overpriced and I don’t want to qualify this price in any way.’ Dave’s diplomatic restraint is clear here. When the market goes bananas, silence can speak louder than the numbers. But here’s the thing that transcends price tags and auction drama: ‘A lot of prolific collectors across the world have named it as the greatest film poster of all time – from any country.’ Not the best Thai poster. Not even the best Asian poster. The greatest, anywhere. Dave concludes simply, ‘It’s not difficult to see why it’s so highly revered.’  2. Mad Max (1979) Photograph: Exotic Originals   This one’s ‘another Tongdee masterclass and the pride of my collection’ and Dave’s not being modest about it. When something sits on a list this competitive, humility goes out the window and rightfully so. Why does this poster command such reverence? Well, ‘I think the entire poster is incredible,’ he says, ‘but I think the typography of the film’s title is such a standout.’ The lettering ‘is based on the aesthetic of the original international poster’s title font and with Thai script, it looks incredible.’ But it gets better. Tongdee didn’t exactly just copy the Western design and call it a day. According to Dave, ‘I think he’s improved the Western logo’s overall design massively.’ 3. Friday the 13th (1980) Photograph: Harit Three words from Dave on this one: ‘Incredible. The fonts. The colours’. Surprise, surprise! It’s ‘again, Tongdee Panumas – the guy is an absolute genius’. At this point, you start to realise that Tongdee basically owned the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Thai poster scene, churning out masterpiece after masterpiece and this one sits right at the top of that golden streak. This is the kind of poster that stops you cold. It’s not just advertising when it’s really a promise of what’s waiting in the theatre. And few posters have ever promised this hard. 4. King of Comedy (1983) Photograph: Exotic Originals ‘This is one of my favourite films of all time’, Dave says, ‘and I was very surprised that it got a Thai theatrical release’. It makes sense when he explains how ‘it’s pretty offbeat and it’s massively underrated’, though thankfully ‘a lot of fans have made sure it’s got the gold star cult classic status it deserves’. How offbeat are we talking? According to Dave, it’s ‘the most left of centre Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro film that ever happened’. And that’s saying something from a director-actor duo who’ve never exactly played it safe, wrapping it in that distinctly ‘80s media saturation anxiety that somehow feels even more relevant now. Dave’s clearly stoked about snagging this one: ‘I only recently got one of these – honestly, I never thought I’d get one. So I’m a happy boy right now!’ Oh! And the artist? ‘Again – Tongdee!’ 5. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Photograph: Exotic Originals ‘I am a huge John Carpenter fan and I had to pick one.’ So begins this love letter to both director and designer. ‘This one is an absolute beauty and is exceptionally rarely seen’. Dave notes, though, that ‘it’s not my favourite Carpenter film and although the Thai poster for The Thing is perhaps the piece that has collectors salivating far more, given apparently only 50 were ever printed.’ There's a calculated choice happening here. ‘But I'm going by artwork here and this one wins, hands down’. It’s about the visual mastery, the composition, the way ink and paper come together to create something transcendent. Take a wild guess before we reveal the artist: ‘again the artist is Tongdee!’ Shocking absolutely no one at this point. Dave runs through the Carpenter catalogue with obvious affection – ‘Escape From New York, Halloween, They Live all had great posters too and Prince Of Darkness has an absolute acid trip of a poster, which is probably fitting for what is for me, one of the greatest horror films ever made’. He adds that ‘I have never seen a Thai poster for Halloween III: Season of the Witch’ then shares a genuine disappointment: ‘Big Trouble In Little China never had a good Thai poster – they pulled a Star Wars and just slapped Thai texts over the international artwork’ and while that original art is gorgeous, Dave would’ve loved ‘to have seen a Thai take on this one’. 6. Deep Red (1975) Photograph: Exotic Originals ‘One of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento’s greatest films got a simple (by Thai horror standards) yet stunning piece.’  And there’s a story here that makes this entry even sweeter. Dave says he ‘just finally found one of these and it was for French director Gaspar Noé (Irreversible, Enter The Void) who is a regular customer.’ When Gaspar made a film with Argento last year, Dave naturally ‘offered it to him first as he had been asking about it.’ The universe aligned here, with a giallo legend's poster going to a director who had collaborated with said legend. Dave also tells us how Gaspar ‘is a lovely guy – nothing like you’d expect, the sort of character who would make such twisted cinema and a huge poster collector.’ 7. Death Wish (1974) Photograph: Exotic Originals ‘The gun in motion is badass and this is one of my favourite posters of all time.’ This one’s another all-time favourite and in a list this brutal – that means it’s staking a claim on the summit and probably never coming down. ‘I never thought I’d own one,’ Dave says and we can see the appreciation born from longing. He adds, ‘It was one of the top two on my grail list, alongside King of Comedy.’ But acquiring a grail is rarely a clean victory. ‘It’s as stunning as it is rare,’ Dave explains further. ‘It was a bit of a mess when I got it.’ Fifty-plus years had left their mark: grime, wear, all the inevitable entropy of surviving half a century. So Dave did this: ‘I had it professionally restored.’ But not just any restoration. He found Darrell Kobza: 'Darrell and I share an ethos regarding restoration – no repainting. Just a bath in a solution which doesn’t damage the paper to get fifty years plus of grot and grime out, some very minor touch-ups and a linen backing.’ The approach protects the delicate piece, makes it display significantly better, but never fundamentally alters what it is. ‘Darrell Kobza did a phenomenal job,’ Dave says and the image you’re seeing? That’s his actual piece. The gun still frozen in that badass motion blur. The grail, finally home. 8. The Beyond (1981) Photograph: Harit Bold statement incoming: ‘Horror posters do not get better than this’. We’re talking about ‘the most well known and beloved film from maverick Italian director Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy’ and ‘this is an absolute stunner, utterly iconic and has often been imitated, but never bettered’. Here, we get to credit another maestro: ‘This poster was done by legendary Thai artist Noppadol’ and in a list dominated by one genius, it’s genuinely refreshing to celebrate another master of the craft. 9. Psycho II (1983) Photograph: Exotic Originals ‘An incredibly and beautifully detailed piece for the enormously underrated sequel to the Hitchcock classic, Psycho’. Already we’re on interesting ground: sequels to untouchable classics rarely get their flowers, but here we are. Now brace yourself for this hot take: ‘Some people will call this blasphemy, but I far prefer Psycho II over the first film – a comment that would no doubt have Hitchcock spinning in his grave and get a hell of a lot of cinephiles' knickers in a twist’. But as Dave rightly points out: ‘You don’t choose what you like!’ Taste doesn’t arrive via committee approval or critical consensus! 10. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Photograph: Exotic Originals Let’s start with a confession from Dave: ‘I must admit I am absolutely no Trekkie (that’s a name for Star Trek's hardcore fanbase), but I absolutely love this film.’ Sometimes you don’t really need the Starfleet manual to recognise greatness when it beams directly into your eyeballs. Why does Dave love it? Well, ‘it features one of the best sci-fi horror sequences of all time with the ear bugs, I won’t spoil it if you haven’t seen it and the performance from Ricardo Montalban as Khan is incredible. One of the best and most complex on-screen baddies of all time.’ Now, for the poster itself, Dave’s enthusiastic here: the poster is ‘unbelievable, easily the best Thai Star Trek poster and easily my favourite Thai sci-fi poster.’ According to Dave, it's ‘a masterpiece’, though the artist remains to be confirmed.  

Every dish carries a world within it: community, people, whole nations served up in flavour and tradition. Food documentaries do something vital here, showing us not just the dishes but the people who shape them, the ones keeping traditions alive, taking risks to preserve flavours that might otherwise disappear. You see it everywhere: late-night vendors working over blazing woks, home cooks carrying on what their grandmothers taught them. Every scene is thick with work, memory, devotion. Watching these stories unfold, you start to understand something important: street food only looks casual on the surface. Underneath, it’s about survival, identity and how a single, seasoned bite can tell a country’s entire story. These are the docs that speak Thailand.

On Sunday July 6, House Samyan hosted a special surprise screening event where movie lovers gathered to find out which classic film would make its grand return to the theatre. The crowd roared with delight as the first title was revealed to be Heat (1995), the acclaimed action-packed crime thriller not seen since House Samyan first opened its doors more than two decades ago.  After the credits rolled, House Samyan unveiled nine more titles in its House Classics programme, presented under the concept RE:VERB – a celebration of cinema that continues to resonate, no matter how much time has passed. Here’s the full lineup of films screening throughout the second half of the year – cinematic gems that absolutely deserve another round in theatres.

feature debut by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, emerged from the Critics’ Week sidebar with the Grand Prize AMI Paris in hand. It’s the sort of win that quietly shifts things. Not only for the filmmaker, or for 185 Films, the Thai production house behind it, but for an entire region still largely overlooked in the palmares of European festivals. Only once before has an ASEAN film claimed this prize – Malaysia’s Tiger Stripes in 2023 – which makes A Useful Ghost the second, and possibly the strangest. The story opens with March, grieving the sudden death of his wife, Nat, who succumbed to dust pollution. Soon, he discovers her spirit has returned – in the body of a vacuum cleaner. As he navigates this surreal reunion, his mother’s factory is beset by another ghost, this time a disgruntled labourer who brings operations to a halt. The family, already unsettled, rejects Nat’s lingering presence. But she, determined and oddly practical, offers to exorcise the workplace in exchange for being acknowledged – not just as a ghost, but as a partner. It’s part satire, part seance, and entirely sincere in its portrayal of loss and cohabitation. Photograph: A Useful Ghost Photograph: A Useful Ghost Critics’ Week, dedicated to first and second-time directors, has always been where oddball gems surface. Yet Thai cinema’s presence here has been sporadic. It’s been a decade since Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Cemetery of Splendour was selected. That absence has made Boonbunchachoke’s entry feel not only like a revival, but a gentle rebellion – one that pairs the domestic with the spectral, the absurd with the intimate, and still walks away with one of the section’s top honours. Photograph: A Useful Ghost For Thai audiences, and indeed Southeast Asian ones, this win is more than a trophy – it’s a quiet reclamation. At a festival often preoccupied with Euro-American prestige, A Useful Ghost serves as a reminder that our stories, however eccentric or dust-choked, carry weight. Boonbunchachoke’s film doesn't pander or explain – it simply arrives, with all its cultural specificity intact, and dares to be taken seriously. It is a ghost story, yes, but also a love letter to what Thai cinema has long done best: blending the surreal with the political, the personal with the haunted, without ever losing its sense of humour or its soul.  

These international films will scratch your travel itch until your next flight east, capturing Thailand’s multifaceted energy from neon-lit Bangkok corners to hidden island paradises you swore you’d keep secret.  Consider this your emergency travel fix until you’re back dodging tuk-tuks and hunting down the perfect mango sticky rice.

A ghostly trace runs through Fathom in Absence, the first in a series of guest-curated film programmes at Bangkok Kunsthalle. These are not just films, but cinematic relics from the early 2000s – forgotten, fragmented and half-remembered, like dreams recalled mid-commute. The programme resurrects four Thai experimental works, each shrouded in its own particular strangeness, screened on Saturday evenings across May (May 3, 17 and 31).  Organised in collaboration with the Thai Film Archive, the series avoids nostalgia in favour of excavation. Here, the past isn’t polished; it flickers, uneven and unsteady. Screened on Saturday evenings throughout May, each film arrives like a message in a bottle from a cinematic era many have tried to forget or never knew existed. They are not tidy cultural artefacts; they are jagged, unresolved and defiantly strange. Their return feels less like a retrospective and more like a séance. Entry is free – an invitation rather than a transaction – and each work will be shown in its original Thai with English subtitles. These are films that resist easy summary and, frankly, demand to be seen rather than explained. But if you're wondering what to expect, here's the lineup: Photograph: The Cruelty and the Soy-Sauce Man+ (2000) May 3, 7pmThe Cruelty and the Soy-Sauce Man+ (2000), directed by Phaisit Phanphruksachat Photograph: Mae Nak (1992) May 17, 5.30pmMae Nak (1992), directed by Pimpaka Towira Photograph: Kon Jorn (1999) May 17, 6.20pm (after a 15-minute intermission)Kon Jorn (1999), directed by Attaporn Thihirun Photograph: Birth of the Seanéma (2004) 31 May, 5pmBirth of the Seanéma (2004), directed by Sasithorn Ariyavicha More details about talks and discussions will be announced soon, though it’s safe to assume this isn’t the sort of programme that wraps things up with neat Q&As. Instead, it gestures towards the elliptical, the marginal and the unresolved. The Kunsthalle isn’t simply screening films – it’s calling them back. And perhaps, in watching, you’re not just a spectator. You’re a witness.

Got some free time for a Netflix night or a daytime movie date?  Here’s a solid list of feel-good Thai films from recent years, with a classic local favourite thrown in for good measure!

While music transcends borders, these Thai artists are gradually breaking down barriers and overcoming language obstacles by creating hits in English and allowing their music to resonate with global audiences. From humble beginnings fuelled by strong ambitions, these musicians are sharing their stories and taking their tracks to the world stage. Here's a snapshot of the multilingual acts from Thailand singing a slightly different tune.

Today, Thai filmmakers are pushing boundaries, addressing thought-provoking social issues and creating universally relatable stories, all while preserving their distinctive cultural voice. From the vibrant streets of Bangkok to the tranquil shores of Pattaya, these films offer a lens into Thailand’s multifaceted identity, blending the local with the global in ways that feel both personal and accessible.  Whether you’re a long-time fan of Asian film or just beginning to explore beyond Western staples, Thai cinema offers a captivating entry into a world where age-old traditions meet modern aspirations, and storytelling takes on bold, new forms.  Here’s a curated list of Thai films on streaming that you won’t want to miss.

Bangkok has no shortage of recognition for its hospitality – there are lists for the best hotels, stars for the best restaurants and awards for must-visit bars. But what if you want it all in one place? This is the first list of its kind: Time Out’s guide to the best hotels in Bangkok, where exceptional dining and bar experiences come together under one roof. We're talking about places where you can check in, drop your bags and have no reason to leave – not because you're lazy, but because everything you want is already there. This is  Time Out’s ‘Ultimate Bangkok: Under One Roof’ 2025 list. Our judging criteria were simple: every hotel on this list offers top-rated rooms, at least two notable restaurants and a bar that goes beyond the basics. These are the stays where you can wake up to a perfect breakfast, spend the afternoon poolside with a cocktail, and end the day with a tasting menu you’ll still be thinking about next week. Whether you’re visiting the city or planning a luxe staycation, this is your all-in-one guide to Bangkok’s most indulgent hotel experiences.

When it comes to hotel awards, Bangkok properties are never far from the spotlight. The city is packed with everything from budget stays to ultra-luxe escapes. This year, the French guide La Liste released its 2025 ranking of the world’s finest places to stay, with Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok standing out as the only establishment from Southeast Asia to make the cut. Known for its annual list of the world’s top 1,000 restaurants, La Liste uses the same algorithm-based approach for its hospitality ratings. The guide compiles thousands of critic reviews, expert insights and guest feedback. It also aggregates and analyses data from over 400 international sources, ensuring an objective evaluation that transcends cultural preferences and regional biases. ‘Our algorithm doesn’t lie: these establishments truly represent the pinnacle of global hospitality,’ said La Liste’s founder Philippe Faure. ‘Each transcends the simple concept of accommodation to offer a transformative experience to its guests.’ For its inaugural year, the accolade crowns ten properties worldwide with a top score of 99.5 – six in Europe, two in the Americas and two in Asia. A big shoutout goes to Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, which is not only one of just two Asian stays but also the only one representing Southeast Asia.Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is no stranger to international acclaim. Located on the historic Chao Phraya River, it stands as a living legend of Asian hospitality. Despite changes over the years, the place continues to uphold a 145-year tradition of dedicated service that remains Bangkok’s beating heart.Here’s the full list of the world’s best hotels in 2025, according to La Liste La Réserve, Paris The Connaught, London The Savoy, London Cheval Blanc, Paris Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano J.K. Place Capri, Capri Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok The Peninsula, Shanghai The Peninsula, Chicago Rosewood Mayakoba, Cancun

Capella Bangkok has been crowned World’s Best Hotel and Asia’s Best Hotel according to the popular award site, 50 Best. 50 Best is a “best of” site that combines the collective views of hundreds of curated voters worldwide, including travel journalists, hoteliers and travel specialists. Their votes determine the winner of “The World’s 50 Best Hotels,” announced yesterday, Sep 17, at London’s Guildhall. Although a prestigious claim, Capella Bangkok is no stranger to winning awards. Since opening in 2022, the hotel has taken home many awards, notably making it to eleventh place on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023.  Today, despite tough competition, Capella Bangkok climbed to the top of the list, claiming the No.1 spot and the title of the best hotel in the world for 2024. Aside from Capella Bangkok, the city earns another three hotels on the list, including Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No.12), Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No.14) and The Siam (No.26). Overall, hotels in Asia performed the best, with 19 hotels making it to the Best 50 list this year, including Rosewood Hong Kong (No.3), Raffles Singapore (No.6) and Aman Tokyo (No.7). 50 Best has long produced rankings for restaurants and bars, with the first awards presented in 2009. Hotels is a relatively new addition to their growing number of award lists, with The World's 50 Best Hotels entering its second year this year.  When it comes to voting, any hotel anywhere in the world is eligible as long as somebody on the voting panel has stayed there at least one night. Hotels cannot pay to be selected and the results are an anonymous list of votes from 600 industry-related individuals, selected by 50 Best for their expertise in the international hotel scene.  You can check the complete list on The World's 50 Best Hotels. 

After decades of sitting idle, the old customs house on the banks of Chao Phraya River is finally getting a new lease of life. The 136-year-old building is getting the refresh it deserves as it transforms into The Langham Hotel, due to open in 2026. Built in 1888, the Old Customs House was once used for royal events, including one to celebrate the return of King Rama V from his travels in Europe. The building was designed by architect Joachim Grassi in a neo-Palladian style, with teak floors, a grand central staircase and a four-storey corridor. The Langham Hospitality Group (LHG), which has more than 30 Langham hotels around the world, is known for its work in preserving old buildings and turning them into luxury hotels. They have partnered with Rabbit Holdings for their first Bangkok project. In parallel with the old Customs House, the Langham Hospitality Group is also restoring the old post office building. The hotel will offer 78 guest rooms. For dining, they are bringing in T'ang Court, a Cantonese restaurant from Hong Kong with three Michelin stars. The Langham wellness retreat, Chuan Spa, will also be available here. This year alone, Bangkok has seen several new luxury developments, including Dusit Central Park; One Bangkok; Aman Nai Lert Residences Bangkok; Porsche Tower Design, which is selling condos starting from B500 million; and EA Gallery atop the Empire Tower, which is bringing Nobu restaurant to the city. Although the rates for this new Bangkok property are yet to be published, prices at other Langham locations around the world range between B8,000 and B40,000 per night.

The slick American boutique brand brings a slice of retro-hip edge to Sathorn.

The thing about COVID-19 is that it still remains largely mysterious. The virus emerged out of nowhere, seemingly around the end of 2019, and then it swept up the entire world in the blink of an eye at the start of 2020. It’s been some time since the pandemic broke out and yet we still can't pin down for sure where and how the virus originated, let alone how it can be cured. And until medical experts can come up with a safe vaccine, COVID-19 will be a huge part of our lives. Thailand, however, has been more fortunate in its dealings with Monsieur C-19 than other parts of the world. The country is gradually easing up on lockdown constraints in its bid to return to “normal”, including constraints on inbound travel. Authorities have recently lifted border restrictions, allowing residents to return, but mostly for necessary purposes like work or to reunite with family. But the one thing Thailand still strictly holds on to is mandating a 14-day self-quarantine in authority-credited locations for all incoming travelers. The government is kind enough to facilitate free accommodations for these returning passengers, but luxury hotels and resorts in Bangkok and other provinces also offer Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) packages for those who are more particular with their preferences. To help those planning to fly back to Thailand, we’ve rounded up 15 top hotels in Bangkok that offer all-inclusive ASQ packages. Let’s take a look.

The stunning, brand-new Waldorf Astoria Bangkok shoots up from the bustling Rachaprasong intersection like a flower; in fact, it was designed to look like one—a magnolia, to be exact. Inside, design elements by Hong Kong-based architect Andre Fu—such as wrought iron sculptural panels and an assortment of intricate chandeliers—pay homage to local Thai culture as well as the Waldorf legacy. The property boasts 171 rooms and suites, each with interactive entertainment systems, well-stocked mini bars and sprawling bathrooms with rainfall showers, high-tech toilets and toiletries by Salvatore Ferragamo. Guests have access to three restaurants, two bars and a tea room lounge; our favorites are the Front Room, a lobby-level eatery serving innovative Nordic-Thai fare, and the top floor Champagne Bar, offering flutes of bubbly to be enjoyed on plush green velvet couches overlooking the city below. A small (three rooms) but lovely spa sits next to the open air, rooftop pool, scattered with giant wicker chairs and affording one of the best views from the property. There's also a 24-hour fitness center, as well as the aforementioned lounge, Peacock Alley, perfect for whiling away the hours between city exploration and dinner—look for the clock behind the bar, a quiet nod to the storied hotel brand's first property in Manhattan (every Waldorf Astoria has a version of the first location's beautiful wall clock).  Time Out tip: Book ahead at the spa and the Front Room, both popular must-d

W Bangkok integrates twisted Thai culture with quirky Western motifs

The Okura Prestige Bangkok has set a new standard for luxury hotels

Gorgeous views and unique designs are the key reasons you’ll love SO Sofitel Bangkok. Located a few blocks away from Lumpini Park, the enclaves lush greenery can be spotted from most rooms. Room styles are crafted around four different themes: earth, water, wood and metal. The Earth rooms are embellished with playful, curvy walls inspired by prehistoric cave paintings found in Pha Taem National Park in Ubon Ratchathani. Metal rooms are decked out like an urban refuge with minimal, modern decor and pristine white furniture. The Wood room, on the other hand, is inspired by a traditional Northern Thai wooden house, while the Water room—the sexiest room of all—features concrete walls and semi-transparent glasses partitions.

If we had to crown Thailand’s most sought-after destination this year, Koh Samui would easily take the title. Thanks to the global buzz around The White Lotus season 3, travellers from around the world are flocking there – whether to soak up a slice of paradise or follow in the footsteps of the show’s characters. Naturally, the island has become a major hotspot. And while Samui offers plenty of places to stay, not everyone’s budget stretches to White Lotus–level luxury. However, the newest boutique escape, NH Collection Samui Peace Resort, brings style without the splurge. Opened earlier this year, it marks the Thai debut of the NH Collection. Known for its upscale stays across Europe and Latin America, the brand gives a fresh perspective to Samui with a full transformation of the former Peace Resort. All rooms, suites and villas have been completely redesigned with earthy tones, modern comforts and an inviting indoor-outdoor flow. Set right on the beachfront of Bophut Beach, the hotel offers a family-friendly energy on one of the area’s most popular stretches of sand. Here is why you should pay NH Collection Samui Peace Resort a visit.   Why stay at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? NH Collection Samui Peace Resort feels blissfully removed from everyday chaos – even though it’s only an hour’s flight from Bangkok. Direct flights to Samui International Airport are operated by Bangkok Airways or you can take a frequent ferry from Surat Thani, which takes around 1 hour 45 minutes. Even better, the airport is just a quick 15-minute drive from the resort and complimentary return transfers mean you could be sipping your welcome drink by the beach within minutes of landing. The resort embraces a clean, modern beach aesthetic across its 122 rooms, suites and villas. The main pool is lined with loungers for all-day lazing, the activity deck hosts early-morning yoga and ice-bathing sessions and the restaurant and bar offer open views over Bophut Beach. Breakfast is included and guests can take to the water with non-motorised watersports, including kayaks and paddleboards or enjoy on-site facilities such as the gym, cinema room, kids’ club and playground.   What are the rooms like at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? Following a major renovation of the former Peace Resort, NH Collection Samui Peace Resort now offers 122 stylish rooms, ranging from garden-view terraces to superior villas, pool villas and beachfront pool villas. I stayed in a one-bedroom pool villa and it immediately felt thoughtfully designed. The villa features a plush king-size bed, an espresso machine, a kettle with a mini-bar, high-speed Wi-Fi and a spacious ensuite with both a rain shower and a bathtub. Outside, a private terrace comes with comfy seating, sun loungers and a pool all to yourself. It’s clear the hotel anticipates guests’ needs. There are two TVs – one in the living area and one facing the bed – so you can catch your favourite show before turning in. Even the bathtub comes with a bath bomb. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a soothing earthen colour palette create a serene atmosphere. Designed with families in mind, the rooms comfortably sleep up to four guests. And if you’re particular about pillows, there’s a menu with different firmness options to make sure everyone sleeps well.   Where’s there to eat at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? The resort offers a few dining experiences. Sea Wrap Restaurant is a beachfront spot serving all-day international comfort food. Starters include classics like nicoise salad (B390), featuring fresh tuna, potato, egg, tomato, anchovy, green beans and vinaigrette. Pasta lovers can try spaghetti frutti di mare (B420) with prawn, mussel, calamari, white wine, chili and cherry tomatoes, while pizza options include pepperoni burrata hot honey (B480), topped with tomato, parmesan, pepperoni, burrata and a drizzle of hot honey. For a local touch, sample Thai favourites such as pineapple fried rice (B390) with ham, squid, prawn and shredded chicken served in a fresh pineapple or spicy thai papaya salad (B300). For drinks, the coconut juice served in a whole coconut is a refreshing must-try. By night, you can also book private dining, including candlelit beachside BBQs.   El Salon transforms from a cafe by day into a bar by night. True to its name, which means ‘a space to unwind’ in Spanish, it’s the kind of spot where mornings start with freshly brewed coffee or fresh juices and afternoons are for a slice of basque cheesecake, homemade pastries or a selection of Spanish cheeses. As the sun dips, the space takes on a new energy, with a cocktail menu that celebrates the resort’s lush gardens and the flavours of Thailand. Highlights include tropical herb cooler (B340), a mix of Thai basil and lemongrass-infused vodka, lime, coconut water, and simple syrup and Samui passion (B350), combining Smirnoff vodka, passion fruit puree, lime, and vanilla syrup, finished with soda.    What is breakfast at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? Mornings at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort are a real treat. The complimentary breakfast buffet at Sea Wrap Restaurant runs from 7am-10.30am, right on the beachfront. Stations showcase a mix of Thai favourites, fresh salads, pastries and an egg counter where you can order poached eggs, eggs Benedict or your preferred style on the spot. There’s also a wide selection of juices and milk to kickstart your morning. Between the food, the ocean view and the laid-back atmosphere, breakfast here feels more like a slow, indulgent ritual than a routine meal.   What is the service like at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? While NH Collection Samui Peace Resort isn’t a five-star property, the service almost feels like it is. The staff are genuinely attentive. Every time I walked past, I was greeted with a smile and a friendly ‘hi’. Any question I had was answered promptly and cheerfully. During my stay, if the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign wasn’t up, they would check in every morning to see if I needed anything, making the service feel personal without ever being intrusive.   What other facilities are there at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? NH Collection Samui Peace Resort makes it easy to switch between lounging and activity. The main outdoor pool is spacious, lined with sun loungers, while a smaller kids’ pool keeps little ones entertained. Beyond the pool, the private beach invites slow mornings with your toes in the sand. For those who like a bit of movement, non-motorised water activities such as kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are on offer.    If you want to stay active, the fitness centre is well-equipped with cardio machines, free weights and stretching areas. For something more personalised, private Muay Thai or yoga sessions are available. After your workout or a long day in the sun, you can retreat to the spa and wellness centre for a soothing massage or treatment.    Families are well-catered for here. The kids’ club, playground and splash pool ensure children are happily occupied, while adults can steal a moment of quiet, knowing their little ones are safe and having fun.   What's the area like around NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? NH Collection Samui Peace Resort is set right on Bophut Beach, on Koh Samui’s northeast coast. Its location gives you a calm beachfront escape while keeping you close to local highlights. Within a short, 10-minute walk is Fisherman’s Village. This major attraction offers a historic market area known for its charming wooden shophouses, trendy boutiques and the lively night market, where you can browse crafts, sample street food and catch live music. For dining, you have several choices nearby. You can easily visit Guilty at Anantara Bophut, the resort's sister property. The restaurant offers a South American dining experience, specialising in a fusion of Peruvian-Japanese flavours. For authentic Thai food, the local favourite Khao Hom is accessible via a short drive. This Michelin-recognised venue focuses on bold and traditional Southern Thai cuisine, with reviewers praising its punchy tastes, particularly in its curries. If you are looking to explore some local landmarks and culture, the stunning Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple) is about 15 minutes by car. This magnificent gold statue is one of the destination's most revered icons.    Why should you book a stay at NH Collection Samui Peace Resort? While Koh Samui offers plenty of places to stay, NH Collection Samui Peace Resort stands out for its versatility and ease. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, with family, or solo, the resort makes it easy to enjoy the island’s charm without stretching your budget. Its beachfront setting and complimentary use of non-motorised watercraft let you float, paddle or simply lounge by the water. At the same time, you’re never far from local highlights. For anyone seeking a mix of relaxation, comfort and accessibility, it’s a stay that ticks all the boxes.   Address: 178, Bo Put, Amphoe Ko Samui, Surat Thani 84320Price per night: From B3,751 per night Closest transport link: It’s just a 15-minute drive to Samui International Airport.    Book now: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/nh-collection-samui-peace-resort.en-gb.html?aid=2427673 

An urban playground for the young at heart In the heart of Siam, where a veritable forest of modern towers reaches for the sky, Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong rises as a beacon for the perpetually playful. But this isn’t just another new hotel in a city teeming with them – this is a fun hunter’s consummate homebase. The moment the elevator doors open onto the ninth-floor lobby, you're not just arriving at a hotel; you're entering a scene. A full-sized theatre marquee frames a bustling barista counter that doubles as the check-in desk, where a boozy or not-so-boozy welcome drink is pressed into your hand. The air thrums with a hip, energetic pulse. This is Tom Hanks’s loft in Big, reimagined by a tech founder billionaire with a cheeky sense of humour. It’s a place that knows it’s in Bangkok, and it loves every second of it. Why stay at Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? The ninth-floor loft space is the energetic hub of the entire hotel, an airy, open-plan space framed by large, hand-painted modern Thai murals that fuse street art with local traditions. It’s a living room, a co-working space, a bar, and an arcade all at once. KAWS-inspired art toys and neon signs are tucked into every corner, making the hotel itself an Instagram-worthy destination. This is a social ecosystem where you can plug in to get some work done at the business center amenities in the Library, or challenge a new friend to a game of foosball, pool or air hockey. But what truly sets the Moxy apart is its symbiotic relationship with its location. The hotel is ground zero for the full spectrum of Bangkok shopping, from the endless discount fashions of Pratunam and Platinum Mall to the world-class offerings of CentralWorld, Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery. The genius of Moxy is in how it connects you to this world: you can take an outward-facing glass elevator, reminiscent of Willy Wonka, and be delivered directly to the BTS Chidlom via a covered skywalk. This is a hotel that doesn’t just sit in the city – it’s an integral part of its pulsating heart, offering recreation and immersion from the moment you step out the door. What are the rooms like at Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? From the cozy Moxy Queen to the spacious Moxy Deluxe, each room is a smart, functional sanctuary that feels straight out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I’d highly recommend an upgrade to the Corner Queen room for the sheer sense of scale. The giant picture windows, stretching two meters by two metres, frame epic city views, making you feel like you're sleeping in a suspended art installation. The design is bold but not overwhelming, with a minimalist palette that draws attention to the views outside. The mattress is fantastic, and the plethora of comfy pillows is a detail you don't appreciate until you’ve had a long day of exploring. And after a day of navigating the city’s heat, who could ask for more than a rain shower with a tiled bench? It’s a small, luxurious touch that makes all the difference. The quirky vintage phone and a wealth of well-placed outlets remind you that this is a space designed for modern living. The value for the price is excellent, offering a level of style and comfort that feels far more premium than its price tag suggests. What are the best restaurants and bars at Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? The Moxy's culinary offerings are surprisingly creative and original. At the Moxy Bar & Restaurant, Chef Phachara crafts international fare with a bold Thai inflection, playing on Japanese, Mexican and Italian influences to create a menu that is anything but predictable. The succulently braised, bone-in short rib massaman curry with a fresh-made roti pancake is a dish that alone is worth a visit. Master mixologist Yumi’s inventive cocktail program is a highlight. I tried her bourbon-based iceberg cocktail – tropical, floral, and so refreshing – and was impressed by her five original Moxy-crafted mocktails, which are a serious step up from the usual non-alcoholic offerings. The energy here is infectious, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the terrace hosts a lively barbecue, serving everything from local catch-of-the-week seafood to classic baby back ribs and steak kebabs. For those on the move, the 24/7 grab-and-go station is stocked with snacks and beverages, a perfect pitstop for an urban adventure. The breakfast buffet is a sprawling affair, with freshly baked sourdough, eggs cooked to order, a fun Nutella station for a bit of cheeky indulgence and a selection of traditional Thai brekky favourites.  What is the service like at Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? You won’t find the hushed formality of a traditional luxury hotel here. Instead, you'll find that staff are casual yet helpful and professional while clearly enjoying their work. Their genuine smiles and willingness to help – from offering a welcome drink to assisting with directions – create an atmosphere that feels less like a hotel and more like a clubhouse. What is the gym and what other facilities are there? The Moxy feels like it’s built for urban explorers. While it forgoes a spa and pool, it offers well-thought-out alternatives. The gym, for example, is far from an afterthought. With ceiling-to-floor glass, it’s a modern, bright space filled with everything you need, including kettlebells and a fantastic Thai boxing setup. It's a place to sweat with a view. The hotel's loft event space is a versatile area for social gatherings, and the occasional Moxy Truck pop-up on the terrace adds to the spontaneous, party-like atmosphere. Gaming options and abundant ‘selfie spots’ mean there’s rarely a dull moment. A quiet lounge and library offer a serene retreat from the action. What's the area like around Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? The Moxy’s location is a hub of recreation and discovery. From the Pratunam pier, you can travel metropolitan Bangkok via canal boat, a fun and authentic way to see the city. On the way, don't forget to indulge in the kuay teow rua at Lung Pratunam Boat Noodles, a Bangkok delicacy served for almost half a century. The skywalk system makes navigating the area a breeze, connecting you to the city's shopping and dining without ever needing to brave the traffic. Why should you book a stay at Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong? Book a stay at the Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong if you're a traveller who wants a hotel that feels as alive as the city it inhabits. It's a great choice for those who appreciate style, value and a social, unpretentious atmosphere. The hotel’s commitment to fun and design, its original food and cocktail program and its enviable location make it a standout choice for anyone looking to experience the Big Mango at its biggest. Address: Ratchadamri Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Price per night: From approx B5,000 per night Closest transport link: From BTS Chit Lom station, you can walk via the elevated skywalk directly to The Market Bangkok, where the hotel is located. Book now: [https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/moxy-bangkok-ratchaprasong.en-gb.html?aid=2427673] Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

In late 2020, Capella Bangkok opened to join a string of luxury hotels on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, sharing a private driveway with the Four Seasons in the heart of the trendy Charoenkrung district. Just four years later, an international ranking crowned it the very best hotel on the planet. So, what makes this 101-room city hotel so special? Let’s start with the view. The hotel is designed so that every room faces the same way, out over the Chao Phraya River. Suites have floor-to-ceiling windows serving skyline from every angle – even from the bathroom sinks – or you could stake claim to your own riverside patch with a stay in one of the hotel’s ultra-exclusive villas, complete with a plunge pool and private tropical garden.  Every room and suite is decked out in a soothing Japandi style: think cream and honey tones, wooden partitions, and plenty of space and light. Beds are, of course, ridiculously plush, thanks to pillowtop mattresses and Egyptian cotton sheets. Bathrooms are spa-like, with rainfall showers, a free-standing tub and his-and-hers sinks. There’s nothing too over-the-top here, but it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into anticipating what a guest might need – and what might make them smile. Take the bedside touchscreen that allows you to control the lighting, the blinds, and pretty much anything else in the room. Or the fragrant ‘bath tea’, or the vanity kits printed with vintage photographs of the river.  Capella Bangkok landed its ‘world’s best’ accolade largely on the grounds of its above-and-beyond service. There’s no doubt a well-studied understanding of the guest experience on display here, from a turn-down service that gifts cakes to your bedside to breakfast bundles for early check-outs. All this is part and parcel of the experience Capella – as a brand – wants to offer its guests. But you’ll find that any interaction you have with a staff member here will be unflinchingly loyal, gracious and warm – in our eyes, the very best of Thai hospitality.= The two on-site restaurants – two-Michelin-star Côte by Mauro Colagreco and the riverfront Phra Nakohn – elevate Capella Bangkok to one of the capital’s most desirable dining destinations. The former is a Mediterranean affair, serving beautiful Riviera-inspired tasting dishes, while the latter offers authentic, flavour-packed Thai food, with a spectacular location right on the water. Breakfast (a mixture of a la carte and buffet bits, with both Western and Thai options) is served on Phra Nakohn’s sun-dappled terrace – an enviable way to spend a morning, that, feeling the day warm up around you while you slurp coconut water straight from the shell. There’s also art-deco cocktail bar Stella, which is pretty much the benchmark for a brilliant hotel bar. It’s decadent and fun, with a menu printed on the plumes of a handheld fan handed to you in a little box, and drinks themed around Bangkok’s neighbourhoods, landmarks and cultural icons.  Auriga, the spa, carries out a range of soul-soothing treatments – many using Thai ingredients like mung bean and Hom Mali rice – plus some unexpected practices, like sound healing. There’s also a tea room (get the coconut matcha) and a pool (with river views, obviously). But one of Capella Bangkok’s greatest offerings is its dedicated team of ‘Culturists’, who design bespoke itineraries for guests to really get to know the side of the city they most want to see, be it spiritual sites or street food. Is it the world’s best hotel? Certainly, it’s without fault. Capella Bangkok manages to achieve something quite elusive: creating, for guests, the warm feeling of coming home, while being extraordinary enough to feel miles away. Nearby   KodTalay seafood buffet: Atop an office building is this most unique of dining experiences: a lively rooftop where you can go all in on an all-you-can-eat barbecue seafood buffet for under B600. Warehouse 30: A converted warehouse space packed with indie galleries, boutiques and coffee shops. Yaowarat Road: The epicentre of Bangkok’s street food scene is a 40-minute walk from the hotel (or a 15-minute drive). Address: 300/2 Charoenkrung Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Price per night: From approx B32,838 per night Closest transport link: From BTS Saphan Taksin station, you can walk to Sathorn Pier, where the private pier offers a shuttle boat to the hotel. Book now: [https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/capella-bangkok.en-gb.html?aid=2427673] Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Phuket’s dining and lifestyle scene never stays still and the island’s latest addition proves just that. Rava Beach Club by Banyan Tree Phuket, which soft-launched in August, brings a new kind of beachside energy to Bang Tao, a more relaxed hangout than a high-octane party spot. Spanning 3,500 square metres, it’s officially Thailand’s longest beach club. At first, I imagined the usual bass-heavy beats and crowds of people dancing under neon lights. But the venue turned out to be something entirely different. It is stylish, easygoing and surprisingly serene. My first visit was at night. The air was warm, waves rolled in behind the music and the DJ played tropical house that kept things lively without overpowering the scene. People chatted, danced and enjoyed cocktails under the glow of string lights. It had a smooth and unhurried rhythm.  Returning the next day around noon, the atmosphere shifted completely. Under the bright sun, the pools sparkled and the music slowed to a laid-back tempo. A guest singer performed soulful, beachy tunes while guests lounged with cocktails in hand. It was calm, inviting and in tune with its beachfront surroundings. What stands out most is its sense of space. Despite its size, it never feels crowded or overstated. Its name – Sanskrit for ‘sound’ or ‘reverberation’ – feels fitting, as everything here seems to move in rhythm, whether it’s the hum of conversation, the soft bassline beneath the waves or the gentle clink of ice in glasses. The beach club is divided into three zones. Young & Fun offers sunbeds, three infinity pools and a beachfront dining area for daytime lounging. Master Grill serves as the culinary hub, where chefs work over open flames to prepare steaks and seafood. Prestige, reserved for Banyan Tree guests, features a private infinity pool, indoor dining area and personal facilities. In the open kitchen, Chef Joshua Gray, an Australian known for his fire-cooking techniques, grills wagyu tenderloin over open flames, a fitting preview of what’s on offer. The menu highlights flame-grilled meats, charcoal-roasted seafood and shareable plates such as tomahawk steaks, wagyu tenderloin and wood-fired pizza. The drinks menu is equally impressive, ranging from fresh juices and zero-proof mocktails to signature cocktails such as tropical sunset (dark rum, peach liqueur, passion fruit, yuzu puree and lime) and rava spice (vodka, Cointreau, Malibu, coconut, lime, chili, kaffir lime, lemongrass and soda). Service is attentive and professional, with staff quick to offer recommendations and keep your glass topped up without missing a beat. Whether you’re staying in Laguna or visiting for the day, Rava Beach Club makes a great alternative to the typical party-driven beach venues. It’s the kind of place where you can swim, sip and stay all afternoon – a stylish escape that balances energy and ease in equal measure.

If there were any doubt that Bangkok was the centre of all things in Thailand, you only need to look at the national railway map. The four main lines radiate out from the Thai capital like iron tentacles, stretching over 4,000km.  The Southern Line is Thailand’s longest line at 1,144 kilometres. Northwards, the 13-hour night train to Chiang Mai has become a rite-of-passage for backpackers. But Bangkokians, fear not, you needn’t roll so far in order to experience Thailand by rail, as there are plenty of destinations within easy reach of a wayfaring weekender.

Feeling the Bangkok burnout? It happens to the best of us. Leaving the city, with its Michelin-starred temptations and glorious, beautiful chaos, feels like a betrayal. Here's the secret: you don't have to break up, just take a break. Thailand is packed with ridiculously easy getaways that feel like you've crossed a border, not just a province line. From the cool mountain air of Khao Yai to the sun-soaked beaches of Phuket and the serene shores of Koh Samui, these October getaways are made for slowing down and recharging. Whether you want to explore nature, unwind by the sea, or indulge in a peaceful resort escape, there’s something nearby to refresh your mind and spirit. This October, let these escapes remind you that a little getaway is sometimes all you need.

Have you ever noticed that your inner child never really leaves, no matter your age? Many of us still dream of bedrooms that feel lifted from the movies we adored growing up. At Kitsch Hotel, that little daydream comes alive. Imagine drifting off in a Wes Anderson-style wonderland, feeling the dreamy haze of Sofia Coppola’s Virgin Suicides or tucking into a cosy dormitory that could have been from a storybook. With imagination meeting style, here’s why this hotel is the kind of place that brings your dreams to life while wrapping you in comfort and charm. Why stay at Kitsch Hotel?  Renovated from a 30-year-old property, Kitsch Hotel was founded by Luksorn-Saruti Tuntivithayakul and Um-Boonyanan Raungwong, the creative duo behind Daddy and the Muscle Academy, a lifestyle brand known for its ‘90s-inspired aesthetic and playful products. So when I heard they were opening a hotel, I expected something fun, but Kitsch exceeded that. It’s a fully themed escape that transports you into a vintage-fantasy world. What stood out most was how unique each room feels. With 19 individually styled spaces, each tells its own story, inspired by movies, art and pop culture. One of the signature rooms is the Kitsch Room, with a 1950s Americana vibe. The white and baby-blue wallpaper, paired with a three-tiered birthday cake centrepiece, makes it a space you’ll want to explore and photograph from every angle. For those who dream of staying in a boarding school, the establishment offers six private dorm rooms styled like classic English school dormitories. Each features two bunk beds, evoking the charm of storybook school life. Even before I reached my room, the hotel had already caught my attention. The retro-style exterior is a photo-worthy detail and the lobby continues the mood with Kitschy Kat, a giant white cat sculpture, alongside a bold mosaic tile installation. What are the rooms like at Kitsch Hotel? I stayed in the Pink Pavilion. Located on the fifth floor, it’s the largest accommodation in the hotel and true to its name, everything is bathed in shades of pink. As someone who has always dreamed of being treated like a princess, I was instantly delighted the moment I stepped inside. Inspired by 1980s femininity, the space is adorned with sculptures of Venus and Madonna, while delicate floral motifs grace the ceiling. The layout is divided into three areas: a living area with a sofa, television, tea table and cabinets decorated with small sculptures; a sleeping area with two king-size beds; and a bathroom with a bathtub, shower and separate toilet area. Amenities include fast Wi-Fi, a tea station and a refrigerator, but what stands out is the attention to detail in the decor. Vintage touches, like a fully functional retro telephone and an elegant chandelier, bring a whimsical princess-like charm. Even the small tea table with four chairs makes you feel like you’re hosting a scene from Alice in Wonderland. The bathrobe, with its pink-and-brown checked pattern, adds to the playful theme. The centrepiece is the bathtub. It occupies its own space within the bathroom area and while it might feel a little exposed if you’re sharing with a friend, a large curtain can be drawn to create a private nook. The tub itself is generously sized, with ornate fixtures that make it feel more like a miniature palace spa than a standard bathroom. Where can you eat at Kitsch Hotel? Kitsch might be a boutique hotel, but it still has its own dining option. On the sixth floor is Soup Sip, a rooftop restaurant serving Asian-fusion dishes. The name, which in Thai hints at gathering and chatting, suits the atmosphere well. It feels casual and social. The restaurant is divided into two areas: an indoor dining room and an open-air terrace. On a cool evening, the outdoor seats are great for catching the breeze and taking in the city views, while the indoor space offers the same relaxed atmosphere with the comfort of air-conditioning. As for the food, menu highlights include crispy duck confit with sweet gravy, pickled shrimp with wasabi dressing and grilled beef with signature sauce. The dishes lean into familiar Thai flavours. Drinks include a curated selection of wine, sparkling, champagne, beer and cocktails.  What is breakfast at Kitsch Hotel? If you’re expecting a big buffet spread, you won’t find it here. Instead, Kitsch Hotel offers three curated breakfast sets to choose from. I tried set a: duck wore berry – a confit duck served with butter pancakes, berry sauce, maple syrup and a side dish of the day and set c: fry me to the moon – American fried rice with BBQ sauce and herbs, served with sausages, fried chicken, bacon and California fries. Each set is priced at B335 and comes with your choice of tea, coffee or juice. One thing to note is that breakfast needs to be ordered the night before, along with the time you’d like it served. The meal is then enjoyed at Soup Sip, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. What is the service like at Kitsch Hotel? The service felt relaxed yet attentive. What stood out to me most was the way the staff, known as ‘Keira,’ dressed in themed outfits that matched the hotel’s quirky aesthetic. They were always approachable and ready to help, whether it was answering a question or offering a small recommendation, without ever feeling intrusive. Seeing them move around, cheerful and approachable, added a lively energy that made my stay feel even more special. What's the area like around Kitsch Hotel? Just a short ride away is the heart of Bangkok's fashion industry, Platinum Fashion Mall and Pratunam Market. This is a shopper's paradise where you can lose yourself for hours in a maze of clothing, accessories and souvenirs. Pratunam Market is a bustling wholesale and retail market known for its rock-bottom prices, while the air-conditioned Platinum Fashion Mall offers a more comfortable experience with a huge variety of trendy fashion. For a taste of local cuisine, head to Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam. Featured as a Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery, this spot is a long-time favourite for its classic Hainanese chicken rice. The tender, succulent chicken and fragrant rice are a simple yet masterfully executed meal. Be prepared to wait in line, as this place is always packed with hungry locals and visitors. A stone’s throw away, Baiyoke Sky Tower rises as one of Bangkok’s tallest buildings, offering sweeping panoramic views of the city from its observation deck and revolving viewpoint. The tower also features several restaurants across its upper floors, some of which offer buffet options, allowing guests to enjoy a meal while taking in the stunning cityscape.  For a quieter pace, Chaloemla Gardens provides a colourful and inviting public space within the neighbourhood. While small, the park is eye-catching, thanks to its street art and murals that line the walkways. It offers a peaceful contrast to the busy shopping and commercial areas nearby. Why should you book a stay at Kitsch Hotel? What makes Kitsch stand out among boutique stays is its playful, themed design. Its location keeps you close to many of Bangkok’s popular attractions, but the real charm lies inside. Each themed room offers a unique experience, whether you’re staying with friends or a loved one, inviting you to step into its own little story. Above all, it lets you live out the dream of staying in a room straight out of a movie – a lighthearted, memorable escape from the everyday. Address: 156/21, 2/F, Phetchaburi Rd, Khwaeng Thanon Phetchaburi, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400Price per night: From approx B2,670 per nightClosest transport link: BTS Ratchathewi Station is just a short walk away from the hotel.Book now: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/kitsch-krungethphmhaankhr.en-gb.html?aid=2427673 Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Wherever you find yourself on Sukhumvit, you’ll likely spot a Mercure nearby. So, it’s no surprise to find one in the historic Surawong neighbourhood. What sets Mercure apart is its concept of being a ‘portal to the destination’. The design, atmosphere, and even the dining are all inspired by local culture. At the Surawong branch, where old-world charm meets modern energy, the hotel strikes a thoughtful balance. It possesses a nostalgic feel without seeming outdated, featuring modern touches that don't detract from its character. With story and style, here’s why Mercure Bangkok Surawong isn’t just another city hotel for a short stay. Why stay at Mercure Bangkok Surawong? The hotel’s location is top-notch if you want to spend hours travelling around the city. Right next door is Silom Road, a lively street that’s all business during the day but comes alive with street food, markets and bars at night. Just a short ride away is Chinatown. And getting to other parts of the capital is easy thanks to nearby public transport, so you can quickly reach the city centre or explore different neighbourhoods without any hassle. But what impressed me is that it’s more than just a place to crash. Surawong itself has a history dating back to the late 19th century when it was a hub along the Chao Phraya River trade routes. Chinese traders and immigrants shaped the area, leaving a lasting mark on its culture, architecture and food scene. Even though many big businesses have moved elsewhere, you can still feel that vibe throughout the neighbourhood. Once I stepped into the hotel, the design caught my eye right away. Reclaimed wood, steel and stone pay homage to the old warehouses nearby, giving the space a stylish, grounded feel that really reflects the area’s heritage. It’s a subtle but meaningful touch that makes your stay feel more special. What are the rooms like at Mercure Bangkok Surawong? Renovated from what used to be an office building, the hotel boasts 219 rooms, including classic, superior with balconies and family rooms. Each room mixes local elements with a modern feel. Traditional weaving patterns are turned into sleek wall details, giving the space a nice balance between heritage and contemporary comfort.  I stayed in a privileged room with a balcony on the 17th floor and the panoramic view of the city’s skyline right from my window was a highlight. The king-size bed was very comfy. It was big enough that I honestly didn’t want to get out of it. The room had all the expected amenities such as fast Wi-Fi, a capsule coffee machine, a tea station and a TV. The shower and toilet are in separate sections, with the sink placed outside. One of my favourite parts was the balcony. It came with a small table and a couple of chairs, offering views over the surrounding buildings, including the British Club and its tennis court. It’s a little spot for a morning coffee or just sitting back in the evening as the city winds down. One small thing to flag, there wasn’t a hair dryer. So if you’re planning to wash your hair, you’ll need to leave time for it to air dry or bring your own. Where’s there to eat at Mercure Bangkok Surawong?  To reflect the neighbourhood’s Chinese roots, the hotel has its own signature restaurant called Yu Her Bao, serving modern Cantonese and Sichuan dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The concept is inspired by the mystique of jade and the menu puts a fresh spin on traditional Chinese flavours while also making the most of Thai produce. It’s that kind of East-meets-East blend that feels comforting but still a little exciting. If you’re coming with family or want a more intimate dining experience, there’s also a private room available. Menu highlights include crispy charcoal tofu peking duck set, fried wagyu beef with black pepper sauce, Japanese ramen noodles stir-fried hokkien style, poy leng topped with dried scallop and a refreshing chilled sago cantaloupe with coconut milk for dessert. Starlight Rooftop Bar was the highlight of my stay. With sweeping 360-degree views of the capital, it offers the best of both worlds – the buzz of nightlife below and the calm of being high above it all. The vibe is lively but laid-back, with the DJ setting just the right tone for the evening. The cocktail menu, curated by in-house mixologist Gongson Sonti, draws inspiration from traditional ingredients but is reimagined with a creative twist. Try bangkok night, a mix of tequila, krachai and pepper syrup, lavender, yuzu and pineapple or siam sour, a take on a classic with Mekhong whiskey, passion fruit, moringa syrup, lemongrass, egg white and a float of red wine.  What is breakfast at Mercure Bangkok Surawong?  As someone who’s more than happy to wake up early for a good breakfast buffet, I was glad to find that the hotel doesn’t disappoint. The morning spread is served at Yu Her Bao from 6.30am to 11am, with everything from fresh pastries, congee, and dim sum to Thai dishes and eggs done three ways. And if you’d rather sleep in, you can have breakfast delivered straight to your room to ease into the day in bed or enjoy it out on the balcony. What is the service like at Mercure Bangkok Surawong? The service here feels easygoing and genuinely thoughtful. The staff are professional and friendly, offering just the right amount of attention without ever making things feel too formal or stiff. During dinner, they were attentive without being intrusive, always nearby, ready to top up a glass or bring over something extra without even needing to be asked.  What facilities are available at Mercure Bangkok Surawong? Since the top floor is home to Starlight Rooftop Bar, there’s no swimming pool at the hotel. But what they do have is a fitness centre open from 6am-10pm. It features treadmills, an upright and a recumbent bike, an elliptical, a cardio wave machine, weightlifting equipment, a sit-up bench, a regular bench, free weights and yoga mats.  What's the area like around Mercure Bangkok Surawong? Just a short stroll away is the Neilson Hays Library. Built in 1922 and designed by Italian architect Mario Tamagno, it features neo-classical details and holds about 20,000 books, from fiction to children’s titles. After a recent restoration, it won a UNESCO award for cultural heritage. If you’re around in May or November, check out their bi-annual book sale to find unique reads or donate books to support the library. A few minutes down the road is Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, one of the city’s oldest Hindu temples. Locals come here not only for worship but also to take part in colourful festivals and cultural events that bring the community together. Its ornate, colourful façade and intricate carvings stand out beautifully amid the city’s relentless bustle. Nearby, 100 Mahaseth, featured on Time Out Bangkok’s best restaurant list, is a long-time mainstay of the mid-range dining scene in Bangkok, highlighting some of the best and most unusual local ingredients from the North and Northeast. Chef Chalee Kader masterfully blends traditional Thai flavours with modern, elegant presentations. Highlights include Chiang Mai-style sausage served on a brioche bun and herb salads paired with grilled pork heart. Upstairs, Mahaniyom offers expertly crafted cocktails inspired by local ingredients, along with a selection of tasty snacks from downstairs. For those who enjoy a more laid-back afternoon, River City Bangkok is nearby along the Chao Phraya River. This arts and antiques complex combines galleries, shops, cafes and regularly hosts exhibitions and cultural events.  Why should you book a stay at  Mercure Bangkok Surawong?? If you're looking for a well-located base while exploring Bangkok, Mercure Bangkok Surawong ticks all the boxes. Its location puts you within easy reach of some of the city's most iconic neighbourhoods, without the constant noise and chaos. What makes it stand out is how it reflects the charm and cultural layers of the area, giving the hotel a sense of personality you don’t always get with big chains. It’s a stay with style, story and just the right amount of character. Address: 222 Surawong Rd, Si Phraya, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 Price per night: From approx B2,250 per night Closest transport link: BTS Chong Nonsi Station is just a short walk away from the hotel. Book now: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/mercure-bangkok-surawong.en-gb.html?aid=2427673 Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Luxury at first glance, heartfelt at every step  The Ritz-Carlton has long been a name synonymous with luxury, with iconic addresses in cities such as New York, London and Tokyo. So, when the brand finally made its Bangkok debut in 2024, expectations were sky-high and – having now stayed there myself – I can firmly say it lives up to the hype. Just to clear things up, this isn’t the same as The Ritz-Carlton Residences at MahaNakhon. This is a brand-new, standalone hotel under Marriott International, reportedly built with a B5 billion price tag – a hint of the opulence inside. Located within One Bangkok, the city’s newest mixed-use development, the hotel enjoys a prime position with uninterrupted views of Lumpini Park. It also subtly blends elements of Thai culture and design, offering an experience that feels both global and distinctly local. Here’s why The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok is worth the splurge. Why stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? Although it’s located right in the heart of the city, the hotel’s position overlooking Lumphini Park makes it feel like a serene escape from the Bangkok bustle. It’s the kind of place you could happily stay in all day long, with multiple dining options and meticulously designed spaces that invite you to linger. The interiors are thoughtfully curated, featuring artworks by local and international artists sprinkled throughout. While the establishment draws on Thailand’s rich cultural roots, it pairs that heritage with a clean, modern feel. One of my favourite spots is the eighth-floor lobby, where a peaceful pond and delicate glass lotus sculptures by Thai artist Nathakorn Kanitvaranun create an almost dreamlike atmosphere. If you’re there at sunset, the whole space glows with the warm light of golden hour. But what truly sets this hotel apart is the hospitality. From the moment I checked in, the staff made me feel genuinely cared for. Small gestures stood out such as the evening turndown service, which came without needing to ask and how they remembered my name and even what I ordered for breakfast. It honestly felt like they could anticipate what I needed before I said a word. What are the rooms like at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? Housed in a sleek 216-metre-high tower, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok offers 260 rooms – some with private terraces, all with floor-to-ceiling windows framing panoramic city views. Room options range from the 50-square-metre deluxe to the spacious 102-square-metre Gardenia Suites and the 127-square-metre Marigold and Amaranth Suites. The deluxe rooms are available with three view options: Lumphini Park to the west, the embassy and downtown area to the north and the Chao Phraya River to the south. I stayed in a deluxe room with a terrace overlooking Lumphini Park on the 21st floor, which also came with club lounge access. The lounge offers services such as a dedicated concierge and five food and beverage presentations throughout the day. The room felt comfortable and well put together. It had everything I needed, including a king-size bed with Frette linens, a coffee machine, electric kettle, high-speed internet, a Dyson hairdryer and a 65-inch TV. The bathroom was one of the highlights. Finished in marble, it featured a separate bathtub and walk-in shower, along with a Japanese-style toilet and remote-control bidet. Bathrobes were soft and breathable and Diptyque bath products added a touch of sophistication. Just a heads-up, if you decide to take the products home with you, there’s a charge of B2,500 per bottle. Of course, the room had everything I needed, but what I appreciated most were the little extras such as the complimentary shoe-shining service for guests. A little warning, though: each room features a fun ‘cabinet of curiosities’, where you can find a selection of drinks tucked away inside the drawers. You might find yourself tempted to enjoy a nightcap here more often than planned.  Where’s there to eat at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok?  There are a few great options to explore. I had a full dinner at Duet by David Toutain and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my stay. The restaurant is set inside a glasshouse with an outdoor terrace and seats just 32 people for both lunch and dinner. The menu is created by French chef David Toutain and Chef de Cuisine Valentin Fouache, focusing on seasonal, farm-to-table dishes. When I visited, it was the summer menu and I got to try dishes like zucchini with lemon balm and pistachio. It’s fine dining, but not stuffy at all – just thoughtful food in an elegant setting. For lunch, I tried Lily’s, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant that serves a mix of local and international dishes, with a focus on ‘reconsidered classics’. The space feels welcoming and stylish with open kitchens and a mix of seating options, from cosy tables for two to more social sofa setups. On weekdays, the place offers a lunch set with two courses, available from Monday to Friday. The set included starters like A5 wagyu tartare, mains such as khao soi crab curry and desserts like bunny goat milk cheesecake. If you prefer to order a la carte, you can choose from their bites, bowls and single plates, which are available throughout the day. When it comes to drinks, Caleō is a story-driven space where each cocktail draws inspiration from iconic social clubs around the world. Derived from the Latin for ‘being in love’, the bar embraces passion and a zest for life through perfect pairings and personalised moments. Served in vintage glassware and announced by the ring of a bell at sundown, drinks here aren’t just beverages, they’re little rituals. What is breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok like? Breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok is absolutely worth getting out of bed for. If you like a calm start to your day, head to the Club Lounge on the 23rd floor. It offers a light spread of pastries, congee, dim sum and a selection of drinks.  But if you’re ready to go all in, Lily’s is where the real breakfast magic happens. There are four stations to explore – Thai dishes, an Arabic salad bar, sides and a pastry corner. It honestly feels like breakfast heaven. You’ll find six kinds of milk, loads of juice options and an egg station that even serves egg siam, a Thai twist on eggs Benedict. If you don’t feel like walking around, you can also order straight from the staff. The must-try is Lily’s Thai tea waffle, a delicious nod to the Thai-Belgian Friendship Bridge visible just outside the window. It’s soft, floral and full of that bold Thai tea flavour we all love. Whether you choose the club lounge or Lily’s, both spots come with a sweeping view of Lumpini Park. Trust me, it’s the kind of morning that makes you want to wake up early even on vacation. What is the service like at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? As soon as you arrive, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok makes you feel genuinely cared for. The staff are exceptionally warm and attentive. I stayed for just one night, and many of them already remembered my name. So if you’re staying longer, I wouldn’t be surprised if they remember your daily order too. Throughout your stay, the team is more than happy to show you around and explain the hotel’s amenities. One of my favourite touches was the personalised wake-up service. You can request a simple wake-up call or take it up a notch and have tea or coffee delivered to your room at the exact time you choose. Right on the dot, a staff member arrived with a full tea set and a small snack.  What impressed me most was how the staff often anticipated what I needed before I even asked. When I was taking photos by the pool, the staff brought over a phone tripod without me saying a word. Later, they quietly placed towels, water and even mosquito spray by my lounge chair.  What is the spa and what other facilities are there at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok offers a good range of wellness facilities. The spa centres around what they call ‘Meaningful Wellness Journeys’, with treatments focusing on mind, body and skin. You’ll find steam rooms, saunas and a jacuzzi. What I found most interesting was the Himalayan salt room, a softly lit space lined with pink salt bricks that’s said to help with relaxation and breathing. It was a pleasant surprise and definitely worth checking out if you want to try something a little different. The hotel has two outdoor saltwater pools, including a small one for kids. The main pool area is peaceful, with views over Lumphini Park, plus plenty of loungers and cabanas. There’s also a poolside bar offering drinks and snacks. It is usually open from early morning until evening, though the bar closes a bit earlier. For families, the Kids’ Club provides fun and engaging activities to keep little ones entertained, giving parents some well-deserved downtime. The fitness centre is open 24/7 and is well-equipped with technogym machines, free weights, cardio equipment and dedicated stretching areas. Personal training sessions are also available.  What's the area like around The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? The hotel is set in One Bangkok, a new mixed-use development right at the corner of Wireless and Rama IV roads. While parts of the establishment are still opening in phases, you’ll already find stylish cafes such as % Arabica, Gallery Drip Coffee, and boutique spots such as Club21 and King Power City Boutique. The complex also includes pop-up exhibitions, landscaped walkways and open public spaces that make it feel more like a modern urban village than a commercial zone.  Right across from the hotel is Lumphini Park, a peaceful green oasis in the heart of Bangkok where you can enjoy a refreshing morning walk, a jog or simply relax by the lake away from the city’s hustle and bustle. There’s also plenty to eat and do close by. If you look for a place to shop or dine, Central Embassy and Central Chidlom are a short drive away. For something more local, Polo Fried Chicken is a long-time favourite known for its crispy garlic chicken. If you're after more modern spots, theCOMMONS Saladaeng has a good mix of cafes and small eateries and Woof Pack nearby often has art shows and food pop-ups. Getting around is easy too. Both Saladaeng BTS and Lumphini MRT stations are within walking distance, so you can explore the rest of the city without much hassle. Why should you book a stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok? The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok truly lives up to the luxury it promises. What really sets it apart is the exceptional service. The staff here genuinely care about every detail of your stay, making you feel welcome and looked after as soon as you walk in. It’s that personal touch – the warm smiles, remembering your preferences and anticipating your needs – that turns a stay into a memorable experience. If you’re looking for a place that combines comfort, elegance and heartfelt hospitality, this is definitely worth considering. Address: 189 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330Price per night: From approx B16,422 per nightClosest transport link: The Lumphini MRT (underground) station is a short stroll away and access to the BTS Skytrain system is available at nearby Saladaeng station. Book now: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/the-ritz-carlton-bangkok.en-gb.html?aid=2427673Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Why stay at The StandardX? When The StandardX announced its Bangkok debut in late 2024, it caused quite a stir among design lovers and coolhunters. This sibling to the glam Standard brand is the edgier, younger artist in the family. Located right on Phra Arthit Road, in Bangkok’s historic Rattanakosin Island, The StandardX fuses old-town soul with Gen Z style. The hotel stands out immediately. Outside, a figure by MR.KREME (aka Varagun ‘Andy’ Chongthanapipat) welcomes you like a surreal sentinel. Inside, the aesthetic punches with impact, with high ceilings, gallery-like corridors and rotating art exhibitions that make your stay feel like you’re checking into a living installation. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a refreshing welcome drink, just the right touch to ease into the hotel's creative and easy vibe. What are the rooms like at The StandardX? I stayed in the Deluxe Riverview room, and let me tell you, it’s got charm. A welcome amenity kit (complete with a hand fan, an ‘X’-branded tote and a candy jar) sets a playful tone. The colour scheme is modern, with monochrome tones. The robes that hang in the wardrobe pop with electric blue. Cosy lighting comes both from the glow of passing boats on the Chao Phraya river and the warm-toned lamps around your room. The bathroom is thoughtfully designed, playing with deep blues and white tiles, with a wood wall cabinet and a wood-and-black marble table under the sink to add warmth. It has all the basics: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, though you’ll need to request a toothbrush set from reception. There’s a mini fridge, drip coffee, Dilmah tea and a few drinks and snacks for purchase, including fizzy oolong and craft beer. The bed is big and soft, dressed with a cosy blanket that makes it hard to leave in the morning. Desk space is generous, with two work tables and multiple seating options. But the crown jewel is the balcony. With chairs, a table and uninterrupted river views, including the nearby Phra Arthit pier, it’s a fantastic spot for sundown musings or a morning coffee. What are the best places to eat at The StandardX? The hotel’s signature restaurant, Bang, is a riot of colour and creativity. Guests can choose to dine outdoors under fairy lights with the river in view, or sit inside among paintings and playfully mismatched furniture like transparent coloured chairs at stainless steel tables. The menu focuses on elevated Thai cuisine, with clear respect for tradition and a modern sense of fun. Start with their standout som tum platter, crispy and fresh papaya salad served with grilled pork jowl, chicken, deep-fried white pork sausage, rice noodles and sticky rice. Full-on feast mode. Massaman curry with Benja chicken (sous-vided for two hours!) was equally memorable and roti with caramelised banana made for a sticky, crispy finish. Drinks here have got you covered with herbal tonics, cold-pressed juices, classic cocktails, local craft beers, mocktails and a wine list that doesn’t skimp. The atmosphere at Bang is so inviting that it doubles as the breakfast spot for guests – a treat I couldn’t resist returning for the next morning. Breakfast is a la carte and unlimited. The pork congee hits all the comforting notes, while ‘eggs your way’ lets guests choose sides like chicken sausage, grilled tomatoes, baked beans and streaky bacon. There’s also a solid vegetarian selection, plus yogurt, fresh fruit and stir-fried Singapore-style noodles . What are the facilities like at The StandardX? To reach the rooftop pool, you wind your way past artwork, murals and cheeky design touches tucked into nooks. You’ll arrive first at The Roof, the hotel’s top-floor bar with knockout city and river views. Perched on the sixth floor, The Roof is inspired by the robust flavours of Mexico. Step just beyond that and you’ll find the pool, a sky-high rectangle overlooking the majestic Rama VIII Bridge with views of the Chao Phraya. At dusk, with music playing and the river glistening, it's hard to think of a better place to be. If you’re into art, you’ll love the programming. During my stay, the hallways featured works by Pahn Riety, a surreal collection titled Ballad for the Breathing, hosted by 10 10 Art Space. And from August 1-3 2025, The StandardX will host Mango Art Festival’s ‘Urban Collectibles 2025,’ an event uniting independent galleries, emerging artists and collectors from across Thailand and beyond. What is the service like at The StandardX? Service here feels intuitive. Staff are casually dressed but professionally tuned-in, with just the right mix of friendliness and discretion. At breakfast, servers checked in often enough to make you feel seen, but never interrupted. On checkout, the front desk let me browse local craft stalls while they confirmed the room. It’s the kind of place that gives warm, human, stylishly relaxed vibes. What’s the area like around The StandardX? The StandardX sits on Phra Arthit Road, a stretch of Bangkok’s Old Town with equal parts grit and grace. It’s a five-minute walk to Khaosan Road (party central). Phra Arthit Pier is right next door, offering easy boat connections up and down the Chao Phraya. Opposite the hotel is Coconut Culture, a popular ice cream shop that swaps out dairy for coconut. Just down the street is Nai Soie Beef Noodle, a legendary beef noodle shop, and around the corner is 108 Juices, famous for its fresh, no-water, no-sugar juices, ideal for a post-party detox or pre-breakfast pick-me-up. The neighbourhood combines Thai elements with youthful energy. Think indie cafes, Santichaiprakarn Park, cultural festivals, ancient temples and river breezes, all within walking distance. Why should you book a stay at The StandardX? If you want a stay that mixes art, food, design and culture, this is your place. It’s stylish without being try-hard, service is warm but not overbearing, and the atmosphere is one of creative freedom. The StandardX feels like both a hotel made for tourists and a creative retreat for the globally curious. Whether you’re a local on a staycation or a traveller seeking something more than a room with a view, The StandardX delivers. My tip? Book a Riverview room, come during an art week and don’t miss that rooftop pool at sunset.   Address: 45/1 Phra Athit Rd, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand. Price per night: From approx B3,299 per night Closest transport link: Phra Arthit Pier (Chao Phraya Express Boat) Book now: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/the-standardx-bangkok-phra-arthit.en-gb.html?aid=2427673   Time Out makes a small commission from the affiliate links included in this article. These links have no influence on our editorial content, but they do help us to bring you more recommendations every week. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.