Our picks for the best things to do in Bangkok this weekend

In his latest offering, Udom Taephanich – long known for saying too much with a single raised eyebrow – turns his attention to the strange erosion of play. Not the type sold in boxes, but the kind we used to conjure instinctively, when sofa cushions became castles and questions came without hesitation. Back then, imagination was a birthright. We made monsters out of scribbles, entire worlds from cardboard. Then came the invisible border called adulthood, where mistakes became shameful and joy needed justification. A reminder that the real decay isn’t physical – it’s forgetting how to be ridiculous without apology. And maybe, just maybe, it’s reversible. Jun 7-Aug 3. B250-850 via here. The Pinnacle Hall, ICONSIAM, 11am-9pm

To mark the 20th anniversary of Naruto, 54 Entertainment, in partnership with SL Experiences, presents Naruto The Gallery – an immersive exhibition that invites fans to explore the intertwined fates of Naruto and Sasuke. With seven meticulously curated zones, visitors journey through key moments, from their childhood in Konoha to their fated reunion during the Fourth Great Ninja War. The exhibition is not just a walk down memory lane, though. It showcases original storyboards, character designs and unforgettable anime scenes that reveal the heart of the series. Highlights include a stunning diorama of Hidden Leaf Village, a tribute to iconic quotes and an exclusive collaboration with five emerging Japanese artists. It’s a celebration of the anime’s legacy, full of surprises for fans both old and new. May 31-Jul 31. B250-450 via here. Free for kids below four years old. River City Bangkok, 10am-8pm

The first group exhibition in Bangkok to centre queer artists from Myanmar – a collective debut that feels less like a splashy arrival and more like a long-overdue exhale. Here, the works don’t shout, they ache. Across video, sculpture, performance and still image, the artists trace a line between leaving and belonging, mapping the emotional weight of homesickness, adaptation and identity in cities that offer both promise and dissonance. Some left for love, others for labour or liberty, but all carry the imprint of elsewhere. Most have sidestepped the usual white-cube trajectory – cutting their teeth in fashion editorials, commercial sets or underground scenes – and yet, the result is anything but amateur. This is not an exhibition that begs for legitimacy. It asserts its presence with quiet defiance, like a diary left open in a room you weren’t supposed to enter. Jun 7-Aug 9. Free. SAC Gallery  

At Ms.Jigger, lunch isn’t just a break in the day – it’s a curated escape, reimagined through the ‘Pranzo Perfetto’ experience. Let’s begin with the star: weekend lunches. Served from 11:30am to 5:00pm, the set menu is accompanied by a generous spread of free-flow antipasti – an unfiltered celebration of Italian flavor. Expect bruschetta, marinated olives, seabass carpaccio and golden fried dough balls glazed with tomato and anchovy. Focaccia arrives warm and unapologetically indulgent, filled with mortadella and mascarpone. This is a leisurely interlude – a stylish Italian affair that’s perfectly designed to sabotage your dinner plans. Prices start at B950 and B1,050 for the weekend set lunch with antipasti. During the week, weekday lunches offer a shorter, yet no less satisfying, detour into Italian comfort. Served from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Think beef carpaccio with rocket and parmesan, or citrus-cured salmon dotted with balsamic caviar, followed by mains like wagyu fettuccine, wood-fired pizza or a rustic Luganega sausage that hardly needs the side of mash. At B750 for two courses and B850 for three, it’s a surprisingly affordable luxury. Everyday. Starts at B750. Reserve via 02-056-9999 and [email protected] or via Line @Ms.Jigger. Ms.Jigger, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, 11.30pm-5pm

This exhibition brings a fresh approach to addressing the mental health challenges faced by many in Thailand. It creates a therapeutic space that blends digital art with engaging sensory elements such as light, colour, sound and touch. The focus is on the connection between the body and mind–acknowledging the importance of physical sensations in managing emotions. The exhibition focuses on the psychological concept of 'self-compassion', encouraging the audience to reflect on their well-being and mental state. Until Jul 12, 2025.  B200 via here. 2nd floor, MMAD at MunMun Srinakarin, 11am-8pm

In his first solo in Thailand, Marc Butler trades spectacle for something more insidious. His miniature set-pieces, no bigger than a child’s toybox, are sugar-coated traps – vivid, stylised, sometimes cartoonish, always a little unhinged. Think Pop Art on a comedown: colour-slick surfaces masking sharp psychological edges. They catch your eye before quietly unsettling you. There are no grand gestures here, just dioramas of quiet menace. One scene might feel almost playful – until you notice the contorted bodies or the absence of exit. Another sits in a block of sterile white, as if caught mid-dissection. These aren’t just sculptures. They’re traps for the gaze, baited with charm and painted like dreams. Until Jun 22. Free. Fakafei, 10.30am-6.30pm

This immersive, interactive digital art exhibition themed "Nature and Wildlife" highlights the beauty of ecosystems and biodiversity through advanced techniques like projection mapping, laser art and high-quality media. Spread across nine rooms at King Power Mahanakon, each space presents a distinctive experience reminiscent of a fantastical zoo. Notable features include the Kaleidoscope zone, enveloped in a variety of flowers that serve as food for butterflies; a laser projection room showcasing the majesty of predators; and an interactive underwater world. Youngsters can also enjoy a colouring activity and have their creations appear on the walls. A special surprise awaits with the appearance of Moo Deng, the famous pygmy hippopotamus from Khao Kheow Zoo, who awaits in different rooms to delight you. Until Jul 31. B350 via here and B1,000-1,200 including the Sky Walk via here. Fourth floor, King Power Mahanakon, 10am-9pm

Manit Sriwanichpoom’s latest exhibition invites us to peer into a future carved by human ambition and technology. Through a striking blend of photography and video, the works are generated by artificial intelligence, weaving prompts and big data into a visual narrative. Mars, once a red desert, is rendered in an unsettling shade of shocking pink, offering a jarring contrast that mirrors the environmental and social upheavals we face on Earth. It’s a future where the lines between the real and the imagined blur, raising questions not only about our impact on this planet, but on the ones we’ve yet to touch. The result is a chilling vision of what might await, a quiet warning wrapped in an almost surreal beauty. Until Jun 28. Free. Kathmandu Photo Gallery, 11am-6pm

Afternoon tea, reimagined through the lens of Chiang Mai’s rich heritage, arrives in Bangkok with a quiet flourish. This collaboration captures the essence of Northern Thailand – not in grand gestures, but in the subtle details. Each bite draws from the region’s fresh farm produce, transforming traditional flavours into delicate savoury and sweet morsels that feel both familiar and surprising. Alongside freshly baked scones and house-made jam, Monsoon Tea pours warmth into the ritual. Meanwhile, SARRAN’s new jewellery collection takes its cues from Chiang Mai’s delicate flowers, offering wearable art that echoes the tea’s quiet elegance. Led by Executive Chef Korawit Rungchat, the team crafts more than a meal – it’s an invitation to slow down, savour, and soak in a little of the north’s gentle magic, all without leaving the city. Jun 16-Jun 16 2026. Starts at B2,400. Baan Borneo Club, 137 Pillars Suites and Residences Bangkok, 1pm-5pm  

There’s a stillness to Jirasak Anujohn’s latest solo exhibition – a quiet that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it. His chosen tool, charcoal, feels less like medium and more like memory, dragging itself across paper to uncover something already there. Known for portraits that trace the soft erosion of time in the elderly, Jirasak now turns his eye downward – from face to hand. These are not just hands. They have sewn, suffered, carried, grieved. Each line seems earned. In brownish blacks and dusty greys, fingers bend like the pages of a long-read book, worn but intact. The show doesn’t chase sentimentality, nor does it moralise. It simply observes. And in doing so, offers a gentle resistance to a culture obsessed with youth, speed and erasure. Nothing loud. Just what’s left, when everything else has gone. May 16-Jun 30. Free. Ground Bangkok, 10am-7pm