Two decisions are worth making early in Bangkok this week. The 5 Seconds of Summer show is on Monday night, and only the Sunday date of K-Pop Masterz still had a ticket link when we checked. In between, follow the smell of lunch to Talat Phlu or look for rice baskets in a decidedly unexpected place: a Bangkok Art Biennale installation. Here are ten things to do from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 November, with the closed days and cross-city journeys taken into account.

1. Start Monday night with 5 Seconds of Summer

Four members of 5 Seconds of Summer on stage under purple lights at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre
5 Seconds of Summer at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney, on 30 April 2014. Archive performance. Photo: Sharkywoo · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized WebP.

On Monday evening the destination inside Emsphere is upstairs: UOB LIVE occupies the sixth floor. The Australian band brings its Everyone’s a Star! tour to Sukhumvit for one Bangkok date. If dinner is part of the plan, eat close to the venue and leave time to reach your section. Check the ticket type carefully: a VIP upgrade and a ticket admitting you to the concert are different purchases.

This is the one entry in the guide that cannot wait for the weekend. The ticket agent still listed a purchase link when checked on Monday morning.

  • When: Monday 9 November at 20:00.
  • Where: Phrom Phong, Sukhumvit Road.
  • Getting there: Follow the UOB LIVE signs inside Emsphere; have your ticket ready before heading up.
  • Budget: Standard tickets are listed at 2,800–6,800 THB, before any fees; check remaining seats.

Official details and reservations

2. Order lunch near Talat Phlu railway station

Serving pots, stacks of bowls and a food counter inside a rice-and-curry shop in Talat Phlu
A rice-and-curry shop in Talat Phlu, Bangkok, December 2023. Archive neighbourhood photograph. Photo: Phoebus 28 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized WebP.

Start on Thoet Thai Road with a choice between noodles and khao mu daeng, rice topped with red pork. If you prefer to see lunch before choosing it, look for a rice-and-curry counter and ask what is in the pots. Keep a little room for a sweet on the walk back. The named stop that puts you beside the old food streets is the railway station; the BTS station shares its name but is a different place.

A weekday lunch fits between the rail journeys and leaves the evening free for a show. Each cook keeps their own hours.

  • When: Choose a daytime visit; the tourism listing gives 09:00–18:00, except public holidays.
  • Where: Talat Phlu, Thon Buri.
  • Getting there: Use Talat Phlu railway station on Thoet Thai Road as the map pin for the market area.
  • Budget: Individual vendors set food prices; ask before ordering several dishes.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

3. Look for farm tools in Mel Chin’s disco installation

Artist Mel Chin speaking at a lectern with one hand raised
Mel Chin photographed in August 2023. Archive portrait of the exhibiting artist; the source does not identify the location. Photo: Netherzone · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized WebP.

At the Silpakorn University Art Centre, start by looking up. In Love is in the Air, Mel Chin uses baskets and agricultural tools to build a suspended form that calls to mind a disco ball. The Thai ghost figures Krasue and Krahang are part of the work’s vocabulary. Take one look before reading the label and another afterwards: an implement you first saw as decoration may become easier to recognise.

The Bangkok Art Biennale is already open. Its university stop is a useful Monday choice when several of the city’s museums are closed.

  • When: This week: Monday 9 through Saturday 14 November, 09:00–16:00 under the festival programme.
  • Where: Wang Tha Phra, 31 Na Phra Lan Road, Phra Nakhon.
  • Getting there: Use the Art Centre on the Wang Tha Phra campus, not another university campus.
  • Budget: Check visitor terms on the official festival page before travelling.

Official details and reservations

4. Watch the morning flower trade on Chak Phet Road

Flower sellers, baskets of garlands and colourful floral arrangements at Pak Khlong Talat in Bangkok
Flower stalls at Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok, December 2016. Archive photograph. Photo: Ninara / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0. Resized WebP.

Baskets arriving at Pak Khlong Talat tell a different story from the finished garlands on the stalls. Look for flowers sold by the bunch and compare them with the smaller arrangements made for offerings. Choose a spot out of the delivery path; if you would like a picture of someone threading a garland, ask first. One small purchase makes more sense than a large bouquet if you still have a full day of sightseeing ahead.

An early visit works even on Monday. It also leaves time for the Old Town galleries after they open.

  • When: Open around the clock; early morning is especially active.
  • Where: Chak Phet Road, near the river in Phra Nakhon.
  • Getting there: Walk from MRT Sanam Chai and let deliveries through the narrow market passages.
  • Budget: Free to enter. Ask the stallholder for the price of a bunch or garland.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

5. Set aside a reading hour at Neilson Hays Library

Wooden bookshelves, a reading table and arched windows inside Neilson Hays Library
The reading room at Neilson Hays Library in Bangkok, January 2018. Archive photograph. Photo: Azoma · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized WebP.

Instead of trying to work through a reading list, choose a shelf and let one book determine the hour. The wooden cases, arched windows and reading tables are part of the pleasure of a visit to this English-language library. If you find something you want to finish at home, ask the desk about borrowing: visitor access and the right to take out books are separate questions.

Go midweek for a pause between louder outings. Monday is the closed day, so save the Surawong trip for Tuesday onwards.

  • When: Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30–17:00.
  • Where: 195 Surawong Road, Bang Rak.
  • Getting there: Use the library entrance on Surawong Road. Parking is limited; check visitor arrangements before setting off.
  • Budget: Check current visitor contributions or membership terms directly with the library.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

6. Build a small-group temple day around Wat Suthat

Golden Buddha and surrounding sculptures in the grounds of Wat Suthat in Bangkok
Wat Suthat, Bangkok, February 2016. Archive photograph of the proposed itinerary’s temple stop; it does not depict a Van Bangkok vehicle or tour group. Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized WebP.

If your group would rather travel together, give Van Bangkok one definite stop instead of a long list. Wat Suthat rewards time on foot: the Giant Swing is outside, while the mural paintings are inside the temple. Agree on a meeting point away from the entrance so nobody has to guess where the driver will wait. Leave the second stop flexible until you know how long the temple visit takes.

An agreed chauffeur itinerary lets a group choose a weekday and build in a lunch break. Ask for the route and return time in writing.

  • When: Arrange an eight-hour city itinerary; the temple lists 08:30–20:00.
  • Where: Wat Suthat, Bamrung Mueang Road, Phra Nakhon.
  • Getting there: Reserve transport with the operator. Temple admission and a guide are separate from the chauffeur service.
  • Budget: Request a quote for your group; the tourism authority lists temple admission at 100 THB.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

7. Research a design question at the Grand Postal Building

Reading tables and shelves inside TCDC’s Resource Center at the Grand Postal Building in Bangkok
TCDC Resource Center in the Grand Postal Building, Bangkok, May 2019. Archive view from the fifth floor. Photo: Nvtj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized WebP.

Bring a question to the Thailand Creative & Design Center: how is a chair joined, or why does one package fit the hand better than another? The Resource Center’s catalogue covers furniture, materials and packaging. Follow one subject through a couple of books, then look for a different answer on the shelves. This is a working design library, so a focused hour makes more sense than a quick photo stop.

For a Bang Rak afternoon, pair it with Surawong and check the visitor pass before leaving the library for Charoen Krung.

  • When: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30–19:00; closed Monday.
  • Where: Grand Postal Building, 1160 Charoen Krung Road, Bang Rak.
  • Getting there: Choose Bangkok on the TCDC visitor page; other branches keep their own hours.
  • Budget: Check the current day-pass price and identification requirements before entering the Resource Center.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

8. Pick Sunday for BamBam, JAY B and Mark

GOT7 members on the Inkigayo stage in colourful shirts during a 2015 performance
GOT7 on South Korea’s Inkigayo in August 2015. JAY B, Mark and BamBam appear with other group members. Archive photograph. Photo: Jinius · CC BY 4.0. Resized WebP.

Three members of GOT7 share the K-Pop Masterz bill at Thunder Dome Stadium. The important word on the ticket is “Stadium”: the similarly named Thunder Dome is a different destination. If friends are setting off separately, exchange the stadium pin and agree to meet before entry. On the booking page, compare the seating and standing sections before choosing how you want to watch.

Saturday is marked sold out. Sunday still had a booking link when checked, and its start is two hours earlier than Saturday’s.

  • When: Saturday 14 November, 19:00, sold out; Sunday 15 November, 17:00.
  • Where: Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok.
  • Getting there: Use the official seat map and travel with time for entry. Gates are listed about an hour before the show.
  • Budget: Published ticket tiers span 3,900–7,900 THB before fees. Recheck Sunday availability.

Official details and reservations

9. Take the slower paths through Bang Kachao

Tree-lined walking path beside water in Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park
A path in Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park, Samut Prakan, December 2014. Archive park photograph. Photo: Ruslik0 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized WebP.

Across the water from Khlong Toei, Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park offers a different view of the metropolitan area: tree cover, quiet water and room to pause for birds. Make the park the destination rather than trying to cover all of Bang Kachao. A short walk with time to stand still can be more rewarding than counting the distance, particularly if you come with binoculars.

This is the outing to save for an unhurried morning. Plan both legs of the crossing before heading away from central Bangkok.

  • When: Daily, 06:00–19:00; choose daylight for birdwatching.
  • Where: Bang Kachao, Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan.
  • Getting there: Cross from Khlong Toei and plan the onward connection to 73 Soi Wat Rat Rangsan.
  • Budget: Allow for the crossing and local travel; confirm bicycle hire separately if wanted.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations

10. Give the murals at the National Museum a closer look

Golden Buddha shrine, mural walls and decorated ceiling inside Phutthaisawan Hall at Bangkok National Museum
Inside Phutthaisawan Hall at Bangkok National Museum, June 2017. Archive photograph of the permanent heritage collection. Photo: Iudexvivorum / Wikimedia Commons · CC0. Resized WebP.

At the National Museum Bangkok, begin with Phutthaisawan Hall if it is open on your visit. Take in the painted walls and the Buddha shrine together before looking closely at an individual scene. The building gives those objects a scale that is hard to appreciate from an isolated photograph. Ask the desk about room access when you arrive, especially if you are coming near lunchtime.

Wednesday is the first museum day of the week. Pair it with the university gallery nearby on a day when both are open.

  • When: Wednesday 11 through Sunday 15 November, 09:00–16:00; some rooms close at lunch.
  • Where: Na Phra That Road, on the Sanam Luang side of the Old Town.
  • Getting there: Use the museum entrance near Thammasat University and pick up the gallery plan.
  • Budget: The visitor guide lists 30 THB for Thai visitors and 240 THB for foreign visitors.

Ongoing experience — not a special event.

Official details and reservations · Explore our Bangkok guide

Plan your Bangkok outing

For a midweek double bill, start with the university gallery and walk on to the National Museum on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Keep Bang Kachao for a separate morning. Before booking a concert, check the venue name, ticket category and your route home; the Sukhumvit and Muang Thong Thani shows take you to different parts of the city.

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Editorial note: Van Bangkok is included from the site owner’s nominated businesses. This selection is not an independent ranking. Details were checked on 2026-11-09; check the official link before travelling or booking.

Cover: Bangkok at sunset near Taksin Bridge, April 2017. Archive photograph, cropped for this cover. Photo: Samagorn Boonnum · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized WebP.