{"id":1028,"date":"2026-05-30T03:31:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T03:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asianewscast.com\/2026\/05\/30\/in-bangkok-i-learnt-chilling-is-not-an-option-from-the-coolest-creative-spots-to-an-art-forest-day-trip\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T03:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T03:31:36","slug":"in-bangkok-i-learnt-chilling-is-not-an-option-from-the-coolest-creative-spots-to-an-art-forest-day-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1028","title":{"rendered":"In Bangkok, I learnt chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an &#8216;art forest&#8217; day trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<section data-title=\"Leaderboard  01 Article\" class=\"block block-ad-entity block-ad-displayleaderboard-01-article clearfix\">\n<div class=\"block-title\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div 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chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an u0027art forestu0027 day trip&quot;,&quot;entityuuid&quot;:&quot;afee0439-bba0-495e-aace-6a89034fc93d&quot;}\">\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<section data-title=\"Content Details\" class=\"block block-mc-content-detail block-content-details clearfix article-detail-title-block\">\n<div data-title=\"Content Details\" class=\"content-detail block block-mc-content-detail block-content-details clearfix article-detail-title-block\">\n<p class=\"content-detail__category\">\n<a class=\"link\" href=\"\/travel\"><br \/>\n      Travel<br \/>\n  <\/a>\n    <\/p>\n<h1 class=\"h1 h1--page-title\">\n      In Bangkok, I learnt chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an &#8216;art forest&#8217; day trip<br \/>\n  <\/h1>\n<div class=\"content-detail__description\">\n<p>Bangkok&#8217;s creative energy is in overdrive. The new Voco Bangkok Surawong puts you right in the middle of it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--75-25\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--first\">\n<section data-title=\"Hero Emphasis\" class=\"block detail-hero-media block-mc-hero-emphasis block-hero-emphasis clearfix\">\n<figure data-title=\"Hero Emphasis\" class=\"figure block detail-hero-media block-mc-hero-emphasis block-hero-emphasis clearfix\" data-img-id=\"\">\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--_30T4NUZ--\/c_crop,h_722,w_963,x_1,y_55\/c_fill,g_auto,h_622,w_830\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/12\/voco_bangkok_hero_new.jpg?itok=INwuEszs\" alt=\"In Bangkok, I learnt chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an &apos;art forest&apos; day trip\" title=\"In Bangkok, I learnt chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an &apos;art forest&apos; day trip\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n<p>Song Wat has been one of Bangkok\u2019s most talked-about creative enclaves in recent years, with no signs of cooling. (Photos: Toh Ee Ming)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Text to speech\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-text-to-speech clearfix\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"mc-text-to-speech-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"new-feature-wizard\">\n    <span class=\"new-feature-wizard__text\"><br \/>\n        New: You can now listen to articles.<br \/>\n        <span class=\"new-feature-wizard__close\"><\/p>\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com\/profiles\/custom\/mediacorp\/themes\/mc_core_theme\/images\/close.svg\"><\/p>\n<p>        <\/span><br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-to-speech-caption\">\n       This audio is generated by an AI tool.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--second\">\n<section data-title=\"Byline\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-author clearfix\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"author-card author-card--author-info-block\">\n<div class=\"author-card__figure\">\n            <a href=\"\/author\/toh-ee-ming-2\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--zKdhPu17--\/c_crop,h_735,w_735,x_592,y_147\/c_fill,g_faces:auto,h_140,w_140\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2025\/12\/15\/ee_ming_profile_0.jpg?itok=-CDlqEIV\" alt=\"\"><br \/>\n<\/a>\n                  <\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__content\">\n<div class=\"author-card__body\">\n<div class=\"author-card__author-name\">\n<h6 class=\"h6 h6--author-name\">\n<a class=\"h6__link\" href=\"\/author\/toh-ee-ming-2\"><br \/>\n      Toh Ee Ming<br \/>\n  <\/a><br \/>\n  <\/h6>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Content share and bookmark\" class=\"block block-mc-content-share-bookmark block-content-share-bookmark clearfix\">\n<div data-title=\"Content share and bookmark\" class=\"mobile_author_card block block-mc-content-share-bookmark block-content-share-bookmark clearfix\">\n<div class=\"mobile_author_card__image-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"mobile_author_card__image mobile_author_card__image--\">\n<a class=\"link\" href=\"\/author\/toh-ee-ming-2\"><\/p>\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--z1wfm2Gr--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_100,w_100\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2025\/12\/15\/ee_ming_profile_0.jpg?h=80d5ead1&amp;itok=ad4JlgMQ\" alt=\"Toh Ee Ming\" title=\"Toh Ee Ming\"><\/p>\n<p>                <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mobile_author_card__name\">\n<a class=\"link link--author-profile\" href=\"\/author\/toh-ee-ming-2\"><br \/>\n      Toh Ee Ming<br \/>\n  <\/a>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-publish article-publish--\">\n        30 May 2026 08:35AM\n      <\/div>\n<div class=\"js-popup-content with-authors\">\n<div class=\"bookmark-share\">\n<div class=\"bookmark-share-icon\">\n<a class=\"link bookmark-link\" data-uuid=\"afee0439-bba0-495e-aace-6a89034fc93d\" data-nid=\"582486\" href=\";\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"link__text visually-hidden\"><br \/>\n    Bookmark<br \/>\n  <\/span><br \/>\n  <\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"link bookmark-link-anonymous hidden\" href=\"\/profile\/sso\/login?redirect_url=\/travel\/bangkok-voco-surawong-song-wat-khao-yai-582486&amp;bookmark=afee0439-bba0-495e-aace-6a89034fc93d\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"link__text visually-hidden\"><br \/>\n    Bookmark<br \/>\n  <\/span><br \/>\n  <\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"link trigger-popup trigger-popup--share\" data-link_absolute=\"https:\/\/cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com\/travel\/bangkok-voco-surawong-song-wat-khao-yai-582486?cid=internal_sharetool_web_30052026_cnalifestyle\" data-category=\"Travel\" data-category_url=\"\/travel\" data-heading=\"In Bangkok, I learnt chilling is not an option \u2013 from the coolest creative spots to an &apos;art forest&apos; 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Give it a try.<br \/>\n        <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__close-button\" role=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-button__tooltip-fast-back-button\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip hidden\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__body\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__label\">\n              <span class=\"fast-tooltip__non-touch\"> Click here to return to FAST <\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"fast-tooltip__touch\"> Tap here to return to FAST <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__close-button\" role=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <a title=\"FAST\" href=\"https:\/\/cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com\/fast\/582486\" class=\"fast-button\"><br \/>\n               FAST <\/p>\n<p>    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Content\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-content clearfix\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Frantic can&#8217;t quite begin to describe Bangkok. The city mutates at a speed that makes other Asian capitals look like they&#8217;re standing still. A warehouse finds new life as a contemporary art institution, an old trading quarter becomes the hottest new creative enclave. Blink, and you\u2019re behind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The new Voco Bangkok Surawong knows this, and lands right in the thick of it. Opened last December, it marks the debut of IHG&#8217;s fastest-growing premium brand in Thailand, and the latest addition to the city\u2019s\u00a0ever-evolving hospitality scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Voco in Latin means to invite, to call one in. At the lobby, you\u2019re greeted by several larger-than-life finch sculptures in festive woven hats, radiating the cheerful, slightly unhinged energy of party hosts. The finch is one\u00a0of the hotel&#8217;s three kooky bird mascots, which appear in various forms across the property. They\u00a0telegraph exactly what kind of place this is: emphatically unstuffy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306836\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--ob4v3ln5--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_004.jpg?itok=p1BuQv5S\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Lobby of the new Voco Bangkok Surawong. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306841\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--vU86yhE---\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_012.jpg?itok=eoZ_WILT\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Located along Surawong Road, the hotel sits in the midst of Bangkok\u2019s heritage and modern energy. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span>Thai architecture firm A49 refashioned the Brutalist shell of the original Tawana Hotel, retaining its geometric forms while opening up the space to light; interior design studio P49 Deesign\u00a0layered in mid-century touches and a chirpy yellow and blue palette.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The owl mascot shows up in the rooms, the hotel&#8217;s nudge toward me-time. I was gifted with an owl plushie, colouring kit, shower steamers in earl grey cucumber and lavender mint, and an order sheet for breakfast in bed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306846\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--liSpDG8z--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_005.jpg?itok=pqEykpzb\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Voco Bangkok Surawong Grand Room. The hotel design and experience reflect Surawong\u2019s vibrant spirit. (Photo: Voco Bangkok Surawong)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306851\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--rdgwTTsy--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_006.jpg?itok=ZpHAm03g\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Welcome pack at the new Voco Bangkok Surawong. \u2018Me time\u2019 beckons in its 244 thoughtfully designed guestrooms and suites.  (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306856\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--UhXUhcNC--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_007.b.jpg?itok=0ARK0aAY\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Voco Bangkok Surawong Bathrobe and Vanity. (Photo: Voco Bangkok Surawong)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span>Downstairs, the flamingo \u2013 the hotel&#8217;s mascot for its social spaces \u2013\u00a0holds court at Tasca Sabio, a Spanish joint built around punchy Mediterranean flavours, and all-day-dining restaurant Deckles Smokehouse, where the slow-smoked brisket and a khao soi riff pack serious heat.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306861\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--R4_DJ_bU--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_010.jpg?itok=khL1dlSH\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Tasca Sabio, a spirited Spanish-inspired restaurant and bar, at Voco Bangkok Surawong. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306866\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--wpwLJGGx--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_008.jpg?itok=dRZosK0N\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Swimming pool at Voco Bangkok Surawong.  (Photo: Voco Bangkok Surawong)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span>During my April visit, I saw how the crowd skews young. General manager Walid Ouezini says the hotel is seeing strong demand from urban explorers and bleisure travellers (combining business trips with leisure time). Singaporeans, especially, for whom Bangkok remains the ideal long-weekend escape.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Surawong sits at the hinge of old and new Bangkok, close to bustling Silom, Sathorn&#8217;s corporate corridors, and Siam&#8217;s shopping landmarks. More or less exactly where you want to be.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span lang=\"EN-GB\">THE NEW CREATIVE CLUSTERS<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Song Wat has been one of Bangkok\u2019s most talked-about creative enclaves in recent years, with no signs of cooling. Running parallel to the Chao Phraya River, the street was once a thriving trading hub, home to Chinese merchants and warehouses packed with rice, spices and other staples. As river trade declined and logistics shifted to larger ports and industrial zones outside the city, the warehouses emptied out.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306556\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--a7Dbyeh3--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_014.jpg?itok=d4-UcWMh\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Song Wat Road in Bangkok\u2019s Chinatown has evolved from a trading hub into a creative hotspot. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306561\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--b8Q79zgS--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_013.jpg?itok=MpisLzWK\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      People pose for photos in Song Wat area. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306566\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--hWVjFFW6--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_018.jpg?itok=UJRBZlQP\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      In Song Wat, a former warehouse finds a second life. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306571\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--yCQ4kdT_--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_015.jpg?itok=Ce-S6TAV\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Street scenes at Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306576\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--t4jvcuQJ--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_019.jpg?itok=RsxXesr1\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      In Song Wat, a former warehouse finds a second life. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306581\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--ddvKOoPh--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_19b.jpg?itok=YvH3k5ht\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Visitors enjoy views of the Chao Phraya River.  (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">COVID-19 accelerated the revival, as lower rents and a long pause gave a new generation of young Thai creatives space to experiment. Our tour guide Kingkamon Sanguanpibool explained: &#8220;They started to think, &#8216;This used to be a place for business, so why don&#8217;t we do something.'&#8221; It started small, a coffee shop, then a gallery. Then more followed.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306586\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--xAl7pP0s--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_021.jpg?itok=UpfM9_tT\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Song Wat Road trades its wholesale past for caf\u00e9s, shops, and galleries. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306591\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--VzN2di59--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_023.jpg?itok=T51GJvFo\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Homeware and other knick-knacks at the popular Oyster and Things store. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306596\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--8wmkDri_--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_022.jpg?itok=jiNu9HkY\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Oyster and Things store, a crowd favourite among shoppers. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Today you\u2019ll find design-forward retail, coffee roasters, thrift stores and vintage shops doing brisk business, lifestyle and homeware stores like Copenn and Onest, alongside art galleries and photo booths. On weekends, the area fills up fast, a crush of camera-toting crowds.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306601\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--0qlzv10u--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_025.jpg?itok=ZMpcPCRk\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Tourists at Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306606\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--zg8yQ0H---\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_026.jpg?itok=eMZOyl-q\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Photobooth spot at Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306611\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--6i8UGAO3--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_030.jpg?itok=zHqiUKc9\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Inside the Copenn store at Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306616\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--dqiEpA_B--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_028.jpg?itok=xHeq1J__\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Live music along Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306621\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--03J-iBRZ--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_031.jpg?itok=SOKjQoXY\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Customers browse the Onest store at Songwat, a home fragrance brand. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306626\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--Agg8Y0Rx--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_033.jpg?itok=IKHnfMP2\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Quirky finds at Song Wat. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">A short walk brings you into atmospheric Talat Noi, which feels more lived-in and less curated. Once the heart of the city\u2019s auto industry in the 1930s, it later became a scrap metal \u201cgraveyard\u201d of sorts. It remains a working district today, with mechanics and spare parts shops still tucked between newer arrivals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">We thread through a rabbit warren of narrow alleys lined with street art and sticker-plastered walls, curiosities at every turn. A weathered Fiat 500 parked outside 32Bar X, a specialty chocolate bar, has become a landmark photo stop.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306631\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--TyJt9-Uz--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_036.jpg?itok=HZgy5lt6\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      A rusty Fiat 500 in Talat Noi, now a popular photo spot, harks back to its auto-hub past. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306636\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--K8CV1t58--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_039.jpg?itok=ZroaUhGW\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      In Talat Noi, bold street art spills across alleyways. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306641\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--WUPCAwve--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_040.jpg?itok=qrXQiTLV\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Talat Noi\u2019s lanes burst with vibrant street art, turning weathered walls into an open-air gallery. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">So Heng Tai Mansion, a 200-year-old Chinese courtyard house now partly turned into a caf\u00e9 with a swimming pool; Mother Roaster occupies the upper floor of an old warehouse while an elephant sculpture made from spare metal parts stands sentry.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306646\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--_9cWs4Df--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_042.jpg?itok=n0DqESt9\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      So Heng Tai Mansion, an iconic heritage sites in the historic neighborhood of Talat Noi. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306651\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--dxwduuFL--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_038.jpg?itok=ltYoWt-2\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      On the ground floor, an elephant assembled from scrap metal greets passersby. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">A handmade sign for Sunshine Herbal Juice catches the eye outside a residential house, promising relief from the heat. As we pore over a mostly Thai menu, the side door opens and we\u2019re greeted by three smiling older women, drawn out by the commotion. One of them is a 98-year-old granny who delightedly calls us \u201csuai\u201d (pretty) and asks for a photo, before insisting she must get back to her porridge.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<section class=\"block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\">\n<figure class=\"figure block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\" data-img-id=\"\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--RT1sNVEq--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_045.jpg?itok=JdBwUClJ\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Sunshine Herbal Juice is run by a trio of women who welcome every visitor like a friend. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">At sunset, we end up at Hong Sieng Kong, a restored riverside mansion where locals gather to watch the light soften over the Chao Phraya River.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306666\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--3su5uZJj--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_052.jpg?itok=Jsi7exNs\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Sunset draws visitors to Hong Sieng Kong,  a 200-year-old Chinese mansion caf\u00e9 by the Chao Phraya River. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306671\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--5UTYr-Sh--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_053.jpg?itok=3sEQy-Ni\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At Hong Sieng Kong, a 200-year-old riverside Chinese mansion caf\u00e9, guests linger as night settles over the Chao Phraya. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Elsewhere, in the Wat Phraya Yang alley pocket within the Galileoasis estate, the leafy Piccolo Vicolo cafe sits alongside eclectic Spacebar Zine, which champions indie publishing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306676\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--cGFZiB4m--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_055.jpg?itok=Y5wlIhQo\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Spacebar Zine draws indie book lovers. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306681\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--i1_pvlQx--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_057.jpg?itok=8p2wqYYl\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At Spacebar Zine, indie readers linger over zines. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306686\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s---FK3hIbf--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_060.jpg?itok=iabu2SGk\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Boutique shops at Galileooasis.(Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Further afield in Ratchathewi, Vacilando Bookshop is for quiet browsing of art and photo books; Ssoundnamm, a listening caf\u00e9, cranks out groovy Thai oldies on vinyl.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306711\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--yAy72INk--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_064.jpg?itok=5UMg1Tvo\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Part cafe, part listening bar, Ssoundnamm revolves around Thai music from the &#8217;80s and &#8217;90s.(Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306716\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--P9CiIcbz--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_061.jpg?itok=kNrJBX2E\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Vacilando Bookshop offers art and photo books for slow browsing. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<h2><span lang=\"EN-GB\">THE NEW ART SCENE<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">At the edge of Bangkok\u2019s port district, a repurposed steel warehouse now holds DIB Bangkok \u2013 \u00a0Thailand\u2019s first major international contemporary art museum, and one of the clearest signs of how quickly the city\u2019s art scene is expanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<section class=\"block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\">\n<figure class=\"figure block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\" data-img-id=\"\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--3HVnn4gP--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_073.jpg?itok=OV28-ktl\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At DIB Bangkok, a former warehouse becomes home to Thailand\u2019s first major museum for international contemporary art.(Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Its name comes from the Thai word \u201cdib\u201d, meaning raw or unfinished. A long reflecting pool at the entrance eases the shift from Bangkok\u2019s frenetic streets into a futuristic building redesigned by Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast. Inside, 7,000 sq m of gallery space unfold across three floors; we take in (In)visible Presence, a group show of some 80 works by 40 artists.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306726\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--5fF9nOP9--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_074.jpg?itok=e4ahpBV7\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At DIB Bangkok, Subodh Gupta\u2019s Incubate features stainless-steel \u201ceggs\u201d resting beneath chandeliers. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306731\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--goovsDyq--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_076.jpg?itok=TBLHPAq3\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      In The Unheard Voice by Somboon Hormtientong, wooden temple pillars are cleaned and wrapped before being given a funeral ritual by monks. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306736\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--kMg_2d-l--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_078.jpg?itok=Ll6NPPQt\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      DIB Bangkok presents a range of works by the late Thai artist Montien Boonma, rooted in his exploration of spirituality.  (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Outside, Sho Shibuya\u2019s works, commissioned for the museum\u2019s grand opening exhibition, bring his Sunrise From A Small Window series to monumental scale. Painted over pages of that day\u2019s The New York Times, a hopeful dawn seemingly pushing back against the world&#8217;s daily catastrophes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<section class=\"block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\">\n<figure class=\"figure block block- block--view-mode-default clearfix\" data-img-id=\"\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--BTERFVdz--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_081.jpg?itok=RbuwnT_G\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      A security guard watches Sho Shibuya\u2019s Sunrise from a Small Window at DIB Bangkok. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Come at sunset for James Turrell\u2019s permanent installation Straight Up, 1988, a striking skyscape accessed by stairs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306746\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--PTK5O4CQ--\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_090.jpg?itok=5dYtIqZb\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At DIB Bangkok, Thailand\u2019s first permanent James Turrell installation includes a rare camera obscura room. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306751\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--wijYkgzI--\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_092.jpg?itok=7fNPnqbB\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Influencers pause for photos on the installation\u2019s staircase. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306756\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--PRN_jYs9--\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_093.jpg?itok=gASYKWb3\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      As sunset falls, James Turrell\u2019s installation shifts with the light, turning perception itself into the artwork. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306761\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--lvsr4G3K--\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_094.jpg?itok=JMjp8Brx\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      At sunset, changing light transforms the James Turrell space, making the sky part of the installation. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Within a plain room, a circular opening in the ceiling frames the sky. As day slips into night, the room\u2019s lighting shifts in sequence, and the sky seems to change in response<\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u2013\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">pink, orange, green. Birds and planes pass overhead. You begin to notice the act of seeing itself: how the eye reads colour, space, depth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">If you have a day to spare and the patience for a long drive, Khao Yai Art Forest<\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u2013\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">recently named in Time Magazine\u2019s World&#8217;s Greatest Places 2026 list <\/span><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u2013\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">is worth the effort. Launched by Bangkok-based philanthropist Marisa Chearavanont and Italian architect-turned curator Stefano Rabolli Pansera, the project reimagines the traditional art institution, inviting artists to realise large-scale, site-specific works within nature.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306766\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--noU30fkH--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_101.jpg?itok=J7UwUsDd\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Khao Yai Art Forest blends contemporary art with wild landscape, turning the forest into an open-air gallery. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306771\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--f_mZzhLg--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_102.jpg?itok=D5sETQrm\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      A staff member walks through the entrance of Khao Yai Art Forest. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306776\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--mBBZK3O0--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_103.jpg?itok=3GbRv3YT\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Reception area of the Khao Yai Art Forest. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Set against one of Thailand\u2019s most pristine landscapes, we arrive at a lush reception space that wouldn\u2019t look out of place in a high-end hotel lobby. At the entrance of this open-air museum, staff remind us to move slowly. Honour the silence of the forest, they say. Let the work come to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">At one stop, we press an ear against a tree trunk and feel it hum faintly. Elsewhere, in a video installation by Thai artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, farmers and villagers react to reproductions of iconic Western paintings, their candid reactions quietly probing questions of perception and cultural distance.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306781\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--WLXBze7i--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_105.jpg?itok=ubxeCjbP\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      \u201cTwo Planets Series\u201d by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook juxtaposes two apparently incompatible worlds: rural Thai villagers and canonical works of Western art.  (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306786\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--Uwwsfhuv--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_107.jpg?itok=lOHyc2Vk\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Bamboo Bar. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Berlin-based duo Elmgreen &amp; Dragset\u2019s K-Bar emerges from the forest like a mirage: a charcoal-grey pavilion reached by a path through wild grass, glowing faintly in the dark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306791\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--0Ru3d46H--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_111.jpg?itok=SrtfRtdz\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      K-Bar is a site-specific installation situated at the heart of Khao Yai Art Forest, by Elmgreen &amp; Dragset, the Scandinavian artist duo based in Berlin. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306796\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--Z47NdypC--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_112.jpg?itok=g-rMZZ-x\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Conceived as a tribute to the late German artist Martin Kippenberger, K-Bar takes the form of an intimate pavilion designed to seat only six guests at a time.(Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Open only once a month and seating only six guests, it pays homage to German artist Martin Kippenberger and his well-known relationship with alcohol. A classic city bar within the forest, it feels deliberately absurd.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306801\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--RKCSCN57--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_120.jpg?itok=0TsugqGe\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Visitors pose for photos at the Khao Yai Fog Forest. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306806\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--S7DITd83--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_118.jpg?itok=HKtH0iYN\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      In \u201cKhao Yai Fog Forest\u201d, artist Fujiko Nakaya modeled an entire hillside to choreograph the fog. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306811\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--GVnL3Wc9--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_119.jpg?itok=Vs5Z6HGe\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      By immersing viewers in the fog, the installations elicit a visceral awareness of natural rhythms and foster a reconnection with the Earth within everyday life. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Further on, we encounter Fujiko Nakaya\u2019s fog installation: timed bursts of thick artificial mist that drift and reform around us, turning the hillside into a dreamlike world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span lang=\"EN-GB\">NEW WATERING HOLES<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Just north of central Bangkok, Saphan Khwai is gentrifying quickly, but it still holds a gritty edge. Rundown motels and local eateries sit alongside new caf\u00e9s and bars that have sprung up. One of them is Perfect Strangers, a bar in an industrial grey building on Pradiphat Soi 14. Exposed concrete, pillars and stripped-back furnishings keep it clean and unpretentious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306816\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--U3cQ3lZR--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_126.jpg?itok=sZDUxqtH\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Exterior of Perfect Strangers. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306821\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--NWUKkc7l--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_124.jpg?itok=-O-COU0D\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Singers perform at Perfect Strangers. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">With an extensive food and cocktail menu, it has quickly become a raucous spot for live music, mostly jazz and pop, and I end the night on its Landing in the Lavender cocktail, a gin-based drink with lychee, lavender tea, osmanthus syrup, bitters and egg white, soft floral and slightly perfumed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Sanctuary Bangkok sits on the 34th floor in Sukhumvit, and the wind up there is real. Opened last March, it won Global No 1 Alfresco &amp; Biophilic Design at the 2025 Restaurants &amp; Bars Design Awards. Afro beats pulse as a bartender shakes up a river prawn butter cocktail.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery\">\n<div class=\"photo-gallery__content\">\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306826\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--2-RF2a1Z--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_127.jpg?itok=W3XEbjla\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Sanctuary Bangkok, a rooftop bar on the 34th floor, has been awarded \u201cGlobal: No.1 Alfresco &amp; Biophilic Design\u201d at the 2025 Restaurants &amp; Bars Design Awards. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure\" data-img-id=\"1306831\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--6d4ngehR--\/c_fill,g_auto,h_523,w_693\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/mediacorp\/cna\/image\/2026\/05\/11\/vocobkk_128.jpg?itok=rXiXvd9L\" alt=\"\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n      Sanctuary Bangkok, a rooftop bar on the 34th floor, has been awarded \u201cGlobal: No.1 Alfresco &amp; Biophilic Design\u201d at the 2025 Restaurants &amp; Bars Design Awards. (Photo: Toh Ee Ming)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Then Songkran arrives, and the city turns into a giant, joyful mess. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, foam, dance music, people stripped down and gleefully toting enormous water guns. Streets become battle zones; even malls turn into party arenas with water slides and blasting speakers. No one is spared from the water warfare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Back at Voco, the staff have shed their uniforms entirely, now kitted in Hawaiian prints. At the pool party, with a live DJ spinning tracks, I spot them gathering in a circle to bust out some dance moves. When I say I want to chill for the evening, a media personality berates me jokingly: \u201cCome on, this is not the time to chill. This is the biggest party in Asia. You can\u2019t miss it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Bangkok keeps doing what Bangkok does: throwing a party, and not waiting for you to catch up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span lang=\"EN-GB\">CNA Lifestyle was in Bangkok at the invitation of Voco Bangkok Surawong, which is currently offering a &#8220;Bangkok Easy Escape&#8221; package until Jul 31. 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day trip Bangkok&#8217;s creative energy is in overdrive. The new Voco Bangkok Surawong puts you right in the middle of it. 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