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Bangkok lights up every Christmas and New Year with a feast of festive favourite and classic Christmas lights and events – Bangkok at Christmas in 2023 is no different.
Bangkok has countless Christmas events from shopping mall Christmas light displays around the Siam area to huge Christmas trees, winter villages and even a snow covered cafe complete with Father Christmas – ho ho ho!
These Thailand Christmas lights and events warm the heart and see in both Christmas and celebrate the end of the year.
Bangkok has plenty of Christmas events, decorations, markets and lights so here is our updated guide to Bangkok’s best Christmas lights, displays and events in 2023:
Note many of the Bangkok Christmas events and Bangkok Christmas lights still have 2023 dates to be confirmed – we’ll be updating these as they get announced so don’t forget to bookmark this Christmas in Bangkok page…
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Table of Contents
Celebrating Christmas in Bangkok
Christmas isn’t officially a holiday in Bangkok as Thailand is a mainly Buddhist country, so if Christmas in Bangkok or Thailand falls on a weekday, it is just like any normal working day.
That said, many Bangkok shopping malls have Christmas events and lights to encourage people to shop more plus expats and foreigners appreciate all the Christmas markets in Bangkok.
It should also be remembered that Songkran (New Year in Thailand) is in April (you might have seen the water pistol festivities) but New Year’s Eve on December 31 / January 1st is sometimes celebrated with events in Bangkok hotels or in restaurants.
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1. B-Story Cafe
One of the best Christmas things to do in Bangkok is visit the B-Story cafe in Ratchathewi.
This popular Bangkok cafe is owned by fashion guru Ekkachai Saisom and is an extension of his popular clothing company B-Story.
B-Story Cafe in Bangkok is famous for extravagantly decorating its exteriors and interiors with festive themes such as pumpkins and red leaves in Autumn. However, Bangkok’s B-Story Cafe at Christmas takes it to a whole new level.
The exterior is covered in (fake) white snow and a huge Father Christmas welcomes you through the door. Even though it is usually 30 degrees outside, it genuinely feels like winter when visiting B-Story Cafe in December.
Inside B-Story Cafe, the Christmas theming continues with several Christmas trees, Christmas cabinets and snow covered windows plus Christmas lights and decorations hanging from every available space.
We visited in December 2022 and couldn’t believe how amazing the Christmas theming was. We think B-Story Cafe is probably our favourite Christmas display in the whole of Bangkok.
Whilst at Bangkok B-Story, order a hot drink with their latte art including a polar bear made of foam – amazing! If only we could give this as a Christmas gift!
Try this – How about a doing a Bangkok cycling tour this Christmas? >
Bangkok Shopping Malls at Christmas
The best place to see Christmas lights in Bangkok en masse has to be the shopping malls around the Siam area plus the Terminal 21 malls and IconSiam mall.
2. CentralWorld at Christmas
Not just one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok but CentralWorld is also one the top 10 largest malls in the world. Better still, the best time of the year to visit CentralWorld is at Christmas.
With seven floors of shopping (plus so many good restaurants), there is a lot to enjoy at centralwOrld – plus for us, it puts on the best Christmas display of any Bangkok shopping mall every year.
For instance, during Christmas 2022, CentralWorld Bangkok, had a huge Line Friends winter village outside. Pre COVID times, centralwOrld was also the epicentre for many Bangkok New Year’s Eve entertainment and countdowns.
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3. OneSiam Skywalk near MBK Center
The walkway between the MBK Center mall and Siam Discovery mall usually has Christmas lights and Christmas displays in the winter months.
On our last Bangkok Christmas visit to OneSiam Walkway, the whole area was covered in thousands of Christmas LEDS plus giant planets and moons that had been installed as part of this central Siam Christmas display
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4. Siam Discovery / Siam Center / Siam Paragon at Christmas
Near to the MBK Center, possibly the best Bangkok Christmas lights and Christmas markets take place across three close proximity Siam shopping malls – Siam Discovery, Siam Center and Siam Paragon.
When we visited these Bangkok shopping malls at Christmas time previously, they were awash with themed Christmas decorations (plus thousands of shoppers too!).
For Christmas 2022, Siam Discovery had a planets and outer space Christmas theme whilst the Siam Paragon had a smiley face theme for Christmas.
Siam Center previously had a recycling theme with a colossal Christmas tree made out of recycled Christmas bottles!
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5. IconSiam at Christmas
The jewel in the Bangkok shopping mall scene, the waterfront ICONSIAM looms large over the Chao Phraya river, like a glistening beacon – and especially so at Christmas when the riverside terrace has a huge Christmas tree and Christmas market that glistens on the water.
Great by day, it is even better to visit this mall in Bangkok at night to see the festive Christmas illuminations
Opened in late 2018 to much fanfare, ICONSIAM is an iconic shopping center, very popular with tourists and overseas travellers.
Of the best ways to see the external Christmas tree and lights at IconSiam is to take an evening dinner cruise, as most sail past ICONSIAM (we can recommend the Meridian cruise as part of the Go City Bangkok pass) meaning you get to see the twinkling Christmas lights from the water.
You might like – Best things to do in Seoul at Christmas or the best Christmas events in London
6. Terminal 21 Asok / Terminal 21 Rama 3 at Christmas
The Terminal 21 malls in Bangkok really go to town at Christmas with fine festive theming.
There are two different malls – one called Terminal 21 Asok and the other is called Terminal 21 Rama 3.
Given their international floors such as the London levels, Paris themed floor or Japan themed floor, if you are visiting Bangkok for Christmas from overseas, this could be a good way to get over being homesick and imagine being back at home for Christmas (well, if you squint realy hard).
Both the Terminal 21 malls in Bangkok put on a huge display of Christmas lights and Christmas trees.
If you can, we really recommend a trip to Terminal 21 Rama 3 at any time of the year as the theming is so weird and wonderful (including themed snow monkey toilets!)
You might like – Things to do in Sukhumvit, Bangkok >
7. Christmas Tuk Tuk Tours in Bangkok
Exploring Bangkok by tuk tuk is always fun but even more so at Christmas, especially when driven by local drivers wearing the full, red and white Father Christmas outfit complete with white furry bead and fluffy hat.
You can go your own way and hail your own tuk-tuk to get you from A to B, but we recommend booking a Bangkok night time tuk tuk tour experience at Christmas.
We’ve done a Bangkok night time tuk tuk tour with an excellent tour company called Expique who we highly rate and who usually operate Christmas tuk tuk tours of Bangkok, including on Christmas day itself.
Book a tour with Expique on Get Your Guide and check out our Tuk Tuk Night Lights tour blog post.
Christmas tuk tuk tour dates for 2023 are still TBC
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8. Platinum Fashion Mall at Christmas
One of the cheapest malls in Bangkok and usually Christmas themed in November / December, Platinum Fashion Mall is a great place to get inexpensive Christmas gifts like cheap t-shirts, nice dresses or jewellery and toys.
As well as aimed at consumers and general shoppers, its inner sanctum is crammed full of wholesale stalls (around 2,500 stalls to be precise) across six floors.
Platinum Fashion Mall has more independent fashion retailers as opposed to known brands or luxury goods so there are better Christmas bargains to be had.
Platinum Fashion Mall also has Christmas decorations and lights late in the year – in 2022, this included wooden toys and elves.
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9. Bangkok Riverside and Christmas Cruises
Cruise the Chao Phraya at night with one of Bangkok’s numerous evening Christmas cruises – many include dinner (usually a buffet of Thai and international dishes), drinks and live entertainment.
Most dinner cruises in Bangkok at Christmas have special Christmas singalongs and Christmas lights festooned along the boats.
Bangkok dinner cruises don’t necessarily have to blow the budget as there are discounted night time dinner cruises.
For instance, we went on a Bangkok night dinner evening cruise on the Meridian as part of a Go City Bangkok All Inclusive pass, where we save 60% of seven attractions including a cruise – so this could be an early Christmas gift in Bangkok to yourself or your family
You’ll also see Bangkok Christmas lights in December 2023 along the river at Bangkok shopping malls like IconSiam plus at some of the Bangkok riverside hotels like the Mandarin Oriental.
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10. Asiatique the Riverfront at Christmas
Asiatique Night Market is a riverside shopping and entertainment centre that lights up in the Christmas months, often having one of the largest and brightest Christmas trees in Bangkok.
Located on the water’s edge and easily accessible by using the free water shuttle available from Saphan Taksin Skytrain station, Asiatique: The Riverfront has special Christmas pop-up stalls and events.
It is a great spot for Christmas shopping, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s Siam area.
Asiatique the Riverfront also often hosts special night-time Christmas events especially around public holidays. You can enjoy the Calypso cabaret too.
As of September 2023, Asiatique the Riverfront have yet to confirm their 2023 Christmas events.
Check out our guide to Asiatique Night Market including the free ferry schedule >
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11. Bangkok Hotels
Most of the major hotels in Bangkok put on some form of Christmas decorations or Christmas trees with lights for guests visiting from overseas. Bangkok hotels such as the Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental put up incredible Christmas trees in their foyers.
One of the most impressive Christmas trees we saw at a Bangkok Hotel around Christmas time was at the 5* Sukosol Hotel – the tree was so tall it went all the way up to the ceiling.
The Christmas lights display in front of the Novotel on Siam Square is also fun.
Check out the full range of Bangkok hotels on booking.com >
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12. Other 2023 Christmas Events in Bangkok
There are lots of other Christmas events in Bangkok in 2023 including Christmas lights and Christmas markets. Many of these are still to be confirmed:
Boyd+Nop Family Christmas Fun Fest 2023 – Held on Friday 22 December 2023 – Saturday 23 December 2023 at Treasure Hill Golf Club.
Bangkok Beer gardens with entertainment often attract after work drinkers and party goers in November and December (2023).
See the Christmas fairy tale castle at Jodd Fairs Dannermit night market, Bangkok’s newest night market. Check out our guide to visiting Jodd Fairs Dannermit here >
Bangkok Christmas Gift Idea for Travellers
If you are visiting Bangkok at Christmas as a traveller or with your family from overseas, one nice Christmas treat is a Go City Bangkok pass.
This allows you to see multiple Bangkok attractions (from cruises to tuk tuk tours) for one low price. It can be used on Christmas Day and on New Years (or in fact any day of the year).
Find out more about the Bangkok Go City pass here >
Other Thailand posts you might like
- Best Chiang Mai Night Markets
- Things to do in Bangkok at night
- Things to do in Thonglor, Bangkok
- Things to do in Sukhumvit, Bangkok
- Things you can buy in Thailand’s 7-Eleven stores
- Go City Bangkok Pass – is it worth buying?
- Best Shopping Malls in Bangkok
- Things to do in Pattaya, Thailand
- Things to do in Nimman, Chiang Mai (Nimmanhaemin Road)
- Asiatique Night Market on Bangkok’s Riverfront
- Ao Nang beach resorts, Krabi – best affordable hotels
- Terminal 21 Rama3 – Bangkok’s new shopping mall
- Things to do at Railay Beach, Krabi
- Benjakitti Forest Park (Benchakitti) in Bangkok
- Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok
- Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok – ultimate guide
- Things to do in Silom, Bangkok
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