Halloween in Bangkok

Sunday 1 November

For the hungover and the undefeated. Arcadia screens The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 20:00 sharp, costumes encouraged. Pao Lee has its last show at 19:30, and House of Films shows The Witch at 18:30. Above Eleven runs A Night Above the Dead again from 17:00, and ป่าช้าแตก finishes at 23:00. Slow Trivia at Santi Social Space is free at 18:30, and OMG Haunted Hearts runs gay speed dating at W Lounge at 18:30 for ฿1,499, if you've been selected. With kids, The Deck has a Kids Club from 11:00 to 14:00 with ฿2,000 in costume prizes, and Little Wizards carries on at Bambini Villa.

Don't bother

These still turn up in searches, so here's the bad news.

• Sold out or closed: KROMO's Addams Family screening, INNSiDE's Movies Under the Stars, and Get Lost at Afterlife (waitlist only).
• Already happened: the Rocky Horror Improv Show, Halloweenprov, House of Horror at Mustache, and the Dead End Block Party.
• Last year's pages: Sing Sing's Sanctum Infernum at ฿300, Vertigo TOO's Trick or Sip, RedSquare's Halloween Night, Murder Box at Speakerbox, and the Ticketmelon page for Haunted House (this year's is on Megatix).
• Selected applicants only: OMG Haunted Hearts speed dating at W Lounge, unless you've already had your link.
• Couldn't confirm: we found no Halloween night for Glow, Beam, Sway, Ku De Ta, Vesper, Maggie Choo's, Revolucion, Onyx, Route 66, Insanity or DJ Station, and nothing at Dream World or Siam Amazing Park. They may well be open, so check with them.

Before you go out

• ID: carry your original passport. The legal age is 20, and many clubs won't take a phone photo or a photocopy. Take your mask off at the door.
• Trains: the last BTS from Siam to every station leaves at 00:02, and the MRT stops around midnight. We found no Halloween extension, so plan on a Grab or a taxi.
• Roads: royal rehearsals close roads around the Grand Palace, Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen until about 19:30, right next to Khao San, so don't take a car in before then. There's no BTS or MRT on the road itself. Police notice, in Thai.
• Rain: the Thai Met Department gives about a 30% chance of thundershowers, with no warning in force. Check the forecast before anything outdoors.
• Restrictions: we found no alcohol ban or entertainment restriction this weekend, unlike last year.
• Last-minute costumes: Reddit regulars send people to Watergate Pavilion in Pratunam (three floors of costumes), Platinum Mall, MBK, Daiso, Miniso and Moshi Moshi. Chatuchak is open on Saturdays until about 18:00. Alex Costume in Pratunam rents them, so phone first on 095 902 4247.

Quick answers

What is the best Halloween party in Bangkok?

Arcadia Halloween at Arcadia Live in Phra Khanong gets the warmest word of mouth on Reddit: ฿500, 20:00 to 01:00, with wrestling, DJs and a costume ball. For dance music, Kangkao at DUAL on Silom (฿700, 19:00 to 04:00) and Haunted House at Speakerbox in Thong Lo (doors 20:00) are two that locals keep naming.

What can I do with kids at Halloween in Bangkok?

Chocolate Ville turns into Spooky Town through to 1 November, with parades and a Ghostbusters boat show at 20:30. Bon Marché Market Park has trick-or-treating round the market from 10:00 to 16:00 for ฿150 a child. EmQuartier has a free parade at 15:00, Bambini Villa has a haunted house and face painting, and kids 12 and under eat free in costume at the Marriott Sukhumvit's Halloween buffet with a paying adult.

Is there a murder mystery dinner in Bangkok for Halloween?

Yes. Santi Social Space on Sukhumvit 66/1 has a Murder Mystery Halloween Dinner with check-in at 17:30. Nothing Sacred in Yaowarat has a mystery horror film dinner from 19:00, where you find out the film when you sit down.

Is Burning City worth it?

It is the biggest name, but Reddit regulars warn that it gets crowded and that tables are hard to get. A standard ticket covers the shared stages plus one of the three paid zones, and the listed finish is 23:59, so plan somewhere to go afterwards.

Is Khaosan Road good for Halloween?

It is free and it is the only real street party, with a parade and a costume contest from 17:00. Expect tourists and big crowds. Most bars there have to close around midnight, so go early.

Do I need a costume?

Most parties encourage one and few insist. Watch out for Levels and Sing Sing, which keep their normal dress codes, so a costume with shorts, sandals or a hoodie can get you turned away.

Will I get into a Bangkok Halloween party on the night?

Usually, though the cheap tickets go first. Early tiers have closed at several parties on this page, and door prices are usually ฿100 to ฿300 higher. Badhood is down to its ฿2,500 final round, and Goth Halloqueen is door sales only.

What time do the trains stop on Halloween?

The last BTS from Siam to every station leaves at 00:02, and the MRT stops around midnight. We found no extended service for Halloween, so plan on a Grab or a taxi home.