Bangkok

Date: February 7, 2026

I landed in Bangkok on February 4… sick. I was sick when I landed in Phuket on January 29 and I could not enjoy that time with my friends — but I will blog about Phuket later. I didn’t go out much for the first two days in Bangkok. On February 8 (a Saturday), I was on my way to the Big C opposite CentralWorld when I noticed a concert happening at CentralWorld mall.

JapanExpo Thailand outdoor stage Centralworld — Curious, I walked over to check it out

Japan Expo Thailand lineup — Turns out, the 11th edition of JapanExpo Thailand was happening!

And I can’t believe I missed One or Eight! 🙁 I was listening to their latest single “Tokyo Drift” the last few days and I could have seen them perform it live — for free(!) — had I known about JapanExpo happening! Another act I ended up missing was Sho Kiryuin from Golden Bomber. I kept thinking to myself “where have I heard the name Golden Bomber before?“. Only after returning back to India did I remember their awesome track “Dance My Generation” (funny music video by the way).

It wasn’t the whole group that performed so I don’t know if missing Sho Kiryuin was a big deal or not.

Oh well, I made a note of who all were performing on February 8, the last day of Japan Expo Thailand 2026, and told myself I would try to see more acts. Then I went inside CentralWorld mall.

Say La performs Centralworld Bangkok — An idol girl group called Say La were performing on the indoor Taiyo stage

Say La Japanese idol girl group Bangkok — Say La are what in the K-pop world is referred to as a *nugu* group (meaning: not very popular… yet)

Say La Japanese idol girl group Thailand — But I’m going to do my part and promote them a little: http://www.say-la.jp/

In fact, Japan Expo Thailand featured so many artists — many small — and a few big names, both Thai and Japanese.

Joy Japanese idol girl group JapanExpo Thailand — Back out on the main stage, another girl group called JOY was performing

Nearly Equal Joy Japanese idol group Bangkok — Looking them up online, they’re also called Nearly Equal Joy (don’t ask me why)

Fanboys JOY JapanExpo Thailand concert — I wasn’t familiar with JOY’s music but I enjoyed watching the fanboys more!

Fancam tripods camera stage JapanExpo Thailand — They even had an elevated stage which was used by fans for their fancams. Gotta love their dedication!

Check out the compilation of video clips I took at JapanExpo Thailand 2026 at the bottom of this post.

Date: February 8, 2026

The next day (it was a Sunday), I made it back to CentralWorld after visit Dusit Central Park earlier (again, I will blog about all that later).

Cosplayers Centralworld JapanExpo Thailand — Cosplayers were out in full force and many were taking part in photoshoots

Cosplayers JapanExpo Thailand 2026 — I wish I could have spent more time taking photos of some of the cool cosplay I saw

Cosplayers JapanExpo Bangkok 2026 — But there were so many!

Japanese idol meet and greet Centralworld — There were lots of meet & greets happening with idols on the sidelines

Gulf Kanawut JapanExpo Thailand — This was a famous Thai celebrity named Gulf Kanawut

But I had to rush inside CentralWorld to catch a glimpse of the first act I wanted to see that day — Avantgardey. The viral Avantgardey is a 20-member all-female Japanese dance team led by choreographer Akane. They are known for their highly synchronized dances and their ‘uniform’ look. They got really popular after appearing on America’s Got Talent where they reached the semifinals.

Centralworld indoor stage JapanExpo Thailand — It got crowded at the stage level so for a better look, I went a floor above

Avantgardey Centralworld Bangkok — Avantgardey hit the stage and kicked off with a high energy performance

Avantgardey JapanExpo Thailand performance — As you can tell, this is not the full lineup

Avantgardey dance JapanExpo Thailand — The girls danced to a medley of songs, including the “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Avantgardey greet fans Bangkok — They had a brief moment to talk to the audience where they announced Avantgardey would be back in March for a standalone show in Bangkok

Avantgardey leaves stage JapanExpo Bangkok — Avantgardey even danced to a Thai song before leaving the stage

Japanese idol girls Bangkok meet greet — Behind the Taiyo stage, there were more meet & greets with idol groups — but I was told by a staff member that I can’t really take photos of the girls. I guess guys have to pay for that privilege.

I had to step away from CentralWorld to hop over to BigC when I noticed JapanExpo was having a mascot parade.

Mascot parade JapanExpo Thailand — But who is that I see?

Chiitan mascot JapanExpo Thailand — Chiitan!! If you aren’t familiar with the antics of Chiitan, check out his Instagram

I had to head back to my hotel room for a bit as I had to pack my bags. When I stepped out again, it had rained hard for a bit.

Thai cosplayers JapanExpo Thailand — When I returned in the evening, the cosplayers were still seeing milling about

Kid Phenomenon Japanese boyband Bangkok — When I reached the main outdoor Kaze stage, a Japanese boyband called Kid Phenomenon was on stage

I looked up Kid Phenomenon and they’re one of the newer sub-groups under the long-running EXILE TRIBE supergroup. Check out their song “Snakebite” — it’s pretty good.

Lil League Exile Tribe Bangkok — Kid Phenomenon was followed by *another* EXILE TRIBE group called Lil League

Lil League JapanExpo Thailand — I thought they were pretty good! Especially their song “Lollipop“

Banzai Japan JapanExpo Thailand stage — Lil League was followed by a girl group called Banzai Japan

Banzai Japan Bangkok concert — As colourful as their stage was… honestly, I found their music ‘meh’

BNK48 JapanExpo Thailand — The final and closing act of JapanExpo Thailand 2026 was BNK48

Who are BNK48 you ask? Well, they are the Thai sister group of Japan’s most successful idol girl group, AKB48. The 48 signifies the number of members… which now, in AKB48’s case, has grown to have over 100 members! BNK48 is the third sister group after JKT48 (Indonesia). BNK48’s first generation debuted in 2017.

BNK48 BIII Bangkok concert — BNK48 also has sub-units and this unit was the first to perform

BNK48 NV JapanExpo Thailand — This was the second unit

BNK48 Bangkok performance — And then they both joined to perform an AKB48 song

BNK48 3rd generation concert — And these glamorous girls are the 3rd and current generation of BNK48

BNK48 3rd generation first performance — It was their first performance of their latest single “Celebration“

In fact, much of BNK48’s stage was devoted to promoting “Celebration”. The girls even sat on stage and watched the whole music video in front of the audience.

Towards the end, every member of BNK48 took to the stage and said their goodbyes.

BNK48 members on stage Bangkok — They didn’t perform because there was no way they could all dance in that limited space

More than the music, I enjoyed the fan chants, and watching the excitement of the fanboys around me was fun.

BNK48 fans Bangkok Thailand — Check out the video at the bottom for clips of all that

Crowds JapanExpo Thailand closing night — I had to leave as I was leaving Bangkok the following day

Mind you, JapanExpo Thailand was not just about the concerts.

JapanExpo Thailand 2026 pamphlet — There were stalls and booths for other activities and interests

JapanExpo Thailand 2026 program schedule — This was the full line-up of groups who all performed over three days. Click here for a larger version

As much as I enjoyed all the idol groups, I am bitter about not knowing about JapanExpo Thailand 2026 earlier. (I blame my fever). I missed seeing One or Eight, Golden Bomber’s Sho Kiryuin, seeing a few members of AKB48, and the many other smaller groups. Mind you, all of this entertainment was free for three days because JapanExpo Thailand has the backing of Japan’s government agencies and major corporate sponsors like ISUZU Corporation.

I now follow JapanExpo Thailand on Instagram and will keep an eye out for their future events. If you are a J-pop fan in India and wish to see such idol groups, I would highly recommend following JapanExpo and plan a trip to Bangkok around the time the next JapanExpo Thailand happens. I can only imagine it’s going to get bigger!

Date: January 22, 2023

I woke up earlier than usual because I had to get to the airport by 10AM for my 1PM IndiGo flight back to Bangalore.

Retro39 hotel room view Bangkok — It was time to check out of Retro39

Mochi ring banana flavoured donut Bangkok — I had bought this banana cream doughnut from the Lawson convenience store downstairs

I didn’t eat much of a breakfast as I had plans to eat at an airport lounge before my flight.

Phrom Phong area apartments — I liked the area I stayed at this time. I might come back to this side, near Phrom Phong BTS station.

Inside Toyota Corolla Cross Bangkok — I booked a Grab taxi to take me to Suvarnabhumi airport

Toyota Corolla Cross Bangkok airport — It was a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid — a popular crossover here. I really like its simple design!

Suvarnabhumi airport departures new terminal Bangkok Thailand — My flight was with IndiGo Airlines, whose counters were at the far right end of the terminal

VAT refund counter Suvarnabhumi airport — The VAT refund counter for tourists is here — right opposite the IndiGo counters

Remember, you need to show the filled out VAT refund form from the shop you purchased the goods, show the inspector the purchased goods at the VAT refund counter, and then get the papers stamped from here before you pass through security. The actual cash refund you get in hand is from another counter after immigration and security.

Continue reading “Leaving Bangkok, Oman Air Lounge at BKK, and flying over Andaman & Nicobar Islands” »