5 upcoming beer fests in Thailand to put on your calendar
Festival season starts now.
Khao Kho Craft Festival, one of two beer bashes going down in Isaan this October. / Image courtesy of Khao Kho Craft Beverage
Thailand loves to have fun, and despite what the puritans will tell you, Thailand also loves to drink. Those two truths are suddenly converging in exciting ways.
Beer groups and brewers across the country have begun to organize unmissable community events that bear little resemblance to the underground homebrew fests of years past. They’re growing in size, scale, and frequency, too.
Between August and November this year, there are at least five festivals ranging from beer flea markets to blowout bashes in Isaan featuring rock bands and camping.
Here are the big ones you should put on your calendar, including two perfect weekend getaways in October.
Beer Market
There will be many beers to buy at the Beer Market. / Artwork courtesy of Prachachon Beer
Prachachon Beer, arguably the most active group advocating for the liberalization of Thailand’s beer and spirits industries, regularly organizes unique, locally focused events. Their latest, Beer Market, is taking place at Jatujak Plaza this weekend.
Unlike other festivals, this one is meant to replicate a flea market. Meaning, you can buy booze and beers for home consumption. Prachachon Beer recommends bringing a cloth bag so you can carry home your finds. And there will be a lot to choose from.
The vendor line-up features 50-plus beer brands, as well as more than 30 distillers.
To rattle off a few of the better known participants: the Brewing Project, Devanom, Khoy Brewing, Kim’s Beer, Mahanakhon, and Samata will be there.
So will Thai spirit brands Issan, makers of a tasty rhum agricole; Kirikhan, which specializes in small-batch liquor made from sticky rice; and the Spirit of Chaiyaphum, a brand that makes sugarcane-based rum liked by Pita Limjaroenrat.
Vendors like Thai-German specialists GJ Lecker will provide the food, and local artists will play live music each day.
Price: Free entry
When: Aug. 26-27, from 2pm-10pm
Where: Jatujak Plaza (Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd., on the west side of Jatujak Market)
Good Chit Beer Fest
Public House from a view you won’t experience unless something has gone terribly wrong. / Image courtesy of Public House
If you’re reading this, you know who Chit is. If you don’t, may I introduce you to Google?
Wichit “Chit” Saiklao, who is often referred to as the godfather of Thai craft beer, plies his trade on Koh Kret. The first Saturday in September, he’ll be serving 12 beers in the thick of Sukhumvit at Public House, a hip boutique hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 31.
You can get 12 of Chit’s beers on tap, including one made for the event. Swing band Lips Manly will be playing, and multilabel store Element72 will raffle away prizes.
Your ticket gets you a souvenir glass—if you’re one of the first 140, that is—plus free-flow beers, a.k.a. all you can drink, which is dangerous.
If you want an easy place to stumble home to, Public House is offering staycation deals that include breakfast and event tickets.
Price: From THB 1,500
When: Sep. 2, from 5pm-midnight
Where: Public House (249 Sukhumvit Soi 31)
Tickets: Available on Ticketmelon (Brewmaster Suite, anyone?)
Tum Jok Loei
Chian Khan’s popular walking street. Hang around to check it out. / Image courtesy of Thanate Tan via Flickr
Organized by Outlaw Brewing, Jo+ Beer, and Mayree, Tum Jok Loei is the excuse you need to go to one of Thailand’s most underrated provinces, Loei.
Fifty brewers will be there, ranging from relatively familiar brand names like Chit Beer, Daodin, Decsnob, Ducky Fly, Triple Pearl, and Wizard—all of whom have sold beers the legal way in cans and bottles—to up-and-coming homebrewers like Daddy Dog, makers of excellent, Omnipollo-esque kettle sours.
Outlaw founder Mike Roberts says it will be an intimate one-day event, held in a cozy space overlooking Laos across the Mekong, with a distinctly local flavor. Expect about a dozen food vendors from around the area and “hopefully some notable bands” playing Isaan music, he adds.
The festival is taking place at Lamoon Villa de Chiang Khan, a low-key riverside resort about 2km west of the town’s popular walking street.
For those who have not visited Chiang Khan, it’s a tranquil provincial town that makes for a wonderful weekend escape. At first glance, it looks like little more than one main road lined with old wooden buildings that house cafés and restaurants. But linger a day or two and you’ll find misty hilltop viewpoints, a wide, welcoming walkway fronting the river, and Khaeng Khut Khu, a shoreline hangout with a popular “beach” (read: not a beach) and boat launches to cruise down the Mekong,
Along the river, you’ll also find Jo+ Beer. This fantastic bar was founded by Tonkla “Jo” Niyomtrusa, well-known homebrewer who later branched out into contract brewing with his label Beat Brewing.
Jo and Mike will be in attendance, for what it’s worth, so it’s a great opportunity to meet them and the many other brewers, try some exclusive beers, and taste Outlaw’s new range of ciders.
Price: THB 300
When: Oct. 13, from 4pm-midight
Where: Lamoon Villa de Chiang Khan
Tickets: Available on the Line app or Facebook
Khao Kho Craft Festival
Rain didn’t dull the energy at Khao Kho Craft Festival last year. / Image courtesy of Khao Kho Craft Beverage
Fifty-plus hand-picked beer and spirits brands. Over 3,000 liters of liquid courage. One mist-shrouded medium-elevation site bridging Isaan and central Thailand.
The Khao Kho Craft Festival has outgrown its humble early days to become an annual destination event in Petchabun. This year, it returns to the Rai Song Rao mountain retreat and is sure to be a good time.
Think live music, strung-up ball lights, and glamping vibes, plus mud-stomping if it rains and lots of beer provided by brewers from across the country. Last year, brands like Daddy Dog, Look Krung, Outlaw, and Wizard were there. You can expect them and many others, especially those from the Northeast, to come back in 2023.
Your ticket gets you three drinks—that’s great value. Khao Kho often fills up once the weather gets cool, however, so rent a car and book a hotel in advance if you plan to go.
If you need further motivation to attend, here is what the festival looked like last year.
Price: THB 888 (includes three drinks)
When: Oct. 21, from 4pm-11pm
Where: Rai Song Rao (ไร่สองเรา), 93 Mu 6, Khaem Son, Khao Kho, Petchabun
Tickets: Available on the Line app
Brewtopia
Brewtopia Singapore, pictured here. Expect similar vibes at Sermsuk Warehouse. / Image courtesy of Brewtopia
Unlike the other events on this list, Brewtopia will be serving beer from outside Thailand. And a lot of it.
The three-day fest is bringing in more than 300 brands from 10 countries. Who they will be remains to be confirmed, but the organizers—the same people behind Singapore’s Beerfest Asia—promise some have never been in Thailand before, including Lion City Meadery. (Stay tuned for more announcements.)
The musical line-up also aims big, locally speaking, with Thai pop artists like Polycat on the bill.
Standard tickets get you one free welcome drink. But splash out for VIP tickets (currently THB 1,950-2,750 for the first three days and THB 6,650 for all three days), and you’ll get free-flow pours.
Price: From THB 490
When: Nov. 17-19 (Fri from 4pm-midnight, Sat-Sun from 3pm-midnight)
Where: Sermsuk Warehouse (721 Charoen Nakhon Rd., across the river from the Shangri-La Hotel)
Tickets: Available on Ticketmelon