The hottest month of the year is just around the corner, and with it comes the hottest food festival of the year—literally. Chilli Fest at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is back for its 3rd year in a row this April 5, including the fan-favorite chilli-eating competition (check out BK’s recap of last year’s event here), food stalls from some of the city’s best Michelin-star chefs, festival-exclusive market goods like hot sauces not sold in stores, and even tattoo artists ready to ink up the chilli die-hards with designs of their favorite scorching peppers. 

 

Check out some of the scenes from last year, and details about this year’s event below:

 

 

Just like last year, one of the highlights of the event’s entertainment is the red-hot chilli eating contest, which sees a bunch of brave (or insane?) spicy heat masochists work their way through an increasingly intense line of chilli peppers culminating in a final round with a pepper that hits a whopping 2,200,000 on the Scoville scale. The last one standing walks away with B10,000. 

 

The competition is open to everyone, and applications are now open until Mar 21. All the details can be found here. 

 

It’s not all about the fiery eats, either. This year’s event will feature a whole lot of booze to help stave off the capsaicin (or at least numb your senses to it). Craft beer is going to be flowing with the likes of Crispy Boy Lager and Wila Weizen from Beervana—if craft beer isn’t your thing, both Corona and Guinness will be on offer. Spirit partners Peddlers Gin and Aperol are bringing their A-game for cocktails. Adding to all that, Patron Tequila, Mekhong, and Giffard will boost the cocktail offering even more. If you prefer a bit of fizz in your life, Maison Perrier and Drappier Champagne are also joining this year. 

 

One of the biggest highlights of the event each year is the sourcing hot culinary creations by some of the city’s best chefs, and this year’s lineup might be the best yet with heaps of Top Tables and Michelin-star chefs taking part to burn your tastebuds in the best way possible. 

 

The cuisine: Thai 

The dish: Tom Yum Noodles with three types of chillis

Holder of a Michelin star and two Top 30 rankings in BK Magazine’s Top Tables, Chef Ton might be the country’s most recognizable name in the world of food. For Chilli Fest, he’s returning with his popular Tom Yum Noodles made using a unique blend of three Thai chillis -- kariang, jinda and bird's eye. 

 

The cuisine: Thai

The dish: Burmese-inspired red curry and pig cheeks & trotter larb nuggets. 

Holder of a Michelin star and an Official Selection ranking in Top Tables, 80/20’s penchant for pungent, fiery flavors is well known in Bangkok food circles—as is the restaurant’s staunch commitment to locally sourced ingredients (the “80” in 80/20). 

 

The cuisine: Chinese

The dish: Mala chicken noodles, Sichuan chilli pork and other dishes.

Many Bangkokians became familiar with the acclaimed and Michelin-starred Hong Kong chef when he opened his first international restaurant atop the gleaming Empire Tower EA rooftop late last year, bringing with him a unique style of cuisine rooted in Chinese mythology. 

 

The cuisine: Indian

The dishes: Piri piri mushroom, BFC (Berhampur fried chicken) with Jhol hot sauce and Tangra chilli crab. 

The No. 11 ranked restaurant in Bangkok according to our Top Tables ranking, Jhol is also one of the outright best bang-for-your-buck fine-dining restaurants and outright one of the very best Indian restaurants in the entire country. This year, they bring their patented coastal Indian flavors to the event with a trio of dishes: Piri Piri Mushroom, BFC (Berhampur Fried Chicken) with Jhol hot sauce and Tangra Chilli Crab. 

 

The cuisine: Mexican

The dishes: Scallop Aguachile and taco de pastor con queso. 

One of the newest restaurants in the city to join this year’s event. The new Mexican space north of Chinatown on the Thanon Santiphap is part of a growing theme of Mexican fare that’s aiming for authenticity. The centerpiece for this new venue is the comal, a cast iron flat griddle for cooking tortillas and arepas.

 

The cuisine: Burmese

The dishes: Spicy tea leaf salad, four fish mohinga and rakhine rice salad.

One of the more anticipated openings of 2024, the massively popular Burmese restaurant made the expansion to Bangkok and has quickly become one of the city’s most popular foodie destinations, thanks largely to its sharp flavors that appeal to local palates and international visitors alike. 

 

 

The cuisine: Mediterranean

The dishes: Spicy vodka rigatoni and roti with lamb belly, fermented chilli, and crispy kombu.

Chef Dimi was one of the most acclaimed chefs in Bangkok in 2024. His flagship restaurant, Ore, ranked No. 10 overall in our Top Tables guide in addition to winning “best new restaurant” and “chef of the year”. Mitsos is his latest venture, a Mediterranean-leaning bistro in the ever-hip neighborhood of Suan Plu. 

 

The cuisine: Thai

The dishes: Fruit Somtam with sesame chips, somtam with grilled pork neck and grilled sticky rice, and gaeng om moo sausage. 

The name Phed Phed literally means “spicy spicy” in Thai, so their appearance at a festival like this makes more sense than most. The venue has expanded all over the city since first opening years ago, and that’s largely thanks to its meticulous, but fiery, flavors and authentic take on Isaan cuisine. 

 

The cuisine: Mediterranean

The dishes: Cashew hummus, potato salad with crab-stuffed chili, and chili pickles. 

From the minds of Bangkok F&B pioneers comes Sababa, a fusion blend of Mediterranean izakaya tucked away in a home-y lush patch of eden in Thonglor. Chef Maxim Baile leads the kitchen, churning out Mediterranean, Japanese, and some Middle Eastern dishes meant for sharing with a crowd of friends and family.

 

 

The cuisine: Creole and Cajun

The dishes: Jalapeño buttermilk biscuits, bloody mary seafood gazpacho, and hot and spicy dark chocolate mousse. 

Tina’s was one of our favorite openings of 2025, largely because this city is lacking great Louisiana restaurants (save Bourbon Street) and that is a travesty. Tina’s brought upscale Creole and Cajun flavors to Bangkok and we are here for it. 

 

The cuisine: Spanish

The dishes: Padron peppers, spiced gambas pil pil and chorizo manteca pinchos.

The Bangkok transplant of Singapore’s beloved Spanish tapas specialist of the same name (in Bangkok you will find it at Emsphere) goes hard into the deep-rooted traditions of tapas. The name Sabio is a nod to the king who first discovered the cuisine and commanded it to be served in taverns across the Spanish kingdom. 

 

The cuisine: Seafood

The dishes: Thai fusion kaprao crab and garlic chilli crab.

Sir Lanka’s first-ever Michelin-star restaurant made waves across Bangkok when it expanded to Thailand’s capital. Known for its various takes on chilli crab and seafood dishes, the brand has expanded to several locations across the city since first opening. 

 

The cuisine: Korean

The dishes: Fishcake skewers with fiery spicy sauce and Korean fried chicken with chilli peppers.

All K-Pop vibes and authentic Korean cuisine at this breezy rooftop restaurant and bar, and in a city that goes ga-ga for Korean culture and food, it’s proved a winning combination since opening in 2024. 

 

The cuisine: Backyard BBQ.

The dishes: Applewood charcoal-smoked crispy oyster tacos, crispy pork porchetta bowl served on mashed potatoes, and smashed avocado lobster flautas.

Winner of BK Magazine’s “Best Rooftop Bar” in both 2023 and 2024, and not all of that success is because of booze on the breezy rooftop. Bar.Yard has a more-than-solid food game thanks to Chef Lamberto Valdez Lara’s moreish takes on classic American barbecue. 

 

Chilli Fest 2025 takes place April 5 from 2-9pm at Urban Oasis (the leafy courtyard attached to Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok).