Bangkok's Central Embassy turns Open House into a Halloween 'Monsterverse'

Central Embassy, the upscale shopping mall on Bangkok's Phloen Chit road, has transformed its Open House space on the sixth floor into a themed Halloween playground running until Sunday. The event, dubbed 'Monsterverse', is built around a 'Let Your Monster Run Wild' concept — a free-to-wander world of imagination, each corner hosted by a different quirky monster character.

The centrepiece is the Little Monster Lab, an interactive workshop where visitors can get hands-on. Options include designing your own Halloween-inspired accessories — think witch hats assembled from a range of materials and embellishments — plus a mask station stocked with ready-to-paint masks you can customise with your own colours and patterns. The spooky mask decorating session is one of the event's signature activities.

For anyone wanting to go all-in on the holiday, the Monster Maker session offers face painting, turning participants into a fantastical monster of their own design using a bright palette and imaginative finishes. This one runs on Saturday and Sunday only, so timing matters if that's the draw.

The experience doesn't stop at crafts. The mall's dining scene has leaned in too: Dean & DeLuca, Arabelle and Slizz Burger have each rolled out monster-themed menu items, presented with theatrical flair — a near-endless supply of treats, each with its own take on the flavour. It's a convenient setup: make a mask upstairs, then refuel on themed desserts and burgers downstairs without leaving the building.

Why should a traveller care? If you happen to be in Bangkok over this Halloween weekend, it's an easy, family-friendly (or just playful, adult-friendly) detour — free entry to wander, low-cost workshops, and air-conditioned relief from the October heat. Open House itself is worth knowing about regardless of season: it's a sprawling bookstore-café-coworking hybrid that's one of the more pleasant places to spend an afternoon in central Bangkok. And Central Embassy sits right on the BTS Skytrain line at Phloen Chit station, so it's a simple stop to fold into a day of shopping or sightseeing along Sukhumvit.

The timing is tight — the event wraps on Sunday — so anyone keen should check opening hours and head over before the monsters pack up for another year.