Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster are heading to Thailand for the first time. From 17 November to 10 January, Bangkok's luxury mall Central Embassy is running its "Season Of Giving 2027: Holiday Mode On!" campaign, and this year's theme is an official Sesame Street takeover — the franchise's Thai debut.
The centrepiece is a Grand Holiday Park on the Front Yard, anchored by a Christmas tree that stands more than 15 metres tall, with Elmo and friends in attendance. Step inside and you'll hit a chain of themed zones: a Joyful Greeting where the characters welcome visitors, Starlight Street (a light installation stretching along Phloenchit Road and beyond), The Festive Beginning, and a Celebration Gateway dressed up as Sesame Street Station. There's also Joy In The Air, an installation showing Elmo and Big Bird flying among oversized gift boxes.
Families with small children get extra reasons to linger. Over at Open House, Cookie Monster's House includes a giant Cookie Monster landmark called The Cookie Tower in the Art Tower area, plus Big Bird's Nest in the Open Play zone, with creative workshops running through the season. Shoppers aren't forgotten either: The Merry Market stocks official Sesame Street merchandise alongside toys, collectables, fashion and premium chocolates, and gift-wrapping comes in themed paper.
The launch event on 17 November at the Front Yard sets the tone — more than 16 performers, Thai actors Naravit "Pond" Lertratkosum and Phuwin Tangsakyuen flipping the switch on the giant tree, five costumed characters (Elmo, Abby, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie) on hand, and a mini concert from Atom Chanakan Rattana-udom. If you can't make opening day, Sesame Street Meet & Greet sessions run every Saturday, with extra slots added across the holiday period.
For travellers, this slots neatly into a Bangkok festive break. Central Embassy sits right on the Phloenchit/Sukhumvit corridor, so you can pair the light displays with the city's other seasonal events, and the indoor zones offer a solid air-conditioned escape between December shopping runs. It's aimed squarely at families — young kids will get the most out of the meet-and-greets and Cookie Monster installations — but the evening light show along Phloenchit Road is free to enjoy for anyone passing through. Timing matters: go early in the run for the opening buzz, or on a Saturday if meeting Elmo is the whole point of the trip.
