Bangkok’s Chilli Fest is back to set your mouth (and weekend) on fire
Get ready for a full day of fiery flavours and spice-fuelled fun!
Bangkok’s heat is turning up, and that means the hottest event of the year is coming. Chilli Fest makes a return to Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok on Saturday, April 5.
Now in its third year, Chilli Fest has established itself as the ultimate playground for spice lovers. You can expect a fiery feast from Bangkok’s top chefs, a chilli-eating showdown that will push contestants to their limits, and a marketplace full of hot sauces, spicy snacks, and even chilli tattoos.
If you like your food with a little (or a lot) of heat, this is where you need to be this April 2025.
A fiery feast from Bangkok’s best
This year’s Chilli Fest lineup features 14 restaurants and chefs serving up dishes from around the world in the hotel’s Urban Oasis, all with one uniting element: spice. It’s a chance to test your heat tolerance with sweat-inducing plates from Myanmar, India, New Orleans, South Korea, Spain, the Middle East, China, Sri Lanka, and, of course, Thailand.
Chef Ton Thitid Tassanakajohn of ZAABNIRAN brings his popular Tom Yum Noodles, laced with three Thai chillies: Kariang, Jianda, and Bird’s Eye. Best known for his Michelin-starred Le Du and Nusara (ranked #6 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024), this marks his third consecutive appearance at Chilli Fest.
Chef Thav Phouthavong of 80/20 will also present his Burmese-inspired Red Curry and Pig Cheek & Trotter Larb Nuggets. His restaurant, a MICHELIN-starred favourite, made it onto Time Magazine’s 100 World’s Greatest Places 2019 list.
Other big names include Chef Vicky Cheng of K by Vicky Cheng with Mala Chicken Noodle and Sichuan Chilli Pork, Chef Hari Nayak of JHOL with coastal Indian dishes like Berhampur Fried Chicken with Jhol hot sauce, and Chef Dharsan Munidasa from Ministry of Crab Bangkok with his Thai fusion Kaprao Crab.
If you’re a fan of bold, smoky flavours, Bar.Yard’s Crispy Oysters Taco and Crispy Pork Porchetta Bowl will be calling your name. For fans of Thai flavours, PHED PHED prepares two types of Som Tum, as well as Geng Om Moo Sausage, served with eggplant chilli dip.
Elsewhere at the festival, you can find Mediterranean-inspired Cashew Hummus with spicy chermoula from Sababa, Burmese Spicy Tea Leaf Salad from Rangoon Tea House, and Bloody Mary Seafood Gazpacho from Tina’s, among others.
Dishes start at just 80 baht, so pace yourself and come hungry since there’s a lot of ground (and spice levels) to cover.
Drinks to cool the burn
Spicy food needs the right drink pairing, and Chilli Fest has plenty of options. Peddlers Gin, Aperol, and Patron Tequila will be shaking up cocktails designed to quench the fire (or fuel it). On the other hand, Beervana’s Crispy Boy Lager and Wila Weizen offer the perfect crisp refreshment.
If beer and cocktails aren’t your style, there will also be champagne from Maison Perrier and Drappier and rich, bold flavours from Thai spirits like Mae Kong.
The ultimate chilli-eating showdown
Think you can handle the heat? Chilli Fest’s infamous chilli-eating competition is back, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. Contestants will battle through increasingly fiery peppers, ending with a mouth-scorching 2,200,000 Scoville heat units. To put that into perspective, that’s hotter than some law enforcement-grade pepper sprays.
The last one standing will walk away with 10,000 baht. Meanwhile, the second and third-place winners will score a one-night stay and a 4,000 baht dining credit at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok respectively. Entry is free, but make sure to register in advance, no walk-ins allowed!
Chilli Market and more
If the heat isn’t enough, if you need to take it with you, wander through the Chilli Market. Here, you’ll find some of the best hot sauces in town, including exclusives from That Daeng Sauce, Firepower Hot Sauces, and Mae Kay.
Additionally, Siamaya Chocolate will be showcasing chilli-infused treats. And if you’re feeling particularly dedicated to the cause, California Ink Bangkok will be on-site offering free chilli tattoos.
Between bites and sips, don’t forget to enjoy fire shows and performances by DJs and live bands.
Chilli Fest 2025, the essentials
Date & Time: Saturday, April 5, from 2pm to 9pm
Location: Urban Oasis, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Entry: 300 baht (includes a drink); early bird tickets at 200 baht (limited availability).
Tickets are available via Megatix. Part of the proceeds will go to Scholars of Sustenance Thailand (SOS Thailand), an organisation that rescues surplus food and redistributes it to those in need.
With over a dozen award-winning chefs and restaurants cooking up dishes, the only question is: how much heat can you handle? Get your tickets for Chilli Fest 2025 and test your spice tolerance.
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