I spent the afternoon wandering around Bangkok Old Town with a film camera and a bunch of strangers and forgot to check my phone the entire time
On top of being the Managing Editor of HoneyKids Asia Thailand full time, I like to dabble in film photography.
I took photography as part of my A-levels forever ago (I’m old now) and I’ve always kept it around as a hobby ever since. I don’t think I’m particularly good at it and honestly, that’s kind of the point. It’s one of the few things I do purely for fun. No deadlines, no strategy decks, no GChat notifications. Just me, a camera and hoping at least one photo turns out usable.
I’ve known about Sweet Film Bar for almost a decade now, back from when I first started getting my film rolls developed there in Bangkok. It’s currently located above Apron Bar on Samsen Soi 4.
Over the years, the little film lab became somewhat of a community hub for people who love photography, old cameras and wandering around the city looking for interesting light (and interesting walks of life!).
Then they started hosting film photography walks around Bangkok.
And somehow, some of the friends I have in Bangkok today came from these walks. They don’t care what I do for a living, I don’t care what they do for a living. We’d connect doing something we enjoy as a hobby and the rest doesn’t really matter.
The importance of having a hobby as an adult
During these walks I can just be fully myself. I can be just me outside of work and I think that’s just so important to have in your adulthood. So many people let their jobs, or parenthood define their worth and who they are in life that they forget to do fun, pointless, little things that make them truly happy sometimes.
The concept is simple: the owner of Sweet Film Bar, Champ Wanithanont, takes a small group around Bangkok Old Town for a few hours with cameras in hand. Even though it started off as a film photography walk, these days, you can bring any kind of camera, even your smartphones.
They also welcome kids, as long as your kids are big enough to walk around in the afternoon sun for a few hours.
The real hidden gems of Bangkok
Because Champ practically grew up around these neighbourhoods, the routes are never the obvious tourist spots. You end up weaving through tiny alleys, hidden courtyards, old shophouse communities and narrow pathways that honestly feel impossible to discover unless someone local shows you. Even me as a native-born Thai still would never be able to find these alleys myself.
These are the kinds of places you miss when you’re rushing through Bangkok.
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The strangers who later became friends
You spend a couple of hours walking around with a group of strangers who all share this oddly specific interest in film photography. Some are locals. Some are just visiting Bangkok. Some have expensive cameras hanging around their necks while others show up with tiny point-and-shoots they found in a drawer at home.
There’s something about film photography that slows people down a bit. Nobody’s rapid-firing 200 photos or obsessing over getting content for Instagram immediately because you physically can’t see the photos yet. You just walk, observe and chat in between.
A really awesome way to explore Bangkok
I genuinely think these walks are one of the best ways to explore hidden parts of Bangkok. Even for me as a local, I constantly end up discovering corners of the city I never knew existed. Tiny shrines hidden between buildings. Generations-old noodle shops. Quiet residential lanes just a few streets away from complete chaos.
It reminds you how layered Bangkok really is.
So I joined Champ again for another walk recently, this time in collaboration with BKK Collective – a community for creative people to connect in Bangkok – and, once again, ended up making a few new friends along the way.
The funny thing is I didn’t check my phone for hours. No notifications, no doomscrolling, no endless refreshing. I was too busy talking to people in real life, dancing with aunties doing aerobic exercise, and trying not to completely mess up my exposures.
In fact, I had no idea there had been a train-bus collision that day until I was going home.
For a few hours, Bangkok felt slower and more human.
Good to know before you go
Best for: Kids or parents looking for a new, creative way to spend time offline
Where: Meeting point is at Apron Bar, Samsen Soi 4, Bangkok Old Town. Call: 098-249-1644
How much: B350, including 1 drink
When: Check Sweet Film Bar Instagram for updates
