Whether you like it or not, geek is in. That’s obvious from the plethora of superhero movies reigning at the box office and the TV series we follow and binge faithfully. And Bangkok isn’t an exception. Geekiness is alive and well here in the Big Mango. That’s pretty evident with the “letter” Major Cineplex released a few weeks ago that employees could use to give to their bosses to ask for the day off to watch Avengers: Infinity War (ours is already printed out and ready to go as well as our escape plan in case our boss chases us out of the office). Aside from that, Bangkok is going to show off its geek pride with a couple of events in the city. So ignite your lightsabers, produce 1.21 gigawatts, step into the Tardis, have your wands at the ready and sit in your captain’s chair. Here are five events in Bangkok where geeks will thrive and fanboy/fangirl to the max.

THE MARVEL EXPERIENCE

MegaBangna
May

The latest Avengers film comes out in a week and we’re pretty excited and also scared about who’s going to bite the dust in the film. We remember the good ol’ days when having multiple superheroes in one film on one screen seemed like a distant dream and now we’re about to witness the biggest gathering of heroes in one movie. But wouldn’t it be epic to be in on all the action, fighting alongside Iron Man and Spider-Man? Well, The Marvel Experience Thailand is offering Bangkokians an experience of just that. More than just a place where you can buy Marvel merch and possibly see cool exhibitions and displays of your favourite Avengers, The Marvel Experience Thailand promises “hyper reality” and puts you in the middle of it all by making you a new S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit. There are “seven massive domes” you go through where each houses a different experience, like a 4D motion ride, a 3D 360-degree dome projection theatre, and a number of interactive games. Aside from being part of the team, they’ve also said that you can play as your favourite heroes, so you can spend some time smashing about as the Hulk or flying around in one of Tony’s Iron Man suits. They’ve announced that they’ll be setting up shop at MegaBangna and are set to open in May. No word yet on how long it’ll be here for or how much tickets will be, but expect crowds when visiting.

Visit http://fb.com/TheMarvelExperienceThailand and http://themarvelexperiencethailand.com.

BANGKOK COMIC CON x THAILAND COMIC CON

Siam Paragon
April 27-29

It’s pretty awesome that Bangkok has its own comic con — two actually — and that it’s been improving year after year. This year is hopefully going to be bigger and better because for the first time, Bangkok Comic Con and Thailand Comic Con are joining forces to give the Big Mango three days of absolute uber nerdiness. Expect Paragon to be sprawling with people cosplaying as anime characters and superheroes within these three days. It’ll also be a good place to stock up on great geek merch, whether it be apparel or collectibles, a number of which will be definitely shown off. A cosplay contest will, of course, be held, because if there’s no cosplay contest, is it really a comic con? International cosplayers Calssara, Astarohime Koyu, Yuegene Fay and Leon Chiro will also be in attendance. There will also be a Tokyo Idol Festival wherein BNK48, the Thai version of the Japanese idol group AKB48, will be making an appearance, as well as other idol groups. Actress Kelly Hu, best known for her role as Lady Deathstroke in the second X-Men film (back when its timeline wasn’t confusing), will be the con’s special Hollywood guest. There will also be a number of exhibitors and displays from Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, 20th Century Fox and many, many more. Time to decide who you’re going to cosplay as and spend some of your hard-earned cash on nerdy stuff.

Visit bangkokcomiccon.com, http://fb.com/bangkokcomiccon, or http://fb.com/thailandcomiccon.

NINJA MAZE: THE BIG ADVENTURE

Central Plaza Westgate
Until May 31

Have you ever dreamed of being a ninja, dressing up completely in black, being all sneaky and stuff, and mastering the art of unagi (Friends reference, wink wink)? Well, this is your chance to fulfil that dream. Central Plaza Westgate has been home this past month to something called “Ninja Maze: The Big Adventure”. It’s an interactive exhibition where visitors have to traverse a “ninja house” laden with obstacles and traps and where you can also discover passageways. After all, a ninja has to have a keen sense of observation. Aside from the house where you can show off your ninja skills (or most probably fail epically at trying to attempt any ninja moves), the exhibition also has a mini theatre where you can watch and learn about the skills of expert ninjas, as well as the tools in their arsenal to carry out their missions. The exhibition has been there at Central Plaza Westgate on the 4th floor since March 17, but it’s going to stay until May 31 so you’ve still got time to experience it. Tickets are priced at B450 and are available at http://thaiticketmajor.com.

AIS IMAX VR

Siam Paragon

There have been a bunch of VR places that have been popping up all over the city. Now, IMAX has jumped into the foray. Promising an immersive experience with the “most advanced VR headset and motion-tracking technology powered by blazing fast computers”, we wouldn’t expect less since it is IMAX after all. Games can be single player or multiplayer, and they can range from walking through a haunted mansion, taking a spacewalk, or flying through Parisian skies as an eagle. There are also games based on movies such as John Wick where you play the slick gun-slinging hero, and Justice League, where you can step into the shoes of Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg or the Flash. Prices start at B250 on weekdays and B300 on weekends.

Go to http://goo.gl/fy4nRo for a full list of prices and http://goo.gl/MCZp4X.

KHON LONG YUK FAIR

Museum Siam
May 19, 3pm-9pm

A common mistake people make is that they think the word “geek” or “nerd” can only be associated with specific things like technology, games, superheroes, comic books and nothing else. In fact, all of us are probably nerds at one or more things. The upcoming Khon Long Yuk Fair, modelled after The War Peace Revival Vintage Military History Festival that happens in the UK, is aimed at vintage lovers and geeks. If you’ve got a thing for days gone by or to be more accurate, days when you weren’t even born yet, then this is an event you definitely can’t pass up. Along with having a number of vendors selling everything vintage, the organisers promise that the exhibitors they’ve partnered up with are “hard-core” geeks in their specific fields. For example, a group called Bankoku 18th Fuhyoushidan, who specialise in re-enacting the lives and battles of Japanese soldiers stationed here in World War II, will be attending, as well as Bangkok Historical Fencing, a group that practices historical swordfighting, which is drastically different from what we see in movies. There will also be vintage vehicles on display. It’s going to be a small gathering since it’s the first time it’s happening, but hopefully it grows bigger the next time around.

Visit http://fb.com/longyukfair.