Fon & Yuval

On a sunny Sunday last week, I sat at the back of my grab bike, down busy Rama III before slipping into an abandoned warehouse by the river. At the pier sat Bangkok Island , facing Bang Krachao’s jungle across the water, still green and untamed. Run by Yuval and his wife Fon, the boat has been around for almost seven years, changing dock three times already. It wasn’t Yuval’s first adventure. In his twenties, he opened The Overstay , one of Bangkok’s most infamous underground venues.

Influenced by squat culture and cheap hostels, he created a space where anyone could play music freely and safely, sometimes even sheltering migrants or people who couldn’t afford rent. In my own twenties, I spent nights there, ending up at improvised drum and bass parties or watching friends experiment with visuals and sound. That was also when Yuval and Fon first crossed paths. Years later, when Yuval faced legal troubles, Fon left everything behind in Khon Kaen to stand by him. That moment solidified their relationship.

They eventually married on the boat 5 years ago. Yuval had long dreamed of a mid-sized venue, something Bangkok lacked. His idea was simple: turn a barge into a floating cultural space. Originally meant to stay docked without engines, Bangkok Island later evolved into a cruise boat. Today it hosts two main stages, indoor and outdoor, and on the pier they recently created a sandy “beach” with a giant screen for film nights. At the helm, Yuval oversees creative direction and marketing, while Fon manages the team.

She also DJs and occasionally performs fire dance. She also runs “Film Talent networking” with her young staff, connecting young filmmakers with industry professionals. Since relocating to Rama III, they’ve been dreaming of developing the land around the pier, though finding partners hasn’t been easy. In the meantime, they enjoy the unexpected calm of the river. Otters and eagles sometimes pass by. When I asked what they hoped Bangkok Island would leave behind, Yuval didn’t hesitate: “Good times. That’s all you can do.”