Rotary Club of Bangkok & Bangkok Charity Orchestra
Moonlight & Melodies
Sunday 4 October 2026 · Aksra Theatre, Bangkok
A Night of Music That Gives
A starry night at Aksra Theatre
On Sunday 4 October 2026, the Rotary Club of Bangkok and the Bangkok Charity Orchestra (BCO) filled Aksra Theatre with music. Moonlight & Melodies was a fabulous evening, and every baht raised is going to Klong Lad Krabang School in Samut Prakan.
214
students who will benefit
4
school improvements funded
500,000
THB fundraising target
31 Dec
donations remain open
Aksra Theatre at King Power Rangnam is one of Bangkok's finest stages: intimate but grand enough to make an occasion of it. Under a backdrop inspired by Van Gogh's swirling night skies, it was the perfect setting for a concert built around the moon, the stars and a very good cause.
One of our own on the podium
At the heart of the evening, was one of our own. Rotarian Khun Chulayuth Lochotinan is a member and board member of the Rotary Club of Bangkok, and the founder and director of the Bangkok Charity Orchestra.
By day, he is a Partner and Head of Capco in Thailand. By night, he is something else entirely. Chulayuth began piano at four, was a Music Scholar at Harrow School and conducted the Trinity Orchestra while studying Engineering and Computing Science at Oxford.
He founded the BCO in 2010 as Thailand's first orchestra dedicated to raising funds for charity. Made up of volunteer musicians, both professionals and experienced amateurs, it has since raised more than 23 million baht for good causes and won the Thomson Reuters Community Champion Award in 2011.
The Rotary Club of Bangkok and the BCO have partnered for many years on concerts like this one. As our President, Dr Jean-Pierre Verbiest, put it in his welcome, BCO concerts are "great fun with always many nice surprises, bringing out the best talent of young Thai artists and musicians." Last night proved him right.
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From Jupiter to Thai pop classics
The programme was a journey, and a brilliantly unpredictable one. It opened with the full orchestra in Holst's Jupiter. Then came the first surprise: a 13-year-old pianist taking on Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, one of the most demanding works in the repertoire. From there the evening diversified into something a little different, moving through Thai pop hits, much-loved acoustic favourites and international songs, all reimagined with orchestral backing.
There was English and Thai, classical and contemporary, stars and remarkable young talent. Highlights included "The Moon Represents My Heart", "The One That Got Away", "Wonderful Tonight" and D Gerrard's hits "รถไฟบนฟ้า" and "Galaxy". All the artists came together for a joyful "Fly Me to the Moon".
It was a fantastic mix, with a charity theme running through every piece. During the evening, our President, Dr Jean-Pierre Verbiest, took to the stage to present bouquets to three of the performers on behalf of the club.
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What the music is building: Klong Lad Krabang School
The proceeds from Moonlight & Melodies will be used entirely by the Rotary Club of Bangkok to renovate Klong Lad Krabang School in Racha Thewa, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, which is home to 214 students.
Why this school
The club did not pick a name out of a hat. The project team considered more than 30 schools against clear criteria: in the Bangkok area, with more than 200 students, in genuine need of outside support due to limited funding, clear about what they need, and achievable within a budget of USD 15,000 to 20,000. Klong Lad Krabang met these. The team then visited the school in person to check its suitablity.
What they found was a school doing its best with ageing, deteriorating buildings: cracked and worn classroom walls, peeling restroom doors and partitions, a collapsed storage shelter and no proper place for a sick child to rest.
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What will be done
Classroom renovation
Ageing classroom spaces upgraded to be safer, cleaner and more comfortable places to learn
Student restrooms
Deteriorated restrooms renovated for better hygiene, safety and daily wellbeing
Covered storage area
A new 4.5 m x 4.5 m roofed storage space to protect food, supplies and learning materials from rain
Kindergarten medical room
An existing storeroom converted into a basic medical room where young children can rest and be cared for when unwell
The Rotary Club of Bangkok will lead the project's execution. Work is planned to start in November 2026 and take around three months. Afterwards, the school will maintain the new facilities from its regular budget, so the benefits carry on for generations of students and teachers.
Why it matters even more now
In light of the recent floods at the end of September, the need is greater than it was when this project was first conceived. A covered store that keeps food and books dry, and safe, hygienic facilities for young children, are exactly the kind of improvements that make a real difference when the rains come.
Thank you, and please keep giving.
A wonderful evening like this does not happen by accident. Our biggest thanks go to Rotarian Khun Chulayuth Lochotinan for the monumental effort of pulling it all together, from the orchestra and artists to the sponsors and the cause itself. Also to Rotarian Supapij Xoomsai Na Ayudhya, who did a superb job as MC for the evening.
Thank you to the BCO musicians and every artist who gave their time and talent. Thank you to main sponsor Citi Thailand, to our partner Taejai.com, and to King Power, Plan B Media, BITEC, CMO, PM Centre, Jacob's Creek, Res and Thai Box Office for making the night possible.
And thank you to our own club: to every member who came along and filled those seats, and to the board for arranging and approving this project so the money raised turns into real, lasting change. The Rotary Club of Bangkok will now build on the success of the evening and see the work through at the school.
Please keep giving
You can still help until 31 December 2026
If you missed the concert or were there and want to do a little more, the fundraising campaign will remain open until 31 December 2026. The target is 500,000 THB for 214 students.
Scan the QR code below to donate:
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