The Bangkok National Gallery

Across this wide double avenue that looks almost impossible to cross, you’ll notice a pastel yellow façade framed by palm trees. Behind those walls lies one of Thailand’s key landmarks of artistic creation: the Bangkok National Gallery. The building itself is a historic monument: it once housed the Royal Mint before being transformed into a museum in 1977 by the Fine Arts Department. Since then, it has become the go-to address for anyone wishing to explore Thai art in all its forms, from ancient works to modern and contemporary pieces. Inside, across two floors, you’ll find everything from priceless antiquities to works by major twentieth-century artists, along with an entire section dedicated to the royal family, featuring objects once owned by Kings Rama VI and Rama IX. But the gallery is not just a museum: it’s also a living cultural space. Every spring, it hosts art markets that combine exhibitions with sales of local creations. Blending tradition and modernity, the Bangkok National Gallery offers a unique panorama of the country’s artistic wealth.