One of my hidden pleasures when I am in a new city is visiting its art museums. I have wandered around most of the famous museums in the world: El Prado, Louvre, Hermitage, Vienna Museum Quarters, Metropolitan in NY, etc.
So as an art aficionado, I have to say that MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, in Bangkok, is my favorite museum in Thailand, and probably one of the best I have visited nor just in Asia, but around the world.
Moca Bangkok is located in the north area of the capital, and unfortunately not so easy to reach by public transportation, so probably the easiest option to arrive there is by taxi, but believe me, it is worth the trip.
With 20.000 sqm, it is an experience to be visited for quite an affordable price (280 baht for normal adult entrance) from the moment you step into the lobby.
Although due to its quality if might look like a state museum, in fact this is a private museum put together by businessman and art lover Boonchai Bencharongkul, and as in some other impressive private collections open to the public like the Thyssen one in Madrid, you notice the special care with the tight security with floormen watching in every of the 5 floors.
However, the museum space lets you breathe and bathe in art, the building is spacious and bright, with a lot of places also to sit and rest while contemplating the art in its rooms, so you really feel welcome there, and the personnel is pretty polite and speaks English.
The array of art forms displayed there is notable, from sculptures to cinema posters, a huge collection of Thai Ramayana and other Asian masks, shadow puppets, drawings and pictures
Some of the highlights that you can see around is an extensive collection of one of the most famous Thai artist, Thawan Duchanee with his trademark style of black and white or red beasts drawing and tools carved from animals teeth and fangs that is beautiful and unsettling at the same time. Also it is notable the huge space, similar to the chapel of a church, dedicated to contemplate the modern triptic “The Three Kingdoms“.
One thing that can be shocking for some visitors is that, even when located in a country such as Thailand that can be very conservative in some areas, nudity is all over the art work here, sometimes even full nudity in some of the pictures displayed. So this museum is not for the conservative minded.
I also love that the museum is big, but not huge, as I usually start to lose focus roaming rooms when a museum contains too many works to contemplate. It is perfect to spend a couple of hours and fully bathed in its art, but you will not end up tired or unable to concentrate anymore, so it makes it perfect for a half day visit.
Besides, when the visit is done, it counts with a very cosy cafe on the ground floor and some tables on the outside terrace with a beautiful view of outdoors amphitheater garden and a couple of beautiful permanent installations there, perfect for a coffee and a snack before leaving the venue.
As I said, not just for the quality of the artwork, but for the sense of meticulously care given in arraying the collection, the beautiful architecture of the building and the space to roam in peace around, this has become one of my favorite museums in the world. And the best part is that every time I visited, it was not crowded at all (apart from the annoying youngsters and teenage girls that do not care about contemplating the art and just want to shoot a million pictures for their instagram). In a way, it is a hidden gem in Bangkok standing in plain view. If you like art, or just feel bored one day and want to discover one more nice spot of the Thai capital, go and visit it. It will not disappoint!
MOCA official website: https://mocabangkok.com/
For more awesome museums in Bangkok, check: