MOCA Bangkok
Museum of Contemporary Art, a large private collection of Thai art.
About MOCA Bangkok
MOCA Bangkok is a private museum of Thai contemporary art at 499 Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road in Chatuchak, in the city's north. Business executive Boonchai Bencharongkul opened it in 2012. It sits in a large, minimalist cube-shaped building with almost closed facades. Inside, five floors of tall, calm galleries have wooden benches where you can sit and look.
The collection covers Thai masters such as Thawan Duchanee, who has a whole floor, as well as Chalermchai Kositpipat, Prateep Kochabua and Hem Vejakorn, plus international works. Much of it is large figurative, surreal and hyper-realist painting. Adult tickets are 300 baht, students pay 120 baht and children under 13 go free. Allow two to three hours, and there is a café for a break.
The museum is cool, quiet and seldom crowded, which suits a slow afternoon of wandering and talking about what you see. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, and is closed on Mondays. Go on a weekday afternoon to escape the heat. Some works show nudity and mature themes.
Why it works for a date
- Striking modern building
- Strong Thai hyper-realist and surrealist collection
- Quiet escape from crowds and heat
- Café with a good atmosphere
Good to be aware of
- Far from the centre
- Lots of nude and mature imagery
- Little multimedia or cutting-edge work despite the 'contemporary' name
Don't miss
More date spots in Chatuchak
Huge weekend market with thousands of stalls.
Wachirabenchathat Park, great for cycling on shaded paths.
Large park next to the weekend market.
Night market at the old Dan Neramit castle site.
See all date spots in Chatuchak
More art galleries & museums in Bangkok
Riverside center for art galleries and antiques.
BACC, a free contemporary art center opposite MBK.
Traditional teak houses and gardens of the silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson.
Interactive museum about Thai identity in a colonial-era building.