Travel bucket list idea:
Over the past few years, forward-thinking creatives have transformed Bangkok’s riverside Bang Rak area into the city’s de-facto design district.
Here, boutique concept stores and art galleries blow new life into dilapidated shophouses, while wall-spanning street art by some of Thailand’s top artists infuses the winding alleys with a much-needed pop of colour.
Most galleries congregate around the Thailand Creative & Design Center in the Grand Postal Office, the creative hub that kick-started the artistic renaissance back in 2017, but new ones pop up almost monthly.
Highlights include Warehouse 30, a multi-use creative space in a WWII-era industrial complex; artsy concept store-meets-tea parlour Citizen Tea Canteen; and ATT19, a contemporary art gallery taking over a 120-year-old former school building.
The Creative District is best explored on foot, with the Saphan Taksin BTS station as a handy starting point. As you weave through Ban Rak’s alleys, you’ll pass street art by local artists and a handful of quirky coffee shops that have popped up here over the past few years.
There is no signposted route, but the Creative District’s website has some good suggestions. You’ll find the highest concentration of galleries and creative businesses (including ATT19 and Warehouse 30) in the blocks around the Grand Postal Building on Charoenkrung Road, a 20-minute stroll north of the Saphan Taksin BTS station.
All galleries have different opening times, but you’ll likely find most open on the weekend. With frequent art fairs and handicraft markets popping up, this is also when the district is at its liveliest.
Keep an eye out for the bi-monthly Gallery Hopping nights happening in the district, when galleries and studios open their doors until well after sunset.
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Central Thailand, Thailand
From dazzling temples to dizzying nightlife, Thailand’s capital is a dish of delicious contradictions that beffudles the senses. One of the world’s most dizzying, fast-paced cities, home to the glittering Grand Palace.
