Koh Kret is a hidden gem. Actually an island located in the Chao Phraya River just north of Bangkok in Nonthaburi, it is noted for its pottery, made by the ethnic Mons, who are the original inhabitants of the islet. On weekends, lots of Bangkok Thais come here to check out the ceramics, as well as enjoy the homemade Thai...

This Wat is famous for its golden Buddha statue, which happens to be the largest golden seated Buddha in the world, fifteen feet tall, and weighing 5.5 tons! The pure gold figure is worth millions of dollars, and it has made Wat Traimit a popular tourist draw, serving as the entry point into Bangkok’s Chinatown. While the main reason to...

The Alliance française is an international organization with branches throughout the world. This one, in a new multi-story building behind the Embassy of Japan, is large and very active. There is an excellent French-language bookstore, Carnets d’Asie, where hard-to-find treasures include books on Kailash Editions, printed in Pondicherry. Or visitors can head to the library and its over 26,000 resources....

The buildings that house this art center on the campus of Silpakorn are worth a visit alone. The first red-roofed structure dates to 1782, when Bangkok was founded; it was originally built to hold an image of Buddha that was moved here from Sukothai. Tha Phra Palace, as it is called in Thai, became an art gallery in 1979. The...

Sacred sites abound in this area of Rattanakosin south and southeast of Democracy Monument. Wat Saket gleams high on the hill, the clanging of metal on metal can be heard at Monk’s Bowl Village, Wat Ratchanatda occupies vast grounds, and the Giant Swing stands tall before Wat Suthat. In the middle of it all, on a couple of blocks of...

When Rama I moved the capital of the kingdom, the city of Krung Thep – or Bangkok as foreigners call it – was born. So was this extensive complex of buildings and monuments of both royal and religious significance. Some are still used for ceremonies, but Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple in Thailand, has no resident monks these...

This contemporary art gallery housed in a 19th-century colonial wood building shows mostly painting and photography. Many of the artists represented are Thai and fairly well established. H Gallery has a gallery in Chiang Mai, and they also curate the artwork at Eat Me Restaurant on nearby Soi Pipat. BTS: Surasak or Chong Nonsi 10am-6pm, closed Tue

American GI turned Thai silk expert and entrepreneur Jim Thompson introduced the world to Thai textiles and crafts and revolutionized the industry. He was a connoisseur of Southeast Asian art and culture, and visitors to his home, a little group of houses he purchased from different parts of Thailand and reassembled beside a canal in Bangkok, can see the Thai...

One of Thailand’s most successful art photographers, Manit Sriwanichpoom, runs this gallery down the street from Sri Mariamman Temple (AKA The Hindu Temple) with his partner. On the ground level of an old wood shophouse painted mint green, Manit’s photos hang are displayed along with antique Hindu posters and paintings. Books on Thai photography, Carlos Castaneda, and Hindu mysticism sit...

In what once was the Royal Mint, the National Gallery shows a mixed bag of Thai and Siamese art from the 1500s to present. The front gabled building’s galleries have the best stuff; visit them first and then wander around the grounds and peek into the temporary exhibitions, which may or may not be as engaging. Up the stairs just...

Queen Sirikit supports traditional embroidery, but she also gives money to other arts, and in 2003 this five-story building became the Queen’s Gallery. Shows are a curious mix of staid pastel portraits and interesting group exhibition by emerging Thai artists that offer a view of what the next creative generation is concocting. Sansaeb Canal Boat: Phan Fah Stop Hours: 10am...

Most temples in Bangkok are Buddhist, but this one, built in 1877, honors Ganesh, Kartik, and Sri Maha Mariamman. The colorful Chola and Pallava architectural styles come from Tamil Nadu. Remove your shoes before entering the temple grounds to see more of the ornate sculptural work. You can walk around the people at the front making offerings and praying. If you decide you...

Thailand Creative & Design Center has become a vital cultural center in the city. There are permanent and changing exhibitions here, like the traveling Essential Eames show or another on the bamboo craft tradition in Beppu, Japan. There is a resource center with thousands of books, magazines and other materials on art and design, many of them in English. It’s...

The Temple of Dawn is one of the most easily recognized monuments in Bangkok thanks to its 81-meter-high Phra Buddha Prang. The tower, covered in ceramic shards and shells, can be climbed via steep staircases, above each of which are statues of Indra riding Erawan. The four smaller prangs – or spires – around it feature statues of the wind...

While the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace are undeniably high on the list of sites to see, Wat Pho wins big points for its seniority and pastel-colored beauty. Known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha in English, this is one the oldest temples in Bangkok, dating to the 16th century before the city was here. The...

Yaowarat Road is the heart of Chinatown in Bangkok and a must-see for anyone who wants to immerse him or herself in Chinese culture. It’s bustling all the time. The street is lined with traditional Chinese pharmacies that sell herbal and medicinal remedies, gold shops, and dim sum parlors. There are some good hotels here, including Shanghai Mansion, which used...