National Gallery of Thailand, Bangkok

By far not a prime destination for arts and artists, Thailand nonetheless has some decent galleries and museums well worth checking out. One of them is certainly the National Gallery which displays contemporary and traditional art of Thailand from the 17th century onward. It sits in the old Royal Mint building whose construction started on February 4, 1902, and was presided over by King Rama V. On April 19, 1974, the Thai Ministry of Finance passed on the building to the Department of Fine Arts to be used as the National Gallery. In August 1978 it was listed as a national monument and in September 1983 further extended.

Made of brick with a gabled roof, the building's architectural style was influenced by a factory in Birmingham, England. It has two wings with a courtyard in the center. All windows on the ground floor are curved and decorated with strips and those of the upper floor are decorated with Roman arches. The outside wall is etched with shallow horizontal lines while the edges of the roof seem to be beautifully decorated with embroidery. The lintel above the front door is made of stained glass. The floor of the first story is ornamental marble, while that of the second story is made of teak.

Tip:
Try going to the Gallery when a special exhibition is in place or when they have some modern art events.