The Kingdom of Thailand is still associated with elephant rides through the tropical jungle, diving among colorful coral reefs, ancient stone temples and golden-domed royal palaces. However, a few know that Thailand also has fantastic amusement parks, giant shopping centers and contemporary art museums.

The Museum of Contemporary Art or MOCA was founded in Bangkok in 2012 by the well-known Thai billionaire and art connoisseur Boonchai Bencharongkul. As a young man, the media mogul became interested in pictorial art. For 30 years, he has been collecting the artworks of talented Thai artists to show his incredible collection to the world one day. The best architects of Southeast Asia under his leadership created a unique design project and erected a five-story building with an area of more than 20 thousand sq. m. which seems to be carved out of solid granite stone. Fine delicate carvings in the shape of jasmine leaves adorn the facade of the museum. The gentle rays of the sun, going through them, create a theatrical performance of light and shadow on the floor and walls of the atrium. The modern construction equipped with escalators and elevators includes four spacious exhibition halls, two of which are dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibition consists of 500 excellent paintings, sculptures and installations of renowned artists, including national painters and sculptors Khien Yimsiri and Paitun Muangsomboon and the People's Artist Professor Chalud Nimsamer. A big part of the collection is represented by works on a religious theme and the history of the kingdom of Sukhothai. Works of the famous Thai artist and philosopher Tawan Duchani take an entire floor. Here you can see not only oil paintings but also drawings, decorative objects with wood carvings, various types of handmade weapons. Another floor displays works of contemporary art from Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Italy, Russia and the United States.