Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)

The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) is a free public arts centre at 939 Rama I Road in Pathum Wan, central Bangkok, Thailand, opposite MBK Center and linked by skywalk to National Stadium BTS station. It shows changing exhibitions of Thai and international contemporary art and hosts music, film and talks. Closed on Mondays, it suits art lovers and anyone wanting a cool, quiet break near Siam.

From a 1995 plan to a long-delayed opening

The centre stands at the Pathum Wan junction, where Rama I Road meets Phaya Thai Road, one of the busiest corners in Bangkok. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) owns the building. The project began in 1995 under Governor Bhichit Rattakul. When Samak Sundaravej became governor in 2001 he halted it and proposed shops for the site. Artists, students and cultural groups campaigned against the change, and in 2004 Governor Apirak Kosayodhin revived the original plan. The city spent 509 million baht on construction, and the centre opened on 29 July 2008.

The round atrium and its curving ramp

Robert G. Boughey and Associates designed the building with flexible exhibition space, high ceilings and controlled natural light, drawing on Thai architectural ideas. Its defining feature is the round central atrium, where a curving ramp links the upper gallery floors, so you can walk from level to level without stairs. The ramp is a pleasant walk in itself.

Bookshops and cafés below, galleries above

The lower floors hold cafés, independent bookshops, craft and design shops, small galleries and an art library. A multi-function room on the first floor seats 250 to 300 people for talks and screenings. The main galleries above show painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video and design by Thai and international artists, with the programme changing several times a year. BACC is one of the main venues of the Bangkok Art Biennale, and visitor numbers reached 1.7 million in 2017.

Who pays for it and the 2018 dispute

A foundation runs the centre under a contract with the BMA. The city provides about 40 million baht a year, while donors and sponsors cover most of the 75 to 90 million baht operating budget. Proposals in 2018 to bring the centre under closer city control met protests from the arts community. In July 2025 works were removed from an exhibition organised by the Myanmar Peace Museum after pressure from the Chinese Embassy and city officials, which drew wide criticism.