Thailand will soon have its first large museum for international contemporary art called Dib Bangkok, which will open in December 2025 in the Rama IV area of downtown Bangkok.
The museum, the first of its kind in the country, will exhibit modern art from all over the world.
Located in a 71,000-square-foot warehouse that was first built in the 1980s, it has now been changed into a three-story art museum by Kulapat Yantrasast and his company, WHY Architecture.
This same firm is also working on a major project at the Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the most famous museums in the world.
The name Dib means “raw” or “natural, real state” in Thai, which matches both the design of the building and the museum’s goal to show true, honest art that speaks to people from different places.
Key Takeaways
- Dib Bangkok opens in December 2025 as Thailand’s first major museum dedicated to international contemporary art, with over 1,000 artworks from 200+ global artists.
- The museum is housed in a renovated 1980s steel warehouse, designed by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, and spans three levels with 11 galleries, a courtyard, a sculpture garden, and a unique cone-shaped gallery called “The Chapel.”
- Founded by Purat Osathanugrah, Dib Bangkok honors the vision of his late father, Petch Osathanugrah, and aims to be a creative bridge connecting Thailand, Southeast Asia, and the global art community.
A Museum Built on One Man’s Dream
The idea for Dib Bangkok came from Petch Osathanugrah, a well-known Thai businessman and art collector who was the CEO of his family’s company, Osotspa, until 2022 and was known for his strong support of modern Thai art.
He believed that Thai artists deserved more attention and collected many works by both Thai and global artists.
After Petch Osathanugrah passed away in 2023, his son, Purat “Chang” Osathanugrah, decided to create Dib Bangkok using his father’s collection, which now forms the main part of the museum’s art displays.
This collection includes over 1,000 artworks by more than 200 artists from different countries. Most of the pieces were made from the 1990s to today and include paintings, sculptures, photos, large art setups, and digital art.
The museum will feature famous Thai artists like Montien Boonma, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Kawita Vatanajyankur, as well as world-famous artists such as Damien Hirst, Frank Stella, and Takashi Murakami, creating a full picture of modern art today with both local and international work.
A Unique Building for Art and Community
The three-story building keeps some of its original industrial look, with bare concrete walls on the ground floor. The second floor has a special Thai-Chinese window grille from the building’s past that gives a sense of history and culture.
The top floor has white gallery rooms lit by natural light from the sawtooth-shaped roof, which makes the space feel open and bright for visitors.
In the center of the museum is a 15,000-square-foot courtyard that gives people a place to relax and gather, along with an outdoor sculpture garden and a cone-shaped gallery called The Chapel, which is covered with mosaic tiles and designed for quiet, deep thinking with large, immersive artworks.
The museum also has a penthouse area for special events, helping it become a place for art and community gatherings.
First Exhibition and Leaders of Dib Bangkok
When Dib Bangkok opens, the first show will be called “Invisible Presence,” which will honor Petch Osathanugrah’s vision and show how hidden forces and ideas shape the world of art and life.
The exhibition will include works by Montien Boonma, Lee Bul, Anselm Kiefer, and Alicja Kwade, with more artists to be announced.
The museum will be led by Dr. Miwako Tezuka, who has worked in New York at the Japan Society and the Asia Society Museum and also at the Reversible Destiny Foundation.
She will work with Ariana Chaivaranon, the museum’s curator, who has experience at the Harvard Art Museums and the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing.
Together, they want Dib Bangkok to become a global center for sharing and learning through art, not just a place to look at it.
A Growing Art Scene in Thailand
Dib Bangkok is opening at an exciting time, as Thailand’s art scene is growing quickly, with more private art spaces opening across the country.
Earlier in 2025, Marisa Chearavanont, another Thai collector, opened the Khao Yai Art Forest about one hour from Bangkok, a large outdoor space that shows art by Elmgreen & Dragset, Martin Kippenberger, and Fujiko Nakaya.
She also runs the Bangkok Kunsthalle, a place for temporary shows of international art that adds to the growing interest in modern art in Thailand.
With Dib Bangkok, Thailand will have a major new museum that connects local and global artists and helps Bangkok become a city for modern art in Southeast Asia.
