MOCA Bangkok

What is it? A five-storey museum in Chatuchak that's as much a feat of architecture as a home for art. The Museum of Contemporary Thai Art wears its façade like jewellery, with stone carved into delicate jasmine-vine patterns that nod to the country's cultural roots and let sunlight filter through in shifting patches across the day.

Why we love it: The building alone justifies the trip, but each floor gives you a fresh reason to climb. The perforated stonework throws light around in ways that keep the mood changing hour to hour, so the place never quite looks the same twice. Inside, the layout reads like a journey, opening with permanent displays on the ground floor, devoting the second to contemporary Thai work, then handing the third over to art spun from dreams and imagination. Higher up you find yet more from the permanent collection before the top floor swings open to international shows. 

Time Out tip: Time your visit for a bright day and keep half an eye on the walls and floors, not just the art. The sunlight pouring through the carved stone is half the spectacle, and it's at its best when the sky plays along.

Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road, Chatuchak. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm. Entry is B300 for both Thai citizens and non-Thais.