Located literal steps from Thonglor BTS, the four-story gallery-slash-cafe Palette Artspace aims to bring more Thai and international art to the general public.

 

Art facilities fill every floor in the building. On the minimally designed third and fourth floors—visible from the BTS through floor-to-ceiling windows—the gallery hosts rotating exhibitions. The second floor, meanwhile, provides space for workshops and meetings.

 

You’re most likely to get drawn in by the cafe on the ground floor, though. Palette Milk Bar could double as a minimalist Muji. Wooden tables and chairs offset clean, white columns and an all-white brick accent wall. In this space, you’ll find a selection of fresh, homemade desserts—like carrot, toffee latte and red velvet cupcakes (all B95)—to pair with coffees and teas (from B65).

                                                                                

The gallery is run by Watjanasin “Note” Charuwattanakitti and his three siblings. If that name rings a bell, it’s because the family is also behind the Karmavijitra museum on Sukhumvit 38—a space devoted to erotic Thai art through the ages—as well as the nearby Green Lantern Gallery. That gallery is dedicated to the history of sex in Thailand—its name refers to the green lanterns that Thai brothel owners used to hang outside their doors to indicate they had paid their taxes.

 

Palette Artspace, however, isn’t focusing on erotic art or history. At least, not exclusively. Note says he hopes to expose more people to the broad sweep of work produced by Thai national artists over the next six months before the gallery begins to host exhibitions from international artists.