In September, BISP’s IGCSE and IB Visual Arts students travelled from Phuket to Bangkok for a four-day study trip, exploring the relationship between Thailand’s artistic heritage and contemporary creative practice.

Across museums, galleries and cultural spaces, students had the opportunity to encounter artworks first-hand, develop their observational skills and gather inspiration and contextual research to support their ongoing coursework.

From Thai Heritage to Contemporary Art

The trip began at the Jim Thompson House, where students explored traditional Thai architecture, craftsmanship and the presentation of art within a historic setting. From there, the group moved into contemporary Bangkok, visiting the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) and the galleries and contemporary Asian collections at River City Bangkok.

A boat journey along the Chao Phraya River to Asiatique brought the first day to a close and offered another perspective on the city, its architecture and the changing relationship between Bangkok and its waterfront.

Gallery visits continued throughout the trip, forming an important part of the students’ contextual research. At the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), students spent dedicated time analysing large-scale works by modern Thai artists and completing observational studies in their sketchbooks.

Visits to the National Gallery Bangkok and Kunawong House Museum provided a different perspective, allowing students to consider classical artistic foundations alongside a more personal, residential approach to collecting and displaying art and heritage.

Looking, Drawing and Developing Ideas

Importantly, the trip was not only about moving from one gallery to the next. Students had time to draw in situ, document what they saw, discuss artworks with one another and reflect on how different artists, environments and approaches could inform their own practice.

These conversations continued outside the galleries, giving students space to exchange ideas and process everything they had encountered during four busy days in the capital.

Returning to Phuket, students brought back well-developed sketchbooks, new references and fresh creative direction for their IGCSE and IB Visual Arts coursework.

The Bangkok trip gave students the opportunity to experience art beyond reproductions and classroom research, seeing works in their original contexts and discovering how Thailand’s artistic traditions continue to sit alongside, influence and contrast with contemporary practice.