THAILAND
Official Country Name KINGDOM OF THAILAND
Languages THAI
Population 68,615,858
Median Age 38.1
GDP Per Capita US $17,900
Source: CIA World Factbook
Total Value of Art Exported (UN Comtrade Database 2018) US $18,208,980
Arts Funding (Ministry of Culture) US $267,567,000
Art Programs (University Level) 18
Student Enrollment 9,554
Source: Ministry of Finance, AAP (non-official)
Museums Exhibiting Contemporary Art 6
Contemporary Art Galleries (Commercial) 66
Contemporary Art Spaces (Nonprofit) 32
Art Foundations (NGO + Private) 16
Source: AAP (non-official)
Acknowledgments: Pearamon Tulavadharna, Pongsakorn Yananissorn
In March, Thailand held its first general election since the 2014 military coup led by Prayuth Chan-ocha. The ex-general, who has been serving as prime minister since the coup, maintained his power, emerging as leader of the coalition government. In May, King Maha Vajiralongkorn was officially crowned in a three-day ceremony, marking a new era after the seven-decade reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Meanwhile, the local, which houses a significant collection of antiquities, mounted its first contemporary art exhibition, “In Situ From The Outside” (3/6–4/28), turning the Isara Winitchai Throne Hall into a site for poignant pieces by renowned practitioners On Kawara, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Nipan Oranniwesna, and Pratchaya Phinthong. Its 42-year-old sister institution presented The 65th National Exhibition of Art (10/5–27), a juried showcase highlighting Thai modern art traditions.
