I will not go into circles anymore and tell you directly that I went to Bangkok with this place on top of my list. While researching for less discovered places in Bangkok, I ran into PAPAYA STUDIO. It was deemed to be one of the most eccentric places to see in Bangkok as it houses a various collection of vintage furniture, antiques, toys and other collectibles.
Nestled along the less traveled Lat Phrao Road, this hidden gem hides behind a wet market and a few other variety stores. This haven masked as a warehouse is the brainchild of an avid collector of curiosities. Twenty-five years into his journey of collecting different vintage items around the world, Papaya Studio serves as a furniture and decor store and its eclectic way of display made the business expand into opening the place as a studio for professional photographers.
Envision and describe a random object in your head and you would eventually run into it in this store. Papaya Studio is like a huge gallery filled with treasure coupled with time and chance. The warehouse has three stories all equally divided into areas filled with items that can be placed in any possible habitable space.
Whether they planned the zoning or not, walking around the warehouse was like a maze with different themes and vignettes - from dining, living, entertaining and even gaming concepts, one would have to spend at least half a day to discover and see each and every object in the store. Papaya does not have a map or store guide, the concept is plain and simple - you like and object and wish to buy it, take a photograph and show it to the store assistant and they will give you the price and necessary information about the specific piece. It's all about finding the right piece that you will deeply connect with and once you find it, having it for your own is definitely a rewarding feeling.
I discovered a space where most of the very old and damaged items were being refurnished or restored. I really appreciate how they care for the items and as much as possible stay true to the materials and finishes used in the original piece.
Futuristic meets Asian and postmodern retro. Everything just seems to visually get along this place.
There are a lot of tables and chairs, I have seen a lot of Eames, Saarinen, and Vitra pieces in this store. I particularly loved these vintage side tables, if I only had enough money I would have bought one for my own.
The marriage of bright colors and subtle pastels, random photographs, different posters and signages create an interesting story in the bathroom and toilet setups of the store.
Choose your Louis chair
Aside from furniture and decoration, there is also a section dedicated to musical instruments and equipment. I have never seen so much vintage radio and instruments in my life. A music aficionado or collector would definitely enjoy naming each piece!
Insert mid-century inspired movie here
I used to own one of these view masters! Seeing this really made me look back at my childhood and remember the days when I would always look for new films to place in the viewfinder. My favorite disc was the dinosaur series!
Mannequins, anyone? Some areas with these gave me the scare because they come in unexpected corners! It's also part of the overall fun experience.
The topmost part of the warehouse serves as studios and showrooms at the same time. Photographers rent out the space for different shoots, in fact, there was an ongoing magazine shoot in one of the rooms.
This is my favorite vignette, it reminded me of my days in publishing! It's so Spring/Summer, all that's missing is a bunch of flowers and a cute picnic mat with food!
Search "Papaya Studio" in the places section of Instagram, and you'll definitely see a couple of this vignette.
I loved this setup, I could definitely work here. I also love the fact that It's facing a huge window so it's welcoming a lot of natural light and air.
I was able to convince this guy to come with me and go through all the dust and heat! The magic word? His childhood hero, Ultraman. And meet ultraman he did, a lot of them!
You know you found your person when they are also willing to see the things you want to see and experience the things you want to experience. I'm very happy and blessed to be able to have the time to travel with my husband and see places like these! We definitely enjoyed discovering and somehow go on a visual treasure hunt in this place..
PAPAYA STUDIO:
55/2 Soi Lat Pharo Road, Wang Thong Lang, Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Store Hours - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Some important tips if you wish to visit Papaya Studios:
1.) Google Maps is your best friend.
2.) There are no train stations nearby, the neighborhood is less populated by tourists. The only way to go here would be taking the nearest possible BTS station and hailing an Uber or Grab to the actual place. We took the BTS train from Ratchathewi to Mo Chit station. We walked around 5 minutes to the Chatuchak Park MRT station and got down in Lat Phrao station Exit 3. From there we took an Uber to Papaya.
3.) Wear comfortable clothing, it could be a bit humid since it is a warehouse. A handy fan would also help you as you walk along the property.
4.) While some would only stay for an hour, I suggest that you take your time to discover the unknown. You will only get to see a place like Papaya once in a while, and you traveled far. Make the most out of it and learn from the things that you will be seeing!
I hope that this will give you an additional idea of places to visit the next time you plan for your trip to Bangkok. We really had a lot of fun in Papaya Studios!
See you in the next adventure,
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