Art Supplies in Vientiane and Bangkok

Where can you get quality art supplies in Vientiane? Almost nowhere, apparently, according to one art gallery owner who I spoke with. Aside from ordinary stationary shops, one place for art supplies is a small shop across from the National Faculty of Fine Arts. A teacher’s wife runs the shop and most local artists buy from there. You can find oil colors for about 30,000k per tube. Poster Paints, White Paint and Glue can be found at local construction shops. Otherwise, the pickings are very slim for artists in Laos.

So, if you can manage it, head to Bangkok to stock up on art supplies. Bangkok is a big city, so where do you start? There are probably actual shops dedicated to art somewhere in Bangkok, but as I don’t live there then I would have no idea where they are. What I’ve found is that there are two notable and convenient places to shop for art and craft supplies. The first is at the top floor of the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall Department Store. You can find a large range of items, however it tends to focus more on stationery than arts and crafts.

A better option is the flagship B2S store in Central World. You can find it on the 3rd floor – just follow the signs. You might remember B2S from its small store near Robinsons in Udon Thani. Well, the one in Central World is massive. Alongside movies, CDs and other gadgets, there is a huge section devoted to arts and crafts and stationery.