Bangkok’s riverside is preparing for a striking new chapter. A cable car could soon glide above the Chao Phraya River. At the same time, Tasmania’s famously unconventional MONA is planning a new home in the Thai capital.
Asset World Corporation (AWC) has announced two major projects linked to Asiatique The Riverfront Destination. The first is a themed cross-river cable car. The second is MONA Bangkok, an art museum being planned with the team behind Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art.
Together, the projects aim to blend transport, art, food, retail, and entertainment into a single riverside visitor experience. It is a bold plan. Then again, Bangkok has never been a city that enters a room quietly.
The announcement was made in Bangkok on 10 July 2026. AWC says the cable car will involve an investment of more than THB2 billion. It would connect Asiatique with the company’s new mixed-use project on Charoen Nakhon Road.
There is, however, a useful note of caution. These are planned projects, not finished attractions. ABC News reported that MONA Bangkok is not yet under construction. The partnership has begun with a memorandum of understanding, while detailed design and development work is still ahead.
AWC’s “world first” sustainability claim should also be read as a goal. The company says the cable car is intended to become the first themed cable car to meet recognised international sustainability standards. It has not yet earned that status.
A river crossing with a little theatre
AWC says the cable car will use energy-efficient systems and will be built without support pylons in the Chao Phraya River. That design could reduce direct disruption to the river and avoid placing large structures in the waterway.
The ride is also meant to be far more than a simple crossing. AWC describes it as a form of kinetic art. Light, sound, nature, technology and architecture would shape the trip from one bank to the other.
So, no, this is not merely Bangkok replacing a ferry with a gondola in the sky. The journey itself is meant to be part of the attraction.
If the plan is delivered well, the cable car could help visitors move more easily through the wider riverside precinct. It could also encourage longer stays. Travellers may come for the view, then remain for dining, shopping, art and evening entertainment.
The project will face close questions before work begins. AWC will need to explain the final energy system, capacity, accessibility for people with disabilities, construction impacts, ticket prices, and operating model. It will also need to name the sustainability standard it hopes to meet.
Those details matter. “Sustainable” is a useful word, but it must carry more than a press-release shine.
MONA crosses from the Derwent to the Chao Phraya
MONA Bangkok gives the project its cultural weight. Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art was founded by David Walsh and opened in 2011. It has since become one of Australia’s best-known private museums and a major reason many travellers visit Tasmania.
MONA built its name by ignoring many of the old museum rules. It mixes ancient, modern and contemporary art with bold architecture, music, festivals, food, wine and technology. Its digital guide, “The O”, replaces standard wall labels and lets visitors explore works in a more personal way.
Its wider creative network includes DarkLab, Dark Mofo, the Odeon Theatre and In The Hanging Garden. The result is less a quiet museum visit and more a full cultural ecosystem, often with a mischievous grin.
Bangkok will not receive a copy of the Hobart Museum. The partners say the new venue will be made for Bangkok and shaped by local artists, audiences, traditions and ideas.
That is the right approach. A museum may arrive with a famous name, but it still has to earn its place in a new city.
The main creative theme will be light. That theme will be explored as both a physical force and a symbol. It is a natural fit for Bangkok, a city of temple gold, river reflections, neon streets and early-morning ceremony.
DarkLab chief executive and MONA Bangkok project lead Leigh Carmichael said: “Bangkok has the energy, audience and ambition to become one of the world’s great art destinations.”
He also said MONA Bangkok would remain unconventional while creating real dialogue with Thai artists, audiences and cultural traditions.
A serious cultural and tourism partnership
AWC brings large-scale property, hotel, retail and tourism experience. MONA brings a global cultural brand, creative direction and a track record of turning art into a reason to travel.
The Art Newspaper reported that AWC is expected to build, own and operate the museum. MONA would guide the architecture, art program, commissions, collection and exhibition design. The agreement is planned for 15 years, with an option for a further five.
That division of work gives the project commercial strength. It also creates a clear test. MONA Bangkok must feel like part of Bangkok, not an Australian export with a Thai address.
Local artists should have a strong voice. Thai curators, makers, designers and cultural groups should be part of the process. Access for local audiences will matter as much as the number of overseas visitors through the doors.
AWC chief executive and president Wallapa Traisorat said the project would bring together innovation, creativity and sustainability. She said the aim was to create lasting value for tourism, communities and Thailand.
The announcement was attended by senior figures from Thailand, Tasmania and Australia. They included Thai Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised, Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Australian Ambassador-Designate to Thailand Pablo Kang.
Rockliff said the partnership could strengthen cultural and economic ties between Tasmania and Thailand. He also sees a tourism benefit for his state. Visitors who meet MONA in Bangkok may later decide to see the original in Hobart.
That is a neat exchange. Bangkok gains some Tasmanian creative voltage. Tasmania gains a large new window into Southeast Asia.
What it could mean for Bangkok tourism
The real power of the plan lies in how the two projects work together. Cities often build transport links. They also build museums and entertainment areas. AWC wants to bring all three together into one journey.
That suits the way many people travel today. Visitors want places that are easy to reach, memorable to photograph and rich enough to fill several hours. They also want a strong local story.
The cable car could become an attraction in its own right. MONA Bangkok could give the area year-round cultural depth. Asiatique’s food, retail, and entertainment could then turn the riverfront into a more complete day-to-night destination.
Important details are still missing. AWC has not given a final opening date in its official announcement. Planning approvals, construction dates, fares, capacity and the exact sustainability test are yet to be confirmed. MONA Bangkok’s art program and access model are also still being developed.
That means the travel trade should watch the project with interest, but not sell tickets just yet.
Even so, the vision is hard to ignore. The Chao Phraya has carried trade, faith, families and visitors for centuries. AWC now wants to add cable cars and contemporary art to that long river story.
It is ambitious, expensive and just a little audacious. In other words, it sounds rather at home in Bangkok.
By: Kanda Limw – © 2026.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
Author Bio:
Kanda Limw is one of those rare people every office quietly depends on. She doesn’t fuss or fanfare her way through the day; she simply notices what needs doing and gets on with it, often before anyone else has drawn breath.
Years behind the scenes have taught her that good administration isn’t about control; it’s about care. Diaries align, tensions soften, loose ends disappear. When the day threatens to tilt, Kanda steadies it without drama.
There’s something reassuringly old-fashioned about her reliability. She listens properly, remembers the small things, and does what she says she will.
Kanda has no appetite for the spotlight. Yet ask anyone who works alongside her, and they’ll tell you that when she’s there, everything runs just a little smoother.
