Silpakorn University, Wang Tha Phra Campus

Education · Bangkok

31 Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

Rated 4.7/5 from 469 reviews.

Data checked on 10 July 2026.

This is where Thailand's formal arts education began. The four founding faculties still anchor the campus, though it has grown into a comprehensive university with 14 faculties and over 25,000 students. The location matters: you study and create steps from the Grand Palace, on an island that is Bangkok's historic and spiritual core. Come for the arts, stay for the heritage.

You step through the gates at 31 Na Phra Lan Road and the Grand Palace rises across the street. The Chao Phraya River runs along the western edge. This is Rattanakosin Island, the old royal district, and the 8-rai campus occupies what was once the palace grounds of Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong. The setting matters. You are studying at the geographic and cultural center of Bangkok.

Silpa Bhirasri, born Corrado Feroci in Tuscany, founded Silpakorn University on October 12, 1943. He had been teaching at the School of Fine Arts since 1933, brought to Thailand during King Rama VI's reign to work in the Fine Arts Department, and convinced the government to elevate the school to university status a decade later. It became Thailand's first arts university. The four founding faculties (painting, sculpture, architecture, and archaeology) formed the academic foundation, and all four still operate from this campus today. Wang Tha Phra now houses 14 faculties across both creative and applied disciplines. The university enrolled 25,210 students as of 2016, making it one of Thailand's larger institutions, though the historic campus remains the creative and administrative heart.

The campus offers a 360-degree virtual tour for prospective students. The student organization coordinates activities and events through official channels. International partnerships support student exchanges and collaborative research, with the strongest links running through the architecture and fine arts faculties.

The 8-rai footprint means the campus is compact. Buildings sit close together, and the layout feels dense compared to the sprawling suburban campuses at Nakhon Pathom and Phetchaburi. That density is part of the character: you are studying in the center of historic Bangkok, not in a purpose-built university park. The rating sits at 4.7 from 469 reviews, reflecting consistent quality across programs and administration.