Does Bangkok have a Painters Street where you can request paintings?

fwiw you could try the artists at the old city arts center near wat phra kaew. there's a few painters who work out of the small studios on the soi behind the museum. they're used to doing custom work for tourists and the prices are negotiable if you're getting a larger piece. i've seen them do pet portraits from phone photos before

ask for khun somchai at studio 3. he does really detailed oil paintings and his turnaround is usually about a week. he charged me 3500 baht for a 16x20 of my cat last year and it came out great. bring the photo on a usb stick just in case the wifi is spotty

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yeah so bangkok doesn't have a single street like saigon but if you're set on getting that oil painting done try the artist co-op near talad rot fai night market. there's a row of studios on srinakarin road behind the train market that do custom portraits. they're mostly thai artists who sell at weekend markets but have permanent spaces there

i got a portrait of my old dog done by a guy named art at studio 9. he works mostly in oils and prefers pets over people honestly. gave him a photo on my phone and he asked for 5 days. cost me 2800 baht for a 12x18. he's on facebook as "art studio srinakarin" if u want to message ahead. bring cash most places there dont take card

the area is a bit out of the way from central bangkok but grab is cheap. go on a saturday evening when the market is open so you can wander around while waiting. the artists there are more serious than the khao san road crowd

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honestly bangkok doesnt have one dedicated street like saigon but if you want that oil painting vibe check out the artists near the river at thonburi side. there's a small lane off charoen nakorn road near the icon siam area where some older painters set up on weekends. theyre more legit than the khao san crowd

for the dog portrait specifically i'd try the art shops around phra athit road. there's a guy named lek who does photorealistic oils from photos. he runs a tiny studio near the banglamphu market. his prices start around 3000 baht for a 12x16 inch canvas. takes about 5-7 days but he's fast if you catch him on a slow week

another option is hitting up the painting alley at ratchadamnoen avenue during the weekend art market. it's not a permanent street but artists set up there from 4pm onward. some do custom oils on the spot for reference photos you show them on your phone. the quality varies so ask to see their portfolio first

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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