Thailand to Open Asia’s First Underwater Art Museum in Phuket

Phuket is set to become home to Asia’s first underwater art museum, with the RAYA Underwater Art Museum planned for the waters around Racha Island.

The project combines contemporary art, Thai cultural heritage and marine conservation, creating an underwater attraction where visitors can explore sculptures while diving or snorkelling.

The museum is being developed around stories from the Ramayana, the ancient epic that has influenced Thai literature, performing arts and visual culture.

The project will feature large underwater sculptures representing characters and scenes from the epic. One of the first major works planned for the site is a sculpture of Hanuman, the monkey warrior who plays a central role in the Ramayana.

The sculptures are designed to serve another purpose beyond art. They will be made from environmentally friendly materials intended to function as artificial reefs, providing surfaces where marine organisms can grow and creating habitats for fish and other sea life.

The underwater museum will be located in an area of about one rai in Siam Bay off Racha Island, south of Phuket. The project has received cooperation from Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and other government and private-sector organisations.

The initiative was introduced as part of Phuket’s wider efforts to develop new cultural and tourism attractions while supporting marine ecosystem restoration.

Organisers plan to install more than five large sculptures depicting scenes from the Ramayana, together with more than 10 smaller supporting works.

The project also brings together Thai artists and organisations involved in contemporary art, with advisers contributing to the development of the underwater installations.

By combining art with artificial-reef technology, the museum is intended to give visitors a different way to experience Thailand’s cultural heritage while also contributing to marine conservation.

Racha Island is already known for its clear waters and diving sites, making it a natural location for an attraction designed around underwater exploration.

The RAYA project is expected to add another cultural dimension to Phuket’s tourism industry, offering visitors an experience that connects Thai mythology, contemporary sculpture and the marine environment.

If completed as planned, the underwater museum will become a distinctive new attraction for Phuket and one of the region’s notable projects combining art, tourism and environmental restoration.