From Left: Nitikorn Kraivixien, exhibition committee member; Prof Apinan Poshyananda, director of the Contemporary Art and Culture Office; Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, acting chairman of the Photography Association, and Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin sn

And, there was. After more than a decade of bickering and procrastination Bangkok gets its swanky new arts centre

The country's first international-standard, multi-billion-baht art centre opens this Sunday after a decade of debate, designing and construction.

Its first exhibition will be a photography collection by  HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn called "Always Roaming with a Hungry Heart".

The inaugural exhibition showcases a collection of 230 photographs taken by the Princess on journeys to more than 20 countries and throughout Thailand.

The photographs are in chronological order. The Prin-cess will attend the exhibition on Sunday at 4.30pm. She'll talk about the stories behind the pictures. The exhibition opens next Tuesday and runs until August 24.

A selected 20 photographs will be auctioned by Christie's on August 3 at 2pm. Proceeds from the sale of 5,000 limited-edition books of the exhibition will go to the Princess's charities.

"Finally we have an international-standard contemporary-arts centre in Thailand that can be used as a cultural space for artistic expression and education - and the delight of the public.

"The venue has easy access by Skytrain. It will make life more sophisticated," says Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin.

Robert G Boughey and Associates designed the modern, white centre. It will become a Bangkok landmark.

The 11-storey, 20,000-square-metre centre at the Pathum Wan intersection "will house a melting pot of all art".

The centre was initiated in 1996, when Bhichit Rattakul was governor. It was strongly supported by the People's Network for the Bangkok

Art and Culture Centre.

Four years later the first phase of the project was prepared, and its foundations laid in 2000. But then governor Samak Sundaravej claimed the Bangkok Metropolitan Admin-istration didn't have the money to build the centre. He stopped construction citing "corruption".

Later, a US-Japanese joint-venture offered to build it for free, if it could add parking areas and a shopping centre, and reduce the art-exhibition space. This met with fierce opposition from artists and academics.

But, in 2005 Apirak signed an agreement with arts and culture representatives promising to build the centre. He said it was "time to give light to this on-again-off-again project".

XTRA

For art's sake

>> "Always Roaming with a Hungry Heart" by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn exhibits between July 29 and August 24.

>> The arts centre is open everyday except Monday between 10am and 9pm. Telephone (02) 2146 6301.

>> Where you should get off: At the National Stadium Skytrain station.