Bangkok Museums

Bangkok's many museums exhibit some of the most sublime, and strangest, collections of relics you can imagine, giving visitors a wonderful insight into Thailand's colourful culture and unique heritage. Some are housed in buildings just as interesting as their contents, like Kamthieng House, a 19th Century teak house and former abode of a rice farmer, the Bangkok Folk Museum and Jim Thompson's House. The best place to start has to be the National Museum, in Rattanakosin. Its collections spanning all periods of Thai history offer an unsurpassed introduction to the country's art and architecture. Be sure to allow enough time for your visit, as it is very easy to get lost in a time that is long gone...

Thailand's Prime Minister from 1974 to 1975, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj and his beautiful home on Soi Suan Phlu were often the focus of national politics during times of turbulence, with journalists flocking outside. Today, thanks to the Kukrit 80 Foundation, it's the public who now flock to see the elegant home of this intellectual leader.

More than a museum, it's a testament to his talents not only as politician, but also poet, writer and artist. Its five traditional teak houses on stilts were painstakingly assembled under his supervision, a process that took over 20 years. Each is inter-connected and crammed full of fine-art treasures, not museum pieces but the things he saved and savoured, like ceramics, precious furniture and Buddha images. There is also an interesting library, the stacks of books ranging from fiction to philosophy proof of his diverse interests, and a Thai-style pavilion used for public functions. The serene gardens are full of exotic plants, trees and flowers but most notable for their bonsai-style trees, called 'mai dat' in Thai. 

Open: Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays 10:00 - 17:00
Location: Soi Sathorn 3 or Soi Narathiwat
Admission: 50 baht per person, 20 baht for pupils and students
Contact: +66 (0)2 286 8185

A visit to this museum destroys all preconceived notions of a museum as a mothball-reeking, dead quiet place with 'do not touch' signs everywhere. Bangkok's Children Discovery Museum actually encourages a hands-on approach to learning. By presenting interactive displays, it calls on a 'discovery learning process', whereby children enter the experience and participate in the process of learning rather than remaining a passive (and bored) viewer - a perfect place for inquisitive young minds to figure things out for themselves, as well as for tinier tots just wanting to touch everything. (READ MORE)

A huge, three-headed elephant statue standing upon an equally gargantuan pedestal is the first, and last, thing you see when visiting Samut Prakan's Erawan Museum. It's a splendid, towering beast: 250 tons in weight, 29 metres high, 39 metres long, and cast in a pure green-hued copper. From conception to completion it took almost ten years to construct. With a proud, war-like demeanor and trunks the size of ancient Banyan Trees, this is an epic image of Hindu mythology's Airavata (otherwise known as Erawan) you'll never forget. (READ MORE)

It's not an old palace, neither a past royal residence, nor a teak house dragged from up-country and reassembled in the city - but that's its charm. Situated not far from the Central Post Office, the Bangkok Folk Museum is a typical Bangkok family house, the only difference being that this one is typical of over 70 years ago. Together its interiors and original household items, including traditional household utensils and items of ceremonial significance, present a 'living scenario of middleclass Bangkok citizens in the period of World War II'. Everything is classified and exhibited with the efficiency and precision of a much larger museum, and owner Mrs Waraporn Surawadee can arrange guided tours.

Open: 10:00 - 17:00 (weekends only)
Where: 273 Charoenkrung Soi 43
Admission: free (contact owner Mrs Waraporn Surawadee 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday for bookings).
Contact: +66 (0)2 233 7027

Located on Mahachai Road, the Corrections Museum is the place to learn about the gruesome punishments meted out to offenders in Thailand in the not so distant past. It was once the site of the Bangkok Remand Prison, an old and overcrowded penal facility located in the heart of Bangkok. In 1990, the cabinet relocated it to Lad-yao and turned the site into a public park called Rommani Nart. Three blocks, a cellblock, a side of the prison wall and two watchtowers were preserved and now comprise the Corrections Museum.

Grisly corporal punishment tools and weapons exhibit the severities of the old penal system, a sadistic system based on retribution through severe punishment and suffering (after seeing these you'll think twice about misbehaving while on these shores). Life-sized wax figures act out with painful precision execution scenes. A grim highlight includes a man-sized rattan ball pierced with nails pointing inwards. Hapless prisoners were placed inside and an elephant used to kick the ball around. Ouch! Other areas exhibit furniture and handicrafts made by prisoners from across Thailand, and are available to buy. The building also shows how prisoners in the past lived day-to-day, and how prison guards brought offenders into custody. Not for the faint-hearted!

Open: 09:30 - 16:00 (Monday - Friday, closed on public holidays)
Where: 436 Mahachai Road, near Rommani Nart Park
Admission: free
Contact: +66 (0)2 226 1706

If you're into weird stuff, this is for you. Preserved corpses of convicted killers, like Thailand's most famous mass murderer See-Uey, the Chinese cannibal, are exhibited alongside murder weapons, a gut-wrenching exhibition of autopsy photos and glass jars containing stillborn children pickled in formaldehyde. It's close to the museums of parasitology, medical history, and anthropology. The Museum of Anatomy next door, housed in an old 1930's building, contains a close-up and personal look at the human body. Often visited by medical students, it'll likely prove grimly fascinating for lovers of the macabre, slightly horrifying for the rest.

Open: 09:00 - 16:00 (Monday - Friday)
Where: 2nd floor, Adulaydejvigrom Building, Siriraj Hospital, 2 Phrannok Road
Admission: 40 baht
Contact: +66 (0)2 419 7000

The slightly barmy and yet totally inspired idea behind the House of Museums is that the everyday objects of today, will very soon become fascinating relics from the past. Founder Anek Nawikmool spent ten years buying, begging, hording and rescuing little pieces of Bangkok's now and near history before opening its doors. Residents have been helping him in his task, donating everyday items like children's toys, old vinyl LPs, kitchen implements, books and Thai film posters.

All these and more are arranged into engaging lifelike settings that take locals back to their childhoods, and introduce tourists to them. There's a general store, or Heng Huat, displaying goods more than 30 years old and a toy zone featuring hundreds of clockwork toys, model robots and dolls. Highlights include the Yong Hua Huat coffee shop, with 50 year old copper water heater; and Fu Jern Tham Fan, a dentist's surgery complete with chair that looks as though it witnessed hundreds of extractions before retiring. Perfecting the time-warp ambience are the hairdressers, photography studio, miniature cinema with wooden seats, classroom (complete with old textbooks, school bell and cane) and gramophone record shop.

Open: 10:00 - 17:00 (Saturday - Sunday)
Location: Ban Khlong Pho, Yan Phuthamonton 2
Admission: 30 baht
Contact: +66 (0)2 869 6281 / +66 (0)8 9200 2803

Thai artist Duangkaew Phityakornsilp and his team spent over ten years painstakingly creating the eerily life-like wax and fibre-glass figures that appear at the Human Imagery Museum and depict, with astonishing realism, scenes from Thai life and culture. Included amongst representations of daily life are farm labourers, slaves, chess players and even a man reading a Thai newspaper.

Other figures include a 'who's-who' of Thai nobility, such as Chakri Dynasty Kings, enlightened monks, poets, politicians, aristocrats and musicians. Some of the most prominent foreigners of popular history also appear in, what seems to be, the flesh. Sir Winston Churchill is there, along with the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi. Bangkok's very own Madame Tussauds, if you like.

Open: 09:00 - 17:30 (Monday - Friday), 08:30 - 18:00 (weekends and public holidays)
Where: 43/2 Moo 1, Pinklao-Nakhonchaisri Road, Nakhon Pathom
Admission: 200 baht
Contact: +66 (0)3 433 2061 / 2607

The former home of Jim Thompson is visited by over 400 people a day and serves as a museum showcasing Thai architecture and art. It's a beautiful teak house with lots of interesting art objects, sculpture and everyday items used 40 years ago.

A prominent businessman generally credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry, he mysteriously disappeared on March 26, 1967 in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia and was never seen again, creating a text book of conspiracy theories and a mystery that remains unsolved.

The house, located along one of Bangkok's few remaining canals, origianally came from outside Bangkok and was assembled from six smaller houses comibined into one. Made entirely of teak, Thompson used classic Thai architecture to create a unique house which houses a  collection of Asian art and arifacts, ranging from hair ornaments to stone scupltures. Guided tours show you around the house which also contains a coffee shop in the delightful garden - definitely worth a visit.  

Open: 09:00 - 17:00 everyday with the last Guided Tour at 16:30 (Guided Tour around the house is compulsory).
Admission: Adults 100 baht, students 50 baht
Location: Soi Kasemsan Song, opposite the National Stadium on Rama I Road. Accessible from BTS National Stadium station.
Contact: +66 (0)2 216 7368

A former 19th rice farmer's teak house transplanted from the banks of Chiang Mai's Ping River to Bangkok in 1964, Kamthieng House is now the headquarters of the the Siam Society - dedicated to preserving and promoting Thai culture and heritage.

Inside this beautiful wooden house is a collection of agricultural and domestic items, including woven fish baskets and terra-cotta pots, which show the everyday lives of ordinary people in the past. The spirits of three ladies - previous occupants are said to haunt the house and watch over it. The gardens, Lanna style, are landscaped like a northern Thai garden.

There's an excellent library (Siam Society members can borrow, but the general public can browse) which includes rare books about Thai history, palm-leaf manuscripts and old maps. The Siam Society is dedicated to providing information on all aspects of Thai culture, especially the regions, arranging regular lectures and study trips to historic sites and wildlife sanctuaries.

Open: 09:00 - 17:00 (Tuesday - Saturday)
Location: 131 Soi Asok, north of Sukhumvit on Soi 21
Skytrain:  Asok (about ten minute walk)
Admission: 100 baht for adults, 50 baht for children

As a stroll through any one of Bangkok's markets will demonstrate, Thailand has an inimitable knack for imitating things. Law firm Tilleke and Gibbins' Museum of Counterfeit Goods is further proof. Established in 1989, it exhibits piles of counterfeit goods accumulated over years of raids on behalf of clients. Prior to this, the goods, which are often used as evidence in court, had been stashed away in boxes, taking up precious storage space and serving no practical purpose whatsoever.

No more. Over 1,500 copycat items appear in 20 categories ranging from clothing, leather goods and footwear, to electronics, households appliances, car parts and drugs - and much, much more. So much that they rotate objects on display every four months. Where possible, items appear alongside the genuine article, so visitors can play spot the difference and learn about the social and economic consequences of counterfeiting. Entry is only by appointment, but members of the public, law students and business people are equally welcome.

Open: 09:00 - 17:00 (Monday - Friday)
Where: Tilleke & Gibbins, 64/1 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road
Admission: by appointment only
Contact: +66 (0)2 263 7700

Housed in a former Royal Mint built during the reign of King Rama V, the National Gallery displays work by Thai artists from the 17th Century onwards. Inherited by the Department of Fine Arts in 1974, it includes permanent exhibitions of works by King Rama VI and H.M. King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, traditional murals from early periods in the capital's history, and pioneering Thai modern art. Particularly evident is the influence of Western schools of art, like impressionism and cubism, on recent Thai artists. There is also an area featuring temporary exhibitions of art from home and abroad, everything from painting and sculptures to prints and installations.

Open: 09:00 - 16:00 (Wednesday - Sunday)
Location: 4 Chao-Fa Road, opposite the National Theatre, Rattanakosin
Admission: 30 baht tourists, 10 baht Thais
Contact: +66 (0)2 282 2639

This is an essential stop for any budding stamp enthusiast in Bangkok. It shows how the postal service developed in Thailand, exhibiting Thai and foreign stamps dating back to 1881, when the first Thai stamps were made in London using woodblock prints. Stamps and accessories are available to buy at very reasonable prices. History and art enthusiasts may also enjoy it, but bring a magnifying glass: up close, each stamp is a paper-thin slice of history, and a miniature work of art.  For more serious philatelists, there is an interesting collection of stamp books in Thai and foreign languages on display at the museum's library.

Open: 09:00 - 16:00 (Tuesday to Sunday)
Location: Between Soi 3 and 5, Pathon Yothin Road, Saphan Khwai
Admission: Free
Contact: +66 (0)2 271 2439

As a young man, founder Prasart Vongsakul was so upset that many of his homeland's treasures were being sold abroad that he vowed to one day build a museum for the people. The result is this eclectic, ever so slightly eccentric assembly of buildings, all replicas of influential Thai palaces, houses and royal residences. Some date as far back as the Ayutthaya period. Highlights include the Red Palace, a re-creation of a Thai-style teak house that King Rama I built for his sister in 1784, and a colonial-style mansion that dates back to the 19th Century and exhibits King Rama V's European tastes. Other interesting structures include a Chedi, Goddess Guan Yin Shrine and a Lopburi-style chapel.

Set in a lush tropical garden that exudes peace and serenity, it also serves as a centre of education and research for those interested in Thai antiquities. Pieces from the Ayutthaya and early Rattanakosin periods are on display, including several Sukothai Buddha images, and items of furniture. In the teakwood library is a collection of ancient books and manuscripts. The garden also contains several Sukhothai period terracotta pieces, alongside rare Thai and foreign plants.

Open: 09:00 - 17:00 (Friday - Sunday)
Location: 9 Krung Thep Kritha Road, Soi 4
Admission: 300 baht (by appointment)
Contact: +66 (0)2 379 3601

Once upon a time in Bangkok the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries were the most important avenue of communication, boats the main mode of transport for all, even royalty. Here you can discover eight of the country's most unique and stunning - the Royal Barges reserved for auspicious ceremonies and state occasions like the very rare Royal Barge Procession. Each is carved from huge pieces of teak with prows carved into mythical creatures, gilded in gold and intricately decorated with tiny shimmering pieces of glass. Rowed by up to 50 specially trained oarsmen, the boats leave their dry dock at festival times and important state occasions for  these spectacular processions along the river.

Open: Daily 09:00 - 17:00
Where: Khlong Bangkok Noi (near Thonburi side, not far from Phra Pin Klao Bridge)
Admission: 30 baht for tourists, 10 baht for Thais, children get in for free.
Contact: +66 (0)2 424 0004

Established in 1952 to preserve not only military aircraft, but also equipment from the beginning of aviation, the Royal Thai Air Force Museum displays one of the world's finest collections of rare and antique military aircraft. This is the only place to see the one-of-a-kind Hawk 3 fighters, which once participated in the Corsair and Franco-Indo Chinese War.

The only remaining Japanese Tachigawa trainer can also be seen here. A Bomber Model II (Paribarta), the first aircraft designed and built solely by Thais, sits proudly next to international wonders like the Spitfire. Nierports, Breguets, Boeing P12-Es and carriers complete the exhibition, while modern jet fighters and royal helicopters add an exotic touch. Other interesting features include simulators, electronic aviation devices and a hypobaric (low-pressure) chamber used for testing the pilot's physical readiness.

The museum souvenir shop is a treasure-trove of air force mementoes such as model aircrafts, books, T-shirts and watches.

Open: Daily 08:30 - 14:30
Where: Phanon Yothin Road, just behind Don Mueang Airport
Admission: free
Contact: +66 (0)2 534 1764

Many who've lived in Bangkok their whole lives don't know who Silpa Bhirasri is. Without exception though, they've seen his work. He was an Italian-born sculptor who first came to Thailand in 1923 to work for the Department of Fine Arts. Today he's regarded as the father of modern art in Thailand, his work on show in public places throughout the city. Many iconic and impressive landmarks and monuments were cast by his able hands, and some of his best-known works include the Democracy Monument and statues of King Taksin, King Rama I and King Rama VI.

This memorial and museum at Silapakorn University is located in the building he not only lived, worked and taught in, but also designed. It maintains the original atmosphere, with paintings and sculptures as well as implements used on show. Works of several of his pupils are also displayed, including famous painters Fua Haripitak, Khien Yimsiri and Saway Tantisuk.

Open: 09:00 - 12:00 (Monday to Friday, closed on weekends and public holidays)
Location: Fine Arts Department, Silpakorn University, Rattanakosin
Admission: free
Contact: +66 (0)2 223 6162