Pick of the best museums of Bangkok
Bangkok may bring to mind a number of attractions, from ancient temples to high-end shopping centres, but museums are typically not on most visitors minds when planning a few days in the City of Angels. This is not to say, however, that there aren’t a number of hidden gems to be found among the soaring skyscrapers and old traditional houses. With the newly improved mass transportation system, taking in the highlights of Bangkok’s museums has never been easier. These are our top picks.
To kick off your tour, there’s no better place to start than the National Museum. Housed on the former grounds of the 18th century Wang Na Palace, it is home to the biggest collection of Thai art and artefacts in the kingdom. Ideally combine a trip here with a visit to the nearby Wat Phra Kaew, or Grand Palace, opened by King Rama V to showcase the antiques and gifts given to him by his father. While the museum had at one time a reputation for being a somewhat messy collection of dusty relics, this has now changed with exhibits organised into three areas following the development of Thai history and useful English-language descriptions on hand.
For a taste of royalty, pay a visit to the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum, the former palace of Prince Chumbhot and his wife Mom Rajawongse Pantip. The palace was converted into a museum in 1952 and is managed by the Chumbhot-Pantip Foundation. The original museum was made up of of eight traditional Thai houses, taken apart and re-erected where they now stand. Connected by corridors, they give the impression of a single structure. The centerpiece of Suan Pakkad, ironically enough, is the latest addition built in 1996 to exhibit the ancient Ban Chiang collection. Dating back to 3600 BC to 200 AD, this rare collection of artefacts puts Ban Chiang alongside ancient civilisations in Egypt, the Indus valley and Stonehenge.
More royal relics, this time aquatic, can be admired at the Royal Barge Museum. Here you can see how the Royal Thai barges are used during important ceremonial events on the nearby Chao Phraya River. This special museum is used to store the Royal barges when they are not being used for one of the special ceremonial events. The old style barges can measure up to 50 metres in length and make for an impressive sight. They require a pretty large crew to operate, typically consisting of 50 oar men, 7 parasol bearers, 2 navigators, 1 flagman, 2 helmsmen, 1 rhythm maker and, last but not least, 1 chanter. You can imagine the training and team work that is needed to get a barge and crew that size moving at one of the special events.
There are also plenty more specialised and quirky museums offering respite from the suffocating traffic and the searing sun. One of the best known private museums is Jim Thompson’s House, located near some of the main shopping centres and Chulalongkorn University. Jim Thompson is credited with revitalising the Thai silk trade and the old teak style museum is his former residence, containing lots of interesting art objects, sculpture and everyday items used 40 years ago. The house is located along one of Bangkok's few remaining canals and originally came from outside Bangkok. It was assembled from six smaller houses and combined into one. Housing a fine collection of Asian art and artefacts, there is also a coffee shop in the delightful garden and guided tours are available.
Those with a penchant for the macabre will not want to miss a visit to the Bangkok Corrections Museum on Maha Chai road. Housed in a former prison, the museum details the gruesome aspects of the old Thai penal system, which was based on retribution through severe punishment and suffering. The upstairs exhibit shows life-size wax figures in grisly execution scenes. Blocks 2 and 3 exhibit high quality furniture and handicrafts for sale, made by prisoners from all over Thailand. Block 9 houses cells exhibiting the execution frame to which the condemned prisoner is tied, crockery for the last meal as well as gambling and drugs paraphernalia used by prisoners.
While trying to fight against its image as a prime shopping destination for counterfeit goods, the reality on the streets and in the shopping centres of Bangkok is that pirated goods are plentiful and easily available. The Museum of Counterfeit Goods, established in 1989, exhibits heaps of counterfeit goods accumulated over years of raids. These goods are often used as evidence in court and were previously stashed away in boxes, taking up valuable storage space. Items on display include drugs, electronics, households appliances, leather goods and footwear, car parts and clothing.
