The Bangkok National Museum is the first public museum of Thailand. The museum, which houses the largest collection of Thai art and historical artifacts in the country, was opened in 1874 by King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) in order to exhibit relics from period of rule of his father, King Mongkhut (King Rama IV).
Customer Feedback – “If you go to Thailand you owe it to yourself to learn about the culture and history of its people. The National Museum is a great place to start, coupled with the palace. Displays are not all well explained, so hire a tour guide to get the most from your visit.”
The Bangkok National Museum is the main branch museum of the National Museums in Thailand and also the largest museum in Southeast Asia.
If you are the kind of traveler who likes to gain a deeper understanding of history and how it pertains to the current country you are in then a visit to the Bangkok National Museum should be on your own personal top 10 list. Its collection spans several periods of Thai history and offers an unsurpassed introduction to the country’s art and architecture.
Bangkok National Museum is listed as one of the seven MUST SEE museums in Bangkok. The other museums on the list are:
Some of the highlights of visiting the Bangkok National Museum are:
- King Ramkamhaeng’s inscribed stone pillar, said to be the oldest record of Thai writing.
Buddhist Arts from Southeast Asian region such as Indian Gandhara, Chinese Tang, Vietnamese Cham, Indonesian Java, and Cambodian Khmer arts. - Cultural items from Southeast Asian region such as Chinese weapons, gold treasures, precious stones, Khon masks, puppets, ceramics, clothing and textiles, woodcarving and traditional musical instruments.
- Display of Thai ceremonial chariots that are used exclusively for royal cremations. The last two times they were used was for the Princess Mother’s funeral in 1996, and again in 2008 during the King’s eldest sister’s funeral.
- The Buddhaisawan Chapel (Tamnak Phutthaisawan) in the Museum grounds, contains well preserved mural paintings depicting the life of Buddha and the second most important Buddha image in Thailand, the Phra Buddha Singh.
Customer Feedback – “The new hall is amazing with modern display & beautiful lighting, I enjoyed it much since there’s not much people. Even though the museum is closed at 4pm but the main 4 halls will still open until 8pm (they called the night museum) and it still worth your penny.”
Other attractions in this area are Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.
Bangkok National Museum is open Wed-Sun from 9am until 4pm. The last ticket is sold at 3:30pm. The museum is generally closed on national holidays.
Admission Price: 200 Baht per person.
Things you should be aware of when visiting the Bangkok National Museum:
- Photography is allowed inside the galleries and in any outdoors area of the complex. Flash photography is NOT allowed inside the galleries.
- For security reasons visitors are required to check any large bags they may be carrying when entering the galleries.
- There are a few buildings within the complex that visitors are required to remove their shoes when entering. For this reason it is recommended that you wear comfortable shoes that can be easily removed.
