Bangkok Museums & Historical Buildings

Bangkok and its surroundings are home to scores of museums catering to various interests, including the history-filled National Museum, modest but sombre war memorials, and the charming, architecturally rich Jim Thompson House Museum located in a cluster of traditional Thai houses. Here is a list of some of the top ones you won’t want to miss when visiting the City of Angels.

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Ayutthaya Historical Park; 84km north of Bangkok; daily 8am-5pm; entrance charge; go by train, bus or boat.

The old capital of Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful city, founded in 1350, was built by 33 Ayutthayan kings over 400 years. Although it is in ruins, impressive remnants of it rich architectural and cultural achievements can still be seen today. As fast as it rose to greatness it collapsed, suffering destruction so complete that it was never rebuilt. Burmese armies had pounded on its doors for centuries before occupying it for a period in the 16^th century. Siamese kings then expelled them and reasserted independence. In 1767, however, the Burmese triumphed again. They burned and looted destroying most of the city’s monuments and enslaving, killing and scattering the population. The royal court resettled south near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River in what is today’s Bangkok. Even after the Burmese were defeated, Ayutthaya was beyond repair, a fabled city left to crumble into dust. Today, the ruins, collectively known as the Ayutthaya Historical Park, stand on the western half of the island, with the modern city of Ayutthaya on the eastern side.

Death Railway Museum

Kanchanaburi; 130km west of Bangkok; www.tbrconline.com; daily 9am-5pm; entrance charge; go by train or bus.

Opened in 2003 and founded by Australian Rod Beattie, the local supervisor of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Death Railway Museum at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre has eight galleries that trace the history and recounts the sufferings of the people involved without making biased judgement (of particular note is reference to Hell Fire Pass). It even has a full-scale replica of the original wooden bridge. The Japanese began work on a railway between Thailand and Burma in 1942. For most of its 400-km length, the railway followed the river valley because this allowed its construction to take place simultaneously in different areas. The Japanese forced some 250,000 Asian labourers and 61,000 Allies POWs to construct 260km of rail on the Thai side, leading to the Three Pagodas Pass on the Thai-Burma border. An estimated 100,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allies POWs lost their lives in 1942-5 from beatings, starvation and disease. Adjacent to the museum is the Allied War Cemetery (daily 7am-6pm; free). Lined up row upon row are the graves of some 7,000 Allies soldiers from Britain, America, Australia, Holland and other countries, representing less than half of the soldiers who perished.

Jim Thompson’s House

Thanon Rama 1; www.jimthompsonhouse.com; daily 9am-5pm; entrance charge includes compulsory guided tour; BTS: National Stadium.

Standing on the bank of the Khlong Saen Saep canal is Jim Thomson’s well-preserved Thai house. An architect by training, Thompson arrived in Thailand at the end of World War II, serving as a military officer. After the war he returned to Bangkok, where he became interested in the almost extinct art of Thai-silk weaving and was credited for reviving the industry. The compound comprises six teak structures that were transported from Ayutthaya and elsewhere to the silk-weaving enclave of Ban Khrua, just across Khlong Saen Saep, before being reassembled at its current spot in 1959. The structures, making up the various rooms of the house, are painted the red-brown hue characteristic of Thai houses. They feature dramatic outward-sweeping roofs covered with rare tiles designed and fired in Ayutthaya. The entire structure, enveloped by lush tropical greenery, stands elevated a full storey above the ground as protection against flooding. Thompson also made design choices that departed from the conventional Thai style. Instead of laying out the rooms in a cluster, he opted to have them in rows, adjoined to one another or linked by raised corridors. The buildings are now a museum housing Thompson’s collection of Thai artefacts. His assemblage includes precious Buddha images, porcelain, paintings, and finely carved furniture and panels collected from old homes and temples throughout Thailand. Next to the old house is a wooden annex, housing a pond-side cafe with an elegant bar and restaurant, while opposite is the Art Centre, a contemporary gallery that holds regular exhibitions of local and international art and crafts. Before leaving, be sure to stop by and pick up some silk accessories from the branded Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company.

Kamthieng House

Sukhumvit Soi 21; ww.siam-society.org; Tue-Sat 9am-5pm; entrance charge; BTS: Asok

On the grounds of the Siam Society is the Kamthieng House, a small pocket of northern Lanna culture transported to the heart of Bangkok. The 150-year-old wooden home, originally from the banks of Chiang Mai’s Mae Pink River, was reassembled here and is now an ethnological museum presenting audio-visual displays on northern folk culture and daily life. The home is reputedly still inhabited by the ghosts of three former residents.

MR Kukrit Pramoj’s Heritage Home

Soi Phra Phinji; Sat-Sun 10am-5pm; entrance charge; BTS: Chong Nonsi.

Born of royal decent (signified by the title Mom Ratchawong – MR), the late Kukrit Pramoj had a brief stint as prime minister during the disruptive 1970s, but is better remembered as a prolific author and cultural preservationist. His splendid traditional Thai home comprises five single-room stilt buildings that were brought over from separate locations in the central plains over a period of time, beginning from the 1906s. Three of the building are more than a century old and are linked by a raised verandah with an open living space beneath. The buildings are now a museum, enlivened by antique pottery, memorabilia and photos of the famous statesman. The ornate garden adds a sense of serenity.

Museum of Forensic Medicine

Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Mon-Sat 8:30am-4:30pm; entrance charge; pier Tha Wang Lang.

Within the Siriraj Hospital complex is the Museum of Forensic Medicine, frequented by medical students. Green arrows point the way from the hospital grounds to the museum, located on the second floor of the Forensic Department. The stomach-churning exhibits are definitely not for the queasy. Mummified corpses of Thailand’s most notorious criminals, deformed foetuses in formaldehyde and a gallery of disturbing post-mortem photographs are among the exhibits here.

Museum of Old Cannons

Thanon Sanam Chai; daily 24 hrs; free; pier Tha Chang.

Across the street from the Lak Muang is this remotely interesting battalion of antique armoury belong to the Museum of Old Cannons. In front of the 19-century European-style former barracks are displays of battle-worn and bulky cat-iron cannons.

National Museum

Thanon Na Phra That; www.thialandmuseum.com; Wed-Sun 9am-4pm; guided tours Wed and Thu 9:30am; entrance charge; pier Tha Phra Ahtit.

To learn about Thai history and culture, the national Museum, located between Thammasat University and the National Theatre, is a good place to start. Besides housing a vast collection of antiquities from all over Southeast Asia, the museum has an interesting history of its own. Its grounds and some of the principal rooms were part of the former Wang Na (Front Palace) of the king’s second-in-line, the Prince Successor, a feature of the Thai monarchy until 1870. The oldest buildings in the compound date from 1782. These include the splendid Buddhaisawan Chapel, built by the Prince Successor as his private palace of worship within the palace. In contains some of Thailand’s most beautiful and best-preserved murals, depicting 28 scenes from the Buddha’s life. The Sivamokhaphiman Hall, originally an open-sided audience hall, is devoted to Thai history, covering everything from the Sukhothai period to the present Rattanakosin period. Then there is the Prehistoric Gallery, with 5,000-year-old exhibits excavated from the Ban Chiang archaeological site in northern Thailand. Also on site is the Red House (Tamnak Daeng), an old golden-teak dwelling that once belonged to King Rama 1’s elder sister. Built in Ayutthaya style, the house has an ornate wood finish and elegant early Bangkok-style furnishings. The central audience hall of the Front Palace is divided into rooms containing various ethnological exhibits of elephant howdahs, woodcarvings, ceramics, palanquins, khon masks, musical instruments and other treasures. Most exhibits are weak on contextual information, so buy a copy of the museum guidebook or join the excellent guided tour.

National Museum of Royal Barges

Thanon Arun Amarin; daily 9am-5pm; entrance charge; go by boat.

On the northern bank of the Khlong Bangkok Noi canal is the national Museum of Royal Barges. Its dry-dock warehouse displays eight vessels from a fleet of over 50 that are rarely put to sail except on auspicious occasions, such as the anniversary of King Bhumibol’s 60^th year on the throne in 2006. During the royal barge procession, barges sweep down the Chao Phraya River in formation with stretched nearly 1,200m wide. The 52 gilded barges were manned by 2,200 oars-men while the king watched and entertained visiting royals from 25 nations from the old palace of King Taksin. The current fleet was built during the reign of King Rama 1 and originally numbered over 100. Half of these were destroyed in World War 11.

Prasert Museum

Thanon Krungthep Kreetha; Thur-Sun 10am-3pm only by appointment; entrance charge.

Although little visited, partly because of its rather remote location in the Bangkok suburban of Huamak, this museum makes for a worthwhile excursion. Set within a garden, it displays a Thai antique arts and crafts collection that belongs to the private collector Prasert Vongsakul. The artefacts are contained in several magnificent buildings, all of which are replicas inspired by the region’s architectural classics. These elegant structures include a European-style mansion, a Khmer shrine, and teak houses from Thailand’s northern and central regions.

Royal Elephant Museum

Dusit Park; daily 9:30am-4pm; entrance charge, or free with Grand Palace ticket.

This museum was formerly a stable with three very rare white elephants. It now displays a large model of one of the present king’s prized living pachyderms, tusks and other paraphernalia. The white elephant is regarded as Thailand’s national symbol, and every white elephant found in Thailand rightfully belongs to the king. White elephants look nearly the same as common grey ones. It is only by a complicated process of examining skin colour, hair, eyes and genitalia that an elephant’s albino traits can be determined.

Suan Pakkad Palace

Thanon Si Ayuthaya; daily pam-4pm; entrance charge includes guided tour; BTS: Phayathai.

The name Suan Pakkad, meaning ‘Cabbage Patch’, refers to the ground’s former use as farmland before the palace was constructed in 1952. The former residence of the late Prince and Princess Chumbhot, who were prolific gardeners and art collectors, Suan Pakkad comprises eight traditional teak houses sitting amid a lush garden with a lotus pond. Converted into a museum, the wooden houses display an electric collection of antiques and artefacts, including Buddha images, Khmer statues, paintings, porcelain, musical instruments and ancient pottery from Ban Chiang. At the rear of the garden stands the Lacquer Pavilion, which dates to the mid-17^th century. Prince Chumbhot discovered it in a temple near Ayutthaya and restored it as a birthday present for this wife in 1959. Depicting scenes from the Buddha’s life, the Ramakien and the vernacular life of the period, the pavilion’s black-and-gold leaf panels are considered masterpieces.

Vimanmek Mansion

Dusit Park; ww.thai.palaces.net; daily 9:30am-4pm; entrance charge, or free with Grand Palace ticket, with compulsory tours every 30 minutes.

The Vimanmek (meaning ‘Palace in the Clouds’) Mansion is billed as the world’s largest golden-teak building, originally built, without the use of a single nail, in 1868 as a summer house for King Chulalongkorn on the east-coast island of Ko Si Chang. The king ordered the three-storey, 72-room mansion dismantled and reassembled on the Dusit grounds in 1901. The gingerbread fretwork and octagonal tower look more Victorian than period Thai. The king and his large family lived here for only five years, after which it was occupied on and off over the next two decades before being abandoned and later restored for the Bangkok Bicentennial in 1982. Vimanmek offers an interesting glimpse into how the royal family of the day lived. Only 30 of the rooms are open to the public. A highlight is the king’s bedroom, which has a Europeans-style four-poster bed and what was probably Thailand’s first bathtub and flushing toilet. Among the porcelain and hunting trophies are rare find such as the first typewriter with Thai characters.

Wat Phra Kawe Museum and Coins and Decoration Museum

Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew; www.palaces.thai.net; daily 8:30am-3:30pm; entrance charge for Grand Palace; pier Tha Chang.

The Wat Phra Kaew Museum, located in the Grand Palace complex, showcases seasonal costumes of the Emerald Buddha and a superb collection of small Buddha images made of silver, ivory, crystal and other materials. Next to the ticket office is the Coins and Decorations Museum, which has a collection of coins dating from the 11^th century and also royal regalia, decorations and medals made of gold and precious stones.

The River Kwai

This past weekend I went off to Kanchanaburi to check out the (in)famous Bridge over the River Kwai. As an Australian I felt duty-bound to visit this place. The town lies approximately 129km west of Bangkok; with “good” traffic it can be reached in just 2.5hrs travel time. We set out at 8am on Saturday and arrived, thanks the Red Shirts and some problematic traffic jams within the city limits, around 11am. We straight away head to the main backpacker headquarters of Sang Chuto Rd, where all the cheap’n’cheerful guesthouses along the river can be found. After finding suitable digs, T&T Guesthouse, eating lunch and deciding upon our schedule we head off at 2pm to begin our adventures. Me, Jerome and Agota opt for kayaking; Kati and Celine for the Tiger Temple.

The kayaking is really lovely, you can do either a shorter 2-3hr/7km run [Bht 250] or a 3-4hr/15km [Bht 350] one, we chose the latter. A truck takes you and you, along with water, boat, paddle, life jacket and ‘dry’ bag, all the way up the river, dumps you and agrees to pick you up again at the Chinese temple at the other end. Really you cannot go wrong or get lost; just let the stream carry you forward. We stopped about 1/3 of the way along and jumped overboard for some swimming. This was truly fabulous; you can easily glide downstream for several kms by exerting very little energy in the calm, warm and crystal-clear water. Just keep a good hold of your boat’s rope! The timing depends on your speed, skill and energy levels; we took just under 4hrs because we stopped for swimming, photos and frequent breaks. Only I won’t lie, it IS hard work and by the latter ¼ your back, arms, neck and shoulders will be feeling the strain. For those of you not too fit or competent on the water, better to do the shorter 7km option (although for myself the first half was actually nicer as the river is narrower and quieter; by the end it gets crowded with house-boats, speed boats and other tourists).

On day two we were all five of us up early to meet our tour guide. We booked the night before to do a ‘new offer’ itinerary with Toi’s Tours. For Bht 800 this included: elephant trek, bamboo raft, Sai Yok Noi Waterfall, lunch, Hellfire Pass and museum (or Hindat Hot Spring), Krasae Cave, Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai; slated to take from 8am to 5:30pm. Our first stop was the Bridge over the River Kwai. For those of you who don’t know or have forgotten their high school history, I’ll now give a brief re-cap about why the bridge and its associated railway are significant. The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway and Thailand-Burma Railway, is a 415 km (258 mile) railway between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar), built by the Empire of Japan during World War II, to support its forces in the Burma campaign. Forced labour was used in its construction. About 180,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway. Of these, around 90,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project. Death was due to poor nutrition (only meagre rice and salted vegetable rations twice a day), disease (malaria, cholera, dysentery, pleurisy, beri-beri) and torture (beatings, whippings) and hard-work (from 12-18 hours a day) by their Japanese overseers. The dead POWs included 6,318 British personnel, 2,815 Australians, 2,490 Dutch, about 356 Americans and a smaller number of Canadians.

The bridge (a newer replacement) is nice but overrun with tourists so there is a lot of noise and jostling for prime photo positions even at 8am; far better was the day before when I glided under in my kayak. Still, the iconic bridge, which was completed in 1943 and bombed to smithereens in 1945, is testament to the blood, sweat and tears of the armed forces personnel who slaved away on it and is well worth a visit. It really is amazing to contemplate who such a thing was built in the searing heat without modern equipment and with barely functioning labour force. From here we headed straight to the Hellfire Pass Memorial. Only re-located in the 1980s, Konyu Cutting (known as Hellfire Pass by POWs and Asian labourers who cut and blast through rock by hand to clear this pass for the Death Railway) has been reclaimed from the jungle as a profound war memorial funded by the Australian Government. Excellent museum and self-guided walking tour facilities are available [donations welcome]. The descent through the jungle down to the Pass (listening to oral histories through audio headsets) is a moving experience. Visitors can do a 500m/45min trip to the Pass and back or continue further along for the complete 4km/3hr walk. We opted for somewhere in-between, doing a 1.5hr/3km walk to the ‘Pickup Point’ just past Hinktok Cutting. This really was a very ‘moving’ experience, only by walking along the track in the searing heat (albeit with shoes and not lugging a heavy load, so not 100% authentic!) can one really begin to imagine what it would have been like. The audio guide (English and Dutch) is really excellent with the history of the railway interlaced with real POWs recounting their personal stories.

After this we went for lunch and then for an elephant trek and bamboo raft ride. The former was abysmal and I’m loath to give the spectacle any publicity. In a nutshell, you a plopped aboard a bedraggled, sad looking elephant who then proceeds to walk you slowly around a parched Thai farm for 20 minutes. The only ‘highlight’ for me was seeing a cute baby elephant standing guard over its chained mother. The latter was great, you basically hop aboard a makeshift bamboo raft and float down the river for about half an hour. If, like us, you’re bloody hot, strip off and jump in. The current easily sweeps you along so you need not paddle hard or have fear of losing the boat. There really is no more refreshing and exhilarating way to travel! As I forgot to mention it earlier, I’ll quickly interject here with a brief synopsis of the Tiger Temple (Bht 500 entry). For “humane” reasons I chose not to go there, so for this account I’m relying on my friend Kati’s description. I believe the words she used to describe her experience were horrific and despicable. In the past, reports from Tiger Temple volunteer workers have claimed that the tigers are maltreated and abused by the Abbot of the temple and his staff. The British conservation group Care for the Wild International (CWI) has also revealed disturbing evidence of animal abuse and illegal tiger trafficking at the temple. So, that’s what you can expect. Kati confirmed that when you take a "special" photo with the Tigers – meaning one of the handlers yanks your arm forward, plops it on a tiger’s back and leaves you perched their precariously – they seem incredibly drowsy, as if they've been drugged, and do not acknowledge your presence at all. To take a really, really special photo up close and personal it’s an additional Bht 500, and to cuddle a tiger cub, another Bht 1,000. I’ve since read online that the easiest way to explain these tigers' docile behaviour is that they been hand-raised by the staff and monks since birth, technically speaking they have been conditioned (think Pavlovs' dogs) to go and sleep in the show arena every day as part of their routine. Tigers are also nocturnal, and sleep 16-18 hours per day, plus they are fed 4kg of food before being put on “display” during the hottest part of the day (1:00-3:30 pm). So there you have it. Apparently no sedation involved, just strict routine. I’m still not buying it, but hey, make up your own mind. Even if it is “routine” they are still wild animals who should be allowed to do as nature intended and not be subjected to gawking tourists 365 days a year. So personally I will never ever go there and don’t want to support such an operation, but if you’re game, stop by some day. Just remember, trained or otherwise, they are still fierce tigers, so if you don't follow the instructions you are given (not loud noises or clothing), you put yourself and others at risk.

After that we attempted to dry off as we made our way to our last stop, Krasae Cave and Tam Krasae Railway station. First we take a walk along the track to take photos and admire the stunning view of the river. There is also the cave, a snug hideout with a gold Buddha that was once a POW camp and hospital. And then, finally, after reading and seeing it all day long, we board the legendary “Death Railway” at 4:10pm sharp and head off. We are jostled along a 20min section via four stops. The first part of the ride is very slow and precarious as the somewhat decrepit train chugs around the cliff face. The ground then levels off, the track heads inland, and the locomotive picks up speed. From here it’s an enjoyable and rattling 20min ride towards civilisation (you can take this train all the way to Bangkok). My only advice would be don’t stick your head out the window as there are many trees overhanging the railway line and their branches have a tendency the swish in the windows and slap unsuspecting people in the face!

Getting there: From Bangkok the easiest way to reach the River Kwai is to take an air-conditioned mini-van from Victory Monument. These leave every half hour and are quick ‘n’ easy, costing only Bht 110. Alternatively, trains [Bht 100] leave Bangkok's Thonburi Train Station at 07:45 and arrive at Kanchanaburi at 10:20, also at 13:45 and arriving at 16:35.