Photo by Joyofmuseums (CC BY-SA 4.0)
National Museum Bangkok
The National Museum in Bangkok is the largest museum in Thailand. The museum on the grounds of a former royal palace in the historic Rattanakosin district exhibits Thai art and historic artifacts.
From Neolithic times
The museum covers Thai history from Neolithic times to the present day. In 16 halls it exhibits artifacts from the most important periods including Dvaravati, Lanna, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin. Also on display are Indian, Khmer and Cham Buddhist art.
Items have captions in English language.
Thai History Gallery
The Thai History Gallery in the Siwamokkhaphiman Hall exhibits the museum’s most unique and valuable artifacts. Among the items on display are:
- A huge Buddha head from the Ayutthaya period
- An intricately adorned 8th century bronze statue of a Bodhisattva
- Ancient Khmer and Hindu statues
- A 7th century Dhamma Wheel in Dvaravati style, discovered in Nakhon Pathom
- Two 8th century statues of Vishnu
- Sukhothai era Buddha images
- The stone King Ramkhamhaeng inscription, the oldest example of Thai script
Photo by Ludexvivorum (CC0 1.0)
Prehistory Gallery
The Prehistory Gallery is housed in the Siwamokkhaphiman Hall. The exhibition gives visitors an impression of the way people lived in prehistoric times. On display are among others ancient tools and weapons.
The Art History Gallery
The North Wing building houses the Art History Gallery. The gallery exhibits artifacts and Buddha images from various eras in Thai history.
- Dvaravati (6th - 11th century)
- Srivijaya (8th - 12th century)
- Sukhothai (13th - 15th century)
- Lopburi (15th - 16th century)
- Ayutthaya (14th - 18th century)
- Thonburi (1767 - 1782)
- Rattanakosin (from 1782)
Buddhaisawan Chapel
The Buddhaisawan Chapel enshrines the Phra Phuttha Sihing image, the second most highly revered Buddha image in Thailand. The gilded bronze image in the meditation posture was originally housed in the Wat Phra Singh temple in Chiang Mai.
The walls of the late 19th century chapel are adorned with beautiful murals depicting angels and stories from the life of the Buddha. The chapel also contains cases to store ancient Buddhist scriptures.
Photo by Ludexvivorum (CC0 1.0)
Decorative Arts & Ethnological Collection
The Decorative Arts & Ethnological Collection is housed in the old central palace buildings. It exhibits a collection of various items from several periods.
Among the items on display are royal emblems, royal clothing, gold ornaments, mother of pearl items, ceramics, musical instruments, puppets, wood carvings and precious stones.
A section is dedicated to ancient weapons including spears, lances and canons. Here you can also see a model of a war elephant with a howdah on its back.
Another section exhibits a collection of Khon masks. Khon masked dance is a traditional dance performance based on the Indian epic Ramayana.
You can watch a Khon masked dance performance at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre.
The Red House
The Red House or Tamnak Daeng is a beautiful teak wooden house built during the late 18th century. It used the be the private living quarters of a Princess. Tamnak Daeng gives visitors an impression of how Thai Royals lived in previous centuries.
Royal Chariots
The Royal Chariots are among the most impressive and beautiful items exhibited in the National Museum. Large gilded chariots adorned with intricate carvings and inlays were used in coronations and funeral processions for members of the Thai Royal family.
Photo by Supanut Arunoprayote (CC BY 4.0)
Guided Tours
The museum offers free guided tours in various languages including English, French, German and Japanese. You can join a tour at 9:30 am on Wednesday and Thursday.
To make sure a guide is available in your language, check the Museum’s website.
Museum Café
Visit the museum’s café after exploring the exhibitions. The café serves food and drinks at low prices.
Opening hours
The museum opens Wednesday through Sunday and on public holidays, except new years day and the days of the Songkran festival. Opening hours are 9 am until 4 pm.
Location
The National Museum is located at 4 Soi Na Phra That at the North end of Sanam Luang. It is in walking distance from the Grand Palace.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to the museum is by metered taxi. Make sure the driver switches on the meter.
It’s about a one kilometer walk from the Grand Palace.
Entrance fee
Ticket prices at the museum are:
Prices are the same for adults and children.
Senior rate: Age over 60 years.
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