Visiting Thailand’s National Museum Bangkok
The National Museum Bangkok is home to the most amazing display of historic and prehistoric items in Thailand.
In fact, the museum is so good, that you’ll find yourself spending most of the day at this museum — arrive early and prepare to leave at closing time.
Thailand’s Department of Fine Arts has renovated a series of outstanding historic buildings that houses artefacts that showcase Thailand’s royal history and social history.
The museum is a respectful place — you’ll need to be appropriately dressed, and on some occasions, have to remove your shoes to enter some buildings.
On display at the National Museum Bangkok are the two ancient stone lintels that were retrieved from the Asia Art Museum in San Francisco in May 2021. They were created more than 1,000 years ago — and there is no evidence showing when they were taken from their scared sited, located in northeastern Thailand.
At the National Museum Bangkok is Ramkhamhaeng’s Thai alphabet and society-explanation inscribed in a stone pillar — the inscription is dated 1292 and provides historical information about Sukhothai.
Ramkhamhaeng Inscription was inducted into the Memory of the World Register by UNESCO in 2003.
You’ll also find royal ornate funeral chariots, Phra Buddha Si Hing Buddha image, Sukhothai and Lanna art, the first stone inscription Ganesh, eastern Java art, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Srivijaya art.
Visiting the National Museum Bangkok
The museum is open from 9am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday. There’s a small cafe and souvenir store near the main gates to the museum. No bags are allowed to be carried into the museum — the ticket counter holds your bags. No bottles are allowed inside the museum.
You’re allowed to take photos, but no video filming.
Admission is very cheap — 30 Baht for Thai citizens and 200 Baht for foreigners — which is the cost of 2 cups of coffee.
The museum is easy to access — tuk tuk and taxis appear to be the simplest way to get there.
Every few months, a new exhibition is displayed in the Gallery of Thai History — you’ll find this building near the main gate and admission counter.
You’ll find some excellent restaurants about 500 metres south of the museum.
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