Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Commerce, the exhibits are presented in an engaging, interactive fashion not often found
in Thailand. They are also refreshingly balanced and entertaining, with galleries dealing
with a range of questions about the origins of the nation and its people.
Each room has an informative narrated video started by a sensory detector, keeping
waiting to a minimum. An Ayuthaya-era battle game, a room full of traditional Thai toys
and a street vending cart where you can be photographed pretending to whip up a pan of
pàt tai
(fried noodles) will keep kids interested for at least an hour, adults for longer.
Check out the attached shop for some innovative gift ideas.
MUSEUM
National Museum
(4 Th Na Phra That; admission 200B; 9am-4pm Wed-Sun; Tha Chang)
Often touted as Southeast
Asia's biggest museum, Thailand's National Museum is home to an impressive collection
of religious sculpture, best appreciated on one of the museum's twice-weekly guided
tours
(free with museum admission; 9.30am Wed & Thu)
.
Most of the museum's structures were built in 1782 as the palace of Rama I's (King
Praphutthayotfa; r 1782-1809) viceroy, Prince Wang Na. Rama V turned it into a museum
in 1874, and today the institute consists of three permanent exhibitions spread out over
several buildings.
The
history wing
has made impressive bounds towards mainstream curatorial aesthetics
with a succinct chronology of prehistoric, Sukhothai-, Ayuthaya- and Bangkok-era events
and figures. Gems include King Ramkamhaeng's inscribed stone pillar, said to be the old-
est record of Thai writing; King Taksin's throne; the Rama V section; and the screening of
a movie about Rama VII,
The Magic Ring
.
The
decorative arts and ethnology exhibit
covers every possible handicraft: traditional musical
instruments, ceramics, clothing and textiles, woodcarving, regalia and weaponry. The
ar-
chaeology and art history wing
has exhibits ranging from prehistoric to the Bangkok period.
In addition to the main exhibition halls, the
Buddhaisawan (Phutthaisawan) Chapel
includes
some well-preserved original murals and one of the country's most revered Buddha im-
ages, Phra Phut Sihing. Legend says that the image came from Sri Lanka, but art histori-
ans attribute it to 13th-century Sukhothai.
Lak Meuang
MONUMENT
