Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
BIZARRE BANGKOK MUSEUMS
If looking at stuffed tigers and Buddha statues just isn't doing it for you, then consider a visit to one of these
quirky institutions.
(2nd fl, Adulyadejvikrom Bldg, Siriraj Hospital; admission 40B; 9am-4pm Mon-Sat; Tha Wang Lang
(Siriraj)) This gory institution contains the various appendages and remnants of famous murders, including the
bloodied T-shirt from a victim who was stabbed to death with a dildo. If you're still with us at this point, you'll
probably also enjoy the adjacent
Parasite Museum
. The easiest way to reach the museum is by taking the river-
crossing ferry to Tha Wang Lang (on the Thonburi side) from Tha Chang. At the exit of the pier, turn right to
enter Siriraj Hospital, and follow the green signs.
»
Ancient City
(Muang Boran;
www.ancientcity.com;
296/1 Th Sukhumvit, Samut Prakan; adult/child 500/
250B; 8am-5pm) Claiming to be the largest open-air museum in the world, the site covers more than 80 hec-
tares of peaceful countryside littered with 109 scaled-down facsimiles of many of the kingdom's most famous
monuments. It's an excellent place to explore by bicycle (per day 50B), as it is usually quiet and never crowded.
Ancient City lies outside Samut Prakan, which is accessible via air-conditioned bus 511 from Bearing BTS sta-
tion at the east end of Th Sukhumvit. Upon reaching the bus terminal at Pak Nam, board minibus 36, which
passes the entrance to Ancient City.
mission free; 10am-4pm Wed-Sun; Tha Si Phraya) Consisting of three wooden houses, this family-run
museum is a window into Bangkok life during the 1950s and 1960s. Particularly interesting is the traditional Thai
kitchen.
Fri; 508, klorng taxi to Tha Phan Fah) Learn about the painful world of Thai-style punishment at what's left
of this former jail. Life-sized models re-enact a variety of horrendous executions and punishments, encouraging
most visitors to remain law-abiding citizens for the remainder of their visit.
CHURCH
Church of Santa Cruz
(Soi Kuti Jiin; 7am-noon Sat & Sun; river-crossing ferry from Tha Pak Talat (Atsadang))
Dating
back to 1913, this Catholic church holds relatively little interest unless you visit on a
Sunday. But the surrounding neighbourhood, a former Portuguese concession dating back
to the Ayuthaya period, is worth a wander for its old-school riverside atmosphere and
Portuguese-inspired cakes,
kà·nŏm fa·ràng
.
