Exploring Top Five Great Museums in Bangkok

Bangkok has an incredible number of museums! These range from the big national museums to small, specialist displays, and practically every interest is covered. If you have a specific interest, or feel like exploring an interesting niche museum, ask our concierge. They have an extensive knowledge of places that are off the beaten track. Meanwhile, here are five of the main museums in the city. 

National Museum 

Thailand’s most important museum presents a magnificent range of arts and crafts from every period of the country’s history.

Housed in former palace buildings at Sanam Luang that are themselves works of art, the museum is spread over several galleries that display prehistoric art, decorative pieces, jewellery, textiles, weapons, and gilded ceremonial chariots used in royal funerals.

One of the galleries, the Buddhaisawan Chapel, is covered with murals and holds the country’s second holiest image after the Emerald Buddha, the Phra Buddha Sihing, which is believed to date from the 13th century.

Originally established by King Mongkut in 1859, the collection was moved to its present location in 1887 by his successor, King Rama V, and developed as the nation’s museum. 

Jim Thompson House  

Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur who revived the Thai silk industry in the mid-20th century, and his former home is a group of six teak buildings, which are the city’s best examples of traditional Thai houses.

Set beside a canal and opposite the silk weavers’ village where resided his craftspeople, the museum is filled with a superb collection of Asian art.

Thompson himself is one of Asia’s most enduring legends, having vanished from a cottage in the Malaysian highlands in 1967, with no trace of him having ever been found. Guided tours are provided, which take about half an hour. Jim Thompson silk products can be purchased, and the restaurant serves traditional Thai food. 

Museum of Siam 

Housed in a European-style three-storey neoclassical building dating from 1922, the Museum of Siam is divided into 16 rooms, with interactive displays and ancient and modern art.

The focus is on creating a fresh experience in museum viewing, presenting a pleasant learning resource for the public, especially Thai children and youth.

Modern technology and an emphasis on interactive storytelling are used so that learning about history and culture is more enjoyable.

At the core is Decoding Thainess, a permanent exhibition that presents the learning of Thai perspectives from the past and their development to the present in the aspects of history, culture, traditions, society, dress, food, and architecture. There are also temporary theme exhibitions, which are very popular.

Bangkok Art & Culture Centre

This modern museum was inaugurated in 2008, and anyone with an appreciation of art will enjoy the exhibits of paintings, photography and sculpture from around Thailand and the world.

Designed around a central atrium, art, music, theatre, film, design and cultural/educational events take place in the exhibition and performance spaces. The centre includes cafes, commercial art galleries, bookshops, craft shops, and an art library. It is intended as a venue for cultural exchange, and giving Bangkok an operational base on the international art scene.

BACC aims to create a meeting place for artists and the public, to provide cultural programmes for the community, giving importance to cultural continuity from past to present. 

National Gallery 

Established in 1977, this is Thailand’s main art gallery, housed in the old building of the former Royal Thai Mint.

The exhibitions are spread over spacious, high-ceilinged halls, and the collections range from traditional Thai art to the Western-influenced portraiture of the 19th century and modern and contemporary works.

Permanent exhibitions include a collection of royal paintings by King Rama VI and King Rama IX, and Thai cultural art works inspired by Buddhism, such as temple murals, wood carved cabinets, Buddha images, and a Dhamma cabinet upon which are patterned different acts of the Ramayana legend.

Thai patterning, carving, casting, and techniques of crafting are displayed, as are different forms of painting that have been passed down through the generations.  

Relax in Luxury | Your Stay at Fraser Suites Sukhumvit 

A day at a museum can be both thrilling and tiring, so when you have finished you will be happy to return home to Fraser Suites Sukhumvit, which is within very easy travelling distance of all these venues.  Relax, visit one of our restaurants, or whisk up a meal in your own kitchen. Or, just a short walk from the hotel there are lots of friendly little bars and restaurants in the all-action Sukhumvit Soi 11.  

With convenient access to the Sukhumvit MRT station and Nana BTS station, Fraser Suites Sukhumvit ensures you can effortlessly reach all of Bangkok’s attractions.   Our hotel welcomes families and groups of friends, offering exceptional facilities, modern amenities, and traditional warm and friendly Thai service.  Book directly with us today for the best deals and offers.