The bustling streets, floating markets, offbeat food scenes, neon-lit nightlife, and the humble locals blend to form the town of Bangkok. There is a hint of tradition around every corner in Bangkok, even in the present days. The town may have come a long way, but it still has a leg stuck in its glorious past and that is what acts as a magnet for history aficionados.
There are innumerable museums that cover the floors of Bangkok. From showcasing the evolution of culture to progress in its medical industry, there are certain museums still far away from the footfall of tourists.
We have compiled a list of top unseen museums that one should surely add in their Thailand packages!
1. Jim Thompson House Museum
The Jim Thompson House is an interesting museum located in central Bangkok, Thailand. The museum houses a wide range of art collection that was collected by the self-made American entrepreneur and architect Jim Thompson. He is the museum designer and former owner and had built the Jim Thompson House in the year 1959.
Ticket Cost in THB: Entrance to see the Jim Thompson House is 200 baht for adults above 22 years of age. For visitors under 22 years old it is 100 baht. And for children under 10 years old entrance is free when accompanied by an adult. The museum is open 9:00 am to 6:00 pm every day, and is open on all days including public holidays.
How much time is needed to explore:
The unique collection of Jim Thompson House exhibits 1600 objects. It includes Asian and Southeast Asian paintings, ceramics, sculpture and object d’art that were acquired by Jim Thompson. The Jim Thompson Art Center, situated in the same compound as Jim Thompson House Museum, is a large gallery housing special exhibitions. Exhibitions in the Art Center are focussed on Asian topics or textiles and range from traditional to modern in theme. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to go through the entire range of exhibits that are carefully restored here.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit: The distance from Pratunam to Jim Thompson House is around 3.2 kilometres and takes around 7 minutes to reach by road. The maximum time to reach via taxi is 10 minutes. The maximum time to reach via bus is 27 minutes.
The distance from Sukhimvit to Jim Thompson House is around 3 kilometres and takes barely 4 minutes to reach by road via taxi.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions:
From Pratunam: The cheapest way to get from Pratunam Market to Jim Thompson House is to travel by ferry service via Hua Chang Bridge which costs 10 – 20 baht and takes 15 minutes to cover the distance. There is a direct ferry departing from Pratunam Pier and arriving at Hua Chang Bridge in case you choose to ferry across. Ferries depart every 20 minutes and operate on a daily basis. The journey takes approximately 7 minutes. The quickest way to travel from Pratunam Market to Jim Thompson House is to avail a taxi which will cost 80 – 100 baht and takes around 3 to 4 minutes and is of course a comfortable way of travel.
From Sukhumvit: The cheapest way to get from The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok, to the famous Jim Thompson House is to take a bus that costs 10 – 35 baht and takes 33 minutes to cross the distance. The quickest way to get from Sukhumvit to Jim Thompson House, however, is to avail a taxi that costs 85 – 110 baht and takes just about 4 minutes to take you comfortably to your destination.
Taking a direct bus departing from Thailand Life and arriving at Bus Stop BTS National Station is cheap. Buses ply regularly every 15 minutes and operate every day. The journey from point to point takes approximately 14 minutes.
2. Siriraj Medical Museum
The Siriraj Medical Museum is a medical museum and is nicknamed the Museum of Death. It is a source of valuable knowledge for medical professionals and students. This museum is a collection of seven small medical museums, namely, Siriraj Bimuksthan Museum, Ellis Pathological Museum, Congdon Anatomical Museum, Songkran Niyomsan Forensic Medicine Museum, Parasitological Museum, Touch Museum in Honor of Queen Mother Sirikit and Sood Sangvichien Prehistoric Museum Laboratory.
Ticket Cost in THB
The entrance fee for foreigner, adult is 200 baht per person; foreigner child (below 18) is 25 baht per person; Thai adult is 80 baht per person Thai, child (below 18) is 25 baht per person; child below 120 cm is free. There are special discounts available if you also want to visit Bimuksthan Museum.
How much time is needed to explore
For medical people, doctors or people who are museum lovers, at least 5 hours should be dedicated towards visiting the various sections of the museum. For people who are visiting out of curiosity 2 hours should suffice going through the exhibits. The unique exhibits include masterful dissection of the whole-body nervous and arterial system by Dr Patai Sirikarun, the mummified remains of the first known serial killer in modern Thai history, Si Ouey Sae Urng, some atypical or macabre range of mummified cadavers and two-headed foetuses. You can also see some cancer-riddled human organs, various murder weapons and horrifying crime-scene evidence.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to Siriraj Medical Museum is around 9.9 kilometres and takes around 16 minutes to reach by road. The other taxi route is of 11.3 kilometres and takes around 20 minutes and the third route is 11.9 kilometres to be reached in the same time of 20 minutes. The time range to reach Siriraj Medical Museum via bus is 43 minutes to 1.5 hours.
The distance from Sukhumvit to Siriraj Medical Museum is around 14.8 kilometres and takes approximately 21 minutes to reach by road via taxi and takes around 25 minutes via another route of 11.5 kilometres and same time for yet another route 14.8 kilometres. The journey time would be more than an hour by bus. It might even take 1.5 hours.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
The cheapest way to travel from Pratunam to Siriraj Medical Museum is to travel by bus which costs 10 – 35 baht approximately and takes 34 minutes of travel time. The fastest way to travel from Pratunam to Siriraj Medical Museum is to take the taxi which costs more, around 110 – 130 baht, and takes approximately 8 minutes. There is a direct bus departing from Pantip Pratunam that arrives at Phra Pinklao Bridge and departs every 10 minutes and operates daily. The journey takes approximately 16 minutes.
The cheapest way to get from Sukhumvit to Siriraj Medical Museum is to avail the MRT which costs 26 – 40 baht and takes approximately 48 minutes. The quickest way to get from Sukhumvit to Siriraj Medical Museum is to avail the taxi which costs more at around 140 – 180 baht and takes 11 minutes to cover the distance. There is also a direct bus departing from Soi Sukhumvit 10 and arriving at Phra Pinklao Bridge. Buses run every 15 minutes and operate every day with a journey time of approximately 23 minutes.
3. Bangkokian Museum
The Bangkokian Museum is a group of three charming early-20th-century wooden bungalows in an alcove of shady trees. The main residential building was built in the year 1937 for the Surawadee family and is full of beautiful wooden furniture, porcelain and other detritus belonging to pre-war and post-war period. The adjacent two-storey shophouse displays similar items. The third building, built in 1929, is a British doctor’s clinic.
How much time is needed to explore
Here, you will need 2-3 hours at least to go through all the three houses and their exhibits. Go through the old black-and-white photographs of the original residents, original four-post beds, crystal, big upright pianos and cigar and tin collections, immaculately varnished wooden floors, original Bakelite switches, antique clocks, valve radios and cabinets, porcelain pieces from Rattanakosin era. Also breathe fresh in the surrounding gardens and fountains.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to the Bangkokian Museum is around 7.6 kilometres and takes approximately 9 minutes to reach by road via taxi and takes around 15 minutes via another longer route of 8 – 9 kilometres. The journey time would be around 30 – 50 minutes.
The distance from Sukhumvit to the Bangkokian Museum is around 6.9 kilometres and takes around 18 minutes to reach by road. The time range to reach Bangkokian Museum from Sukhumvit via bus varies from 40 minutes to about an hour depending on the route.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
The best way to reach the Bangkokian Museum is to avail the BTS to reach Saphan Taksin and then book a cab or tuk tuk or take a walk to Bangkok Post Museum at Charoen Krung Road. The prominent landmark would be the CAT tower. At the intersection, turn right and you will reach the Bangkokian Museum on that Soi.
4. Bangkok Children’s Discovery Museum
The Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok is a unique and interactive museum located in Chatuchak Park where there are enough fun and educational activities for the kids to be engaged a whole day. There is an outdoor water park and play areas, including a giant sandbox and a climbing gym. The children shall have fun digging up dinosaur bones in the archaeological site and creating giant bubbles.
Ticket Cost in THB
He entry to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok is free but to get in a PASSPORT is required at the entry. So ensure you carry your passport. It remains open for public from 10 am to 4 pm.
How much time is needed to explore
You can easily spent one whole day exploring the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok with your kids enjoying the fun rides and exploring the various attractions inside the park. The children will love to know and discover things and experiment with various subjects such as the human kinetic processes and the aids and numerous interactive displays to understand the various concepts.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok is around 13 kilometres and takes around 13 minutes to reach by road. It takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by road via taxi covering another route of 11.8 kilometres and takes around 13 minutes via another longer route of 12.1 kilometres. There is no set bus connectivity from Pratunam to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok.
The distance from Sukhumvit to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok is around 11.9 kilometres and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by road via taxi and takes around 15 minutes via another longer route of 11.2 kilometres and 21 minutes via yet another 12.5 kilometres route. There is no direct bus connectivity from Sukhumvit to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok. Bus connectivity from Nana via intermittent BTS from Sukhumvit takes 29 mins and via MRT takes 47 minutes.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
From Pratunam, walk to Chit Lom and board the BTS to Mo Chit. And it is about 7-minute walk from Mo Chit to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok. The Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok in the north of the city is located at the back of the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. You can take the BTS Skytrain to Mo Chit or MRT to Kampangphet and the museum is just a short walk from both stations.
From Sukhumvit, the bus connectivity from Nana via intermittent BTS takes you to Mo Chit and from there about 7 minutes of walk will bring you to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok and the entire travel costs you 44 baht and takes around 29 minutes. The same distance if covered via MRT takes 47 minutes. You have to take the MRT Blue Line towards Tao Poon to reach the Chatuchak Park stop. From there, it is another 10-minute walk to the Children’s Discovery Museum Bangkok. You can also board the 536 or 77 bus but both ways, there is a bit of walk involved.
5. Kamthieng House Museum
The Kamthieng House Museum is a museum in Watthana District, Bangkok. It is important for being the headquarters of the Siam Society, whose sole aim is to preserve and promote the ingenuity and uniqueness of Thai culture and heritage. The Museum is administered by the Siam Society under royal patronage. The teakwood building is a 160-year-old traditional masterpiece built of teakwood.
Ticket Cost in THB
The entrance fee to Kamthieng House Museum is 100 baht for adults and children are allowed free entry.
How much time is needed to explore
The museum is a brilliant depiction of rural version of Thai living some 100 years ago. It takes about one hour to explore the museum. Enjoy viewing the displayed and annotated artefacts such as rice granary, tools and an original silk weaving loom; charms and trinkets associated with Thai beliefs of the supernatural. The picturesque buildings are great spots for photographers. Kids enjoy the amusing animation narrating on behalf of a lizard.
Distance from Pratunam & Sukhimvit
The distance from Pratunam to Kamthieng House Museum is around 4 kilometres and takes around 11 minutes to reach by road. The other taxi route is of 4.1 kilometres and takes around 15 minutes. The time range to reach Kamthieng House Museum via bus is 24 minutes to 30 minutes.
The distance from Sukhimvit to Kamthieng House Museum is around 5.8 kilometres and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by road via taxi and around 17 minutes via the other longer route of 4.6 kilometres and 18 minutes via another route of 8 kilometres. By bus, it might take a bit longer. The journey time would be around 7 minutes to around 16 minutes.
How to Reach (Bus, Taxi, Included in City Tour), Any Tips & Suggestions
The cheapest way to reach Kamthieng House Museum from Pratunam is via bus where you will spend only about 26 baht as fare for travel and takes about 24minutes to reach. The cheapest way to reach from Sukhimvit to Kamthieng House Museum is via bus where you will spend only about 16 baht as fare for travel and takes only about 7 minutes to reach.
Did you like our blog on Unseen Museums in Bangkok. For complete information on any destination in Thailand like Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui, please visit https://www.thailand-tourism.net/. We also create bespoke packages for all destinations in Thailand.
