The National Museum lies in the ground of the former Wang Na, the 'front palace' which was built for the second king, a sort of crown prince (Thailand has no law of primogeniture. The king traditionally named his own successor, who was often his brother rather than his son.) The post was eliminated by Rama IV and the National Museum was set up in the former palace in 1887. You enter the museum off of Sanam Luang, near the northern end furthest away from the Grand Palace. The ticket booth and the Museum Shop are at the far left of the parking area as you enter. The museum was originally established by King Rama V around the private collection of antiquities of his father King Rama IV (Mongkut). Until quite recently, the museum still resembled more of an eclectic collection assembled from someone's attic, than a professionally managed presentation of Thai history. That has pretty much changed. The museum is now organized into sections with each room displaying a particular subject, such as palanquins, armaments, clothing, etc. The museum is currently in the midst of an extensive and time-consuming renovation, which means that some collections are moved around as their galleries are being renovated. Check the brochure handed out near the entrance for current locations.

The Collection: National Museum Bangkok, considered the largest in Southeast Asia, houses a vast collection of antiquities from the periods, prehistory, Dvaravati, ancient Hindu [Indianised art], Lop Buri, Sri Vijaya, Ayutthaya, Lan Na, Sukhothai and Bangkok [Rattannakosin]. The collection of antiquities from the period of King Mongkut (1851-1868) comprises the major part of the collection. The first two exhibition galleries contain exhibits from Thai Prehistory and History: The gallery of Thai Prehistory contains items of ceramics and bronzes from the excavation sites of Ban Kao [Kanchanaburi], Non Nok Tha [Khon Kaen] and Ban Chiang [Udon Thani]. The gallery of Thai History contains amongst other artefacts, a stone inscription in the form of an obelisk of King Ram Kamhaeng, the father of the Thai alphabet, recording the history of Sukhothai.

Next to the Gallery of Thai History is the palace's royal chapel, called Phra Thinang Phutthaisawan. In this vihara is Phra Buddha Sihing Buddha images, unusually, the altar holding the Buddha image is in the centre of the chapel rather than at the back. Behind it are several large lacquerware storage cases for Buddhist scriptures.

South of the royal chapel is the 'red house' Tamnak Daeng. This airy teak house was stained red, hence its name. The residence was originally built within the Grand Palace in the late 18th century for a sister of King Rama I. It was later moved to Thonburi Palace and then to Wang Na Palace by one of Rama II's sons when he became Second King to Rama IV.

The main part of the Museum’s collection is housed in galleries within the Central Palace Building [Phra Wiman] and also in the two contemporary exhibition galleries, the South Wing and North Wing. The internal galleries of the Phra Wiman contain orderly collections of gold and royal regalia, ceramics (where the history of stoneware from the Ayutthaya and Sukhothai periods is detailed), Thai Khon masks and puppets, mother-of-pearl inlay objects, ivory (including a beautiful ivory howdah or elephant seat), stone, wood, textiles and costumes, Buddhist religious objects, weapons including a life size model of a war elephant, musical instruments, enamels, forms of transport.

Adjacent to this older section is the Gallery of Royal Funeral Chariots displaying beautiful palanquins and chariots used for royal cremation ceremonies. These chariots are used almost exclusively for royal cremations. The last time they were used was for the much-loved HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, the King's elder sister funeral in 2008, which makes the gallery a rather melancholy experience for us who were here at the time. There's even a video of the funeral procession, which actually took all day to travel from the Grand Palace to the crematorium which had been erected on Sanam Luang. The video gives you an idea of how the elaborate mechanisms worked for raising and lowering the casket (which is also on display) to the high platforms of the chariots, which were pulled by hundreds of soldiers in uniform.

The North and South Wings contain exhibits from all over Asia from the Dvaravati through to the Bangkok period, to show how Thai culture and art has been influenced and shaped: The South Wing exhibits date from the Dvaravati to the Lopburi periods. The people of Dvaravati, the Mon, were highly skilled artists of stone sculpture, stucco and terra cotta decoration. Among the interesting exhibits are several Buddha images and a large free-standing Wheel of the Law, dating from the 7th to 8th century, whose spokes are carved completely in the round, bearing an inscription of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. The Sri Vijaya empire which ruled from central Java, stretched as far as the peninsular of Thailand from late 7th to end 13th century A.D. The decorative sculptures including Hindu deities, show the influence of Indian and Javanese art. Between 10th to mid 13th centuries, the Khmer ruled from Lopburi in central Thailand. Their highly detailed sculptures of Hindu gods, mythological animals and foliage were designed to be viewed in the round. The North Wing exhibits date from the Lanna, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Ratanakosin or Bangkok periods. The gallery of Lanna art has objects from excavations at Chiang Mai, including figures of animals. The Sukhothai period of mid 13th to 14th centuries is represented by Buddhist bronze images, including a walking Buddha, a seated Buddha and a Buddha footprint. However bronze images of Hindu gods were also cast during this period, although they closely resembled the Buddha images in anatomical proportions. The figure of Uma, the wife of the Hindu god Shiva, and Vishnu another Hindu God are both crowned and dressed in court attire. It is believed that they were cult objects in royal court rituals performed by Brahmin priests. The period of Ayutthaya art from 12th to 18th century is represented by the serene bronze and sandstone figures of Buddha and richly decorated cabinets of black lacquer and gold. The galleries of the Ratanakosin or Bangkok period, which developed from the late 18th century, contain exhibits of minor arts, furniture, teapots, musical instruments, coins, and paper objects. There is also a standing Gandhara style bronze Buddha which was commissioned by King Rama V, The European anatomy represents a distinct blend of Thai and Western art.

The Issares Rajanusorn Throne Hall was built on the order of King Pinklao, the Fourth Reign's second king, on the same location of an old Chinese-style mansion. This two-storey Western style mansion served as the living quarters of King Pinklao. Its interior was decorated in a Western fashion. Even the second king's wooden bed was imported. After King Pinklao passed away, his remains were enshrined in the main hall on the order of Rama IV.

Admission Fee: The admission fee for non-Thais is 40 baht. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, though tickets can only be bought until 3.30 pm. The museum is generally closed on national holidays. There are free English language tours, lasting about 2 hours, available of the museum, starting at 9.30 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays, tours are also available in French and Japanese, and in German on Thursdays. These are well worthwhile, else you may not understand much about any of the exhibits and their significance especially as some of the galleries are lacking in information. Don't listen to anyone on the street as you try to enter telling you it's closed for a 'Buddhist holiday' or 'cleaning day' etc, or asking if you want to see the 'Lucky Buddha' instead - it's all part of a sophisticated gem scam.

Note: Photographs are not allowed inside the museum but you are free to take photos outside the buildings. There are a number of beautiful buildings on the grounds behind the main building.