Museum Siam

Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi


This fun museum's collection employs a variety of media to explore the origins of the Thai people and their culture. Housed in a European-style 19th-century building that was once the Ministry of Commerce, the exhibits are presented in a contemporary, engaging and interactive fashion not typically found in Thailand's museums. 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 help keep kids interested for at least an hour, adults for longer. Check out the attached shop for some innovative gift ideas.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi attractions

1. Wat Pho

0.18 MILES

Wat Pho is our absolute favorite among Bangkok's biggest sights. In fact, the compound incorporates a host of superlatives: the city's largest reclining…

2. Flower Market

0.22 MILES

In 2016, as part of a cleaning drive, Bangkok's famous and formerly streetside flower market – also called Pak Khlong Talat – was moved indoors. Within…

3. Saranrom Royal Garden

0.31 MILES

Easily mistaken for a European public garden, this Victorian-era green space was originally designed as a royal residence in the time of Rama IV. After…

4. Wat Arun

0.34 MILES

Wat Arun is the missile-shaped temple that rises from the Chao Phraya River's banks. Known as Temple of Dawn, it was named after the Indian god of dawn,…

5. Church of Santa Cruz

0.34 MILES

Centuries before Sukhumvit became Bangkok's international district, the Portuguese claimed fa·ràng (Western) supremacy on a riverside plot of land given…

6. Grand Palace

0.45 MILES

The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maharatchawang) is a former royal residence in Bangkok that was consecrated in 1782. Today, it’s only used on ceremonial…

7. Saphan Phut Night Bazaar

0.48 MILES

This night market has bucketloads of cheap clothes, late-night snacking and a lot of people-watching. As Chatuchak Weekend Market becomes more design…

8. Phahurat

0.52 MILES

Many South Asian traders set up shop in Bangkok's small but bustling Little India, where everything from Bollywood movies to bindis is sold by…