Sanam Chai Rd.
02/622-2599
HOURS: Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
COST: 50B
This interesting, entertaining museum attempts to explain what it means to be Thai to both foreign visitors and Thais themselves.
Part natural-history museum and part social-political-ethnographic history museum, it is housed in the old Ministry of Commerce building near the Grand Palace [1] and is filled with plenty of thought-provoking, hands-on, and interactive exhibits (you can fire cannons, excavate an archaeological site, or just ponder the meaning of dharma).
The dramatic contrast between the neoclassical architecture of the building and the museum’s modern exhibits alone is worth the visit. The museum, opened in 2008, is an excellent place to take children.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/bangkok/sights/grand-palace