Friday, May 13, 2016

Bangrak Museum

Bangkok Folk Museum was established by the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Department. The museum project was initiated since 2003 with the very first museums constructed in four areas, one of which is Bangrak Museum or Bangkokian Museum. This is the place where the visitors can learn about local history, culture, art, and intellect.

Bangkokian Museum or Bangkok Folk Museum in Bangrak is situated in house number 273,  Soi Charoen Krung 43, Charoen Krung Road, Bangrak District, Bangkok (opposite to Bangrak’s General Post Office). It is an ancient house built in 1937 where its owner has preserved a lot of goods and antiques. There are many buses that pass this place on Charoen Krung Road which are the bus number 1, 16, 35, 75, and 93.

Bangkokian Museum was started by Ajarn Waraporn Surawadee’s intention to change the house into museum for students to study. This house was inherited from her mother, Sa-Ang Surawadee (Tan Boon Teck), and then restored into private museum like present. After that, the house ownership was transferred to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority in October 1, 2004.

The museum is located in Bangrak community area, which has been an important place for holiday relaxation, international meeting, and business arrangement, since the end of Ayutthaya Period. As a result,  the content of the exhibition is about the Bangkokian middle class’ lifestyles, before and after the Second World War; the history of Bangrak; the story of Bangrak and Thailand’s development, such as road construction, transport, trading area development, and beginning of real estate business; as well as, many interesting places that deal with the community’s historical background, such as Assumption Cathedral, Lerdsin Hospital, Wat Mahapruettharam Worawihan, Wat Phra Sri Maha Uma Devi, Bangkok Christian College, the first flat in Thailand, and the first club in Thailand during the reign of King Rama V. This area is also where many famous people lived, such as Luang Praditmanutham, Dr. Puey Ungphakorn, and Prof. Suluck Siwaluck.

Bangkokian Museum or Bangkok Folk Museum in Bangrak opens for general visitors from Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. General visitors can enter the museum free of charge. For more details, contact 0 2233 7027.

Source : tourismthailand.org