Bangkokian Museum

The Bangkokian Museum is a small collection of structures and artifacts that seeks to preserve a bit of pre-WWII Bangkok. The collection is all the work of a single family with a remarkable history.

The various exhibits are displayed throughout three buildings. The first structure is a home built in 1937. The style is very western, as was popular at the time. You will note the high ceilings with carved panels at the top to let out hot air and keep the rooms cool. The house is displayed much as it was in the 1940s, with much of the original furniture and fixtures.

Behind this house is another two-story structure that was built in 1929, although it originally stood in another plot of land. It was moved to this location when the family decided to consolidate their collection into a museum for the city. The house originally served as a clinic, with living quarters above. Most of the things on display are from the 1920s, including the fixtures and utensils in the small pharmacy on the second floor.

The third building resembles an old warehouse. On the ground level are the old kitchens as well as some other displays of small scale animal husbandry and other miscellaneous artifacts. The second floor houses a large display about the history of Bangkok and the area that is mostly in Thai.

The Bangkokian Museum is located on Charoen Krung Soi 43. The nearest landmark is the central post office on Charoen Krung. Soi 43 is the intersection nearest the post office. Walk up the street, under the expressway, and the museum is on your right. The museum is not far from the Royal Orchid Sheraton hotel, so the easiest way to get here is to take the Chaophraya Express boat to the Siphraya Pier, or the free shuttle to the hotel, and then walk to the museum. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.