Bangkok National Museum

The Bangkok National Museum is the main branch of Thailand's national museums and one of the largest museums in Southeast Asia. It occupies the former palace of the vice king, known as Wang Na, situated between Thammasat University and the National Theater, opposite Sanam Luang. The museum displays Thai art and history, with exhibits ranging from Neolithic times to the Bangkok period.

Don't miss

• The King Ramkhamhaeng's Inscription, recognized on UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme in 2003, displayed in the Thai History Gallery.
• The Golden Boy, a 900-year-old bronze statue repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2024, along with the Kneeling Lady sculpture.
• The Buddhaisawan Chapel, built in 1787, housing the Phra Phuttha Sihing Buddha image and interior murals depicting the Buddha's life.
• The Red House, a teak residence originally for Princess Sri Sudarak, later moved and furnished in early Rattanakosin period style.
• Extensive collections of regional Asian Buddhist arts, including Gandhara, Tang, Cham, Java, and Khmer works.
• The Decorative Arts and Ethnological Collection featuring gold, mother of pearl inlay, royal emblems, costumes, ceramics, carved ivory, and musical instruments.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Bangkok National Museum

Cheapest way inAncient City Bangkok and Erawan Museum Tickets4.7★ · 10 travelers~24 hoursFree cancellationFrom$10 per personSee dates →Best full dayBangkok Private Highlights Tour with Local Guide4.9★ · 4,593 travelers~8 hoursFrom$72 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Tour to Grand Palace and the Temples of Bangkok5★ · 54 travelers5-6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$131 per personSee dates →

Know before you go

• The museum occupies the former Wang Na, or Front Palace, built for the vice king, a role eliminated by King Chulalongkorn.
• The Thai History Gallery addresses the question 'Where did the Thais come from?' and includes artifacts from prehistoric times.
• The Siwamokhaphiman Hall, originally an audience hall, now houses the Thai History Gallery.

A bit of history

King Chulalongkorn established the museum in 1874 to exhibit the royal collections of his father, King Mongkut. It first opened at the Concordia Pavilion inside the Grand Palace, then moved to the Front Palace in 1887. It was renamed the Bangkok Museum in 1926 and became the Bangkok National Museum in 1934 under the Fine Arts Department.