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Sala
Chalermkrung Royal Theatre
On the auspicious occasion of the 60th anniversary of H.M. King Bhumibol’s
accession to the throne in 2006, Sala Chalermkrung Foundation, the Tourism
Authority of Thailand, and the Crown Property Bureau jointly organized “Sala
Chalermkrung Khon Project” to follow the King’s footsteps in
preserving Thai heritage and sharing it with the rest of the world. Khon
or Thai Classical Masked Dance Drama is the acme of Thai dramatic arts,
which usually draws its stories from the Indian epic Ramayana.
In 1932, Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre was ordered to be constructed by
King Rama VII as a memorable gift to the Thais on the occasion of the 150th
anniversary of the founding of Bangkok. The official opening was on Sunday
2 July 1933 when the first talking movie was first shown in Thailand.
Apart from being Southeast Asia’s first air-conditioned cinema,
Sala Chalermkrung, has been serving as a national venue for exhibiting
breathtaking performances and exhibitions to maintain the authenticity
of Thai arts and culture for more than 70 years. And now it is proud to
present Thailand’s exquisite masked dance drama to foreign visitors.
English subtitles are available on screen above the stage and the explanatory
notes of the movements and masks are displayed on film prior to the showtime.
Bang Khunphrom
Palace & The Bank of Thailand Museum
The palace was once the residence of H.R.H. Prince Baripatra Sukhumbhand,
the 33rd son of King Rama V. The construction of the main building (or tamnak
yai) was finished in 1906 before another building called tamnak somdet was
built to be the residence of his mother, H.M. Queen Sukhumala Marasri. Different
ages of building resulted in different art styles of the whole palace. But
they magically created the stunning impression for the beholders.
After the political transformation in 1932, the prince and his family moved
to Bandung, Indonesia and Bang Khunphrom palace was turned into the offices
for several organizations. Since 1992, the palace has become the Bank of
Thailand National Museum featuring the prince’s life, the history
of the central bank and Thai and foreign currencies.
To admire the beauty of the palace, visitors are welcomed in groups only
and please contact the museum one week in advance of the intended visit.
Open
Monday-Friday 9.30-16.00 hrs.
Admission fee
No admission fee
Buses
3, 9, 30, 32, 33, 43, 64, 506
For more information, call 0 2283 5286, 0 2283 6723
National
Museum
Na Phrathat Road
Established in 1926 in the reign of King Rama VII, it is located within
walking distance of the Grand Palace next to Thammasat University,
this is the largest and most comprehensive museum in Southeast Asia.
It contains an 18th century palace and a group of well-designed buildings,
housing Thailand's artistic treasures from prehistoric to contemporary.
Head of Buddha,
Ayutthaya Style
(15th - 17th centuries AD)
Entrance to the National Museum
The National Museum houses three permanent exhibition
galleries as follows:
1. The Thai History Gallery
2. The Archaeological & Art History Collections
3. The Decorative Arts & Ethnological Collections
Tours conducted at 9.30 hrs. daily -- in English (on Wed and Thur),
French (Wed and Thur), German (Thur) and Japanese (Wed).
For more information, call 0 2224 1333.
Open
Daily, 09.00 - 16.00 hrs.
except Mon, Tue and public holidays
Location: Near Phanfa Lilat Bridge, Lan Luang Road
The neoclassic building of the museum was built in 1906, towards the
end of King Rama V's reign. Designed by a Western architect, the three-storey
concrete edifice is decorated with Greco-Roman motifs and reliefs
with a dome-shaped tower topping its front hall. It was originally
known as the John Sampson Store, selling Western clothing and custom-made
suits.
In 1933, the Public Works Department took over the building as its
headquarters. In 2001, King Prajadhipok Institute received the sanction
of the Public Works Department for use of the building as the museum.
Permanent Exhibition Halls
Located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, the halls display the royal regalia
and personal effects of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) and photographs,
documents and films concerning the King's life and the two historic
events, in which the King played a leading role -- the 1932 Revolution
and the Conferment of the first Constitution of Thailand.
Besides, there are a temporary exhibition room and a museum shop on
the first floor.
It is located next to the National Museum near Sanam Luang Ground.
The theatre features performances of khon, a Thai mask dance
drama, on the first Saturday and Sunday of every month, at 13.30 and
17.00 hours. And on the last Friday of every month at 17.00 hours,
Sisuk Nattakam Group of the Fine Arts Department stages lakhon,
another type of Thai classical dance drama.
Interested persons please check the programme at tel. 0 2224 1342
or 0 2221 8191.
Joe Louis Puppet Theatre, the last of the kingdom’s traditional
Thai small puppets troupe, was awarded the “Best Traditional
Performance Award” from among competitors from 44 countries
over the world at the 10th World Festival of Puppet Art held in Prague,
Czech Republic, from 1 to 10 June 2006. The troupe presented the award
to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the auspicious occasion
of the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty’s Accession to the Throne.
The troupe won the prize with its performance of “the Myth of
Rahu and the Lunar Eclipse”, a lively tale based on Thailand’s
ancient belief that a lunar eclipse was caused by a demon who swallowed
the moon.
The Joe Louis puppet play is performed by each puppet being controlled
jointly by three puppeteers with all of whom appearing on stage with
the puppet thereby creating highly animated, life-like movements.
This enables the puppets to move or dance gracefully.
The Joe Louis Puppet Theatre is the only troupe of Thai theatrical
puppeteers in existence. The performance is a showcase for Thailand’s
cultural heritage and reflects the unstinting efforts of the troupe
to preserve this exotic art form.
Interested persons should make reservations in advance, tel. 0 2252
9683 to 4.,
0 2252 5227 to 9 #101-104
Show time
Daily 19.30 - 20.45 hrs.
Ticket fee
Adults and children (over 120 cm
height): 900 B
Children (not over 120 cm height): 300 B
Location : On Chaofa Road opposite the National Theatre
The National Art Gallery exhibits both classical and contemporary
arts of renowned Thai artists. His Majesty King Bhumibol's oil paintings
are also displayed. For more information, call 0 2281 2224, 0 2282
2639.
Open
Daily, 09.00 - 16.00 hrs.
except Monday, Tuesday, and official holidays
The Queen's Gallery Foundation was established in August 2003 in response
to the gracious wish of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to provide a permanent
home for the exhibition of a wide range of Thai visual arts especially
paintings and sculpture.
This five-storey building displays the following works of art:
• Paintings and works of art by young artists and artists from
the SUPPORT Foundation and embroidery designs • Paintings
and sculptures by His Majesty the King and members of the royal family
• Paintings by National artists and contemporary masters
Visitors can enjoy shopping for souvenirs especially designed by leading
Thai artists, T-shirts, postcards, posters and books at The Gallery
Shop.
For more information, call 0 2281 5360 to 1.
Open
Daily 10.00 - 19.00 hrs., except
Wednesdays
Admission fee
20 baht
Suan
Pakkad Palace
Location : On Si Ayutthaya Road
Suan Pakkad Palace, built by Prince and Princess Chumbhot of Nakhon
Sawan, consists of five traditional Thai houses overlooking a beautiful
garden. They were moved from Chiang Mai in 1952. The palace, which
has been turned into a museum, displays works of art, antiques and
everyday objects such as perfume bottles, betel-nut boxes and musical
instruments.
Ban Chiang House The house keeps pottery and bronze jewellery
discovered at Ban Chiang, an important Bronze Age settlement in Northeastern
Thailand, dating from around 1666 to 500 B.C. The ground floor houses
a large collection of minerals and sea shells. Lacquer Pavilion
The remarkable gold and black lacquer murals exhibiting here depict
events from the life of the Buddha and the Ramayana epic. For more
information, call 0 2245 4934, 0 2245 6368
Location : Siam Society on Asok Road (Sukhumwit 21)
Located
in the compound of the Siam Society on Asok Road, this authentic
northern Thai teak house was built in Chiang Mai in 1848. It was
moved in perfect condition to Bangkok in 1963 in order to keep a
specimen of the Lanna Thai style architecture for the younger generations.
Khamthieng House: On display are equipment and tools
used daily by farmers and fishermen in the North.
Tel.
0 2260 2830 to 2
Open
Daily, 09.00 - 17.00 hrs.
except Sunday and Monday
This is an ideal place to view all forms of cultural performances,
both national and international. Symphony orchestra concerts are also
held here regularly. In the large area of the centre, there are information
office and rooms for organizing seminars, conferences, and other activities
related to education and culture. Besides, the centre has a hall featuring
a permanent exhibition on the history of the Thai people, their lifestyles
and culture. Interested persons may inquire about the performance
programmes at tel. 0 2247 0028 or 0 2247 3201.
This remarkable
Thai-style wooden house once belonged to the late Mr. Jim Thompson,
an American silk entrepreneur. The house, now a museum, displays
Mr. Thompson's splendid collection of Asian artefacts and antiques.
