Phuket
Information
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When arriving
in Thailand ask for free copies of Thaiways magazine and Thaiways
maps from the information counter at airports or hotels.
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| Thalang National Museum |
An introduction to Phuket's history
 Travelling
provides travellers with more than pleasure. It also gives
knowledge to those who seek for it. A journey will be more
valuable and interesting if the travellers have a chance to
learn about the historical background of the land they visit.
An easy way to attain this is to drop by at a local museum. |
Phuket, in the minds of most tourists or even the Thais,
is sea, beach and islands. In fact Phuket has other attractions on
land which are worth visiting. One of them is Thalang National Museum.
When in Phuket, the land of a significant history, you are recommended
to pay a visit to this place. The 13-rai (5.2 acres) site is situated
on Pa Khlok Road, only 200 metres from the intersection of the Monument
of the Two Heroic Sisters of Phuket.
Phuket was a locality sharing the honour of protecting the country's
sovereignty during the war in 1785 in which a large number of Burmese
troops were invading the coastal area just to the north of Thalang.
But thanks to the leadership of the sisters Chan and Muk, the people
of the whole city were united and were able to drive the Burmese out
of the Thai territory.
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the war, Phuket provincial
administration, in cooperation with the Fine Arts Department, established
Thalang National Museum to be a knowledge centre of history, archaeology,
art and culture of this region.
The building was constructed in 1985 and was inaugurated with HRH
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presiding over on 14 March 1989. Additional
constructions were built in 1997, resulting in more exhibition space
and advanced multimedia techniques to draw more museum goers.
The Building Architecture
The exhibition hall was designed in the local style with three-side
thatched roofs and a gable. Because of its unique architectural style,
the Thalang Museum's construction later won the Architectural Design
Award from the Association of Siamese Architects under the royal patronage
of His Majesty King Bhumibol.
The exhibits are permanently displayed in five buildings:
 Main Hall
In this hall, visitors will find the explanations of the overall Thai
civilization including prehistoric time, historical time and its relationship
with the ancient Khmer Kingdom. Moreover, there are sections divided
according to the historical periods from Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and
Thon Buri right up to the present Rattanakosin (Bangkok).
The highlight in this hall is the sculptures of Vishnu with deities
-- Bhu Devi and Laksamana at his sides in attendance. This group of
Pallava-style sculptures aged around 1,100-1,200 years.
 Exhibition
Room 1
The room is divided into two sections:
The first section highlights Phuket Island's geography, topography
and mineral and water resources.
The second section
showcases archaeological artefacts of the early inhabitants of Phuket
Island and the Andaman coast, prehistoric cave paintings, and stories
of Thalang and Phuket in the Ayutthaya Period (1350-1767 A.D.).
 In
this room there is a bronze Dong Son drum of the Vietnamese civilization,
which was used in battles. The face of the drum was decorated with
figures of animals to symbolize the land's fertility. As we see today,
only figures of seashells are left.
Exhibition Room 2
The room displays a scene of the Thalang War in 1785 in which the
two heroines were planning strategies with their people and the scene
of Chan and Muk receiving the royal command bestowing on them the
titles of Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Si Sunthon respectively.
Another side of the room shows the story of Phraya Ratsada (1857-1913),
the model governor of Phuket.
Exhibition Room 3
In this room, visitors will find the explanation of the background
of the important role the Chinese immigrants played in Phuket's economic
development. Artefacts in this room include Chinese banknotes, abacuses,
writing brushes, etc.
Exhibition Room 4
The sea gypsies' ways of life are exhibited here. Visitors will also
see how Phuket earned its other name "Pearl of the Andaman".
Museum's Services
• Educational services with assistants to guide
visitors through the exhibits
• Documents
related to archaeology, history, art and culture
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Archaeological and historical textbooks
| Open |
daily, 09.00 - 16.00 hrs., except
national holidays |
| Admission fee |
30 B |
| Information |
Tel. 0 7631 1426 |
| For taxi |
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| For your personal safety and protection
by law, please use the services of travel agencies holding a TAT license
only. |
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