The 5 Best Alternative Museums In Bangkok

Bangkok is one interesting city, and its wide variety of museums reflects this. From charming dolls to preserved human body parts, Bangkok’s museums are some of the most unusual ones in the world. You’ll be seeing all the strange facts and exhibits the city has to offer. Here, the five best alternative museums in Bangkok.

1. Bangkok Dolls House and Museum

Museum

Learn more about Thailand’s rich culture and history with the help of the Bangkok Dolls House and Museum. In this museum, you’ll find miniature replicas of all things Thai. Tongkorn Chandavimol is the proud owner and creator of the Bangkok Doll Museum. Since 1957, this doll extraordinaire has created classical Thai dancers, historical figures and more. Her dolls are recognized around the world for their attention to detail and charm. She builds the dolls in the museum with the help of about 20 artisans.

2. The Erawan Museum

Museum

The goal of the Erawan Museum is to educate people on the past, so people can better navigate their future. The museum values Asia and Thailand’s rich art and heritage and many of the pieces show evidence of spiritual development in Asia. Lek-Praphai Viriyahphant founded the museum in 1967, making 2017 its 50th year in existence. One of the most popular artifacts in this museum is the giant elephant that sits outside. It’s 29 meters tall, 12 meters wide, 39 meters long and weighs a whopping 150 tons. There’s a‎ ฿400 (about $11) entrance fee for foreigners and or children aged 6-15 it’s only‎ ฿200 (about $6).

Condom Museum

Yes, you read that right. Number three on our list of Bangkok’s top museums is the Condom Museum. The museum’s goal is to raise awareness about sexual protection. In Thailand, many people have a negative perspective on condom usage. Because of this, it aims to make condom usage less taboo. The museum is covered head to toe with condoms. Some are recently made, while others aren’t even from this decade. Inside the museum, visitors will also find penis pumps, lubricants and more. It’s like Bangkok’s well-known, condom-inspired restaurant, Cabbages & Condoms.

Condom Museum, Ministry of Public Health, Building 9, Department of Medical Sciences, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, +66 02 590 1000.

3. Muang Boran

Museum, Park, Ruins

Exploring all of Thailand’s ancient cities would be an impossible task. Fret not, as Muang Boran put the best pieces of historical Thailand all in one place. Muang Boran, or the ancient city, is about an hour outside of Bangkok. It’s well worth the trek, however. The open air museum has replicas of Thai architecture and more in its vast park. Visitors will see palaces, ruins of ancient cities and temples. The museum is huge, so visitors can spend an entire day exploring its grounds. The entrance fee is ฿700 (about $20) per person. Children are only ฿350 (about $10) per person.

4. Siriraj Medical Museum

Museum

The Siriraj Hospital was the first Royal Hospital of Siam. It reintroduced the ancient practice of Thai traditional medicine. This practice uses a holistic approach to health and healing those who are ill. It also incorporated modern medicine, which made it one of Southeast Asia’s most cutting-edge centers of medicine. Today, there is a total of six museums located on the Siriraj Campus. Together, they are the Siriraj Medical Museum.

Beware: These museums are not for those who are squeamish. You will find a strange range of artifacts in these museums. One of the most interesting of all the museums is the Ellis Pathological Museum. Its exhibits include human organs infected by various diseases and human physical disorders. Another museum is the Songkran Nilyomsane Forensic Medicine Museum. It displays cadavers and organs of humans who died both naturally and unnaturally. It also exhibits evidence handling and investigative techniques within murder cases. There is a ‎฿200 (about $6) entrance fee for adults.

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