Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
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The Suan Pakkad Palace Museum was the former palace of Prince Chumbhot and his wife Mom Rajawongse Pantip. The Palace was converted to a museum in 1952 under the management of the Chumbhot-Pantip Foundation.
The original museum consisted of eight traditional Thai houses dismantled and rebuilt in the present location. The houses are linked by corridors and give the impression of a single structure.
Paradoxically, the centerpiece of this palace museum is the newest addition built in 1996 to display the ancient Ban Chiang collection.
Chumbhot Pantip Foundation – the main entrance
This rare collection of artifacts dates back to 3,600 BC – 200 AD ranking Ban Chiang with civilizations in ancient Egypt, Stonehenge and the Indus valley.
After viewing the Ban Chiang collection, take a sequential tour of the eight houses which contain a rich collection of family heirlooms, paintings, ceramics and old weapons.
- House 1 - displays ancient muskets, swords, spears, 14th – 16th C pottery, paintings from the Ayutthya period 17th – 18th C and stone Khmer sculptures.
- House 2 – see the mother of pearl trays and containers used in 19th C Bangkok together with beautifully lacquered cabinets and traditional hand fans.
- House 3 – displays the famous Benjarong porcelain in the five principal colors, black, white, red, green, and yellow. Benjarong, in Thai, is the collective name for these five colors. This porcelain was popular with Thai royalty in early Bangkok 19th – 20th C.
- House 4 – is a spacious formal dining and reception area with an altar room housing a collection of Buddha statues.
- House 5 – holds a collection of old Udon Thani pottery, beads, bracelets, necklaces. Udon Thani is the province where Ban Chiang is located.
- House 6 – is the Khon Museum displaying elaborately carved figurines of the traditional Thai Khon dance based on the Thai Ramakien which was adapted from the Hindu Ramayana epic.
- House 7 – has a rare collection of ceramic ware from the Sukhotai era, 13th 14th C and the Suan, Yuan and Ming dynasties in China.
- House 8 – displays silver, porcelain and crystal ware household utensils used by Prince Chumbhot.
House 1 - start your tour
Adjoining houses 2 and 3
House 4 facing the garden to the rear
Houses 5 – 8 hidden by the foliage
The garden in palace grounds is a peaceful respite from the busy city beyond the wooden walls. Stroll through the well-kept lawn with its lush greenery to the sounds of chirping birds and flowing water in the garden pond.
Garden to the rear
Next proceed to the Lacquer Pavilion which is a separate house with beautifully lacquered murals and elaborately carved wooden panels.
Lacquer Pavilion
This was originally an old 17th century house from Ayutthaya which was dismantled, rebuilt and painstakingly restored in Suan Pakkad in 1959 as a birthday present from Prince Chumbhot to his wife.
The last stop in the tour of Suan Pakkad is the Royal Barge Kao Kung Bayam a family heirloom used in the royal barge procession during the reign of King Rama V or King Chulalongkorn.
The Suan Pakkad Palace Museum is a legacy of royal family heirlooms and priceless national treasures preserved for posterity.
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Y! MyWebTo get there, please see the map to Suan Pakkad and for other Bangkok Museums.