National Museum of Royal Barges in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon

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comments 5

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  Vikas Sharma

  :: 04 April 2018 06:11:41

  National Museum of Royal Barges 80/1 Arun Amarin Road, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok Noi 10700, Thailand History Museum Gordon Knowles 19807 points   a month ago The Royal Barges National Museum The day I visited the Royal Barges museum in Thonburi I travelled from Thonburi railway station. I was going to walk, but was told it was a long walk in very hot and humid weather. I took a motorcycle taxi which became a nightmare when I entered the narrow lanes leading to the museum. A small canal twisted and turned with the path. At first I thought this cannot be the way into this museum. However it was. It was ok until we reached a point where we had a severe right hand bend to negotiate. Being high up on the pillion seat and staring at a sudden drop to each side of the motorbike, I felt very uneasy. I envisaged me / my camera / my video camera and everything else disappearing into the small canal. I would not recommend this trip by a non biker. It is very scary. On reaching the museum a notice informed me I had to pay to enter and pay to take photos and pay to take videos. In total 200 Baht for all. The museum is really off the beaten track and not very easy to find. It is located on a canal near the Chao Phraya river, not far from Phra Pin Klao bridge. It is also opposite the Thonburi railway station, so should be easy to find but it’s not. Most of the tourists go by boat with the conducted tour or by special escorted tour. However, it is possible to go by car, and park the car under the Arun Amarin Bridge before crossing Klong Bangkok Noi. Then follow the sign, walking through a narrow lane of the housing community of Wat Dusita Ram until you reach the Royal Barges National Museum. This museum, under the care of the Royal Thai Navy, houses the famous Royal Barges. Although these are the last remaining Royal Barges, many people around the world have seen the stately processions on the Chao Phraya River in celebration of His Majesty the King's birthdays and accession to the throne. These barges date from the reign of King Rama 1, over 200 years ago, but many have been restored back to their original fine splendour. These barges are made of high quality wood and beautifully decorated with vivid colours, mirrors and gold leaves. Each barge’s figurehead was crafted to represent a different kind of animal, representing vehicles of Rama god according to Hindu belief. Probably the most memorable barge, as it’s part of the logo of Tourism Authority of Thailand, is the figurehead of the 46 metre long Suphannahong royal barge featuring the shape of a mystical swan. It was built in 1911 during the reign of King Rama VI and is one of the four main royal barges which are the vehicles of the king. Today, each royal barge procession consists of 52 boats, propelled by more than 2,000 rowers. Open days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday Opening hours 09:00 to 17:00.

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  Olga Portnyagina

  :: 18 March 2018 09:41:08

  excellent museum with few visitors, go there by Chao Praya express boat, neighbourhood near by is very friendly and does not feel like Bangkok at all!

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  Jim Cabak

  :: 17 March 2018 15:55:42

  Nice layout. Walked from pier 11 - not marked well. Had to pay extra, 100 Baht, to take pictures.

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  Napat S

  :: 08 March 2018 09:33:25

  It's really nice there. There are many beautiful royal boat as well as interesting information. but it's quite hard to get there.

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  Stephanie Wagner

  :: 30 November 2017 18:10:25

  Beautiful barges and interesting history of the royal barges can be found here. I only give this three stars due to the museum closing unexpectedly fifteen minutes after we arrived (contrary to the open hours posted at the entry gate). Despite this, we definitely got our 200 baht worth (the cost of two entry tickets) in the short amount of time that we were there. Unless you are arriving by boat, be prepared to navigate a labyrinth of alleyways filled with friendly people to get there. Trust the sign posts and/or Google Maps to get there and you will be fine.