Bangkok is not only about luxuriating in a hotel, savouring a meal or a taking in its thrilling nightlife. It also offers museums for the curious explorer in you to visit. Such is the Kamthieng House Museum. While this attraction comes under royal patronage it is run by the Siam Society. The museum can be found in a teakwood house that features Northern Thailand design styles and dates back about 160 years.
Visiting the Kamthieng House Museum does not have to be a hassle. You can include the visit into your daily itinerary after you chow down at a nearby restaurant Sukhumvit has to offer. Even if you are lodging at a local hotel such as Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18, you can always make space for the museum in your list of ‘to-dos’ in Bangkok.
The Kamthieng House bears the finest evidence of Lanna architecture. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej inaugurated the house as an ethnological Lan Na Thai museum in 1996. The house exhibits the indigenous crafts, once daily necessities and ritual tools that were used to maintain relationships with the spirits and natural forces, spanning about one century between first and the last successor of the museum.
The museum added a new dimension for visitors to enjoy with the technological enhancement that occurred with its restoration. Those exploring the museum can now enjoy multimedia documentaries that play on special screens at the museum.
At the veranda upstairs, courtship musical tunes are to be heard. Further into the house an LED monitor screens a short-film on the lineage of the previous house owners along with a depiction of a spirit dance that is both traditional as it is fascinating.
Remember not to miss out on the special recording showcased in the kitchen; here one can view a film that shows a character playing a northern grandmother preparing a typical dish of Northern Thailand.
Filled with wanderlust that seeks to explore distant shores and captivated by the colors and vibrancy of exotic cultures, Kanya Mae writes on the beautiful, exciting, and enchanting wonders of the world. She is a writer who not only has a passion for travel, but also has a background in fashion, art and media. Google+