Visiting The Bangkok Folk Museum

The Bangkok Folk Museum also known as the Bangkokian Museum is another welcoming and quiet attraction close to one of the main tourist areas in Bangkok.

Sign Outside Bangkok Folk Museum

The museum provides an insight of how a middle class Thai persons home looked and functioned around the second world war period….

Visiting The Museum And Its History

The museum, now managed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority was originally a house the Surawadee family lived in.

To keep the history simple….the owner wanted the home that was constructed in 1937 (1st building) to be used as a museum which the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority has managed since October 2001.

The houses were donated to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority based on an agreement that the Daughter (Waraporn) of the Surawadee family could live in one of the houses.

There are four buildings with two floors within the grounds, of which three can be viewed by visitors.

On arrival: When you arrive at the museum you will be asked by the security guard to sign in a book, however, they will not charge you because the entrance fee is free. It’s worth noting that it’s easy to walk straight past the venue….so do look out for the signs (see pictures).

Sign Outside
Museum Sign

Entrance And Signing In Desk

As you enter the entrance (see picture below) you will sign in on the right and be greeted by a pleasant garden, then further up the garden on the right someone from the office will offer assistance. They are very friendly!

Entrance To Museum

The Veranda Area

You will get taken to a small veranda after taking off your shoes which was a great place for me to have lunch after the visit (I took my own snacks).

The Thais (all staff) sitting at the other table were very friendly and offered me food to eat with them after the visit but,– I declined because I didn’t want to disturb them and I really wanted to eat my sausage rolls I bought earlier.

Veranda Area

The friendly assistant introducing me to the 1st Building

Assistant

The first building, constructed in 1937 is where the Surawadee family used to stay. The downstairs has a living room, dining room and another room which has been used as a bedroom at one point and Dr Francis’s bookkeeping room at another.

Upstairs has three bedrooms that were used by the Surawadee family and another room which is called the ancestor room.

Here’s a few pictures I took inside the first building…

Sofa

Porcelain On Table

Cabinet

Piano In First Building

Gramaphone

Grandfather Clock

Old Style Toilets

As you can see most of the furniture and household items are very similar to what would have been found in a western home, within that period.

Let’s take a quick peek upstairs (1st building)….

Iron In Second Building

Upstairs

Small Bed

Large Bed

Other Bed

Cabinet

2nd Building

This building was constructed in 1929 at Thung Maha Mek, Soi Ngam Duplee (Sathorn Bangkok). The house never became a family dwelling because the husband of Archan Waraporn’s mother (Dr Francis) became sick and passed away…

The house was moved and constructed at the Folk Museum but was scaled down because the museum area was too small.

Entrance to 2nd building

2Nd Building Entrance

There wasn’t much to view downstairs. Upstairs has a bedroom section and a type of examination room that I would have thought was set up for Dr Francis.

Dr Francis Christian

Dr Francis Christian Statue

Cabinet

Cabinet 4

Medical Objects

Other Medical Objects

Bed In Second Building

Cigar Cabinet

3rd Building

The downstairs of the 3rd building is used for displaying various items which includes the title deeds for the house, grandmothers merit set, pet houses used by the family and many other items worth taking a look at.

The upstairs is used for exhibition about Bangkok and it’s people in the past, with images and writings on display boards giving visitors information.

Entrance to 3rd building

Entrance To 3Rd Building

Here are some of the displays that you’ll see….

Certificates And Awards

Display

Pet Houses

Tools On Display

And upstairs (3rd building)..

Upstairs Building 3

Display Board

4th Building

The 1st floor of this building used to be a kitchen and living area for the family….which is now used for a museum office and library. Waraporn a family member also stays here, upstairs.

4Th Building In Museum

Getting There

The Bangkok Folk Museum is close to Saphan Thaksin BTS station (skytrain) which is the station closest to the central pier (Chao Phraya river). If walking you’ll need to turn right outside the station and walk to the Chareon Krung Road, then turn left and walk about 10 minutes to Soi 43. Once your on Soi 43 walk a few minutes looking out for the museum on the right.

You can also get a taxi from the Saphan Thaksin BTS for around 40-50 baht or jump on a boat down to Si Phraya Pier from the central pier if you do not want to walk.

Visitor Information

Cost’s: Free.

Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday

Address: 273 Soi 43, Chareon Krung Rd, Bangkrak, Bangkok 10500

Tel: 02-2337027, 02-2346741

Tuk tuk drivers (a kind of three wheeler mototaxi): This is a hot spot for tourist’s getting talked into cheap tuk tuks and then being taken to shopping places for commission. If they offer a cheap ride for the day then I would advise you to politely say, no thanks and move on..