A visit to a country’s museums should be part and parcel of any trip or tour in another country. A museum trip is a great way of discovering and learning about the history and culture of a country. It offers a very concise glimpse into the country and what makes it unique.
Thailand boasts of a number of museums that have very diverse specializations. There are some that focus on the monarchy, some deal with the vast cultural minorities that can be found in the country. From the serious to the bizarre (a museum on notorious murderers!), Thailand offers a wealth of museums that you will surely enjoy whatever your persuasions and interests are.
The most important museum and one you should never forget to visit is the Bangkok National Museum. This museum gives the most representative view of the history of Thailand. The museum, which was accorded its distinction as a national museum in 1887, is divided into many different sections with each one dealing with a particular aspect of Thailand’s history or culture. In fact, there are parts in the museum that tackle the very interesting topic of the country’s prehistory like the Lanna, Sukhothai, and Ayutthaya periods. It should be noted though that each province in the country has its own National Museum that deals with that area’s cultural past. One would be hard pressed to stay in the museum for just a short time because there is just so many things to see.
Thailand was also a significant stage during the Asia-Pacific battles in World War II. Two museums cum memorials can be visited that will offer people a glimpse into the horrors of war.
The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum commemorates the almost 700 soldiers – prisoners of war who were forced to work on what was dubbed as the Death Railway. These soldiers were forced to work digging and clearing an area that was supposed to be the passage for a railway that will connect Bangkok to Rangoon. Most of the soldiers who died here were Australian and British. Visitors will walk a trail that follows the railway track. The museum carries pictures and tools that were used in the area. There are also video presentations that give visitors a clearer picture of the events that took place there. Visitors who have relatives who either died or survived being imprisoned here say that the experience is quite heart wrenching. This place has a significant importance to Australians because of the large number of Aussie soldiers who died here.
A similar memorial is the JEATH (Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland) War Museum. Built in 1977, the museum was built in the style of the huts in which the prisoners of war were incarcerated. The museum carries pictures as well as the bunks of the soldiers. Going through the museum gives visitors a clear idea of how squalid and cramped these prisoners were. Prisoners of war who survived the incarceration have donated their own personal belongings in order to help give the museum a higher degree of authenticity.