In 1995, the Council of Ministers of Thailand declared every 19 September “Thai Museum Day”, in remembrance of King Chulalongkorn who graciously endorsed the establishment of the “Royal Siamese Museum” or Royal Museum. Situated at Concordia Hall within the grounds of the Grand Palace, the Royal Museum was the first museum to open its doors to the public on 19 September 1874.
The Department of Fine Arts, under the Ministry of Culture, with its mission to manage the nation’s art and cultural heritage, has set forth a number of developmental policies and regulations applying modern international standards to promote Thai culture through museums across the country. To-date, the operation and progress of the National Museums of Thailand has proven that it can accommodate the needs of society in different periods of time, including being a crucial source of educational nourishment for the nation.
In 2021, beside the establishment of a new national museum, the Department of Fine Arts has renovated exhibition halls in other national museums. Examples of these outstanding accomplishments include:
Renovation of the permanent exhibition hall inside the National Museum Bangkok
In 1887, King Chulalongkorn kindly endorsed relocation of the Royal Museum from the Grand Palace to Bovorn Sathan Mongkol Palace, colloquially known as the Front Palace (Wang Na). The Royal Siamese Museum has since come to be known as the National Museum Bangkok. Recently, it has undergone several developments in terms of infrastructure and facilities, led by the Department of Fine Arts, with the goal of elevating the exhibition of ancient artefacts to reveal humanity’s masterpieces brought into existence on Thai soil. Featured among these developments are conservation and presentation aspects of traditional architectural styles of halls presented in ways that allow visitors to absorb complex perspectives without difficulty. This has also brought a touch of modernity to visitors, while allowing the museum to maintain Thailand's national heritage.
Praphat Phiphittaphan Building, National Museum Bangkok
Establishment of National Museum Nakhon Nayok Phra Boromchanok Chonlapat
The Department of Fine Arts has led the renovation of Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam Museum in Ban Tha Dan, Hin Tung Sub-district, Mueang District, Nakhon Nayok Province. According to the royal initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the new title of the National Museum of Nakhon Nayok Phra Boromchanok Chonlapat conveys the divine grace of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and his continuous endorsement of national irrigation. Officially opened to the public on 26 June 2021, the museum features historic exhibitions, history, and culture presented to enable educational access to the history and culture of Nakhon Nayok Province. Also featured are the background and history of Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam and stories of local people.
Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum, Nakhon Pathom Province
The Department of Fine Arts has renovated the permanent exhibition halls within Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum. The exhibition showcases ancient artefacts and archaeological evidence of
Thavaravadee culture in Nakhon Prathom Province from prehistoric times to the Thavaravadee Era, including findings from recent archaeological excavations in the province.
Imitated Stupa, Rattanakosin Art at National Museum Bangkok
Renovation of Ban Kao National Museum, Kanchanaburi Province
The Department of Fine Arts has renovated Ban Kao National Museum and constructed exhibition halls to house historical evidence and knowledge of prehistoric humans of the province. The museum especially brings to visitors engaging depictions of the development of people living along the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai Rivers from the Old Stone Age to the New Stone Age, including ancient houses that remain to this day. Modern presentation technologies are used to accommodate this comprehensive learning centre featuring western Thailand’s prehistory archaeology.
Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has had many impacts on Thai society, leading the Department of Fine Arts to raise the focus on its online platforms to allow easy access for the public. People can now tour the 42 national museums and their current exhibitions through the Virtual Museum online platform www.virtualmuseum.finearts.go.th and Smart Museum platform at https://smartmuseum.finearts.go.th. Other knowledge and updates from the Department of Fine Arts are made through social media and other online platforms.
In celebration of Thai Museum Day 2021, the Department of Fine Arts is organising MUSEUM EXPO 2021: Recover Together Step Forward activity, with the objective of connecting the museum network to the public. This will allow the museums to engage with online visitors through their specific messages, affirming the new-gen notion of endless boundary learning. The collaboration of 27 museums is available for visits at www.finearts.go.th/thailandmuseum.
MUSEUM STREAMING: Creating for All activity has been prepared to create an online open space for museum network discussions to incorporate interesting social aspects for learning and exchanging knowledge, as well as strengthening the Thai museum network.
Thai Museum Day 2021 will be open for online visits from 19-21 September 2021 at Facebook Fanpage: Office of National Museums, Thailand.