National Museum in Bangkok
 

Is it true that it is not air conditioned? How bad is it? Has anyone been there recently? Thanks.

It was not airconditioned last year, and dodubt that it has changed. We spent perhaps an hour there. It was hot, but non intolerable.

it gets very little fodors attention leading me to believe that it is not a top attraction....i have never been there based on only luke warm comments by others...

We took the english speaking tour (occurs about 3x/week in the morning) - lasts a couple of hours. Going there and not doing the tour would be a waste of time. We went there in July - it was hot but not unbearable as there is no a/c. All-in-all it was a great introduction to Thailand and its Buddhist culture - I very much recommend it if the tour fits your schedule and it is your first trip to SE Asia.

The National Museum in Bangkok deserves more attention than it gets. It was, after all, the palace of the second king for 150 years. It's been undergoing bit-by-bit rennovation over many years, and there are some parts that are air-conditioned, but these are very few.

Among the highlights are the Phra-Singh Buddha image, the elaborate charriots (last used for the queen mother's funeral) and a huge collection of armaments.

Thanks to all that replied. We will fortunately be there on the english speaking tour dates, so will probably partake. Both of my guide books rave about the museum and it looks so wonderful on their website. We are museum junkies. It is like a sickness with us. We can't even seem to stop ourselves when lack of a/c should keep us away :)

Connette, if you are Museum junkine, have you been to the Prasart yet? It was marvelous. You have to call ahead and make an appointment. Only one party is allowed on teh grounds at a time. You can see photos at www.marlandc.com. The Prasart photos are from the 2005 stay in Bangkok.

If you have the time the National Museum is definitely worth it if you can get the english speaking tour. However, like Kathie, I would put Prasart above it -- actually I'd put it above many of the sights in Bangkok.

I have been to both the Prasart and the National Museum. It is difficult to beat the private tours they give at the Prasart as well as its thoughtful layout. However, as an introduction to Thailand and Buddhist culture, the National Museum is the better bet.

Museum junkies, eh? One of my favorites is the Princess Mother memorial on the Thonburi side of the river. Half the small museum tells her life story, which is fascinating. A bit tricky to get to but worth it if you have the time.

I also like the King Rama VII museum near the golden mount, but you might have to know a bit about Thai history to really find it interesting (Rama VII was the king who granted Thailand its first constitution). There's actually quite a lot about the events surrounding the 1932 revolution, which goes some way to explaining today's political situation.

Lastly, my vote for the weirdest musuem in Bangkok goes to the Erawan Museum, which is in the shape of an elephant.

Here's a link to my index of Bangkok museums, if you want more information: http://thailandforvisitors.com/centr...ums/index.html