The Bangkokian Museum

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I took the ferry all the way to pier 3 for my outing today. After a few turns down quiet streets I found myself at the Bangkokian Museum, or Bangkok Folk Museum. It's an older house, set up like a traditional middle class home from around the time of WWII. Everything inside is from before 1957. There are four buildings to visit. When I arrived I was enthusiastically greeted by the people who work there and one of the men poured a little water on my shoulder for Songkran. I pretended he'd gotten me really wet and dramatically reacted, giving us both a good laugh.

The main building is the house. The main floor is just a few rooms but the layout is very open air. Ornate slits are at the top of the walls to help with air flow to keep things cool. The kitchen was located in a separate building, but there was a small bathroom tucked under the stairs. The upstairs had a main hall and a few bedrooms and a fairly modern bathroom. Again, open air design and slits in the walls help to keep things cool. Surrounded by trees, I could imagine falling asleep at night, warm and relaxed, listening to the birds and night noises, a gentle breeze moving from room to room. According to the brochure I received, the total budget for the original house was 2400 Baht.

The second building is a few years younger than the first. It was never used as intended and now is set up as a museum with a bedroom and small doctor's clinic on the second floor.

The third building is filled with lots of little things from the house, including papers, knick knacks, and kitchen utensils. Most of the signs on the first floor are in Thai only. The second floor has a special exhibit about the lives of people in Bangkok and their history. I was really surprised how many roads are named after historical figures.

Building four used to be the kitchen and living space, but now it's an office for the museum and a library. I didn't go in.

On my way out I was stopped by the same man I'd met on my way in. He ushered me to a Buddha statue so I could pour water over it, a tradition for Songkran. I love that so many people want to share their culture with an obvious outsider.

The sky looked like rain, so I ran back to the ferry pier, hoping to not get soaked.

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Photos

Living room
With views of the dining room and hallway. Note the ventilation at the top of the walls.

Dining room
The kitchen was in a separate building.

The main hall
Note the ventilation at the top of the walls.

Upstairs main hall
Bedrooms surround this square hall. There's a crib in the corner, too. Note the ventilation at the top of the walls.

"Graduated from the USA"
My favorite typo ever.

From the front porch looking through the house to the back.
Note how the doors and windows line up for maximum air flow.