Museum of Nonthaburi
preserving the pride of the province

Front section housing the Museum of Nonthaburi

The Museum of Nonthaburi displays the history of Nonthaburi province, her people and the way of life, culture, arts and craft in a historical building to preserve the heritage of a very old province established in 1548.

The museum, which opened on 15 September 2009, is near the Nonthaburi pier, the terminal pier of the Chao Phraya river boats that’s just north of Bangkok. 

It’s located in part of an old building with a long history. The building is now a national heritage in the process of conservation. 

The interior of the section housing the museum has been renovated. It’s extremely well organized with elaborate displays that are well laid out and illustrated by signs in English and Thai.

Video screens on the relevant subjects are available in most of the rooms and can be activated at the touch of button. The commentaries are in Thai with English sub-titles. 

The staff members are friendly, helpful and well-informed. Questionnaires, suggestion forms, museum brochures and tourist information brochures are also available. The whole experience leaves the visitor with an impression of an efficient administration.

Model of the whole complex

From 1925 – 1992, the City Hall of Nonthaburi was located here. The building also housed the provincial office, court, treasury, district office, land office, public health centre and lodging for government officials.

During World War II, patients from Siriraj Hospital were evacuated here in 1943/44 when the British bombed the Bangkok Noi railway station near the hospital. That railway station was the logistics railhead for the supply line to Kanchanaburi and onwards to the Japanese Army in Burma.

In 1992 the City Hall of Nonthaburi moved to Rattanathibet Road where it remains till today. The building was taken over by the Ministry of Interior as a training institute for senior ministry officials until 2008 when they moved out to new premises.

The elaborate woodwork

The following year the front section of the building was converted to be the Museum of Nonthaburi.

Table of contents
Kan Yao – a rare delicacy and expensive too

However heavy flooding of the low lying province in 1995/96 has damaged many of the plantations. Pollution of the river caused further damage. Efforts are now in progress to replant Nonthaburi’s famous durian trees.

Nonthaburi is an old province created in 1548 in the reign of King Chakraphat of Ayutthaya. During this period Burmese invasions were a constant threat and settlements were established around Ayutthaya to serve as forward defences.

The early inhabitants of Nonthaburi include the Mon from Burma, Muslims from Pattani and Chinese immigrants.

Rich ethnic diversity

Owing to the sharp meanders in the Chao Phraya River back then, canals were cut at the base of the meanders to shorten sailing time to Ayutthaya.

• The first of these canals was in the Bang Kruai area in 1538. This remains a canal today.


• The second canal dug in 1636 is now the present course of the Chao Phraya that flows past the Nonthaburi pier and the Museum of Nonthaburi


• The third canal is at Pak Kred dug in 1722 thus creating the island Ko Kred. This canal is also the present course of the Chao Phraya today.
  

The map below shows the long loops in the old course of the Chao Phraya, the present course and the locations where the canals were originally dug.

View Chao Phraya in Nonthaburi in a larger map.
Field Marshall Plaek Phibun Songkhram

He later adopted his title as his name. History remembers him a Field Marshall Phibun Songkhram, a key member of the group that staged the coup in 1932 that changed Thailand to a constitutional monarchy. 

He became the third Prime Minister of Thailand from 1938 – 1944. In 1948 he became Prime Minister again until he was ousted 1957 and had to flee the country. He never lived to see his native Nonthaburi again. He lived in exile in Japan until his death in 1964. 

But Nonthaburi remembers Phibun Songkhram. There’s a road in the province named after him. So are three piers on the Chao Phraya River. Please see Phibun Songkhram – master of the coup d’état.

The second famous son of Nonthaburi was Sakhon Yangkhiaosot. He was born 1922 in a boat to a family of travelling puppeteers who went around the province entertaining the people.

At an early age, Sakhon learnt the art of puppetry from his father and continued with the profession when he grew up.

Master Sakhon Yangkhiaosot

In 1985 he decided to switch to a different set of puppets which were smaller than the ones he used to work with. The change became very popular and soon gained national recognition. 

Lakhon Talung – shadow drama


Traditional Thai dolls


Traditional Thai paintings

Table of contents
Pride of the province

Pottery of various shapes and sizes are displayed here, so are the tools and implements used for shaping and carving the pottery.

Containers (l) mortars (r)

The pots below are still in use for the Thai steam boat.

"Jeem joom" pot

Street vendors use this device to make desert from sweeten batter poured into the depressions which are covered by the lids and heated. However, today the cheaper metal versions are mostly used.

"Kanom khrok" pan


Containers

The traditional method of making clay pottery is well illustrated with clay figurines.

• The clay is first dried in the sun before being trampled by water buffalos to tread it to the required texture. Sand is added to bind the clay. Wooden boards are placed below the buffalos for their droppings!

• In the second stage, human feet tread the clay. In some cases, the potters tread and shape the clay into shapes of flower petals with their feet!

• The clay is shaped into cylindrical tubes and balls which are then used to make the pottery.

• The clay is knocked into shape by wooden paddles and then spun on a rotating turn table as the potter skillfully uses his palms and fingers to mould the clay into the desired shape and contours.

• Fine shaping and polishing is done by stones, shells, sticks and coconut shells. 

• Sharp sticks are used to engrave designs on the surfaces of the pots.

• The pottery is then placed in a huge brick kiln and heated by wood fire for a month.

However, the traditional potters are a dying breed. A video in the room shows an interview with the last of the potters, a 73 year old native of Ban Bang Tanaosi who was reminiscing about the old days when the craft was practiced by an entire community.

The sounds of wooden paddles knocking clay into shape can be heard all day long.

In the old days, the pottery is loaded in boats and sold to the surrounding provinces usually by barter trade.

The boats sail out for these trading trips by convoys with entire families on board.

These trips often take three months and families live, eat and sleep on the boats.

On their way out, they plant rice on vacant plots along the river banks and harvest the rice on the way back. 

Setting out on a trading trip

Table of contents

View Museum of Nonthaburi in a larger map.

How to get there

Take a Chao Phraya express boat from the Sathon Pier to the end of the Nonthaburi Pier, the terminal pier. The journey by express boat takes about an hour.

Leave the pier, turn right and walk along the esplanade by the river bank for about 20m. The Museum of Nonthaburi is just across the road.

Esplanade with the Nonthaburi pier (green roof) in the
background. Note the durians hanging from the lamp posts

Opening times

From Tuesdays to Sundays from 0900 - 1600 hours.

The museum is closed on Mondays.

Admission is free.

Contact information

Tel: 08 5984 4465

Table of contents

To return to Bangkok Museums.

My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps

This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.

You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.

My Kindle e-book