Apart from shopping malls, street food markets, and parks, the bustling Bangkok city is also home to numerous museums. Since some are pretty uncommon and not easily found elsewhere, you should not miss giving them a visit during your trip to Thailand.
Let’s find out more about these museums: Kilen Teck Heng Yoo Museum, Museum of Tees, Museum of Counterfeit Goods, and The Human Body Museum.
Kilen Teck Heng Yoo Museum
Opened at the renowned Lhong 1919, Kilen Teck Heng Yoo Museum is the first and only museum exhibiting traditional Chinese medicine in Thailand. The name of the museum is after a drugstore that has been with Thais for a long time, Kilen Teck Heng Yoo.
There are 5 zones in this museum:
The Root of Good Mind is a corner set up with a table and stationeries similar to the one used by Mr. Pae, the founder of the drugstore. From generation to generation, Kilen Teck Heng Yoo has followed the philosophy of “the root of good mind,” which means to bring healthiness to others to bring them happiness and improve their life.
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Kilen’s Treasure is one of the museum’s highlights. The Chinese herbal medicine cabinet, which keeps treasures and valuable herbs in drawers, gains great interest from visitors.
Made with Care displays Kilen’s signature products called Krisnaklan Trakilane and traditional herbs, which you are allowed to feel and smell. Some of them are even rare.
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Good Health and Good Mind illustrates the health knowledge of the ancient Chinese people and how they invented medicines.
Good Mind is Forever exhibits and tells interesting stories about Kilen products such as Botan pastilles and Uthaitip. Besides the exhibitions, you can also try on ancient Chinese outfits and take a photo at the traditional tea corner.
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Entrance fee: Free Admission
Opening Hours: Daily, 10 AM – 8 PM
Location: 1620 Song Wat Rd, Samphanthawong
Museum of Tees Thailand (MOTT)
MOTT, the first and only T-shirt museum in Thailand, originates from the passion for keeping and collecting T-shirts of the founder, Mr. Panthawit Lawaruengchol.
MOTT displays a wide variety of T-shirts, ranging from concert tees, print screen tees, second-hand tees to auctioned tees. Some are even limited edition. You can find rare vintage jackets here as well.
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Many concert tees are from the 90’s bands, including Guns N’Roses, Metallica, Kiss, and Run-DMC, as well as legendary bands like The Beatles and Nirvana.
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The exhibitions are arranged based on concepts and brands to facilitate visitors. Like other museums, there are booklets which provide the information and prices of each T-shirt.
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There is also a special zone which displays T-shirts according to a theme. Some examples are Rock & Metal and Horror Movies. The theme will be changed every two months.
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T-shirts exhibited are only for display. However, if you would like to purchase some tees, you can visit their shop.
Another good news is that there is a new zone called Sneaker field, which displays more than 700 pairs of shoes. One of the items is the limited original 1980s Gucci shoes.
MOTT is indeed a paradise for T-shirt collectors, street brand lovers, and band fans!
Entrance fee: Free Admission
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, 11 AM – 6 PM
Location: 1, 14 Lat Pla Khao 50 Alley, Chorakhe Bua, Lat Phrao
Museum of Counterfeit Goods
The Museum of Counterfeit Goods was founded by Tilleke & Gibbins, a law firm with offices in Thailand and Vietnam, to raise public awareness about counterfeiting and intellectual property issues.
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This niche museum displays more than 4,000 goods that infringe trademarks, patents, and copyright. The collection includes 14 broad categories of goods such as clothing, footwear, cosmetics, household products, drugs, automotive parts, and electrical devices.
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Genuine products are displayed alongside fake items for visitors to notice the differences.
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A 1-day advanced reservation is required. During your visit, there will be an in-house lawyer providing you a tour. You will get to learn basic IP infringement and how to spot fake products.
Entrance fee: Free Admission
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat, 8 AM – 5 PM
Location: 26th Floor, Law office of Tilleke & Gibbins, Supalai Grand Tower, 1011 Rama 3 Road, Yannaw
The Human Body Museum
Another educational museum is The Human Body Museum, located at the Faculty of Dentistry at Chulalongkorn University.
It is one of the eleven museums of its kind and the first in Southeast Asia that displays the human body using the Plastinated Human Bodies technique.
In short, it is when liquid and fat in the body tissue are replaced with a liquid solution to minimize unpleasant chemical odors and prolong the body’s original conditions.
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Exhibits here include human bodies in full form, dissected bodies, fetuses, organs, muscles, and cut open pieces showing various systems, such as the vascular system and the nervous system.
Thanks to the donation of human bodies and organs from the Medical Doctor Soft House Company Limited in Japan, this museum is able to provide the public and medical students a valuable opportunity to learn human anatomy first-hand.
Entrance fee: Free Admission
Opening Hours: Mon, Fri: 10 AM – 4 PM, Wed: 9.30 AM – 12 PM
Location: 34 Henri Dunant Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan District
Now you know that these unique museums actually exist and are located right in the city. More importantly, admissions to these places are free of charge! So, don’t forget to check them out when you are in Bangkok!