Queen Savang Vadhana Foundation, Thailand - Queen Savang Vadhana Museum

Queen Savang Vadhana Museum

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej considers the Srapathum Palace to be an important historical site of the Chakri Dynasty and of the whole nation. It was, for most of her life, the permanent residence of Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana, the Queen Grandmother and Her Royal Highness Princess Sri Nagarindra, the Princess Mother also lived there. The Palace is therefore being dedicated as a museum in honor of the late Queen and in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Thai people.

When Her Royal Highness Princess Sri Nagarindra passed away, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej presented the Srapathum Palace as a residence for Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has, in turn, decided to have the palace transformed into a museum, in accordance with the royal initiative of His Majesty the King. The palace museum will serve as a resource center for further studies of the royal activities of Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana. The Queen Savang Vadhana Foundation established in her honor in 1995 will supervise this process and all related activities under royal initiatives up to the present.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the opening of Queen Savang Vadhana Museum at Phra Tamnak Yai, Srapathum Palace on Wednesday, December 17, 2008. Her Royal Highness presented the Museum to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King's 80th birthday anniversary.

Address

Srapathum Palace, 195 Phayathai Road, Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel: +662-252-1965-7
Fax: +662-257-0941
The Museum entrance is near Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.
Administered by Queen Savang Vadhana Foundation

Admission

The Museum will be open during December - March of every year. It will be open on Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

For more information, please call +662-252-1965-7. Please make a reservation in advance.

*Appropriate attire is required. Shorts and sleeveless are not allowed. Women wear skirts.

Admission Fees

Adults 150.00 Baht.

Students 50.00 Baht.

Transportation

- BTS SkyTrain: Siam Station.

- Bus: Number 15, 25, 40, 54, 79, 204, 501, and 508

- Personal Vehicle: Parking available at Siam Car Park or Siam Paragon Shopping Center Car Park.

*If parking at Siam Car Park, please present a museum ticket along with a car park ticket at a reception counter at Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center.

*If parking at Siam Paragon Shopping Center Car Park, please present a museum ticket along with a car park ticket at the reception counter on the ground floor, north side, near Tony Roma's, Siam Paragon Shopping Center.

*The parking is free of charge for 4 hours.

Queen Savang Vadhana Museum Map

Dining, Shopping, and Learning

The Café and the Museum Shop will be open during December - March of every year. They will be open on Monday - Saturday from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.

On some Saturdays, there are Thai Culinary and Handicraft Classes and trips.

Museum Display

The Museum display is divided into two parts:

1. The Exhibition Hall

The Hall houses exhibitions on Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana’s biography and on the renovation of Phra Tamnak Yai, Srapathum Palace.

2. Phra Tamnak Yai

Phra Tamnak Yai became Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana’s permanent residence from 1916 until she passed away in 1955. Her Majesty began outlining the plan of this building, using matches and stems of betel leaves, according to the flow of the wind directions of each season. Then, she assigned architects to design accordingly. Historical evidence suggests that the construction of Phra Tamnak Yai was probably completed during 1914 - 1915.

The rooms in the Museum are arranged to display the three periods of the palace:

The First Period: Dated from to the completion of the construction of Phra Tamnak Yai, this was the time when His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, the Prince Father returned to Siam − Thailand − after graduating from studying abroad. Related memorabilia are displayed in the Ceremony Room and the Receiving Room.

During this period, there was an auspicious event at Srapathum Palace − the royal wedding ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, the Prince Father and Her Royal Highness Princess Sri Nagarindra, The Princess Mother then Miss Sangwan Talaphat. His Majesty King Vajiravudh, King Rama VI, presided over the ceremony, bestowing the sacred water from the conch to the royal couple at Phra Tamnak Yai on September 10, 1920.

The Second Period: It focuses on the time when His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla who brought his wife and daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajnagarindra, back from Great Britain to stay at Srapathum Palace. All the royal belongings from this period are displayed in the Grey Room and the Library.

The Third Period: Arrangements in the Leisure Room, the Devotional Room, and the Royal Bedchamber represent the third period, when His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla who had gone to study medicine at Harvard Medical School and after graduating returned with his wife and all his three children: a daughter and two sons, His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol and His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Furthermore, there is the Balcony. Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana spent her time on the balcony adjoining her bedchamber, now arranged as the Devotional Room, spending her days and partaking her meals here. This is an important site in the history of the Kingdom, the place where Her Majesty performed her last royal duty: presiding over the royal wedding of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

The Exhibition Room presents Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana’s personal documents, correspondence, and belongings.

On the other side of the Balcony, there is a Chinese Hawker Vendor. Chinese Hawkers frequently passed by the palace calling out their wares and Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana often invited them into the palace grounds to offer their exotic but inexpensive goods for sale to her three grandchildren.