A visit to Bangkok’s Ancient City Museum gives a great overview of Thailand’s history, architectural styles, and culture. Most buildings here are replicas of the original buildings scaled down to one-third of the original size. Others are the original buildings that were dismantled at their points of origin and rebuilt here. Others still are replicas of buildings that no longer exist, thus providing an important record. There are even floating villages that visitors can paddle around on boats. Travelers who don’t have time to tour the whole country will especially enjoy this attraction, as it represents buildings from all over, and is even divided according to the regions of Thailand.
Most travelers visit the Ancient City Museum independently. Entrance ticket and hotel transfer combination packages are also available.
The Ancient City Museum is about an hour’s drive south of Bangkok. To minimize the risk of getting stuck in Bangkok’s heavy traffic, first take a BTS Skytrain to Kheha Station, and then get a taxi the rest of the way. A free shuttle service runs between Kheha and the museum on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Ancient City Museum is open from from morning until evening every day. Tickets are cheaper later in the afternoon, and visiting at this time means avoiding the heat of the day.
If the replicas leave you curious about the originals, take a day trip to Ayutthaya to check out some of the most important temples and ruins in Thailand. The small town was once the capital of Thailand, and contains evidence of this important past. Ayutthaya is a popular day-trip destination from Bangkok.
