Science and Nature Museums in Bangkok

Thailand has a wealth of natural history and there are a myriad of museums in Bangkok that showcase its diversity in science and nature.

Science Museums in Bangkok - akyra Thonglor Bangkok Hotel

Science & Nature in Bangkok

Science Centre for Education and Bangkok Planetarium

The Science Centre for Education and Bangkok Planetarium is located on the Sukhumvit Road, within walking distance of the Akyra Thonglor Hotel, and caters for visitors of all ages. The complex consists of four main halls: the Planetarium, the Natural Science building, the Aquatic Life building and the Science Museum. Several other buildings contain activities designed to educate and entertain visitors. The museum features interactive displays, models, multi-media presentations and real-life objects.

The domed Planetarium opened in 1964 and underwent renovations in 2015 that made it more appealing to the public. It’s now the most popular building in the complex, with 360 degree visuals and sound, and a Mark IV Zeiss projector, which is the first one in Southeast Asia. The program of presentations changes every two months.

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Siriraj Medical Museum

The Siriraj Medical Museum carries the nickname Museum of Death and is not for the faint-hearted. It comprises several smaller museums, some of which focus on a particular area of medicine: pathology, anatomy, parasitology or forensics. Another has displays of prehistoric objects and remains, including a Homo erectus skeleton dating back over 400,000 years.

The museum complex is packed with medical curiosities. From dissected and diseased organs, to preserved foetuses and the mummified remains of Thailand’s first known serial killer, the Siriraj Medical Museum gives you gruesome tour through Thailand’s medical evolution.

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Siam Serpentarium

The Siam Serpentarium in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok showcases the lifecycle of snakes from birth to mating and beyond. The facility is split into three sections. Each has a different focus, but all three exhibitions educate visitors through a series of interactive and imaginative displays.

Wander through the forest-like environment of the Snake Museum and learn about how snakes hunt and survive; meander around the snake farm and view more than 70 reptiles from all parts of the world; or take in one of the thrilling performances in the Naka Theatre and find out how mankind has interacted with snakes for centuries.

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Rare Stone Museum

The privately-owned Rare Stone Museum in the Mueang Pathum Thani district of Bangkok showcases unusual and rare stones from around Thailand and further afield. Each stone is labelled and displays are carefully curated to tell a story. The stones are a wonderful array of colours, sizes and shapes having been collected from diverse surroundings.

Besides the exhibition of stones, the museum also has displays of other rare and unusual items. These include stamps, matches, cigarette boxes and ashtrays.

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The Soil Museum

If you happen to be passing through the Chatuchak District, or you’re in the mood for something a little different, Bangkok’s Soil Museum is worth a visit. The museum charts the history of the Land Development Department, and was built as an educational facility for soil management, problems and resources, among other things.

There are 20 displays in the museum. These include exhibits of tools and equipment, soil maps from different periods in history, soil sampling methods and different types of soil.

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Rock and Mineral Museum

The Emerald Building on Rama VI Road is the location of the Rock and Mineral Museum, a space dedicated to educating visitors about Thailand’s geological resources. There are eight zones with displays and information covering topics like historical geology, minerals and fuels, rocks and groundwater, evolution and geological hazards. Also on display are several fossils uncovered in Thailand over the years.

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Thai Red Cross Society Museum

The Thai Red Cross Society Museum in Rama IV Road opened in 2007 to commemorate Queen Sirikit’s 72nd birthday. The aim of the museum is to spread knowledge of the role that the Red Cross Society plays in domestic and international humanitarian operations and its achievements over the years.

The museum is divided into seven zones, each identified by a colour of the rainbow. The zones showcase such things as the creation and symbol of the Thai Red Cross Society (red zone), its mission in educating medical professionals (orange zone), serum production and vaccines (yellow zone), the Orphanage of the Red Cross Society (green zone), donation centres (blue zone), and how the Thai society aids in missions worldwide (indigo zone). The final zone is violet, and honours Thai Red Cross patrons and donors.

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Katsetsart University Museum of Fisheries

Located in the University’s Faculty Fisheries, the museum displays a variety of aquatic life, from different types of algae to fish species. Most of the aquatic animals are stuffed, although you can also view some skulls and skeletons.

Each piece on display is notated with its scientific name, habitat, food and any distinct features. The museum is split into an area showcasing research artefacts, and a zone with medium to large marine life. A selection of traditional fishing equipment is also on display in the museum.

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Ant Museum

Bangkok’s Ant Museum opened in 2007 at the Kasetsart University Faculty of Forestry. It aims to educate visitors on the lives on ants and their world of order, teamwork and ethics. The museum has around 100 species on display, the majority of which are native to Thailand.

The displays illustrate an ant’s lifecycle and the role that they play in the ecological system. You will also learn about the small adaptations that have aided ants’ survival over millions of years. The museum doesn’t claim anything spectacular, but anyone interested in this insect will come away the better for having visited.

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Berlin Pharmaceutical Museum

The Berlin Pharmaceutical Museum in Charoen Krung Road occupies the building that was formerly the home of the Berlin Pharmaceutical Industry Co. It was here that newly graduated Dr Chai Chainuvati dispensed medicine free of charge to the less fortunate, and hence built up a respected reputation in the area.

The museum was built to commemorate his life and work, and traces the history of Western medicine in the country from the 17th century to present day. The informative displays include a simulated examination room and a dispensing room.

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Thai Snail Museum

The Thai Snail Museum is located in the Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science and opened in 2003. It was founded by professors in the faculty who wanted to educate younger generations about the diverse species of snails and how they have evolved through the ages.

The displays include some snails so small that you can only view them through a magnifying glass. The museum also includes other invertebrates like centipedes and earthworms.

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Chulalongkorn University Museum of Natural History

The Natural History Museum opened in 1987. It’s located on the second floor of the Chulalongkorn University’s Biology Building in Pathum Wan district.

The museum is place of research and education of Thailand’s natural resources, as well as an exhibition of living organisms. Among other things, you can view displays of shells, fossils and skeletons such as that from the dugong. Each display is laid out do as to portray the true nature of the subject.

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Princess Sirindhorn Plant Herbarium Museum

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is the chairman of the Plant Genetic Conservation Project of Thailand. In addition to the herbarium museum, there are several plant species named after her which indicates her love of flora.

The museum is the first herbarium museum in Thailand and is spread out over three floors of the Department of Agriculture at the Kasetsart University. It contains thousands of plant specimens, many of which are unique to Thailand, as well as a library with over 2000 titles, academic papers and research on the classifying and naming of plants and laboratories for plant genetic conservation.

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Thai Nursing Museum and Archives

The Thai Nursing Museum is the perfect place to learn about the evolution of nursing in the country. You can also view the Royal Archives and discover the role that Queen Sri Bajrindra played in developing Thailand’s first school of nursing in 1896, which is now known as the Faculty of Nursing.

The history of nursing is exhibited in three rooms. The Thai Nursing History Room is the main showpiece of the museum and showcases the general history of nursing and midwifery in the country. The other rooms are the Kunying Binbakya Bidyabhed Room, which illustrates the growth of the Faculty of Nursing and the life of nursing students; and the Nursing Archives Room which stores valuable documents pertaining to the nursing profession.

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Kasetsart University Zoological Museum

The Zoological Museum at the university’s Faculty of Science has exhibitions illustrating the diversity and evolution of Thailand’s animal kingdom. The museum was founded in 1966 and is one of the twelve resource facilities at the university.

The range of exhibits covers small invertebrates to large vertebrate species found in Thailand. There are also displays of rare and endangered species, and both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum also holds research information collected by the researchers and personnel of the Department of Zoology.