Royal museums in Bangkok are former residences of the country's rulers. The King Rama VII Prajadhipok Museum is no exception in this respect.
The museum building was constructed in 1906, during the reign of Rama V. It was designed by the French architect Charles Beguelin. He gave the three-story mansion neoclassical forms, adding antique motifs to the roof dome.
The museum became open to the general public in 2002, immediately gaining popularity among foreign tourists, who had previously had limited access to information about the private lives of members of the royal family.
The seventh king of the Chakri dynasty, Prajadhipok (in another transcription - Prachadipok), went down in the history of Thailand as the last absolute monarch. In 1932, the country adopted a constitutional form of government, and in 1935 the well-educated king, who was passionate about the arts, abdicated the throne.
In the museum dedicated to him, you can study the king's biography and view historical documents and films. You will learn in detail the story of Rama VII's life - starting with his childhood and youth and ending with his hobbies and even songs composed personally by him. In the shop located next to the museum, books on the history of Thailand, as well as scholarly works by Prajadhipok, are sold.
