It’s fairly rare for me to be surprised by a mainstream place well on the tourist trail. We were mainly interested in the special exhibition (talked about shortly), but instead decided to start with the museum.
A quick note: the museum is great for kids! The beauty exhibit features a bit of graphicness you might not want under-13’s to take in — this post is SFW, though. The beauty exhibit runs through September 29th, 2013.
Opened in April 2008, the museum is housed in a quite nice neoclassical building, and unusually interactive — large touch screens with cleverly scripted scenes pairs with plenty of stuff to touch.
Before getting there, however, there are a couple of things to explore. First, take in the side room (a fine place to kill some time before the next tour starts) — complete with a rotating exhibit from some element of Thailand / Siam’s history. Second (and not pictured), the bronze ‘ribbon’ outside — the one you might have dismissed as some form of modern art. It, along with the ribbon that serves as the backdrop for the first exhibit are connected by the same theme: asking about Thainess.
That theme is explored, but not particularly well-explained, by the five-minute video that introduces the museum. It’s a little difficult to explain, but the idea centers around modern Thai society and going back in time to discover who Thais are. The good production value and English subtitles mean the rather abstract video is comprehensible. Take it in, then when it’s over head into the next room.
The first of the permanent exhibits begins with a challenge: what is real Thainess? Coming from 5 years in South Korea — a country with its own set of idiosyncrasies regarding its heritage and culture — it was intriguing to see the museum take a more humble approach. The sign on this street food discusses nam phrik kapi (fermented shrimp paste sauce), making it clear that other countries share in the same heritage as Thailand.
An artsy spin on the stick figure — each ‘Red Frogman’ figure demonstrates a specific action done in various periods, though some of these are bizarre. “Talk on a mobile phone” is generic enough, but “Wear an Afro”? “Drive a Ford Angola”? You’ll see these on introductory signs, but are mostly missable since the exhibits are well-done.
An ancient murder mystery, simplified for kids. The first major exhibit goes back to the Suvarnabhumi period (pronounce it sue-wanna-poom if you want to sound in the know), the Land of Gold. This was thousands of years ago, when what we now call Bangkok / Krungthep was underwater. Be sure to take a close look at the map of Inburi, the water-based town employing irrigation some 4,000 years ago.
Sue-wanna-poom is billed as the center of trade across southeast Asia, and some 2,000-year-old Roman created pieces have been found (though not displayed here).
A look at population growth throughout the region — the large yellowish dot is Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital. The พ.ศ. by the year 1916 means it’s Buddhist era, by the way — subtract 543 from that to get the year in A.D. — more than a few foreign tourists gave the year a funny look when it raced past 2013…
Some of that interactivity comes to life in a cannon-versus-the-invaders sort of game. Tip: aim low, and only use about 1/4 to 1/2 of the gunpowder’s meter.
Time marches on, and the politics of maps and mapping is an exhibition in it’s own right.
The modern, westernized era — as Western influences creeped in, Siam embraced them in an effort to keep control. Not pictured are some excellent replica of the 1950’s car and diner — great for selfies or couple shots.
Some propaganda cartoons and audio from mere decades ago. It’s here where despite the audio and video footage, I wished for a bit more context. You win bonus points if you’re up on Thai modern history, and you’ll enjoy this section a lot more.
There’s plenty more to delve into, but we came for the special exhibition — the Beauty Factory (June 25th to September 29th, 2013):
Set in tiny print, the subtitle — “Beauty, Brutality, and the Reasons Behind” — gives a clue as to what’s coming. You’re asked to add your name to the guestbook and don a helmet before entering the faux industrial plant.
The first thing you’ll notice is the assembly line above your heard, complete with nude mannequins and various body parts. While this might sound like the set of some horror movie, plenty of natural light and bright colors are more likely to make you smirk than shudder.
Lip plates, anyone? The video might be a bit much for the squeamish, but it’s a great look at a culture’s beautification tactics.
Each of the small exhibits represents the ways or tools used to shape (or reshape) a woman’s body. The corset, for example, offers a period-appropriate ‘peephole’ in the lower left. It’s little more than a slightly larger version of the same pictures seen above, however.
A rare Thai connection — Her Majesty Queen Sri Bajarindra (1864–1919) showing her corset-curved waist. Another Thai connection is referred to in the section talking about feet binding.
The upper floor of the shipping-container-like space gets a little racier — some photos of Khmer art dating to the 9th century, showing a full bust and three ‘beauty lines’ just underneath as the epitome of beauty.
A couple of inspirations of beauty — while some guys may enjoy the fully nude Marilyn Monroe the old, the pin-up era of 20th century America had plenty to offer Thailand…
The final area — your chance to try on some of the beauty enhancing tools for yourself. The corset were there for the looks, but the high heels are large enough for men to try on (including yours truly — they looked great, if ONLY I had an outfit to go with them!). There’s also a heavy necklace to simulate the weight of brass neck rings — at about 11 pounds, it’s about the same weight as 2 1/2 brass neck rings.
While you can’t bind your own feet, you can compare the ‘ideal’ foot sizes to those of the bound foot. My freakin’ big toe is nearly half the size of what the ‘Golden Lotus’ was…
Not pictured is the very last section, reached via staircase just before the exit. In case you were wondering about the message, it’s here — a reminder to be unique and beautiful in your way, complete with a mirror.
I had a bit of fun picturing the amalgamation of these various characteristics. The large-bosomed, lip-ringed, neck-ringed, corseted woman with tiny feet would stand out to the point of ridiculousness. In any case the exhibit is well worth the visit, while the museum is fine.
Name: Museum of Siam and the Body Project (มิวเซียมสยาม พิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้)
Address: 4 Sanam Chai Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand.(GPS: 13.744388,100.494354)
Directions: Start from National Stadium BTS. Take exit 2 to street level, make a U-turn, walk 20 meters to the bus stop, and jump on bus 47. Pass the Grand Palace, then get off just past it. Take a left at Setthakan road and look for the entrance on the right.
Hours: Tuesday — Sunday, 10am-6pm (closed on Mondays). The beauty exhibit runs through September 29th, 2013.
Admission: 300 baht for tourists, 100 baht for Thais and Thai residents.
Phone: 02–225–2777
Website: http://www.museumsiam.org
