Set in the former palace of the vice king, known as the Wang Na, the Bangkok National Museum (พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ พระนคร) holds The King Ramkhamhaeng's Inscription, which UNESCO added to its Memory of the World register in 2003 in recognition of its significance. It is the main branch of Thailand's national museums and one of the largest museums in Southeast Asia.
The galleries trace Thai history back to Neolithic times, with Thai art and artifacts from the Dvaravati, Srivijaya, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. Alongside these, the museum displays extensive collections of Buddhist art from across Asia, including Gandhara, Tang, Cham, Javanese and Khmer works.
King Chulalongkorn established and opened the museum in 1874 to exhibit the royal collections of his father, King Mongkut. The palace grounds sit between Thammasat University and the National Theatre, facing the open ground of Sanam Luang.
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