Guns, a submarine, torpedoes, a seaplane and a tank are just some of the exhibits at the Naval Museum in Samut Prakan. The museum offers a unique insight into the long and colourful history of the Royal Thai Navy.
On Sukhumvit Road, opposite the sprawling Royal Thai Navy Academy, the museum is a treasure trove of artifacts and memorabilia, from weapons and models of ancient warships to remnants of royal barges.
TMS Matchanu, the last of four submarines commissioned in 1938 by the Royal Thai Navy is one of the highlights of the museum. All that remains today is the conning tower and part of the deck, which are preserved in the museum grounds. The first lighthouse in Thailand, which was used in the Gulf of Thailand is also housed here.
As there is only minimal written information on each exhibit, the museum's curator helps stimulate the imagination of visitors by regaling them with a blend of facts and fiction telling the story of how the Royal Thai Navy has progressed over the last century.
On the day we visited, Phairach Samutrsindh, director of the Naval Museum, gave us the privilege of taking us on a tour of the museum. He started by first highlighting Samut Prakan's crucial role in Thai history. "Did you know that the telegraph was first used in Thailand between Bangkok and Samut Prakan in 1875, during the reign of King Rama V?" Mr Phairach stated, immediately grabbing our attention.
This cable was extended to later include a submarine cable connecting the lighthouse on the Chao Phraya delta. The purpose was to enable the lighthouse to report on shipping arriving and departing the area, keeping a special lookout for intruders.
In 1891, the first telephone service was introduced, connecting the Ministry of Defence in Bangkok with Phra Chulachomklao Fortress in Samut Prakan. The telephone highly improved communication between Bangkok and this strategic fort, enabling instant reports to be sent by naval personnel of hostile foreign activities on the Chao Phraya.
After the short briefing, we proceeded to the main entrance of the museum building. As one steps inside the narrow hallway, there is little indication of what is to come. The first few rooms are dedicated to King Taksin the Great and Prince Chumphon. Exhibits of their personal belongings, such as handwritten manuscripts, a pipe for smoking tobacco and a compass, are interspersed with modern paintings of King Taksin on horseback and old ships sailing on turbulent seas.
On the opposite side of the hall is a display of weaponry that gun enthusiasts will find truly mind-blowing. Exhibits include everything from rifles, handguns and cannon, to shells and edged weapons, some dating back to the Vietnam War. Also on display are a selection of mortars, along with machine-guns and naval shells. Some of the oldest weapons date back to the mid-1930s.
A display of various bayonets also receives a lot of attention from visitors. As photography is allowed, visitors can take photos of themselves with their favourite weapons.
On the ground floor of the adjoining building are exhibits on past naval battles, including torpedoes, the country's first lighthouse and royal barges dating back to the reign of King Rama V. One of the wooden barges boasts an artistically carved royal emblem.
A flight of stairs takes you up to a large room with more static displays of miniature royal barges and oddments from warships dating back to the early Rattanakosin era. The bows of various barges, with small ornamental carved nagas, are also on display. In one corner of the room there are scale models of old ships and displays reminding visitors of past conflicts in which the Thai Navy has been involved _ one such conflict being the Paknam incident with the French, in the late 19th century.
Our last stop on the museum tour was on the top floor, which houses a handful of aircraft models. Alongside these you can see models of state-of- the-art aviation technology. Visitors will find a trip to the Naval Museum not just entertaining, but educational as well.
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