Erawan Museum in Bangkok
When you go from Pattaya to Bangkok drive and take the westbound exit at the ring road around Bangkok, you will see a large, black, three-headed elephant from above on the left at the height of Samut Prakan.
Curious as I am, I searched using Google for the keywords Samut Prakan and elephant. A sea of articles taught me the name of a three-headed elephant Erawan and that the elephant in question in Samut Prakan is not just a large statue of this Erawan, but an immense statue, which inside offers space for an entire museum: the Erawan Museum. Reason enough to check it out.
Samut Prakan
We get into the car at eight o'clock and we should be at our destination one and a half to two hours later, were it not for the fact that we got stuck in a traffic jam from the airport to the ring road. Don't worry, we can drive on again after an hour. When we spot the elephant in the distance, we know we need to get off the highway. We have not seen any indication to Samut Prakan, but fortunately there is the first sign on the exit, from which we understand that we have taken the right exit. For other seekers: it is exit 12 on highway 9.
Airavata
Without difficulty we reach the museum. For those interested, the origin of Erawan. This is the Thai form of the elephant Airavata in Indian mythology. This elephant should be in heaven. Usually he is depicted with three or more heads. The Erawan is an important religious motif and the elephant is often used as an ornament. He is seen on Thai awards and monuments. The museum was founded by a private person with the aim of preserving his collection of antiquities and making them accessible to the public.
We are not allowed to enter the main entrance yet, because everything has to be in the right order. First wait for a small door to the left of the stairs to the main entrance to open. When that door opens, a Thai lady is waiting for us. She gives the tour through a megaphone, at least in the basement area. My Thai is incapable of following anything, so we make a quicker round through this cellar space.
It's twilight, because this is the underworld. We see antique furniture, many showcases with vases and pots and some beautiful old Buddha statues. We go out through the small door again and now we are allowed to go up the stairs and enter the main part. This is the hall of the human world. Another circular gallery around a marble and richly decorated stairwell. Most striking is the stained glass ceiling (a good word for a language dictation).
Reverently
We see beautiful images, both of Thai and European origin. Apparently artificial light has been installed above the glass ceiling, because we should be able to see the underside of the elephant. After a round around the stairwell, we climb the gigantic staircase, which takes us halfway to the ceiling. From here we can view the structure from above. We have to go higher, but there are no stairs to be seen. There is a lift, apparently built into one of the elephant's hind legs. You arrive again on a small mezzanine and from there you can take a spiral staircase to the top level. We enter a room inside the elephant. This is called heaven. It's a strange sensation. I suddenly feel sympathy for Jonas in the whale.
All Thais kneel in reverence to pay homage to the standing Buddha. Along the convex walls are showcases with old Buddha statues. The ceiling is painted to represent the cosmos. We go back down and I realize that this is the most special museum building I have ever seen. Outside we walk through the large garden with beautiful water features and mythological statues.
Finally something precise information. The elephant is 29 meters high and 39 meters long. Not minor. We found a cloudy day, good for museum visits, but bad for outdoor shots, so here's an Internet photo, which was taken with the sun. The return journey is going well. Before two we are back in Pattaya. Another thing I think everyone should see.
More information:
- Opening hours: every day 8:00-17:00
- Location: Sukhumvit Road, Samut Prakan
- The website of the museum is: www.erawan-museum.com
Video The Erawan Museum – Bangkok
Watch a video of the Erawan museum below:
The BTS has now been extended to Sam Rong, just before that huge cloverleaf intersection with the ring road and this museum has become much more accessible from BKK. Although I do not advise you to walk that last part: plenty of buses.
AND since Dec. '18 the BTS has been extended even further and now drives past it and I think even with a station by that name - although it is not right next to it. You always have to change trains in SamRong to another train across the platform. Only half of the trains from the center continue to SR.
And it should not go unmentioned that this museum also uses extra increased extortion prices for white noses!
A little further on in Pak nam itself, so the ”amphoe muang = capital” of that province, there are a number of other places of interest, eg also the mseum of the Thai navy (it is the den Helder/Zeebrugge of TH). This way you can make a whole day out of it.
The designer/owner Lek Viriyaphan also known for the Sanctuary of Truth. (Pattaya)