Museum Siam

The yellow building in front of you looks like a European palace, and that's no accident: it was designed by the Italian architect Mario Tamagno and built in 1921–1922 as the Ministry of Commerce.

1Italians at the court of Siam

In the early 20th century, Siam hired European architects and engineers to modernise the capital. Tamagno arrived in 1900 on a twenty-five-year contract and designed some of Bangkok's best-known buildings. It was a way of showing the world a modern state, at a time when colonial powers surrounded the country: Siam was the only kingdom in Southeast Asia never colonised by Europeans.

2A museum to play in

After serving several ministries, the building was listed as heritage in 2005 and restored. In 2007 it opened as Museum Siam, run by the National Discovery Museum Institute. Its permanent exhibition, Decoding Thainess, asks what being Thai means through history, food, clothing and customs, in interactive rooms. Its motto is a play on words: play plus learn equals enjoy. It makes a good, shady break between the temples on a hot afternoon.

Since 2020, Sanam Chai metro station, decorated like a palace hall, has opened right in front of the museum.

3What to look for

• The arched windows and balustrades of the façade.
• The red roof, unusual in Thai architecture.
• The garden sculptures, which change with the exhibitions.