I don’t see myself as much of a train-spotter and I am not one of those people who is used to spending the majority of his time at museums and art galleries; however, I thought it was about time to have a look at the history of my province by paying a visit to the local museum. I set out with my trusty translator (daughter) and a pocket full of cash in the pursuit of the history of my hometown province in Thailand.
Set in a large plot of land on Phosi Road near Thungsi Muang, this western-style building looks quite impressive from the main road. There is ample parking and even though it might not look as if you can at first, it is possible to drive around the grounds as there is a road that goes all the way round the back of the main building.
Shoes are to be left outside which is not a problem because the wooden floors are highly polished and very clean. The displays are set out in a way that makes it easy for interested parties to move from exhibit to exhibit and from room to room. Every now and again, there was a sign that showed the way out, just in case I happened to get lost but to be truthful, the building is a rectangle of sorts, so you can’t go too far wrong. The worst that can happen is that you find yourself standing on an outside veranda. Do remember that there is a second floor to visit to make sure you get the full experience.
The exhibits start with a look as fossils and dinosaurs and then moves swiftly on to the evolution of life and the geology and geography of the area. I liked how things such as petrified rock were shown and explained, which encouraged my daughter and myself to discuss the various items on show.
I also found the model of a funeral ritual in the pre-historic period of Ban Chiang, Nong Han district particularly interesting as I have visited Ban Chiang before some years ago. Whilst it was only a model, it did give you a feel for what it must have been like to be an archaeologist and to discover artefacts such as this
Village life is shown as it was many years ago; how the area around the typical village house was laid out, with zones allocated for animals and the storage of food and areas for crops. Different types of traditional dress are shown and examples of the time-honoured materials used for clothing are also depicted. However, I couldn’t help but think that there are many places around the province that are still living that way now, out in the rural areas, except that they would now have a standard TV set and a motorbike in addition to the equipment shown in great detail as part of the exhibit depicting life all those years ago.
There is also a section on Buddhism and stories concerning various monks and religious people who are connected to the province; as well as sections detailing information as to how the province had been initially set up. The history of Udon Thani interests me and I was able to see how in 1893 due to the Siamese-French Armistice the army had to be moved back 25 kilometres from the Mekong River. Initially they moved to Namsuay; however, the land was too low-lying and full of malaria, so eventually, they moved to Ban Duemhakkaeng which is now the Udon Thani we know and love today.
I was particularly interested in Prince Prajak, the first Governor of the province and the brother of King Chulalongkorn who was in charge of the troops at that time. He stands proud on one of the three main roundabouts in the city center, looking towards Udon Thani Rajabhat University. What has always amazed me is that many of my students have spent the majority of their lives here and still don’t know who he is.
My daughter found a picture of the sons and daughters of King Mongkut. She counted 43 children in the picture; however, a quick visit to Wikipedia shows that the number could be nearer 82. Those who say that demographic society in Thailand isn’t changing please take note.
There is no charge for visiting the museum, so they rely on donations and an allowance from the local government administration for the upkeep of everything. It was very refreshing not to have to argue with anyone about being overcharged to get in. However, money is needed as the building itself is in need of renovation. Around the walls there is peeling paint and damage by water and/or damp is evident in most rooms, so some major investment is needed to keep this facility in working order.
To be truthful, I probably paid more as a donation because of that fact. In addition, I was even given a free book (that was before I paid my donation) by Mr Phitsanu Kenthaworn and Miss Pranee Niyomsil who spoke in English and were very helpful in explaining some of the items in the museum to me. This museum is a resource that we need to maintain in order to inform the future generations of Udon Thani how they came to being and the people who led them here.
Schools visit the museum on a regular basis and are shown around as part of a guided tour. This is also a free service which allows for donations from those attending. Tours normally last between 30 mins and one hour; however, I spent longer than that especially since many of the exhibits have signs which have been translated into English by Ajarn Banchob Chiemwichit from Udon Thani Rajabhat University, someone I admire and know personally; and by his own admission I am sure, would probably say that he is nearly as old as some of the exhibits on show.
This museum is well worth a visit and needs the support of the local community to survive. Although not being one of the “arty crowd” I still found the items on show interesting and relevant to understanding how Udon Thani has become what it is today; the seventh largest province in Thailand and my newfound home. The museum is open seven days a week from 08:30 until 16:30, Monday to Friday and 08:30 until 16:00 at the weekends.
and I found it very interesting because I can see how Udorn has developed during the ages, and every time I have visitors from abroad, I always suggest we go there.
