The Museum
The King Prajadhipok Museum was formerly called the Parliamentary Museum. It was under the care of the Secretariat of the National Assembly and was housed in the basement beneath the King's Monument in front of the National Assembly Building.
The museum enjoyed the blessing and patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rambhai barni during the reign of King Prajadhipok, the seventh king of the Chaki dynasty. In 1980 Her Majesty kindly donated personal articles belonging to King Prajadhipok, for public exhibition.
On 7 December 2002, the museum was reopened at its new home, in The elegant building of a National Heritage Site, is very close to Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue. The main purpose of opening this museum was to exhibit the biography and lifework of His Majesty King Prajadhipok, Rama Vll, who agreed to a constitutional monarchy for the People of Thailand and became the first king in Thai history to rule under A legal constitution.
A Historic Home for the King Prajadhipok Museum
The building that housed the King Prajadhipok Museum was designed by French-Swiss architect Charles Beguelin in the late reign of King Chulalongkorn the Great, Rama V. The architectural style of this three-story concrete edifice was influenced by the neoclassical tradition, decorated with Greco-Roman motifs and relieves and is surmounted by a dome-shaped tower above the front hall. It was constructed over six years, being completed in the reign of King Rama VI.
Originally, John Sampson Store, a stylish, occupied the building Commercial tailor and retailer of Western haute couture, including Custom-made suits. After a change of ownership the establishment was renamed Suthadilok Store and sold construction materials and sanitary ware. In 1933 the Municipal Department of Public Works (later the Public Works Department) took over the place as its headquarters, and The building has retained the name of the department since then.
In 1995 the Fine Arts Department registered this building as a National Heritage Site. The Public Works Department and the Ministry of Interior Then launched a conservation and renovation project that was Completed in 1999.
On 26 April 2001, responsibility for management of the museum was Turned over to the King Prajadhipok Institute, and the Public Works Department agreed to house the museum in its building. The museum Was opened in 2002.
