Erawan Museum Place guide

If you’re the type of traveler that enjoys a different kind of museum, Trip Guru suggests that you take the time to wander around the Erawan Museum, which features a massive 3-headed elephant towering over the highway. Khun Lek had this museum built to house Thai cultural objects as well as religious relics and art. It’s an area seldom visited by tourists, so you can be sure that there are no random photobombers ruining your precious memories.

There is a Buddhist shrine inside, perfect for troubled souls looking for spiritual comfort, and you can walk along inside to see a sanctuary, and take photographs of a large stained glass dome that houses cultural works of art. The décor lights up and features intricate designs around Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). There’s also an elevator that will bring you up to the body of the elephant, where a collection of Buddha statues displayed in glass await.

Outside, the landscaped gardens feature mythical creatures from Thai folklore, a pleasant distraction from the various statues inside. There are plenty of flowers and palm trees, as well as pavilions where you can rest, and you can even feel the cooling sensation of crossing through streams. It’s one of the best man-made structures in the country. You can also experience letting lotus leaves float onto the decorative moat to avoid bad luck. If you ever feel like experiencing a small slice of a secretive world, surrounded by art and nature, this is for you.

Aside from religious artifacts, you can see antiques, potteries, and ceramics displayed. You can also feed carp that swim in the rock ponds and visit a workshop to observe how craftspeople work with metal to create beautiful, religious pieces. Do return any smiles that are given to you, as that is proper Thai etiquette. The museum is open every day from 8:00am to 5:00pm and is located in Sukhumvit Road, Samut Prakan. To get there, take the BTS Skytrain to Nut Station and take a taxi to the museum.