Chanthara Kasem National Museum

Chanthara Kasem National Museum is situated on the west bank of the old Front City Canal. The museum is located in the Chan Kasem Palace in the northeastern area near the Hua Ro market in the Hua Ro district of the city. It can be accessed via U-Thong Road. The palace is generally known as "Wang Na" or "Front Palace", as it was located to the east of the Grand Palace.

Phraya Boran Rachathanin, a Governor of Ayutthaya and well-known historian, kept his antique collection at the Chan Kasem Palace at the end of the 19th century.

In 1902, during a visit, Prince Damrong Rachanuphap, Minister of Interior, saw Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's collection and suggested establishing a museum by using the Royal Horse Stable as an exposition hall. It was then called the “Ancient Museum.”

King Rama V - during a visit on 23 February 1904 - impressed by the collection, ordered to move all the antiques from the stable to be exhibited at the Chaturamuk Pavilion. Some additional construction was done for exhibiting objects along a part of the palace wall, and the whole was then called the “Ayutthaya Museum”.

On 12 February 1936, the Fine Arts Department declared the "Ayutthaya Museum" to be a National Museum with the name "National Museum of Chan Kasem”. It became the first provincial museum in Thailand. Parts of Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's collection have been moved to the National Museum in Bangkok and the National Museum Chao Sam Phraya.

Ayutthaya Historical Research