Chanthara Kasem National Museum

The Chanthara Kasem National Museum is situated on the west bank of the old front moat (1). The museum is housed in Chanthara Kasem Palace in the northeastern area near Hua Ro Market in Hua Ro Sub-district. You can access it via U-Thong Road. The palace is generally known as "Wang Na" or "Front Palace" because it was located east of the Grand Palace.

Chanthara Kasem is also known as Chandra Kasem or Chan Kasem, literally meaning “Moon Serenity” (2).

Phraya Boran Ratchathanin (1871-1936 CE), a Governor of Ayutthaya and a well-known historian, kept his antique collection at the Chanthara Kasem Palace at the end of the 19th century.

In 1902 CE, Prince Damrong Rachanuphab, Minister of Interior, saw Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's collection during a visit and suggested establishing a museum, using the royal horse stable as an exhibition hall. It was then called "Boran Phiphitthaphan" or the “Ancient Museum”.

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V – reign 1868-1910 CE), during a visit on 23 February 1904 CE, was impressed by the collection and ordered Phraya Chai Wichit Sithsak Mahanakrathikarn to move all the antiques from the palace stable for exhibition at the Chaturamuk Pavilion. Along part of the palace wall, they added structures to display objects. The pavilion officially opened the same year as a museum, called "Ayutthaya Phiphithaphan" or the “Ayutthaya Museum”, to display ancient artefacts collected from Ayutthaya, laying the groundwork for the modern Chanthara Kasem National Museum.

In 1907 CE, while King Chulalongkorn was touring Europe and visiting Hamburg, Germany, he sent a telegram to Prince Damrong Rajanubhab praising the local museum, noting that "the museum here resembles the museum in the old capital."

On 12 February 1936 CE, the Fine Arts Department declared the "Ayutthaya Museum" a National Museum under the name "National Museum of Chanthara Kasem”. It became Thailand's first provincial museum. Parts of Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's collection were moved to the National Museum in Bangkok and to the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, where they remain today.

The Museum

Three buildings of the former palace are used for exhibitions. These are:

The Chaturamuk Pavilion: King Mongkut (Rama IV - reign 1851-1868 CE) commissioned the Chaturamuk Pavilion as a residence and stateroom during his visit to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. It was built on the foundations of the original building from the Ayutthaya Kingdom, near the northeast wall.

The building was a twin pavilion (a double four-gabled structure) of 558 square metres, measuring 27 metres wide and 65 metres long. It features three gables at the front and three at the rear. The tiled roof features traditional Cho Fa (4), Bai Raka (5), and Na Ban (gable panels). The six porticoes originally displayed stucco reliefs: the central front portico featured the Royal Emblem of the Garuda (Garuda Pha) the southern portico displayed the Royal Emblem of the Swan (Hong Phiman) the central rear portico bore the Royal Emblem of the Dragon Holding a Jewel (Mangkon Khap Kaeo) the northern portico featured the Royal Emblem of the Erawan Elephant (Airaphot) and the southern portico displayed the Royal Emblem of the Conch (Sangkha Phiman). [1]

King Chulalongkorn assigned Phraya Chai Wichit Sithsak Mahanakrathikarn (Nak Na Pompetch) to renovate the pavilion to use it as the Ayutthaya Hall in 1896 CE. In 1904 CE, under his direction, this pavilion officially opened as a museum to display ancient artefacts collected from Ayutthaya. A passageway was built along the north and east sides of the building for exhibiting the antiquities.

In 1926 CE, King Rama VII (1925-1935 CE) assigned Phraya Boran Ratchathanin to renovate the hall under the Royal Society's direction. During this renovation, the pavilion was completely demolished, and ferroconcrete was laid on the original foundation. The pavilion was raised by 0.5 metres, and the building's shape and height were changed. The wall was rebuilt from the original wood. The pediments on the six sides were old and ruined, so they were replaced with wood sculptures that remain today.

The Phiman Rattaya Pavilion is a group of four buildings constructed during the reign of King Rama IV on the foundations of an original structure from the Ayutthaya Kingdom and completed during the reign of King Rama V. The buildings’ architecture blends European and Chinese styles. On the northwest side of the building is an open court enclosed by three small buildings. The complex comprises a Left Hall, a Right Hall, the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion, and Sala Choen Khruang (Multi-purpose Hall). The buildings were built of brick, plastered with concrete, and roofed with tiles. The basement was tall, and brick walls divided the rooms. In 1896 CE, King Rama V designated the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion as the Governmental and Provincial Administrative office.

The Mahat Thai Building, or regional administrative building, was constructed during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI reign 1910-1925 CE, when Phraya Boran Ratchathanin served as Lord Lieutenant. It is an L-shaped brick building with plastered walls, a concrete roof, and a tiled roof, located near the palace wall to the west and connected to the south. The building is 10 metres wide. The western side is 50 metres long, and the southern side is 65 metres long. Phraya Boran Ratchathanin commissioned the building and relocated the administrative office from the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion to the new building. It served as the regional office until the administrative reform in 1932 CE. After that, the building was used as the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, the Office of the Auditor General, the Provincial Cooperative Office, and the Office of the Comptroller General, District 1, until 1993 CE. After that, the building was returned to the Chanthara Kasem National Museum administration.

Other structures are:

The Phisai Sanlalak Pavilion, or observation tower. King Rama IV commissioned the construction of this observatory for stargazing and astronomical calculations, as he was an enthusiastic astronomer in practice. The tower was built on the foundations of an original structure believed to have been built during the reign of King Narai and to have crumbled before Ayutthaya's second fall. The building is a 4-storey tower measuring 15.80 metres by 17.00 metres and standing 22 metres high. The building is located on the wall’s rim in the southeast.

The museum service supports the study of Thai history with slides, films, videos, and a library on Ayutthaya’s history. It is certainly worth a visit.

Footnotes:

(1) Khu Khue Na, or the Front Moat, lay east of the city of Ayutthaya. The former defensive moat is said to have been dug during the reign of King Ramathibodhi I (U-Thong). More likely, it was the western defensive moat of the ancient city of Ayothya, situated in the Pa Sak River oxbow. The moat thus became a separation ditch (borderline) between Ayothya and the newly established city of Ayutthaya in the Lopburi River oxbow. At the establishment of Ayutthaya, the earthen walls surrounding the city were likely no further than the eastern defensive moat, later known as Khlong Pratu Khao Plueak. By the end of the 16th century, the Lopburi River was diverted into the Front Moat by digging a shunt, creating Hua Ro and allowing the river to surround Ayutthaya fully.

(2) Chan Kasem is the original name. The “thara” in Chanthara Kasem reflects a more Sanskritized transliteration of จันทร์ (Chan), linking it to Chandra (moon). Both names refer to the same location in Ayutthaya, but the longer form emphasises its classical Indic heritage. The Sanskrit/Pali root of “Chan” is “Chandra”, hence sometimes the written translation Chandra Kasem.

(3) The corps sought to instil loyalty to the monarchy, nation, and religion while providing military-style training to civilians. It grew rapidly, rivalled the regular army in influence and resources, and provoked resentment within it. King Vajiravudh appointed Wild Tiger members to high ranks, sidelining traditional aristocrats and professional soldiers, which all contributed to the failed Palace Revolt in 1912 CE.

(4) Cho Fa: Gable finials - An ornamental element crowning the highest point of the roof—specifically at the apex of the gable or where the bargeboards meet. It is shaped like the head of a mythical creature from the Himmapan Forest, a Naga, or a Garuda. According to ancient beliefs, it protects sacred sites from evil spirits and inauspicious forces.

(5) Bai Raka: Roof-edge ornaments - Decorative motifs arranged in a row along the sloping roof edge, descending from the Cho Fa. Crafted from wood or stucco, they feature a serrated appearance resembling saw teeth, fish scales, feathers, or flames. They represent the fins or plumage of the Garuda or Naga extending along the roofline, enhancing the beauty and elegance of the roof's silhouette on ordination halls and assembly halls.

References:

[1] Krom Sinlapakorn (1968), Phra Rachawang lae Wat Boran nai Jangwat Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya (Fine Arts Department).

Consulted works:

Hengpujaroen, Nantana (2003). The study of Chantharakasem Palace for developing the Management Plan. Silpakorn University. ISBN 974-464-0731.

GROUND PLAN OF THE FRONT PALACE

Reference: Krom Sinlapakorn (1968), Phra Rachawang lae Wat Boran nai Jangwat Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya (Fine Arts Department).

1. Palace Wall: Currently, it is a masonry wall topped with sema (crenellations), measuring 13.50 meters in width and 164 meters in length, with one gate on each side (four gates in total).

2. Chaturamuk Pavilion (Four-gabled Pavilion): Located near the front wall. Originally, only the brick-and-mortar ruins of the pavilion's terrace remained. King Rama IV had the pavilion rebuilt as an audience hall the royal seat (phra thaen) remains in place (marked "A" on the plan). The pavilion's terrace measures 18.50 metres wide and 31.30 metres long.

3. Phiman Rattaya Throne Hall: A complex of buildings located at the centre of the royal palace, measuring 25.00 by 48.50 metres. It was constructed in accordance with the original foundation lines. Later, during the reign of Rama V, it was designated the "Administrative Office of the Monthon" (Regional Administrative Centre).

4. Phisai Salyalak Throne Hall (Telescope Tower): A four-storey tower near the southern section of the eastern palace wall, measuring 15.80 by 17.00 metres. Built during the reign of King Narai the Great, it collapsed before Ayutthaya's fall. King Mongkut (Rama IV) later rebuilt it to its original design for stargazing and named it "Phisai Salyalak Throne Hall." It later fell into disrepair, and the Fine Arts Department restored it in 1936 CE.

5. Suea Pa Club (Wild Tiger Corps Club). Built during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), this building measures 11.20 m by 20.00 m and is located near the palace's eastern wall it now serves as a branch of the National Library.

6. Building for palace officials: Constructed during the reign of King Mongkut, this 8.00 m by 12.00 m building stands beside the front palace gate.

7. Royal Stable Building: Built during the reign of King Mongkut near the northwestern wall, this building measures 6.00 m by 17.00 m. It once housed a museum—known at the time as the "Boran Phiphitthaphan" (Antiquities Museum)—which was expanded by adding a zinc-roofed veranda and walls on three sides (these additions have since been completely removed). Later, on February 23, 1904, King Chulalongkorn visited the site and granted royal permission to relocate the artefacts from the Royal Stable to the Chaturamuk Pavilion.

8. Regional Administrative Building: Built during the tenure of Phraya Boran Ratchathanin (Phon Dechakhup), the Lord Lieutenant (Samuha Thesaphiban) of the Ayutthaya Monthon (Circle), this building adjoins the western and southern palace walls. The western section measures 50.00 m, and the southern section 65.00 m the building maintains a uniform width of 10.00 m throughout. It currently houses the Office of the Auditor General.

9. Stone Sculpture Gallery: A gallery with a corrugated-iron roof runs along the northern and eastern walls, serving as a repository for stone sculptures. For instance, stone Buddha images from the Lopburi period are displayed beside the Chaturamuk (four-gabled) pavilion. In contrast, Buddha images and other artefacts from the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods are arranged behind it. Near the Ho Phisai Sanyalak, the exhibition displays images of Bodhisattvas and deities from the Dvaravati and Lopburi periods.

AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH

THE CHANTHARA KASEM NATIONAL MUSEUM

(Old picture of the Ayutthaya Phiphithaphan)

(Drawing of the Chanthara Kasem National Museum site)

(The Chaturamuk Pavilion at the Chantara Kasem National Museum – November 2008 CE)

(The Phiman Rattaya Pavilion – November 2009 CE)

(View of the Mahat Thai Building - April 2015 CE)

(The Phisai Sanlalak Pavilion – November 2009 CE)

(View of the former horse stable of the Chanthara Kasem Palace)

(The Suea Pa Club Building – November 2009 CE)

(Surviving architectural fragments of ancient sacred structures of Ayutthaya at the Chanthara Kasem National Museum - December 2023 CE)

Exhibition at the Chaturamuk Pavilion

Exhibition at the Phiman Rattaya Pavilion

The pavilion displays artefacts from Ayutthaya’s past: sculptures, Buddha images, ceramics, and decorative arts recovered from the palace and surrounding areas.

Exhibition at the Mahat Thai Building

The Deputy Government Building displays five themes: "Ayutthaya art and architecture", "Trading ceramics of the Ayutthaya Kingdom", "Ancient weapons", "Buddhist objects", "Riverside life in the old city" and recently, the “Phraya Boran Ratchathanin commemoration”

Old photos of the Boran Phiphitthaphan

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)

HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA

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