To be honest, when I was skimming several reviews about what to do in Udon Thani, I came across a few references to the “old clay pot” museum and skipped over them instantly. However, on the last night of my trip, I discovered a summary of the museum on the UNESCO website that made me change my mind:

Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia. It marks an important stage in human cultural, social and technological evolution. — Unesco¹

It was clear to me that this was more than just a few “clay pots”, so I altered my plans to ensure that I could stop by and have a look for myself.

Arrival at Ban Chiang

I had passed through this small town on an earlier journey but returned once again. After enjoying a quick drink, I took a short walk around the local park outside the museum. There were a few vendors set up here, but overall it was a peaceful park with some signs and artifacts subtly celebrating its importance and history.

Museum Entry

The entry fee was cheap (maybe 100 baht? Sorry, I can’t remember) and customer service personnel were once again super kind and chatty. Once inside, you walk through a small courtyard area before arriving at the main building where they’ll stamp your ticket and recommend the free audio guide. The audio guide is excellent, available in multiple languages with the English version narrated by an American. It covers the history of the collection and walks you through each room’s displays.

Museum Displays and Content

I was impressed with the variety of displays they put together. It started with artifacts on display in glass cabinets; however, as you progress through the museum there are diagrams, themed rooms, interactive displays, audio recordings and more. They quickly emphasized each piece’s age and importance for thousands of pieces.

The museum covered not only the artifacts themselves but also the way they were discovered, unearthed, notable visits from royalty and even the inception of the museum itself. They provided information upfront and moved quickly through a variety of topics without getting bogged down in any one topic.

Thoughts

I didn’t wake up expecting to not only visit but also enjoy the “clay pot museum”, but hey, I did. While perhaps not the most notable reason to visit Thailand, they were able to make the content interesting and engaging.

If you are in the Udon Thani area, it is definitely worth visiting this museum.

📷 Photos

… It was pretty clear, this was more than just a few ‘clay pots’. I was intrigued enough to alter my plans, ensuring I could stop off and have a look for myself.

Arrival into Ban Chiang #

I had passed through this small town on an earlier journey. I returned once again and, after a quick drink, had a short walk around the local park outside the museum. There were a few vendors set up here, but overall, it was a peaceful park with a few signs and artefacts subtly celebrating its importance and history.

Museum entry #

100 m from the park, was the entry to the Museum. Entry was cheap (maybe 100 baht? I cannot remember sorry) and the customer service people were once again, super kind and chatty.

Once inside, you walk through a small courtyard area, until arriving at the main building. Here they’ll stamp your ticket and recommend the free audio guide. The audio guide was excellent. It is available in multiple languages, with the English version narrated by an American. It covers the history of the collection and walks you though the displays in each room.

Museum Displays and Content #

I was impressed with the variety of displays they were able to put together. It started with artefacts on display in glass cabinets, but as you progress through the museum, there are diagrams, themed rooms, interactive displays, audio recordings and others. They were able to quickly emphasis the age and importance of each piece for thousands of pieces.

The museum covered the artefacts itself, as well as the way they were discovered, unearthed, notable visits from royalty and even the inception of the museum itself. The provided the information upfront and moved quickly through a variety of topics without getting bogged down in any one topic.

Thoughts #

I didn’t wake up expecting to not only visit, but also enjoy the ‘clay pot museum’, but hey, I did. While perhaps not the most notable reason to visit Thailand, they were able to make the content interesting and engaging.

If you are in the Udon Thani area, it is definitely worth coming out and visiting this museum.

📷 Photos #