Bangkok Folk Museum is a museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 in Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. It is located at Soi Charoen Krung 43, near the Sri Rat Expressway several hundred metres from the right bank of the Chao Phraya and the intersection of Charoen Krung Road

Charoen Krung Road

Charoen Krung ) is a major road in Bangkok that runs roughly parallel to the Chao Phraya river. Part of it is considered Chinatown along with Yaowarat Road, part of it is closest major road to Phahurat , its northern terminus is the Grand Palace, it runs through Nakhon Kasem and Khlong Thom...

 and Maha Set Road.

Set in a building dating back to the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 period, the museum offers an insight into the lifestyles of middle-class Bangkokians during World War II and its aftermath (1937-1957).

The museum was originally the home of the Suravadee family which was built in 1937, but was converted to the Bangkok Folk Museum to preserve the lifestyle of early Bangkok and the history of Bangrak district. On 1 October 2004, the museum fell under the management of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority.

The museum consists of two main two-storey buildings and a garden. In an upstairs room of the first, there is an ancestors’ quarters which displays many of the relics of original family members these include the old Benjarong jar made from Thai porcelain

Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...

 in five basic colors, from the King Rama V period (1858 – 1910). Some of the other porcelain pieces in the Bangkok Folk Museum are from the early Rattanakosin era.

The second building in the Bangkok Folk Museum is at the rear and was once intended to be the home and clinic of Dr. Francis Christian, the stepfather of the owner, but Christian had died before he could move in. Notable displays are his cigar

Cigar

A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...

 collection, and various stoves dating back to the early 20th century. One display has an old Bangkokian kitchen from the war period. Another room displays sanitation and toilet facilities during the war and has two toilets standing next to each other.

Bangrak Museum

Conjoined with the Folk museum is the BMA local museum of Bang Rak district. It houses records from the history of the district, and an insight into the origins of the early roads and canals. It focuses on the canals and the windmill

Windmill

A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...

s that once characterised the area.