Pressing all the right buttons

Royal barges on dispaly at Museum Siam. Nation Photo/Anant Chantarasut

A visit to Museum Siam will change that perception. Long lines of eager young students can hardly wait to enter the unusual venue. Inside, they're greeted by scenes rarely witnessed: Adults touching everything from the artefacts to the wooden toys; kids running around and punching on the screens and maps.

This is Museum Siam, the country's first fully interactive museum.

With its classical Italian architecture enveloping modern design touches, the former Commerce Ministry is a visual treat. Three bronze arches front the eightdecadeold building to welcome visitors into the exhibition.

The arches take us right back to the beginnings of our civilisation in the Bronze Age, explains Asst Prof Pajarie Chinthammit, deputy director. Their arrangement guides visitors towards the entrance and into the exhibition rooms.

Here, questions pop up everywhere to get you thinking: What is "Thai" anyway?; Why did the name of our kingdom change from Siam to Thailand?; What was sold in Ayutthaya's fresh market?; or Where was Suvarnabhumi? (And they don't mean the airport).

Divided into 17 rooms, the museum combines an engaging style with fascinating content. After asking us what makes us Thai, the tour provides answers with a journey back to the ancient land of Suvarnabhumi. From here, we find out who we were in Siam and have become in Thailand.

No time traveller likes to be sidetracked, so the details in each room have either been kept short or rounded off with a question. The aim is to fire people's imagination and keep them thirsty for more knowledge.

Don't expect long tedious explanations neatly placed in front of dusty exhibits in glass showcases. Here, you bring the story alive, through touch screens, toys and your own curiosity.

"You won't be guided round the museum; you are here to discover," says Admiral Thanit Kittiampon, director of the National Discovery Museum Institute, which oversees the threemonthold Museum Siam. However, staff are always on hand to kill your doubts.

For those who prefer listening to reading, a princess character recounts her own story in the "Introduction to Suvarnabhumi" room. And on weekends, a soldier character from Old Ayutthaya marches round greeting visitors.

In the "Maps: Drawing the Country" room, you will begin to understand why Cambodia and Thailand are disputing over Preah Vihear temple. Pajarie explains that the use of maps to establish borders had never been a big part of Thai culture. Ancient maps were considered inaccurate once the French and British began drawing maps for us during the reign of King Rama V.

The "Ayutthaya" Room has a model of the Royal Barge Procession hanging from the ceiling. This high view of the country's high tradition was inspired by author Michael Wright - an expert on Thailand, says Pajarie. He was impressed by the grand procession of more than 100 barges and 3,000 soldiers gliding along Chao Phya River past a crowd of thousands on the riverbank.

A few touches on the map in the "Bangkok, New Ayutthaya" room will reveal how the capitals old and new share a city plan inspired by Buddhist belief. Then step into "Thailand and the World" and sit down for American fried rice in a cafe inspired by the 1960's Bangkok haunts of American soldiers on leave from the war in Vietnam. Finally comes the "Thailand Today" and "Thailand Tomorrow" rooms, where you get the chance to play prime minister and tell the world how you would change the country, before leaving the museum.

So far, the public's response to the museum has shown that we Thais are a curious lot. The figure of 10,000 visitors in the first month doubled in the second and tripled in the third. Originally expecting around 700 visitors a day, the museum is now getting closer to a thousand, many of them families and students.

Thanit likes repeat visitors, even though things can get crowded - all the time, their minds are being opened to new ways of seeing things, he says. "And whether they come to study or hang out, it's better than hanging around shopping malls.

"This is not a museum - it's a learning centre," says Thanit, adding that temporary exhibitions and activities are part of the drive to keep people coming back.

A workshop on Chinese family roots was held last month and one on Laos is scheduled for September. The first temporary exhibition is on beads and the next on Islamic culture and Pattani province. In winter, "Yam Kham" nights will bring a temple fair atmosphere with nang klang plaeng (outdoor theatre) and street food.

Established as the prototype of a modern Thai museum, Museum Siam is blazing the trail for a "Thai Smithsonian" project that will eventually comprise a network of muse¬ums covering Rattanakosin Island, attracting both locals and tourists. Another building is being renovated, with its second floor to become a library.

"I want Thais to change their leisure habits from shopping to visiting a museum," says Thanit. "Let's broaden our minds!"

IF YOU GO

Museum Siam

The museum is located on Sanamchai Road - a stone's throwing distance from Wat Pho. Call (02) 622 2599.

It takes at least an hour for a brief tour of all 17 rooms, but a threehour walk will give you time to appreciate the museum's modern design and concise content. The museum is closed on Monday. Admission is free until further notice.