Thalang National Museum

Thalang National Museum in Phuket

We finally visited the Thalang National Museum after years of skipping it. The old version was dusty and forgettable, but they’ve spent the last few years renovating. As of May 2025, most of it is open again. One room still closed when we went.

What’s Changed

The museum opened in 1985 and nobody really updated it until recently. Now there’s proper air conditioning, better lighting, English labels that actually make sense, and exhibits that don’t look like they’ve been sitting there since the 80s. It’s not a flashy modern museum with touchscreens and interactive stuff, but it doesn’t feel neglected anymore.

Gallery 1: The Island and Early History

Starts with a model of Phuket and some geology. Rocks, minerals, that sort of thing. There’s a small screening room with a film called “Phuket: Pearl of the Andaman Sea” explaining how the island went from tin mining to tourism. We skipped the film but watched a few minutes. Standard stuff.

The interesting part is the artefacts: pottery, stone tools, bronze drums, beads from early settlements along the Andaman coast. Old maps show Phuket when it was still called “Junkceylon.” Nothing spectacular, but it gives you a sense of how long people have been here.

Gallery 2: Battle of Thalang

This is the one that was still closed during our visit. It covers the 1785 Burmese invasion and the two sisters, Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon, who led the defence. They’re the ones honoured at the Heroines Monument down the road. From what we could see through the barriers, there are large dioramas and old weapons. Should be open by June 2025.

Gallery 3: Chinese Phuket

This was the best section. They’ve recreated a Sino-Portuguese street with old shophouses, a money changer, a coffee shop. You walk through it rather than just looking at things behind glass.

Photos of old Phuket families, furniture, clothes, documents from the tin mining days. It explains why Phuket Old Town looks the way it does. Spent more time here than anywhere else in the museum.

Gallery 4: Other Communities

Quick section on the Muslim communities, local Thais, and the Sea Gypsies (Chao Lay). The life-size boat-floating ceremony scene is good. Easy to forget Phuket isn’t just Thai-Chinese, and this room reminds you of that. We went through fairly quickly but it’s worth a look.

The Vishnu Statue

Almost missed this. There’s a 3.5-metre Vishnu statue from the 9th century, found in Phang Nga. It’s in a corner and easy to walk past. One of the oldest things in the museum.

Is It Worth Going?

If you’re interested in Phuket beyond beaches and bars, yes. Takes about an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you read everything. We went on a weekday afternoon and saw maybe three other visitors.

The grounds are quiet with big trees and free parking. There’s a small café but just drinks and packaged snacks, nothing worth stopping for. The signage on the main road is easy to miss. We drove past it once.

100 Baht entry. Reasonable for what you get.

More Photos of Thalang National Museum

Photos of the Old Thalang Museum

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