Kamthieng House Museum
& Saeng Aroon House

Kamthieng House Museum

As a major restoration will be conducted to restore our beloved Kamthieng House Museum to its former glory, the museum will be temporarily closed to the general public from 30 December 2023, until further notice.

In light of this, we highly appreciate any amount of contribution towards this important project. For your convenience, donations can be made via transferring money to “THE SIAM SOCIETY” TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), Asoke Branch, Savings Account No. 053-2-03946-8 or by scanning the QR code down below.

Kamthieng House Museum is a superb example of a traditional northern Thai house, and within it is displayed a permanent ethnological exhibition that showcases the traditional beliefs and ideologies of the Lanna people.

The teakwood house was originally built in Chiang Mai, in the mid-19th century, on the east bank of the Ping River by Mae Saed, a great-granddaughter of a prince of Mueang Chae. It was passed down through many generations of a Lanna matrilineal clan and, in 1963, gifted to The Siam Society by Mrs Kimhaw Nimmanhaeminda, a direct descendant. The house was named after her mother Kamthieng.

The transport of the dismantled house to Bangkok, and its reconstruction on the grounds of The Siam Society, took two years. The structure consists of two prefabricated rectangular units with a common floor, a covered veranda and walkway leading to the kitchen, and an open platform – all elevated on 36 octagonal teak pillars. As is characteristic of houses from the North, the walls lean slightly outward from the floor to the lower edge of the peaked roof, the end of which are adorned with v-shaped galae. A toen (open veranda) was added to the structure, as well as two rice granaries that were acquired from Chiang Mai.

HM King Bhumibol officially opened Kamthieng House Museum on 21 November 1966. The permanent exhibition was eventually installed to provide an exposition of the beliefs and ideologies as practiced by the Lanna people, especially in terms of their relationship with nature and the environment. Elements of lifestyle, ritual, art and architecture are presented within this Lanna world view through objects, photographs, graphic illustrations, video and sound.

For almost six decades, the house has served as an ethnological museum showcasing traditional Lanna architecture and culture and as a learning centre engaging both local and international students and visitors with the interactive museum experience.

Donations for Kamthieng House Museum

Having withstood nearly two centuries, this iconic teakwood house is in a fragile state and needs significant conservation to maintain its full glory. It has severely suffered due to age, water, and climate damage, amongst other adversities.

The complete restoration of the main building, kitchen and rice barn, including replacement of the roof, gables, kalae finials, wood carved lintels and other architectural elements, wooden gutters, panels, veranda, terrace, columns, flooring, stairs and harn nahm (drinking water shelf)

The Siam Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting knowledge of the history, culture, arts and natural sciences of Thailand, would like to invite our like-minded friends to help preserve this gem of Lanna heritage and enable it to continue serving as a museum. We believe that passing on cultural heritage to the future generations is the best educational investment.

For your convenience, donations can be made via the following QR code. Please kindly send us a copy of the transfer slip in order for us to issue an acknowledgement of your donations.

                         Donations for Kamthieng House Museum