Muang Boran - Ancient City

If you are visiting Bangkok and love to have some time away from the crowded tourist destinations, pay a visit to the Muang Boran (Ancient Siam).

Muang Boran in Thai means Ancient City. It is believed to be the world’s largest outdoor museum, containing replicas of the many temples and historic buildings from the early history of Thailand to the present.

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Location

Muang Boran locates on the old Sukhumvit road in Samut Prakan province, about 30km to the southeast of Bangkok. Also, Muang Boran is nearly 140km to the north of Pattaya. So if you plan to visit this coastal city, you can stop at this fantastic museum on your way there from Bangkok.

What attracts visitors to Muang Boran?

So, what does the world’s largest outdoor museum have?

Muang Boran or the Ancient city is an extraordinarily ‘Thailand-shaped’ park that displays the best Thai architecture. Covering 96 hectares or 240 acres, it is full of scaled models or replicas of ancient city ruins and historical monuments such as temples, and palaces from various parts of Thailand.

Most replicas in Muang Boran have been rebuilt on a scale of about 1 in 3 of the original, some temples are even as big as the original. Since the park is shaped like a map of Thailand, all of the replicas are located according to their correct geographical location. For example, the northeastern part of the park is home to Preah Vihear whilst a replica of the Grand Palace can be found in the central region.

Reconstruction of the temples, buildings, and ruins is taken very seriously and is often accurate down to the smallest detail. Some buildings have been destroyed by wars in the past, such as the former Grand Palace in Ayutthaya. These reconstructions have the participation of experts from the National Museum to ensure that the replicas are historically accurate.

This museum doesn’t contain only replicas, some of the exhibitions are creative designs to symbolize religious beliefs and concepts.

History

The park was the brainchild of the Thai millionaire Lek Viriyaphant. In the early 1960s, he had originally planned to construct a golf course featuring miniature replicas of ancient Thai buildings. The scheme changed the more Lek researched and realized that some of Thailand’s ancient historical buildings had been neglected. Instead of a golf course, he decided his project would be an educational area to preserve Thai culture and historic building techniques. He passed away in 2000, without being able to admire the completion of his work.

Nowadays, Muang Boran is home to a dedicated team of local artisans who work alongside experts from the National Museum of Thailand to help preserve Thailand’s cultural heritage.

How to get there

You can arrange your transport from Bangkok to Muang Boran and come back. The journey normally takes about one hour from central Bangkok but it might take longer depending on traffic. We recommend these types of transport

By Taxi
The cost will depend on your negotiating skills and where you are staying in Bangkok. But the price will be around 800 to 1,000 Baht for a round-trip journey. The taxi will drop you off at the ticket counter.

By Bus
There are air-conditioned buses operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) that run to Samut Prakan. If you are traveling from Banglamphu (Khao San Road area) or Sukhumvit, look for bus number 511 which terminates in Samut Prakan. After that, you must take a local songthaew (number 36). It runs past the entrance to Muang Boran Ancient City, your destination. The total round-trip cost for each person is approximately 80 Baht.

Tickets and other practicalities

In 2022, the entrance fee for adults is 700 Baht and 350 Baht for children.

Muang Boran is open daily, from 08:00 AM to 17:00 PM

As the largest outdoor museum, walking around in the park is not ideal. So Muang Boran offers to tourists these services:
Free tram inside the park
Bicycle hiring (50 Baht)
Golf cart hiring (350 baht for 4 seats the 1st hour, 150 baht for the next hour; 500 bath for 6 seats the 1st hour, 200 bath for the next hour)