Bank of Thailand Museum

Set in the beautiful Bangkunphrom Palace, a gorgeous baroque and rococo period mansion which has now become the Bank of Thailand complex, this museum traces the history and development of Thai money, and is actually quite informative and well presented. There are displays of ancient money from the Sri Vijaya and Funan kingdoms, northern Lanna money from the Chiang Mai area, and "pot duang" bullet coins that were used during the Sukhothai period. The first minting machine brought in from Queen Victoria in the 1850's is on display here. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip visited here in 1996, and their visit is well documented and photographed, and there is also an excellent collection of antique photos and display showing the history of the Bank of Thailand and its role in the country's economic development. The museum does a great job of taking a dry subject and giving it quite a bit of flavor.