History

"Ban Chiang National Museum” was built after King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit’s visit to an excavation site on 20 March 1972. This visit raised the consciousness and awareness of significance of Ban Chiang National Museum which was then facing problems concerning antiquity smuggling.

Since 1975, Fine Arts Departments has opened Ban Chiang National Museum welcoming Thais and foreigners. It was the first national museum in Thailand in 1983 to receive the budget for construction of the second building from John F. Kennedy in order to commemorate Queen Sirikit. King Bhumibol’s elder sister, Princess Galyani Vadhana presided over the official opening ceremony on His Majesty’s on 21 November 1987.

In 2006, Fine Arts Department received a budget under Cultural History Improvement Project to link tourism in the Indochina region and to build a new exhibition building as well as expanding the main exhibition space. King Bhumibol graciously granted the name of this building “Galyani Vadhana Building” and assigned HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to preside over the official opening of the building on His Majesty’s behalf on 9February 2010.