Photos © TAT

Spend an hour at the Erawan Elephant Museum, currently the only one of its kind in Thailand. The ornate works of art that adorn this impressive sculpture of Erawan, the three-headed elephant in Hindu mythology, is awe-inspiring. (Erawan is the Thai name for Airvata, the mount of Indra, the Vedic god of the sky, clouds and monsoon, and guardian of the East.)

Their creation of the masterpiece, ‘the elephant at the centre of the universe’, reflects the exquisite craftsmanship of highly skilled Thai artisans. Masters of their craft, each is well-trained and experienced in the ten basic disciplines of traditional Thai art and craft. These are carving, engraving, sculpting, modelling, drawing, lacquerwork, plaster, metal works, moulding and lathing.

For example, the four columns that support the interior are rich in detail. Scenes from Buddhist tales depict the story of the life of Buddha — the enlightened one. According to Buddhist legend, a Bodhisattva, the Buddha-to-be, descended from Heaven to help the world and was reborn as the historical Buddha.

Bright light, symbolic of all that is good in this world, streams through the stained-glass roof.

The fascinating work of art on the interior also reflects a marriage of Eastern and Western styles. The Western interpretation of the solar system is integrated with the beliefs of the exotic East. The Hindu-Buddhist cosmic universe is portrayed with Mount Meru, the mythical peak and ‘abode of the gods’ at the centre, surrounded by seven continents or seven rings of golden mountains. Each is separated from the other by one of seven circular cosmic oceans.

Spend the next 45 minutes learning about the history of the Royal Thai Navy and major naval battles fought in the past. Accounts of important events such as the battle of Ko Chang, the heroes of Don Noi, and the first submarine to serve the Royal Thai Navy are presented in the form of a special exhibition.

The museum is open Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. –
4 p.m.
For more information, please call: Tel. 0-2394-1997

Photos © TAT

Spend the next 2 hours at the Ancient City — the largest outdoor museum in Thailand. The attractions at the Ancient City are spread out over a vast area of 128 hectares. Fortunately, it’s possible to drive from one stop to the next.

Drive past the entrance and journey back in time to a prosperous city, rich in material wealth and culture. Monuments representing various periods in the kingdom’s history are dotted around the site. Learn about the history, culture, religion, art, Thai customs and traditions, past to the present.

Key landmarks range from important royal palaces, temples, chedis or stupas, corn-cob-shaped Khmer-style towers called prang and Khmer-style temple sanctuaries constructed in stone. Traditional Thai houses in the various architectural styles reflect the changing cultural landscape and way of life of the kingdom’s four regions – North, Northeast, South and the Central Plains.

In an effort to preserve the kingdom’s historic landmarks for future generations, a few of these priceless monuments have been completely replicated or resurrected at the Ancient City.

Savour some local cuisine for lunch and shop for local handcrafted or home-made products as well as other merchandise from the four regions on sale at the Floating Market in the Ancient City.

Photos © TAT

Spend the next 1 hour at the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo. Promoted as the world’s largest crocodile farm, over 100,000 crocodiles of various sizes are commercially bred. There are hourly crocodile shows from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (with a break at noon). On holidays, there are additional shows at noon and 5 p.m.

In addition, domesticated elephants show off their remarkable intelligence and dexterity during an elephant performance.

For further information, please call
Tel: (0) 2703 4891, (0) 2703 5144-8

Travel time 1 hour:
Depart from the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo for Suvarnabhumi Airport