SGT. MAJ. Folk Museum — Attraction in Phitsanulok Province

Great museum! A real hidden gem in Phitsanulok, definitely recommended! A very dedicated founder gathered a great collection of tools, utensils, photographs, everyday objects, customs and wisdom of the ancestors etc. from the province. The collection in itself is already very impressive, especially because it is a private museum and the result of one man's hard work and drive to preserve the cultural heritage and to pass it over to future generations. But the best part is that everything was written also in English and very detailed information was provided. One wouldn't really expect it, as Phitsanulok is not really a touristy town. This made the visit much more interesting and alive: this is not just a museum with old dusty objects, but thanks to the information panels and drawings one can imagine and better understand how the objects were used. The museum is arranged in 5 nice traditional buildings in a quiet garden. The main building has a lot of interesting objects related to kitchen, cooking, everyday objects, animal traps, fishing, agriculture, processing of plants, carriages, clothes, children toys, torches, tools, medicine, culture (puppet and shadow theatre), child birth, container objects, religious objects, chinaware etc. The other 2-storey building has photographs and information about the province, its history and customs. The founder has his Buddha image foundry on the other side of the road a few steps away, which is also well worth a visit, and you may...

This private museum is belong to Sergeant Major Tawee to collect the local and old appliances which is a means of livelihood of the villagers in the past from small pieces to large pieces such as wickerwork, earthenware, household appliances and professional equipment such as a hand baler rice milling machine, animal trapping tool. Tens of thousands of pieces is get together as a treasure trove of history and Thai wisdom. This museum win the prizes of Excellent from the Thai tourism industry in the Type of tourism promotion and development agency in 1998. At the same time, Sergeant Major Dr. Tawee Buranaket, the founder, has received many honors. With his sculpture skills, therefore he was regarded as "Excellent cultural person in the field of craftsmanship Casting Technician Branch" of the year 1983. It’s take an hour to walk around this museum with fee 50...

I believe this is probably the only museum in Phitsanulok. However, interesting I must say. It was rather eclectic to say the least but one gets to learn about the history of the city, and of course the life of Sergeant Major Thawee and there are some very beautiful copies of the very famous local Buddha, Phra Buddha Chinnarat (from the second most important temple in Thailand, that is in Phitsanulok). Then, also some artefacts, local craft, and the general environment is very nice (wooden houses). There is also a small shop to buy some touristic things from (I think the only one I've spotted in Phitsanulok! ) :) you can buy a mini copy of Phra Buddha Chinnarat that has been blessed by the monks, amongst other things. Didn't have time to go, but the foundry is 2 minutes away in case you want to...