For someone who is deeply curious about death, the news article and videos about a museum for the death in Bangkok definitely piqued my interest and i thought i should check it out in my recent trip.
However, the museum is collectively known as Siriraj Medical Museum with sections across a few buildings in Thailand's oldest hospital that was founded in 1888.
Given the lack of time we had, let's focus on just one; the Congdon's Anatomy Museum housed in the Department of Anatomy on the third level of the Anatomy building.
Zoning for each floor.
Don't you just love the translation in English and Chinese; both languages of which i understand. However, the translated text is not that prevalent in the museum and if you are looking for some detailed explanation, having a guide would be beneficial.
Dissecting room which i only passed by as i was in urgent need for a washroom and the one in the building didn't have any toilet paper! I honestly scrambled around in cold sweat before i finally found a washroom with toilet paper in one of the newer buildings!
The old stairway that creaked with every step we took. Imagine if this happens at night when imagination runs wild with stories that were passed from one generation of staff to another.
A notice of warning here before you scroll any further - the following pictures contain dead bodies, body parts and include skeletons, skulls and those of young kids. Hence, click here for light-hearted postings instead.
Displays that greeted us; sliced layers of human body. Do note that photo-taking is strictly prohibited in the museum without approval and i am being rebellious here by using my phone camera.
The bad thing is that i didn't take a lot of pictures but the good thing is that i hope the pictures would encourage you to check out the museum on site.
Preserved layer of the face showing the maxillary sinus which i learnt briefly about when i was a dental assistant in the air force; i.e. tooth infection on the upper jaw sometimes can affect the maxillary sinus.
Preserved arms with intact veins. I guess some of them were dyed / colored for educational purpose although there wasn't much information for laymen like us.
Cadavers - literally corpses for medical purposes; i frankly find people who donate their bodies, upon death, to be noble as they are allowing their bodies to be used for medical students to learn about the human body. I am of the personal opinion that once we die, the body is just an empty shell and we might as well make use of it.
It's an old museum and feels and smells like it! Nothing technologically fanciful about it and i guess children from Singapore, who are mostly glued to tablets and phones, might not find the place interesting after getting over the morbidity of bodies, skulls etc.
Siamese twins.
Kids that were preserved; it can be heartbreaking to see, especially when you notice that there were toys put on top of the containers. No matter what, just be respectful.
Wooden box housing skeletons of kids; i don't know what happened to them although i did notice a darkened sheen in the middle of their rib cage. p.s. this phenomenon seems common in others too.
Wah, that's a very tall skeleton and rightfully so as it is of a person with the gigantism disorder.
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Location
Department of Anatomy,
Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok,
Thailand
How to Go There?
You can take the cab if you don't drive but for a more interesting experience, take the boat from saphan taksin pier which is the nearest to a BTS station and drop at wang lang pier.
Go straight out of the pier and to the right (as pointed on in red) would be Siriraj Hospital.
Follow the directional signs and although the anatomical museum is not listed, it's along the way and you know you have reached the correct Congdon's Anatomical museum when you notice the building the department of anatomy sign above the entrance.
Operating Days
Closed on Tuesdays.
Additional Information
For a more immersive museum experience which would include pathological, parasitology and forensic, you may wish to pay as above. If not, you may consider congdon's anatomical museum which is free for entry.
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