#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Thailands Travellers Tales >  >  Thai Navy Museum

## hillbilly

I had the opportunity to visit the Thai Navy Museum today and it was rather enjoyable.


 
First, we were asked to make merit to the sea.

----------


## hillbilly

This museum was built as a tribute to King Rama 5. He is considered the father of the Thai Navy.

----------


## hillbilly

I was concerned about our tour guide has he carried a pistol. Don't worry it was not loaded.


 
 A long time ago, the Frech  tried to take over Siam. This is what Thailand look like many years ago.

----------


## hillbilly

So the Thais through the assistance of the Brits came up with a plan.



This is what the scene looks like today. In this scene we are overlooking the gun stations.

----------


## hillbilly

First we have to enter the tunnels.



We have to cross through here.

----------


## hillbilly

Where the Thais stored the ammo is on the right.


 
Now we go to the cannons which is on the right of the original entrance photo.

----------


## hillbilly

Now here are the big guns.


 
One always needs ammo...

----------


## hillbilly

The gun was built by the British. An intersting side note, look at the bricks in the background. They are also from Britian.


 
The other side.

----------


## hillbilly

Now we go to the ship. Actually, it is a donated American warship. But still fun to explore.


 
It was big compared to my rafts back home.

----------


## hillbilly

Since I like cooking I decided to explore the gallery. Pretty small and i did not see a BBQ grill in site.


 
Okay, what about the bombs?

----------


## The Gent

> Now we go to the ship. Actually, it is a donated American warship. But still fun to explore.
> 
> 
> It was big compared to my rafts back home.


Good stuff - thought you fished from a Piroe, Billy?

----------


## hillbilly

Then you had the torpedos.


And when everything went to shit.

----------


## hillbilly

Nothing like being a Captain...


And having a bird's eye view!

----------


## hillbilly

Last but not least I liked the stereo system aboard the big boat.

----------


## hillbilly

> Good stuff - thought you fished from a Piroe, Billy?


Well, damn normally I does. But sometimes I need fish for da family!  :Smile:

----------


## qwerty

Cool stuff HB!  Where is the Navy Museum anyway?  My 11 year old stepson would love to vist it.  (I wouldn't mind either! :Wink:  )

----------


## Sukhoi

Where is it?

----------


## Storekeeper

> Now we go to the ship. Actually, it is a donated American warship. But still fun to explore.
> 
> 
> It was big compared to my rafts back home.


Hmm, did you catch the name of it ?

----------


## Texpat

Hillbilly seems a Thai version of Mail Call (the Gunny) -- that TV show Jiisan hopped up on the Corps.

There is a Naval monument on the Chao Phara. Is this the museum? The temple (monument) looks cool, but I haven't visited yet.

----------


## hillbilly

Good questions all. I will provide those answers the first of the week. The reason? I want to check my facts and find a map. Thanks.  :Smile:

----------


## marklatham

Great report,must visit this time.
Last time I went to the royal thai airforce museum near don muang-it is fantastic.
They have some of the rarest aircraft in the world there.....

----------


## qwerty

OK, inspired by Hillbilly's visit I packed my wife and stepson into a taxi yesterday and headed off to the Thai Naval Museum!

http://www.navy.mi.th/navalmuseum/index_eng.htm

----------


## qwerty

I've underlined the Navy Museum on the map. It's across the street from the Thai Naval Academy on Sukhumvit in Samut Prakhon. 

Anyway, it's full of neat stuff: some small boats, the conning tower off of an old submarine, some cannons, guns, spears, swords, uniforms, photographs and paintings, dozens of model ships in varying sizes and even an old Gray Marine 6-71 diesel engine! The place was almost deserted, we spend about two hours wandering around looking at stuff and only saw about three other visitors.

The sailors were all very nice and they gave me a glossy English language brochure that was written and printed by the Siam Society. Admission was free.

However, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see the big ship sitting in concrete that HB took all the pictures of! :Surprised:  We finally asked the guards and they told us where to go.

We took a short taxi ride to the ferry boat dock, a quick boat trip across the river and a ten minute taxi ride down the road on the other side of the river, and there we were: Fort Chulachomklao!

----------


## qwerty

The HTMS Maeklong is a Japanese built Sloop or Corvette that was primarily used as a training vessel.:
http://www.navy.mi.th/royal/kanchana/proj31.htm

Although there is no mention of this at the ship itself, the Maeklong served in the Battle of Koh Chang, where she distinguished herself by being one of the few Thai whips that were not sunk by the French!  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  

The Battle of Koh Chang, BTW, is known as the only French Naval victory in the twentieth century :Smile:  .

----------


## hillbilly

qwerty has done an excellent job on what I should have done originally!

Btw, here is another link to help out 
http://www.paknam.com/navalmuseum.php

qwerty, are you ready for your next assignment?  :Smile:

----------


## Fabian

Is it possible to take a river ferry from Sapan Taksin all the way down to the museum?

----------


## Happyman

> Now we go to the cannons which is on the right of the original entrance photo.


The guns look like Armstrong 'Disappearing' Guns- didn't know there were any still left !

You can see that the muzzle is below the level of the breastwork surrounding it.

All settings range , elevation, and loading were performed at this level,and the gun was raised - the long arms (you can see the right one) were hydraulically operated - above the breast work and fired .

The recoil released the hydraulic pressure and the gun lowered to the original position !

Raise - fire - lower , took about 45 seconds!!

Reload was 2 minutes !

They were a sensation in their day !

Armstrong put a lot of effort in selling these in Asia and the anti-pirate forts in Taiwan and Malaysia ( Borneo ) all had them ! 

I will have to go there and have a good look !

PS  The earlier models were smooth bore but the later ones had 3 deep rifling grooves in the barrel and the projectile had pegs sticking out that fitted into these grooves !!!

----------


## Bangyai

Great thread Hillbilly. Hope you don't mind if I tag some additional info on rather than start a new thread. According to the following article the ship, 
HTMS Maeklong was commisioned from Japanese shipyards, pre WW 2. :

Phra Chulachomklao Fort - Samut Prakan (Paknam) ?????????????????? (???????????)





As the article says, its possible to get to the museum via public bus and is a nice way to spend the day. ( Bus no 20 apparently ... air con ) The onsight restaurant which overlooks the estuary is also very pleasant and a good place for lunch and a beer.

Also on the grounds of the museum is an elevated mangrove walkway which you can roam along after you've had a bite to eat :











All in all, well worth a day out. The first time I went here you could take a car down to Bang na , turn right to the river and take the car ferry across but its easily accessible by one of the new bridges now.

----------


## Bangyai

By the way, Qwerty went to the _other_ Naval museum and his map if for that one. To get to the one on the mouth of the estuary click on the link I gave and there is a another map. On Qwerts map it is marked as Phra Chulachomklao fort.

----------


## changnoy

> Originally Posted by hillbilly
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Now we go to the cannons which is on the right of the original entrance photo.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Still have 4 of this type of gun on Mt Victoria Devonport,Auckland.
They have been restored along with tunnels and battlements.
Built for the Russian scare in 1890.

----------


## Bangyai

A video of the gun emplacements :

----------


## Nomaifalang

> OK, inspired by Hillbilly's visit I packed my wife and stepson into a taxi yesterday and headed off to the Thai Naval Museum!
> 
> http://www.navy.mi.th/navalmuseum/index_eng.htm


I sometimes do work for the Royal Thai Navy in Sattahip on their aircraft carrier. When I am finished working I have to travel to the base where this museum is to inform the Admiral in charge of Naval Exectronics department of what I found wrong, what I did to correct the problem, any outstanding problems and any recommendation. Anyway, I always go here by a Thai navy driver and do not pay too much attention to where we are going. The last time I was there I tried to find this base and could not. I thought it was on the other side of the river.

----------


## Bangyai

> I sometimes do work for the Royal Thai Navy in Sattahip on their aircraft carrier. When I am finished working I have to travel to the base where this museum is to inform the Admiral in charge of Naval Exectronics department of what I found wrong, what I did to correct the problem, any outstanding problems and any recommendation. Anyway, I always go here by a Thai navy driver and do not pay too much attention to where we are going. The last time I was there I tried to find this base and could not. I thought it was on the other side of the river.


Yes, there are in fact two museums, one on each side of the estuary. If you read the thread carefully you will find links to both. To visit the warship , the mangove walk and the gun emplacements you need to be on the west bank of the river at Fort Chulachornklao.

----------

