Trat Museum
A walk through history
Published/Last edited or updated: 6th May, 2018
More on Trat
An extensive set of info boards join old photos and artefacts to make Trat Museum worth a visit if you’re interested in the province’s history, including its confrontations with the French in the early and mid 20th century.
Travelfish says:
A series of exhibition rooms begins with a primer on the province’s 52 islands and the groups of people that have settled in Trat over the centuries, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer of both the Muslim and Buddhist faiths.
Historical exhibits start with 6,000-year-old stone axe heads and a 2,000-year-old bronze drum found in the area. A section covering the Siam-Burma War of the late 1760s explains how Trat served as a resupply and recruitment zone for the armies of General (later king) Taksin while he regrouped in neighbouring Chanthaburi before successfully retaking the Chao Phraya basin.
The highlight for us was a wide range of info on the 1904-06 French occupation of Trat, and the naval battle that took place near Ko Chang during the brief Franco-Thai War of 1941. Some of the writing has a ring of Thai nationalism, or perhaps just local pride, depending on your viewpoint. But the many photos, maps and timelines deepened our understanding of actual events.
In a section covering visits by Thai kings we enjoyed the photos of King Rama V looking like a regular traveller during one of his 12 visits to Ko Chang in the late 19th century. There’s also some background info on historical sites like Wat Buppharam and Resident Kampot, a colonial-period house that once served as French headquarters and still stands on Rhak ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 300 words.)
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David Luekens
David Luekens first came to Thailand in 2005 when Thai friends from his former home of Burlington, Vermont led him on a life-changing trip. Based in Thailand since 2011, he spends much of his time eating in Bangkok street markets and island hopping the Andaman Sea.
