Bangkok, Thailand
Siriraj Medical Museum
A treasure trove of pathological, forensic, parasitological, and anatomical specimens.
Housed in the oldest hospital - it’s where the King of Thailand goes when he is ill - and medical school in Thailand, est. 1886, the Siriraj Medical Museum abounds with medical curiosities. The Siriraj is actually comprised of six different museums: a museum of pathology, a forensics museum, a museum of the history of Thai medicine, a parasitology museum, an anatomical museum, and a prehistoric museum.
The Siriraj’s incredible holdings include: bones, preserved organs, pathological fetuses, the mummified corpse of a notorious serial killer, a traditional Thai medicine shop, parasitic worms, a two-and-a-half-foot-wide scrotum removed from a man afflicted with elephantiasis, preserved sections of human skin bearing tattoos, poisonous snakes and tarantulas, rows of skulls, the standing wax-filled remains of a cannibal, a delicately dissected nervous system, and the skeleton of the museum’s founder.
A strong stomach is recommended.
The Siriraj Museum website has lovely panoramic images of each museum. A personal account of a visit by an Atlas Obscura Team Member can be found here.
Know Before You Go
Take the Chao Phraya ferry to the Tha Rot Fai pier (also called Tha Bangkok Noi pier) on the western side of the river. Exit and walk due west, then walk left into the hospital grounds, and follow the signs to the Adulyadej building, or take the 19, 57, 81, 83, 146 or 149 bus.
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michelle
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