U Thong National Museum

U Thong National Museum (Thai: พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ อู่ทอง) is a national museum in U Thong District, Suphan Buri Province, Thailand, located to the south of the district office. Established in 1959 and administered by the Fine Arts Department, the museum was founded to house and present archaeological finds from the ancient city of U Thong and its surrounding area, with exhibitions covering periods from prehistory to the Dvaravati era.

The museum houses and displays significant artifacts, including stone Dharmachakra wheels, bronze Buddha images, terracotta Buddha images and sculptures, beads and ornaments, tools, architectural fragments, and decorative stucco reliefs. Its permanent exhibitions are presented across two buildings: the first focuses on the discovery of U Thong and materials from prehistory and the Dvaravati period (including Dvaravati Buddha images), while the second includes ethnology displays and bead finds from prehistory through the Dvaravati era.^[1]

• 1903: Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, then serving as Minister of the Interior, visited Suphan Buri on an official inspection and surveyed the ancient city of U Thong. He recorded an account of U Thong in his inspection report and later authored Nithan Borankhadi (Archaeological Tales).
• 1933: The Royal Institute of Thailand began a preliminary survey and produced a basic plan of the ancient city of U Thong, identifying it as an important archaeological site of historical significance.
• 1959: The Fine Arts Department established the U Thong National Museum as a temporary building to house artifacts obtained from archaeological surveys and excavations at the ancient city of U Thong.
• 1961: The Fine Arts Department carried out surveys and trial excavations of archaeological monuments scattered throughout the ancient city.
• 1964–1966: Professor Jean Boisselier, a French specialist in Southeast Asian archaeology and art history and then head of the Fine Arts unit, conducted surveys and excavations and undertook research on the ancient city of U Thong.
• 1965–1966: The Fine Arts Department constructed a permanent museum building to store and display artifacts from excavations. Upon completion, Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit presided over the official opening of the U Thong National Museum on 13 May 1966.

One of the most important highlights of the museum is a remarkably well-preserved ancient stone Dharmachakra pillar from the Dvaravati period. The structure consists of a Dharmachakra mounted on a square throne-like base with a projecting tenon, an octagonal shaft, and a lotus-petal pedestal decorated with fern-like motifs and swan figures. Thai media has described this Dharmachakra set as the most complete example of its kind found in Thailand to date.^[1]

According to a 2024 report, the Fine Arts Department launched a five-phase, multi-year project (fiscal years 2021–2025) to develop and enhance the U Thong National Museum. The project includes repairs and upgrades to the exhibition building and the modernization of permanent exhibitions using contemporary display and interpretation techniques. It also aims to update exhibition content to current, internationally aligned standards, with a renewed focus on presenting the ancient city of U Thong and Dvaravati culture, positioning the museum as an important national learning resource and cultural tourism destination.^[3]

• Official website
• Museum Thailand