Ban Chiang National Museum
พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติบ้านเชียง
The core museum of the Ban Chiang archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its displays of painted red pottery and early bronze objects, several thousand years old, shed light on prehistoric civilization in Southeast Asia.
Ban Chiang was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The red pottery with swirling painted designs and the early bronze tools excavated here push back the history of farming and metalworking in Southeast Asia to around 1500 BCE. The National Museum is spread across several galleries that walk you through the history of the excavations, burial practices, and pottery techniques, making it the best place in Thailand to learn about prehistory. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and open 09:00–16:00. Admission is about 150 baht. The site is roughly 50 km from Udon Thani city, and the village also has pottery workshops where you can try your hand at painting designs.
Opening hours
Wed–Sun 09:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Wat Pho Si Nai Excavation Pit
- Red Lotus Sea (Nong Han Kumphawapi)
- Kham Chanot
- Thai-Chinese Cultural Centre & Pu Ya Shrine
- UD Town & Night Market
- Thung Si Mueang & City Pillar Shrine
- Nong Prachak Park
- Udon Thani City Museum