To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the late King Prajadhipok’s (Rama VII) Birthday, the President of the National Assembly requested a feasibility study concerning the establishment of King Prajadhipok's Institute for Democracy Development on November 8, 1993. It resulted in a royal approval of the name “King Prajadhipok’s Institute” as a department under the Secretariat of the House of Representatives. The King Prajadhipok’s Institute Act B.E. 2541 (1998), formalizing its founding, shortly followed.
King Prajadhipok Museum
Timeline
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1998
The King Prajadhipok Museum was tasked with management by the Parliament Museum
2000
The role of King Prajadhipok Museum
Since then, the Institute changed the museum's administrative structure twice. First, it was King Prajadhipok Museum and Library and, later, King Prajadhipok Museum. The museum's mission is to collect historical records relating to King Prajadhipok and the history of democratic development in Thailand, serving as a resource for students, public, and international visitors who wish to learn more.
King Prajadhipok Museum
“As the museum is now under the care of King Prajadhipok's Institute, the Institute attempts to find more suitable place. Once the construction is completed, it will surely be one of the most comprehensive and modern museums in the country.”
Prof. Dr. Borwornsak Uwanno, Secretary-General of King Prajadhipok's Institute, Daily News, November 8, 2001
The Institute-appointed Museum Committee to assign a sub-committee to find a potential new location for the museum. The search brought them to the old Public Works Department headquarter near Phan Fa Lilat Bridge, Lan Luang Road. It was considered as a heritage building by the Committee for conserving and developing the cities of Rattanakosin and Old Cities. Due to its unique beauty, architectural values, and strategic position of facing the Democracy Monument and the Royal Palace, the sub-committee thought it to be an excellent home to a museum celebrating both the King and the democratic system here. They requested permission to use the building and, in the end, entered into a rental agreement with the Crown Property Bureau after the previous tenant, the Department of Public Works. The contract was signed on August 6, 2001.
Formerly, the Parliament Museum, a division under the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, oversaw the construction of the Monument of King Prajadhipok and the museum under it since 1979. Queen Rambhai Barni granted his royal possessions to be exhibited in the museum. The museum was first opened to the public in the official opening ceremony on 10 December 1980. After the founding of the King Prajadhipok's Institute, the King Prajadhipok Museum was tasked with the management as stipulated in section 29 of the Act (1998), "all existing power, duty, enterprise, assets, rights, and outstanding debt and the budget of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives relating to the bureaucratic duties of the King Prajadhipok’s Institute and the King Prajadhipok Museum at the date wherein the Act come into force shall be transferred to the Institute."
2001
On April 26, 2001, the Secretariat of the House of Representatives sent over the royal collections to the King Prajadhipok Museum
On April 26, the Secretariat of the House of Representatives sent over the personal belongings of King Prajadhipok granted by Queen Rambai Barni and previously displayed at the Parliament Museum to the King Prajadhipok Museum. The collection has 48 listings with a total of 776 items comprising royal costumes, books, musical instruments, sport equipment, stationery, and photographs.
2001
August 6th, 2001 Officially signed establishment of the museum.
King Prajadhipok's Institute has appointed the King Prajadhipok's Museum committee which set up a sub-committee to find a place for establishing the museum.
The sub-committee found the building of the Public Works Department at Phan Fah Lilac, Lan Luang Road. It is a conservation building of the committee, Krung Rattanakosin Project which is a beautiful building and architecturally valuable. And also located in the appropriate location which is facing directly to the Democracy Monument and the Grand Palace. It is suitable to be used as a museum for the King and knowledge of democracy. Therefore, they ask for permission to use the building.
King Prajadhipok's Institute has rented the building rented the premises from the Royal Treasury from the Public Works Department in a contract signed on August 6, 2001.
2002 The King Prajadhipok Museum’s Opening Ceremony
On behalf of King Bhumibol or Rama IX, the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn formally opened the King Prajadhipok Museum on December 7, 2002.