Chiang Mai Tribal Museum

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Thailand Fly & Drive – Part 16 (Chiang Mai)

Having only one full day in Chiang Mai, we had to be selective over where to go. We chose to drop by the Tribal Museum because we felt that it would give the kids a taste of the different cultures and customs practiced by these native people. They certainly live very different lives compared to our Singapore city kids.

The museum is set in the middle of a small lake, where the different tribal hut designs from the various tribes can be seen in the surrounding gardens.

The great thing is that the entrance to the museum is completely free of charge. There is a donation box but they do not pressure you to give at all. However, we choose to make a small donation which goes to the welfare of the tribes.

The staff are extremely welcoming, and they happily lead us up to the first level of exhibits and show us how to press the button which activates the short movie clips which tell of different aspects of the culture and traditions of each tribe. These clips are in English, and are very educational indeed. I stood there to watch most of the clips. The kids also watched at first but they got restless after awhile.

Besides the videos, there are also numerous items displayed that are commonly used by the tribes, their tools, their garments , their musical instruments. They also depict scenes that show the tribes day to day activities and their cultural practices.

I like the Tribal Museum because it has so many different costumes!
Little baby Lion

We learn how the tribal people live their daily lives.
Little lion cub

The displays look very realistic and I felt transported into their tribe.
Little lioness cub

When we are done with the exhibits, we explore the lovely little shop where the crafts and products made by the different tribes are on sale. The quality of the items are really very good and they make wonderful gifts for your loved ones back home!

Value for Money (10/10): Entrance is free, but do give a donation because it is a worthwhile cause!
Quality of Exhibits (7/10): The exhibits could have been more detailed. Some of the videos were not working so well.
The Kids Loved It (7.7/10): Little Baby Lion 9/10 “the heads are creepy…”; Little Lion Cub 6/10 “the video were long”; Little Lioness Cub 8/10 “it was interesting to see the tools that the tribes use for their daily lives”
The Adults Loved It: (8/10): I enjoyed myself there. I was intrigued to learn about all their customs and festivals. The videos were well made but some didn’t work.
Memories Created (7/10): A different experience which is unique to Thailand’s north where many of the hill tribes live.
Crowds (10/10): The museum was completely empty when we were there. Quite sad actually, cause more people should visit this place.
OVERALL RATING: (8/10) Very education. Well worth a visit to learn more about the native people. Good exposure for the children, opening their eyes to appreciate cultures different from their own.