This Museum in Thailand Lets You Meet Dinosaur Fossils in Person

Dinosaurs are majestic creatures that we’ve only seen in books, games, and movies like the famous American science fiction media franchise “Jurassic Park.” We know they’re gigantic, but if you truly want to see how big they are, then you should try meeting them — or their fossils rather — in person.

In Thailand, a good destination is the province of Isaan and its neighbouring regions as many dinosaur fossils have been found in these areas in the past decades. These unearthed fossils are now in the care of a specialised research centre, which opened officially to the public as a museum in 2008.

Sirindhorn Museum, which is named by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, is a first-of-its-kind museum that you should put in your bucket list if you love dinosaurs. Here’s what you need to know before visiting!

What to Expect

At Sirindhorn Museum, you won’t only get to see the skeletal remains of the biggest reptiles that ever existed. Eight zones offer an interactive approach that lets you understand how the world came to be and how these dinosaurs used to live and roam around the land.

Zone 1 – This zone features stories about the origin of the universe, the planet Earth, and the creatures that lived and are living among us, including dinosaurs.

Zone 2 – This tells the story of how the Earth was 3,400 million years ago, from volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts to the cooling down of the planet that paved way to the evolution of new forms of organisms.

Zone 3 – This zone dates to the Palaeozoic Era, which is around 542 million years ago. It displays fossils showcasing life on Earth under a massive expansion of races and a variety of creatures.

Zone 4 – After the great extinction at the end of the Palaeozoic Era, reptiles including dinosaurs dominated the world. This zone focuses on the Mesozoic Era — also known as the Age of Reptiles and the Age of Conifers — and the dinosaurs who lived in the land before Thailand came to be.

Zone 5 – This is where you can get to know dinosaurs better apart from their shape and size. It offers information (and newly discovered evidence) on how dinosaurs eat, hunt their prey, and nurture their young.

Zone 6 – This area focuses on the works of archaeologists and palaeontologists who continue to help preserve fossils for the public to see.

Zone 7 – This features the Cenozoic, which is the Earth’s current geological era, where the remaining reptiles had to give way to the quickly multiplying mammals, birds, and flowering plants.

Zone 8 – Lastly, this zone tells the story of the human evolution and civilisation

Getting to the Museum

Sirindhorn Museum is located in the Sahatsakhan District of Non Buri in the province of Kalasin, which is northeast of Bangkok. It’s a long ride from the capital (about seven hours by land) so many travellers put this at the end of their Thailand travel list before journeying to the capital of Laos.

To get there, you can ride Train 77, Train 133, or Train 25 (formerly Train 69) from Bangkok to Khon Kaen Station. Train 77 is a daily Express DRC service that will take you to Khon Kaen the fastest, but if you want to sleep all the way during your travel, Train 25 is your best bet because it’s a night train with first and second air-conditioned sleeper coaches. Train 133 is the cheapest, but it only has fan-cooled carriages, which can be uncomfortable if you’re not used to the heat. Upon reaching Khon Kaen, you’ll need to take a bus to Kalasin and to Sahatsakhan District.

Alternatively, you can book a bus ticket from Bangkok to Kalasin through Transport Co. Ltd. or book a flight from Bangkok (or anywhere you’re from) to Khon Kaen Airport which only takes about an hour.

Admission and Operating Hours

Sirindhorn Museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Tickets for locals are priced at THB40 (adult) or THB10 (child), while foreign guests have to pay THB100 (adult) or THB50 (child). For more information, visit their website or their Facebook and YouTube accounts.