This is the entry to northern Thailand’s House of Opium Museum — a rather attractive approach, including an assortment of tropical plants.
The House of Opium Museum is an interesting small private museum located in Northern Thailand, in the Golden Triangle region. It focuses on the area’s history of opium production, which was once a hugely successful crop grown in the Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet). The museum is close to the Mekong River, an important smuggling route in days gone by.
The House of Opium Museum was established in 1990 by Mrs. Phatcharee Srimathayakun, a local Thai collector who was interested in the history of the opium trade and who collected and preserved opium-related artifacts. There are 2000 historic items from her collection on display, serving as a way to preserve and present this history.
There are nicely illustrated exhibits that walk you through the history of opium, starting with the poppy plant, which was raised mostly by the hill tribes in the area.
There are even colorful displays of poppy plants, one of which was used as last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo. It was recognized by George G — who always excels at such tasks!
Who would have guessed that there was a “correct” position to use when smoking opium:
There are assorted displays of instruments and tools used in harvesting and production of opium, including:
Opium harvesting knives:
Opium scales and weights:
Opium smoking pipes of various design:
Opium pillows:
Some displays focus on opium trading, expected skirmishes, and outcomes:
The good news is that the quantity of opium grown in the area has been greatly reduced because of government intervention (e.g. introduction of lucrative alternative crops)
If you visit: The museum is in the heart of the Golden Triangle, close to the Mekong River in an area located at 212 Moo 1, Tambon Wiang, Amphoe Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai Province 57150, Thailand. There is a larger Hall of Opium museum nearby, which we did not visit so I can’t comment on it.
There is a modest admission fee (currently about 2 US$), which I think you’ll find worthwhile. The museum is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. I really had very little interest in opium, but the story and associated displays presented in the Museum are interesting and engaging. It takes between 1-2 hours for a visit, depending on the depth of information you’re interested in.
