Ban Chiang Museum - New opening hours

[lee]

Ban Chiang Museum hours

The Ban Chiang Archaeological Museum has cut back its open hours from daily to five days a week. Museum curator Mano Kleepthong said a shortage of funds and staff had forced the museum in Nong Han district to open only from Wednesday to Sunday, and all public holidays. The museum is at Bang Chiang village on Udon Thani-Sakon Nakhon road.

Source Bangkokpost.com

[darwinian]

I have no car or motorcycle.
What is the easiest way to get to Ban Chiang?
How much would a taxi cost?

[laphanphon]

taxi, too far, maybe 50 kms. there is regular bus service on the road to sakon nakhon, which ban chiang is on the way to. well marked, then local bus/tuk tuk to museum. or just rent a motorbike for the day. i've driven out there on one a couple times, no problems.

[oldfield]

I have only been to Ban Chiang once, and It is not worth the effort.

I was very dissapointed with the museum.

However, if you have plenty of time and money, it's something to do, but I wouldn't get too excited about it.

[darwinian]

So what places in and around Udon Thani are worth a visit by a Farang tourist?

[laphanphon]

night market

been there a couple times, only real indoor thing besides udon museum. gets a just ok. especially if bored, and friends have been here a few days, or if having extreme interest in local history.

there are a couple parks, as in outdoor forest. not sure if they charge at any of them, if so, not worth 200 or 400 baht. when i went way back when, they were free or almost, don't remember any sticker shock. if wanting to get out and trek thru the woods. none worth coming to udon for, but if having plenty of time and transportation, they are ok, plus you get to see the area, which is nice right now, wet and very green.

compared to other things in thailand or anywhere, there is not a whole lot here, hence, lack of tourism. without transport, the effort to reach anything out of town, really isn't worth it. renting a motorbike would be fine, if you feel comfortable riding one. takes defensive driving to a whole new meaning, so take it slow w/great care.

[darwinian]

My wife (and daughter) will be visiting her mother for 5 days leaving me stranded in town with no transport.
I am too old for a motorcycle and too mean to rent a car.
So apart from a visit to the museum I guess I shall spend most of my time drinking!

[PopsIcafe]

darwinian, you could always stop by Pop Pop's here and drink with use in afternoon. That way you aren't drinking alone

Pop's

[laphanphon]

too mean to rent a car

that would be an exteme waste of money. nothing worth a 1000 baht rental here. night market fri/sat.....corner beer garden near big screen/stage. one of us usually there.

irish clock is good for sipping indoors. pop pop's is also nice venue, have park close. arena restaurant, good for looking over park at sunset, on north side, big white building, 3rd floor recommended.

some good food around, good luck.

[darwinian]

Thanks for the advice.
I am coming in December so it's a bit early to make plans.
I shall be staying at the Irish Clock.
I will also visit Pop Pops.
I hope to meet some of you there.

[laphanphon]

let us know when you get here, we don't need too much arm twisting to go out for a beer. will probably see you, since at the Clock at least once a week.

[Prenders88]

I have only been to Ban Chiang once, and It is not worth the effort.

I was very dissapointed with the museum.

However, if you have plenty of time and money, it's something to do, but I wouldn't get too excited about it.

Same here.
Only worth it if you want to buy some Ban Chaing "style" pots for your house or garden.

[mortiboy]

Yes I went there some years ago.I found it not very interesting.Some bones of people. and broken pots here and there.I want to visit the museum in Udon I think more interesting.I would like to see what Udornthani was like 200-300 years ago.
No cars,no buses, no LEO ,no bar girls,what did they do all day!what did they use for transport? I guess buffalos!

[Guns482]

Ther is a ban Chiang heritage Weekend next weekend 5-7 sept held at the site, just announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, it is bit late to make people go, just for info.

[laphanphon]

MUSEUM’S STRUGGLE

Budget constraints force restricted operating hours on a World Heritage attraction

Story by SIRIKUL BUNNAG

A sense of solidarity has brought together the Ban Chiang residents as their cash-strapped archaeological museum struggles to

keep its doors open to visitors. It is culturally important to keep the museum afloat, they say.

Ban Chiang mayor Sumeth Khapiman says that local people, including souvenir shop owners at the museum in Nong Han district of

this northeastern province, want the government to help them financially.

Hit by budget constraints and high operating costs, the museum was listed as a World Heritage site in 1992 and is a mine of

information on the pre-historic past of the Northeast.

As the budget it receives annually to look after its affairs has been cut sharply, the only option left for survival was cutting opening

hours to save costs. The museum once opened every day, but now opens only on certain days.

Budget cuts have forced the Ban Chiang Museum in Udon Thani’s Nong Han district to close its doors to visitors on Mondays,

Tuesdays and public holidays. — PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

The Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund in Japan paid the museum 66 million baht for a two-year renovation project to turn the

museum into the most engaging knowledge and cultural centre in the region. But its financial problems still persist.

Its financial plight comes as a shock to cultural tourists and residents alike. It has been only eight months since the renovation work

was completed in October.

The owner of a silk products shop, Paiporn Buahombura, 55, says the limited opening hours has created hardships for many vendors

given the economic slowdown, but she understands the situation and wants the government to take action soon.

If the government cannot provide budgetary support, Ms Paiporn says, a special fund should be created to help the museum cope in

hard times.

Another vendor at the museum, Jitakorn Promsrikaew, 36, says her income has been halved since the museum began limiting

operating hours. She says she might have to close her shop for good.

Since June, the museum has been closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and some public holidays.

”We are facing serious budgetary constraints, especially the salaries budget. Our museum has 10 exhibition chambers, but we have

only six staff,” Ban Chiang museum chief Mano Kleepthong says.

Mano: Can only afford six staff

The museum needs to become more self-reliant because it has no other financial support except from the government. The number

of visitors in June, the last month for which the museum has records, was 9,768.

Visitors reached a peak in January when 16,394 museum lovers visited. The museum received a budget this year of two million baht.

If it opens daily, operating costs will reach about 2.5-2.9 million baht.

Maj Sumeth says he will hold talks with the Fine Arts Department, museum management, local residents, and souvenir vendors on the

impact of the museum’s limited opening hours.

”The government borrowed a lot of money to revamp the museum. Once finished, it can’t operate at full capacity. We don’t want to

disappoint tourists who travel a long distance just to find a locked gate,” he says.

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