House of Opium Museum

The House of Opium Museum is a local museum that showcases artifacts narrating the history of the Golden Triangle in a clear, engaging, and accessible manner. The exhibits offer perspectives from both scholars and local residents, featuring unique, culturally rich, and historically significant antiquities.

The museum was founded by Patcharee Srimathayomkul, a former high school teacher who returned to her hometown in the Golden Triangle to open a souvenir shop. She was concerned about the loss of historical artifacts, such as opium pipes, weights, and scales, which were often purchased and taken away by foreign merchants and tourists. To preserve these valuable cultural items, she began collecting them and eventually established the museum in 1989.

The museum serves as a historical record of the Golden Triangle, a region once infamous as the world’s largest center for opium production and trade.