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The Oub Kham Museum serves as a heritage conservation center preserving the invaluable legacy of the ancient Lanna Kingdom. The museum showcases the diverse traditional attire and accessories of various Tai ethnic groups within the Lanna Kingdom.
Driven by his deep passion for preserving Lanna’s rich cultural heritage, Ajarn Julsak Suriya Chai established the Oub Kham Museum as a center to safeguard priceless artifacts from the ancient Lanna Kingdom. These include royal court artifacts from Lanna’s ruling houses, such as those of the rulers of Phrae, Chiang Mai, and Nan. Among the exhibits are 200-year-old textiles, meticulously collected to reclaim and return significant Lanna artifacts to Thailand, ensuring that future generations can study and appreciate them.
Located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, the Oub Kham Museum is a renowned cultural attraction of Chiang Rai. It vividly presents the lifestyle of Lanna nobility and monarchy, earning recognition as one of Asia’s finest museums due to its extensive collection of exquisite royal attire, some dating back 500-1,000 years.
The museum also houses rare and ancient artifacts, including:
- A royal throne of the Tai rulers from the Northern Kingdom
- Royal garments adorned with pure gold
- A thousand-piece collection of silver jewelry
- Traditional clothing, including skirts (pha sin) and golden woven textiles
- Golden shawls (sabais), meticulously crafted with gold thread
These artifacts have been carefully preserved by Ajarn Julsak Suriya Chai, who spent over 20 years assembling this collection before founding the Oub Kham Museum.
The name “Oub Kham” comes from “Oub,” a traditional bamboo-woven lacquered and gilded container used to store food for royalty and senior monks, and “Kham,” meaning gold. The museum’s founder dedicated his time, energy, and resources to establishing Oub Kham Museum as a national treasure, ensuring that future generations can study, explore, and take pride in Thailand’s priceless cultural heritage.
