ICONSIAM Opens Riverside Floating Museum
‘Sri Mahasamut Ship’ – the symbol of river-borne prosperity, to commemorate King Taksin the Great on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the foundation of Krung Thonburi Sri Mahasamut. The museum showcases the life and legacy of King Taksin the Great in an exhibition using advanced techniques to tell stories and create a spectacular experience for visitors by making them feel like they are going back in time while boarding this ship.
The floating museum ‘Sri Mahasamut Ship’ symbolizes the prosperity brought by water streams. It takes visitors back to the glorious days of ship trade in the 18th century when Krung Thonburi was a major port in an international trade route, to let Thais and anyone interested learn about a crucial period in Thai history.
The exhibition is held from 14 November 2018 – 13 January 2019 at River Park, ICONSIAM, by the Chao Phraya River, and there is no price of admission.”
The spectacular ‘Sri Mahasamut Ship’ was exquisitely modeled after the red headship, as called by the Teochew people. Inside, visitors are able to observe different areas of the vessel which tell historical stories in an exhibition using advanced interactive techniques to offer a virtual reality experience as if one is thrown back to the time bygone on the real ship. The exhibition area is divided into three zones.
Zone 1 – Captain’s Cabin showcases a history and accounts of ship trade, the capital building and relocation, and Krung Thonburi as a port city for commerce.
Zone 2 – Crew Cabin demonstrates an atmosphere and life on board.
Zone 3 – Civilization Archive contains a biography and initiatives of King Taksin the Great in city rebuilding, a chronology of wars to unify the kingdom, Thonburi-China trade relations and diplomacy, world trade routes, and ‘ship’ as a symbol of prosperity. There are also hands-on activities for visitors to enjoy some onboard experiences such as hoisting a cargo crate as if being a crew member of ancient times.
Visitors can also change into national outfits of various nationalities through Kinect and take photos with the civilization archive and share them on board. The ‘Sri Mahasamut Ship’ also has a good viewpoint on the top deck as well as retail and coffee areas for visitors.
ICONSIAM is a spectacular global landmark that is located in Bangkok on a 55-rai riverside site with a 400-meter river frontage and a gross floor area (GFA) of over 750,000 square meters. It includes two of the world’s most glamorous retail complexes as well as two luxury waterfront residential condominium buildings of 70 and 52 floors, one of which carries the Mandarin Oriental Residences brand.
ICONSIAM is being developed by three of Thailand’s most successful businesses, including Siam Piwat, the owner and operator of prestige retail developments such as Siam Center, Siam Paragon, and Siam Discovery; Magnolia Quality Development Corporation (MQDC), the owner and developer of luxury quality residential and mixed-use projects; and multi-national conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group.
