Siwamokkhaphiman Hall
Siwamokkhaphiman Hall was built at the first stage of the Front Palace construction, by order of H.R.H. Prince Maha Surasinghanat, the vice king during the reign of King Rama I, to serve as a stateroom for giving an audience to officials as well as hosting religious ceremonies. Initially, it was a smaller wooden pavilion without walls which was later dismantled by order of H.R.H. Prince Maha Sakdipolasep, King Rama III’s vice king, who replaced it with a larger plastered brick structure with a wooden roof which was imitated from the old one, i.e., low hanging roof with deep eaves running all around to prevent the penetration of direct sunlight and rain. Later, walls and a porch were built into this hall by the time it was converted into the ‘Royal Museum’ in 1887 during King Rama V’s reign. Then, in the time of King Rama VII, it was modified for use as the Royal Library where historic documents and ancient stone inscriptions were kept. At that time, a high pitched gable roof was added to the porch, as it looks like now.
In 1967, Siwamokkhaphiman Hall was renovated to become the office of the Fine Arts Department’s Division of Archeology, and to house the exhibition of Thailand’s prehistory. Later, in 1982, the presentation was altered to exhibit the history of Thailand. Recently, in 2015, this hall was once again modified to display the masterpieces of the National Museum Bangkok.
In the reign of King Rama I, Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall used to throne hall that was throne glorious white nine-tiered umbrella being a symbol of royalty, for the vice king to meet nobility and the royal charities as Mahachat preaching, that call this hall in another name as “ Songthum royal hall”
Since the reign of King Rama II, Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall was just as special ceremony hall. To the reign of King Rama III, H.R.H. Prince Maha Sakdipolasep, King Rama III’s vice king was replaced the hall with a larger plastered brick structure with a wooden roof. The architecture that shown in the present is exemplary workmanship at the time of King Rama III.
In the reign of King Rama IV, shown evidence documents that "feature the ceremony in Boworn Stharn Mongkol, the Vice-King palace” that in the time of King Pinklao, he ordered to use Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall to perform several royal charities as in Songkran the New Year's day used to the monks dining and a royal requiem ceremony, in the Visakha Bucha Ceremony use to preaching, requiem ceremony and offering Slakpat, "Tham Khwan Naak" a ceremony performed before ordaining as a monk in 8th month and a place where monks chanting in the Royal Sart Thai. Since 1857 when King Pinklao ordered to summon Phra Serm Buddha from the town of Nong Khai to enshrined on the altar with royalty white nine-tiered umbrella in Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall, also had a royal charity cause of Phra Serm such as the royal charity candle casting.
In 1885, when Vice-King Boworn Vijicharn died, Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall was empty since used to the museum in the reign of King Rama V in 1887 and called that “ROYAL MUSEUM” thus adapted to the wall, and further reduce the front porch in that time.
In the reign of King Rama VII, His Majesty King Phokklao ordered to use all of the Montien place in Vice-king palace to be Vajirayarn Royal Library and the museum for capital city and gave Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall to be Royal Library for collect books, document about writings and inscribes as Bi-Larn, Smuth Khoy and Stone inscriptions. He presided over the opening in the Honours celebrations in 1926.
Then in 1967, updated as a previous history exhibits since 1982 thus has been declared a history of Thailand national museum on June 2, 1982 by renovated exhibit showcasing to be the room of Thai history. Exhibite storytelling history of the Thailand such as Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Thonburi and Rattanakosin periods with the various types exhibitions such as models and media to accompany the exhibition.
In 2015, The Fine Arts Department has improved the exhibits inside Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall again. The cancellation after up Indoor exhibits and improve the layout of the building was returned to the original architecture to demonstrate the beauty of this royal hall by take the great Thai antiquities on display with order from prehistoric period, Dvaravati, Srivijaya, Lopburi, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya to Rattanakosin for telling historic stories and glorious civilization of the country through artifacts, art objects by the concept to exhibit focuses on the beauty of antiques, art objects. The focus was on the design and database platform exhibit booth placement artifacts. Especially lighting That exhibits were designed for this purpose. Improving internal exhibition in Siwamokkhaphiman Royal Hall nowadays, aims to restore the beauty of the architecture of ancient Thailand. And promote the value of fabulous piece antiques on display especially untold story of the great history of Thai racism.