Royal Visit Honours a Sacred Buddha Image and Historic Murals
Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya visited the Bangkok National Museum on August 15, 2026, where she paid respects to the Phra Phuttha Sihing, a highly venerated Buddha image enshrined at the Phutthaisawan Throne Hall. She also viewed a series of mural paintings depicting the life of the Buddha, first created during the reign of King Rama I and later restored, which illustrate the evolution of traditional mural art in the early Rattanakosin period. The visit was attended by Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaisetr, Culture Ministry permanent secretary Prasop Riengngan, Fine Arts Department director-general Panomput Chantrachotee and other cultural administration officials.
The princess then proceeded to the Maha Surasinghanat building, where she paid respects to a carved stone Ganesha from Candi Singosari in central Java, Indonesia, a piece presented to King Chulalongkorn, King Rama V, by the government of the Netherlands during his second visit to Java.
Ancient Srivijaya and Lopburi Treasures on Display
Inside the Maha Surasinghanat building, the princess viewed important artefacts from the Srivijaya period, including a bronze sculpture of the upper torso of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Srivijaya style, discovered in Chaiya district, Surat Thani province, and a bronze Naga-enthroned Buddha in the Maravijaya posture from the same period, found at Wat Wiang in Chaiya. Also on display was a Vishnu image recovered from the Khao Phra Noe ancient site in Bang Nai Si subdistrict, Takua Pa district, Phang Nga province.
On the second floor of the building, she viewed artefacts from the Lopburi period, among them a gilded bronze sculpture around 1,000 years old, standing 129 centimetres tall and believed to depict a figure or king of an ancient royal court, as well as the largest bronze deity sculpture of its kind, found in Non Sung district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The princess concluded her visit at the Israwinitchai Throne Hall, where she viewed an exhibition of ancient royal court textiles and ethnic fabrics, before observing the restoration of the Maha Phichai Ratcharot and Vejayanta Ratcharot royal chariots at the chariot storage house.
