Siam Niramit - Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Siam - Bangkok - Nightlife & Entertainment Reviews

One of the best known thing about Thailand is its culture. My first ever trip to Thailand was when I was 18 travelling with a couple of mates. To me, to see and experience culture on short visits like these is to go and watch cultural shows. But at the time, cultural shows were the last thing on our minds ;-) Now that I have ‘grown’ up a little, I tend to appreciate a little more culture especially when travelling to foreign lands which I have never been to before. A few months back, I had the chance to visit Bangkok once more, and this time, I made it a point to experience more of the Thai culture and visit more cultural and historic places.

As I said, the best thing to do when trying to experience culture in a short span of time is to watch a cultural show. Well this one place called Siam Niramit, it is the best there is in showcasing the cultural heritage of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok itself. You can get there via the MRT subway or get a taxi or one of those fun tuk-tuks. If you intend to get on the MRT, get off at Thailand Cultural Centre Station and hop on the free shuttle service provided every 15mins interval between 6-8pm.

Arrive at the venue early so that you can enjoy other attractions this centre has to offer. I think the door opens at 6pm. There is the outdoor entertainment where they have live performances involving dancers and live elephants. They also have mini replicas of Thai houses from different parts of Thailand complete with cute little canals and having to walk on the bunds to reach the houses is rather fun. The houses look as if someone actually lives in them. Very realistic. Of course they also have a souvenir shop if you want to buy anything to remember your trip by. Try and have dinner prior to your arrival, or if you like, you can have dinner on site. They have a Thai-Western buffet for about 300baht. The show starts at 8pm. Cameras are only allowed outside the theatre. Your bags will be searched for cameras and camera phones are also banned inside the theatre. But not to worry, as lockers will be provided to put your stuff in.

The theatre itself is huge. It can fit in about 2000 people. The stage area is as wide and audience sitting area and apparently also as deep as the audience sitting area which is huge. I was told that this stage holds a world record of some sort. Entrance fee is about 1,500baht per person. The performance is 80 mins long and divided into 3 acts. Loads of dancers and even more costumes. So many things going on at one time, rain, smoke and even live animals. Lighting is just fantastic and excellent special effects.

I really do not want to reveal much more of the plot and spoil your experience. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I went. I think it truly is a world class performance, showcasing the arts and cultural heritage of Thailand. Anybody going to Bangkok next, I urge you to have a go. Well worth it. www.siamniramit.com