Arts of
the Kingdom

Queen Sirikit Institute

In 1978, Her Majesty instructed SUPPORT Foundation to set up

a Training Center within the compound of the Chitralada Villa.

It began as a small tent beside the Office of Her Majesty’s Private Secretary, offering workshops on various traditional arts and crafts that were in danger of disappearing, particularly crafts that were unique to Thailand.
Her Majesty personally selected children of poor farming families who had
no land to till, and offered them an opportunity to undergo handicraft training that would enable them to earn additional income, and at the same time, perpetuate the nation’s fine arts.
When the number of students increased, the tent had to be expanded into
a training workshop with 23 sections such as gold
and silverware, gold nielloware, damascene inlay, enamel, woodcarving and beetle wings decoration.
In 2010, the Training Center at Chitralada Villa was upgraded and renamed the “Queen Sirikit Institute”.

For over 40 years, the SUPPORT Training Center has been producing skilled artisans and beautiful works of fine art. It has been the centre of arts and crafts training that has helped improve the lives of the villagers while preserving the Thai heritage, through the belief that every Thai person has artistic blood, as evidenced through

Her Majesty’s speech:

“…I am very proud of our people. The Thais are natural artists,

whether they are farmers or practice other jobs, no matter where
they are living. Thais are also sensitive people with an innate artistic
sense that enables them to swiftly absorb and develop creative skills.
Just give them a chance to learn and train, and they will be able to demonstrate those skills…”

(Excerpt from Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday anniversary speech

on 11 August 1989 at Dusidalai Pavilion, Chitralada Villa)

Arts of the Kingdom Museum

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother remarked that the work
of Queen Sirikit Institute should be stored in a museum as national treasures.

Not only are there masterpieces that are now kept in the museum, various
artistic disciplines that were once at risk of disappearing have now also been passed on for posterity.

This allows the general public
to have a chance
to enjoy and take pride in the country’s art and
cultural heritage, and acknowledge
the innate artistic sensibility of
the Thai people.

The Arts of the Kingdom Museum has on permanent display various masterpieces from the Queen Sirikit Institute. Every single piece was created during the reign of King Rama IX, keeping the traditional techniques of old, such as the Busabok Mala, the gold niello Bhudthan Throne, the model of
the Sri Suphannahongse Royal Barge,
the Triple-Spired Busabok Throne,
the embroidered screen on the theme of “Inao”, the carved teak wood partition on the story of Sang Thong and the Himavanta Forest, to name but
a few.


The museum also displays various other handicrafts such as Yan Lipao basketry, Khit pattern bamboo basketry, beetle wings decorations and carved wooden dolls.

The Arts of the Kingdom Museum is therefore the only museum that
displays work created by the hands of the farming community.


The artisans of the Queen Sirikit Institute create art works without


a model or a mold.
They start from zero, with no background in the arts.
Some cannot even
read and write. But through the generosity of
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit
The Queen Mother, these beautiful works
of art have therefore been
preserved as national treasures, an artistic
heritage that is a source
of pride for future generations of Thai people.