Going To Seashell Museum
I had a free day last weekend, with some vague plans to try some new places. After lunch at a restaurant in Monkey Hill in Phuket town, and a small walk in town visiting a Hindu temple and a Sikh temple, I drove towards Rawai beach on a sunny summer afternoon. On the main road from Chalong to Rawai, not far from the beach, on the right side is a place that I may have driven past 500 times ... Phuket Seashell Museum. I'm really not too concerned for the previous visit, because it is a "tourist" and I am not a tourist! I have a feeling it might be a waste of energy, but on a free day, and the entrance fee is only 200 Baht ... I thought "what the heck" and went to look.
You may look at the sign .. it is a museum and shop. I do not see the store, but I'm sure anyone can find something worth buying! I only paid 200 Baht and headed downstairs to the basement to see the air. It was not a busy afternoon, only one minibus load rating (out of Singapore, I think) there. So I started wandering. There are arrows painted on the floor to guide you on the path around all the displays. Not sure anyone follow the arrows. I only saw them after about 10 minutes!
It's not a big place. If you have minimal interest in natural skin and which may be roaming around in 10 minutes. But, hey, guess what? It is a museum, and I found all of the display will also be labeled with a lot of information. You really can learn something here! The museum was reopened in 1997, featuring a collection of Somnuek Patamakanthin and son Somwang. As a diver, I certainly have an interest in the wonderful world of nature. Various shells on display here is quite beautiful. Well done for people to get together. I can only imagine they embark on Rawai beach picking up shells, find new ones ... the museum is now looked after by relatives Somnuek Somchai.
The collection has grown far beyond local Phuket shells. There is a rare black cowry shells from New Caledonia, shells from Europe and more. Fossil also, I think that Khun Somchai has spent some serious money to get a few items here!
So there we go again! I thought I would take the kids to the museum shells Phuket near future, they enjoy walking along the beach picking up shells. My daughter especially. He always took the beautiful shells.
I want him to find a 140-carat pearl gold! One of the attractions of the "stars" in shells Phuket museum is large enough, I guess you could call it gold, not orange / yellow? Pearl. It seems worth much money as tens of thousands anything. I do not see a particular security in the vicinity. But if you are the type who appreciates pearls and jewels, the gold pearl big this might be something that you would be happy to stare for hours ...
As far as I know, the museum is open every day of clams Phuket from dawn til dusk or something. I mean, you can not visit at 6:00 or 9:00, but during the day it opened and I think I'll be right back with the kids. Some of the "sights" in Phuket is well worth a visit, even for cynical! I've been here since 1999, and the museum has been open all Phuket shells that time ... it only took 16 years to visit!