Many countries around the world have their fair share of bizarre and surreal attractions that almost seem to be ripped out of the confines of an overly imaginative mind, yet none have I seen that are as peculiarly morbid and at the same time amazingly jaw-dropping as the Museum of Death located within Siriraj Medical Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. When I first discovered this place of macabre exhibits, I immediately knew that I had to prepare myself for a smorgasbord of formaldehyde-preserved fetuses, human body parts, organs and other gut-wrenching things that I could not fathom at the time.
At first, I thought that I would be the only one who would have been interested in seeing something as ghastly as the ‘Museum of Death’ and that the others would be too terrified to even consider the thought of visiting it. Boy was I wrong in thinking that as, lo and behold, once I explained the place to the group I immediately had eager volunteers who would accompany me to see this gruesome attraction – with the tiniest of females in our group being the most enthusiastic of all of us.
The museum is split into 6 different sections, with each section dedicated to disgust you in its own way:
1. The Ellis Pathological Museum dedicated to fetal development and abnormalities, different types of cancers, explaining the functions of the heart and heart disease, and brain abnormalities and tumors.
2. The Songkran Niyomsane Forensic Medicine Museum dedicated to forensic investigation and the displaying of forensic evidence in crimes such as rape, murder and involuntary man-slaughter.
3. The Ouay Ketusingh Museum of History of Thai Medicine dedicated to the development of Thai medicine and herbology.
4. The Parasitology Museam dedicated to parasitical infections and causes of infectious diseases.
5. The Congdon Anatomical Museum dedicated to displaying anatomical and osteological specimens of both normal and abnormal features.
6. Finally, the Sood Sangvichien Prehistoric Museum and Laboratory, dedicated to archeological exhibits and findings within Thailand and the explanation of the development of humans and their communities.
We only managed to see the Ellis Pathological Museum, the Songkran Niyomsane Forensic Medicine Museum, the Parasitology Museam, and the Sangvichien Prehistoric Museum and Laboratory but let me tell you, it was still definitely worth it. My favorite section was the forensic medicine museum that displayed real-life human bones and body parts related to crimes along with other criminal evidence such as murder weapons and extracted bullets. It was an unexplainable experience to be so close to actual dead bodies; drawn in to this world where the exhibits are not merely for show but rather, those bodies behind the glass panels were all at one point living, breathing, sentient human beings with a family and a job – hopes, dreams and aspirations that were all taken away from them. You could actually close your eyes and see what the skulls would look like with skin and flesh on them, or hear the cries of a new-born baby who was drowned in water. It definitely sent shivers down my spine yet I didn’t want to leave the museum, wanting to take in all of it and burn the image in my mind no matter how twisted that sounds.
With our schedule so packed and our time so short, our visit to the museum had to end a bit sooner than expected. As we all began to make our way out of the hospital, we were all still trying to wrap our heads around what we had just witnessed. It was an experience no one would ever seem to forget and many would go on to take something from it as I know I did. So with one last look at the Museum of Death, I bade adieu to all the exhibits and made my way to the exit all while still thinking about the wondrous things I had seen in there. Thailand, you definitely stepped up the game this time!
Arman Attarzadeh, 21 is a dedicated Linux & Android user. Also a passionate guitar player and computer-generated techie. Overall, a jolly fat man pursuing a Bachelor's Degree at Monash University Sunway Campus majoring in Communications and International Studies
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