The chairman of the National Heritage Board, which is responsible for the museum, is Lim Siam Kim, who is also the prime minister's press secretary.

ECONOMIST: Asian nation-building

Travel on this canal for designer (and knockoff) shopping at Siam Square and visit the Jim Thompson House, the beautiful teak museum home of an American silk trader, and other central Bangkok sites such as the Bo Bae wholesale clothing market or the hip Thonglor neighbourhood, full of boutiques and cafes.

BBC: Exploring Bangkok��s canals