Judicial Machinery in The Spotlight
Youthapong Charoenpan
After hitting some particularly heavy traffic on Ratchadapisek Road, I decided to stop my car and stretch my legs. As I was strolling along, a sign for the Court Museum of Thailand and Archives caught my attention, so I decided to drop in and check it out.
As I made my way towards the entrance, which is located with the compound of the Court of Justice, a few thoughts came into my head.
“The assumption is that everyone is supposed to know the law, while everyone is supposed to be equal under the law,” I thought to myself. “And, at the end of the day, nobody wants to face a lawsuit.”
Running commentary
I was quite fortunate to stumble upon a small group of female students listening carefully to a guide as I entered the museum building. To better facilitate my own visit, I decided to make my way around the museum as part of this group.
When the courts were separated from the ministry of justice in August, 2000, the process yielded a number of valuable artifacts, including a large number of historic documents and pictures. To fully utilize these discoveries, the Office of the Judiciary decided to establish the Court Museum of Thailand.
The spacious building that houses the museum is divided into two sections, comprising the museum, along with an area where the archives are stored. There are four rooms in total displaying a varied range of exhibits relating to the country's legal system.
The first room we take a look at includes a display referring to the history of the country's legal system during the Sukhothai era (1238-1583), the Ayutthaya era (1350-1767), and the Rattanakosin era (1767-present). While the majority of the exhibits here are old photographs, documents and drawings, I found these were not as interesting as the various other exhibits relating to the nation's judicial system.
The second room we visit includes more historical documents and photos, along with a number of valuable objects referring to particularly outstanding cases. A room has also been set up to closely resemble how a judge's office in the past might have looked.
Symbolic examples
There are several historic objects on display at the Court Museum of Thailand that are particularly interesting. For example, you'll see a Hiranyabatr, which is a silver plate that depicts King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn the Great) initiating the establishment of the kingdom's courts of justice, along with Tra Sam Duang ('three stamps of the law'). Each of the three stamps features an icon – Rajasigha, Kasasigha, and Bua Kaew - which refer to the ministries of interior, defense, and foreign affairs, respectively.
You will also see the first issue of Ratchakitchanubeksa ('the Royal Gazette of Thailand'), which was issued on March 15, 1858 by King Rama IV to inform government officials and the general public of news about the country.
Memorable impressions
In the next room, we come across some rare photographs of some of Thailand's best loved monarchs. There's a photograph of King Rama V visiting important courts in Bangkok and other significant cities across the kingdom. There's also a photograph featuring King Rama VIII and His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej sitting together on a courtroom bench.
There are also a number of important documents housed here, including an original manuscript signed by King Rama V and a document in which King Rama VI grants amnesty to a group of prisoners.
Stamps of authority
Another display features antiquated office supplies once used by judges and other court officials. These include stamps made from ivory, date stamps made from brass with movable parts for the date and month, Chalak Nga (tags upon which legal declarations were made), as well as paper stamps, which were once used to pay court fees.
A 'must see' attraction at the museum is a display of a courtroom from the days of King Rama V (see main photo above). All the furniture and fittings are original and are in decent condition having been well looked after. This display includes seats that were used by the plaintiff and defendant during a hearing, a bench (on a platform), a witness stand, and a court clerk's desk.
This room includes a light and sound presentation about the story of Phra Yod Muang Kwang, which was the most notorious legal case during the reign of King Rama V.
Most visitors to the museum and archive tend to be either officials, school students, or students of law, who come from a large number of institutions.
There are still a number of ways in the museum could be improved, although the authorities are largely aware of this, pointing out that some technological improvements will likely be introduced in the not too distant future.
The Court Museum of Thailand and Archives opens Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. It is closed on weekends and on national public holidays.
For further information, contact Tel: +66 (0)2 512 8413, +66 (0)2 541 2951, or visit http://www.museum.coj.go.th.
Transport connections:
The Court Museum of Thailand and Archives is located on the 5th floor of the Judicial Training Institute Building at the Office of the Judiciary on Ratchadapisek Road, Chatuchak district.
Train: The nearest BTS skytrain station is Lad Phrao. From the station you can take a motorcycle taxi in the direction of Ratchadapisek Road. The fare is likely to be about 20 baht. Alternatively, you can walk as the journey on foot should only take you about 15 minutes.
Map
Credit: TAN Network (www.tannetwork.tv)
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