The 19th-century Kamthieng House, on the grounds of the Siam Society Headquarters, was a rice farmer’s teak house, transplanted from the banks of Chiang Mai’s Ping River. Ethnographic objects from the everyday life of that era make up the bulk of the collection. Many agricultural and domestic items, including woven fish baskets and terra-cotta pots, are on display, and there’s an intrigung exhibit on the Chao Vieng, or city dwellers, from the northern Lanna Thai kingdom.

Walking through the small but lush grounds—they’re landscaped like a northern Thai garden—offers respite from the unmelodious Asok intersection, just behind the hedge. The Siam Society also supports an excellent reference library and gallery, with information on nearly every aspect of Thai society, concentrating on regional culture. Check the website for music concerts, lectures in English, and study tours given by experts.