Madame Tussauds Bangkok

Madame Tussauds highlights

With 10 exhibit rooms decked out in real-life themes, the museum feels more like a journey from one time-warp to the next – Lady Di next to Mao Zedong, Pablo Picasso and his Cubist painting next to Thailand’s leading and somewhat eccentric forensic pathologist Dr. Porntip Rojanasunan in her full rockstar regalia, and Barack and Michelle Obama in the Oval Office next to Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama.

Out of the 10 rooms, The Royal Room is the most elegant and culturally significant, as it showcases the wax figures of HRH Prince Mahitala Thibed Adulyadej and HRH Princess Srinagarindra, the late parents of King Rama XI. All the decorative elements in this room are meticulously planned down to the tiniest details, whether the royal costumes, colour scheme, floral graphic patterns and music, all of which received the Royal endorsement from the Thai Royal family. This is the only room in which you aren’t allowed to touch the figures.

A controversial political personality, Chairman Mao seems to get more attention from visitors than Princess Diana or Queen Elizabeth II. But the most photographed is probably a section of the Oval Office, with the former US President and First Lady posing by the festoon curtains.

Watch world geniuses at work

Enough with all formalities, let’s get to the fun part. While Picasso is taking a cigarette break, steal his canvas and create your own masterpiece. Need a piano lesson? Learn it from the Maestro, Ludwig van Beethoven. Meet Albert Einstein in person, or hug him if you're a fan – his moustache looks so real that it invites your touch. Did he really have his hair like that all his adult life?

Following Einstein’s glance, you see what looks like Thailand’s Democracy Monument and a foreign sculptor working on his soon-to-be masterpiece. This is the man behind so many important monuments you see in Bangkok. So, meet Silpha Bhirasri (born Corrado Feroci), an Italian sculptor who helped shape Thailand’s modern art scene.

Sports fans, be prepared for some action with your heroes and heroines, whether it’s a game of tennis with former world’s number one Serena Williams – whose biceps are, by the way, probably bigger than most visitors' thighs – kicking bendy goals while David Beckham is watching, putting with Tiger Woods, or lifting weights with Thailand’s Olympic gold medalist Pawina Thongsuk. Yao Ming, by the way, is as tall as the basketball hoop – try and steal the ball away from him!

Join the A-List party

After saying goodbye to Yao, it’s time to hit the limelight with your favourite pop idol. Take charge of the microphone, while Madonna and Britney can only look on, or challenge the King of Pop with your best moonwalk.

After you’ve had enough fun, proceed down the red carpet and join the glamourous party with the most beautiful faces of Hollywood, whether Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and so on.

Quality craftsmanship

Behind the glory and glamour, what makes Madame Tussauds Bangkok different from other wax museums in Thailand is the quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail, from set designs all the way to daily maintenance.

It takes British craftsmen between 3 and 6 months to finish a single wax figure, and the process is highly elaborate. Implanting hair is perhaps the most laborious task, as is the case of some female stars. Each strand of hair is implanted one by one, using real human hair. And the effect, when combined with the sparkle in the figure’s eyes – try looking into Julia Roberts’ or Princess Diana’s – is totally stunning.

You can learn all about the craft of wax work from the 2nd-floor exhibit on the history of Madame Tussauds. The museums’ souvenir boutique carries an interesting collection of memorabilia and quirky accessories you might want to bring home with you.