Rating: 4.3/5 (4 votes)

Open Days: Permanently closed

Opening Hours: -

 

Chiang Mai Postal Museum was once an important learning center for those interested in philately and the history of communication in Thailand. Established in 1990 by the Communications Authority of Thailand, the museum was housed in the former Mae Ping Post Office building—a two-story concrete structure that had long served as a bustling hub for sending letters, parcels, and telegrams in the era before mobile phones and the Internet transformed how people communicate.

 

The museum had four exhibition rooms with a total display area of around 260 square meters, along with a 42-square-meter storage room. Though not large in size, the museum provided a rich and intimate presentation of Thailand’s postal past. Visitors often remarked that it felt less like a formal museum and more like stepping into a preserved memory of an old post office—warm, familiar, and deeply connected to everyday life.

 

The ground floor showcased various tools and equipment used in early communication, including a 12-volt Morse code key, telegraph devices, vintage telephones, and authentic furniture such as postal counters, work desks, and long wooden benches once used by customers. Each object reflected the rhythm of postal work in an era when handwritten letters carried emotions, news, and connections across great distances.

 

The second floor featured collections of Thai postage stamps from the reign of King Rama VIII onward. The neatly arranged displays allowed visitors to appreciate changes in design, printing techniques, national imagery, and significant historical events recorded on these small yet meaningful pieces of paper. The floor also included a library and meeting room used for gatherings, workshops, and philatelic exchanges among collectors in Chiang Mai.

 

Outside the building, five antique red postboxes from different periods were displayed. Each box—varying in shape, size, and style—once served as a local community hub for sending letters. These postboxes symbolized the essential role of postal services in connecting people long before digital messaging became the norm.

 

The Chiang Mai Postal Museum also collaborated closely with the Chiang Mai Philatelic Club by organizing travelling exhibitions at educational institutions in Chiang Mai and Lamphun, hosting collector meet-ups, holding stamp-album competitions, and publishing a monthly newsletter titled “Chiang Mai Philatelic Museum News.” These activities formed a vibrant community dedicated to preserving and sharing philatelic knowledge.

 

However, due to organizational restructuring and the rapidly changing landscape of modern communication, the Chiang Mai Postal Museum eventually ceased operations. It is no longer open to the public, and the building has since been repurposed. Although visitors are no longer able to walk through exhibit rooms or view the stamp displays, the museum’s legacy continues through the memories of past visitors and the ongoing passion of philatelists in Thailand.

 

Those who wish to continue exploring Thai postal history and philately may visit other active institutions, such as the Samsen Postal Museum in Bangkok, which still features historical postal equipment, rare stamps, and educational exhibits.

 

 

A: No. The museum is permanently closed and no longer open to the public.

 

A: Visitors can explore the Samsen Postal Museum in Bangkok, which continues to display stamps, historical postal tools, and educational content about Thai communication history.

 

A: Currently, no public contact information is available because the museum has been permanently closed and the building repurposed.