Denmark’s Consul General to Thailand, Mr. Anders Normann has established Thailand’s first privately owned museum in a building he bought in the late 1990’s just off the deep end of Silom Road in Bangkok. This building has been transformed into Thailand’s most exclusive boutique spa, the Nicolie Wellness Center using only the highest quality of interior decoration materials like solid teak from ground floor to the top third floor of the building. The massage treatments take place surrounded by the artifacts of the museum and the quality materials used in the renovation on each spacious floor.
The jewel of the exhibition is the well preserved Golden Robe given by Rama V King Chulalongkorn to the Danish Vice Admiral of the Royal Thai Navy Andreas du PLessis de Richelieu – among Thais better known as Phraya Cholayuth Yothin – when he left for Denmark after 27 years of devoted service to the King. This is the single most valuable piece of artifact preserved from the Golden Era of Denmark in Thailand during the reign of Rama V King Chulalongkorn around the turn of the past century.
The robe has been restored by the US-based textile conservator Julia Brennan and is placed in a uniquely designed cabinet with light and mirrors that makes it possible for the visitor to admire the robe both from the from and the back.
A booklet has been produced detailing the uniqueness of this robe and its path from being packed up in a bank vault to now being accessible and admired by Thais and Danes alike in the Nicolie Museum. It is obtainable upon visit to the museum which can only be made by prior appointment.
On Saturday 8 September, Anders Normann hosted a champagne reception for the board of the Scandinavian Society Siam and treated them to a personally guided tour of his collection. Most of the many historically valuable exhibits are hand picked from his even larger private collection at home(!) primarily for their antique beauty as artifacts by his partner Khun Orawan, who is in charge of the Nicolie Spa.
Visits to the Museum and Spa can be arranged by contacting the Nicolie Spa at phone number 02 233 6957 or email [email protected].
The Nicolie is located at 1041/5 Sun Square, Silom Road (Between Soi 21 – 23) Bangrak, Bangkok 10500.
