Walk Through History at Thailand’s First University

Step into the “Chamchuri Campus” and explore the history and development of higher education in Thailand, the founding of the country’s first university, and many fascinating stories about Chulalongkorn University. These stories are presented through exhibitions, museum objects, and valuable historical photographs at the Chakrabongse Building – Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall. This two-story Thai contemporary-style building stands out with its distinctive architecture that is over 90 years old. It has been officially designated as a national historic site. Its red teak doors warmly welcome visitors from Monday to Friday to learn and revel in the “pride of Chulalongkorn.”  

As Thailand’s first university, Chulalongkorn University is not merely an educational institution; it can also be seen as a “living museum.” It preserves and records parts of the nation’s historical narratives and evidence, passing them on for future generations to learn from. Within the “Chamchuri” campus, fascinating stories are embedded in every corner, from the university’s location and surroundings, to its buildings rich in rare architectural and artistic heritage. The campus is also home to various museum-style learning spaces, as well as stories preserved in the memories of generations of people who once spent part of their lives here as Chula students. These stories have evolved over time, reflecting the changing contexts of each era. In addition, valuable objects, old photographs, and important historical documents have been carefully preserved. Together, they reveal the proud legacy of Chulalongkorn University communicating these stories to visitors and passersby who discover this beautiful campus landscape in the heart of the capital city. 

From its founding to the present—spanning more than a century—key aspects of the history and development of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s first higher education institution, have been collected and are on display at “the Chakrabongse Building – Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall.” 

This two-story Thai contemporary-style building is located between the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science, near the Statues of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh. It is a historic structure recognized as a “national heritage site.” Originally, it was built as a clubhouse for students and faculty during the early years of Chulalongkorn University. It was later used as the office of the “Chulalongkorn University Student Union” and served as a space for various student club activities. Today, the building has been renovated into an exhibition space showcasing the university’s valuable museum collections. It is operated by the Chula Memorial Hall under the Office of Art and Culture. It stands as an important learning hub within the university, preserving and sharing Chulalongkorn’s legacy, and telling the story of Siam’s first university through exhibition media and rare, valuable artifacts. 

“The Chakrabongse Building” is one of the historic buildings that received an Architectural Conservation Award from the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage. It is considered a “conservation building,” one of several such historic buildings located across the campus of Chulalongkorn University. Since the university’s establishment, many of these buildings are now over 90 years old and have been officially registered as historic monuments by the Fine Arts Department. Over the years, the university has carefully preserved their original architectural beauty while adapting their functions to suit each era. The Chakrabongse Building, for example, was originally constructed as a clubhouse for faculty members and students and officially opened on May 26, 1933. In later years, it was used as the office of the Chulalongkorn University Student Union. The interior space has since been renovated and repurposed as an exhibition area for the “Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall” of today. 

Ms. Pimphisa Kamnerdjiramanee, Director of Chula Memorial Hall, Office of Art & Culture, Chulalongkorn University, led a tour of the interior of the building. She stated, “If you look only from the outside, the Chakrabongse Building appears to be a Thai-style building with Western influence. Its red wooden doors and windows contrast beautifully with the soft white concrete walls, giving it a classic appearance—though some may also see it as solid and old-fashioned. Once you step inside, you will find exhibition spaces presented in the form of infographic boards that tell various stories, combined with old photographs and displays of rare and valuable artifacts placed throughout the rooms. The second floor features a large hall with wooden floors and glass windows overlooking trees and natural light outside. Together with the warm yellow lighting inside, the atmosphere feels warm and inviting, like walking through a house from an earlier era.”    

Discover the Living History Inside the Chakrabongse Building

“To preserve the applied Thai-style building while adapting it for modern use, air conditioning has been installed to ensure stable temperature conditions. From the outside, it appears as though the traditional wooden doors and windows are always closed, because the interior walls have been modified into exhibition boards and display areas for exhibitions, museum objects, and valuable items that require special care. As a result, many passersby cannot clearly see inside the building and may assume that “the Chakrabongse Building” is always closed. In fact, anyone can simply reach out and open the large retro-style door—made half of teak wood and half of glass—and then step inside to view exhibitions that tell the history and prestige of Thailand’s first university. Visitors can also see museum objects and valuable items of Chulalongkorn University, displayed in smaller rooms organized by different themes. There are four exhibition zones, featuring both rotating and permanent exhibitions that occupy the entire two floors of the building. The building welcomes all interested visitors during official hours, free of charge.” 

This area serves as a space for exhibitions and museum artifacts—valuable items of the University—under the care of the Chula Memorial Hall. Therefore, this building can be considered a showroom and a center for disseminating the history and development of this historic university, inviting the public to discover how Thailand’s first higher education institution was established. The story dates back to the reign of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), whose royal vision laid the foundation for public education. He also envisioned the establishment of a university—an institution of higher learning—to equip the nation with knowledge for its future preservation and development. This eventually led to the establishment of Thailand’s first university, Chulalongkorn University, during the reign of His Majesty King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). From then on, the story of Chulalongkorn University continues through subsequent periods up to the present day, presented through permanent exhibitions, rotating exhibitions, and stories conveyed through the museum artifacts on display, allowing visitors to learn about and take pride in the prestige and heritage of Chulalongkorn University together. 

From the Clubhouse to Student Union to Memorial Hall  

At present, the Chakrabongse Building serves as an exhibition space presenting the history and development of Chulalongkorn University. However, this building is not merely a place that collects and tells historical stories through exhibitions and valuable museum artifacts displayed inside. The two-story masonry building, designed in an applied Thai architectural style, is distinguished by stucco reliefs of a chakra (discus) and a baton—the emblem of the Chakrabongse family—on the front gable of the building. The windows are reddish-brown wooden panels, and the roof is covered with red glazed tiles. A portico balcony with columns topped with decorative finials adds to its dignified appearance. This classic-style building serves as a historical record, preserving a key chapter in the founding of Thailand’s first university. 

During its first two decades of Chulalongkorn University, the administration, most of whom were members of the royal family, were in a rush to develop the university’s management to meet international standards in all aspects, especially in teaching and learning, as well as the living conditions of students and faculty. One member of the royal family who played a crucial role and made significant contributions to the development of administration and academic affairs at Chulalongkorn University was His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla (Somdet Phra Mahitalathibet Adulyadej Vikrom, the Prince Father). On one occasion, when he traveled to the United Kingdom to explore where he should study medicine, His Serene Highness Prince Chula Chakrabongse, who accompanied him, respectfully asked, “I would like to help the professors and students of Chulalongkorn University, but I do not know how.” The Prince Father then advised that a “club building” should be constructed for professors and students to use as a place for social gatherings and indoor sports, because at that time Chulalongkorn University did not yet have a suitable building for such activities. 

In 1931, Prince Chula Chakrabongse visited Chulalongkorn University and observed that the Chulalongkorn University Student Club, which had been established in 1922, was using a two-story wooden house near the student dormitories as a venue for various activities. In 1932, he donated 20,000 baht from his personal funds to the University for the construction of a permanent building to serve as a club for students and faculty. He also bestowed the name ‘Chakrabongse Building’ in memory of His Royal Highness Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Prince of Phitsanulok Prachanath, his father. Prince Chula Chakrabongse presided over the building’s opening ceremony on May 26, 1933.  

The Chakrabongse Building was designed by Phra Saroj Rattananimman (Saroj Sukhayang), Luang Wisansilpakam (Chuea Patmajinda), and Mom Chao Ittithepsan Kridakorn. The building was constructed as a two-story reinforced concrete structure with a rectangular floor plan. On the north side, there is a portico hall, and the upper floor features a terrace surrounded by a balustrade. At the center of the building is a large hall, with a teakwood staircase leading up to the second floor. The roof is a double-tiered wooden gable roof with surrounding eaves supported by concrete brackets, and it is covered with traditional Thai turtle-scale tiles. The projecting porches on the east and west sides are reduced in size. The front gable is decorated with the ‘Chakra and Baton’ emblem, the personal emblem of His Royal Highness Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Prince of Phitsanulok Prachanath. The building is not heavily ornamented; instead, it emphasizes the building corners and column lines with pilasters—flat rectangular columns that project slightly from the wall—running up the two stories, contrasting with the molding line at the base of the building. Door and window openings are simple rectangular forms. Special emphasis is placed on the entrance portico, where the pilasters at the top of the second-floor terrace are decorated with finials, and the terrace is lined with an applied Thai-style balustrade. 

In 1953, His Serene Highness Prince Chula Chakrabongse visited the University once again and observed that Chakrabongse Building had become overcrowded, with activity space insufficient for nearly 3,000 students at that time. He therefore donated an additional 200,000 baht to the University to renovate and extend the building southward, providing more space to accommodate student activities. As a result, the building’s layout was changed into a triple-gabled structure, while retaining its original applied Thai architectural style. The newly added wing housed, on the upper floor, the office of the Chulalongkorn University Light and Sound Club. The Student Union then established a radio station in 1958, which later became the origin of the Chulalongkorn University Radio Station. 

From that time on, “the Chakrabongse Building” became a gathering place for students from all faculties who came together to make good use of their free time by participating in activities of various clubs under the Chulalongkorn University Student Union. At times, it was even used as overnight accommodation for generations of students who worked on their activities late into the night and did not return to their dormitories. By 1985, as the number of students and clubs increased, the space in the building was no longer sufficient for activities. The University therefore constructed a new building to house the various clubs under the Student Union, and “the Chakrabongse Building” was subsequently renovated to become the home of the Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall from 1988 to the present day.  

Most recently, in 2023, the Fine Arts Department officially designated “the Chakrabongse Building” as a “historic monument,” along with three other important university buildings: “Maha Chulalongkorn Building” (Arts Building 1) of the Faculty of Arts, the “Chulalongkorn University Auditorium,” and the “White Building” (Biology Building 1) of the Faculty of Science. 

Preserving Student Life and Memories, Now Open to the Public

Ms. Pimphisa recalled the atmosphere in the past: “From listening to the recollections of senior professors and from old photographs of Chulalongkorn University, we learned that in the early years after its construction, there was a billiard table in the ground-floor hall. There was also a lounge room where professors and students could relax. Later, the building was used as the office of the Chulalongkorn University Student Union. There used to be a wooden sign with white lettering and the Phra Kiao emblem installed in front of the building. The interior space on both floors was divided into rooms for various clubs, such as the Western Music Club (on the ground floor), the Thai Music Club (on the upper floor), and other clubs such as the Light and Sound Club. The offices of the different divisions of the Student Union were also all located in the same building. Alumni from earlier generations, especially those who were active in student activities and used the “Chakrabongse Building” as a place to gather and participate in club activities during their four years as students, feel a deep connection to this place. Nowadays, whenever those alumni return to Chulalongkorn University, they often arrange to meet at the “Student Union Building,” which refers to this “Chakrabongse Building,” first. Sometimes they come together in groups, go upstairs to sit and talk, reminiscing in a corner of one of the exhibition rooms, spaces that were once activity rooms, dining areas, and even sleeping areas for them when they were students.’” 

You are warmly invited to enjoy the distinguished heritage of Chulalongkorn University by visiting the exhibitions, historic photographs, and valuable museum artifacts at the Chakrabongse Building, the Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall. Admission is free of charge. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also follow updates and news through our four social media channels: Facebook: หอประวัติจุฬาฯ / Youtube: CU.Memorial Hall-หอประวัติจุฬาฯ / Instagram: Chulamemorialhall / Tiktok: หอประวัติจุฬาฯ  or contact 02-2187099 or 02-2187098 for further information.  

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