Retired teacher turns her home into a museum to Their Majesties

Seventy-year-old Sanong Bamrungrat, a retired primary school teacher in Pathum Thani’s Lat Lum Kaeo district, has opened her single-storey house on Wat Bor Thong Road to people so they can come to peruse the many albums she has created of Their Majesties and other members of the Royal Family. 

Her collection, built over 43 years, will give people an insight into the Royal Family, as well as provide information about the work His Majesty has done for the country. 

Sanong has been collecting these images from newspaper and magazine clippings, and preserving them by sticking them on to cardboard or putting them in albums. 

She has collected the images from 1966 to 2000, and said she had enjoyed several opportunities to catch a close glimpse of the King and Queen on the eve of their birthday every year. “The first time I saw Their Majesties, I was overwhelmed and inspired,’’ she said.

Initially, she kept the photographs in brown envelopes and hid them under her pillow, though later she began framing them or putting them in albums. 

Friends and relatives have also helped contribute to her collection by giving her photos of the Royals on special occasions. 

“Every single picture brings me joy and happiness. Every time I step into my house, I feel content. Before going to bed every night, I pray for Their Majesties’ longevity and health so they can continue to be a spiritual centre for all Thais forever. I will continue doing this till I die,” she said.