The Erawan Museum

On the edge of Bangkok, a three-headed elephant weighing 250 tonnes stands atop a pink pedestal, tall enough to dwarf the traffic around it. This is Erawan — the mount of the god Indra — and the whole structure is a museum you walk inside.

Why It’s Interesting

The brainchild of the late collector Lek Viriyaphant, the building has three realms. The pink base represents the underworld and houses his antiques; the central hall is “earth,” lit by a breathtaking stained-glass ceiling depicting the cosmos; and a spiral staircase climbs up through the elephant’s belly into “heaven,” a serene shrine directly beneath the three great heads. Every surface — porcelain mosaic, hand-cast metal, carved wood — was made by craftspeople by hand.

Best Time to Visit

Year-round, and a superb rainy-day option since most of it is indoors and shaded.

Getting There

Refreshingly easy: ride the BTS Skytrain to Chang Erawan station and walk a few minutes. Mon-chan declared the giant elephant “too big, do not like” and hid behind Cinnamon.