Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr building

The Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr building sits within the grounds of Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri, built in 1909 to receive a royal visit to Monthon Prachinburi. It’s since been repurposed as a museum of Thai traditional medicine, named for Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr, a local noble and physician who worked to bring traditional Thai herbal medicine and modern Western medical practice into the same system rather than treating them as rivals — a philosophy the hospital that bears his name still follows.

Inside, the exhibits track how Thai herbal pharmacy developed alongside Western medicine: display cases hold historic medical instruments, manuscripts, and photographs, with explanations of the plants and preparations that made up traditional Thai pharmacy practice. The early 20th-century building itself is part of the appeal — polished wood floors, tall windows, and the restrained institutional architecture typical of the period, largely unchanged since it was built to host visiting royalty rather than as a working ward.

The hospital complex around the museum keeps the herbal-medicine theme going in practical form: a shop sells Thai herbal products developed from the hospital’s own research, and a separate day spa on site offers treatments built around the same tradition, so a museum visit can turn into a longer stop.

Insider Tip: Combine the museum with the Abhaibhubejhr Day Spa on the same hospital grounds — it’s the most direct way to see how the traditional preparations on display in the exhibits are still being used today. The Prachin Buri National Museum in town covers the province’s wider history if you want a second stop.

Watch out: This is an active hospital site, not a standalone tourist attraction — keep to the museum building and marked visitor areas rather than wandering into clinical areas.