National Archives of Thailand สำนักหอจดหมายเหตุแห่งชาติ

Overview

The National Archives of Thailand (NAT; Thai: สำนักหอจดหมายเหตุแห่งชาติ) is the official government agency responsible for collecting, preserving, and providing public access to historically valuable records of the Thai state. It operates under the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and is located in Bangkok, adjacent to the National Library of Thailand.

History and Founding

The origins of the National Archives trace to 1881, when archival duties were first assigned within the national library system under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The Archives were formally established in 1916 (B.E. 2459) as a section of the Royal Vajirayana Library. On August 18, 1952, a Royal Decree officially constituted the institution as the National Archives of Thailand, now a division of the Fine Arts Department. The NAT has satellite facilities in Phayao and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. In 2009, the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register inscribed the archival documents of King Chulalongkorn's transformation of Siam (1868–1910), held in the NAT's collections. In 2013, the National Archives Act (B.E. 2556) formalized the legal framework for records transfer and oral history preservation.

Collections and Holdings

The NAT holds over one million historical government and public records encompassing paper documents, photographs, posters, maps, film reels, videotapes, and sound recordings. Holdings date from the reign of King Rama IV to the present day. Government records are transferred to the NAT when they reach 30 years of age, per the Prime Minister's Regulation on Records Keeping of 1983. Among the most significant collections are the Royal photographic glass plate negatives and original prints from 1855 to 1935—comprising 35,427 glass plate negatives and 50,000 prints—which were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The NAT employs approximately 131 persons and has an annual budget of approximately 80 million baht.

Access and Usage

Researchers wishing to access archival materials must submit a researcher registration form and attach identification photographs. Records over 25 years old are generally accessible to the public. The NAT has been undertaking digitization of documents, photographs, maps, and microfilms, with online search capabilities available through its website.