What is the background of this huge Erawan Museum? Who has the courage to put ideas into practice? Let's find the answer to all these questions from the life photos and audio of the museum founder.

Mr. Lek Viriyaphant was born in 1914 into a Chinese businessman's family in Sampeng, Thailand. He was then sent to university Shanghai, China. It was during this period that he get to travelled and become interested in arts and cultures. He accumulated professional knowledge and understanding of arts, religions, philosophies and cultures since an early period of his life. Until when his father fell ill, he then came back to Thailand to help with the family busines. Later, through work relationships he met his wife and lifelong friend Ms.Prapai Viriyaphat, who became a partner and inspiration throughout his business career. After his marriage, he began to focus on developing in the business world. Successfully established Thailand Monthon Bank, VIRIYAH Insurance Company and Thonburi Automobile Assembly Plant, and the business was very successful.

In addition to being a very successful businessman, Mr. Lek Viriyahphant also has a strong interest in art, religion, philosophy and history. He is very worried that the long-established Thai cultural heritage is declining due to the lack of enthusiastic donors to repair it. Mr. Lek and his family travelled with scholars and advisors all around Thailand to collect data to build the Ancient City, for over 10 years they kept sketches, notes, and photographs of the sites to use as references for their works, allowing them to build the Ancient City methodically with real knowledge.

The more places Mr. Lek went to, the more he understood, and the more he became passionate about the country's art and cultural undertakings. This sentiment blossomed in 1963 when he was 49 years old. He launched the world's largest outdoor cultural heritage museum. The Ancient City Project. At that time, few private business owners were willing to invest huge sums of money in such ambitious projects just to repay the country. Mr. Lek was even regarded as a person who could never see the project completed and daydreaming.

Despite so many frustrating criticisms, Mr. Lek remained unwavering. The accumulation of knowledge brought by frequent trips to various sites for up to 10 years has given Mr. Lek a solid cultural background and enabled him not only in history and art. He has profound knowledge and has a direct understanding of the lifestyles of people of different religions in Thailand. This extensive knowledge has been fully utilized in the construction of the Ancient City.It has now become a witness to his contribution to the protection of the national heritage. It is most honored and touching that King Rama IX of Thailand chose the Ancient City in 1972 as the place to welcome the British Queen Elizabeth to visit Thailand and hold a royal ceremony. This is also the day when the Ancient City was officially opened to the public.

After the completion of the Ancient City, Mr. Lek started another huge project. In the era of materialistic and cold war, Mr. Lek had a point of view that the world became chaotic because many religious people did not really understand the core teachings of religion. In 1981, he started to build the Santuary of Truth in Pattaya, which is the largest wooden temple in Thailand. It led people to experience the principle of peace and happiness in the world and the lofty truth.

The founder, Mr. Lek, never wastes time, and always thinks and creates something new throughout his life. When he built the Ancient City, he considered cultural treasures with important historical value. He has tried to find suitable venues to show these collections to the public and educate the next generation to cherish humanity's civilization. Until one day, he heard a Western friend talk to him about the idea of building a museum in the shape of an "Apple" with special meaning in Western culture, so Mr. Lek recalled the idea of building a museum in Thailand, using the Erawan Elephant The sculptural museum flashed in his mind and became a reality after 9 years. This is the origin of the Erawan Museum. Mr. Lek hopes that this place will not only display precious and invaluable artworks, but also show the religion of Asia to the younger generation.

Since ancient times, Thai culture has constantly grown prosperous. It would have been meaningful for our past and present if the cultural splendor, through our knowledge and wisdom, could last forever.

The question is, why has such precious culture been undermined?

Is it because of people’s oblivion of their national culture, or are there other significant factors hidden behind?

After thinking thoroughly about this matter, it is obvious that Thai cultural prosper has gradually been wilting away because our cultural essence has never been properly acknowledged among modern people through proper means. We never have a proper way to make modern people thoroughly understand their cultural essence.

With rare opportunities to learn about the long-inherited culture, how can people appreciate and acknowledge it?

Based on the above ideas of the founder, Mr. Lek Viriyahphant, The Erawan Museum has established its four purposes: 

1. History education for modern people, because history is like a compass and rudder necessary for safe navigation; 

2. Make full use of the collected works of art and cultural relics, those that use religion to maintain world peace and the spiritual development of the eastern society; 

3. Introduce the traditions and cultures of Asia to the world to teach those who are lost in atheism people; 

4. Let people know the founder's wish to keep The Erawan Museum as an eternal heritage.