Panthawit Lawaruengchok, owner of trailblazing design firm Apostrophy, is an avid collector of t-shirts and concert merchandise, particularly of rock bands. Museum of Tees showcases Panthawit’s extensive t-shirt collection, which includes rare items and limited-edition pieces. Each shirt comes with a label indicating the production year, the significance of the band, as well as its origin. Notable items include Run DMC x Adidas items as worn by Beyonce and Kanye West (one of them is worth more than B400,000), a vintage tee from Queen’s 1978 tour, and a Flaming Lips shirt with a Thai phrase that reads “which is parasitic and the carrier of disease.” Currently on display is a rock and metal theme, which is about 30 percent of Panthawit’s collection. Panthawit also collects designer shoes, and a showcase of his rare and vintage footwear is in the pipeline.
A day at the museum usually involves peering at collections of antiques, scientific gadgets or historical narratives. In Bangkok, however, there are more to museums than these typical displays. The city boasts venues that feature the most unconventional themes, from sex workers to mythological elephants to fake merchandise. Upgrade your typical museum experience, and get an educational experience of a different kind at these unconventional places.
