In Bang Pa-in is located one of the loveliest palaces in the Kingdom of Thailand, dating back to 1630 and the reign of King Prasat Thong of Ayutthaya who was the inspiration for its building.
The complex contains many fascinating buildings and monuments of historical importance and a full day can easily be spent wandering around and visiting the various rooms that are open to the public.
Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, has a wealth of visitor attractions, but it is a noisy city and sometimes a day spent outside the city can be beneficial.
After visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok, this less ornate Palace comes as a surprise.
Bang Pa-In Palace, Thailand
The Palace today is vastly different from how it originally looked when it was the summer residence of the Thai monarchs before the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767.
After then it was abandoned and neglected until the Rattanakosin period. Under the reign of King Rama IV of that period, the old palace was restored and a new one constructed. King Rama V added various residences to this when he ascended the throne.
It now stands in the middle of a lake as an open-sided pavilion under a multi-tiered roof and four open sides looking every inch a foreigner’s idea of a Thai building.
It is actually a replica of the royal dressing-room inside Bangkok’s Grand Palace.
Phra Thinang Varonhas Phimarn, Bang Pa-in, Thailand
Close by stands the neo-classical mansion, the Phra Thinang Varobhas Phimarn, erected as King Rama V’s throne hall. This was the setting for the wedding of the son of King Rama Vl in 1918.
The late King, H.M. King Bhumibol visited the mansion often between 1974 and 1982 and made use of the living quarters there.
The Chinese Palace, or Phra Thinang Wehart
Standing out from the rest of the buildings in the complex, the so-called Chinese Palace testifies to the relationship between China and old Siam.
Built in 1889 by a group of Chinese businessmen and dedicated to King Rama V, it dazzles with its fine chinaware, ebony furniture, and the carvings that decorate doors, windows, and support columns.
Other Things to Look Out for at Bang Pa-in, Thailand
- Cenotaph to Queen Sunanda and the Princess Karnabhorn at Bang Pa-in, Thailand. In 1880, the Queen Consort of Rama V together with his daughter drowned on their way to the Bang Pa-in Palace. The grieving king erected a marble cenotaph as a memorial to them and had their epitaphs inscribed on the monument in English as well as Thai.
- In 1887, another consort, Princess Saovabhark, and 3 of King Rama V’s children caused another Cenotaph to be erected near the one dedicated to Queen Sunanda.
The Observatory Tower, Hor Withun Thasana, was built in the reign of King Rama V.
