This palace is located in Tambon Bang Len, Amphoe Bang Pa -
In, 18 kilometers south of Ayutthaya. It lies 58 kilometers
north of Bangkok by rail, 61 kilometers by road. To access
to Bang Pa-In from Ayutthaya, one can go by Phahonyothin
Road and make a right turn at Km.35 for another distance of
7 kilometers to Bang Pa-In Palace.
The palace is open to the public everyday from 08.30 - 16.30
hrs. (Admission Fee is 50 Baht)
For more information Tel.224-3273 or (035) 261 - 044.
riginally, Bang Pa-In was a riverine
island. When Prasat Thong became the Ayutthaya king (1630 - 1655), he
had the Chumphon Nikayaram Temple built on his family estate. Later, he
had a palace built on a lake in the middle of the island where he could
periodically reside.
The palace, surrounded by a lake 400
meters long and 40 meters wide, and the Chumphon Kikarayam temple, are
all that remain of King Prasat Thong's construction work at Bang Pa-In.
Bang Pa-In was used as a country
residence by every Ayutthaya monarch after King Prasat Thong. But when
the new capital was established in Bangkok. Bang Pa-In ceased to be used
and was left unoccupied for 80 years. It was only during King Mongkut’s
reign (1851-1868) that Bang Pa-In was again visited by kings. King
Mongkut stayed there and had a house built in the old palace’s compound.
His son, King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910)
liked the place, stayed there every year and constructed the royal
palace as it is now seen today. Important buildings inside the palace
compound are:
A Thai design pavilion in the middle of the pond was built
in the reign of King Rama V. Originally built of wood
throughout, King Rama VI commanded to change the floor and
pillars to be reinforced concrete.
It is north of the "Saphan Sadet" the royal path to and from
the river landing. Formerly the two-storey wooden villa was
used as both the royal living quarters and Throne Hall.
Later during his reign, King Rama V commanded the original
one to be demolished and replaced with a European design
building to be used as the Throne Hall to receive his
subjects for royal ceremonies. In this hall are paintings of
the royal historic records, Inao literature, Phra Aphai Mani
literature and the Ramayana epic.
This is a two-storey building located to the
east and opposite the pond. It is a piece of
elaborate work seen tinted alternately with dark
and light greens. Its balcony in similar in
design to a Swiss chalet.
Before being destroyed by fire during the
restoration in 1938, the whole building was
built from wood and decorated inside with
mahogany furniture ordered directly from Europe.
This theatre was constructed by the royal command of King
Rama Vl in the compound of his consort's living quarters
near the pond in the garden west of Utthayan Phumisathian
Hall.
This is the stone Prang under a banyan tree near the pond
within the outer part of the royal compound, where an image
of a deity is housed. King Rama V ordered its construction
in 1879 to replace an old shrine built by villagers as an
offering to King Prasatthong of the Ayutthaya period.
This is the Chinese-style pavilion nearby the garden's pond
within the inner part of the royal compound. It was built in
1881 during the reign of King Rama V.
This hall located in the north of the palace, was
constructed in the Chinese Emperor style as the royal
offering by Phraya Choduk Ratchasetthi (Fak). King
Chulachomklao usually made a royal visit during the cool
season.
This is a 3 meter high hexagonal marble building, situated
on the east side of the royal palace. It was constructed to
keep the ashen of the affectionate consort of King Rama V
(Somdet Phranangchao Sunantha Kumarirat).
It is the marble relief memorial that King Rama V , with his
deep sorrow, ordered to be constructed in 1888 to
commemorate his beloved consort (Phra-Akkharachayathoe
Phra-Ongchao Saowaphak Narirat) and 3 royal children who
passed away at different times of the same year, 1887. These
portraits stand nearby the memorial of Somdet Phranangchao
Sunantha Kumarirat.
This is the monastery located to the south of an island in the Chao
Phraya River, on the river bank opposite the royal palace. In 1878, King
Rama V ordered its construction to have the same architectural style of
a Western cathedral.
The building and its decorations are of Gothic style and beautified with
colorful stained glass. The base; where the principal image of Buddha
and his followers were placed, was designed to resemble the one for the
Cross in a Christian church, not a traditional Chukkachi base as seen in
general. The window blocks were especially made for curved windows. On
the Ubosot wall in front of the principal Buddha image, there is a
picture of King Rama V created with stained glass. Situated to the right
of the Ubosot is Ho Phra Khanthararat, a shrine where Phra Khanthararat
- a Buddha image in the posture of requesting rain, is put for worship.
Opposite Ho Phra Khanthararat is another shrine, which is the house of a
seated stone Buddha image protected by a seven headed naga. It is an
ancient Buddha image aged a thousand years, built in the Lopburi period
by a Khmer Craftsman. This venerated Buddha image is very close to the
big banyan tree that spreads its branches to shade the area in front fo
the Ubosot. Not far from the Ubosot, there is a cluster of stones
naturally found in Thailand, which contains the relics of Chaochommanda
Chum, a consort of King Rama IV and mother of Prince (Somdet Kromphraya)
Damrong Rajanubhab and the members of the ‘Diskul’ family. From Bang Pa
–In Palace, visitors can access the monastery through a cable car that
carries 6-8 passengers at a time. The fare depends on the passengers’
contributions.
This is the monastery located in the front area of Kho
Muang, opposite to the train station. It was founded in
1632, by King Prasatthong's command and restored during the
reign of King Rama IV.
