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Bang Pa-In's number one sight is the Bang Pa-In Palace [1], also known as the Summer Palace. Originally built by Ayutthayan King Prasat Thong in 1632 but abandoned after the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767, the site was partially restored by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 1850s. The site as it stands today, however, is largely the work of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who expanded the area into a Versaillesque garden filled with European-style buildings in 1872-1889. Last restored in 2001, the palace and its grounds are maintained in immaculate shape and well worth a visit. Entry 100 baht, open daily 08:00-16:00. The grounds are not too large to be covered on foot, but you can also rent a golf cart to scoot around in for 400 Baht for the first hour and 100 Baht per hour after that. As at all royal sites, proper dress is required, but you can buy a 100 baht wrapwround skirt from the stall in front of the entrance if needed.
Divine Seat of Personal Freedom (Aisawan Thiphya-At). The only Thai-style building in the palace, this beautiful pavilion sitting in the middle of a lake has been designated as the archetype of the Thai pavilion (sala Thai), a national symbol of Thailand. The statue standing in the middle represents Rama V and was erected by his son.
Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode (Warophat Phiman). A one-story mansion containing Chulalongkorn's throne hall. Open to visitors and well worth a visit, as it is richly decorated in turn-of-the-century European aristocratic style, only with quirky Thai touches here and there.
Heavenly Light (Wehart Chamrun). Built by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889, this opulent Chinese-style palace is also another standout, full of red, gold, dark woods and inlaid mother of pearl. Also open to visitors, be sure to catch the stupendous dragon sculpture inside carved from camel bone.
Sages' Lookout (Ho Withun Thasana). A merrily painted lighthouse-lookalike that served as a lookout tower for viewing the countryside.
Exhibition Hall (Saphakhan Ratchaprayun). A colonial-style two-floor building originally built for the King's brothers. The building now houses a small museum covering the history of the palace, and makes a good first stop on a tour of the area.
Memorial to Queen Sunanda Kumariratana. Built in memory of Queen Sunanda in 1881 (see box), this simple marble monument has a slightly ungrammatical but touching English dedication by King Chulalongkorn himself.
Inside the church-cum-temple, Wat Niwet
Across the river from the Palace is Wat Niwet Thamprawat, another of King Chulalongkorn's European follies, built in 1878. This is an active Buddhist temple cleverly disguised as a Gothic church, down to the spiky eaves and stained glass windows. Getting there is half the fun, as a basic motorized cable car swings visitors across the river! The cable car station is hidden behind the Bang Pa-In parking lot, which explains why the temple doesn't get many Western visitors
DSC_7737
Bang Pa-In's number one sight is the Bang Pa-In Palace [1], also known as the Summer Palace. Originally built by Ayutthayan King Prasat Thong in 1632 but abandoned after the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767, the site was partially restored by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 1850s. The site as it stands today, however, is largely the work of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who expanded the area into a Versaillesque garden filled with European-style buildings in 1872-1889. Last restored in 2001, the palace and its grounds are maintained in immaculate shape and well worth a visit. Entry 100 baht, open daily 08:00-16:00. The grounds are not too large to be covered on foot, but you can also rent a golf cart to scoot around in for 400 Baht for the first hour and 100 Baht per hour after that. As at all royal sites, proper dress is required, but you can buy a 100 baht wrapwround skirt from the stall in front of the entrance if needed.
Divine Seat of Personal Freedom (Aisawan Thiphya-At). The only Thai-style building in the palace, this beautiful pavilion sitting in the middle of a lake has been designated as the archetype of the Thai pavilion (sala Thai), a national symbol of Thailand. The statue standing in the middle represents Rama V and was erected by his son.
Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode (Warophat Phiman). A one-story mansion containing Chulalongkorn's throne hall. Open to visitors and well worth a visit, as it is richly decorated in turn-of-the-century European aristocratic style, only with quirky Thai touches here and there.
Heavenly Light (Wehart Chamrun). Built by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889, this opulent Chinese-style palace is also another standout, full of red, gold, dark woods and inlaid mother of pearl. Also open to visitors, be sure to catch the stupendous dragon sculpture inside carved from camel bone.
Sages' Lookout (Ho Withun Thasana). A merrily painted lighthouse-lookalike that served as a lookout tower for viewing the countryside.
Exhibition Hall (Saphakhan Ratchaprayun). A colonial-style two-floor building originally built for the King's brothers. The building now houses a small museum covering the history of the palace, and makes a good first stop on a tour of the area.
Memorial to Queen Sunanda Kumariratana. Built in memory of Queen Sunanda in 1881 (see box), this simple marble monument has a slightly ungrammatical but touching English dedication by King Chulalongkorn himself.
Inside the church-cum-temple, Wat Niwet
Across the river from the Palace is Wat Niwet Thamprawat, another of King Chulalongkorn's European follies, built in 1878. This is an active Buddhist temple cleverly disguised as a Gothic church, down to the spiky eaves and stained glass windows. Getting there is half the fun, as a basic motorized cable car swings visitors across the river! The cable car station is hidden behind the Bang Pa-In parking lot, which explains why the temple doesn't get many Western visitors